FIRST run in 2019, the Bahrain International Trophy has grown in stature with every passing year and reached a high last night (Friday) when it was staged as an international Group 1 for the first time, boosted by a lucrative $1.5 million purse. A dozen runners went to post from Ireland, Britain, France, the UAE and Bahrain.

It was Groundhog Day after last year’s winner of the race, then a Group 2, Royal Champion was again first home, denying French raiders Zaydanna and Baroud, with Lambourn a creditable fourth. It was a clearly emotional win for trainer Karl Burke.

“I wasn’t expecting that, I honestly wasn’t,” the winning trainer said. “When he came back from Hong Kong [late April] he was sick, and we had to give him a lot of time off. I probably made a mistake trying to run him through the summer in England. He ran well at York [late July], when he travelled well but got tired.

“After that it was a bit stop-start with him, but all credit to the horse. He’s absolutely bolted up. I spoke with Liam O’Rourke who looks after Sheikh Mohammed Obaid’s interests, and we said that we would give this a go if we were happy with the horse. It’s only been in the last three or four weeks that we have been happy with him, if I am perfectly honest.

“Again, all credit to the horse. We didn’t even get a chance to take him away for a gallop or anything like that. Last year when we came here [and won] we gave him a real easy time. He was 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. This week I came out early to see him do a little bit of work on Tuesday morning, because we needed to get that little bit of a blow into him.

“As for Cliff [Lee, winning jockey], I am delighted for him. He had a real tough time last year and he was, no exaggeration to say, millimeters from being dead. He’s a tough lad and has come through a lot. It’s all credit to him. He is a fit, strong lad and a good rider.”

Remembering the winner’s late owner/breeder, Sheikh Obaid, Burke added: “Royal Champion was one of his last winners this time last year when he was alive, and then he missed his Group 1 win in Saudi Arabia. He was a great man to train for, and hopefully his family will keep it going.”

Ian Willams bags valuable prize with Beylerbeyi

FOURTEEN runners went to battle for the $400,000 Gulf of Bahrain Cup, six from Ireland. It was not to be for the Green Team, with the Ian Williams-trained Beylerbeyi closing the gap with a terrific finishing burst to haul back Dubai Future who appeared for a couple of furlongs to have the race at his mercy.

Joseph O’Brien’s Emit was best of the Irish in fourth, followed by the two Willie Mullins runners, The Reverend and Gaucher, and Ascending in seventh.

Williams said: “He’s a talented horse but he will not relax. He won’t settle and it’s a tough job riding him, but he’s come up with some great performances when things go his way - and today things went his way.

“Was it an easy watch? The last stride was, but not until then. All executed to plan, though maybe not as handy as we wanted to be early on. He had a lot to do turning in, but he is a stayer, and that is what he has done. It was a great performance from the horse and a good performance from the jockey as well.”

This win, a 10th for the son of Invincible Spirit, took his career earnings to just over £500,000. He won at two in France for Jean-Claude Rouget and was subsequently picked up by Williams at the Arqana Summer Sale for a bargain sum of €7,000.

In the supporting races, there was an Irish-bred trifecta in the domestic Group 1 (not blacktype) Grand Seiko – Bahrain Jewellery Centre Cup. Victory went to the Declan Phelan-bred five-year-old Grand Grey, a five-year-old son of Havana Grey.

Runner-up in the Group 3 Abernant Stakes when trained by Kevin Ryan, he was purchased at last year’s Tattersalls October Sale by bloodstock agent John Walsh for 105,000gns and is now trained by Jaber Ramadhan for Al-Afoo Racing Stable.