Kingdom of Bahrain signs new deal to extend Newmarket July Festival sponsorship by five years

The Jockey Club and the Bahrain Turf Club have announced that the Kingdom of Bahrain has extended its sponsorship at Newmarket’s July Festival by five years.

Already the longest-standing sponsor at Newmarket’s premier summer meeting, the Kingdom of Bahrain has supported the Bahrain Trophy since its inception in 1991.

From 2023 it extended that support to the Princess of Wales’s Stakes and the July Stakes, the oldest race staged anywhere in Britain for two-year-olds having first been run in 1786.

All three races are held on Ladies’ Day, the opening day of the three-day Festival, which this year is on Thursday July 10.

Speaking from the Bahrain Turf Club, where The Jockey Club Cup was run earlier this month, Sophie Able, Newmarket Racecourses and International director, said: “The relationship between The Jockey Club and the Kingdom of Bahrain continues to go from strength to strength and we are delighted to be extending this partnership with them.

“As our longest-standing sponsor at the July Festival, with its support of the Bahrain Trophy stretching back over 30 years, we are truly grateful to His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa and the Bahrain Turf Club for continuing to support not only these three races but also Newmarket Racecourses and The Jockey Club.”

Yusuf Buheji, chief executive of the Bahrain Turf Club, said: “The news underlines our commitment not only to supporting British racing but also to developing our partnership with Newmarket and further building the Kingdom of Bahrain’s association with the opening day of the July Festival.

“Continued international participation is fundamental to our ambitions for growth and the timing of the July Festival provides a great platform from which to launch each year’s upcoming season in Bahrain and specifically key events such as the Bahrain International Trophy and the Bahrain Turf Series.

“Through our partnership with The Jockey Club and alignment with the world’s leading racing jurisdictions, the aim is to further raise the standard of racing in Bahrain and welcome more international visitors.”