Royal Champion defended his crown in the Bahrain International Trophy on Friday, winning the race for the second year running and giving it a Group One winner in its first renewal at the top level. Karl Burke’s eight-year-old, ridden by Clifford Lee, picked up strongly up the near-side rail to beat the French-trained Zaydann by a length and a quarter, with Baroud back in third. Sent off at 15-2 in a field of 12 for the $1.5million contest at Sakhir, the Shamardal gelding trav