‘He leaves a great legacy’: farewell to Derby-winning racehorse owner and breeder

Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, the prominent racehorse owner and breeder died on 29 December.

Sheikh Mohammed Obaid’s recognisable yellow silks with black spots had been carried to hundreds of victories in Britain since the early 1990s.

He was the cousin of Godolphin founder Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The family’s Darley operation bred the great Dubawi, out of Sheikh Mohammed Obaid’s Italian Oaks winner Zomaradah, whom he also bred.

As an owner, one of his greatest successes was the 1998 Derby at Epsom, won by High-Rise, trained by Luca Cumani and ridden by Olivier Peslier. Another notable horse was the Roger Varian-trained Postponed, son of Dubawi and winner of the 2015 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the 2016 Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Cup.

Postponed was ridden to eight of his nine of his victories by Andrea Atzeni, who rode 193 British winners for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid. Andrea said: “Not only was he my boss, but also a great friend and family man.”

“He leaves behind a great legacy and the love he had for his horses and the sport. My sincere condolences go out to his family,” he said.

More recently, Sheikh Mohammed Obaid enjoyed success as the owner-breeder of the 2024 Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Rosallion and Group One Coronation Cup winner Inisherin. On 14 November 2025, his home-bred Royal Champion won the Bahrain International Trophy.

Godolphin’s director of studs, stallions and breeding Liam O’Rourke said the death of Sheikh Mohammed Obaid is a “tremendous loss to racing and breeding”.

“He has been an outstanding owner and breeder for over three decades and his contribution to the sport has been enormous,” he said.

“We send our condolences to his family, and he will be greatly missed by everyone at Godolphin.”

A British Horseracing Authority spokesperson said that during Sheikh Mohammed Obaid’s decades as an owner and breeder, “he made a significant contribution to the sport, for which all who enjoyed watching his many excellent horses are grateful”.

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