Leopardstown and the Bahrain Turf Club have announced the 'Dublin to Bahrain' race series that will grant race winners automatic eligibility for the 2023-24 running of the Bahrain Turf Series.
The first leg of the 'Dublin to Bahrain' race series takes place at Leopardstown on Thursday July 20.
The series expands Bahrain's existing sponsorship portfolio in Ireland, which is headlined by the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion S. and includes the Bahrain Turf Club Desmond S., both of which are run at Leopardstown.
The five races added to the Kingdom's sponsorship portfolio are four handicaps, including the €40,000 October Handicap, and the Listed Knockaire S.
The winner of each of the four handicap races will automatically be eligible for the Bahrain Turf Series, a ten-race series spread across five fixtures staged in Bahrain's domestic season.
Last season each race in the Bahrain Turf Series was worth £60,000, a figure set to rise again in 2023-24.
Meanwhile, the winners of the Desmond S. and the Knockaire S. will receive an invitation to the Bahrain International Trophy, run in November.
Shaikh Salman bin Rashed Al Khalifa, Bahrain Turf Club High Committee Representative, International Racing, said, “We are delighted to expand our involvement with Irish racing. The 'Dublin to Bahrain' race series is a great initiative that we have developed with our partners at Leopardstown. The aim is to increase awareness among Irish owners and trainers of our own Bahrain Turf Series, a valuable ten-race series that runs from December to February and caters for both sprint and middle distance horses.
“In addition, as well as sponsoring the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes, our support for two other pattern races provides further opportunities to promote the Bahrain International Trophy, the Kingdom's most valuable race.”
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