Sheikh Mohammed

 The winners of the His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Racing Excellence Awards, with Japanese superstar Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) named the Best Horse Award winner, were announced during the Super Saturday card at Meydan Racecourse on Saturday. The award winners are selected on criteria designated by the Dubai Racing Club (DRC), overseen by the Trustee's Committee. The public selects the People's Choice Award. The full list of winners are as follows: Best Horse: Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) Best Jockey: Ryan Moore Best Trainer: Aidan O'Brien...

It was an evening to remember for Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum's Godolphin team, as the worldwide operation accumulated no fewer than five statuettes over the course of the evening at Thursday's 53rd Annual Eclipse Awards Presented by FanDuel TV, John Deere, Keeneland and The Jockey Club, honoring and recognizing excellence in Thoroughbred racing. And they saved the best for last, as Cody's Wish (Curlin), whose story resonated with nearly every fan of Thoroughbred racing and beyond, was named Horse of the Year and champion older dirt male for...

American jockey Steve Cauthen and the outstanding turf mare Pebbles (GB) (Sharpen Up {GB}) will be inducted into the QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame, the official Hall of Fame for Flat racing in Britain. The newest inductees will be recognized on QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot on Oct. 21, with Cauthen making a rare trip over from the US. Cauthen becomes just the fifth rider to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, while Pebbles becomes the first of her gender to be inducted alongside the likes...

"After Sheikh Mohammed purchased Stonerside Stable in 2008, he graciously kept on the entire Stonerside staff," said Vicky Van Camp, who was formerly the Research and Information Director of Stonerside Stable and is now Godolphin's U.S. Racing Research Coordinator. She was at Stonerside when Midshipman was born and is now at Darley, where Midshipman stands. "Midshipman, the last Grade I winner for Stonerside, became the first Grade I winner from the purchase for Sheikh Mohammed with his Breeders' Cup Juvenile win just a month later. I'm happy to say a...

The Godolphin Flying Start programme celebrated its 20th anniversary with an alumni award ceremony and conference at the Legacy Suite at the K Club on June 29. The conference, "Impact and Influence", attracted over 100 graduates from around the world. During the prelude, the focus was on His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and Godolphin Charitable Initiatives led by Godolphin Flying Start Chair Joe Osborne. Diana Cooper, Godolphin's Strategic Adviser for Charities was also among the speakers, as was Lisa Jane Graffard (Class of 2005). Class of 2008 alum Gina Bryce hosted...

It was a banner weekend for Godolphin homebreds during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. Cody's Wish (Curlin) added another chapter to racing's feel-good story with a powerful, come-from-behind victory in the stallion-making GI Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan H. The GI Kentucky Oaks winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief) validated her upset neck victory on the first Friday in May with a heart-stopping victory in the GI Acorn S. The up-and-coming Loved (Medaglia d'Oro)--a 4-year-old half-sister to MGISW and young Darley stallion Maxfield (Street Sense)--made it three straight...

Flemensfirth (Alleged--Ethelreda {GB}, by Diesis {GB}), who was a two-time champion sire in the jumping sphere, died at The Beeches Stud on Friday. The pensioned Coolmore stallion was 31. Bred by Mill Ridge Farm, the Mar. 16 foal was a $45,000 Keeneland November weanling turned $290,000 Keeneland September yearling when sold to Darley Stud Management from the Mill Ridge Sales consignment. Trained by John Gosden, Flemensfirth won on debut at two, before taking the G1 Prix Lupin as a 3-year-old in 1995 and the G1 Premio Roma at four in...

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES -- Answer: The G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen. Question: What is the only race in the history of the Dubai World Cup that has never been won by the host? That statement feels like an enormous anomaly, given all the success down the years at old Nad Al Sheba Racecourse and here at Meydan Racecourse, but true it is all the same. It is a record that Harry Sweeney, the president of the Japanese arm of Sheikh Mohammed's global operation, hopes will change this weekend when American-bred...

A total of 73 juveniles by some of the pre-eminent dirt sires from America complemented by a collection of top European turf stallions are set to go under the hammer during the second renewal of the Goffs Dubai Breeze-Up Sale to be held Tuesday evening in the sprawling parade ring at Meydan Racecourse. "It's just a huge honour and privilege to be appointed as auctioneer now for the second year by the Dubai Racing Club and the chairman, Sheikh Rashid bin Dalmook Al Maktoum, and it's a great feather in...

Anyone else who had trained this many Grade I winners--there's barely space for their photographs in the barn office--would by now be knocking at the door of the Hall of Fame. But how many even know the name of Johnny Burke? How many know his cheerful, friendly face or the store of experience that draws together so many evocative names, on two legs and four, of his own and past generations? As an adolescent, Burke was the first person ever to sit on the back of Midnight Court, subsequently winner...

DUBAI, UAE--A sale hosted at Meydan just a few days in advance of the Dubai World Cup meeting always promised to have an international feel to it, and though many of the 2-year-olds purchased at the inaugural Goffs Dubai Breeze-up Sale will remain in the Middle East, others will head to Japan and back to Europe as they head into training. "A first for Dubai and a first for Goffs," said Goffs Group Chief Executive Henry Beeby, as the initial batch of horses was ushered into the parade ring before...

Godolphin enjoyed a banner year of racing in North America 2021 thanks to U.S.-based runners like Essential Quality (Tapit) and G1 Dubai World Cup hero Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper), plus a long list of successful shippers brought in from Europe. As such, Godophin took home its second consecutive Eclipse Award Thursday as outstanding owner (fifth overall counting one under the Darley banner), and its second as outstanding breeder.