Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, owner of Mtoto, Addeybb and Almaqam, has died.
Sheikh Mohammed’s younger brother has been a leading owner in Britain since the 1980s. Mtoto was one of his first and brightest stars, winning back-to-back renewals of the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes and Coral-Eclipse, and the 1988 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot. He signed off with an agonising fast-finishing neck defeat behind Tony Bin in the Arc.
Mtoto twice won the 1000 Guineas with Ameerat and Elmalka while Addeybb captured the Champion Stakes at Ascot in 2020.
This season as well as Almaqam’s Group One success in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, Sheikh Ahmed's famous yellow silks with black epaulettes were carried to top-flight success in Germany by Saddadd while Quddwah landed the Group Two Tonybet Solonaway Stakes at the Irish Champions Festival.
He was the founder of Jebel Ali Racecourse and it was announced in April that Ed Crisford was to relocate to Dubai later this year to take over from Michael Costa as the owner’s private trainer.
Paying tribute Hugh Anderson, Godolphin's Managing Director (UK and Dubai), said: "Everyone at Godolphin is deeply saddened to hear of the death of Sheikh Ahmed.
"He was a simply outstanding owner and breeder whose contribution to our sport will be felt for many years to come. Everyone who knew him was touched by his generosity of spirit and love of Dubai; he shared the same passion for racing as his brothers and will be sadly missed.
"We send our sincerest condolences to all of the Maktoum family."
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