Saeed bin Suroor: Celebrating the man, the myth, the legendary horse trainer

As we prepare to once again immerse ourselves into the cauldron of excitement that the Dubai World Cup meeting unfailingly brings every last Saturday in March perhaps it is pertinent to recognize and applaud the achievements of one of the iconic event’s most mythical figures.

No major race meeting at Meydan racecourse, the heart and soul of flat-racing in the UAE, is complete without the presence and participation of champion trainer Saeed bin Suroor.

Meydan, and Nad Al Sheba racecourse before that, is where the popular Emirati horseman has achieved some of his greatest successes highlighted by no less than nine Dubai World Cup winners including the brilliant Dubai Millennium in 2000 and most recently Thunder Snow, who became the first and only horse to win the race twice.

Born and raised in Dubai, Saeed is the longest-serving trainer to the global racing stable Godolphin, which was created in 1992 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who has been one of the most influential figures in world thoroughbred racing.

Saeed was appointed as head in 1995, and since then has been overseeing the training of horses from his bases in Dubai and Newmarket England.

Although he is not represented in the Dubai World Cup he has notable runners in two of the evening’s nine races, including the Dubai Gold Cup (G2) with Passion And Glory and the Dubai Turf (G1) where he runs stable star Real World for the second successive year

A three-time Group winner, including the Group 2 Zabeel Mile in 2022, the seven-year-old showed his well-being on his most recent outing when landing a Listed race in Bahrain.

Saeed said: “Real World won his Listed race nicely in Bahrain but he is taking on a different quality of horse here. He worked well earlier this week and I have been happy with him, although it’s a very tough race.”

Passion And Glory makes a third appearance in the Gold Cup having finished fifth in 2021.

Saeed said: “Returning to two miles should suit Passion And Glory. It looks a strong race this year, although he has run well in it before and I have been pleased with his work.”

Whatever happens on Saturday, it is hard not to recall the phenomenal training skills of the man from Hatta, who for the past 28 years has set his alarm clock for a 3:00am wake-up each day and only hits the pillow after a hard day’s work late each evening after spending a little quality time with his close-knit family.

It is this extraordinary work ethic that has secured him a staggering 1,849 victories in 12 countries worldwide and four British trainers’ championships.

His other notable international wins include Sulamani in the G1 Arlington Million, Daylami and Fantastic Light in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf, while France’s top race, the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, was won by Sakhee, Marienbard, as well as the aforementioned Lammtarra.

More recently he saddles his 13th British Classic winner with the outstanding mare, Mawj, who captured the 1,000 Guineas. Mawy then travelled to Keenland to land the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup. This victory was Saeed’s 500th Group/Graded winner worldwide.

His outstanding accomplishments have not gone unnoticed and he has received high accolades at the His Highness Sheikh Mohammed honoured Saeed Awards where he was saluted for his services to horseracing at the 2015 UAE Pioneer Awards ceremony.

Previously Saeed also received the Local Trainer Award at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Awards in January 2018.

At this point of time a quick inventory will reveal he has recorded over 2,000 race wins around the world, with almost 200 of these at G1 level.

Against this perspective I once asked Saeed if he would like to share the most the defining moment of his distinguished career, to which he promptly replied: “For me, the past does not exist. Tt’s there, you don’t want to erase it, but I think it counts for nothing. Not now, not tomorrow.

“I don’t mean it in a bad way, don’t get me wrong. My career has been amazing, far beyond expectations,: he said, “What I mean is that what’s done is done, you have to move on, take up more challenges, risks, win more races, travel further, everything.

“If you live in the past, and are happy with what you have accomplished, you put the present and future in jeopardy. In this business, every day, every race matters,” Saeed added.

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“You don’t only want to win the big ones, although they are special. Every result counts, no matter how small it may seem, it boosts the confidence in the stable and motivates the people who work with you. You can see it in their eyes.”

Saturday will be just another day for the industrious Emirati training great, who said:” To me what I do is a job, it’s what has made my life, and brought a certain amount of happiness to my family.”

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