‘Electric’ Phantom Flight lands Al Adiyat Cup for George Scott

In round three of the Bahrain Turf Series on Friday, Phantom Flight secured a fourth Listed success when winning the Al Adiyat Cup (sponsored by Bareeq) and in doing so he delivered a performance that left his trainer purring with delight. 

Trained by George Scott and ridden by Callum Shepherd, the Victorious Forever-owned seven-year-old put up arguably a career best effort in demolishing the high-class field in the 1800m (1m1f) race. The eventual runner-up, beaten four lengths, was Hi Royal, with Panning For Gold staying on for third. 

Speaking after the race, trainer George Scott said: “I was so happy with him today, he was electric, wasn’t he? I thought that was the performance of a horse at the top of his game. 

“I want to thank our amazing team out here. The girls have been coming out each year and Rosie Jessop rides Phantom Flight every day, she’s just completely invaluable to us, knows the horse so well and she clearly had him spot on today.”

The $80,000 Listed race was run at a strong pace set by Signalman, with Phantom Flight tracking Hi Royal who sat second, but as soon as Callum Shepherd asked Phantom Flight to lengthen in the home straight there was only one winner. 

Callum Shepherd said: “The race went beautifully, it was a strong field and he dealt with them very well. We were on the hip of Hi Royal throughout and then he kept extending all the way to the line when I asked him. 

“He loves it here and he’s just grown up again this year. He became quite tricky to ride towards the end of last season and then he was almost horizontally laid back in the summer, but we seem to have found a nice middle ground. Today, he was very responsive but relaxed at the same time.” 

In the Sprint division, a change in headgear and tactics did the trick for Another Baar who found another level of form to spring a surprise in the $80,000 Al Wasmiya Cup (sponsored by National Bank of Bahrain) beating the in-form Chandigah, who had won the previous round of the Bahrain Turf Series. Another international runner, Partisan Hero, trained by David Loughnane, finished in third. 

Another Baar racked up four straight wins inside a fortnight in the UK last year, but he had struggled to make much of an impression in Bahrain in his first two runs in the Kingdom. However, following a piece of work under jockey Benoit de la Sayette, his trainer Adrian Keatley decided to remove the blinkers and apply different tactics for the horse’s return to 1000m (five furlongs).

Winning rider, Benoit de la Sayette, explained afterwards: “I galloped him in the week and he felt so well we thought try him without the blinkers and just ride him a bit differently. So, instead of getting him up there, I just the put the handbrake on coming out, got some cover and a lovely lead. And when push came to shove, he quickened up really nicely and he hit the line really strong. It could not have worked out any better and its nice for him to get his head back in front. 

“These Bahrain Turf Series are brilliant races, really competitive, and so it means a lot to win one of them.” 

The victory was a second Bahrain Turf Series success for De La Sayette following Nesthorn’s win in December. It was also a fourth consecutive win in the last seven days for North Yorkshire trainer Adrian Keatley after successes in the UK at both Flat and Jump fixtures. 

Spanning December to March and comprised of six sprint races and six middle-distance races, each contest in the Bahrain Turf Series is worth a minimum of $80,000, with a further $40,000 available in bonuses for the leading horse in each category. The next round takes place on January 29, as part of the two-day Crown Prince’s Cup Festival.