The upgrade, alongside a promotion to Listed status for the Al Adiyat Cup, is another boost for Bahrain’s premier races and a sign of the increasing quality and competitiveness of racing in the Kingdom.

The Crown Prince’s Cup is one of the feature events of Bahrain’s racing season. The next running of the race is on Friday 30 January where the 2000m race with a prize fund of $200,000 is the highlight of the two-day Crown Prince’s Cup Festival. Last season’s race was won by multiple Stakes winner Phantom Flight, owned by Victorious Forever, from Sovereign Spirit, and the runner-up went on to win the Group 3 HM The King’s Cup in March.

The other upgrade is for the Al Adiyat Cup, which has been awarded Listed status for the first time. Part of the Bahrain Turf Series, run over a distance of 1800m and held in mid-January, the Al Adiyat Cup was also won by Phantom Flight last season, prior to the gelding’s success in The Crown Prince’s Cup.

The upgrades follow the promotions last year of HM The King’s Cup to Group 3 and HH Shaikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa Cup and HH Shaikh Khalid Bin Hamad Al Khalifa Cup to Listed status. In 2023 the Kingdom’s most valuable race, the $1million Bahrain International Trophy, was upgraded to Group 2 and this year’s running on 14 November has attracted a record entry of 68 horses from seven different jurisdictions around the world.

The Asian Pattern Committee promotions bring the total of international pattern races held during the Bahrain season to seven, including the Listed Al Methaq Mile, staged at The King’s Cup Festival in March. Prior to 2019 and the launch of the Bahrain International Trophy there were no internationally recognised races in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Yusuf Buheji, CEO of the Bahrain Turf Club said:

“We are delighted with the news that the Asian Pattern Committee has recognised the increasing quality of HRH The Crown Prince’s Cup and promoted the race to Group 3 status. Under the leadership of the club’s Chairman, His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, our ambition is to continue the development of horseracing in Bahrain and be a jurisdiction that stands alongside the world’s best.

“The two upgrades this year underline how our investment in developing an attractive international programme, coupled with increased prize money for locally trained horses, is helping deliver our objective of raising both the quality and competitiveness of racing in Bahrain.”

For more details of the international race programme, see the 2025-26 brochure