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| Staff Writer |
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A four-strong Godolphin team will be competing in Bahrain, with Passion And Glory leading the charge as he aims to win the Listed His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa Cup for the second time.
Passion And Glory, trained by Saeed bin Suroor, was victorious in this 12-furlong contest last year, comfortably beating First Ruler. Prior to that, he came second in the 2022 Gr.3 Bahrain International Trophy. This season, the 8YO has continued to compete in the Gulf region, participating in races in the UAE, Bahrain, and most recently, Qatar, where he finished down the field in the Gr.3 H H The Amir Trophy behind Rebel's Romance.
Dhahabi, trained by Charlie Appleby, is another horse to watch out for in the His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa Cup. The 6YO comes into the race with two strong performances at the Dubai Racing Carnival under his belt.
In December, he won a turf handicap with ease, and in January, he finished fourth in the Listed Al Khail Trophy. King Of Conquest, another stable-mate of Dhahabi, will also be competing in the same race. The 5YO won a nine-furlong handicap at Bahrain in February 2023 before enjoying a successful UK season, winning a Goodwood Listed race and taking third place in the re-arranged Gr.3 St Simon Stakes at Newmarket in November.
Saeed bin Suroor said, “Passion And Glory won this race 12 months ago and heads back to Bahrain in good order. A mile and a half is his best trip and he prefers racing right-handed. I’m hoping for another good run.”
Charlie Appleby said, “Both Dhahabi and King Of Conquest head to Bahrain in great shape.
“Dhahabi has a couple of starts in Dubai under his belt this winter and probably didn’t quite see out a mile and six in the Al Khail Trophy. He should enjoy returning to a mile and a half and we feel that the right-handed track in Bahrain will suit.
“King Of Conquest is a solid horse, who has proven himself at this level. This will be his first start since November but his work has been good.”
Real World is aiming for another notable win over 1,600m in the Listed Al Methaq Mile race, having already claimed victories in the 2021 Gr.2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein and 2022 Gr.2 Zabeel Mile.
The 7O horse, who is the offspring of Dark Angel, finished fourth in this season's Gr.2 Bahrain International Trophy and recently secured a respectable third place in Qatar's local Gr.2 Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Cup under the guidance of Saeed bin Suroor.
Saeed bin Suroor said, "Real World ran a nice race in Bahrain in November and put up another good performance over this distance on his latest start in Qatar. He has been working well and I am looking for a better result this time.”