Economics in full flow at York

Economics among 68 in Bahrain International Trophy

By Sporting Life

Horse Racing

Fri October 03, 2025 · 3M ago

The William Haggas-trained Economics features among 68 horses entered for the Bahrain International Trophy on November 14.

The 2025 running of the Bahrain International Trophy has attracted the most competitive entry in the race’s history with seven different territories represented among the entries. With 24 horses entered, the UK leads the way numerically, followed by Japan with 14 entries and 11 from France.

Run over 10 furlongs with a prize fund of $1million, the race takes place at the Rashid Equestrian & Horseracing Club. Among the possible runners for the Group 2 event are five individual Group 1 winners, 14 Group 2 winners and 53 Stakes winners.

Heading the list of top-flight winners is Economics, owned by His Highness Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa. In a memorable race at Leopardstown last year, Economics won the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes, beating the Derby winner Auguste Rodin.

Other Group 1 winners entered include Tornado Alert for Godolphin and trainer Saeed bin Suroor, White Birch, who is set to run in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on Sunday, and Calif, trained Fawzi Nass for Victorious Forever, who has flown the flag for the Kingdom of Bahrain when running with distinction in Hong Kong, Dubai and Saudi Arabia.

Also owned by Victorious Forever and entered is Isle Of Jura. Trained in Newmarket by George Scott, Isle Of Jura returned to the track last weekend finishing second following an absence that stretched back to June 2024 when the horse was an impressive winner of the Gr.2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Isle Of Jura, ridden by Callum Shepherd

Isle Of Jura enjoyed a spectacular stay in Bahrain in 2023-24, winning four times, culminating with victory in The King’s Cup and this year’s winner of that Group 3 race, Sovereign Spirit, joins Calif as one of three home-trained entries in the Bahrain International Trophy.

Three international races carry an automatic invitation for the winner or placed horses, they are the Gr.2 Sapporo Kinen in Japan, the Gr.3 Strensall Stakes at York and the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown and two of the horses that earned an automatic invite this year are owned by Sheikh Mohammed Obaid al Maktoum, namely Royal Champion and King Of Cities.

The well-travelled Royal Champion has had spells in training in both the UK and Australia, now with Karl Burke in Middleham, North Yorkshire, the seven-year gelding put up a career best effort on his last start when third in the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes. King Of Cities, trained by Richard Hannon, won yet another competitive renewal of York’s Strensall Stakes, a race previously won by dual Bahrain International Trophy winner, Spirit Dancer, and another of this year’s race’s entries, See The Fire, the high-class filly trained by Andrew Balding.

France won the first ever running of the Bahrain International Trophy in 2019 with Royal Julius and they look set to be well represented this year with 11 horses entered. Andre Fabre has entered five horses and Francis-Henri Graffard looks to build on an outstanding year with four entries. The French contingent also includes the three-year-old Uthred, trained by Philippe Decouz and owned and bred by French football star, Antoine Griezmann.

Second only to Godolphin in terms of number of horses entered is the Qatari-owned Wathnan Racing with six entries, including the UK trained King’s Gambit and Damysus as well as horses based in Qatar, while also well represented is the Aga Khan Studs with five entries.

The Bahrain International Trophy has a maximum field of 14 runners. Last year’s race was won by Spirit Dancer, trained by Richard Fahey, ridden by Oisin Orr and owned by Sir Alex Ferguson, Ged Mason and Peter Done. Spirit Dancer became the first horse to win two editions of the Bahrain International Trophy.

Safer gambling

We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.

Like what you've read?