The profile and influence of Bahrain on the international horseracing stage has grown significantly over the past few years and the Kingdom is now well placed to drive further International and domestic growth and participation in horseracing.

In what is seen as a further statement of the country’s intent to be a leading player on this stage the Rashid Equestrian and Horse Racing Club have appointed Weatherbys to develop and deploy a world leading digitally integrated racing administration and stud book system.

The REHC race programme is going from strength to strength and already features the £500,000 Bahrain International Trophy in November and the exciting new Bahrain Turf Series which begins the following month with a total prize find of £550,000.

So it is perhaps no surprise that Bahrain are looking to take their infrastructure and systems to a new level to support this programme.

The Weatherbys platform will transform the Bahrain Horseracing Authority into one of the world’s premier digitally integrated racing and breeding organisations.

The system is designed and built in the ‘cloud’ allowing it to be continuously updated on the Weatherbys ‘Power’ Platform. The system is configured on a secure central data model, providing seamless management operations, stakeholder engagement and distribution of data.

Alongside the new racing and stud book platform the Bahrain Horseracing Authority will also be adopting the Weatherbys ePassport – the new equine digital lifetime document for traceability, welfare, health, biosecurity and anti-doping that is now in use in Ireland and Britain.

His Highness Sheikh Isa Bin Salman, chairman of the Rashid Equestrian and Horse Racing Club, commented: “We are very excited to be working with Weatherbys as we appreciate the importance of having world leading systems to support our own domestic industry as well our increasingly international profile.”

Russell Ferris, chief executive of Weatherbys, said: “We have enjoyed a longstanding relationship with the Bahrain Breeding and Racing industry and are delighted to have been selected to deliver this fantastic digital transformation program for the Kingdom of Bahrain.

"This two-year project will deliver the REHC as one of very few fully digitally integrated racing and breeding jurisdictions anywhere in the world and as such will future proof the wonderful strategic vision His Highness Sheikh Isa Bin Salman has for this proud and innovative nation.”