Keith Melrose runs the rule over the Bahrain Trophy plus key quotes

Bahrain Trophy Stakes (Group 3) | 1m5f, 3yo | ITV4/RTV

The Bahrain Trophy is traditionally the first St Leger trial. It might be expected that such a race produces horses with loads of excess stamina, but that is not necessarily the case.

Winners of the race tend to stay further in time, but the somewhat outmoded term 'middle-distance stayer' is probably the best description to hang on a typical Bahrain Trophy winner. Even last year's winner, Spanish Mission, stays 2m now but had his biggest payday over 1m4f, two months after he won this race.

Considering the pre-race profile of horses that win the race tells a similar story. The vast majority of Bahrain Trophy winners had previously run over 1m4f, most had performed well at the trip, but only three of the last ten had won over so far. Being placed in something like the King Edward VII has tended to be a fairly typical route.

Plenty of Royal Ascot formlines are represented this year. The King Edward VII, but also the Queen's Vase, King George V and Ribblesdale twice over.

It seems quite likely that one of the three runners who have not arrived via Royal Ascot will go off favourite. Al Aasy and Dawn Rising won everyday novices by a wide margin last time and are recovering lofty, but bruised, reputations. As might be expected from their route in, those reputations are picking up slack that their form alone cannot yet justify.

The two picked out for special consideration are Al Dabaran and Miss Yoda. The first named stepped up five furlongs in trip for his reappearance in the Queen's Vase, a lack of fitness providing a reasonable excuse. He is from the family of Waldgeist and Masked Marvel (the last Bahrain Trophy winner to follow up in the St Leger) and his form in France last year ties him closely with The Summit, who has been second in both the Poule d'Essai des Poulains and Prix du Jockey Club.

Miss Yoda recorded some eye-catching figures in winning the Lingfield Oaks Trial but struggled in the Ribblesdale 11 days later. She is from a useful European middle-distance family and could be worth another chance to improve.
Keith Melrose, betting editor

Key stat

With five winners of this race – four in a purple patch between 2011 and 2015 – from just 13 runners, John Gosden has an enviable record. Digging a little deeper, it is worth seeing what the market makes of Miss Yoda, as none of the stable's winners were returned at greater than 3-1, while only two of his beaten horses down the years were shorter than that mark.

What they say

Angus Gold, racing manager to Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, owner of Al Aasy
He disappointed on his first start of the year but won a bad race well so we're working our way back up. I'd just like to see him come out and run a good race against this better class of opposition.

Charlie Appleby, trainer of Al Dabaran
He's come out of Ascot really well. He's showed us signs that he has stepped forward from that run and he looks a very live contender. The forecast conditions will suit him, he has no stamina doubts and I'm looking forward to running him.

Aidan O'Brien, trainer of Dawn Rising
We always thought he would stay a mile and a half and even further. There was plenty of cut in the ground when he won at Limerick so we wouldn't mind if there was an ease over at Newmarket for him.

Brian Meehan, trainer of Sound Of Cannons
He's been in very good form since Ascot, which wasn’t a displeasing run, and he should go well.

John Gosden, trainer of Miss Yoda
She was very brave in the Lingfield Oaks Trial and didn't fare as well in the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot but those races were quite close so that may have taken its toll. She's fine again now and has form against colts from last year.

The Road to Bahrain starts here

This race was changed from a handicap to a Listed event in 1990 and just a year later Bahrain began a sponsorship which this year celebrates its 30th renewal.

Rashid Equestrian & Horseracing Club's executive director Shaikh Salman bin Rashed Al Khalifa said: "We're very proud of our longstanding partnership with Newmarket. It's one of the longest sponsorships in British horse racing and we're very pleased to continue our association with the Bahrain Trophy, while also adding a new sponsorship, the Bahrain International Sir Henry Cecil Stakes (1.50).

"We hope we'll welcome the winner of Thursday’s race to Bahrain in November for the International Trophy."

Royal Julius wins the inaugural Bahrain International Trophy

The winner of the Bahrain International Sir Henry Cecil Stakes gains automatic entry to the Bahrain International Trophy in Manama on November 20, as will the horse that triumphs in the Group 3 Darley Stakes at Newmarket in October.

The inaugural running of the Bahrain International Trophy was won by French-trained Royal Julius, while Roger Varian was one of a number of British-based trainers to take up the challenge with subsequent Royal Ascot winner Mountain Angel.

Varian said of the trip: "I can only speak positively of our experience: the equine facilities were very good; the track is a galloping right-handed track, is very fair and presented in excellent condition. Connections were given first class hospitality and I wouldn’t hesitate to send the right horse back again."

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