An exciting new agreement between Leopardstown Racecourse and the Bahrain Turf Club sees the launch of the ‘Dublin to Bahrain’ race series. The initiative grants the race winners automatic eligibility for the 2023-24 running of the Bahrain Turf Series. The first leg of the ‘Dublin to Bahrain’ race series takes place at Leopardstown on Thursday July 20.

The series expands Bahrain’s existing sponsorship portfolio in Ireland, which is headlined by the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes (Gr 1) and includes the Bahrain Turf Club Desmond Stakes (Gr 3), both run at Leopardstown.

The five races added to the Kingdom’s sponsorship portfolio are four handicaps, including the €40,000 October Handicap, and the Listed Knockaire Stakes. The winner of each of the four handicap races will automatically be eligible for the Bahrain Turf Series, a ten-race series spread across five fixtures staged in Bahrain’s domestic season. Last season each race in the Bahrain Turf Series was worth £60,000 (€70,000), a figure set to rise again in 2023-24.

Shaikh Salman bin Rashed Al Khalifa, Bahrain Turf Club High Committee Representative, International Racing, said:

“We are delighted to expand our involvement with Irish racing. The ‘Dublin to Bahrain’ race series is a great initiative that we have developed with our partners at Leopardstown. The aim is to increase awareness among Irish owners and trainers of our own Bahrain Turf Series, a valuable ten-race series that runs from December to February and caters for both sprint and middle distance horses.

“In addition, as well as sponsoring the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes, our support for two other pattern races provides further opportunities to promote the Bahrain International Trophy, the Kingdom’s most valuable race.”

Tim Husbands, CEO of Leopardstown Racecourse, said:

“The Dublin to Bahrain Series is a really exciting initiative that we are delighted to stage at Leopardstown. We hope that trainers and owners from all over Ireland will target these races and we will look forward to following the winners’ progress in the Bahrain Turf Series and Bahrain International Trophy later in the year.”

Notes to Editors

Bahrain Turf Series
The Bahrain Turf Series targets international horses rated 85-100 and provides opportunities for them to compete against locally trained horses. Each race is worth a minimum of £60,000 (€70,000) with bonus prizes for the horses accumulating most points in the sprint and middle distance divisions. Visiting horses will be based within the region from December through to February. The ten-race Bahrain Turf Series runs alongside the domestic programme in Bahrain with international horses competing in the series also eligible to run in other Bahrain Turf Club races open to imported horse.

Dublin to Bahrain Races at Leopardstown
Thursday July 20 – 3yo+ Handicap 0-90 9f
Thursday July 27 – 3yo Only Handicap 0-100 9f
Thursday August 17 - 3yo+Desmond Stakes (Group 3) 8f
Thursday August 24 – 3yo+ Fillies 0-90 8f
Sunday October 22 – 3yo+ Knockaire Stakes (Listed) 8f
Sunday October 22 – 3yo+ Premier Handicap (October Handicap) (100 = 10st) 12f