A plan first hatched in Newmarket in July of last year came to glorious fruition in Bahrain on Friday {March 8] as Isle Of Jura (George Scott/Callum Shepherd) completed a remarkable winter campaign with an authoritative victory in the King’s Cup.
Although only a Listed race in international terms, the $200,000 event – run in honour of His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa – is the highlight of the domestic programme.
Running in the colours of Shaikh Nasser’s Victorious Racing, Isle Of Jura recorded an amazing fourth and most valuable victory of the Bahrain season by 2¼ lengths from Sovereign Spirit.
“This ranks as the highlight of my career to date, miles ahead of anything else,” said the exultant winning trainer George Scott.
“It’s unbelievable,” he went on. “The King’s Cup is the pinnacle of racing here in Bahrain. What a wonderful horse – he really is a trier.”
Jockey Callum Shepherd added: “What a magic winter this horse has given us and for it to culminate in this race is huge. He’s had to overcome adversity here, being virtually knocked over on the first bend.
“I’m enormously grateful to His Highness Shaikh Nasser,” the jockey added. “I am so pleased we could do this for him. It was his ambition to win the three races, the ‘triple crown’, and it takes some doing.
“I’d also like to give enormous credit to Rosie Jessop who’s ridden him every day out here and the girls who have looked after him. They have carried out and implemented George’s plans to the letter and they have been faultless in doing so.”
Isle Of Jura flies back to the UK to Scott’s Newmarket yard on Saturday, after which he will have a rest before being prepared for a European campaign in Pattern races.
Jessop, who has been Isle Of Jura’s work rider throughout his three-month stay in Bahrain, said: “I am going to miss him dearly. He’s been the life and soul of my season this year. I’m just so happy and he’s made it a magical time for us.”
Reflecting on the outcome of the King’s Cup, Bahrain Turf Club director of racing Ed Veale said: “What a fitting finale to what has been a memorable season.
“Today’s race had all the ingredients which have helped make this season such a success. High-quality international competition taking on the best of the locally based horses and with improving horses using the race programme in Bahrain to graduate through the ranks.
“Isle Of Jura has been the stand-out horse of our season,” Veale added. “He came to Bahrain on a mark of 97 back in December but you could tell there was a lot of scope for improvement and I know how highly George Scott regarded him. George and I had actually started speaking about the horse back in July and he knew the route that he wanted to take and he’s gone and done it, which is a tremendous feat.
Isle Of Jura claims Bahrain feature for George Scott team
“He won his first Bahrain Turf Series race, then His Royal Highness the Crown Prince’s Cup and His Highness Shaikh Nasser’s Cup, and to cap off a remarkable campaign, he has won His Majesty the King’s Cup, worth $200,000.
“We’re very grateful that George put his trust in the Club to send the horse here for the winter and explore our programme. He’s a great example of a horse who can come here for the Bahrain Turf Series and then graduate to valuable conditions races.”
Although out of luck with their three runners in the King’s Cup, earlier on the card there was success for Godolphin when Real World (Saeed Bin Suroor/Kevin Stott) recorded his first victory in over two years in the Al Methaq Mile (Listed). The seven-year-old – more used to locking horns at a higher level – won eased down from Wowzers and Mehmento, with last year’s winner Byline unable to land a blow.
Bin Suroor commented: “Last time Real World ran well in Doha in Qatar, and then he worked very well last week and back at a mile, which is the best trip for him, I was confident he would run well. That was good to see.”
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