Following a review by the Asian Pattern Committee, the King's Cup will be run as a Group 3 for the first time in 2025, it was announced by the Bahrain Turf Club on Monday.
Run in March over a mile and a half, the King's Cup was won this year by the George Scott-trained Isle Of Jura (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) as he secured the Bahrain Triple Crown following wins in the Crown Prince's Cup and HH Shaikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa Cup. The second of those races has also been upgraded and will be run as a Listed contest for the first time in February.
The third contest to be upgraded is the HH Shaikh Khalid Bin Hamad Al Khalifa Cup, now also a Listed race, run over a mile in December. The last three runnings have been won by the locally-trained Byline (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}).
Prior to the launch of the Bahrain International Trophy in 2019, there were no internationally recognised races in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The $1-million Bahrain International Trophy has this year attracted 61 entries, including 10 Group 1 winners and 45 stakes race winners, having been run as a Group 2 for the first time in 2023.
The upgrades bring the total of international pattern races held during the Bahrain season to six, alongside the Crown Prince's Cup and Al Methaq Mile, both of which also hold Listed status.
Yusuf Buheji, CEO of the Bahrain Turf Club, said, “Under the leadership of the club's chairman, His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, our ambition is to continue the development of horseracing in Bahrain and be a jurisdiction that stands alongside the world's best. To do this, we strive to host consistently high calibre races, attracting increasingly high-quality domestic and international challengers. Therefore, we are delighted that the progress made in raising the quality of our premier races has been recognised by the Asian Pattern Committee.
“The upgrades underline how our investment in developing an attractive international programme, coupled with increased prize-money for locally-trained horses, has delivered on our objective of raising both the quality and competitiveness of racing in Bahrain. Through further investment, we are confident that future initiatives will lead to Bahrain becoming a leading light for horseracing in the region.”
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