Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov has entered the international market for the second time this week by purchasing Canadian juvenile Maritimer.

Maritimer (Stormy Atlantic) is favourite to receive the 2YO Sovereign Award when the Canadian Jockey Club names its 2011 champions in April.  Apart from Maritimer, the other 2YO finalists are Excaper (Exchange Rate) and Prospective (Malibu Moon).

Maritimer won three of his six starts last year including the Coronation Futurity and Display Stakes.  He had been the winter favourite for Woodbine’s Queen’s Plate which is restricted to Canadian-bred horses.

The purchase price is believed to be $1.70 million.  “I have mixed emotions about selling him,” Martimer’s owner-breeder Howie Walton told the Toronto Star newspaper.  “But sometimes these offers are simply too big to turn down.”

Maritimer’s new trainer will be Seth Benzel and he is expected to be set for the G2 UAE Derby.

Earlier this week, Kadyrov bought G1 Dubai World Cup prospect Green Destiny (Marju).  The English stayer was a G3 winner at York and Newbury before signing off with an encouraging sixth in the G1 Champion Stakes at Ascot.

Kadyrov’s breeding empire received a setback last weekend when his Dubai star Bankable died at stud in South Africa.  The 8 year-old succumbed to severe complications from colic.

Bankable (Medicean) had just finished covering his first book at Summerhill Stud.  “It’s a great loss not only to us, but to President Kadyrov who had developed a special affection for the horse,” Summerhill stallion manager Greig Muir said.  “President Kadyrov had supported Bankable with 24 of his own mares and all of them have been tested in foal.”

Bred in Ireland by Barronstown Stud, Bankable won 8 races including the LR On The House Stakes at Goodwood for original trainer Luca Cumani.

Bankable became a Dubai regular for Kadyrov winning the G2 Al Fahidi Fort and G3 Mahab Al Shimaal.  He was also third home in the G1 Singapore International Airlines Cup.