His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa attends opening of the floodlights at Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club
The newly installed floodlight system at the Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club was officially unveiled on Wednesday 9th October by His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Bahrain Turf Club.
Comprising 68 individual lighting towers strategically situated around the track, the introduction of floodlights heralds a new chapter in the evolution and growth of horseracing in Bahrain ahead of the upcoming 2024-25 season, which gets underway on Friday 1st November.
The floodlights will be operation for meetings throughout the season, including for annual highlights such as the Bahrain International Trophy, The Crown Prince’s Cup and The King’s Cup, elevating the spectacle of racing in Bahrain to a new level.
The first feature event to be run under the floodlights will be the 2024 running of the Bahrain International Trophy on 15th November.
The race has attracted 61 entries, including ten Group 1 winners and 45 Stakes race winners. Spirit Dancer, the winner in 2023, is on course to return in a bid to make history as the first dual winner of the race. However, he will face strong opposition as the $1million Group 2 race promises a truly international field with entries from seven countries outside of the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Coinciding with the installation of floodlights are initiatives designed to make racing in Bahrain an even more attractive and compelling proposition to international visitors.
This season, the Bahrain Turf Series has been expanded to include twelve races. The programme starts on a later date, 20th December, and now concludes on 6th March, ahead of the weekend’s feature event, The King’s Cup.
The extension of the Bahrain Turf Series means that all the premier races in the second half of the season fall within the dates of the international programme. The Crown Prince’s Cup, Shaikh Nasser Cup, The Al Methaq Mile and The King’s Cup, along with further valuable races, now all take place within the same window as the twelve Bahrain Turf Series races.
This change 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 winning The Crown Prince’s Cup and The King’s Cup.