Arabian Racing Achievement Award

The Arabian Racing Achievement Award

HH SHEIKH HAMDAN BIN RASHID AL MAKTOUM

PRESENTED BY

The impact that HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum had on racing worldwide was remarkable, and his passing in March has been widely mourned. His Highness was also a great champion of Arabian racing and his passion for the breed was instrumental in maintaining and developing Arabian racing in the UK since the 1980s.

When in 1999 the Arabian Racing Organisation was formed, His Highness became its patron. He was also patron of the event affectionately known as ‘Dubai Day’, which he had sponsored since 1984, when it was run by the Arab Horse Society. Later the event was rebranded as the Dubai International Arabian Races, a ‘Champions Day’ for Arabians. It was the only full card of Arabian racing in Europe to feature four Group PA races alongside a range of highly competitive handicaps, including ones tailored for the sports’ grassroots.

It was always his vision that Arabian racing would one day be fully integrated alongside the thoroughbred racing industry in the UK, as it is in other countries. That this was to happen was announced by ARO and the British Horseracing Authority in December 2019, and though Covid has inevitably slowed its progress, his support for that integration cannot be underestimated.

Through this he leaves Arabian racing a lasting legacy, alongside his 19 ARO Leading Owners titles - 20 if you include this season with his horses now running under the Shadwell Estates banner. His world class leading racehorses such as Madjani and No Risk Al Maury have become leading sires, with stallion sons of their own. Though there will be no Arabian runners in the blue and white in 2022, his best homebred, the seven-time Group 1PA winner Muraaqib, joins two other new sires on the Shadwell Arabian Stallions roster, ensuring his carefully considered bloodlines will continue. Likewise, his recently dispersed horses-in-training were highly sought after for racing, both in the UK and in the Middle East, an acknowledgement of his influence on the breed.

His Highness’s passion was clearly expressed in his aims in supporting ARO. “We want to see more participants in the sport from Britain. We want them to appreciate the beauty and strength of the Arabian horse. It is important to us that people are aware of the noble attributes of the Arabian horse and the thrill that competition in races can bring. We do not want it to be solely a sport for owners from the Middle East. We want everyone to recognise the magnificence of the Arabian horse.”

In recognition of HH Sheikh Hamdan’s achievements, Charles Gregson, ARO Chairman commented: “We were so very grateful for His Highness’s constant enthusiasm for the Arabian horse for nearly 40 years. Next season marks a turning point for our sport, which if they wish, thoroughbred trainers can now join in. The door is wide open for new champions to make their mark, honour his memory and bring alive his desire for the Arabian horse to gain a wider appreciation.”

by Debbie Burt