Dubai Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, was bestowed with double honours at the 24th annual Cartier Racing Awards at the Dorchester Hotel, London, England on Tuesday night.
In a vintage year that saw him crowned Champion Owner in Britain with 130 wins for the season, Shaikh Hamdan took out a special Award Of Merit in recognition of his lifetime achievements in racing.
He joins an illustrious list of past winners that also include his brother His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who won in 2008. Other notable recipents are Prince Khalid Abdullah (2002), The Aga Khan (2000), Sir Peter O’Sullevan (1997) and Lester Piggott (1992).
This year alone horses racing in the famous blue and white silks of Shaikh Hamdan have scored 17 Stakes wins with pride of place going to his homebred Taghrooda, who also bagged the coveted Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly award.
“Shaikh Hamdan is delighted to have won this award as it recognises his timeless passion and efforts in breeding and promoting horse racing,” Mirza Al Sayegh, Director of Shaikh Hamdan’s offic told Gulf News.
“When he was informed that he was being nominted for the Award of Merit he said he was happy for all the people who work on his team and have helped make Shadwell such a successful operation. Shaikh Hamdan is a team man and this new honour illustrates what a significant contribution he has made to the sport for the past three and a half decades.”
Shaikh Hamdan won his first ever race on July 30, 1980 when Paul Cook steered Mushref to victory at Redcar in the UK.
Since then he has gone on the establish himself as one of the most powerful owners and breeders in the world with victories having been scored at the highest level in England, Ireland, Europe, North America, Australia and Dubai.
Meanwhile, the outstanding three-year-old miler Kingman was named the Cartier Horse of the Year.
Kingman triumphed over formidable opposition - last year’s winner Treve, who returned to her best with a breathtaking second Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe victory, dual Derby winner Australia and Noble Mission, Frankel’s brother, who recorded a third Group One triumph of 2014 in the QIPCO Champion Stakes at Ascot on QIPCO British Champions Day.
The Cartier Racing Awards are European horseracing’s equivalent of the Oscars. They were presented before an invited audience of 315 at the Dorchester Hotel, London, England .ard - Jacques le Marois at Deauville in August.
Winners by year at the Cartier Racing Awards
2014
Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt: Gleneagles
Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly: Tiggy Wiggy
Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt: Kingman
Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly: Taghrooda
Cartier Sprinter: Sole Power
Cartier Stayer: Leading Light
Cartier Older Horse: Noble Mission
Cartier Horse of the Year: Kingman owned by Prince Khalid Abdullah
Cartier/Daily Telegraph Award of Merit: Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum
