‘Dublin to Bahrain’ race series launched

TDT | Manama                                                

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com     

An exciting new agreement between Leopardstown Racecourse and the Bahrain Turf Club sees the launch of the “Dublin to Bahrain” race series.

The initiative grants the race winners automatic eligibility for the 2023/2024 running of the Bahrain Turf Series.

The first leg of the ‘Dublin to Bahrain’ race series takes place at Leopardstown on Thursday July 20.

The series expands Bahrain’s existing sponsorship portfolio in Ireland, which is headlined by the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes (Gr 1) and includes the Bahrain Turf Club Desmond Stakes (Gr 3), both run at Leopardstown.

The five races added to the Kingdom’s sponsorship portfolio are four handicaps, including the €40,000 October Handicap, and the Listed Knockaire Stakes.

The winner of each of the four handicap races will automatically be eligible for the Bahrain Turf Series, a ten-race series spread across five fixtures staged in Bahrain’s domestic season.

Last season each race in the Bahrain Turf Series was worth £60,000 (€70,000), a figure set to rise again in 2023/2024.

Shaikh Salman bin Rashed Al Khalifa, Bahrain Turf Club High Committee Representative, International Racing, said: “We are delighted to expand our involvement with Irish racing.

“The ‘Dublin to Bahrain’ race series is a great initiative that we have developed with our partners at Leopardstown. The aim is to increase awareness among Irish owners and trainers of our own Bahrain Turf Series, a valuable ten-race series that runs from December to February and caters for both sprint and middle distance horses.

“In addition, as well as sponsoring the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes, our support for two other pattern races provides further opportunities to promote the Bahrain International Trophy, the Kingdom’s most valuable race.”

Tim Husbands, CEO of Leopardstown Racecourse, said: “The Dublin to Bahrain Series is a really exciting initiative that we are delighted to stage at Leopardstown.

We hope that trainers and owners from all over Ireland will target these races and we will look forward to following the winners’ progress in the Bahrain Turf Series and Bahrain International Trophy later in the year.”