Shaikh Maktoum based his horses with a variety of trainers around the world and worked hard to give horse racing a global appeal.

Shaikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the late Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, will always be remembered for his contribution to the world of horse racing.

He was one of the best known and respected owners in the UK, where he enjoyed most of his major successes.

Shaikh Maktoum passionately supported the sport and went out of his way to contribute towards its growth.

He helped pioneer the globalisation of horse racing and distributed his horses to no less than 10 trainers around the world.

Beneficiaries of his vision to make racing a global sport were leading trainers like Sir Michael Stoute, Ed Dunlop, Mark Johnston and Barry Hills in the UK, Andre Fabre and Madame Criquette Head in France and Neil Drysdale in America.

Shaikh Maktoum was the owner of Gainsborough Stud in Newmarket, one of the leading stud farms in the world, where many of his prized stallions stood after their racing careers.

Some of his best-known horses included Shareef Dancer, Shadeed, Cadeaux Genereux, champion European sprinter and champion sire of six Group 1 winners, Fantastic Light, the highest earning European-trained racehorse ever with earnings of £4.4 million and Storming Home, champion British three-year-old and winner of eight races and over £1 million,

Former champion jockey Joe Mercer, who was racing manager to Shaikh Maktoum for the past 19 years, told the Racing Post: "He really enjoyed his racing. He knew what was going on and was a very good man to work for. He was a good loser and a good winner.

"He had over 200 horses in training and a lot of yearlings still to come in.

"The whole Maktoum family have done a remarkable job for English racing. They bought stallions at the right price and invested a tremendous amount of money into the bloodstock business. They have been great for the industry."

Great shock

Johnston, who initially trained the champion colt Shamardal for Shaikh Maktoum, remarked: "Obviously it's a great shock. It's terrible and unbelievable. He did a huge amount for racing, not just in Dubai but worldwide."

Shamardal ran in the Gainsborough Stud colours to win the Dewhurst Stakes before going on to add three more Group 1 victories for the Godolphin stable, which was also jointly owned by Shaikh Maktoum.

Dunlop, who is the resident trainer at Gainsborough Stables, commented: "It's very sad news, primarily for Shaikh Maktoum's family and all of Dubai. He was a wonderful man to work for and, most importantly, he was the one who gave me a chance.

"There are so many fond memories. He was a big racehorse owner and a very successful one with lots of good horses.