Dubawi an enduring link for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, generational creator of stallions and racehorses

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It is not only the long list of top-class horses produced by the late Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum that makes such impressive reading. That almost all of them hail from just a couple of key families, developed and refined over 30 or 40 years, is an extraordinary achievement.

Dubawi, a champion sire and set to be one of the dominant forces in global bloodstock for generations to come, is Sheikh Mohammed Obaid's masterpiece. From the only crop of his cousin Sheikh Mohammed's beloved Dubai Millennium, he was bred out of Zomaradah, a mare who appeared at Rutland Stud near Newmarket in 1995.

Sent into training with Luca Cumani, Zomaradah had won only a Brighton maiden before storming clear in the Italian Oaks, and later collected the likes of the EP Taylor Stakes and the Royal Whip Stakes.

That Italian Classic success came only a few days before the 1998 Derby victory by High-Rise for the same connections, and the son of High Estate is a close relative of Zomaradah's. The family descends from Irish mare Sunbittern, who was fourth for her owner-breeder Elizabeth Burke in the 1972 Cheveley Park Stakes.

Sheikh Mohammed had some tremendous results from it himself with his burgeoning Darley operation as he owned Sunbittern's daughter High Hawk, a fine middle-distance runner with John Dunlop who won the 1983 Ribblesdale Stakes, was second in the Italian and Irish Oaks and also landed the Group 1 Premio Roma.

High Hawk bred Sheikh Mohammed In The Wings, his tremendous Coronation Cup and Breeders' Cup Turf winner who sired the mighty Singspiel. High-Rise, meanwhile, was bred by Sheikh Mohammed Obaid from High Hawk's half-sister High Tern, who was a minor winner.

High-Rise's career became a bit fragmented following his gallant performance at Epsom, for all that he did collect a decent prize in the Dubai City of Gold at Nad Al Sheba two years later, but had only a modest stallion career in Japan and then Ireland.

High-Rise (right) is from the family of Dubawi

Where Zomaradah comes in is that she is out of another of High Tern's daughters, Jawaher, who was a maiden from five starts in the yellow and black Obaid silks. Dubawi was actually her first foal and, although he is Darley bred and raced in Godolphin's blue colours, it is always acknowledged that Sheikh Mohammed Obaid remained involved.

Dubawi was, it is often forgotten nowadays, a superb racehorse before he became a game-changing stallion, with an unbeaten two-year-old career culminating in a convincing success in the National Stakes at the Curragh. He returned to the same track to take the following year's Irish 2,000 Guineas and also collected the Prix Jacques le Marois.

Zomaradah lived to the ripe old age of 27 around Darley's premises and was by no means a one-hit wonder. Her daughter Emirates Queen (by Street Cry) won the 2013 Lancashire Oaks and is furthermore the dam of Royal Champion (Shamardal), who provided what has become the owner-breeder's last notable worldwide winner with his convincing performance in the Bahrain International Trophy last month.

Zomaradah produced three other black-type earners and several other daughters have been good producers. Dubai Queen is responsible for the 2024 British Champion Stakes third Royal Rhyme, while Emirates Queen has had Archie Watson's fabulous European traveller Outbox.

The sense of continuity and cross-pollination is reflected in Sheikh Mohammed Obaid's other, even more modern, dynasty and one which will represent some of Darley's future hopes. Reem Three, who turns 23 on Thursday, is certainly deserving of the blue hen status which should be bestowed only upon the best broodmares over time.

The daughter of Mark Of Esteem was also trained by Cumani, winning a couple of minor races. Out of a mare who was a half-sister to the same connections' good staying handicapper Lost Soldier Three, Reem Three is herself a half-sister to the Dubawi-sired Afsare, who was second in the Arlington Million and won a Celebration Mile. They descend from the 1979 Prix de Diane heroine Dunette.

Afsare was a Dubawi half-brother of Reem ThreeCredit: Caroline Norris

Reem Three is, at present, the dam of ten winners, eight of which have achieved black type. They are headed by the 2023 Queen Anne winner Triple Time (Frankel), who will shortly embark upon his third season standing at Dalham Hall for £10,000. Her other sons include Group or Listed winners Ostilio, Cape Byron, Third Realm and Captain Winters.

Reem Three's pre-eminent daughter was Ajman Princess (Teofilo), trained by Roger Varian to win the Group 1 Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville in 2017. The second foal from Ajman Princess is Inisherin (Shamardal), the 2024 Commonwealth Cup winner with Kevin Ryan who is also now at Dalham Hall and will debut at a fee of £12,500. 

Harper Violet, Ajman Princess's Lope De Vega daughter, showed some encouragement on her debut at Doncaster in late October, and her Dubawi son, King Of Cities, took the Group 3 Strensall Stakes at York.

It is hard to believe that the story doesn't even end there. Rosallion (Blue Point), the outstanding miler who built upon his Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere triumph as a two-year-old by sweeping through the Irish 2,000 Guineas and St James's Palace Stakes, has an even more punchy £40,000 starting fee at Dalham Hall and is from the exact same family too. His dam, Rosaline (New Approach), is one of Reem Three's unraced daughters.

Sheikh Mohammed Obaid had increased the size of his string in recent years, with a combination of homebreds and purchases usually bought through their prospective trainers as yearlings. In Britain in 2025 his colours were carried by 61 different horses – a similar number to those fielded by Juddmonte and Shadwell – indicating what a considerable figure he had become in the sport, while he was second in the overall standings in 2024, with the same sort of head count and from his biggest ever seasonal earnings of £2.67 million. 

An ever-present across four decades, Sheikh Mohammed Obaid's achievements as an owner and breeder are detailed and wide-ranging but do, very often, come back around to Dubawi.

Without A Fight, his gelding who claimed a Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double in 2023, was out of his good Dubawi mare Khor Sheed, while he bought and raced one of the stallion's first big trailblazers, the multiple Group 1 winner and former Darley stallion Postponed.

His own influence on the current Darley roster, not even including the sire who has already claimed 200 worldwide Group or Graded winners, is profound. 

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