Spirit Dancer, winner of the 2023 Bahrain International Trophy, is on course to return to the kingdom in a bid to make history as the first dual winner of the prestigious race.
However, he will face strong opposition as the $1million Group Two event has attracted a truly international field, with entries from seven countries outside of Bahrain.
Last year, Spirit Dancer beat a high-class field to win the Bahrain International Trophy, the first following the race’s promotion to Group Two status, providing trainer Richard Fahey, jockey Oisin Orr, and owners Sir Alex Ferguson, Ged Mason, and Peter Done with a day to remember.
Spirit Dancer went on to win the Neom Turf Cup in Saudi Arabia but he has not been seen on a racecourse since March when he ran in Dubai.
The 2024 running of the $1million Bahrain International Trophy, which takes place on November 15 at Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club, has attracted 61 entries, including ten Group One winners and 45 Stakes race winners.
Leading the list of horses with Group or Grade One form this season is Joseph O’Brien’s Al Riffa, his father Aidan O’Brien’s Coronation Cup winner, Luxembourg, this year’s Arlington Million victor, Nations Pride, and two German Group One winners in Fantastic Moon and Calif, as well as German Group One runner-up, Straight.
In addition, three-time Group One winner Nashwa has also been entered ahead of her return to action at Newmarket tomorrow.
Spirit Dancer’s trainer, Fahey, appreciates the scale of the task ahead but reports that the seven-year-old son of Frankel, bred by his co-owner Ferguson, is on schedule to defend his crown and is due to reappear on October 12 at Newmarket before flying to Bahrain.
“Spirit Dancer is in great form,” Fahey said. “He will have a prep run at Newmarket in the Darley Stakes, following the same route that he took last year.
“We all had an amazing trip and experience in Bahrain and the team are really looking forward to going back this year.”
Included among Spirit Dancer’s potential rivals is Facteur Cheval, trained in France by Jerome Reynier and another horse to have tasted success in the Middle East, having won the Dubai Turf at Meydan in March. On that occasion, Facteur Cheval beat two Japanese trained horses into second and third place, and this year, for the first time, the Bahrain International Trophy has attracted entries due to travel from Japan.
The entries include Japan-based Group One winner Killer Ability, trained by Takashi Saito, the four-year-old, Ho O Biscuits, trained by Takeshi Okumura, and the year younger, Mr G T, trained by Yoshito Yahagi.
Renowned as a trainer with a formidable record of success when running horses on the international scene, Yahagi already has major victories to his name in Australia, Dubai, Hong Kong, Saudi, and the US.
Bahrain Turf Club racing and international relations director Ed Veale said: “We are delighted that the Bahrain International Trophy has attracted entries of such quality and it is great to see so many different countries represented.
“The event’s status in the racing calendar is growing year on year and to have attracted Japanese based horses for the first time is testament to that.
“It is also exciting that Spirit Dancer and his connections are returning to Bahrain to defend their crown. He is part of a strong European team of entries that includes Group One performers from France, Germany, Ireland, and the UK.
“To have a total of 61 entries representing eight different countries, featuring 45 Stakes race winners, including 10 that have scored at the highest level, is fantastic and a reward for the sustained investment in the race by the Bahrain Turf Club.”
Some of the world’s leading owner-breeder operations are also represented, including HH The Aga Khan with the Francis Henri Graffard trained duo Dolayli and Zarir, and Shadwell Estate through two high-class Owen Burrows trained horses in Alflaila and Anmaat.
Other British-trained interests include four of this year’s Classic generation, Derby runner-up Ambiente Friendly, Irish Derby runner-up Sunway, Royal Ascot winner Jayarebe and Strensall Stakes winner See The Fire.
The Bahrain International Trophy is staged over 2,000m (1-1/4m) and has a maximum field of 14 runners. The Bahrain-based home-trained team are headed by El Habeeb and Sprewell, and include Sovereign Spirit, runner-up to Isle Of Jura in last season’s King’s Cup.
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