The Crown Prince’s Cup, run over 1m 2f (2000m), has recently been upgraded to listed status and is one of the three principal races in the Bahrain racing calendar, along with the Bahrain International Trophy in November and King's Cup in March. The 2022 renewal takes place on Friday 28 January, and is set to have a very competitive field once again made up of both locally and internationally trained horses.

Howden is the first international sponsor at the racecourse and the partnership reflects Bahrain’s emergence as a major force in the world of horse racing. Howden is already a recognised name within the horse racing industry, both as a specialist provider of equine insurance solutions for equestrian associations, racecourses, racehorse trainers, stud farms, riding schools and horse owners and as an official partner of Ascot Racecourse. David Howden, Group CEO and Founder of Howden, is also Founder and President of the Cornbury House Horse Trials as well as a racehorse owner and racing and eventing enthusiast.

Howden is part of leading specialist insurance group, Howden Group Holdings, who, through its 10,500 employees across 45 countries, handles over $11bn of insurance premiums via a broad range of specialisms for businesses and individuals around the world.

Shaikh Salman bin Rashed Al Khalifa, Rashid Equestrian & Horseracing Club’s executive director, said: “We are thrilled that Howden is sponsoring The Crown Prince’s Cup this year. To have our first international sponsor committed to racing in Bahrain is very exciting and a reflection of how racing is developing in the Kingdom. We look forward to welcoming Howden to Bahrain for the running of the newly Listed Crown Prince’s Cup.”

David Howden added: “Our sponsorship of The Crown Prince’s Cup in Bahrain, alongside our partnership with Ascot, helps to deepen our relationships in a sport we love and enable us to further understand and respond to the worldwide risks challenges it faces.”

He continued: “Howden has operated in the Middle East for over ten years with offices across the region, including in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman and Turkey as well as our Howden One partners. We have developed a strong reputation as one of the leading brokers in the region by combining the strength of a global broker with the personal touch of a group with employee ownership at its heart.”