REHC Concludes National Day Festival with Tenth Race of the Season in Riffa

Under the patronage and attendance of His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, First Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, Chairman of the General Sports Authority, and President of the Bahrain Olympic Committee, the Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club (REHC) concluded the National Day Festival with the tenth race of the current season, held on Thursday and Friday.

The closing race featured competition for the Cup of His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, in addition to cups named after his sons: HH Shaikh Faisal bin Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, HH Shaikh Abdulla bin Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, HH Shaikh Nasser bin Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, HH Shaikh Salman bin Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, and HH Shaikh Hamad bin Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

The race programme also included the Manama Cup, sponsored by Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait (BBK), and the Muharraq Cup, sponsored by Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), as part of the opening round of the Bahrain International Trophy.

The festival coincided with the Kingdom of Bahrain’s National Day celebrations and marked the 26th anniversary of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa’s accession to the throne. The closing event was attended by a number of Their Highnesses, senior officials, and a large audience of racing enthusiasts.

During the awards ceremony, His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa presented his cup to Tariq Al Saffar, Chairman of BBK. HH Shaikh Faisal bin Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa awarded his cup to winning trainer Robert McDowell, while HH Shaikh Hamad bin Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa presented the first-race cup to trainer Yousif Taher.

HH Shaikh Salman bin Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa presented the second-race cup to winning owner HH Shaikh Salman bin Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa, while HH Shaikh Abdulla bin Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa awarded the third-race cup to owner Mohammed Khalid Abdulrahim. The fifth-race cup was presented by HH Shaikh Nasser bin Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa to owner Kumail Al Mallah.

Winners of the first round of the fifth edition of the Bahrain International Trophy were also honoured, with Tariq Al Saffar presenting the Manama Cup and Hisham Al Kooheji, Chief Marketing Officer of Alba, presenting the Muharraq Cup, along with prizes for the winning trainers and jockeys.