Andrew Asquith is our man on the ground in Bahrain and has some updates from the track work this morning.
Welcome to Bahrain
The first thing that hits you when you arrive in Bahrain is the heat and humidity, but once you acclimatise, you can certainly sense the excitement surrounding the $1million Bahrain International Trophy.
It was first run in 2019, and has attracted a fair amount of attention from some of Britain and Ireland’s top trainers, including Aidan O’Brien, John & Thady Gosden, Richard Fahey and Owen Burrows to name but a few, all of whom have runners in this year’s renewal.
It is also becoming renowned worldwide, too, with no less than 23 broadcasters having already committed to showcasing the race, including Racecourse Media Group (RMG) and HBA Media (HBA), two of the world’s leading horseracing media rights companies, along with Fox Sports and ESPN, Star+ in Latin America and the Caribbean, while it will also be shown in Japan via digital platform Netkeiba, which engages around 17 million monthly users.
Dancing delighting in final prep
Sporting Life Ambassador Richard Fahey took the crown 12 months ago with Spirit Dancer and the team are back to try and repeat the feat.
Spirit Dancer thrived in the last 12 months, winning a couple of handicaps at York and Windsor, the latter from the Sir Mark Prescott-trained filly Tiffany, who continues to go from strength to strength, winning four times since, notably at Group 3 and Group 2 level, before finishing placed in Group 1 company the last twice, producing a big career-best effort when beaten a neck by Assistent in the Grosser Preis von Bayern at Munich on Sunday.
Spirit Dancer went on to win the Strensall Stakes at York following his Windsor success before seemingly not handling softer ground in the Darley Stakes at Newmarket on his way to Bahrain.
In the race itself last year, Spirit Dancer was comfortably on top at the line despite having a wider-than-ideal passage, beating subsequent Wolferton Stakes winner and very smart Israr into second, with Point Lonsdale, who is also back in Bahrain for Friday’s big race, back in third.
Spirit Dancer wasn’t finished there, though, he continued to thrive in the Middle East, going on to win the Group 2 Neom Turf Cup at King Abdulaziz earlier this year. He returned lame in the Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan not long after and has had a completely different preparation for this year’s Bahrain International Trophy as a result.
He made his return to action in the Darely Stakes behind one of this year’s top fancies, Lead Artist. It was run on similar ground to when he disappointed in that race the previous year, however, and it was always a race that was going to bring him on fitness-wise for his return to Bahrain.
Fahey was in good spirits when asked earlier, too: “He’s in great form, it’s a different prep, he raced all last season, so this will be just his second run.
“We were happy to get a run into him the other day [at Newmarket]. John Murphy who rides him out every day says he’s as good as he was last year, so if John Murphy says that, it takes the pressure off."
When asked how it would feel to win it again, he beamed: “It would be incredible, it would be a dream!"
Stable jockey Oisin Orr, who has ridden Spirit Dancer on every start since June 2022, was also on hand to give his opinion: “He was good here last year, he’s been in good form since we came, we’re hoping for a good run."
Confidence in Artist is sky-high
Lead Artist is the sole three-year-old runner in the race and as mentioned previously, is one of the leading fancies. He only made his debut in April, but he has quickly developed into a very smart colt, winning the Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood in grand style on fast ground, and proving better than ever on his first start beyond a mile in the Darley Stakes last time.
He looked very well suited by the extra distance that day, producing a performance that suggests he’ll be a force to be reckoned with at the highest level sooner rather than later.
The Bahrain International Trophy is run over a mile and a quarter, so he has an extra furlong to travel on Friday, but there were no doubts about the longer trip from jockey Kieran Shoemark: “We were stepping up in trip last time, we rode him very confidently, as if he was going to stay, and almost wanted to find out whether he would definitely stay and he certainly did that.
“The mile and a quarter won’t be a problem round here, it’s a pretty sharp track anyway.”
Shoemark clearly holds Lead Artist in the highest regard, and he is looking forward to seeing how he develops as a four-year-old next year: “I feel like some of these away trips, overseas trips, will be the making of these relatively inexperienced three-year-olds as well, it will stand them in really good stead going forward in their career.
“Hopefully the whole experience will do him well and I expect him to run a massive race."
The vibes also appear strong surrounding Lead Artist’s chance and he must have excellent claims, especially in receipt of weight from his elders.
Pride looking the part
Four-time Group/Grade 1 winner Nations Pride also galloped this morning and he looked a picture beforehand. A well-made horse, who is still an entire at the age of five, he was lovely and relaxed as he went out on to the track, and he appeared to have a good workout.
He hasn’t been seen since winning the Arlington Million at Colonial Downs in August, but he generally likes a break in between races, and you would have to think he’s been targeted at this race since seeing as though there are no penalties, and it is worth $1million.
Nations Pride did have a good blow after his gallop, but you would imagine it will have done him the world of good, and his record abroad is hard to argue with.
I’ll be attending the draw ceremony in Bahrain this evening, which should have quite an effect on the race as a whole, as it is a tight track at Sakhir, and an outside draw wouldn’t be ideal even though there is a nice run to the first bend.
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