November 2018 – Page 8 – Racing Review

Saeed Suhail

Dubai businessman Saeed Suhail has owned racehorses in Britain, predominantly with Sir Michael Stoute, since the 1980s. However, despite being a close friend and associate of the late Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid al Maktoum, Suhail has never enjoyed the public profile, or equine firepower, typically associated with the Al Maktoum family. In fact, in those early days, Suhail remained something of a mystery outside his immediate circle, a situation not aided by his limited command of English.

In 2000, Suhail recorded his first, and second, victories at the highest level, with King’s Best in the 2,000 Guineas and Dilshaan in the Racing Post Trophy but, even so, in the season as a whole managed just three winners from 30 runners. From that point on, though, his blue and yellow silks became a familiar sight in major races in Britain and, in 2003, enjoyed his best season ever, numerically, with 17 winners. Helped, in no small part, by the victories of Kris Kin in the Dee Stakes and, particularly, in the Derby, he exceeded £1 million in total prize money for the first time.

In subsequent seasons, his fortunes ebbed and flowed and, while he collected several valuable prizes, including the Weatherbys Insurance £300,000 2-Y-O Stakes at Doncaster with Awinnersgame and the £250,000 Tattersalls October Auction Stakes at Newmarket with Kingship Spirit, both trained by Jeremy Noseda, in the autumn of 2008, he would have to wait another twelve years for his next Group 1 or Grade 1 winner. In October, 2015, Cannock Chase, trained by Sir Michael Stoute, won the Canadian International Stakes at Woodbine and, although he was one of just four winners that season, he sparked something of a revival for Suhail.

In 2017, Ballet Concerto won the John Smith’s Cup, Sovereign Stakes and Superior Mile Stakes, while Poet’s Word won the Glorious Stakes and would go on to taste Group 1 success in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 2018. Indeed, in 2018, Suhail enjoyed his most successful season ever, in pecuniary terms, with over £1.5 million in total prize money.

Owners

Qatar Racing Limited

Qatar Racing Limited is a subsidiary of QIPCO Holding, a leading private investment company in the State of Qatar, on the west coast of the Persian Gulf, and was founded in 2012. QIPCO Holding, in turn, is owned by six brothers, who are cousins of the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and Qatar Racing represents their racehorse ownership interests. Another brother, Sheikh Fahad Al Thani is the chairman of Qatar Racing, which has horses in training not just in Britain and Ireland, but around the world.

Indeed, the claret with gold braid racing colours of Qatar Racing have been increasingly familiar in 2018, thanks in large part to Roaring Lion, trained by John Gosden, who finished third in the Derby before winning the Coral-Eclipse, the Juddmonte International Stakes, the Irish Champion Stakes and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. At the time of writing, Roaring Lion is due to contest the Breeders’ Cup Classic, on dirt, at Churchill Downs Racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky, with retained jockey Oisin Murphy taking the ride.

Roaring Lion is the highest-rated horse owned by Qatar Racing in training in Britain and was, by far, the most successful, with £1.98 million in total earnings in 2018. However, Lightning Spear, trained by David Simcock, also made a significant contribution, of over £738,000, after winning the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood in August and running creditably in defeat in the Lockinge Stakes, the Queen Anne Stakes and the Prix de Moulin de Longchamp. In fact, the only time the seven-year-old failed to collect any prize money at all was when seventh of 13, beaten 7¼ lengths, behind Roaring Lion in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot in October.

Roaring Lion and Lightning Spear aside, the next most successful horse of the season was Count Octave, trained by Andrew Balding, with earnings of just £77,000. In fact, the Frankel colt won only a lowly novice stakes races on the all-weather at Wolverhampton, but paid for his winter corn courtesy of subsequent placed efforts in the Jockey Club Stakes, the Queen Alexandra Stakes and the Lonsdale Cup.

Races

Cheltenham Gold Cup

The Cheltenham Gold Cup, open to horses aged 5 and over, is a Grade One National Hunt race, and the jewel in the crown of the prestigious four day Cheltenham Festival. It’s held in March of each year and the race is run over 3 miles 2½ furlongs, featuring 22 jumps.

The purse for the Gold Cup is a very healthy £575,000 with over £325,000 of that going to the winner. As with many of our most treasured and respected races, it holds no shortage of history. The first Cheltenham Gold Cup was run in July of 1819 at which time it was actually a flat race. It wasn’t until 1924 that hurdles entered the equation and the race became what we know it as today.

With so much history behind it, it’s no surprise that the Cheltenham Gold Cup is seen by many trainers and owners alike as ‘the one to win’. It’s something of a legend maker with the likes of Kauto Star, Best Mate, Desert Orchid and Arkle all staking a claim to greatness by their performances in the Gold Cup. Arkle won the race in three successive years from 1964 and 1966, and Kauto Star had an infamous rivally with Denman, becoming the only horse to ever regain the Cheltenham Gold Cup title in the process, after first winning in 2007 and then again in 2009.

Other stand out performances in the Gold Cup include 100-1 Norton’s Coin winning the 1990 race and Coneygree becoming the first novice to ever win it in 2015. Golden Miller is the most successful horse in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, eclipsing them all with five consecutive wins from 1932 to 1935. Jockey Pat Taaffe and trainer Tom Dreaper are also stand outs in terms of achievement, with 4 and 5 wins respectively under their belts.

Racecourses

Cheltenham Racecourse

Cheltenham racecourse is situated in Prestbury Park, near Cheltenham Gloustershire. In its scenic location and with a 67,000 person capacity, it’s a popular racecourse with the general public. It hosts one of the most highly anticipated events in the racing calendar, the Cheltenham Festival.

The Cheltenham racecourse has two courses running alongside one another, named the old course and the new course. There’s also a separate cross country course inside the main used, which is used for steeplechase events. The impressive 2000 seat ‘Centaur’ auditoria is often used to host concerts and conferences.

The four day Cheltenham Festival is a national hunt extravaganza taking place over four days in March of each year. It features such highly anticipated races as the Arkle Challenge Trophy, the Queen Mother Champion Chase, the Stayers’ Hurdle and the Cheltenham Gold Cup. All of these four races are Grade One affairs, in fact 14 of the races held over the course of the festival are Grade One races. Dating back to 1860 the festival draws huge crowds, with a ‘Cheltenham Roar’ being let out by those in attendance as the first race starts. Hundreds of millions of pounds are bet on the Cheltenham Festival over the four day period, and the quality of the races is second to none. Horses like such Kauto Star and Best Mate have Cheltenham (esp. the Cheltenham Gold Cup) in part to thank for contiburing heavily towards their legacy.

Other noteworthy races take place at the course including the BetVictor Gold Cup and International Hurdle, though the main focus on the year is most certainly the Cheltenham Festival itself.

In recent years heavy investment (£45million) has taken place in the redevelopment of the course, including the addition of the new Princess Royal Stand.