Star-studded field for HM the King’s Cups

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

More than BD130,000 in prize money will be up for the taking in one of the biggest meetings of the season tomorrow at Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club (REHC) in Sakhir. An exciting seven-race card is to be headlined by the BD70,000 His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa Cup, King of Bahrain (sponsored by Bapco).

The Class One-Listed event is set to be contested by a star-studded field of 12 horses over 12 furlongs. Tipped with a chance are Tawaareq for owners Victorious and trainer Hesham Al Haddad, to be ridden by Adrie De Vries; Recovery Run representing Al Adiyat Racing, AM Smith and Kieran Shoemark; and Zagato, competing for Al Mohamediya Racing and Hesham Al Haddad while saddled by Neil Callan.

The rest of the field features three other Al Mohamediya Racing contenders in Bond’s Boy, to be ridden by Marcialis Jaures; Mars Landing with Shane Foley in the saddle; and Encourage featuring Jimmy Quinn.

Victorious have two other entrants in Classical Wave with David Egan and Simsir with Husain Makki; while the roster of participants is completed by Al Adiyat Racing’s Rayounpour saddled by Abdulla Faisal, Ramadhan Stables’ Harbour Spirit featuring jockey Ray Dawson, Al Afoo Racing’s Taqareer with George Wood, and Al Mallah Syndicate’s Tall Order saddled by Marvin Grandin. There are two other races for the HM King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa Cup, King of Bahrain (sponsored by Bapco).

One is in the day’s sixth race, carrying a BD20,000 prize purse and to be held over a 12-furlong distance. The Class OneGrade One event will see six locally bred contenders in the fray. The pre-race favourites are Pulsar for KHK Racing, Hesham Al Haddad and Adrie De Vries; Epic for Abdulla Fawzi Nass, Hesham Al Haddad and David Egan; and Sabreena for Victorious, Fawzi Nass and Husain Makki.

The three other competing horses are Aslaan for Al Mallah Syndicate, Living Art for Abdulla Sami Nass and Munafis for MKAR Racing. The third cup dedicated to HM the King and sponsored by Bapco is in race one, with a BD7,000 prize to be contested over eight furlongs. Tipped with a chance in the WAHO event are Kuheilan Umm Zorayr 1797 for KHK Racing, Hesham Al Haddad and Neil Callan; Kuheilan Afas 1708 representing Victorious, Yousif Taher and Hasan Al Saffar; and Kuheilan Afas 1695 competing for Al Wasmiya, Abdulla Kuwaiti and Abdulla Faisal.

The rest of the seven-horse field includes Al Hamdany 1746 and Al Jellaby 1791 for Al Riffa, Kuheila’t Al Adiyat 1782 for Victorious and Musannan 1781 for Al Wasmiya. In another race tomorrow, 13 horses will compete for the Al Methaq Mile (sponsored by Bapco), which carries a BD20,000 prize. To be held for imported horses over an eight-furlong distance, those tipped with a chance are Byline competing for Al Adiyat Racing, AM Smith and Kieran Shoemark; Shebil Aljazira representing Al Mohamediya Racing, Osama Hashim and Neil Callan; and Prince Elzaam, also competing for Al Mohamediya Racing, while trained by Taleb Ali and to be ridden by Shane Foley.

Elsewhere, the REHC Cup will be on offer in race four, to be held over 10 furlongs with a BD5,000 prize; the Tattersalls Sprint will be in race three over a five-furlong straight and BD5,000 in prize money; and the Al Raffa Cup will be in race two over eight furlongs with a BD5,000 prize.