Ghaiyyath

Ghaiyyath made his racecourse debut on 15 September in a maiden race over one mile at Doncaster Racecourse in which he started the 6/5 favourite but finished third behind Blue Laureate and Sha La La La Lee. Thirteen days later the colt was equipped with a hood when he went off favourite for a similar event at Newmarket Racecourse. Ridden as on his debut by James Doyle he led from the start and went clear in the last quarter mile to win "easily" by five lengths.[6] William Buick took the ride when the colt was stepped up in class to contest the Group 3 Autumn Stakes over one mile at Newmarket on 14 October and started the 11/4 second favourite behind the John Gosden-trained Bear Slam. After racing in mid-division he struggled to obtain a clear run in the last quarter mile but broke through to take the lead in the closing stages and won by one and three quarter lengths from Dream Today with two and a half lengths back to Bear Slam in third.[7] Buick commented "He bunny-hopped out of the stalls and I wanted to be closer than what I was but they went a nice gallop and he travelled sweet throughout and won well in the end.He gave me a nice feel. He's a big horse who is going to be better next year."[8]

In early 2018 Ghaiyyath was considered a serious contender for the Epsom Derby,[9] but after sustaining a training injury when being prepared for a run in the Dante Stakes he was off the track until the autumn of 2018.[10] On 22 September he made his return in the Prix du Prince d'Orange over 2000 metres at Longchamp Racecourse and started the 1.9/1 favourite in a seven-runner field. With Buick in the saddle he raced in second place behind his pacemaking stablemate Stage Magic before going to the front 300 metres from the finish and pulling clear to win by three lengths from Sacred Life.[11]

Ghaiyyath spent the winter of 2018/19 at Godolphin's base in Dubai. On 7 April, he began his third campaign in the Group 3 Prix d'Harcourt over 2000 metres at Longchamp and started the 7/10 favourite against four opponents headed by the Prix Jean Prat winner Intellogent. He took the lead from the start and opened up a big advantage over his rivals before being eased down in the closing stages to win by one and a half lengths from Soleil Marin.[12] Appleby commented "I am delighted with that performance – he is a horse with a future... Ghaiyyath is a very strong galloper. If something could go faster than him, then we would let them go on, but nothing can give him a lead because he is such a strong traveller".[13] Three weeks later at the same track the colt was moved up to Group 1 level for the first time and started the 1/2 favourite for the Prix Ganay over 2100 metres and sustained his first defeat in over eighteen months as he came home third behind Waldgeist and Study of Man.

After four months off the track Ghaiyyath made his comeback in Germany on 1 September when he started 2.3/1 second favourite for the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Baden over 2400 metres. The three-year-old colt Laccario headed the betting after winning the Deutsches Derby while the other seven runners included Communique (Princess of Wales's Stakes), Ashrun (Prix de Reux), Accon (Frühjahrs Dreijährigen-Preis) and Donjah (Herzog von Ratibor-Rennen). Ghaiyyath led from the start and extended his lead in the straight to finish fourteen lengths clear of Donjah in second, despite being eased down by Buick in the final strides.[14] After the race Buick said "He's a monster, an absolute monster. Let's hope that he'll be around for a while. He's an amazing horse".[15]

On 6 October Ghaiyyath started 13/1 fourth favourite for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe over 2400 metres on very soft ground at Longchamp. He led the race until 500 metres from the finish but then tired and dropped back rapidly to come home tenth of the twelve runners, more than thirty lengths behind the winner Waldgeist.[16]

In the 2019 World's Best Racehorse Rankings Ghaiyyath was given a rating of 126, making him the 5th best racehorse in the world.[17]