THE dictionary defines the word affable as ‘pleasantly easy to approach and talk to; friendly; cordial; warmly polite’, while giving an example of its use as ‘an affable and courteous gentleman’.

Meeting Harry Herbert, no matter what the circumstances or occasion, and you will understand that he was the person the compilers had in mind when they came up with the definition. A man for whom the top hat was surely invented, he does manage to wear a number of different hats and with great ease.

He is the face of Al Shaqab, officially their racing advisor, the driving force behind Highclere Thoroughbreds, and one of the keys to the ongoing success of the Cartier racing awards. Of course he is much more besides, but to most people in racing, unaware of his personal background, he is readily associated with those three named brands.

Last week in Qatar I had an opportunity to catch up with Harry over breakfast and find out a little more about the Al Shaqab Racing organisation. It was a big weekend for the State of Qatar, staging as it did a couple of $1 million races (the currency in Qatar, the Riyal, is pegged with the US dollar). One of the races was for thoroughbreds, while there is huge pride in racing purebred Arabians and one of the races was for that breed.

The seal of approval for racing was given again when the Emir attended the meeting on Saturday and presented the trophies. Pride in racing and in the achievements of Qatari runners abroad is palpable. Al Shaqab Racing has enjoyed many famous victories in its short history, Treve being a particular standout.

However, Dubday’s win at Goodwood last summer rates a special mention – trained as he was by Jassim Ghazali, the champion handler in Qatar. Harry explains: “The joy of that victory was immeasurable. It was the most important win of the year. It showed that anything is possible and it is a great ambition to have more Qatari horses race in Europe.”

Racing in Europe has benefited from a substantial investment from Al Shaqab, not just in terms of ownership, but also from sponsorship. “Sheikh Joaan enjoys racing and follows his horses closely. He is very quiet, a shy man, but very enthusiastic. He is very busy and has a huge commitment to domestic affairs. When he does go racing he is an unbelievably lucky owner and has seen a lot of high-profile winners. Usually this doesn’t happen when the boss is there.”

The number of horses in training for Al Shaqab Racing has almost doubled in a handful of years. While there are some high profile runners in America, the majority of horses in training are in France and Britain and divided almost equally between the two countries. Presently the majority are unraced horses, while there are a few standouts among those with form.

With horses such as Toronado, Olympic Glory, Ectot and The Wow Signal having carried the Al Shaqab silks to success, there are high hopes for further stars to emerge. The Invincible Spirit colt Shalaa is already a star and Harry provides an update on his winter progress. “Any thoughts of his being anything other than a sprinter can be shelved. He is so strong, powerful, a beautiful horse.” His summer target is the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.

Galileo Gold, a son of Paco Boy, is a rising star and was possibly only denied a Group 1 success due to the fast ground in Longchamp. “He was a leggy two-year-old, unfurnished but is now a mature horse. He has done phenomenally well and will possibly go for the French Guineas – the softish ground would suit him well there.”

For Harry there are other classic hopefuls and none more so than Highclere Racing’s Foundation. The three-year-old son of Zoffany, bred by Eyrefield Lodge Stud, was beaten by Marcel in the Racing Post Trophy having won his first three starts. He has done well over the winter and plans for the John Gosden-trained colt appear to be fluid. While a market leader for the Epsom Derby, he could more probably be a French Derby contender.

One thing that Harry does a lot during the interview is to name drop. However, contrary to what you might think, it is the names of almost every key member of the Al Shaqab team that he manages to mention in the course of an hour. One man for whom he has great admiration is Frankie Dettori.

Speaking in Qatar at a briefing one morning, Dettori acknowledged the part played by Al Shaqab in his racing rehabilitation. Given the role a week before Harry joined the organisation, Herbert admits that “my first thought was, ‘that’s an interesting appointment’ but I have to say that from our first meeting it was absolutely clear that he was not going to make this anything but a success.

“Frankie is a great team player. He is hugely important, and he didn’t bring any ego with him.

“He is a joy to work with.”

The Al Shaqab connection to France is very strong – and understandable. “Sheikh Joaan was educated there and Qatar has many connections with the country. The breeding operation there has expanded very rapidly and we have about 80 mares and stallions. It is spectacular what they have done at the farm in a short time. I wouldn’t rule out farms in the future elsewhere, including in Ireland.”

The six-year-old Mshawish has already provided Al Shaqab with a Grade 1 winner in 2016 when capturing the Donn Handicap and he will hopefully be seen next in Dubai on World Cup night. He is a member of a small but select group of horses in America, while in Europe the Al Shaqab runners had an impressive strike rate of about 25%, while stakes won amounted last year to about £5 million.

The bar is raised each year and Harry is looking forward to the challenges ahead in 2016.