His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Rashid Equestrian and Horse Racing Club High Committee, today chaired a meeting of the Rashid Equestrian and Horse Racing Club (REHC) High Committee, at the club’s headquarters in Al-Raffa, Sakhir.
HH Shaikh Isa bin Salman highlighted that the Kingdom of Bahrain has positioned itself as a global destination for horse racing, thanks to the continued support of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
HH Shaikh Isa bin Salman noted that HM the King and HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister’s support has laid a solid foundation for the Kingdom’s horse racing sector and provides a strong motivation towards achieving its goals by implementing the strategies pursued by the Rashid Equestrian and Horse Racing Club.
His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman stated that the development of the horse racing sector is one of the main objectives of the Rashid Equestrian and Horse Racing Club High Committee, adding that the committee welcomes the increasing competitiveness and remarkable development of the horse racing sport in the region.
With the approach of this year’s horse racing season, His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman noted the importance of the Club’s readiness, directing those concerned to take all the necessary precautions to ensure the success of the season as planned.
His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman expressed his pride in the role played by the Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club in supporting national COVID-19 mitigation efforts, led by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, through coordination with the National Medical Taskforce for Combating the Coronavirus (COVID-19) to launch the additional drive-through testing centre at the club.
The drive-through centre has contributed to raising the capacity of PCR laboratory testing, reducing waiting time. In this regard, His Highness praised the efforts of frontline health workers and supporting staff in safeguarding public health.
During the meeting, the High Committee reviewed a number of achievements made over the past period:
- Upgrading the classification of the Kingdom of Bahrain by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) in the approved world classification from Part III to Part II.
- The Bahrain International Trophy advanced to the Group 3 classification in the world horse racing classification.
- The HM the King’s Cup, the Crown Prince Cup and the Al Methaq Cup advanced to international Listed status.
The High Committee attributed these achievements to the leadership and support of His Highness as the Chairman of the committee, and expressed best wishes of success for the first edition of the Bahrain Turf Series and the third edition of the Bahrain International Trophy, during the upcoming season.
During the meeting, the importance of benefiting from these races was emphasised in regard to building on the Kingdom’s successes through exchanging experiences with the participants in these race meetings, including owners, trainers, jockeys from around the world.
The topics on the meeting’s agenda were also reviewed, and the following was decided:
- Approving the adoption of the proposed amendments to the rules of racing and taking the necessary legal measures in this regard.
- The approval of the proposal to further develop veterinary services at the Rashid Equestrian and Horse Racing Club.
- The approval of the proposed media plan covering the Bahrain Turf Series, the Bahrain International Trophy, and listed races.