Setback derails Bahrain bid for Tornado Alert

Tornado Alert will divert to Dubai after a small setback ruled him out of a shot at the Bahrain International Trophy.

Not disgraced in both the 2000 Guineas, Derby and when second at Royal Ascot, Saeed bin Suroor’s colt struck Group One gold in Germany in his most recent start, scooping the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis at Munich in July.

Freshened up since with a trip to Bahrain for their valuable Group Two event in mind, it will now be a little longer until the son of Too Darn Hot hits the track in the Middle East, with his handler also having one eye on a return to the European scene next summer.

Bin Suroor said: “He has had a small setback, no real problem, but we will keep him for Dubai.

“The ground was going to be good to firm in Bahrain and he prefers easy ground and when he won in Germany it was soft ground. I think the ground in Dubai would suit him better.

“He’s done well over the summer and was in good form and even last week he was working well, so we will keep him for Dubai which I think will be a nice idea for him.

“He’s a nice colt and is improving all the time. This season in March when he started to work he showed his class. With time and age he has got better and I’m looking forward to bringing him back to the UK and European racing next season after Dubai as a four-year-old next season.”

In Tornado Alert’s absence, it will be left to Charlie Appleby’s Military Order to enhance Godolphin’s record in the Bahrain feature.