A pair of Bahrain-based horses won the third and fourth Bahrain Turf Series races–the Al Riffa Cup and Al Dana Cup–in Riyadh on Friday. Dark Shadow (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), in the hands of Hector Crouch, produced a sharp turn of foot over 1200 metres to fend off a challenger in the closing stages of the Al Riffa Cup and returned to the winner's enclosure in the familiar colours of Al Mohamediya Racing.
“It all went pretty smoothly for me,” said Crouch. “We were drawn high and he's a horse who needs a fast pace to aim at so today with 16 runners and quick ground that's what he got; so I'm delighted for His Highness Shaikh Sultan and Osama [Hashim].”
The Covex Kid (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), trained by Hesham Al Haddad, made it five wins in a row and a third straight win in Bahrain in the Al Dana Cup over 2000 metres. It was another big-race success for the same ownership, Al Mohamediya Racing and regular series winning jockey Neil Callan.
“It was a very strong race, we were a bit worried when the horse got boxed in at the last furlong,” said Al Haddad. “Neil [Callan] managed to steer him very well and find the sunshine and he came out at the right time. We're very happy and connections are too.”
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
