Horses have been a very big part of his life.
Like some of the world’s most eminent seaside resorts, Brighton, on the south coast of England, has enriched so many people’s lives with happy memories of days spent enjoying the many joys of this idyllic town, a part of the historic county of Sussex.
However, it holds a deeper meaning and sense of occasion for one extraordinary man who began his sporting journey at Brighton 40 years ago, a journey that has taken him to the summit of horse racing and earned him the highest respect and admiration around the world.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, will forever be linked with Brighton, for what transpired on its racetrack on June 20, 1977, would help transform the face of horse racing forever.
The second race on the afternoon card was a maiden’s race for two-year-old fillies. Run over 1,000 metres it carried a modest prize of £968 (Dh4,549) for the winning owner.
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A field of ten runners faced the starter, but Shaikh Mohammad only had eyes for a diminutive filly named Hatta, who was being ridden by the great Australian jockey Ron
Hutchinson.
Hatta, who was having only her third career start following noteworthy efforts at Sandown Park and Kempton, was sent off as a popular favourite and she lived up to her billing, coasting to an easy five-length victory over a horse called Blanket.
History had been made, but more was to follow as Shaikh Mohammad began to build a racing empire like never before, an empire that would encompass the world-famous Darley Stud, Godolphin racing stable and iconic Meydan racecourse in Dubai, among many others. Four decades of tireless passion and dedication to horse racing has seen Shaikh Mohammad establish himself as, unquestionably, the most influential person in the sport.
"A love for horses runs in my blood. Don’t forget that horses have been bred for centuries by Arab tribes… They symbolise our history.”
- Shaikh Mohammad
Ali Khamis Al Jafleh, a pioneering former UAE Racing Chairman, aptly sums up Shaikh Mohammad’s contribution and impact on the global horse racing canvas.
“Horses and horse racing are Shaikh Mohammad’s passion, they are in his genes, in his ancestor,” said Al Jafleh. “It was always there, from
childhood.
“Horses and horse racing has always been there in Dubai, for over a hundred years,” he said. “But when Shaikh Mohammad got involved he did it in a very professional way.
“He brought the best people to manage racing, the best horses, best jockeys and the best trainers. He did not compromise.
“He gave instructions for the building of Nad Al Sheba racecourse in 1986 and then opened Meydan in 2000. It was a dream for people in the UAE to have such a fantastic racecourse to watch horse racing.
“Horses have been a very big part of his life. What Shaikh Mohammad has done in horse racing, nobody has done before and I don’t think anyone can do in the future.”
