GLOBE TROTTING Gabr gained a valuable first victory of the season on the turf for Robert Armstrong with a narrow success in the Group Two Sandown Mile at Sandown yesterday.

The well travelled six year old held off Soviet Line by a short head to signal a revival in the fortunes of owner Hamdan Al Maktoum.

Earlier in the day the Sheikh had received encouraging news on the progress of Alhaarth as he continued his build up towards the Guineas meeting at Newmarket in a week's time.

Ladbrokes cut the 2000 Guineas favourite's price to 6-4 from 2-1 after the colt had completed an apparently sparkling piece of work in Lambourn. His Craven Stakes conqueror Beauchamp King is out to 9-4 from 2-1.

"I spoke only briefly to Dick Hern but I gather he went very well. Alhaarth came between horses and went away nicely," said the owner's racing manager Angus Gold. Alhaarth may be accompanied by Gabr's stablemate Mawwal in the big race as he is rated the horse most capable of acting as a pacemaker.

Gabr may have the Lockinge Stakes and Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot as his next targets in his second spell with Armstrong.

"He's a very tough horse. He went to Dubai at the end of his four year old career and won twice in the United States last year, said Armstrong. I am very pleased he came back. I was sure Soviet, Line had got up."

With the classics beckoning, Regal Archive earned a crack at the Irish 2000 Guineas after stepping up on a Kempton maiden win to land the Tudor Conditions Stakes by two and a half lengths.

The son of Fairy King will take his chance instead of highly rated, stablemate Nash House who will now be kept for a Derby preparation.

Trainer Peter Chapple Hyam said: "Everyone has been knocking the form of his Kempton win. But he's really improved and is a very laid back horse."