LONDON: Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum, one of the most influential figures in horse racing over the past four decades, has died at the age of 75, his brother Sheikh Mohammed announced on Twitter on Wednesday.

Sheikh Hamdan enjoyed huge success on the racecourse, winning both the Epsom Derby and the Melbourne Cup twice.

His blue-and-white colours were most recently carried to glory by champion sprinter Battaash last year.

Charlie Hills trainer of Battaash paid tribute not only to his success as a breeder and owner but his human side too.

“From a phone call when we went into lockdown in January to check my family was OK, to taking James and Eddie onto the podium after Battaash won his first Nunthorpe,” tweeted Hills. “Just a couple of examples of the kindness of Sheikh Hamdan. Our sport has lost one of its finest.”

The Sheikh’s first-choice jockey Jim Crowley said he would always be in his heart for giving him the chance to ride top class horses.

The older brother of Sheikh Mohammed, the ruler of Dubai, he was champion flat owner in Britain nine times.

Sheikh Hamdan also owned three stud farms, in England, Ireland and in the hotbed of thoroughbred bre­e­ding in the US, Kentucky.

His two Derby successes came with Nashwan (1989) and Erhaab (1994) while his Melbourne Cup successes were with At Talaq (1986) and Jeune (1994).

Richard Hills rode many winners for Sheikh Hamdan before assuming the role of assistant racing manager at his Shadwell operation.

Sheikh Hamdan was patron of the Arabian Racing Organisation and the motivating force behind the establishment of the Dubai International Arabian Races, Europe’s premier Arabian racing programme which has its finals day at Newbury racecourse each year.

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2021