The $80,000 Al Riffa Cup and $80,000 Al Dana Cup will both offer plenty of international interest as the Bahrain Turf Series continues with round two on Friday.
On the opening day of the Bahrain Turf Series, George Scott saddled two winners and a second in the supporting races on the card. Now, the Newmarket trainer is hoping Rocket Rodney (GB) (Dandy Man {Ire}) can repeat his 2024 win in Friday's Al Riffa Cup, round two in the sprint division.
“Rocket Rodney helped kick start my career again back in 2022,” said Scott. “He was the first horse His Highness Shaikh Nasser had with me and it is lovely to have the horse back competing in the Bahrain Turf Series. He seemed to like the track last year. He won here and ran very well on other occasions. He also ran some good races in the UK last summer and I think he's handicapped to be really competitive again in Bahrain.”
Rocket Rodney is one of 18 runners scheduled to go to post for the Al Riffa Cup, while the Al Dana Cup, the second round in the middle-distance division of the Bahrain Turf Series, has attracted a field of 15.
They include the first four horses from the Al Muharraq Cup on the opening day. The first Irish-trained winner in Bahrain when landing that race for Gavin Cromwell, Snellen (Ire) (Expert Eye {GB}) lines up from an 8lb higher mark as she tries to uphold the form with the placed horses, headed by Jack Channon's former Cambridgeshire winner Majestic (Ire) (Conduit {Ire}).
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