Dubai: Long-standing relationships don't just happen — you have to develop them. If anyone should know the inside story on how one can build a successful alliance it is Mirza Al Sayegh, who for the last 28 years has been personal assistant to Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance.
As a trusted aide to one of the most powerful men in the world of horse racing, Al Sayegh has also contributed to the development of the racing empire that is Shadwell.
During an exclusive interview with Gulf News, Al Sayegh describes Shaikh Hamdan as being an astute planner and a true sportsman.
Following are the excerpts:
Gulf News: You have enjoyed a long-lasting relationship with Shaikh Hamdan. What sort of a journey has it been?
Mirza Al Sayegh: It has been a fascinating journey. I have learnt a lot from Shaikh Hamdan from his vast experience with horses and his immense knowledge and involvement in the racing industry. From day one, I knew that it was going to be a very unique relationship. Obviously by the time he appointed me as his personal assistant in December 1983, Shaikh Hamdan had already begun to establish himself as a major player in the world of horse racing. I could foresee that it was always going to be a challenge to keep pace with Shaikh Hamdan and his thinking.
What has struck you most about Shaikh Hamdan's involvement with his trainers?
I remember a certain Australian trainer came to Shaikh Hamdan wanting to train his horses. He told Shaikh Hamdan that he did not want any new horses to train but that he wanted to train any unused horses that he had. Shaikh Hamdan, told him to go to England and to take any horses that his English trainers did not find to be useful to them.
So the Australian trainer went to England and visited the stables of Harry Thompson Jones, often known as Tom Jones, to enquire if he had any unwanted horses in his yard. Jones, who had trained Al Bahathri to win the Irish 1000 Guineas and Coronation Stakes for Shaikh Hamdan, told the Australian gentleman that he had a fairly good horse who had come fourth in the Derby and that he could take him to Australia if he wanted. So the horse went to Australia and sensationally, the next year won the Melbourne Cup.
The trainer was the late Colin Hayes, a legend in Australia, who trained over 5,300 winners, and the horse was Al Talaq. The year was 1986 and it was the very first winner Shaikh Hamdan had in Australia. Just imagine, luck can strike any time.
Shaikh Hamdan has won almost every big race in the world from the Epsom Derby in England to the Breeders' Cup Classic and the Dubai World Cup in the UAE. However, is there any race that he still wants to win?
He has no particular favourite races. Shaikh Hamdan is in the sport because he loves horses. He has close to 20 trainers worldwide looking after his horses, all of them are equally important to him as they have all provided him with winners at the highest level. If you ask me he looks at a Listed race just as importantly as he looks at a Group race. It's the horse that matters, not the type of race. And he's happy to send a horse to any racecourse in the world to compete.
Among his many successes is there one victory that has been a defining moment for him?
All of them. But perhaps what gives him more satisfaction is to win a race with a home-bred. He won the English Derby twice with home-breds, Nashwan and Haafhd, who were bred at his Shadwell Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. He feels very, very privileged when he wins a race with a horse that he has bred. He also likes to win races with horse that he bought in Kentucky. But there is no end to his desire to own, race and breed winners.
How special was it for him to win a race like the Dubai World Cup in his home country?
Obviously, to win a race like the Dubai World Cup is very special, for any owner, trainer or jockey. Shaikh Hamdan was very happy when Almutawakel won in 1999 and again when Invasor won in 2007. They were special wins, but so were the others — the Duty Free with Altibr and Nayef in the Sheema Classic.
We're just a few days away from the big race, what are your thoughts about how the event has grown in just 16 years?
It's unbelievable. But not surprising. There is nothing surprising about Dubai. Anything is possible. The Dubai World Cup is perhaps a fine example of what Dubai can offer the world in terms of top-level horse racing.
What has been your brief with Shaikh Hamdan. How involved are you with the planning?
I do what I am told to do, but I don't interfere with racing matters. That's between Shaikh Hamadn and Angus Gold [his Racing Manager]. But I am Shaikh Hamdan's investment director at Shadwell and I look after the budgets and ways to expand the portfolio. I also know a bit about the horses [laughs], and which horse is good for which race. I've learnt that from Shaikh Hamdan.
Shaikh Hamdan has so many horses and trainers at his disposal, so it must be very difficult planning on such a large scale.
Shaikh Hamdan has his methods, but also leaves it to Angus and his trainers to advise him on racing matters.
I remember an unusual incident many years ago when Tom Jones was training for him. The trainer would write the names of five horses on a paper and place each paper, face down, under five cups. He would then shuffle the cups before requesting Shaikh Hamdan to pick them one at a time. So Shaikh Hamdan picks the first horse and says the King George, picks another and says the Arc and the third and says the Breeders Cup and so on.
Tom would then ask Shaikh Hamdan if he should go ahead with the races that the horses have drawn, and he would say yes. "Go ahead and train them for these races, but make a plan." For Shaikh Hamdan the distance is important and he always advised his trainers to run the horses in the right distances. He's not worried if it does not work out according to plan.
It is often said that in sport winning is not everything, it is the only thing. Sounds a bit extreme doesn't it? Whatever happened to good sportsmanship?
Shaikh Hamdan's attitude does not change whether he wins or loses. He's happy if he wins and should his horse get beaten he will be the first person to go up to the connections of that horse to congratulate them. It's only a matter of one minute, it does not matter at all to him, because he knows you can't win all the time. His philosophy is that there is always a next time. Should a particular horse lose then he asks the trainer to carefully plan his next race.
What sort of relationship does Shaikh Hamdan have with his trainers?
His relationship is mostly personal, he likes to build confidence in them. Many trainers would request to train for him but he says "not until I know you". That's how personal he is.
He has sent his first horse to Mike de Kock. Does he plan to use him more on a regular basis?
It depends on the way the trainer acts; if he acts nicely he will have more chances of training horses for Shaikh Hamdan. Mike de Kock is a nice man and a good trainer. Shaikh Hamdan has given him one horse, let's see how the relationship develops. Shaikh Hamdan continues to give the late Colin Hayes' sons horses. So it is a very personal relationship that he has with his trainers.
Are there plans to induct more stallions into Shaikh Hamdan's stud farms.
We certainly need more stallions. As much as we want to run horses we need to strengthen the breeding side of our operation. We need stallions to feed the gap. Two new stallions are going to stand in Uruguay and Chile and more are on their way to Shadwell and Derrinstown Stud.
Shaikh Hamdan is also a big promoter of Purebred Arabian racing and horse racing in the UAE. What has encouraged him to become a philanthropist?
Shaikh Hamdan was introduced to horse racing by his late father Shaikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum as a youngster. He wants to continue that legacy and that's why he is involved in promoting and sponsoring racing to give something back to the sport.