Two-day Crown Prince’s Cup Festival kicks off on Thursday [Jan 30] with latest leg of Bahrain Turf Series at Sakhir
Trainer Gavin Cromwell made a small slice of history in December when his filly Snellen became the first Irish-trained winner in Bahrain – and he is hoping for another landmark success on Friday [Jan 31] when Snellen runs in the Crown Prince’s Cup, one of the kingdom’s premier races.
A Royal Ascot winner at two, Snellen announced her arrival in Bahrain with an impressive win in the Al Muharraq Cup, round one of the Bahrain Turf Series. She now steps up in grade to Listed company for the $150,000 Crown Prince’s Cup run over 2000 metres (1m2f), the same course and distance over which she won last time out.
Full field for Crown Prince’s Cup
Cromwell believes the weight allowance his filly receives could prove decisive as he steps up in grade under Seamie Heffernan. “We’ve been very happy with Snellen,” said Cromwell.
“She is training well and has really acclimatised to her surroundings. Obviously, she is stepping out of handicap company, but she now gets all the allowances and we are hopeful of a big run and she should not be far away.”
Snellen will need to stop the George Scott bandwagon that has seen the Newmarket trainer win five races already this season in Bahrain, as well as striking in Dubai last week with exciting sprinter West Acre.
Aiming to win consecutive runnings of the Crown Prince’s Cup after last year’s success with Isle Of Jura, Scott runs Phantom Flight in the Crown Prince’s Cup, fresh from victory in Round 3 of the Bahrain Turf Series.
In what looks to be an open and competitive renewal, the seven-runner field is completed by four of the best locally trained horses headed by Sovereign Spirit, plus Godolphin’s Passion And Glory from Dubai (Saeed bin Suroor/Dylan Browne McMonagle).
This year the Crown Prince’s Cup Festival takes place over two days with Thursday’s card featuring two more races in the Bahrain Turf Series.
With the likes of Snellen and Phantom Flight going to Friday’s showpiece, it is an opportunity for 2022 Cambridgeshire winner Majestic to extend his lead in the middle-distance division, the winner of which receives a bonus prize of $40,000.
Trained by Jack Channon and running in the colours of his father Mick, Majestic (Seamie Heffernan) is arguably in the form of his life, despite now being a seven-year-old. Majestic was runner-up to Snellen on his Bahrain debut and then went one better next time out in the Al Dana Cup, giving him a total of 25 points and a seven-point lead in the division.
On Thursday he runs in the Anchorman Cup (sponsored by Howden) off a career-high mark of 99 but is clearly thriving in the winter sun.
The Hawar Cup (sponsored by Cebarco) is the sprint race in the Bahrain Turf Series on Thursday and ten of the 18 runners are internationally trained. They include two runners for in-form George Scott in City House and Rocket Rodney, as well as two for Bahrain regular George Baker, with Stewards’ Cup winner Get It and Desert Cop, the latter making his debut for the yard.
Bahrain Turf Club ambassador Tom Marquand is among the leading riders in action at the Crown Prince’s Cup Festival, and he will be wearing the colours of Economics when he partners Instinctive Move for Al Adiyat Racing in the Hawar Cup, one of seven rides the G1-winning jockey is due to take over the two days.
• All the races can be watched on the Bahrain Turf Club’s website via the Live Stream and the Bahrain Turf Series races on Thursday and the Crown Prince’s Cup on Friday will be shown in the UK and Ireland on Racing TV.
• Visit the Bahrain Turf Club website
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