A further three of Bahrain’s premier races have been upgraded following a review by the Asian Pattern Committee. The promotions are headed by The King’s Cup, which has been elevated to international Group 3 status, while both HH Shaikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa Cup and HH Shaikh Khalid Bin Hamad Al Khalifa Cup have been granted Listed status for the first time.

The upgrades follow the promotion in 2023 of the Bahrain International Trophy to Group 2. The first running of which as a Group 2 attracted a high-class international field led by the winner, Spirit Dancer, and the placed horses, Israr and Point Lonsdale, and this year’s race looks set to follow suit with ten Group 1 winners and 45 Stakes race winners among the 61 entries.

The King’s Cup, now upgraded to Group 3, has a long and distinguished heritage in Bahrain and is the finale of the new international programme. Run in March over a mile and half (2400m) with a prize fund of $200,000, last season’s running attracted an international line-up and was won by Isle Of Jura, trained by George Scott for Victorious Racing, who subsequently went on to win the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Prior to winning The King’s Cup, Isle Of Jura had also won HH Shaikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa Cup, held in February over 2200m and now upgraded to Listed status. The third race to be upgraded is HH Shaikh Khalid Bin Hamad Al Khalifa Cup, now also a Listed race, run over a mile (1600m) in December. The last three runnings have been won by the locally trained star, Byline, who followed up last year’s victory with a close third in a Group 2 in Riyadh on Saudi Cup night.

The upgrades bring the total of international pattern races held during the Bahrain season to six, alongside The Crown Prince’s Cup (Listed) and Al Methaq Mile (Listed). Prior to the launch of the Bahrain International Trophy in 2019, there were no internationally recognised races in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Yusuf Buheji, CEO of the Bahrain Turf Club said:

“Under the leadership of the club’s Chairman, His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, our ambition is to continue the development of horseracing in Bahrain and be a jurisdiction that stands alongside the world’s best. To do this, we strive to host consistently high calibre races, attracting increasingly high-quality quality domestic and international challengers. Therefore, we are delighted that the progress made in raising the quality of our premier races has been recognised by the Asian Pattern Committee.

“The upgrades underline how our investment in developing an attractive international programme, coupled with increased prize money for locally trained horses, has delivered on our objective of raising both the quality and competitiveness of racing in Bahrain. Through further investment, we are confident that future initiatives will lead to Bahrain becoming a leading light for horseracing in the region.”

Including runners in the Bahrain Turf Series, the 2023/24 season saw a record total of 38 international runners compete across the Kingdom’s international programme, with nine individual horses winning a total of 13 races.

The upcoming 2024-25 season heralds a new chapter with the installation of floodlights and an expansion of the Bahrain Turf Series, elevating its overall value to over $1million.

The expansion 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 Kingdom’s 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.

Meanwhile, the 2024 running of the $1M Bahrain International Trophy (Gr2), run over the 1m2f (2000m), will take place on 15^th November at the Rashid Equestrian & Horseracing Club.

For more details see the 2024-25 brochure.