In horse racing news, it has been leaked that his Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been awarded the coveted ‘Pride of Racing Award’ by the Racing Welfare Society. This is in recognition of the role Shaikh Mohammed has played in the improvement of horse racing and horse racing facilities in the UK and overseas over the last 30 years.
While racing has been known as the sport of kings for many years, and they don’t come much closer to that than Shaikh Mohammed, there was a period when investment was minimal in the UK and many tracks were falling into disarray. Shaikh Mohammed, through his racing business, ideas for improvements and generous donations has played a major role in improving the UK scene, a scene where he has been very prominent for many years.
It literally seems as though racing is in the family blood with a number of others from the UAE also prominent in what is now a multi-billion pound worldwide sport. Very little recognition is actually given to what goes on behind the scenes and the treatment of active and retired horses by the sport, with myths, rumours and untruths very common. With so much money to burn I would expect no-less. This guy is a sports betting guru and probably a heck of a bingo player too!