Much-travelled trainer Fawzi Nass carries the hopes of the Royal Family of Bahrain as he prepares to launch his first runner in Hong Kong on the much-anticipated FWD Champions Day at Sha Tin on Sunday (27 April).
Nass, 54, currently second in the Bahrain trainer’s championship, will saddle German-bred Calif in the HK$28 million G1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m) in which he faces Ascot’s G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2400m) winner Goliath and a strong Japanese contingent.
Calif carries the red and white colours of Victorious, a stable created by Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, son of the King of Bahrain and son-in-law of Sheikh Mohammed, ruler of Dubai.
Also known as Prince Nasser, he is third in line to the throne and Commander of Bahrain’s Royal Guard. He has more than 100 horses in training with five trainers in England and a stable in Bahrain.
He is also a leading figure in Endurance Racing, last year winning his second consecutive FEI 160-kilometre title in Montpazier, France.
Fawzi Nass first attracted international attention when sending out his own horse Krypton Factor to win the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen (1200m, dirt) on Dubai World Cup Night at Meydan in 2012.
That win was noteworthy as Krypton Factor, ridden by Kieren Fallon, defeated Singapore’s champion Rocket Man, with Lucky Nine, Hong Kong’s widely-travelled sprinting star trained by Caspar Fownes, back in third.
“It was my biggest win as a trainer…that was 2012…and I’m still waiting for my Dubai World Cup win. I’m still looking for that horse,” he laughs.
Nass bought Krypton Factor for 100,000 guineas out of Sir Mark Prescott’s stable at Tattersalls Horses In Training Sale at Newmarket in England. He won five races for Prescott as a two-year-old but went on to win another five for his new owner-trainer.
“I take my hat off to Sir Mark, he was happy to see him win for me and to progress. He is known for selling horses well, but he missed out on Krypton Factor. At 100,000 guineas, I think I finished ahead on that one,” he points out.