By Sports Reporter/Doha

Last year’s winner, Brash has an excellent chance to repeat his 2013 performance and the British rider is happy with the way his horse Hello Sanctos has tuned up for the final event. “Al Shaqab has been a lucky place for me so far. It was fantastic winning here last year. I gave Hello Sanctos a break after Vienna. Then I gave him a warm-up show in Lyon last week and he jumped really good. It was my mistake we had the last fence down. He’s come here in the best shape we can have him.”

“I don’t think it matters what Ludger is riding he is going to have a chance. Ludger is the man to beat. I agree with Ludger, Casall has been on fantastic form. Rolf could definitely win on Saturday, for sure. We are all going to be trying so it should be a good, exciting showdown,” Brash added.

2012 Longines GCT Championship runner-up and Olympic Silver medallist Rolf-Göran Bengtsson is quietly confidently of a good show. “I have only one chance here, and that is the win, which is nearly impossible to make if you have to make it. But we don’t give up. Casall ASK has had a break since the World Championships and he jumped well in Lyon. He likes the big arena and the footing here and he is an experienced horse, but you have to take it a step at a time, we will just try and jump clear in the Grand Prix first round and see how it goes.”

Championship Leader and four-time Olympic Gold medallist Ludger Beerbaum who had a last minute substitute for the Grand Prix said. “Chiara was meant to be my ride, but she had light colic so we decided to not show her. This has left me with Zinedine, which for sure is a little bit of a disadvantage, but I am still ahead.

“He has been fifth and second on the Tour this year so I will try my best with him. He’s always been my second or third horse, but he did really well in Shanghai and London, so why not here. If the course is not extremely big and crazy technical, I think I have a chance. It’s going to be very interesting for sure.”

“We can be completely realistic, if it’s just the three of us in the jump-off - Casall was unbelievable in the World Championships, more consistent than anyone else. Then Hello Sanctos would be behind Casall, then three days and then my horse. If it came to that, it would be between Scott and Rolf. I am not competing on the same level with these two.”

Although it’s a three horse race to the Championship finish line, there are a number of very talented horse and rider combinations who could still snatch the €450,000 Grand Prix win. Brash managed to do the double last year winning both the Doha Grand Prix and Championship in one go, but it had never been done before.

The top three will have to contend with the likes of 2014 FEI World Cup Final winners Daniel Deusser and Cornet D’Amour, 2014 Aachen Grand Prix winners Christian Ahlmann and Codex One, the exciting new partnership of Tiffany Foster and Tripple X, reigning Olympic Champion Steve Guerdat and Nasa, former Olympic Champion Rodrigo Pessoa and Status, Pan-Am Team Gold medallists Kent Farrington and Uceko, and former two-time LGCT Champion Edwina Tops-Alexander with Old Chap Tame.

One of the biggest threats could well be in-form Dutchman Jur Vrieling and 14-year-old VDL Bubalu, who will be retired from international competition after Doha. The stallion has won a World Championship Team Gold medal and the Nation’s Cup Final this year and could well go out with a bang in the very last competition of his career.

Amongst the Qatari challengers, Qatar Armed Forces’ Bassam Hassan Mohammed and Sheikh Ali bin Khalid al-Thani go into the final with an opportunity to do well in front of the home crowd. A podium finish is a realistic chance for the duo, who have dazzled with impressive performance during the Tour.