New racing era: Royal Champion triumphs as kingdom successfully stages $1.5m Group One Bahrain International Trophy

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HORSERACING – On an historic day for the kingdom as it staged its first-ever Group One race, it was a case of deja-vu as Royal Champion repeated his success of 2025 to win a…

HORSERACING – On an historic day for the kingdom as it staged its first-ever Group One race, it was a case of deja-vu as Royal Champion repeated his success of 2025 to win a second Bahrain International Trophy at Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club (REHC) in Sakhir.

The $1.5 million, 2,000-metre event attracted the finest field ever assembled for a race in Bahrain, but even against the more quality opposition, Royal Champion was too strong at the finish, having travelled powerfully throughout.

In attendance was His Majesty King Hamad’s humanitarian works and youth affairs representative and Supreme Council for Youth and Sports chairman Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

Prime Minister’s Court Minister and REHC High Committee chairman Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa was also on hand, along with Shaikh Mohammed bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa and other high-ranking officials. Shaikh Isa presented the Bahrain International Trophy to Royal Champion’s winning connections, including trainer Karl Burke and jockey Clifford Lee.

The runner-up was Zaydann, who stayed on well to take second in the colours of the Aga Khan Studs for trainer Francis-Henri Graffard, with fellow-French raider Baroud in third for the training combination of Andre and Lavinia Fabre.

It was a fine training performance by Burke to bring Royal Champion back to Bahrain in even better form than 12 months ago following a difficult year training the horse.

“When he came back from Hong Kong in the spring, he was pretty sick and we had to give him a lot of time off; I thought I may have made a mistake running him in the summer at York and after that it was stop-start with him,” Burke explained.

“It’s only in the last three or four weeks that I have been happy with him. I didn’t get the chance to take him away for a gallop or anything like that.

“Last year, he came here off the back of a good run in the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes and all we had to do was keep him fresh and well, but I came out…

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