Starry Night
by Erley Turk
continued..........
INTERVAL
Sheikh Mohammad hosted a press conference on March 23 at the Godolphin Gallery next to Nad al Sheba racecourse. It was, to say the least, a bravura performance that left more than one scribe wondering, "just when you thought the year 2000 DWC couldn't be topped…"
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Skeikh Mohammed at the Press Conference
Photo © Trevor Jones |
Here are some highlights of his comments: -
| "In the early 90s I wanted to make a big race in Dubai. Now I want to make my race bigger than anything. More people who attend will mean better horses who run will mean a higher interest and there will be higher purses. [When asked about spreading out and expanding the race program] "Maybe someday we will have some races run on Thursday, then people can shop or go to the beach on Friday, and we'll have the World Cup on Saturday. There is a two year plan and a five year plan." |
| "Dubai Millennium is the best Godolphin horse we have ever had in the terms of the way he looks, trains and carries himself. His name as a two year old was Yazzer, but, before he ran, I changed it to Dubai Millennium with this race in mind. His optimum distance is 1 1/8 miles, and he will focus on the Emirates World Series races." |
| "The winner of the U.A.E. Derby will not automatically go to the Kentucky Derby. In trials and races, the winner is not necessarily the best horse; the upcoming U.A.E. Derby may not even feature our best three-year old. The distance to the USA means it is not feasible to have our prep races there. We find out our best ones then ship them over." |
| "We have shown that you can improve races and increase purses without betting. The purse for this year's U.A.E. Derby is $500,000. Next year it will be $2,000,000." |
| "I do not want people to get the wrong idea from the finish of the trials. You may focus on the winner when I know the horse that finished third will beat the winner next time out. The trials are not a secret; anyone can come watch them. Of course we'll let you know on the 7th that they were held on the 5th." [Laughter followed that comment as the racing press has been critical in the past of Godolphin's penchant for secrecy and running its horses in unofficial trials rather than established races.] |
| "I would like Dubai to be a satellite training center for [European-based] horses in the winter. We will start this concept out on a small basis." |
| "Godolphin is international; we travel anywhere. It is about change and creation. It is expensive but very profitable. We are sending a group of two year olds to California and they will come back here next winter. Initially I wanted to take a horse or so from trainers and try out our own training methods. They complained so we took them here in Dubai where it is easier to winter them as a team." |
Sheikh Mohammad touched on other points including the desire "to be number one" and how that applies to Godolphin's horses, to the Dubai World Cup in being the world's premier race meeting, and to the emirate of Dubai in being the top country in the region for business and leisure. More Godolphin information can be found on www.godolphin.com
ACT III
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The Opening Ceremony
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The colorful and musical opening ceremonies actually preceded the Golden Shaheen. They featured a marching band, beautifully adorned horses with riders carrying flags of the countries participating on DWC night, and a chorus that eventually sang (I think) the national anthem of the United Arab Emirates. As with describing the Burj Al Arab, Erley Turk is at a loss for words to describe the scene. He only hopes the reader can either see the spectacle on television or one day attend the DWC in person.
