MM: How far along are the plans for the new
racecourse and what might the plans include?

HARRY HERBERT
Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani=s Al ShaqabRacing, a rising force in the Thoroughbred industry,
enjoyed a banner day in the Middle
East Thursday, as its silks werecarried to victory by Dubday (GB)(Dubawi {Ire}) in the HH The Emir=s
Trophy, Qatar=s richest
Thoroughbred race, and by
Mshawish (Medaglia d=Oro) in theG2 Zabeel Mile at Meydan in Dubai.
Late last year, Sheikh Joaan
appointed Harry Herbert, Managing
Director of Highclere Racing, as his
racing advisor, and Michele
MacDonald sat down with Herbert
Harry Herbertfollowing Dubday=s victoryMichele MacDonaldThursday.
MM: How do you think the Qatar International Racing
Festival fared in its first year as a truly international
event before visiting racing figures from around theworld?
HH: Absolutely fantastic. There's a huge atmospherehere, and there [a lot of] European people out here-English trainers and French trainers and some who
don't have horses running here, like John Gosden, Sir
Michael Stoute, Richard Hannon Jr. and many others.
And there were heads of racing authorities. The lasttime I was out here was two years ago, and I've reallyseen it grow. Everyone knows the importance of theQatari investment in the world Thoroughbred industry-it is massive and hugely important, and it's great that itis being supported by the major folks from acrossdifferent racing nations who came here to see what
Qatar is up to.
MM: How do you perceive the Qatar International
Festival growing in the future?
HH: As far as it growing, they're talking about a new
racecourse and there are lots of things that they willwant to change, including the quarantine facilities.
There are various things that are going to need tochange before it can grow into a major international
event that will, without any doubt, have significant
support from trainers who will run their horses here.
The time scale I'm not certain of, but I know that
Sheikh Joaan and his advisors that I've spoken to are
extremely keen that things are progressed rapidly andthat this Qatar festival finds its place within the world
festivals, with trainers from across the world runningtheir horses here. I'm sure that's only a matter of acouple of years away.

HH: There's a lot of discussion going on at themoment. There are two or three sites that are being
discussed. Probably the answer is still a ways away.
But what I have heard--and remember I am very new in
my job as racing advisor to Sheikh Joaan--is that there
is an absolute intention to get this done and to get it
done as soon as possible and to get it done well. I don't
think we are looking to create another Meydan, but
we're certainly looking to create a facility that will
incorporate the best horses in the world coming toQatar. That's what they want--it's about getting thebest here. And I have no doubt that will happen overthe next few years.
MM: One issue you mentioned concerns quarantine
rules. What might have to change in Qatar to make iteasier for international horses to travel in and out of thecountry?
HH: I suspect it's going to have to be addressed bygovernment, the equivalent of a ministry of agriculture
here and at a different level that I'm not involved with.
But if you are building a new racecourse, the first thing
you've got to be thinking of is your facilities forinternational horses. Otherwise, it can't be aninternational festival. They are very, very aware of it,
but as far as the details, I can't answer that question.
MM: People in America will also be interested in what
Sheikh Joaan might have planned for racing and/orbreeding in the U.S. What are the goals?
HH: He is keen that Al Shaqab can compete in principal
Group 1 races around the world. He has always said'around the world.' It is an international success story
that he is looking to create. Therefore, I have no doubtthat over next few years there will be more horses in
the United States. Some, like in the European program,will be bought privately and others, I suspect, [willcome from] a yearling buying program that has to go
alongside that, with breeze-up sales and the rest of it.
He's expressed a real wish to win the Kentucky Derby.
He absolutely believes it and wants it. And I think, aswe've seen today [in the HH The Emir's Trophy won byDubday], that's his passion: 'I want to win this raceand go for it.' Whether [winning the Kentucky Derby]
can happen this year or next year, I don't know, but theeffort will be there to make it happen.
He's just sent his first horse in the U.S. to Todd
Pletcher, a filly, from [French trainer] Damien deWatrigant. She has just arrived at Belmont Park and willhead down to Florida and we will see how she gets on.
Her name is Damsah (Mr. Greeley), and she's four years
old. She's sort of a sprinting filly [who has been racedin France], and maybe in the States she might need to
go a bit further. She's not a superstar, but it's a start.

Todd met Sheikh Joaan and his advisors at theBreeders' Cup last year. We've been talking with Todd,
but we'll need other trainers as well. Other trainers will
get some patronage.
MM: Did Sheikh Joaan enjoy the Breeders' Cup andwhat did he think of this experience in American
racing?
HH: Of course it was a very disappointing day [with hisrunners]. It's always difficult at the end of our[European season], and those horses had a tough time;[multiple Group 1 winner] Olympic Glory (Ire) (Choisir{Aus}) had had a long season [before he ran unplacedin the G1 Breeders' Cup Mile] and he's probably moreof a horse that appreciates easier ground. But theBreeders' Cup is a great racing festival and that's thekind of event in which the Sheikh wants to see AlShaqab compete.
MM: You mentioned after Dubday won the Emir's
Trophy that jockey Frankie Dettori was wearing newly
designed silks for Al Shaqab Racing. How were thesilks conceived?
HH: The Sheikh wanted the gray and the maroon tocome into the design since those are [Qatar's] nationalcolors, and he liked the idea of The Queen's silks athome with the gold braid[on the front]. So I wentaway and got veryvarious shades of grayand we put the gold braid
on top, beautifully done.
And rather like Highclere
Thoroughbred Racing--weuse a velvet cap--we triedvarious shades ofmaroon. The maroon
velvet cap looked
beautiful with that shade Frankie Dettori aboard Dubdayof gray on the silks. Thenin the new Al Shaqab silks
it was a question of aMichele MacDonald
tassel [on the cap] or
what The Queen has,
which is called a fringe, with a slightly heavier gold on
the top. So when I presented the new silks to him, hisreaction was fantastic--he was so pleased. It seemed to
be exactly what he wanted.
Like all of those things, watching Frankie ride out
today...the first thing he did was put his hand on theground into the turf and then just wipes it [on thesilks]. It seems like jockeys have that tradition. I know
everyone involved with Al Shaqab have great pride inlooking at the new silks and having a jockey as great as
Frankie ride in them the first time and then winning thebiggest Thoroughbred race in Qatar is absolutely thestuff of dreams. It was very special for everyone
involved.

MM: Was Sheikh Joaan here to see Dubday's race?
HH: Sheikh Joaan was here today and very happy. Hebrought his sons with him, and it was lovely to see hissons going to pick up the trophy. He's got to rush off
and catch a plane; he's going to be heading back toLondon.
MM: What was his reaction to the race and Dubday'svictory?
HH: Owners at every level--you go through thatmoment. It was, 'Frankie, you've got to get out of thatpocket,' and then the gap appeared and Frankie asked
the horse to quicken and Dubday hit a flat spot just fora moment. Thensuddenly, it all changed in
the blink of an eye.
Frankie rode a great race,flew down the straight.
Of course, [Sheikh Joaan]
was super excited andthen we had Frankie's
flying dismount and all
the crowd here went
absolutely mad. And so
there were so many
wonderful ticks in all theSheikh Joaan’s sons afterright boxes, but it wascollecting the trophy
Frankie, it's new silks,
Michele MacDonald
it's the Sheikh, it's
[Qatar's] own race. He
was with the emir, so they have sort of a set routine,
so he and I will have to catch up later on the phone
about the whole thing.
I think it's now about planning for this horse's futureand sending him to Dubai for the [$5 million G1]
Sheema Classic, which I think would be the right spot
for him at a mile and a half, and then see how he getson there and see how he fits in the whole international
picture before making any set decision about whether
he goes to Europe, or possibly, because he loves fastground, to the States. That's a real possibility.
MM: Although you are the racing advisor to Sheikh
Joaan, do you know anything about plans for his
breeding program and possible farm acquisitions?
HH: He has a lovely stud in Normandy [Haras deBouquetot, where he stands Group 1 winners Planteur(Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire} and Style Vendome (Fr)(Anabaa)]. They're not rushing into that side of it.
They've bought some lovely mares and obviously thatwill grow as the beautifully-bred fillies that he's been
buying retire to the paddocks. But there's no plan right
now to say 'We want a new stud farm in America andanother one in England and another one in Australia.'
That is something about which there will be decisions
made in the coming months.

MM: How do you like your new position with Sheikh
Joaan and Al Shaqab so far?
HH: It's very exciting. It's very daunting to start with.
But for me, the Sheikh has been so welcoming and theteam that is around the Sheikh have been sowelcoming. With the team that I am putting together inthe offices--the same offices we have at Highclere
Thoroughbred Racing, but we've expanded them--it's avery exciting process. I am absolutely loving it. I'm only
three months in, but days like today, as we all know,
do make it very special and they 'refill the tanks' andgive one an enormous buzz. The Sheikh has people
working hard around him and he appreciates us, andworking for someone who has such aspirations isabsolutely thrilling. I'm incredibly lucky to have thisopportunity. Click to share this story.