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| Staff Writer |
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Ebrahim Nader has been crowned champion jockey for the 2024-25 Bahrain racing season, which concluded on Friday with the Bahraini rider securing 31 winners to finish five clear of AbdulRahim Jasim.
The Bahrain Turf Club celebrated a groundbreaking season spanning five and a half months across 30 race meetings. For the first time, racing was conducted under floodlights, while a record number of international horses competed in the Kingdom.
Nader's championship-winning campaign featured success across multiple stables, with the highlight being an emphatic victory aboard Goemon in the Listed Al Methaq Mile. The talented miler has established himself as the Kingdom's leading light over the eight-furlong trip.
Veteran handler Allan Smith reclaimed his trainers' championship with an impressive 54 winners, nearly 20 more than his nearest rival and last season's champion, Fawzi Nass, who managed 35 victories.
Smith, already a multiple champion trainer in Bahrain, finished the season in remarkable form, saddling ten winners across the final two meetings to put an exclamation point on his dominance.
Al Mohamediya Racing retained their owners' crown with 48 winners, finishing 16 clear of Victorious Racing in second place. Their standard-bearer Zagato continued his impressive form, contributing four victories to their seasonal tally.
The increasing quality of Bahraini racing was further demonstrated by strong performances from locally trained horses both at home and in international competition throughout the campaign.