The 2025 running of the Crown Prince’s Cup (sponsored by Cebarco), saw victory go to the Phantom Flight for owners, Victorious Racing, trainer, George Scott, and jockey, Callum Shepherd, as the six-year-old gelding followed in the hoofprints of Isle Of Jura in graduating from a Bahrain Turf Series race to win the $150,000 Listed contest.

Always travelling well off a strong pace, Phantom Flight came through under Callum Shepherd to challenge locally trained Sovereign Spirit inside the final furlong, before going on to win by half a length, with Zagato back in third. The other international horses, the Irish trained filly, Snellen, finished fourth, and Godolphin’s Passion And Glory, finished fifth.

On the back of victory in one of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s premier races, connections of Phantom Flight are now eyeing up a run in the Neom Cup at the Saudi Cup meeting on 21st February.

The win maintained the remarkable run of form for trainer George Scott and jockey Callum Shepherd. The pair had enjoyed further success on day one of the Crown Prince’s Cup Festival when City House won the Al Hawar Cup, part of the Bahrain Turf Series.

Speaking after the race, George Scott, trainer of Phantom Flight, said: “It was very smooth, wasn’t it? He just went round there like a go-kart. Callum is riding so confidently, and the horse has had a really nice experience there and it sets us up for a tilt at the Neom Cup in Saudi, which is very exciting. It is lovely to get this win for His Highness Shaikh Nasser.

“It’s been a really great run of late and it’s all down to the people who travel the horses, we have great people here and in Dubai.”

Jockey Callum Shepherd added: “He’s a horse that frankly I am still trying to figure out and get to know how to get the best out of him. There was a real good tempo which kept the race clean and my horse travelled into it really nice. Given how well he travels, he does not necessarily do things super quick off the bridle and so I did not take any chances and I let him roll over to challenge Sovereign Spirit, let him get stuck in and he seems to have a bit more fight in him than maybe at times previously.

“He’s really enjoying it here, he enjoys the track, the trip and the fast pace and I think we’ll be going to Saudi next and I am looking forward to that. It will be exciting to represent His Highness Shaikh Nasser and the team there.”

The runner-up Sovereign Spirit ran another game race, having also chased home Phantom Flight in the Al Adiyat Cup two weeks previously.

Earlier on the card, Bahrain Turf Club ambassador, Tom Marquand, landed a treble, his first ever winners in Bahrain, all secured in the navy blue and white colours of His Highness Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa’s Al Adiyat Racing and trained by Alan Smith.