New series of £50,000 races aimed at international runners launched in Bahrain

A new series of international turf races in Bahrain has been launched, with a prize-fund of £550,000 offered across ten races run between December and March.

The Bahrain Turf Series, which starts on December 10, has been created to attract international horses rated between 85 and 100 to the country, which has rapidly developed its racing programme in the last few years.

Each race has a prize-fund of £50,000 and bonuses will be given to the leading owner and trainer across the series, judged in a points-per-race format.

Horses must be nominated and then selected to participate for the series. As an incentive, the Bahrain Turf Club will pay expenses of up to £12,500 for connections of each horse competing. The cost of freight to take horses to Bahrain is also covered if horses run in at least two races.

The format divides horses into two categories (A and B), the first to run between 6f and 7f, and the second to run in contests between 1m1f and 1m2f. Four of the five races for each division are 0-100 handicaps, with the other a conditions race.

Bahrain Turf Series race programme

December 10: 7f handicap (A)
December 10: 1m2f handicap (B)
December 31: 1m1f handicap (B)*
January 7: 6f handicap (A)*
January 14: 1m2f conditions (B)
January 21: 7f conditions (A)
February 5: 6f handicap (A)*
February 5: 1m1f handicap (B)*
March 4: 7f handicap (A)*
March 4: 1m2f handicap (B)*

*open to guest horses rated 101 or 102

The news follows on from the success of the Bahrain International Trophy which has been extremely popular since its inception in 2019. Last year, runners from Aidan O'Brien, John Gosden and Andrew Balding featured in the £500,000 contest, but the race was won by locally trained Simsir.

The development of racing in Bahrain has been inspired by Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the chairman of the Rashid Equestrian and Horse Racing Club High Committee, and son of Bahrain's Crown Prince and prime minister.

He said: “By introducing the new Bahrain Turf Series we hope to further attract progressive horses to Bahrain and horses that can add a higher quality of performance to our two most prestigious races, His Majesty the King’s Cup and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince’s Cup.

"My own personal goal is to build the industry of thoroughbred horseracing in the Kingdom of Bahrain and if we are able to expose our Bahraini trainers and jockeys to European connections that will be one of my key goals met.”

The Gosden yard trained Turgenev and Global Giant to finish second in the Bahrain International Trophy and are keen on returning later this season.

Joint-trainer Thady Gosden said: “Having taken horses to the inaugural, and second running of the Bahrain International Trophy, the race remains firmly as a target. The training and quarantine facilities in Bahrain are world-class, and constantly being improved.

"The racecourse is also well suited to the European style of racing, and we wouldn't hesitate to take the right horses there in future.”

Jockey Frankie Dettori added: “It's a joy to ride in Bahrain. It's probably one of the best turf courses in the Middle East. His Highness Shaikh Isa has done a fantastic job by creating the Bahrain International Trophy, which has already attracted some incredible horses. It's a very exciting time for horseracing in Bahrain.”

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