HORSERACING – JOCKEY Stephen Ladjadj was all praise for seven-year-old gelding Calif after winning the HH Shaikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa Cup, sponsored by Bapco Energies, late Thursday night, headlining the 2025-26 season’s 20th meeting at Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club (REHC) in Sakhir.
“This horse is special for us,” said Ladjadj, racing in the colours of Victorious Forever. “It’s great to have him back in top form.”
Deputy King His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa was in attendance to watch Calif triumph. Also on hand were Prime Minister’s Court Minister and REHC High Committee chairman Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, and Supreme Council for Environment vice-president and REHC High Committee deputy chairman Shaikh Faisal bin Rashid bin Isa Al Khalifa, amongst other high-ranking officials.
Remarkably, despite being one of the best-known horses trained in the kingdom, it was Calif’s first victory in Bahrain and also his first since landing a Group One in Germany in 2024.
Trained by Fawzi Nass, Calif came with a sustained run down the outside of the Listed race to collar runner-up Bedouin Prince, representing Godolphin, and Panning For Gold, competing for Al Mohamediya Racing, in the closing stages after a strongly run event.
“This horse is like a train,” described Ladjadj. “He needs a clear run, and we got that from the 600m today.
“Winning this race, in these colours, for me it is ‘la crème sur la gateau’ {the icing on the cake}.”
Assistant trainer Abdulla Fawzi Nass added: “It’s very important to get him back to his proper form, we know how a good horse he can be and he was very impressive today.
“Today, he was able to finish his race which suits him. He was always travelling very well, he was just waiting for a gap and when it came, his kick was very impressive. The likely plan now is to go for The King’s Cup.”
Earlier in the evening the same colours had been in the winners’ enclosure following a surprise result in the Bahrain Vision Cup, sponsored by Beyon, the middle-distance division of the 2025-26 Bahrain Turf Series.
Signalman, like Calif is owned by Victorious Forever for trainer Fawzi Nass, put some poor recent runs behind him to wear down Westridge in the final strides of the 1,800m race. The finish was fought out by two former stablemates as both horses had previously been trained by John and Thady Gosden in the UK, but at the 400m marker there only looked to be one winner when Westridge was kicked clear by Ebrahim Nader.
However, a five-length gap was being rapidly reduced in the closing stages and Signalman, under Husain Makki, got up to lead on the line.
“That was a bit of a surprise because he has not been running well recently, but he was impressive today, for sure,” said assistant trainer Abdulla Fawzi Nass.
“Husain {Makki} said the pace suited but he thought he was not going to get there in time, but in the last couple of hundred yards he really kicked into gear.
“It’s very important for us to win these big international races, so we are very happy.”
The penultimate round in the sprint division of Bahrain Turf Series saw 18 horses go to post for the Al Sakhir Cup, sponsored by Texel Air, over the minimum trip of 1,000m.
On paper the race looked very competitive, with seven of the top 10 horses from the sprint division leaderboard involved, but in the end, it was won comfortably by a horse making his debut in Bahrain.
Dan Tucker, trained by Ali Abdulmajeed and ridden by Neil Callan, burst clear in the closing stages to put daylight between himself and his rivals, with his closest pursuers being Partisan Hero, trained by David Loughnane, Kaasib and Chief Mankato.
Now a four-year-old, Dan Tucker was bought out of Jedd O’Keefe’s yard for Mohamediya at the Tattersalls Horses in Training sale in Newmarket, and he made a striking impression on his first run for new connections.
“When I cantered him down to the start, I thought what a relaxed horse for a sprinter,” said Callan. “He was so easy, but then he was out very fast out of the gate and going past the 400m I had a look across and thought, I’ll wait a little bit longer, and when I did let him go, he sprouted a pair of wings.
“I knew he would get the trip well, and with it being his first run for a while I wanted to be a little patient on him. It was a very professional performance, and he gave me the feel of a nice horse.”
The climax to Bahrain’s international season is The King’s Cup Festival, two evenings of high-class racing held on March 5 and 6, set to feature the $400,000 Group Three King’s Cup and including the final rounds in the Bahrain Turf Series.
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