FAVOURITES made a winning start yesterday as the new horse racing season kicked-off at Rashid Equestrian and Horse Racing Club in Sakhir.
The Dark Knight and Laidback Romeo were the biggest winners of the day.
The Dark Knight, owned by Victorious, trained by Alan Smith and ridden by Gerald Mosse, beat Henry The Horse by one-and-one-fourth-length to win the Late Shaikh Rashid bin Isa Al Khalifa Cup (Opening Day Cup) for locally bred horses carrying a cash prize of BD5,000.
Jadeel was third and Al Barea fourth.
Laidback Romeo, owned by Al Adiyat Racing, trained by Alan Smith and ridden by Gerald Mosse, won the corresponding trophy for imported horses carrying a similar cash prize of BD5,000.
The favourite beat Emerald by one-and-one-fourth-length while Potentate was third and Baltic Knight fourth.
Showdaisy, owned by Shaikh Hamad bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, trained by James Naylor and ridden by Ali Samir, caused one of the two upsets of the day beating Grey Z by one-and-one-fourth-length to claim the Late Shaikh Rashid bin Isa Al Khalifa Cup carrying a cash prize of BD2,000.
Punk was third and Tulip Fever fourth.
Ramani, owned by Al-Afoo Racing Stable, trained by Hussain Aldailami and ridden by T P O’Shea, beat Caped Crusader by two-and-half-a-length to win the Late Shaikh Rashid bin Isa Al Khalifa Cup for locally bred horses carrying a cash prize of BD2,000.
Riyada was third and Dushanbe fourth.
Kuheilaan Aafas 1708, owned by Al Jasra, trained by Yousif Taher and ridden by Husain Makki, beat Al Jellaby 1683 by six lengths to win the Late Shaikh Rashid bin Isa Al Khalifa Cup for Arabian horses carrying a cash prize of BD2,000.
Musannaan 1689 was third and Al Jellaby 1656 fourth.
Upset
The Nazca Lines, owned by Shaikh Salman bin Rashid Al Khalifa, trained by Yousif Alboainain and ridden by Abdulla Faisal, caused the only other upset of the day, beating Joe’s Spirit by three-fourth-length to win the Late Shaikh Rashid bin Isa Al Khalifa Cup carrying a cash prize of BD2,000. Rogue Wave was third and Happy Call fourth.
Blue Fern, owned by Victorious, trained by Alan Smith and ridden by Gerald Mosse, gave the favourites a good start beating Gharaieb by a length to win the opening race of the season which was for the Late Shaikh Rashid bin Isa Al Khalifa Cup for locally bred horses carrying a cash prize of BD2,000.
Asir was third and Namuthej fourth.