From Height Of Fashion to Battaash: Tregoning, Johnston and Hills pay tribute

Among those to have had a long working association with Hamdan Al Maktoum, Marcus Tregoning can trace his involvement back to the earliest days of the sheikh's involvement with his former boss, Major Dick Hern.

"It goes back to the early 80s to when Sheikh Hamdan bought Height Of Fashion from the Queen," said Tregoning. "It was a very, very shrewd purchase as she became an iconic foundation mare for the whole of Shadwell which would, over the next decade or more, become a phenomenal operation.

"The first one we had from Height Of Fashion when I was with Dick Hern was Unfuwain. It was so exciting seeing this horse by Northern Dancer walk into the yard for the first time, I can see it like it was yesterday. Then on followed Nashwan after that, cementing the association."

Tregoning took over the licence at Kingwood House and maintained the link with Sheikh Hamdan even after moving on to Whitsbury Manor Stables.

Marcus Tregoning with Sheikh Hamdan's last great champion, MohaatherCredit: Edward Whitaker

"I have to say I wouldn't have had the facilities to train a Derby winner without Sheikh Hamdan's backing," he said. "Even though he didn't own Sir Percy, he rang me several times to find out how he was going and how much work he'd done. He had great drive and it gave me a lot of confidence.

"Because he was a very patient man and never tried to rush a horse ever, I think it made you want to do the job better. I'm certain of that. When we had disappointment with Nayef in the early part of his three-year-old career, he took it all so well and luckily for all of us the horse then excelled."

Tregoning singled out Nayef's wins in the Champion Stakes, the Dubai Sheema Classic and the Juddmonte International – where he gained revenge for his defeat in the King George at the hands of Golan – as giving the owner particular satisfaction, adding: "We had Mohaather last year but all the days I had with Sheikh Hamdan and Dick Hern were special, with Dayjur, Nashwan and Elmaamul."

Tregoning also highlighted a humorous side to his long-time supporter, recalling: "Two years ago he was up here with me on the gallops at Whitsbury Down. I had to pick him up from the helicopter in my beaten up old Range Rover, which wouldn't start. He sat next to me looking a little bit startled and then said, 'Shall I get out and push?'."

Bandari and Willie Supple lead home Maraahel for a Shadwell 1-2 in the Hardwicke Stakes during Royal Ascot at York in June 2005Credit: Mark Cranham

Mark Johnston first came into the Shadwell orbit through the acquisition of Lingfield Derby Trial winner Bandari in the spring of 2002 and has been an ally for nearly 20 years.

"Bandari was the original horse and I believe he was gifted by Mr Al-Rostamani to Sheikh Hamdan," said Johnston. "His finest hour would have been winning at Royal Ascot at York. Awzaan won the Middle Park as well and there have been many, many other horses.

"I think what sets him apart from other owners of that scale was his hands-on involvement and the knowledge of his own of horses.

"I remember going racing when there was nobody else with him and he reeled off the horses he had with me and asked about them all. It was tremendous for him to be so closely involved and have such a memory."

For many, the most iconic horse to carry the famous silks in recent years will be Battaash, the latest in a long line of equine heroes and heroines trained for Sheikh Hamdan by the Hills family.

Sheikh Hamdan admires his Nunthorpe champion BattaashCredit: Edward Whitaker

"He was a very loyal and kind man who wanted everything to be done right," said Charlie Hills. "He had a great vision for what he wanted to achieve and it's ironic that last year was probably his best ever.

"My father [Barry] would say Haafhd was one of the best horses he ever trained and when he won the Champion Stakes, any horse that day would have struggled to beat him. Winning the Guineas with him was a tremendous day and then following on, Ghanaati."

Of his own big-race winners, Hills added: "Muharaar is probably the only sprinter to win four consecutive Group 1s as a three-year-old, he was a proper champion. And he's starting to do well at stud. Having a horse like him at an early stage of my career was great.

"Battaash is almost the horse of a lifetime and, looking at the clips on social media, he's one of the horses who is on the tip of your tongue when you think of Shadwell."

Read more on Hamdan Al Maktoum

Hamdan Al Maktoum, influential owner and breeder, dies at the age of 75

From Nashwan to Nayef: ten of the best to run in the colours of Sheikh Hamdan

The remarkable facts and figures behind Sheikh Hamdan's achievements

From a small Redcar race to one of the world's great racing and breeding empires (Members' Club)

Sheikh Hamdan: shy, loyal, knowledgeable and a man fond of having a good laugh (Members' Club)

Did Nashwan produce the greatest gallop of all time? Remembering a Hamdan great (Members' Club)

A magnificent racing life: Sheikh Hamdan's champions down the years

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