Bahrain stages its first ever Group 1 race this morning, and the visitors bring real class to Sakhir. The Bahrain International Trophy 2026 goes to post at 11:35am ET, so US fans can bet it before lunch. Aidan O’Brien also has history in his sights, because a win for Lambourn would hand him a world record 29th Group 1 of the calendar year.
First we cover the field and draw, then the pace map and our betting angles. After that, we take a quick look at the new Gulf of Bahrain Cup earlier on the card. For the rest of the month’s big races, see our November 2026 betting calendar.
Why the Bahrain International Trophy 2026 Matters
The race only started in 2019, yet it climbed the ladder fast. It still ran as a Group 2 last year, so the eighth running now carries Group 1 status for the first time.
The Bahrain Turf Club also lifted the purse from $1 million to $1.5 million, with $900,000 going to the winner. On top of that, the upgrade lands in the club’s 50th anniversary season. Recent winners include Spirit Dancer, who won in 2023 and 2024, and Royal Champion, who held off Galen last year.
Aidan O’Brien Chases a World Record With Lambourn
O’Brien set the record of 28 Group 1 wins in a calendar year back in 2017. He then matched it this season when Benvenuto Cellini won the Breeders’ Cup Turf on October 31, so Lambourn carries the shot at number 29.
His form gives us pause, though. The spark looks dimmer. Lambourn won the 2025 Epsom and Irish Derby double, then opened 2026 by winning the Huxley Stakes (G2) at Chester from the front. Since then he has not won, with a fourth in the King George and a pacemaking job in the Irish Champion Stakes. Even so, Ryan Moore rides from stall 9, and we expect positive tactics.
Chris Waller has a stake in this story too, since the Sydney trainer sits on 27 Group 1 wins for 2026.
Full Field and Draw
Thirteen horses drew for the race, but Sallaal came out on Thursday, so 12 will run. The purse is $1.5 million, while the trip is 2,000 meters on turf, or about 1 1/4 miles. Our table also lists every runner with draw, jockey, trainer and indicative odds.
| Horse (Draw) | Jockey / Trainer | Odds | Form Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seagulls Eleven (1) | James Doyle / Hugo Palmer | 21/1 | Third in the Prix Dollar (G2), but drawn on the rail |
| Galen (2) | Dylan Browne McMonagle / Joseph O'Brien | Not quoted | Led this race last year until Royal Champion passed him |
| Phineas (3) | Maxime Guyon / André and Lavinia Fabre | 10/1 | Won four straight before a Prix Dollar 6th |
| Hi Royal (4) | David Probert / Ali Abdulmajeed | Not quoted | Ran second in the 2023 2000 Guineas, then moved to Bahrain |
| Military Order (5) | William Buick / Charlie Appleby | 10/1 | Won the Diamond Stakes at Dundalk, also 3rd here in 2025 |
| Glacius (6) | Billy Loughnane / Hugo Palmer | 11/1 | Saratoga Derby Invitational (G1) winner, then 2nd at Kentucky Downs |
| Wimbledon Hawkeye (7) | Christophe Soumillon / George Scott | 4/1 | Lost the Irish Champion by a nose, then won the Prix Dollar |
| Baroud (8) | Pierre-Charles Boudot / André and Lavinia Fabre | 14/1 | Gets 3lb because he is three; Group 2 winner at Deauville |
| Lambourn (9) | Ryan Moore / Aidan O'Brien | 16/1 | Huxley Stakes (G2) winner, but winless in five starts since |
| Calif (10) | Benoit de la Sayette / Fawzi Nass | Not quoted | Group 1 winner, though rated lowest in the field at 106 |
| Royal Champion (11) | Clifford Lee / Karl Burke | Not quoted | Defending champion, and he won the Neom Turf Cup (G1) in February |
| Zaydann (12) | Mickael Barzalona / Francis-Henri Graffard | 11/1 | Second in the Prix Dollar, though stall 12 is a worry |
| Sallaal (13) | Oisin Murphy / Ed Crisford | Scratched | Came out on Thursday, so 12 will run |
Odds are indicative North American program prices that TwinSpires quoted on November 12, shown here in fractional form. Four runners had no quoted price, so check live odds in the MyWinners app before you bet because the pari-mutuel pool sets your final payout.
Main Contenders
Wimbledon Hawkeye (Draw 7)
George Scott’s horse won the Prix Dollar (G2) at Longchamp on Arc weekend. Before that, he went down by a nose to Hotazhell in the Irish Champion Stakes, which is the best piece of form in this field. Bahraini owners also bought him this summer with this race in mind. So with Christophe Soumillon aboard from a middle draw, we make him the one to beat at 4/1. He fits this race.
Royal Champion (Draw 11)
The defending champion is an eight-year-old gelding now, yet he still holds the top rating in the race at 122. Karl Burke’s veteran also became a Group 1 winner when he took the Neom Turf Cup in Saudi Arabia in February. He ran unplaced in the York Stakes last time, so he arrives fresh. Clifford Lee rides, although gate 11 gives him a little more to do. He knows the track, too.
Zaydann (Draw 12)
Francis-Henri Graffard trains this Aga Khan homebred, who chased Wimbledon Hawkeye home in the Prix Dollar. He also ran fifth in the Juddmonte International at York. Mickael Barzalona must overcome stall 12, but the Longchamp form still ties him closely to the favorite at a far bigger price.
Glacius (Draw 6)
American fans will know this one, because Glacius won the Saratoga Derby Invitational (G1) in August and then finished second in the Nashville Derby at Kentucky Downs. Hugo Palmer’s colt led in both of those US starts, while Billy Loughnane rides from a handy middle draw.
Military Order and the French Raiders
Military Order finished third in this race last year for Charlie Appleby and Godolphin. He then won the Diamond Stakes on the Dundalk Polytrack and ran a career best last time out. However, much of his best work has come on synthetic tracks, though William Buick has a nice draw in stall 5.
André and Lavinia Fabre saddle two as well. Phineas won four straight before he finished sixth as the Prix Dollar favorite. Meanwhile, three-year-old Baroud won a Group 2 at Deauville and gets 3lb from his elders.
The Rest of the Field
Galen nearly won this last year. He led until Royal Champion caught him late. Now Joseph O’Brien brings him back from stall 2 after more than three months off. Seagulls Eleven ran third in the Prix Dollar, less than a length behind the top two, but stall 1 was the one draw his camp did not want.
Meanwhile, Hi Royal ran second in the 2023 2000 Guineas and now runs for local trainer Ali Abdulmajeed. Finally, Calif is a seven-year-old Group 1 winner who returns from a long break with the lowest rating in the field at 106.
Pace and Draw Analysis
Expect pace. Seagulls Eleven looks the likeliest leader, since he breaks from the rail. Galen led this race last year and Glacius led in both of his US starts, while Lambourn should sit close from stall 9. As a result, we expect a strong gallop from the start.
That setup suits Wimbledon Hawkeye, because he can track the speed from stall 7. By contrast, Royal Champion and Zaydann both need luck from wide gates. Military Order sits nicely in stall 5, though he faces a turf test against better horses than he met at Dundalk.
Our Bahrain International Trophy 2026 Picks
Wimbledon Hawkeye is our win bet, since his nose defeat in the Irish Champion Stakes puts him a cut above this field, and the draw helps him.
For value, we like Zaydann to place, because he finished right behind our top pick at Longchamp yet trades at nearly three times the price.
Next, in the exacta, we key Wimbledon Hawkeye on top of Zaydann, Royal Champion and Glacius. Then for a bigger trifecta, add Glacius in the third slot behind those two. After all, his front-running style could see him hang on for a piece of the pool.
Also on the Card: Gulf of Bahrain Cup
The Sakhir card opens with the inaugural $400,000 Gulf of Bahrain Cup over 2,800 meters at 10:45am ET. Fourteen stayers go to post, with Tarriance in gate 7. Meanwhile, Oisin Murphy rides Dubai Future for Saeed bin Suroor from gate 12.
How to Bet the Bahrain International Trophy
With post time at 11:35am ET, there is still time to build your tickets for the first Group 1 in Bahrain. Check the MyWinners app before you bet, since program numbers, scratches and live pools can differ from the draw numbers in our tables.
Bet online at app.mywinners.com, on the MyWinners: Racing & Sports app on iOS or Android, or go here to find your nearest MyWinners or Winners venue in CT.
