AS I contemplated how best to write about the legacy of Sheikh Hamdan, I realised that no words of mine could adequately describe the impact he has had in four decades on racing and breeding globally.

He has had great days racing in Ireland, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the USA, Australia, South Africa and, of course, in his beloved homeland, the United Arab Emirates. He won the Dubai World Cup, due to be run this weekend, on two occasions.

He has been a boon for breeders, buying large numbers of stock at the yearling sales each year.

He has contributed at all levels of the market, and provided many commercial, and even hobby, breeders with notable paydays in the sale ring.

While his Group and Grade 1 winners have probably averaged out at having one homebred top-level horse for every year of his involvement in racing, he and his team have bought even more. Breeders around the globe have benefited from his largesse.

Irish breeders, who were always buoyed to see Sheikh Hamdan walk through the gates of Goffs, provided him with many of his great winners, and two horses, born more than a quarter of a century apart, feature in almost any list of his top 10 winners.

Salsabil

What a champion the Kilcarn Stud-bred Salsabil (Sadler’s Wells) proved to be, and a year after she was foaled her Group 1 winning brother, Marju (Last Tycoon), appeared and also won for Sheikh Hamdan. Salsabil raced nine times, won seven and five of these were Group 1 races.

She won a trio of classics in 1990, famously becoming the first filly in almost a century to win the Irish Derby.

At stud, for Sheikh Hamdan, she had five foals, four runners and winners, and three of her offspring were stakes winners.

Battaash

Bred at the McCartan’s Ballyphilip Stud, Battaash (Dark Angel) sold to Shadwell Estate Company for 200,000gns as a yearling.

This three-time champion sprinter has won 13 times, earned over £1.75 million, and had four Group 1 victories to his credit. In 2019 Shadwell returned to the source and acquired his now three-year-old full-sister, Altaayshah, for 800,000gns.

These are just two horses in a list, published on this page, that show what an asset Sheikh Hamdan has been from the time he became involved with racing.

As an interesting footnote to history, Sheikh Hamdan, who had his first winner in July 1980, enjoyed his first British group success with an Irish-bred colt. Princes Gate (Realm), bred by William Baker at Lismacue Stud, was bought as a yearling by trainer Tom Jones (H. Thomson Jones) for 16,000gns.