HORSERACING – VICTORIOUS Forever contender Phantom Flight returns to action today at Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club (REHC) in the Listed Al Adiyat Cup – round three of the 2025-26 Bahrain Turf Series.
Last year, Phantom Flight was one of the stars of Bahrain’s international season and the seven-year-old will be looking to maintain his fine form.
Trained by George Scott, Phantom Flight followed up victory in the 2025 running of the Al Adiyat Cup with success in one of the kingdom’s showpiece events, the HRH the Crown Prince’s Cup, and Scott is aiming for a repeat result. Both races have been upgraded this season – the Al Adiyat Cup to Listed and the HRH the Crown Prince’s Cup to a Group Three.
The $80,000 Al Adiyat Cup, sponsored by Bareeq, has attracted a strong line-up, worthy of its new status. Among Phantom Flight’s rivals in the 10-runner field are Calif, a Group One winner in Germany and placed in Group races around the world, and Hi Royal, an impressive winner over the 1,800m trip of the Al Adiyat Cup last time and the leading horse in the middle-distance category of this season’s Bahrain Turf Series.
A striking son of Siyouni, Phantom Flight joined Scott’s yard in the summer of 2024 and in his care has already scored three times at Listed level, most recently at Dundalk in Ireland in September. His trainer admits he is a horse who has taken a bit of getting to know.
“Phantom Flight, he’s definitely his own person, he is a unique character and he needs training accordingly,” said Scott. “He’s a horse who will tell you when he’s in good form and he is currently training well and I am pleased with him.
“He should come forward for the run, mentally and physically, and the big target is once again the HRH the Crown Prince’s Cup. We want to try and win that race for a third time in a row after Isle Of Jura and then Phantom Flight last year.
“Phantom Flight goes into Friday’s race off the back of a career best performance in Ireland last September – he goes well fresh and we know he likes the track. He does need a few things to go his way. He appreciates a strong pace and some cover from other runners, the key to him is finding a good rhythm early on. But he’s growing up and is becoming more amenable in his races.
“Calif looks the main danger. He’s a horse with form at a high level, a global performer and he had what looked like the perfect prep when he was arguably an unlucky third last month. And Kevin Ryan’s horse, Hi Royal, warrants respect. He is obviously in great form having won well over course and distance last time out, but this is a better race.”
Scott enjoyed a tremendous season in Bahrain last year and he has started well again in 2025-26, operating at a 42 per cent strike rate with three winners already to his name. Last week, he recorded a memorable across-the-card double, winning races in Bahrain and Dubai on the same day.
He added: “To have an across-the-card double in Bahrain and Dubai was great – it was a first for me and I was really proud.
“For a Newmarket yard to produce two winners within an hour of each other in different countries, both half-way around the world, and for both horses to carry the colours of Victorious Forever, it gave everyone a thrill.”
Another yard in good form and performing with an impressive strike rate is that of Daniel and Claire Kubler. To date, in their first season based in Bahrain, the Kublers have had six winners from just 22 runners and they are looking forward to unleashing a potentially high-class horse in Alzahir in the $80,000 Al Wasmiya Cup, sponsored by National Bank of Bahrain, also today marking round three of the sprint division in the Bahrain Turf Series.
Purchased in October out of Jennie Candlish’s yard following a Listed win in France, Alzahir is set to make his Bahrain debut for the Kublers in the colours of Al Adiyat Racing.
The opposition includes the winners of rounds one and two in the Bahrain Turf Series’ sprint division, Kendall Roy and Chandigah, plus the fast-improving sprinter Devaste, trained locally by Osama Hashim, with two wins from two starts to his name this season.
Daniel Kubler, who trains in partnership with his wife Claire, said of Alzahir: “We have been getting to know him over the past few weeks. He had won not long before being purchased so it’s really been a case of freshening him and acclimatising him to life in Bahrain.
“We’re still getting to know him and haven’t asked any huge questions in the mornings but this race has always been the target to start him off in and his form is in the book.
“It looks a really exciting race with the winners of both Turf Series sprints. Devastate has been in scintillating form in the domestic sprints and there are several other in-form horses too – it looks competitive for sure!”
Spanning December to March and comprising six sprint races and six middle-distance races, each contest in the Bahrain Turf Series is worth a minimum of $80,000, with a further $40,000 available in bonuses for the leading horse in each category
&uuid=(email))