This year’s edition of the Bahrain International Trophy is set to feature horses representing six different racing jurisdictions as well as several of the world’s leading racing and breeding operations as a truly international field gathers to compete in Bahrain’s most valuable race.
The G2 contest takes place on Friday, November 15, and has attracted runners from Britain, Ireland, France and Japan, as well as the UAE and local Bahraini-trained horses.
The field includes last year’s winner Spirit Dancer, along with Arlington Million winner Nations Pride and the Japanese-trained G1 winner, Killer Ability, the mount of British champion jockey, Oisin Murphy.
John & Thady Gosden are travelling Lead Artist over from Newmarket to Bahrain. The only three-year-old in the line-up, Lead Artist will be Juddmonte’s first runner in the $1m race.
The colt won the G3 Darley Stakes at Newmarket to confirm Bahrain as a target – and the Gosden team are hoping Lead Artist can bring them a change of luck at the Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club (REHC).
“The Bahrain International Trophy is an event that has gone from strength-to-strength over the past five years,” said co-licence holder Thady Gosden.
“To date, we have run three horses in the race, all of whom have finished second,” he went on.
“Lead Artist is a horse who has always had a lot of natural speed, as such he was running over a mile and also over seven furlongs this summer. He won a Group 3 at Goodwood over what is a pretty slick mile but he improved again for the step-up in trip in the Darley Stakes and the fast ground in Bahrain should suit. It’s a race where you need a bit of pace.
“Kieran Shoemark will ride. He’s ridden him in all his starts, knows him very well and he has had riding contracts in Bahrain before, so he knows the track well, too.”
Looking ahead to the future, Thady Gosden sees other benefits for taking Lead Artist to Bahrain. “Lead Artist is a three-year-old, whereas our previous runners were older horses, but he has not had a hard season,” he explained.
“He has been relatively lightly raced and travelling a horse when they’re turning from three to four can help them mature a lot, it can be a really good experience for them ahead of their four-year-old season.”
Among the more seasoned campaigners taking on Lead Artist are Nations Pride and Spirit Dancer. The only Godolphin-owned runner in the race and the mount of William Buick, Nations Pride has run three times this season, all in North America, most recently winning the G1 Arlington Million in August.
Meanwhile the 2023 winner Spirit Dancer returns to defend his crown, once again carrying the colours of his breeder Sir Alex Ferguson, who co-owns the seven-year-old with Ged Mason and Peter Done. Spirit Dancer went on to win the Neom Turf Cup in Saudi Arabia, where Killer Ability finished second, and the pair will meet again in Bahrain.
A G1 winner as a juvenile, the five-year-old Killer Ability is one of two Japanese-based horses set for the Bahraini prize. He is joined by Yamanin Sympa; both are trained by Takashi Saito and both are sons of the late super stallion Deep Impact. They are the first Japanese horses to run in the race since Deirdre in 2020, who was then based in the UK, having been campaigned in Europe.
The British season ended on a high for trainer Owen Burrows and the Shadwell operation with Anmaat springing a surprise in Champion Stakes at Ascot and now they are targeting Bahrain with the talented Alflaila. The lightly raced five-year-old won the G2 York Stakes this summer for a second time and will be ridden by regular partner Jim Crowley.
HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa’s Victorious Racing have enjoyed a memorable year with notable successes in both Bahrain and Europe. First, Isle Of Jura carried the familiar red-and-white colours to victory in the Kingdom’s premier races before following up at Royal Ascot and then leading sprinter Bradsell took centre stage, winning G1s in Britain and Ireland.
Representing Victorious Racing in the Bahrain International Trophy is Calif, trained in France by Carlos & Yann Lerner. The six-year-old has shown improved form this season, including winning a G1 in Germany.
Bahraini-based runners are headed by the improving four-year-old Sovereign Spirit, who chased home Isle Of Jura in the King’s Cup in March and was impressive in winning the feature race on Friday on the opening day of the season.
• The sixth running of the Bahrain International Trophy takes place on Nov 15 at the REHC. Worth $1m and with G2 status, this year’s renewal will be the first staged under floodlights with a local off time of 7.35pm.
• Visit the Bahrain Turf Club website
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