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Bahrain Travel Guide: Royal Champion Wins the Kingdom's First Group 1 Race

On November 13, 2026, the Bahrain International Trophy was run for the first time as a Group 1 race, the highest level in international flat racing and a first for the kingdom. Royal Champion, trained in England by Karl Burke, won it for the second year in succession.

At a glance

Bahrain's First Group 1 at a glance

Race day
Friday, November 13, 2026
Race
Bahrain International Trophy, Group 1, 2,000 meters on turf
Venue
Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club, Bahrain
Prize fund
$1.5 million, $900,000 to the winner
Winner
Royal Champion, trained by Karl Burke, ridden by Clifford Lee

First at the races

Bahrain travel guide: a first at the races

Every Bahrain travel guide speaks of the kingdom's love of horses, and on Friday, November 13, 2026, that tradition reached a new summit. The Bahrain International Trophy, run over 2,000 meters of turf at the Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club, was contested for the first time as a Group 1, the highest classification in international flat racing, making it the first race of that rank in Bahrain's history.

The elevation crowns a steady ascent. The race, now in its eighth edition, gained Group 3 status in 2021 and Group 2 in 2023, and its development has been overseen by the club's High Committee, chaired by His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. With a prize fund of $1.5 million, of which $900,000 goes to the winner, it is the most valuable race on Bahrain's calendar. As Ed Veale, Director of Racing and International Relations at the Bahrain Turf Club, observed before the meeting, the upgrade "strengthens our position within the global racing calendar."

Royal Champion, once again

A field of twelve went to post, led by some of Europe's finest middle-distance horses. The winner was Royal Champion, an eight-year-old trained in England by Karl Burke and ridden by Clifford Lee, who repeated his victory of 2025 in the race's finest hour. The French runners Zaydann and Baroud took second and third, ahead of Lambourn, the dual Derby winner trained in Ireland by Aidan O'Brien, and Wimbledon Hawkeye.

"All credit to the horse; he's absolutely bolted up," said Burke afterward. For Lee, who was absent from the saddle for last year's success, the victory carried a particular satisfaction, and for Bahrain it provided a champion worthy of the occasion. The same card also introduced a new race, the Gulf of Bahrain Cup, a 2,800-meter contest with a purse of $400,000, contested for the first time this year.

Result at a glance

The result at a glance

First

Royal Champion (trainer Karl Burke, jockey Clifford Lee), winning the race for the second consecutive year.

Second

Zaydann, trained in France.

Third

Baroud, trained in France.

Also on the card

The inaugural Gulf of Bahrain Cup, over 2,800 meters, for $400,000.

Why it matters for visitors

Group 1 status places Bahrain among the destinations that the world's leading owners and trainers now plan for each autumn, and it gives the kingdom a second great sporting occasion to stand beside the Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix at Sakhir. For the traveler, a November race day is a fine reason to discover a country that rewards a longer stay: the souq and pearling heritage of Muharraq, the waterfront of Manama and an easy, gracious pace of life.

Our Bahrain travel guide to Manama and the Grand Prix is the natural place to begin, and our selection of the finest hotels in Manama covers where to stay. For the family whose patronage of horsemanship runs through the kingdom's history, see our portrait of the royal family of Bahrain, and for the season's other occasions across the region, our Middle East events calendar.

Questions readers ask

What is a Group 1 race?

Group 1 is the highest classification in international flat racing, reserved for the most important races of each racing nation. The Bahrain International Trophy is the first race in Bahrain to hold it.

Who won the 2026 Bahrain International Trophy?

Royal Champion, trained by Karl Burke and ridden by Clifford Lee, won on November 13, 2026, repeating his victory of 2025.

Where is the race held?

At the Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club in Bahrain, over 2,000 meters on turf.

Sources

Checked on 11/13/2026. Prices and dates are approximate and can change. See our standard.