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The Maktoums: Legends of the Turf - 5th edition, is testimonial to a remarkable era in the history of racing. In 1976, a filly passed through the sales ring at Tattersalls, in Newmarket, England. She was purchased by a member of the Ruling family from a little known emirate in the Arabian Gulf.
A quarter of a century later much has changed. Dubai is a thriving metropolis, the “Pearl of the Gulf”, a world centre of commerce and one of the planet’s fastest growing tourist destinations. The little known emirate is now an international hub, thanks to the efforts and vision of its Ruling family, the Maktoums.
Much has also changed within Thoroughbred racing. The Maktoum brothers are easily identifiable within the sport, not only as the industry’s largest investors but as leaders, some of the few men capable of bringing fundamental change to racing as it strives to retain status and market share in the new century.
Legends of the Turf was released at a time when the impact of the Maktoum family on the sport had never been greater. Nor had it been more necessary. Faced by the challenges of growing competition within the leisure sector, racing had metamorphasised into an international sport increasingly capable of competing on the world stage.
Much of the credit for this belongs to the family from Dubai. From the Breeder’s Cup to the Dubai World Cup, Godolphin is the most successful and recognizable racing operation in the world. Saeed bin Suroor and his team pioneered ‘international training’ and continue to be a force to be reckoned with. In Dubai, the $6 million Dubai World Cup and its support card is the most global meeting staged anywhere in the world. As a whole, racing in Dubai stands alongside any major racing centre on earth.
Elsewhere, the World Racing Series was conceived and supported by Sheikh Mohammed, won by Godolphin, and sponsored through its fledgling years by Emirates.
The Maktoums’ empire has led the sport into the new millennium, but also remains a bastion of traditional sporting values. Legends of the Turf is a record of the last quarter century of success, from Hatta to Moon Ballad and all points in between.
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