Bahrain aiming to attract global competition for International Trophy

Bahrain is hoping the introduction of a new £200,000 race, the Bahrain International Trophy, can provide the launchpad for its vision to host a larger international meeting in the future.

The announcement of the valuable new race, which will be run on turf over 1m2f on November 22, is a “stepping stone” to attracting a bigger cohort of international runners in the future, according to Sheikh Salman bin Rashed Al-Khalifa, the executive director of Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club (REHRC).

Attracting global competition to the new race is high on the agenda with a maximum field size of 14 runners permitted, all of whom must be rated 95 or higher by their own authority.

Sheikh Salman said: “Our main goal for the Bahrain International Trophy is to get a good field of highly rated horses, that’s what we’re hoping for. We’re definitely looking for international runners.

“The high committee of the club approved the race four months ago and we chose to officially announce the race during the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket. We’re going to be talking to trainers and owners at the meeting to market the race. I’ve met a good number of people who are very excited to see this race happen.”

Thunder Snow: winner of back-to-back Dubai World CupsCredit: Getty Images

International racing is not a new phenomenon in the region, with Dubai’s World Cup Carnival, culminating in the lucrative Dubai World Cup night at Meydan, attracting high-class competition from all around the world.

While Bahrain is some way behind in that respect, Sheikh Salman believes it is not unrealistic to believe the country can host a similar event in the future, with the Bahrain International Trophy providing a platform to build upon.

He said: “We’re hosting one race this year and it’s definitely going to be a stepping stone towards bigger events in the future. I’m sure the plan is to host more international races and we would love to attract a big number of owners and trainers to race in Bahrain.

“It’s just another opportunity. Dubai is around the corner and a lot of people send their horses there during the winter to race, so we thought it would work really nicely for people to have another option in the region.

“We have to start somewhere. It’s a very, very good start and it’s going to be a learning curve for everyone involved."

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