Buy Your Way out of TroubleAt a time when the recession has been biting in his emirate of Dubai and when the horse racing bloodstock market has been suffering, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum has been buying up large and giving the horse racing industry a transfusion.
Sheikh Mo Mentum
According to Chris McGrath at the Independent, “The Sheikh’s appearance at a yearling sale in Saratoga this week has sent sudden ripples of optimism across an industry that had become not so much stagnant as congealed.” Sheikh Mohammed’s activity drove the overall sales high. They were saying in the US that the Sheikh was giving Mo Momentum.
Show Me the Money
“The sheikh stood alongside as John Ferguson, his bloodstock manager, made bids of $1.5m (£909,000) for a filly by Medaglio D'Oro, and $1.3m (£788,000) and $1.2m (£728,000) respectively for two colts by Bernardini.”
$5.5 million is a nice sum of money to spend on one night.
Sheikh Mohammed, through John Ferguson, is the leading buyer of yearlings at major North American auctions at this stage in 2009.
His figures to 12 August for yearlings are these:
Gross amount spent--$13,405,000
Average Price-- $788,529
Median Price-- $525,000
Highest Price--$2, 800,000
More figures on prices he paid for weanlings and two-year olds and you’ll see why Sheikh Mohammed and his buyer are such a welcome sight in the USA.
Sheikh Mohammed and His Horses
There’s more to His Highness than racing, winning, money and competition. Horses give this leader a life outside of his work.
A photograph album on the personal Facebook page of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, the Vice-President and PM of the UAE and the Ruler of Dubai is entitled, 'Beyond Work'. It contains only six photographs.
The first photo is of Sheikh Mohammed kissing his horse and it has this caption, “My enduring passion.”
To see the rest of the captions, a photo of the Sheikh with his horse and a link to his Facebook page go to this story.
Links
Chris McGrath, Sheikh’s Shoots of Recovery, The Independent, 12 August 2009.
Deirdre Biles, Sheikh Mohammed in Saratoga for Sale, Bloodhorse.Com, 10 August 2009.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum’s Facebook Page.
Follow HH Sheikh Mohammed (HHShkMohd) on Twitter.
Related
More on Mohammed the Facebooking Twittering Sheikh of Dubai, UAE, ETE, 7 August 2009.
Make Sure to Connect with Sheikh Mohammed’s Correct Facebook Page, ETE, 16 July 2009.
Sheikh Mohammed Gets Public Page on Facebook and Thousands of Fans, ETE, 15 July 2009.
Sheikh Mohammed Showered With Birthday Greetings and Facebook Gifts, ETE, 31 July 2009.
Connect With Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid on Facebook, ETE.
Sheikh Mohammed Gains Too Many Friends on Facebook, ETE.
Follow Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai on Twitter, ETE.
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Judged One of the 75 Most Influential People of the 21st Century, ETE.
Poems Give Most Revealing Glimpse of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid al Maktoum, ETE.
Sheikh Mohammed Hailed as Most Powerful in Horse Racing Industry, ETE.
Sheikh Mohammed Pays Record Price for Aussie Horse Racing Deal, ETE.
Sheikh Mohammed’s Ambitions for Middle East, ETE.
Sheikh Mohammad Models Rare Style of Leadership, ETE.
Sheikh Mohammed’s Leadership is Honoured, ETE.
New Website for H H Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ETE.
Dubai and Sheikh Mohammed on 60 Minutes Video, ETE.
On Related Sites
33rd America’s Cup in UAE According to Wikipedia, America’s Cup in the UAE, 12 August 2009.
Powerful News for Fujairah, Fujairah in Focus, 12 August 2009.
Dr Geoff Pound
Geoff can be contacted by email at geoffpound(at)gmail.com on Facebook and Twitter.
Write to him about advertizing details and getting links for this and his other sites.
Images: A filly by Medaglio D'Oro was bought this week and two colts by Bernardini; His Highness Sheikh Mohammed at the Saratoga sales this week.
