Sheikh Mohammed's Plan for Dubai

Purebred Arabian winner Madjani helps plans of Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai to replace the racing world's richest track and return Arabian horses to their native land.

Godolphin Racing's Al Quoz Stable has won 1,100 times in 14 countries and always features leading thoroughbreds at Dubai's Nad al Sheba race course. In the last 17 Dubai races, however, the Godolphin operation has won only three times.

So, the logical thing to do is build a new $1 billion race course facility with the trimmings to replace Nad al Sheba, right?

This is the vision of Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum, owner of Godolphin Racing and current (once beaten) champ, Discreet Cat. Sheikh Mohammed displayed a scale model plan for the new course and its outlying facilities March 31 at the United Arab Emirates Airline Dubai World Cup races held at Nad al Sheba race track. Plans are for the construction to be completed in two years.

There may be some family funding involved. Sheikh Mohammed's brother, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum, owns Shadwell Stable and this year's winner of the $6 million Dubai World Cup, Invasor.

Sheikh Mohammed's vision is not small-minded. But if you can think $1 billion projects, and show a scale model to whomever visited your richest in the world thoroughbred racing carnival, you probably can get the job done.

Overall, Sheikh Mohammed's quest has been to return the quality thoroughbred runner to its native Arabian roots. Jockey Frankie Dettori, Discreet Cat's regular rider, and Kiaran McLaughlin, trainer of Invasor, are part of the team. McLaughlin hired on with Sheikh Mohammed in 1993.

In keeping with Sheikh Mohammed's intentions, the first competition in the annual Dubai racing carnival is dedicated to the running of purebred Abrabians. That 2000 meter (1-1/4 miles) race, the $250,000 Emaar Dubai Kahayla Classic, was captured by Madjani, its second two-time winner, in time of 2:14.72.

First a vision, then maybe a steadily winning Arabian entry, and the one billion will come.