Chain Store was a full sister to Double Discount, a gelding who set a world record time of 1:57.4 for ten furlongs on turf when winning the Carleton F. Burke Handicap in 1977.

[4] In June 1984, Al Bahathri made her debut in a six furlong contest for previously unraced fillies at Ascot Racecourse in which she ran well for half a mile before finishing fifth of the eleven runners behind Silver Dollar and Graecia Magna.

On her final appearance of the season at Newmarket in October, Al Bahathri started favourite for the Cheveley Park Stakes, then the only Group One race in Britain confined to two-year-old fillies.

[2] On her three-year-old debut, Al Bahathri was beaten a neck by the Michael Stoute-trained Top Socialite in the Fred Darling Stakes over seven furlongs at Newbury Racecourse in April after being restrained in the early stages.

The two fillies engaged in a prolonged struggle throughout the last half mile before Al Bahathri gained a narrow advantage inside the final furlong, at which point Oh So Shap and Vilikaia began to make rapid progress on the outside.

She started the 7/1 third favourite behind Triptych, who had defeated male opposition in the Irish 2,000 Guineas a week earlier, and Vilikaia, whilst her other opponents included Aviance, Dafayna and Top Socialite, who had finished second in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches since beating Al Bahathri at Newbury.

Vilikaia briefly looked likely to take the victory, but Al Bahathri rallied in the closing stages to win by three quarters of a length, with Top Socialite a short head away in third.

[6] At Royal Ascot on 19 June, Al Bahathri started the 4/6[5] favourite for the Coronation Stakes (then a Group Two race) despite being required to concede four pounds to Top Socialite and five other fillies.

After three consecutive wins over one mile, the filly was moved up in distance to contest the Nassau Stakes (then a Group Two race) over ten furlongs at Goodwood Racecourse on 3 August.

Racing on firm ground, she finished fourth of the five runners behind Free Guest, Capo di Monte and Ever Genial, beaten less than three lengths by the winner, who she was meeting on worse than weight-for-age terms.

[6] In the International Classification for 1984, Al Bahathri was rated the seventh-best two-year-old filly in Europe behind Triptych, Park Appeal, Alydar's Best, Helen Street, Seven Springs and Oh So Sharp.