Joseph O’Brien’s bulging international CV could get another entry later this week with Galen targeted at the $1 million (€864,879) Bahrain International Trophy on Friday.
Galen, who beat Jan Brueghel in April’s Alleged Stakes at the Curragh, is set to fly the Irish flag in the lucrative Group Two event over 10-furlongs that’s the highlight of Bahrain’s burgeoning programme.
The US$600,000 first prize has attracted a strong European presence for a contest that has been dominated by British trained horses in recent years.
Spirit Dancer won it back-to-back in 2023-24 for Richard Fahey while his fellow Yorkshire based Irishman David O’Meara saddled Lord Glitters in 2021.
RM Block
Aidan O’Brien sent Point Lonsdale to the race for the last two years and the horse finished seventh and third behind Spirit Dancer.
It is his son who will hope to collect the prize this time although Galen hasn’t been seen in action since August when third to Zahrann in the Royal Whip Stakes at the Curragh.
One of the likely favourites for Friday’s contest is Karl Burke’s Royal Champion, third to Delacroix in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown in September.
Ralph Beckett has supplemented Pride Of Arras while the Gosden team have Lion’s Pride and Persica will represent Richard Hannon.
Only Half Yours prevented Joseph O’Brien winning a third Melbourne Cup last week while his prestigious international victories as a trainer also include Group One victories in Australia, the US, France, Germany and Britain.
Last December, the Gavin Cromwell trained Snellen was the first-ever Irish trained winner in Bahrain when scoring at the Sakhir racecourse.
Separately, on Sunday, Cromwell landed the Grade Three Barberstown Chase at Naas when Only By Night edged out Champ Kiely in a desperate finish. The mare, runner up in last season’s Arkle at Cheltenham, got the better of a short-head verdict.
It was Only By Night’s first start for her new owners Robcour, and Cromwell’s first winner for the powerful ownership.
“She was game in the finish. It’s exciting to have a horse for Robcour and for her to win was great, it’s a nice race to win. I thought it was a tight race on paper, I think we could have finished fourth and run a cracker. Thankfully we’ve come out on the right side.
“I’m not sure what she’ll take in on the way (to Mares’ Chase at Cheltenham Festival in March), I suppose the John and Chich Fowler Memorial Mares Chase in January is an option, I haven’t looked a whole lot beyond here, but it’s a nice start anyway,” said the Meath trainer.
Earlier on the Naas programme, the dual-Grade One winning chaser Spillane’s Tower was a bitterly disappointing favourite on his return to action over hurdles. The 6/5 shot could manage only ninth in the Brown Lad Handicap Hurdle behind Letos.
The 11/1 winner was a length and a half too good for The Nagger Reidy and scored for the father and son team of Tony and Danny Mullins.
