Point Of Law turned Newmarket’s Bahrain Trophy into a serious St Leger pointer when he quickened clear under James Doyle and held Galiyan by half a length over the final stages on 9 July 2026. The Group 3 win, coming after Doyle committed him two furlongs from home, was enough to cut his St Leger price from 20-1 to 12-1 and put him squarely into the Doncaster conversation.
The manner of the performance mattered as much as the result. Point Of Law had been fourth in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot on 17 June, and he went there having had only two racecourse starts. At Newmarket, he showed the kind of staying progression that trainers look for in a Classic trial: he was settled early, asked to stretch when the race began to get serious, and found enough under pressure to edge away from Galiyan at the finish. For John and Thady Gosden, it was a timely step forward from a colt whose profile has always pointed toward longer trips.
That profile is now hard to ignore. Point Of Law is by Frankel out of Portfolio (JPN) by Deep Impact (JPN), and his pedigree gives him a natural staying frame for a race like the St Leger at Doncaster. The Bahrain Trophy itself has also earned its reputation as a race that can shape the rest of the season, with Racing Post race-day analysis noting that last year’s running helped identify a genuine St Leger contender. Point Of Law’s victory fits that pattern and suggests he is still improving at exactly the right moment.
The result carried an added layer of history for the ownership as well. The Bahrain Turf Club said it was the first time the Bahrain Trophy had been won by a reigning monarch, with Point Of Law carrying the colours of HM The King and HM The Queen. Bahrain has sponsored the race since 1991, making it the longest-standing sponsor at Newmarket’s July Festival, and the association gave the finish a rare blend of racing significance and ceremonial weight.
With a stronger test of stamina still to come, Point Of Law has moved from promising Royal Ascot runner to one of the more credible St Leger names in circulation. His Newmarket win did not just settle a Group 3, it changed the shape of his autumn.
Every story on Horse Racing News is assembled by an automated editorial system that works from verified research, official records, and credible reporting, then clears automated accuracy and moderation checks before it goes live. The standards that system follows are set and overseen by the people who run the publication. Read our full editorial policy.
Did this article answer your question?
