May 27, 1999. Copyright, 1999, Graphic News. All rights reserved

THE RISE AND RISE OF GODOLPHIN
By Midge Todhunter

LONDON, May 27, Graphic News:  CREATED because the most powerful figure in the history of thoroughbred racing wanted a more hands-on involvement with his horses, perhaps the most paradoxical aspect of GodolphinÕs remarkable success is that it accentuates the importance of teamwork in modern sport.
Godolphin is the racing entity of Sheikh Mohammed and his three brothers who make up the ruling Maktoum family of Dubai, and its aims are to prepare horses in Dubai during the winter to take full advantage of their fabulous facilities and climate before challenging for the major races worldwide.
A hand-picked team of dedicated horsemen from around the world have been assembled at GodolphinÕs Al Quoz stables in the Arabian desert, where the amenities include the largest and most advanced equine hospital in the world, and a feed mill so sophisticated it not only provides scientifically prepared and purified nourishment for horses, but meets the needs of 45 other local species from camels to quails.
The whole concept began as a small scale experiment in 1993 and was more formally established in 1994, when they sent out Balanchine to win the Epsom Oaks and the Irish Derby. The following year Lammtarra scooped the Derby, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot and the Prix de lÕArc de Triomphe at Longchamp, though not, despite being owned by Sheikh Mohammed and trained at Al Quoz by GodolphinÕs Saeed bin Suroor, in Godolphin colours.
A phenomenal string of major successes followed and Godolphin gained another entry in the records books in 1998 when the stable became the first to land a 1-2-3 in a British Group 1 race Š the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown. Godolphin ran Cape Verdi in last yearÕs Derby Š only the third filly to do so since World War II Š in which she finished ninth. The stableÕs other runner, City Honours, looked a certain winner until caught at the finish by High-Rise.
When flown over from Dubai, the horses are stabled at Moulton Paddocks in Newmarket, with an overflow yard at their Kildangan Stud in Ireland. All GodolphinÕs two-year-olds are now housed at the former Evry racecourse in France under the care of ex-Newmarket trainer David Loder, who has proved a highly skilled handler of juveniles in recent years.
Winner of 10 of EuropeÕs Classics since 1994, GodolphinÕs global ambitions increased this year with sorties in the United States, including the Kentucky Derby on May 1. Earlier that day, Island Sands landed the first British Classic of 1999 Š the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket but as yet, the Epsom Derby still eludes GodolphinÕs distinctive royal blue colours.
/ENDS