Bahrain Race Earns International Gr1 Status

Against the backdrop of a still uncertain Middle East peace deal, a landmark elevation for racing in the Gulf will arrive late this year when the 2026 Bahrain International Trophy is run as a Group 1 for the first time, giving the Kingdom of Bahrain its inaugural race at the sport's elite level, reports TDN. First staged in 2019, the 10-furlong contest has become the centrepiece of Bahrain's international programme in a relatively short span, and its eighth running at Rashid Equestrian & Horseracing Club on Friday, November 13 will also carry a boosted purse of $1.5 million. The race has steadily built a profile through the quality of its winners, with popular international campaigner Lord Glitters successful in 2021, Spirit Dancer claiming back-to-back editions in 2023 and 2024 after the race was promoted to Group 2 level, and Royal Champion adding his name to the honour roll in 2025. His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, chairman of the Bahrain Turf Club, described the upgrade as "a proud moment for The Kingdom of Bahrain" and said the ambition had been clear from the beginning. "When we established the Bahrain International Trophy in 2019, it was always our ambition and belief that the race would grow to become our first Group 1 race," he said. "To have achieved that after only seven years is fantastic." He added that Bahrain's racing strategy was built around international collaboration, long-term development and a determination to raise the country's position on the world stage, with the Trophy now the clearest expression of that plan. He also thanked those who had supported the race since its launch and said Bahrain looked forward to welcoming more visitors and more world-class horses in 2026. Bahrain Turf Club chief executive Yusuf Buheji said the Trophy was the nation's flagship race and that its Group 1 promotion represented a major step in the development of racing in the country. He added that the broader programme of premier races was also continuing to expand, creating further opportunities for international horses to compete in Bahrain across the season.