15 JUNE 2017 www.aladiyat.ae ISSUE 617 hoping further Group One success IMPENDING © Steve Hart Photography © Steve Impending - Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap with RIBCHESTER © focusonracing.com heading Royal Ascot challenge Ribchester - GroupGroupgp 1 LockingeLockin e Stakes 40 years ago Sheikh Mohammed celebrated his first Thoroughbred winner in England (See Pages 4 - 6) Standing at Nunnery Stud, England: MAWATHEEQ MUKHADRAM NAYEF SAKHEE Also standing in England: HAAFHD Standing in France, Haras du Mezeray: MUHTATHIR Standing in Italy, Allevamento di Besnate: MUJAHID www.shadwellstud.co.uk www.shadwellstud.co.uk Discover more about the Shadwell Stallions at www.shadwellstud.co.uk Or call Richard Lancaster, Johnny Peter-Hoblyn or Rachael Gowland on 01842 755913 Email us at: [email protected] twitter.com/ShadwellStud www.facebook.com/ShadwellStud 15 2017 June 3 Contents HATTA LAUNCHES A DYNASTY 4-6 Can Godolphin celebrate GODOLPHIN NEWS 8-11 GENERAL NEWS 12-15 BLOODSTOCK 16-19 Sheikh Mohammed’s MANSOUR FESTIVAL NEWS 21 LOCKINGE STAKES 23 OTHER UK RACING 24-27 landmark in style? EPSOM OAKS 28-31 RGUABLY Europe’s EPSOM DERBY 32-35 most eagerly anticipated IRISH 2000 GUINEAS 36-37 A and prestigious five days of racing annually, Royal Ascot IRISH 1000 GUINEAS 38-39 never fails to disappoint and, as ROYAL ASCOT TRIAL 40-41 always, there is plenty to look PREAKNESS STAKES 42 forward to next week. BELMONT STAKES 43 Racing was first staged at Ascot DIAR RACES 44 in August 1711 after the ruling ENDURANCE 46-47 monarch, Queen Anne, out riding through the area, known as East NICHOLAS GODFREY 48-49 Cote at the time, identified the MICHELE MACDONALD 50-51 site as a perfect area for ‘horses to HOWARD WRIGHT 52 gallop at full stretch’. ROYAL ASCOT LATEST NEWS 53-61 Now a five day meeting with 30 races and over £6.58 million Editorial in prize money to be won, eight Editor of the 30 races carry Group Back over a mile, but on the The week’s official feature is Mark Jackson One status. round course, we then move on Thursday’s Group 1 Ascot Gold Writer The meeting is not all about to the Group 1 St James’s Palace Cup and last year’s winner, Order Duane Fonseca Stakes races though, with several Stakes, restricted to 3yos and a Of St George, is going to be competitive, valuable and ultra rematch from the 2000 Guineas at hard to beat. Another winner for Head of English Design prestigious handicaps, including Newmarket. Godolphin’s Barney O’Brien looks more likely after the Eng. Mohamed Maher the 6f Wokingham Handicap Roy, absent since, will seek revenge defection of France’s dual Dubai and the Royal Hunt Cup over the on Churchill, subsequent winner of Gold Cup winner, Vazirabad. Assistant Designers straight mile. the Irish equivalent for O’Brien. The sprinters return to the Nisar Shaikh Fittingly, the meeting opens The only other day with more limelight on the final day, Saturday, with the Group 1 Queen Anne than one Group One is Friday when with Limato looking to bounce Ismail KV Stakes, named after the monarch all eyes will be on Caravaggio, back from a lacklustre display in the Graphic & Scanner credited with the birth of what we another for the O’Brien juggernaut, Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan in the 6f Abdul Majeed now know as Ascot Racecourse, who will put his unbeaten record Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes. Nadim Ahmed and over the straight mile. on the line in the 3yos only 6f As long as conditions remain Library It went to America last year and Commonwealth Cup. dry and given a nice break since Abdulla Khalifa the mighty Tepin, but this year Again Godolphin appear to Dubai, he looks sure to go close. Godolphin’s Ribchester looks provide the main opposition with An exciting five days are in K. Aboobacker certain to start a hot favourite recent recruit Harry Angel and store with the might of Godolphin, Photographers after his impressive victory in Blue Point who actually beat him, set to be represented by at least K.P. Majeed the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes over Friday’s course and distance, six trainers, seemingly due to Abdul Razzak at Newbury. at the beginning of May. lock horns with the Ballydoyle Sheikh Mohammed will be On the same card, the Coronation battalion of Aidan O’Brien. Correspondents celebrating his 40th anniversary as Stakes is the 3yo fillies’ equivalent Fittingly, it was announced Overseas a winning racehorse owner on the of the St James’s Palace Stakes and on Monday that a Royal Ascot Nicholas GODFREY day so a Group One success would again an O’Brien hotpot looks the Leading Owner Trophy will be be very appropriate! one to beat; his dual 1000 Guineas awarded, to run alongside the Michele MACDONALD heroine Winter. established equivalents for jockeys Howard WRIGHT See pages 4-6 for more details Back to Wednesday which and trainers. of this notable landmark is highlighted by the Group 1 Thus, the Champion Owner Bloodstock Prince of Wales’s Stakes and over the week will be decided on Beverley TOWNSEND The Queen Anne is immediately Godolphin’s Sheema Classic straight wins, with seconds, thirds followed by the week’s main hero, Jack Hobbs, missed the and fourths only coming into play juvenile contest, the 6f Group 2 Coronation Cup at Epsom to in the event of a tie for wins. Coventry Stakes, which looks arrive here fresh. For the purposes of the award, wide open and a perfect hors He is trained by John Gosden horses reprenting Ballydoyle and d’oeuvre for the Group 1 King’s whose patience could well be Coolmore will be regarded as one Stand Stakes. This 5f dash is set to rewarded; especially after the entity, regardless of the precise feature a fascinating clash between same owner’s Cloth Of Stars, syndicate for whom they run. American raider Lady Aurelia sadly ruled out of contention by and last year’s winner, Profitable, trainer Andre Fabre to become We cannot wait! who was subsequently purchased another major hope from France So for all the Royal Ascot news by Godolphin. not to take their chance. see pages 53 - 61 15 4 June 2017 OPULAR music fans, especially those of the P Beatles, will remember the opening lyrics of Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band: ‘It was From horse enthusiast to 20 years ago today…’ Switch to racing, of the equine variety, on the Flat in England and, for Sheikh Mohammed, ‘It was 40 years ago next Tuesday’. world leader in racing I can picture furrowed brows, twinned with head scratching and a chorus of: ‘What was?’ So, let us embark on a journey and rewind to the year 1977; the and breeding industries venue Brighton Racecourse; the date 20th June; the occasion, the victory of a juvenile filly named Hatta; the relevance? She was a first winner for a new owner in the sport, a young Emirati royal, Sheikh during a 40 year journey Mohammed, being represented by the first racehorse he owned. Few present on the Sussex Downs that day could have realised what a significant moment that continues today they had just witnessed and what a dramatic impact the young Sheikh and his family would have on the racing industry, worldwide, over the next four decades. An impact arguably more far reaching now than ever with the Maktoum family synonymous with the sport of racing, in the highest echelons, around the globe. Sheikh Mohammed’s love of horses is renowned and they have always been an important part of his life. As a young man, Sheikh Mohammed was captivated by the power, elegance, speed and grace of horses and he rode bareback races with his friends on the sands of Jumeirah Beach. He himself has recounted the story of his first race, on a legs, as well as how to care for the and she was ready for a his racing colours were recorded seemingly unwanted mare, Sawdah hoofs to aid recuperation. race. The partnership fought as ‘royal blue, white chevron, blue Um Halag, whom he nursed to Three months of training the gallantly, beaten just a length. cap, white star’. health and soundness. Taught by mare, swimming with her in During his studies in Cambridge, Less than three years later, they his mother, he learned to inspect the sea, letting her run loose to Sheikh Mohammed attended his would be replaced by ‘maroon, the skeletal aspects of the feet and return to him on his command first race meeting at Newmarket white sleeves, maroon cap with where he watched Royal Palace white star’. These silks were win the 2000 Guineas in May 1967. recognised worldwide. Ten years later Hatta started John Dunlop trained Hatta, a juggernaut rolling, following making her second racecourse that Brighton victory by landing appearance at Brighton having the Group 3 Molecomb Stakes finished sixth in a massive field of at Glorious Goodwood the 26 on her debut at Sandown. following month. Starting favourite, the daughter Sheikh Mohammed’s passion of Realm eased to victory under for horses grew into a major Ron Hutchinson, a leading investment in bloodstock and Australian jockey with the pair in has resulted in the growth of the full control from over a furlong out world’s largest and most global in the maiden over an extended 5f. racing team, Godolphin, as Hutchinson recalls: “Hatta was well as the successful stallion a very nice filly and won easily operation, Darley. at Brighton. She had improved When Hatta began this epic from her first start and, as history Hatta wins at Sandown journey for Sheikh Mohammed, proved, carried on progressing.