Derby dream alive as Al Shaikh decides to retain Dubai Mile

Owner Ahmad Al Shaikh has resisted the opportunity to offer his newly-minted Group 1 winner Dubai Mile in Tuesday's session of this week's Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale in order to attempt to fulfil his Derby dream.

The Dubai businessman has regularly been a savvy trader, most recently with his runner-up in the Epsom Classic this year Hoo Ya Mal, a 40,000gns Book 1 purchase who was resold to Australian investors for an impressive £1,200,000 at the Goffs London Sale after his exploits behind Desert Crown.

Two years earlier, Khalifa Sat got closest to the runaway Serpentine in Al Shaikh's green and white colours.

In the shape of the Charlie and Mark Johnston-trained Dubai Mile, who had finished a close second to The Foxes in the Royal Lodge Stakes at Ascot before reapplying his battling qualities to maintain a narrow lead from Arrest in Saturday's Criterium de Saint-Cloud, the charismatic Al Shaikh hopes he has finally found the right one.

"I decided not to go [to Tattersalls] because the dream is there for the Derby," he said on Sunday. "I'm always waiting for a good horse for the Derby, from his pedigree, from what I've seen from him, I think he's a proper horse for the Derby. It's my dream and [Johnston] is a very famous trainer, I realised he has also never won the Derby."

The race at Saint-Cloud realised a long-held ambition for Al Shaikh, an associate of the Maktoum family who has been around the sport for many years.

"It was the first time in my career to win a Group 1, I've been second two times in the Derby, one time in a Guineas second, always second, second, second," he said. "A long time waiting but I'm still lucky to have won one, owners can wait maybe 30 years to win one."

Dubai Mile was a first Group winner, let alone one at the highest level for his sire Roaring Lion, who died in 2019 leaving only one crop. Also a winner of the Royal Lodge Stakes for Qatar Racing, the grey would finish third in the 2018 to Masar in the 2018 Derby before embarking on a glittering Group 1 roll through the Eclipse, Juddmonte International, Irish Champion Stakes and QEII.

Bred by Lady O'Reilly's Skymarc Farm out of Pretty Polly runner-up Beach Bunny, he was secured by the Johnstons for just €20,000 from Hollyhill Stud at last year's Goffs Orby Sale.

"I chose him from a lot of horses with Mark and always I believe in the horse not the price," Al Shaikh continued. "A lot of people are buying horses for £2.5, £3 million for the Derby and they never win it. I came second very close with one for 40,000gns, before for another that was €40,000.

Ahmad Al Shaikh (right) leads in Dubai Mile and Daniel Muscutt after winning the Criterium de Saint-CloudCredit: Racing Post / Scott Burton

"This one was €20,000, maybe he'll win it. I believe in the pedigree more than anything else.

"The dam ran well over a mile and a half, the sire we know, maybe he's like his sire. He's the best one until now and he's the cheapest! Maybe I'm lucky about that.

"He's won on good to firm ground and now heavy, I don't think there are a lot of horses like this and he'll handle any track, that's the most important thing."

Al Shaikh admitted that everything since Saturday afternoon has been a blur and had Dubai Mile been engaged in a sale a week later, he might have been able to give it more considered thought. For now, he must also decide with the team whether the youngster is given a further opportunity in the Breeders' Cup meeting at Keeneland in the beginning of November.

"We will enter him tomorrow but we will think about it because of the timing, it's only 14 days [between the races]," he said. "He's fine today, fingers crossed, and we'll see over the next few days.

"I've enjoyed myself with the winner, I can't think about if to sell. A lot of people have been calling me since early morning, they want him, but I can't decide to sell or not because of the time. I need to enjoy it with my family, then we will think. But now I'm thinking in my mind to go to June."

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