Excitement builds as Dettori, Atzeni and Barzalona arrive in Bahrain ahead of Crown Prince’s Cup

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

A high-quality of a field of 12 has been declared for Friday’s 1m 2f (2000m) Grade 1 Crown Prince’s Cup, one of the three principal races in the Bahrain racing calendar, along with the Bahrain International Trophy in November and King’s Cup in March.

The field is headed by 2020 Bahrain International hero Simsir who, in November, narrowly denied an excellent international field which included Global Giant (John Gosden) and Sovereign (Aidan O’Brien).

Simsir, who is trained by Fawzi Nass, had benefitted from an enterprising ride from Scottish jockey Lee Newman in November but Nass has opted for Dutch jockey Adrie De Vries in tomorrow’s 1m 2f contest. Fawzi Nass said: “Simsir has enjoyed a nice break since his win in the Bahrain International Trophy.

I think he has improved since then and has definitely strengthened up. The standard of racing in Bahrain is a lot more competitive than it used to be four or five years ago.” Frankie Dettori has won the Crown Prince’s Cup four times in the last six years and returns to Bahrain with another live contender in the shape of the Allan Smith-trained and Al Adiyat Racing-owned Rayounpour.

Rayounpour, who like Simsir is a former Mick Halford inmate, beat four of his rivals over 1m 4f (2400m) in a Grade 2 contest on 1 January and his trainer believes the lightly raced five-year-old has improved for that run. Allan Smith said: “Rayounpour won over both 1m 2f and 1m4f for Mick Halford so we know he’s got the pace for this.

It looks a good renewal with the likes of Simsir and Litigator in the field.

Frankie knows the Bahrain circuit well and I’m looking forward to it.” Andrea Atzeni had a tough decision to make between the two former Roger Varian horses, Litigator and Gold Wand. Gold Wand ran in last year’s Investec Oaks at Epsom before going on to win the Listed Galtres Stakes at York’s Ebor Festival in August in decisive fashion, whilst Litigator was twice a winner in France before finishing 3rd in the Group 3 St Simon Stakes at Newbury in October.

Atzeni has opted for Litigator, citing his speed and homework. Andrea Atzeni said: “Litigator is in great shape and his homework has been very good. It was a very tight decision between the two, but on his homework, he has a little bit more speed than the filly.

Both of them have won over 1m 4f (2400m) so this would probably be their minimum trip. It’s a fair track with a long straight and the best horse normally wins here.” Salman bin Rashed Alkhalifa, Executive Director of the REHC said: “It is one of the most important meetings of our season. It’s brilliant to have so many of the world’s best jockeys riding here in Bahrain and it shows the quality of horses we currently have running here.

The growth we are making is very exciting and we look forward to another brilliant day of racing tomorrow.”