Mishriff, who detoured to the dirt and ran down Charlatan in the late going to win the $20 million Saudi Cup in his last start, returns to the turf for a race likely to have implications for the remainder of the season in England and Europe.
Trainer John Gosden is seeking a third victory following Dar Re Mi (2011) and Jack Hobbs (2017).
Speaking from Dubai, where he is overseeing operations for his father, Thady Gosden said: “Both Mishriff and Lord North are coming out of stall ten in their respective races. The Sheema Classic start is almost straight into a bend, so a wide draw isn’t ideal for Mishriff, but we’ll see how it pans out on Saturday.”
While Northern Farm's Yasuhiro Matsumoto, representing Chrono Genesis' connections, compared his mare to some of Japan's best Dubai competitors and hinted at further ambitious international plans including the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe Gr.1, the great race that keeps eluding Japanese racing.
"Of course it's going to be a very tough race," Matsumoto said. "But she is kind of in the same class as Almond Eye and Gentildonna who won the Sheema Classic before so, yes, very happy to compete with them.
"An option will be the Arc," Matsumoto said. "But for Northern Farm, we will target the races that Northern has never won before, like the King George and the Breeders' Cup, and she is a filly that can compete well in those kind of races."
