Three young riders representing the Bahrain Turf Club are enjoying a four-week course at Newmarket’s prestigious riding academy, as Laura King reports
GB: Godolphin, Shadwell, Al Shaqab, Qatar Racing, Juddmonte … the prevalence of Middle Eastern owners in European racing is so huge, it’s almost unquantifiable.
Large swathes of Newmarket’s surroundings are owned by the Maktoum family and the Emir of Qatar’s spending spree led to his Wathnan operation enjoying a superb Royal Ascot.
But what about jockeys? Between 2007 and 2014 Dubai-born Ahmed Ajtebi racked up around 100 wins in the UK, plus G1 successes in the US, UAE and Italy, but aside from him there has been little Middle Eastern talent in the saddle. Until now, perhaps.
Newmarket’s ever-welcoming British Racing School is the current home of three Bahraini apprentices; Mohamed Jameel (aged 26), Dhay Alsaadoon (24) and Ali Zaalan (21). They are there for four weeks with the aim of improving their skills in the saddle.
Bahrain has a dedicated jockeys’ academy in the island kingdom which is producing riders good enough to compete, and expats such as Bahraini champion jockey Neil Callan and Arc winner Gerald Mosse are joined in the weighing room at the Bahrain Turf Club’s Sakhir home by several successful locals.
Abdulla Faisal is a multiple champion jockey there and Ebrahim Nader has won a Bahrain Turf Series race for British trainer Hugo Palmer – becoming the first Bahraini rider to do so.
Still, though, there is the quest for more from the Bahrain Turf Club and that involves an increasing presence overseas, including major sponsorshIps at the upcoming Newmarket July meeting, where the nation backs the G3 Bahrain Trophy – a major St Leger trial – plus a pair of G2 events in the July Stakes and the Princess of Wales’s Stakes.
Ireland’s most prestigious race, the G1 Irish Champion Stakes, is also sponsored in the name of Royal Bahrain, while the domestic highlight is the G2 Bahrain International Trophy, run in November at the Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club (REHC) at Sakhir and now worth $1 million. There is also an expansion this year to the Bahrain Turf Series.
Limited attention and resources
“Historically, there had been limited attention and resources dedicated to nurturing aspiring jockeys in Bahrain,” explains Nasser Alsalem, the Bahrain Turf Club’s international racing executive.
“This lack of structured support made it difficult for young talents to develop their skills and gain the experience needed to compete at higher levels,” he goes on.
“Additionally, our jockeys have to compete with international riders who come to Bahrain, bringing with them extensive experience and training from well-established racing nations. This can be quite daunting for our homegrown talents, as they are up against some of the best in the world right on their own turf.
“However, the establishment of the [Bahrain Jockeys’] Academy is a game-changer. We're now providing these young jockeys with structured training, international exposure, and the opportunity to learn from experienced professionals.”
Part of that is the stint in Newmarket, where they learn a different way of riding, as well as having to adapt to life away from home.
“The British racing industry is renowned for its rigorous training programmes and high-quality facilities, which can significantly benefit their development and performance,” says Alsalem.
“We decided to send our trainees to the British Racing School to provide them with advanced training and exposure to the high standards of British horse racing.”
Varying levels of experience
The three Newmarket visitors have varying levels of experience. Jameel was Bahrain’s leading apprentice last season with four winners; he has been riding work for trainers George Boughey and Roger Varian.
“I’ve dreamed about being a jockey my whole life,” says the young rider, who names William Buick as his idol.
“My family own horses and I used to ride out with my father. It’s totally different here to riding at home. Here we are riding out for more time, but it’s easier, because you don’t have to follow the clock. I would like to ride outside Bahrain, of course – I need this.”
The only girl, Alsaadoon seems to be the organiser of the group. She feels a certain pressure too, as British expat Rosie Jessop is currently the only permanent female rider in Bahrain, where no local woman has broken through.
“I feel a responsibility to help other girls like [racing] too,” she says in excellent English. “It’s mostly men and I think a lot of girls still think it would be too hard, that men are stronger.
The hardest part
“I used to ride Endurance so it has been difficult learning a new position; not sitting upright. That’s been the hardest part so far. I really admire Hollie Doyle. I hope that one day I can be on a level with her.”
Zaalan is the youngest of the trio and famously the worst at timekeeping. He plans to follow his uncle, Jassim Ahmad, who was a professional jockey.
“I started riding on my father’s farm when I was younger and have always loved horses,” says Zaalan, who has also been riding out for Boughey and Varian. “It’s thanks to the encouragement of him and my uncle that I’m here today.”
Of the Newmarket experience, he adds: “It’s challenging but not difficult. I like the weather in Newmarket, and the food is different from Bahrain, but delicious.”
It’s a ringing endorsement for the racing school’s catering staff, nutrition playing a big part of the education of any aspiring jockey in the 21st century.
Alongside that and plenty of gym time, the students receive coaching from the school’s team of jockey coaches – among them Royal Ascot-winning ex-jockey Michael Tebbutt, who has been with the Bahrainis since they arrived in Britain.
“They’re on week three of four and getting on really well,” says Tebbutt. “The two boys have been out riding work and while the lady wasn’t as advanced when she arrived; hopefully we’ll get her out next week.
“We challenge them to see how far we can take them, and all three have taken it on board and responded in a positive manner. We’re not done yet, they’ve got a few more challenges coming their way.
Toughest thing
“The toughest thing is the way we train in England because our system is totally different to Bahrain,” he adds. “We train on gallops whereas they train on the track, so it’s a completely different system for them to learn.
“I believe there’s about 90 miles of canters and gallops in Newmarket, where in Bahrain they go round and round. They’ve got to learn to keep them straight.”
Tebbutt is certainly keen to keep them moving and ushers the three wannabe jockeys back to the simulators.
Geographically, it’s not far from these mechanical horses to the real ones racing on Newmarket’s July Course, but for these three riders there’s still a long way to go. It will be fascinating to see if they can make it.
• Visit the British Racing School website and the Bahrain Turf Club website
Horse-by-horse guide: Charlie Appleby with the lowdown on his star-studded Saratoga string
View the latest TRC Global Rankings for horses / jockeys / trainers / sires