A Middle Eastern view

BIG THINGS are happening on the racecourses of the Middle East. The Gulf has long since hosted racing of international significance, most notably the Dubai World Cup meeting at Meydan, but recent developments have seen the region offer a much more diverse programme full of races with genuine global resonance.

The most eye-catching addition to the flourishing calendar is the Saudi Cup, which holds the title of the world’s richest race with an astronomical prize fund of $20 million.

The 1m1f contest, which is run on the Dirt track at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh, was first run in 2020 when Maximum Security somewhat controversially finished first past the post.

Having initially been run as a lavishly funded conditions race, the event was awarded Group 1 status by the International Grading and Race Planning Advisory Committee ahead of the third renewal last year, which was won by local runner Emblem Road at odds of 80-1 for trainer Mitab Almulawalah.

Across the border in Qatar, Al Rayyan racecourse hosts the $2.5m HH The Amir Trophy, a local Group 1 that forms the thoroughbred centre piece of the HH The Emir’s Sword festival, which boasts an undercard brimming with other lucrative contests. Although the Saudi Cup has claimed the title of the world’s most valuable race, the Dubai World Cup Carnival has lost none of its lustre.

That particular event’s roll of honour features celebrities such as Cigar, Dubai Millennium, Street Cry, Curlin, Arrogate and back-toback winner Thunder Snow, who struck in 2018 and 2019.

However, while races like the Dubai World Cup and the Saudi Cup will rightly attract elite runners from around the world, the real indicator of the direction of travel in the Middle East is the depth that is developing just below the top tier. The Bahrain International Trophy has quickly established itself as a calling point for classy runners from far and wide.

In 2022 the race saw a one-two for Godolphin and Newmarket-based Saeed bin Suroor as Dubai Future saw off Passion And Glory, while the previous renewal went the way of the popular grey Lord Glitters, who struck for David O’Meara.

According to the Bahrain Turf Club’s brochure, the introduction of the 1m2f Group 3 in 2019 “began a new chapter in the history of horseracing in The Kingdom of Bahrain, demonstrating the country’s determination to establish itself as a premier horseracing destination and welcome the sport’s leading competitors.”

That chapter has been furthered with the introduction in 2021 of the Bahrain Turf Series, a programme of ten races aimed at attracting international runners rated between 80 and 100, as well as their connections.

Among the British trainers to have heeded the call is George Baker, who dipped his toe into the Bahraini waters with two representatives in the inaugural Turf Series before returning with three this time around.

The triumvirate have more than paid their way, with Lucander making a successful start for the stable in the Al Muharraq Cup, while the sprinters Get It and Watchya have both finished runner-up. The trio have made seven starts between them and netted well over £75,000 from the abundance of prizemoney on offer.

“Last year was very much a learning curve when we took over a couple of seasoned older handicappers just to feel our way,” says Baker.

“And the important thing about learning curves is that you learn; this year we’ve taken three horses to Bahrain who have been competitive and are running around for decent prize-money.

“We’ve had a winner, two seconds and two fifths and we’ve gone through £75,000 in prize-money and there’s still another meeting to come.

"If we could come back having picked up over £100,000, well, we’re going to struggle to pick that up through the winter in Britain with that level of horse.”

Of course, prize-money is not the only incentive attracting owners and trainers to the region, which boasts its share of prestige as well as high levels of international competition at a time when Flat racing is confined to the All-Weather in Britain and Ireland.

Owner Anoj Don, who races in partnership with Daniel MacAuliffe, has had horses in training with the likes of Ivan Furtado, Harry Dunlop and Charlie Fellowes, most notably the classy middle distance runner Pirate King and the Group 2-winning Fighting Irish, who now stands at Haras d’Annebault.

Don is no stranger to winners in Britain, France and Ireland, but says he has always dreamt of seeing his and MacAuliffe’s twotone blue colours carried in Dubai.

This year that dream came true when the Amy Murphy-trained Magical Morning ran at Meydan. The son of Muhaarar gave the owners a day to remember when he finished runner-up to Blue Trail in a 1m2f handicap on his second outing in Dubai.

“It’s a big thing having a horse there,” says Don. “It’s almost like the Olympics as there are runners from Saudi, Bahrain, England, Ireland, France. There are trainers and jockeys from all over the world coming to Dubai. It’s a great atmosphere and there’s good prize-money if you have the right horse.

“But the prize-money is very hard to win so I wouldn’t have my dreams dependant on winning some.

“Meydan is just special, it’s like running at the Breeders’ Cup as you’ve got to have a good horse to even go there.”

Don says the ownership experience in Dubai is quite different to what he has encountered in Britain and Ireland, particularly as the country extends an especially warm welcome to international visitors.

“Meydan has unbelievable facilities and the atmosphere is great,” he says. “They look after you very well there and the whole experience was unbelievable. Everyone was enjoying themselves, including the local crowd who like to come and see the British horses. Even the taxi driver was telling me the British horses are stronger!”

The likes of the Bahrain Turf Club and the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club offer a range of generous incentives and subsidies to encourage international participation, with travel and accommodation for horse, owner, trainer and jockey all on the house.

THE BAHRAIN TURF CLUB also offers connections a £12,500 expenses voucher to spend while in the country.

“The owners who have been have adored it,” says Baker, who trains Get It and Watchya for the MyRacehorse syndicate.

“We’ve actually got around 30 owners coming over, which will be great and exactly what the Bahrain Turf Club wants. There’s a lot of fun to be had here.

"There’s great restaurants, nice hotels and a lovely golf course. It’s showcasing the Kingdom while giving my owners a real opportunity to make some good money at a time of year when they could easily be trundling around on the All-Weather for chocolate cake and rosettes.

“We brought owners over here last year and in the same way we were dipping our toe into the water, they were too. They were so impressed by the hospitality and the warmth of the welcome, so they enjoyed it even with limited racecourse success.

“To see them come back tells you a lot, and the fact that we’ve come back with horses winning good money and running really well, it’s been fantastic. We couldn’t have asked for it to go much better.”

Similarly, efforts have been made to ensure that staff – an even more essential part of the whole process – are offered a warm welcome too, particularly as they are likely to stay for a much longer period of time than owners and trainers.

“The staff are incredibly well looked after,” says Baker. “They’re housed a couple of miles away from the racecourse in apartments courtesy of the Bahrain Turf Club. My staff and the others we’ve come across have nothing but praise for the way they’ve been looked after.”

Travelling horses the 4,000 or so miles from Baker’s base at Robins Farm in Surrey to Bahrain is not a minor logistical undertaking, but the trainer notes that, granted the right animal, the process is generally straightforward.

“The logistics of international horse transport now are so fantastic, every month there are racehorses flying around the globe to far flung outposts, so it’s as seamless a process as can be,” he says. “Obviously there are some horses who get in a muck sweat going down the road to Kempton so you need to make sure you take the right type of horse.

“But, by definition the right type has to have a certain level of ability, and the vast majority of horses who perform to that level have a good mind on them and are therefore capable of dealing with it.

"International horse transport is most certainly not a boundary for us. If we can get there, we’ll go.”

The growing demand for horses to run in the various races that have sprung up across the Middle East has been reflected in the domestic bloodstock market. There is no clearer an example than the Tattersalls Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale, which last year generated record turnover of 36,164,500gns for 1,006 lots sold.

In an illustration of how big an impact Middle Eastern buyers had, three operations from the Gulf region were among the sale’s top ten spenders, led by the Qatar-based

Wathnan Racing who spent 1,750,000gns on nine lots, headed by the 450,000gns Persian Royal.

The Saudi-based Tattersalls regulars Najd Stud were the second-biggest buyers with seven bought for 1,460,000gns.

Najd Stud was also in action at the December Mares Sale, where their desire to secure the best prospects for the biggest races was highlighted when the outfit’s representatives went to 3,600,000gns for the dual Group 1 winner Saffron Beach.

The daughter of New Bay was sourced with the aim of running in the Saudi Cup but was retired from racing after a dirty scope ruled her out of this year’s renewal. She is due to begin her breeding career by visiting Frankel.

Another Saudi outfit, first-time buyers Athbah Racing, also made their presence felt when they secured the 525,000gns One World from the Juddmonte draft.

Moreover, it is not just the overseas buyers who are contributing to this surge in demand for prospects to run in the Middle East, as Baker’s three Bahraini runners and Don’s Magical Morning were all sourced as horses-in-training specifically to target races in the region.

Given the flourishing Middle Eastern programme boasts considerable prize-money, a stark contrast to the meagre sums available in Britain, particularly during the winter months, this market trend looks sure to continue over the coming years.

“I’ve always wanted to race in Dubai and now that we’ve done that we’ll look to go to other countries in the future,” says Don. “The plan is definitely to go to Bahrain next year. They’re trying to get international horses into their country and I think their plan is to be the next Dubai, so that’s definitely on the bucket list.”

Those sentiments are shared by Baker, who says of Bahrain’s future prospects: “As the international programme books fall onto more and more trainer’s desks there are clearly going to be more and more people here. The International Trophy in November has attracted the big battalions already and that’s clearly becoming a globally recognised race, and the Turf Series has opened the door to a lot of trainers.

“I’ve noticed that when I’ve been saddling up at recent meetings there have been other trainers here having a long hard look.

“Competition is what we want and what the Bahrain Turf Club wants. They’re delighted that our horses are competing with their horses in the way that perhaps they didn’t last season and that’s creating a vibrant and fun atmosphere at the racecourse. The overriding sense I have is that this is a place to be involved with for the long term, so hopefully we can be part of it going forward.”

Russell Ferris outlines the technical and admin solutions being provided by Weatherbys

A GROWING PROGRAMME OF RACING has not only meant an increasing volume of action on the racecourses of the Middle East, but requires hard work and innovative solutions behind the scenes, too.

Having been founded in 1770, Weatherbys is a company steeped in history and tradition. However, the organisation also has its finger on the pulse of digital technology and has been involved in supplying innovative solutions across the Gulf’s key racing jurisdictions in Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE Emirates.

“The Middle East has always had an affinity for the horse,” says Weatherbys’ CEO Russell Ferris.

“Two of the founding stallions in the stud book are Arabian, and there has always been a passion for racing. It’s now a really strong offering delivering and it’s one that Europe is looking at with envy in terms of how they’re doing it.”

Weatherbys’ solutions are centred around three key products in racing admin, the stud book and the ePassport.

All three are in use across the Middle East and are helping the different jurisdictions meet the varying demands of a modern racing nation.

The racing admin system is used to ensure the integrity and distribution of race performance data, managing owner, trainer and jockey details, administering fixtures, races and results, as well as other functions such as data management.

The digital stud book is Weatherbys’ proprietary platform that ensures data integrity and registration compliance to world-leading standards, while the ePassport has brought animal identity documents into the digital world providing round-the-clock management and traceability options.

“We’re working across the four key racing industries in the Arabian peninsula,” says Ferris.

“We began with Qatar four years ago working on the Arabian side of things with their stud book registrations, then we moved into Bahrain, where we’ve been working for 18 months.

“In that solution we’ve dropped the stud book registration system, then we have a racing system deployed that has been operating their programme for the last 12 months.

They’ve moved to an international series now so integrity is a big thing when you’re going global and you want to bring horses from other jurisdictions to race in the Kingdom.

“More recently we’ve signed a contract with the Emirates Racing Authority in Dubai. We also signed a contract with Saudi Arabia just before Christmas.

"We’ve been working with the Kingdom and the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia since 1997 and have been operating their stud book.

“The country is the largest breeding jurisdiction in the Middle East by a long way with 1,800 foals born per annum. They currently have four tracks but their ambition is to grow that to 12 or 14 tracks over the coming four or five years. That racing platform will scale pro rata with what they’re doing on the ground.”

Ferris adds: “Those are the four jurisdictions we’re working with and we’re helping them to manage their ambitions and their growth in racing and breeding.

“We’re delighted to have partners like the Emirates Racing Authority, JCSA, Qatar and Bahrain because it’s helping us to give a future for this sport that we all live and breathe.”