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| Staff Writer |
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Looking out across the vast expanse of Meydan's imposing straight course, Ed Bethell admits it "looks like it should be a mile long, not six furlongs long as it's so wide, and it's a pretty ominous sort of grandstand to be running into." The young Middleham trainer is preparing his stable star Regional for the Gr.1 Al Quoz Sprint on Dubai World Cup night, continuing a remarkable journey that began with a modest 3,500gns purchase in 2021.
"We bought this horse just to win a race," Bethell reflects. "He's taken these guys on a tremendous ride. This meteoric rise is down to the team at home, and we've just been incredibly fortunate."
The transformation of Regional from an inexpensive purchase to a Group One winner epitomises everything that keeps racing fans dreaming.
"Did I ever think he could go and do this? No," Bethell admits. "When we won a handicap over six furlongs here two years ago, I couldn't believe it. I thought, 'I've done my job now, he's won a race, maybe the owners will stick with me'."
Those owners have been rewarded beyond expectations. Regional delivered a career-defining moment when storming to victory in the Betfair Sprint Cup last September.
"I never thought it would happen," an emotional Bethell said afterwards. "A huge 'thank you' has to go to Barbara Jones, who rides this horse every day. she doesn't go on holiday because she wants to make sure he's in tip-top form."
That dedication continues as Jones accompanies Regional to Dubai. "She knows every blade of hair on him. When that's not right, she'll tell me, luckily," Bethell states affirmatively. The relationship between horse and rider is critical to success.
"I think it's huge. When a rider and a horse get on, a lot of it's like what happens between human beings. When people get on, they match up and they enjoy what they're doing together. If you can find the recipe that works, keep it as it is; don't change."
The Al Quoz Sprint appears tailor-made for Regional's abilities.
"He obviously won over six furlongs in the Gr.1 Sprint Cup. And he loves flat tracks. He loves fast ground, and hopefully he likes warmer weather," Bethell explains. "He should be going there with a pretty big chance, especially off the back of his second in the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot last year."
Regional's frontrunning style should suit the course. "He likes to jump and go and get on with it," Bethell says. "The nature of the track is exactly what should play into his strengths."
"He's a jump-and-run kind of guy. So there's no point overcomplicating it. I think I'm certainly not clever enough to overcomplicate the job."
"I think the whole setup should work well. I think everything is in his favour, as long as he travels over smoothly. As long as he takes travel well, I think that'll be the only thing that would be of any concern to me."
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International travel presents unique challenges. "I think he flies on the 29th and he will land, I assume either on the 29th or 30th. I don't know whether it's a night flight or an afternoon flight."
"Horses, some take it well. Some don't, and it can expose problems pretty quickly, bacterial infections, etc.," Bethell notes. "We have to be on top of these sorts of things prior to going out there."
Bethell has previous experience with international runners. "I had one horse in my first year, actually in the Alquoz Sprint as well. He didn't run so well. He was called Mossgill. He couldn't take travelling quite as well as Regional, who's also been to Qatar."
The climatic change presents another variable. "I guess the extremes from England to Dubai will be quite significant. Especially the north of England is quite cold at this time of year."
The critical period comes immediately after arrival. "There are long days when they're going in the cargo planes," Bethell explains. "For example, I travelled a horse to Qatar in February, and he had to go from Stansted to Norway, then to Qatar. They're big journeys, so you just have to try and get them back on their food and into their routine as quickly and calmly as possible."
The Al Quoz Sprint attracts a truly international field of sprinters.
"Obviously, West Acre, who's been out there for George Scott, would be one," Bethell acknowledges. "He's clearly on an upward trajectory. But then watching the 3YO's record in the race isn't always the strongest."
He also mentions Believing from George Boughey's yard, adding, "Every time we've met her, we've beaten her."
"I'd imagine there'll be horses from Hong Kong and other areas of the world that I don't know. But West Acre and Believing are the two that spring to mind that will be tough adversaries for us. And we give them the utmost respect, like we do to everyone in every race we run in."
"George and I, we go back a long way, and we're good friends. And I think it'll be a very interesting race. And as I said, he's an improving horse, and he looked pretty good three times, as he's run out in Meydan so far this year."
Looking beyond racing, Bethell is enthusiastic about Dubai. "I enjoy seeing all the different cultures and the cultural experiences that places like Dubai have to offer. I'm really looking forward to experiencing the many different sights that they put on offer. I went there a long time ago, when I was young, because my father trained a horse in Dubai. We did lots of different things, going out into the desert and stuff like that."
"And I'm in awe of the way it's built and how quickly it's established itself to being such an important country within the world, " Bethell adds.
In less than three years since taking over from his father, James, Ed Bethell has already secured Group One success. The bond between trainer and horse is evident.
"Regional is a pretty good horse to train because he tells you when he's right and he tells you when he's wrong," the trainer explains. "He wears his heart on his sleeve in his work, and he just kind of keeps on repeating that. And if he's not repeating that, then we know that we haven't got the horse there just yet."
Spring preparation appears to be going well. "The springtime is always a troubling area for Regional. He was meant to come out last year, but we had a very wet winter. This year, he seems to be forward in his coat and in his training. And all the signs are positive right now."
"He's got to be cherry-ripe for the day to be competing for that sort of money in Dubai."
From bargain purchase to Haydock hero and now Dubai challenger, the journey of Regional and Ed Bethell captures the imagination and fires the winning spirit. As the sun-scorched tracks of Dubai beckon, all eyes are on Regional and whether this rising star will continue to shine as brightly as his previous form.