Trainer Karl Burke paid tribute to Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum following the death of the leading owner and breeder on Monday.
The yellow silk with black spots of Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, a prominent figure in British racing since the early 1990s, was carried to victory in the 1998 Derby by the Luca Cumani-trained High-Rise and has since been worn by several other top performers.
His other major race winners include Postponed, winner of the King George and Juddmonte International, and more recently Rosallion, Inisherin and Royal Champion.
Burke saddled the latter to win the Bahrain International Trophy last month and is training a number of exciting horses for the owner, including unbeaten Joel Stakes winner Zeus Olympios, Cambridgeshire hero Boiling Point and Autumn Stakes winner Hankelow.
“It’s a bit of a shock. I spoke to him earlier today and we discussed all the horses he was looking forward to for next season,” the trainer told the Press Association.
“I was supposed to meet him next week and it’s such sad news because he loved his horses and I know he was really looking forward to next year.
“I owe him a lot. He gave me a lot of responsibility to train all those good horses for him and he was a very good man.”
Sheikh Mohammed Obaid also owned and bred the 2023 Melbourne Cup winner Without A Fight, while his unbeaten Royal Lodge Stakes winner Bow Echo, trained by George Boughey, is one of the leading prospects for next year’s 2000 Guineas.
Sheikh Obaid, a cousin of Sheikh Mohammed and a member of Dubai’s ruling family, will leave an indelible mark on the blood world through his mare Zomaradah, herself a Classic winner and the dam of Dubawi, who was from the only crop of Dubai Millennium and would go on to become the champion sire of Great Britain and Ireland.
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