Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum Dies, a Key Figure in Breeding and Racing
- Turf Diario
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Breeder of Dubawi and owner of multiple champions, he left a profound and lasting mark on European and international racing
The international racing world said farewell on Monday to Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, breeder of Dubawi (Dubai Millennium) and owner of emblematic champions such as High-Rise (High Estate), Postponed(Dubawi) and Rosallion (Blue Point). A cousin of the Ruler of Dubai and founder of Godolphin, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, his passing was confirmed by Darley officials, leaving a void that will be difficult to fill given the breadth of his legacy.
Active as an owner in Great Britain since 1992, Sheikh Mohammed Obaid celebrated top-level success across Europe and around the globe. His name will forever be associated with the 1998 Epsom Derby (G1), won by High-Rise, and later with the memorable campaigns of Postponed, victorious in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1) and the centerpiece of a sustained run of elite success. In more recent years, the quality of his broodmares again came to the fore, reinforcing his decisive influence from the breeding shed.
Forthright and uncompromising by nature, he did not hesitate to sever ties with trainers when he felt a change of direction was required, while always maintaining a broad roster of conditioners—particularly supporting northern British yards such as those of Karl Burke and Kevin Ryan. With Ryan, he celebrated multiple Group 1 victories through Triple Time (Frankel), Inisherin (Shamardal), Fonteyn (Farhh) and Emaraaty Ana (Shamardal); with Burke, his most recent major impact came when Royal Champion (Shamardal) captured the Bahrain International Trophy.
His standout performer of the last three seasons was Rosallion, a brilliant 2-year-old who went on to win the Irish 2000 Guineas (G1) and the St James’s Palace Stakes (G1), later continuing to perform at the highest level in multiple Group 1s. Among those bred by Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, Bow Echo (Night of Thunder), winner of the Royal Lodge Stakes (G2) and a serious 2000 Guineas prospect, and Without A Fight (Teofilo), hero of the 2023 Melbourne Cup (G1), also stand out.
As a breeder, his crowning achievement was Dubawi, foaled from his mare Zomaradah (Deploy)—winner of the Italian Oaks (G1) in 1998—and the only offspring of Dubai Millennium to truly shine. The bay became a Classic winner and a leading stallion for Darley, reshaping modern breeding and providing the foundation that allowed the owner to further expand his passion for racing. Zomaradah, like several of his early stars, was trained by Luca Cumani, with whom he also won the ’98 Derby and later the King George with Postponed. Postponed subsequently moved to Roger Varian, a chapter that yielded further Group 1 triumphs in the Sheema Classic, Coronation Cup and Juddmonte International, alongside major successes with Defoe (Dalakhani), Sheikha Reika (Shamardal), Ajman Princess (Teofilo) and Zabeel Prince (Lope de Vega).
In total, 14 trainers worked for him in Great Britain. His most lucrative seasons came in 2024 (£2.66 million) and 2025 (£2.05 million), reflecting a wide-reaching and competitive operation carried under his distinctive yellow silks with black spots.
With his passing, racing loses an intense and influential figure—one of strong convictions and vision—whose imprint on both the racetrack and the breeding shed will endure. The name Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum will forever be linked to Dubawi and to an era defined by great champions.
