Quadruple Group One winner Barney Roy heads a stellar list of entries for the second running of the Bahrain International Trophy at Sakhir Racecourse on November 20.
There have been a total of 61 entries (up from 46 in 2019) from eight different nations: Britain (22), Ireland (14), France (9), Bahrain (6), UAE (6), Norway (2), Japan (1) and Germany (1).
Globetrotting sensation Barney Roy has won four Group Ones in three different countries in his career to date and will be looking to add a fourth in Bahrain next month. His latest Group One at Baden-Baden took his career earnings past £1 million.
His trainer Charlie Appleby said, “It’s a race we’ve been keen to support, and we feel that we’ve got the right horse in Barney Roy to take to Bahrain. He’s got a great profile leading into the race off the back of his Group One in Germany. He’s been shipped out to Dubai already and will continue his preparation there. We’re delighted to have the invitation from Bahrain, and we are thrilled to be able to support the race with a horse like Barney Roy.”
Amongst the other seven Group One winners that have been entered, two brilliant mares in the shape of Billesdon Brook, a dual-Group One and Classic winner and the brilliant Japanese mare, Deirdreare notable entries.
The remaining five Group One winners entered are: David O’Meara’s Lord Glitters, a winner of last year’s Group One Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, David Simcock’s Desert Encounter, a dual winner of the Group One Canadian International Stakes at Woodbine, Saeed bin Suroor’s Dream Castle, last year’s Group One Jebel Hatta winner, Fabrice Chappet’s Intellogent, the 2018 Group One Prix Jean Prat and finally, Roger Varian’s Zabeel Prince, who scored in the Group One Prix D’Ispahan last year.
British Champion trainer John Gosden finished second in the race last year with Turgenev and is bidding to go one better this year in the shape of Global Giant. The five-year-old is owned by HH Shaikh Isa Salman Al Khalifa, vice-chairman of Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club in Bahrain.
Gosden said, “Global Giant’s in great form. It’s been the plan all year to go to the Bahrain International and we’ve been very happy with him.”
“To have so many high-quality horses entered, from eight different countries, and an increase in class from our first year is very exciting,” said Shaikh Salman bin Rashed Al Khalifa, executive director of the Rashid Equestrian and Horse Racing Club.
He continued, “The entries show the confidence trainers and owners have in Bahrain and our race. To have horses like Barney Roy, and Billesdon Brook and trainers like Aidan O’Brien, John Gosden and Charlie Appleby support the race is a huge boost for us. We are very hopeful that The Bahrain International Trophy will become a key date in the international racing calendar for many years to come.”
Last year’s winner, Royal Julius, who ran in Sunday’s Group One Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe, has been entered by trainer Jerome Reynier who will be hoping he can repeat his success from last November.
There is one more race that will grant “Automatic Invitation” to the winner even if that horse is not originally entered, and that takes place this Saturday at Newmarket in the Group Three Darley Stakes over 1 mile 1 furlong.
Six locally trained horses have been entered, with at least two guaranteed a space in the race.
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