'A million dollars is a big number and it’s brought big horses' - international battle for riches in Bahrain

Three Group 1 winners will line up on Friday for the Bahrain International Trophy in what will be the most valuable race ever staged in the Gulf nation.

A cash injection to $1million is one way in which the organisers hope the event will eventually be elevated to top-level status from a Group 2.

The prize was enough to lure Nations Pride, Above The Curve and Marhaba Ya Sanafi, and a decent performance from those highly rated individuals would push the cause with the Asian Pattern Committee.

Nations Pride, representing Charlie Appleby along with Highland Avenue, has already showcased his ability in winning the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis in Munich and the Canadian International at Woodbine in recent months. He is ranked highest and is set to be a warm favourite.

Appleby told Godolphin's website: "Nations Pride is in great shape and we are very happy with him. He’s had a great season already and it was always our intention to head to Bahrain following his win out in Canada. 

"Stall 12 makes things slightly trickier, but he is one of the class horses in the race and looks the worthy favourite.

"Highland Avenue took the journey out to Bahrain in his stride and has been training well out there. He has a nice draw in three and lines up on the back of a pleasing win at Newmarket. I feel we have two competitive runners in a very strong running of the race."

Godolphin colleague Saeed bin Suroor opposes Appleby with defending champion Dubai Future, as well as Real World, back from a long break in an attempt to recapture the form which saw him finish second to Baaeed in last year’s Lockinge and Queen Anne. 

"We gave Dubai Future a break and he always runs really well when he’s fresh, he’s ready to go," Bin Suroor said.

"Oisin Murphy has ridden Real World in his last two pieces of work in Newmarket and was happy with him. I’ve always liked this horse, he’s won over a mile and a quarter at Newbury, that was a Listed race and this is a much better contest, but we’re looking for a good run from both of them."

Saeed bin Suroor, leading out Real World on Thursday, is confident of a decent showing from both his runners

Marhaba Ya Sanafi, who took this year’s French 2,000 Guineas, Joseph O’Brien’s consistent Prix Saint-Alary winner Above The Curve and his father Aidan’s high roller Point Lonsdale add strength in depth to a field that joint-trainer Thady Gosden, who supplies Israr, notes is a substantially different affair to the inaugural running in 2019.

"We were second when we brought Turgenev," said Gosden. "On his rating he’d be the lowest-rated in the race this year, so just shows how much it’s come on.

"Israr won the Princess of Wales’s Stakes. He’s dropping back two furlongs. Hopefully he has the requisite tactical speed, but it’s such a strong field we’ll have to see how he goes."

Ed Veale, the director of racing at the Bahrain Turf Club, outlined the reasoning for adding $400,000 to the purse of a race set to be shown by 22 broadcasters in more than 110 countries.

"I think we identified that if we really want to get to a Group 1 we had to go up a notch," he said. "It appears on paper to have attracted that slightly higher level of horse which is very exciting for us. A million dollars is a big number and it’s brought big horses.

"The marker is 115 – we need those first four horses to average above that and the parameters require consistency of those numbers and of that average rating. Typically it’s three years [for an upgrade], so that’s what we’ve got to work with."

Shaikh Isa bin Salman, chairman of the Bahrain Turf Club, attends Thursday's morning trackwork

Bahrain has taken an individual path with developing its thoroughbred scene, positioning the annual feature to attract turf runners finishing their European campaigns rather than increasing competition among its near neighbours for stars in February and March.

Meanwhile Shaikh Isa bin Salman, son of the crown prince and the organisation’s chairman, is among a few members of the ruling family to have expanded their racing interests and was an owner-breeder of last year’s Fillies’ Mile winner Commissioning, while his uncle Shaikh Khaled owns Group 1 winners Eldar Eldarov and Vandeek.

"They love their racing," Veale said. "We obviously only race in the winter, they want to keep their hobby going on across the summer and all year round and they’ve had great success over the last few years. 

"It’s always been a big part of the culture here, but there does seem to have been an increased enthusiasm over the last few years, which is only good for the region."

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