Bachalard looking to deliver the goods at Jebel Ali Racecourse

By Duane Fonseca

Dubai: Jebel Ali resident trainer Nicholas Bachalard knows he faces an uphill battle as he bids to restore the yellow silks of racecourse patron HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to their former glory.

Nicholas Bachalard learned his trade in the US, perfected it in Saudi Arabia and is now with Jebel Ali Racecourse

The Frenchman, however, doesn’t need to look too far to be reminded of the task at hand. A rather pertinent metaphor stares him right in the face virtually every time he is at work in the form of the track’s testing climb that precedes the finish.

Bachalard was appointed in February 2018, replacing Gopi Selvaratnam, the provisional arrangement instituted to fill in for his long serving brother Dhruba, who had vacated the position.

That November, Bachalard started his first season as full-time trainer in the UAE. He was no stranger to saddling runners in the Emirates, having brought horses from time to time from his base in Saudi Arabia. In fact, Bachalard’s biggest UAE win till date has been with Nashmiah who won the 2017 renewal of the UAE 1000 Guineas during the Dubai World Cup Carnival.

In his first full season here as trainer, Bachalard sent out a total of 64 runners, who brought him five wins and as many seconds and thirds, but things seemed to spiral downwards last season, which for him ended with a single success in 25 dispatches. 

Bachalard admits there were a few issues that needed to be resolved and that his outlook now, in what he believes is a ‘make or break’ season, is far better.

 “It’s been a struggle since I’ve been here,” Bachalard said. “Hopefully, I think we have managed to identify a few of the issues we had and we can start to rebuild the stable. I don’t think it’s something that’s going to happen over a year because it might take a little while.

“It’s going to be an uphill battle for us even this year, but, hopefully, we can try and win a few races and improve on that every year.”

In a profession, and, moreover, a region where patience is known to run out perhaps as quickly as a handful of sand escapes out of a rapidly tightening fist, Bachalard is filled with a sense of gratitude.

Bachalard is grateful for the patience showed by the Jebel Ali Racecourse management including Sheikh Ahmed's racing manager Mohammed Al Shehi, who has backed him (aladiyat.ae)

He is thankful that the Jebel Ali management have stood by him through the downs and is keen to repay the faith shown in him.

Asked if the immense success enjoyed by Sheikh Ahmed in Britain and Australia in 2020 put extra pressure on him to perform at Jebel Ali, Bachalard said feeling the heat is one of the few constants due to the competitive nature of racing.

“Regardless of England, we’ve struggled for the past two to three years, but the management have been very kind and understanding with me and this year we have to prove ourselves,” he said.

“It’s a make it or break it year for us. For sure there is pressure, and there has to be as well because we have to improve on what we have done over the last few years.

“We have a decent team together and a few horses that seem nice so I think we can be competitive in a few races. It will take time and there is pressure but we have to perform and there is no doubt about that. We know what we have to achieve. We’ll give it our best.

Jebel Ali Racecourse Manager: Shareef Al Halawani

“We all have to be thankful to Mohammed Shehhi (UAE racing manager for Sheikh Ahmed) and Shareef Al Halawani (manager of Jebel Ali Racecourse), who have been an integral part of the operation and have been very understanding. They know what we went through and made changes that were needed for us to be more competitive. Hopefully, we can give back to them what they have given to us.”

Changes have been rung in aplenty. American Seth Benzel is part of the team put together under Bachalard and joins as assistant, while globetrotting Frenchman Ryan Curatolo has been appointed first jockey.

“He’s (Seth Benzel) come for the season and he’ll stay for the season and we’ll see how it goes. It’s always good to have a second pair of eyes,” admitted Bachalard.

Frenchman Ryan Curatolo has joined as Bachalard's first choice jockey

was off the mark on his tenth ride in the UAE when winning a 1000m maiden at Sharjah on Saturday for Abu Dhabi-based Purebred Arabian handler Eric Lemartinel. Curatolo’s 11 rides so far have also yielded two seconds and a third. Knowing his compatriot is starting to feel at home in the UAE, is something that’s added to Bachalard’s optimism.

“It’s always nice to have a good start when you come to a new place,” Bachalard said.

“He has ridden all over the world and we thought we’d get a new face to the UAE. He’d been very keen to come to Dubai for a few years and we’ve been in contact, but the opportunity never came and this time it did. Hopefully, he will be a good addition to the stable.

“He was Champion Apprentice (in New York) and spent a few years in the United States and then went to ride in Singapore and Macau. He was going to ride in Japan this year, but because of the Covid-19 situation that didn’t work out. Hopefully, he will find a way to like it here and will feel settled.”

Looking back at his own career, Bachalard feels fortunate to have had the kind of opportunities he’s had all along. Apart from that UAE 1000 Guineas success, he also has to his name one of Saudi Arabia’s most prestigious races in the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup which he won with Wattani (Ron The Greek).

“I had no family in racing so I was fortunate to be given the chance to go to America and learn with Christophe Clement for a long time,” Bachalard explained.

“I, then, was fortunate to go to Saudi and be there for eight years before coming to Dubai. It’s been a challenge here and hopefully we will be able to overcome it,” he said.

Having targets to aim at always helps and he seems to have set himself seasonal goals as he explained: “It would be nice to win a race at Meydan.

“We haven’t won there for two years so I feel it is something that we need to achieve. If we do, it will be with the young horses; they will be competitive there.

“One of my main goals is to get Sheikh Ahmed there on the big night: to get a spot for one of his horses on Dubai World Cup night. We know it’s not going to be easy but we’ll try our best.”

Bachalard is overseeing a roster of 40 horses and readily admits some are well past their prime. However, he remains optimistic about the youngsters in his yard.

“We have about 40 right now and there are a few that might not be competitive and might have to leave,” Bachalard said.

Raakezz won for Bachalard under Tadhg O'Shea last season (aladiyat.ae)

“We have a few 2yos and 3yos that can, hopefully, run well. I don’t think too many of the other horses will be competitive this year.

“We received a few from Europe that might be ready to run in January or February but for us our main focus will be on the few 3yos we have and the 2yos that came in this year.

“Most of our horses are maidens and until they run it will be hard to say how they will perform. Sadeedd ran well last weekend finishing second so, hopefully, he’ll do even better next time and win races for us this year.”

Asked to pick a few names he felt stood out in his yard, Bachalard simply refused saying he didn’t want to jinx things. Perhaps he feared a voluntary deployment of the much loathed ‘Commentator’s Curse’. 

He merely shrugged his shoulders saying: “I’m too superstitious to name anything.”

Maybe he ought to focus more on the ones that bring forth good.