The international programme for the 2024-25 racing season in Bahrain gets underway today and a record number of 26 British and Irish trained horses have arrived in the kingdom to compete in races held between now and the first week in March.
The revised and expanded international programme opens with two races in the Bahrain Turf Series. Comprised of six sprint races and six middle-distance races, the Bahrain Turf Series is now worth a total of $1million, with a further $80,000 available in bonuses.
Several up-and-coming trainers from Britain and Ireland have seized the opportunity to have runners in Bahrain this winter, attracted by the race programme and competitive prize money. Among those to have flown horses to the kingdom are George Boughey, George Scott, James Ferguson, Gavin Cromwell, Charlie Johnston and Jack Channon.
This season all the Bahrain Turf Series races will be run under the newly installed floodlights at the Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club and the action kicks off today with an ultra-competitive 1000m sprint, the $80,000 Al Manama Cup (sponsored by Al Salam Bank).
Among the 18 runners is Jubilee Walk, who will be a first Bahrain runner for trainer James Ferguson and owners China Horse Club. A three-time winner in the UK, Jubilee Walk has not run since Royal Ascot in June and the 97 rated three-year-old colt is an interesting contender for the Bahrain Turf Series.
Trainer James Ferguson said: “After Royal Ascot, China Horse Club said to me they were very interested in having international runners. Bahrain is always somewhere they have wanted to be represented and we feel this horse fits the profile perfectly.
“For a colt he has an amazing temperament, he is very mature, he should suit the surface and he looks a progressive type. This is my first runner in Bahrain and I am really looking forward to the whole experience.”
Last season, George Boughey enjoyed success in the Bahrain Turf Series with Thunder Moor. However, Thunder Moor is now trained locally by Fawzi Nass for Al Mohamediya Racing and will be lining up in opposition to Boughey’s two runners, Spangled Mac and Walbank, in the Al Manama Cup. Boughey believes the Amo Racing owned Walbank could be well-treated ahead of his Bahrain debut.
George Boughey said: “We are hopeful Walbank can be competitive in the sprint races. He is a fast ground horse who was running on slow ground at the back end of the year when we just could not catch a break with him. So, he arrives on a potentially good handicap mark and it is great for Amo Racing to be supporting Bahrain again.”
The final race tonight, due off at 7.35pm, is the $80,000 Al Muharraq Cup (sponsored by Texel Air), run over 2000m and the first middle-distance race in this season’s Bahrain Turf Series.
A field of 16 go to post, half from local yards and half from abroad, including Irish trainer Gavin Cromwell’s first Bahrain runner with the filly, Snellen. The winner of the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot as a two-year-old, Snellen added two further wins to her CV this summer with victories in Ireland.
Another notable international in the Al Muharraq Cup is Lion Of War, trained by Charlie Johnston and running in the colours of David Howden, whose Howden insurance company is a Bahrain Turf Series sponsor. Like Snellen, Lion Of War brings Royal Ascot form to the track and he showed clear signs of a return to his best on his most recent starts in the UK.
As well as some strong locally trained opposition, Snellen and Lion Of War are up against some international horses that are also familiar with the surroundings in Lucander (trained by George Baker) and Box To Box (trained by Hugo Palmer), both of which have enjoyed profitable stays in Bahrain in the past.
The extension 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 international programme. This makes it easier for horses to follow the path taken by last season’s break-out 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, with the latter race having been upgraded to international Group 3 status this season.
All the races can be watched on the Bahrain Turf Club’s website via the Live Stream and the Bahrain Turf Series races will be shown in the UK and Ireland on Racing TV.
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