Watch the full replay of the $1 million Bahrain International Trophy and hear what Sir Alex Ferguson and the other winners have to say.
Spirit Dancer picked up speed admirably to give owner and breeder Sir Alex Ferguson a famous victory in the Bahrain International Trophy.
The former Manchester United manager sent his unraced mare Queen’s Dream to Frankel and already had a special fondness for the Richard Fahey-trained six-year-old.
It took him some time to reach his full potential, but he won three consecutive races this summer, including the third group Strensall Stakes at York, with the winner receiving a £500,000 prize. I have booked a ticket to this contest which will be given out.
Spirit Dancer is a favorite due to the class of his opponents, including G1 winner Nations Pride for jockey Charlie Appleby, 2022 Queen Anne runner-up Real World for jockey Saeed Bins Roul, Israel for Gosden and Point Lonsdale for jockey Aidan O’Brien. I couldn’t get in.
All the major leads had their chances, but none had an answer for Spirit Dancer. Oisin Orr unleashed him from the outside and quickly decided the race.
Ferguson was understandably elated and told Racing TV: For all the pedigree and form of all the other horses, this was amazing and unbelievable.
“Richard told me to leave it to the jockey and it would be fine.
“I looked at the other people in this race and was horrified. Godolphin had five horses. It was amazing, I’m so proud.
“I said to the jockey, ‘Remember, he’s Frankel.’
Orr said: “He sat well throughout the race and he always felt like he had a lot of horses under him. I couldn’t believe how fast he got in the straights, he won well. I did.
“He came here and felt good. Maybe he needed a little push at the end, but he was back to his best today.”
His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Chairman of Rashid Equestrian and Horse Racing Club, said:
“I would like to congratulate the owners of Spirit Dancer, including Sir Alex Ferguson and Ged Mason, following Spirit Dancer’s victory at the 2023 Bahrain International Trophy.
It was a thrilling race to watch and, in terms of quality, the best horse racing ever held in the Kingdom. We are also delighted that this race was witnessed by the largest audience in the race’s five-year history, both in terms of club attendance and the global audience in the 110 countries where the race was broadcast. ”
He added: “We are extremely proud of how the Bahrain International Trophy has grown and would like to thank our international participants for supporting the race and helping raise the profile of racing in Bahrain. We would also like to thank our commercial partners Bapco Energies, Bjorn, Bahrain Economic Development Board and our official timekeeper Chopard. Without them our progress would not have been possible.
“We are already looking forward to 2024 and hope it matches this year’s results.”