HORSERACING – A further three of Bahrain’s premier horseraces have been upgraded following a review by the Asian Pattern Committee.
The promotions are headed by The King’s Cup, which has been elevated to international Group Three status, while both the Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa Cup and Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa Cup have been granted Listed status for the first time.
The upgrades follow the promotion in 2023 of the Bahrain International Trophy to Group Two. The first running of which as a Group Two attracted a high-class international field, led by the winner, Spirit Dancer, and the placed horses, Israr and Point Lonsdale. This year’s race looks set to follow suit with ten Group One winners and 45 Stakes race winners among the 61 entries.
The King’s Cup, now upgraded to Group Three, has a long and distinguished heritage in Bahrain and is the finale of the new international programme. Run in March over a mile-and-a-half (2,400m) with a prize fund of $200,000, last season’s running attracted an international line-up and was won by Isle Of Jura, trained by George Scott for Victorious Racing, who subsequently went on to win the Group Two Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Prior to winning The King’s Cup, Isle Of Jura had also won the Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa Cup, held in February over 2,200m and now upgraded to Listed status. The third race to be upgraded is the Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa Cup, now also a Listed race, run over a mile (1,600m), in December. The last three runnings have been won by the locally trained star, Byline, who followed up last year’s victory with a close third in a Group Two in Riyadh on Saudi Cup night.
The upgrades bring the total of international pattern races held during the Bahrain season to six, alongside The Crown Prince’s Cup (Listed) and Al Methaq Mile (Listed). Prior to the launch of the Bahrain International Trophy in 2019, there were no internationally recognised races in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
“Under the leadership of the club’s chairman, His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, our ambition is to continue the development of horseracing in Bahrain and be a jurisdiction that stands alongside the world’s best,” said Bahrain Turf Club CEO Yusuf Buheji. “To do this, we strive to host consistently high calibre races, attracting increasingly high-quality domestic and international challengers.
“Therefore, we are delighted that the progress made in raising the quality of our premier races has been recognised by the Asian Pattern Committee.
“The upgrades underline how our investment in developing an attractive international programme, coupled with increased prize money for locally trained horses, has delivered on our objective of raising both the quality and competitiveness of racing in Bahrain. Through further investment, we are confident that future initiatives will lead to Bahrain becoming a leading light for horseracing in the region.”
Including runners in the Bahrain Turf Series, the 2023-24 season saw a record total of 38 international runners compete across the kingdom’s international programme, with nine individual horses winning a total of 13 races.
The upcoming 2024-25 season heralds a new chapter with the installation of floodlights and an expansion of the Bahrain Turf Series, elevating its overall value to over $1million.
The expansion of the Bahrain Turf Series means that all the premier races in the second half of the season now fall within the dates of the kingdom’s international programme. This makes it easier for horses to follow the path taken by last season’s breakout star, Isle Of Jura, who graduated from Bahrain Turf Series handicaps to Pattern races when winning The Crown Prince’s Cup and The King’s Cup.
Meanwhile, the 2024 running of the $1m Bahrain International Trophy, run over the 1m2f (2,000m), will take place on November 15 at Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club.
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