HORSERACING – Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club (REHC) has announced the weights for the first running of the Gulf of Bahrain Cup – an open handicap ride over 2,800 metres with an impressive prize fund of $400,000, to be staged on the same day as the Bahrain International Trophy on November 13 at REHC in Sakhir.
Together, the two races will form part of an historic raceday with the promotion of the Bahrain International Trophy to Group One status and the launch of the Gulf of Bahrain Cup expected to bring an unprecedented level of top-class international participants to Bahrain.
Entries for the Gulf of Bahrain Cup closed last week and the race attracted 62 horses from eight racing nations, with the strongest representation coming from Ireland with 20 horses entered.
Heading the list in terms of horses represented by individual trainers is Willie Mullins, who has seven entries, followed by Joseph O’Brien with six.
Being an open handicap worth $400,000, the Gulf of Bahrain Cup has attracted a number of Stakes performers, including the winner of the 2022 Bahrain International Trophy in Dubai Future.
Owned by Godolphin and trained by Saeed bin Suroor, the ever-green 10-year-old has shown his continued well-being this year with victory in a Group Three race as well as being placed in a Group One.
In the published list of weights, Dubai Future has been allocated 60kg, joint fourth top-weight, along with another popular Stakes horse in Al Qareem, trained by Karl Burke.
In his career to date, Al Qareem has won 10 Stakes races and thrives over the 2,800m (14 furlongs) trip of the Gulf of Bahrain Cup.
Two likely candidates set to run off lower weights are Paddy The Squire and Tarriance, both allocated 56kg.
Scottish-based trainer Iain Jardine is targeting the Gulf of Bahrain Cup for Paddy The Squire, who ran right up to his best when just touched off in a competitive handicap at Newbury in September.
Meanwhile, four-year-old Tarriance has joined the yard of Daniel and Claire Kubler and will carry the colours of Al Adiyat Racing.
Last year, when trained by Andrew Balding, Tarriance won the valuable Melrose Handicap at York over the 2,800m trip of the Gulf of Bahrain Cup.
&uuid=(email))