Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani is seen with winning horse Treve clinched the Qatar Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe at the Longchamp racetrack near Paris last month. Treve, owned by Sheikh Joaan and ridden by France’s Thierry Jarnet, emulated Zarkava in landing the French Oaks, Prix Vermeille and Arc in the same season.
LONDON: Sheikh Joann Bin Hamed Al Thani’s desire to preside over the “best racing operation in the world” saw his Al Shaqab Racing launch its UK operation in London yesterday.
Leading British turf figure Harry Herbert, the racing manager of the successful Highclere syndicate, has been appointed as a full-time racing adviser to the new Qatari outfit.
Sheikh Joaan’s horses have raced at the highest level internationally in 2013, with Treve’s victory in France’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe -- Europe’s premier all-age flat race -- last month the most high-profile of four elite Group One wins.
“Our goals and objectives are to be the best racing operation in the world,” Sheikh Joaan’s media manager, Sherida Al Kaabi, told a press conference at London’s Dorchester hotel yesterday.
“We want the best horses, the best trainers and the best people and the appointment of Harry is to help secure our future.
“He is one of the most high-profile figures in European racing and has enjoyed great success with his syndicate ownership company.” Al Shaqab Racing has around 110 racehorses in training split between England and France.
But their ambitions extend beyond Europe, with the organisation set to have a handful of horses next season in the US with leading trainer Todd Pletcher.
“Sheikh Joaan has ambitious plans for Al Shaqab Racing and the exciting thing for me is to have an opportunity to be involved at the highest level and be part of a team that is very serious about their aspirations,” Herbert said yesterday.
It has been a meteoric rise within ‘the sport of kings’ for Sheikh Joaan.
The 28-year-old had not seen a thoroughbred racehorse win in his grey and maroon silks until August last year.
But as well as Treve, this season saw Toronado triumph at Group One level with victory in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood, southern England, in July.
Olympic Glory, who handed Sheikh Joaan his first win at the highest level last year in Paris, then triumphed in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot, south-west of London, last month.
Sheikh Joaan has signed arguably the world’s most famous jockey in British-based Frankie Dettori as his retained rider.
He has also tried to secure the future of his operation by spending a world record five million guineas (£5.05m, $8.25m, 6.07m euros) at the Tattersalls yearling sales in Newmarket, eastern England, last month with a view to bolstering his breeding operation at his stud in Normandy, northern France, where he stands former racehorses Planteur and Style Vendome.
“Racehorses are just the first plan of our objective, which will be followed by our breeding programme,” said Al Kaabi.
“We are looking at studs in Britain and Ireland, also,” he added in what seemed a direct challenge to such racing powerhouses as the Godolphin operation run by Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed and the Ireland-based Coolmore.
Al Shaqab is named after a breeding operation in Qatar established in 1992 by Father Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.
The formation of Al Shaqab racing follows the investment in British racing by Sheikh Fahad Al Thani, Sheikh Joaan’s cousin, which falls under the umbrella of the Qipco British Champions Series.
It is also part of a growing Qatari presence in major sports worldwide that saw the non-profit Qatar Foundation sign a world-record €150m shirt sponsorship deal with Spanish football giants Barcelona in 2010.
Last month Qatar Tourism Authority signed a sponsorship deal worth up to €200m a year with Paris St Germain, the French Ligue 1 football club acquired by Qatar Sports Investment in May 2011, where global soccer star and former England captain David Beckham ended his playing career. REUTERS
