Oisin Orr to saddle Alex Ferguson horse in $1m race in Bahrain

Donegal jockey Oisin Orr will ride at the Bahrain International Trophy on Friday - a race with a prize pool of $1 million.

The Rathmullan man will ride the Alex Ferguson-owned Spirit Dancer at the Rashid Equestrian & Horseracing Club in Riffa.

Orr is the stable jockey for Richard Fahey in Yorkshire. Fahey trains Spirit Dancer, which is co-owned and bred by the former Manchester United manager Ferguson.

Orr took Spirit Dance rot victory in the Group Three Strensall Stakes at York in August. Then, Spirit Dancer, guided by Orr, stepped up in class to win by a length.

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After that victory, Fahey confirmed his intention to take the six-year-old Frankel gelding to Bahrain.

Orr signalled intent on Spirit Dancer with handicap victories at York and Windsor before bagging the Strensall Stakes win.

The Donegal native had a trio of second-place finishes at Newcastle last week, including one on the 18/1 chance Show Me Show Me for Fahey.

Fourteen runners will go to post in Friday’s race, including two trained locally in Bahrain. The Bahrain International Trophy has been upgraded to Group 2 status for the first time and has enhanced prize-money of $1 million.