Royal Champion Prepares to Defend Bahrain Trophy Crown

The Group 1 Bahrain International Trophy will be a competitive race with 13 runners on Friday. Last year's winner, Royal Champion, lines up as an eight-year-old trained by Karl Burke. The horse has two Group 2 wins and a top-level success earlier this year in the Neom Turf Cup in Saudi Arabia. As reported, the horse wants to add to its win tally and continue last year's success, but it will need to be at its best against a strong field.

Wimbledon Hawkeye has long been seen as an ideal candidate for this prize. The horse has improved with every run under its new trainer, George Scott. Last weekend it won the Group 2 Prix Dollar at Arc, beating many of the rivals in that race. Christophe Soumillon will ride the horse, which is said to be ready to win.

Oisín Murphy will ride Sallaal for the first time. The Ed Crisford-trained horse has been ridden by others before. Roger Varian's horse won its last three races. Zaydann, second in the Prix Dollar and from Francis-Henri Graffard's stable, is also a name to take seriously.

At Southwell's Festive Fixtures meeting, Madam Speaker and Clondaw Park will meet in the mares' Novice Hurdle. Nicky Henderson's Madam Speaker has finished in the first three in all three of its bumper races and is expected to improve over hurdles. Clondaw Park was bought for 320,000 sterling at the Tattersalls Cheltenham sale last March. After finishing third at Chepstow, the horse is also in a position to stand out in this race. Olly Murphy's Crystalate, which was second in two bumper races, sits just behind these two.