Victorious Forever: Bahrain's Bold Challenge To Racing's Elite Powers
Bahrain's Racing Revolution Built On Calculated Acquisitions
While established dynasties like Coolmore, Godolphin, and Juddmonte have dominated thoroughbred racing for decades through homegrown breeding programs, a new challenger is emerging from Bahrain with a different playbook. At just 35 years old, Billy Jackson-Stops is executing Victorious Forever's rapid international expansion with meticulous precision, translating the strategic vision of His Highness Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa and his brother His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa into Group One success.
Since being appointed Racing Manager for Victorious Racing in April 2025, Jackson-Stops has overseen a transformative merger with KHK Racing to form Victorious Forever — uniting the brothers’ racing interests into a streamlined, globally focused operation now comprising more than 60 horses in training across multiple continents. The results have come quickly. Alongside established talents such as Isle Of Jura and Caballo De Mar, the operation now targets major international prizes, including the upcoming Bahrain International Trophy, where Calif is expected to fly the red-and-white flag.
Jackson-Stops’ influence extends far beyond horse acquisition. His eye for value unearthed Isle Of Jura as a relatively inexpensive two-year-old, and the gelding has since completed the Bahrain Triple Crown and claimed Royal Ascot’s Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes — a defining example of Jackson-Stops’ ability to execute the ownership’s strategic ambitions.
“It’s very exciting. Both organisations have had great success already, but we are combining two powerful forces,” Jackson-Stops says of the August 2025 merger. “We’ve got two very enthusiastic brothers who love their racing. I think they’re going to have a huge amount of success and be a dominant force within the industry.”
Trainer George Scott agrees: “Their ambition is to become a sustainable force in British racing — one day comparable to the Shadwell’s, Coolmore’s and Juddmonte’s of this world. Both operations add tremendous value to each other.”
The Architect Behind The Expansion
Jackson-Stops built his expertise systematically, beginning his career with leading bloodstock agent James Delahooke at Tattersalls before managing Godolphin’s 70-horse satellite yard at Flemington in Australia.
When he launched JS Bloodstock Consultancy in 2018, his very first yearling purchase became Group 2 winner Shadn.
He now works closely with Chris Wall, longtime racing manager for KHK Racing. “I feel we fit nicely together. Chris is a retired trainer and was hugely successful. He’ll be on the gallops each morning communicating with the trainers, while I will be behind the scenes at the sales.”
A Dual-Market Strategy
Jackson-Stops operates across both the yearling and breeze-up markets — a rare dual-lane approach.
“There’s only a handful of operations competing competitively in both,” he explains. “KHK has had an unbelievable record in the breeze-up market — a Classic winner in Eldar Eldarov and a Group One winning 2YO in Vandeek. If we maintain that structure and combine it with our yearling program, it strengthens both sides.”
Recent victories underline the depth of the string. Duty First captured the Gr.3 Dubai Duty Free Fred Darling Stakes at Newbury, while Phantom Flight took the Listed Diamond Stakes at Dundalk. Gaga Mate added further gloss with success in the Gr.3 Premio Gran Criterium, and Zanthos impressed when landing the Gr.2 Rockfel Stakes.
Staya continued the winning run by securing the Listed Dragon Stakes, and Caballo De Mar proved a top-class stayer with victories in both the Gr.1 Prix du Cadran and the Gr.3 German St Leger. Bay City Roller finished runner-up only to subsequent Arc winner Daryz in the Gr.2 Prix Eugène Adam, while Commander’s Intent earned multiple Stakes placings at two.
Still, Bradsell remains the defining breeze-up advertisement. Bought for just 12,000 guineas as a yearling before realising £47,000 at the Goffs UK Breeze-Up, he went on to win three Group 1 sprints — the 2023 King’s Stand Stakes, 2024 Nunthorpe, and 2024 Flying Five, before retiring to the National Stud, where he covered around 120 mares at £10,000 in 2025.
Vandeek, winner of the 2023 Prix Maurice de Gheest, has begun his stallion career at Cheveley Park Stud, where he covered more than 160 mares in his first season.
Targeting Elite Sales & International Prizes
Victorious Forever is keeping its acquisition strategy firmly centered on Europe’s leading auction rings, maintaining a clear and calculated approach to sourcing future stars.
“We’re heading to Goffs Premier, then Book 1 and Book 2 at Tattersalls,” the team confirms. “We’ve already been active at Arqana this year, where we bought three yearlings.”
Continuing to utilize every avenue for talent, the Horses-in-Training Sale remains an essential part of the operation’s annual agenda.
“It’s a great place to buy horses to race abroad,” comes the view from the camp. “Bahrain is now a fantastic jurisdiction, great credit to the Bahrain Turf Club.”
While Europe provides the backbone of the buying mission, ambitions stretch much further afield, with Australia’s most coveted prizes very much in mind.
“If you’ve got a horse good enough, you take your opportunities,” they add. “The Everest, the Melbourne Cup, those races will be targeted when the ammunition is there.”
Balancing European foundations with a global outlook, Victorious Forever continues shaping a strategy built on patience, precision, and the pursuit of world-class success.
A Ten-Year Plan To Build From Within
Jackson-Stops is candid about what it takes to challenge the sport’s established superpowers.
“The root of their success is breeding. To compete with Coolmore, Godolphin, and Juddmonte, you must produce your own horses.”
A broodmare band of 15–18 is now established at Barton Stud, headlined by Battle Rhythm, Fast Attack, Queen Daenerys, and Pure Dignity.
“You work back from a ten-year plan. Shift from being big buyers to producing our own homebreds, then supplement from the sales.”
Coordinating Global Campaigns
Clear and consistent communication is proving central to Victorious Forever’s management strategy as the operation continues expanding across multiple regions.
“It’s made very easy by Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa,” the team explains. “His communication is incredibly clear; he sets the aim, and we implement.”
With that clarity of direction underpinning every decision, Victorious Forever is maintaining cohesion across its international ventures, ensuring that each move, from European auctions to global race targets, aligns seamlessly with the broader vision.
Bahrain International Trophy & Beyond
Looking ahead to next month’s Bahrain International Trophy, Victorious Forever is preparing to rely on a pair of familiar and much-admired campaigners.
“We’ll have the old boys there,” comes the confident assessment. “Calif was very good in Hong Kong earlier this year, and Isle Of Jura is on the way back. Both are exciting prospects for the big day.”
The Bahrain feature continues to grow in prestige and international recognition; something not lost on the team as they plot their challenge.
“It’s getting more competitive every year,” they observe. “Bahrain will be a dominant force in global racing sooner rather than later.”
With experience, form, and ambition combining, Victorious Forever appears well placed to play a leading role on one of the kingdom’s biggest racing stages.
Streamlined Ambition
Despite rapid expansion and international success, Victorious Forever is keeping its approach deliberately disciplined and focused on sustainable progress.
“Sheikh Nasser wants a streamlined, very effective organization — not huge numbers, but real quality,” the team explains. “We’ll invest more into breeding, which takes time, but the ambition is clear.”
It is a philosophy built on precision rather than scale — quality over quantity, strategic planning above opportunistic buying.
With proven expertise in both markets, a growing broodmare band taking shape, and Group 1 performers already flying the Victorious Forever colors, Jackson-Stops is building something built to last. The merger may be fresh, but the blueprint is clear—and with Bahrain's brightest racing stage beckoning next month, the operation's rising ambition shows no sign of slowing. From Newmarket's yearling rings to Royal Ascot's winner's enclosure, this is a team rewriting the rules on how quickly a global racing force can emerge.