The Timeform team continue their list of horses to follow with John Ingles highlighting an exciting prospect trained by Roger Varian.
Eldar Eldarov (Roger Varian)
Last November, Sakhir Racecourse staged the third running of the valuable Bahrain International Trophy which was won by the popular veteran Lord Glitters, trained in Britain by David O’Meara.
No doubt with its eye on Dubai a bit further down the coast of the Persian Gulf, the Kingdom of Bahrain is keen to raise its own international profile as a racing nation.
More surprisingly, perhaps, another sport that is popular in Bahrain is Mixed Martial Arts thanks to the enthusiasm of the King’s son Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa (‘KHK’), who has assembled his own stable of fighters known as the KHK MMA Team.
Among its members is the Russian-born welterweight Eldar Eldarov, who currently boasts a record of just two defeats in 15 fights as a professional.
Eldar Eldarov now has an equine namesake – owned by KHK Racing Ltd – who looks as though he too might be hard to beat in future the way he came out fighting on his debut at Nottingham in October.
Strong in the betting as the 13/8 favourite in a field of eight for the maiden, most of them newcomers, Eldar Eldarov showed his inexperience early on, racing keenly, but he came through to lead over two furlongs out, was in command with over a furlong to run and was well on top at the finish.
Eldar Eldarov pulled five lengths clear of the Mark Johnston-trained runner-up Janoobi, with another making his debut, Clear Day for William Haggas, beaten the same distance back in third. Four races were over the mile at Nottingham that day and his was the quickest of them.
Eldar Eldarov has some way to go to recoup the £480,000 he cost at a breeze-up sale last May, but he has made a fine start.
As that price tag suggests, he comes from an excellent family of middle-distance performers that includes Alborada, dual winner of the Champion Stakes for Sir Mark Prescott. That mare’s sister Albanova won three Group 1 contests in Germany, a feat matched by her granddaughter Alpinista last season.
Eldar Eldarov is out of Albanova’s daughter All At Sea, a smart filly who won three listed races at around a mile and a quarter in France.
Quoted in some lists for the Derby, mostly at 40/1, Eldar Eldarov will stay a mile and a quarter, possibly a mile and a half, and with plenty of improvement to come is very much one to follow in 2022.
(John Ingles - Features Writer)
