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Sheikh Hamden Al Maktoum.

Sheikh Hamden Al Maktoum, owner of Shadwell Racing, has died aged 75. The deputy ruler of Dubai and the United Arab Emirates established the racing stable in 1981 and his blue and white colours are a familiar sight on racetracks in the France, United Kingdom, Ireland and the USA.

Although Sheikh Hamden Al Maktoum will be best known for his champion racehorses such Nashwan, Dayjur and Battaash, he also played a significant role in promoting Purebred Arabian racing across Europe. Under his patronage, the Dubai International Arabian Race series was established: a series of eighteen races, including six stakes' contests, held in five different countries. The aim of the programme is two-fold – introducing the sport into countries where it is lesser known (such as the United Kingdom) and supporting countries where Arabian racing is established and integrated into the racing calendar (such as France). Shadwell Racing has approximately 60 Arabians in training, using eight different trainers in the France, UK and the UAE. At Nunnery Stud near Newmarket, Shadwell stand seven Arabian stallions including multiple Group winner No Risk Al Maury.

Sheikh Hamden Al Maktoum has achieved numerous Group One victories in France with his Thoroughbred string. Although early winners were British-based, such as Ta Rib (1996 G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches) and Salsabil (1989 Prix Marcel Boussac, 1990 G1 Prix Vermeille), French-trained horses have come to the fore in the last two decades. Despite a poor run in the 2008 G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains (1600m), the Freddy Head trained Tamayuz dominated the mile division for the remainder of the season with wins in the G1 Jean Prat (1600m) and the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois (1600m). In 2020, Classic fillies Tawkeel and Raabihah represented Shadwell at the top level in France, winning the G1 Prix Saint-Alary (2000m) and G3 Prix de Psyche (2000m).