HORSERACING – PHANTOM Flight claimed a sensational victory last night in the 2025 running of the Crown Prince’s Cup, sponsored by Cebarco.
Phantom Flight triumphed for owners Victorious Racing and trainer George Scott, with jockey Callum Shepherd in the saddle.
The six-year-old gelding followed in the hoofprints of Isle Of Jura in graduating from a Bahrain Turf Series race to win the $150,000 Listed Crown Prince’s Cup, which was the main event yesterday in the two-day Crown Prince’s Cup Festival at Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club (REHC) in Sakhir.
His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, was in attendance. Also on hand were His Majesty King Hamad’s representative for humanitarian work and youth affairs and Supreme Council for Youth and Sport chairman Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa; Isa Bin Salman Education Charitable Trust chairman, Labour Fund (Tamkeen) chairman, and REHC chairman Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa; and other high-ranking officials.
Always travelling well off a strong pace, Phantom Flight came through under Shepherd to challenge locally trained Sovereign Spirit inside the final furlong, before going on to win by half a length, with Zagato back in third.
The other international horses, including the Irish-trained filly Snellen, finished fourth, while Godolphin’s Passion And Glory, was fifth.
On the back of victory in one of Bahrain’s premier races, connections of Phantom Flight are now eyeing up a run in the Neom Cup at the Saudi Cup meeting on February 21.
The win maintained the remarkable run of form for Scott and Shepherd. The pair had enjoyed further success on day one of the Crown Prince’s Cup Festival when City House won the Al Hawar Cup, part of the Bahrain Turf Series.
Speaking after the race, Scott said: “It was very smooth, wasn’t it? He just went round there like a go-kart.
“Callum is riding so confidently, and the horse has had a really nice experience there and it sets us up for a tilt at the Neom Cup in Saudi, which is very exciting. It is lovely to get this win for His Highness Shaikh Nasser.
“It’s been a really great run of late and it’s all down to the people who travel the horses, we have great people here and in Dubai.”
Shepherd added: “He’s a horse that frankly I am still trying to figure out and get to know how to get the best out of him.
“There was a real good tempo which kept the race clean and my horse travelled into it really nice. Given how well he travels, he does not necessarily do things super quick off the bridle and so I did not take any chances and I let him roll over to challenge Sovereign Spirit, let him get stuck in and he seems to have a bit more fight in him than maybe at times previously.
“He’s really enjoying it here, he enjoys the track, the trip, and the fast pace and I think we’ll be going to Saudi next and I am looking forward to that. It will be exciting to represent His Highness Shaikh Nasser and the team there.”
Runner-up Sovereign Spirit ran another game race, having also chased home Phantom Flight in the Al Adiyat Cup two weeks previously.
Earlier on the card, Bahrain Turf Club ambassador Tom Marquand landed a treble, his first-ever winners in Bahrain, all secured in the navy blue and white colours of Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa’s Al Adiyat Racing and trained by Alan Smith.
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