Thursday at Royal Ascot saw winners for two heads of state, with King Charles III and Queen Camilla celebrating their first winner at the royal meeting, followed by the victory in the Gold Cup with Courage Mon Ami (GB) (Frankel {GB}) for Wathnan Racing, which it has been confirmed is owned by the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Various members of Qatar's ruling family are already well established as owner-breeders on the international racing scene. The Emir's brother Sheikh Joaan is head of Al Shaqab Racing and the owner of Haras de Bouquetot in Normandy. He is also behind the major sponsorship of France's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe meeting among others.
Their uncle Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Thani is also a major owner-breeder, as is his son, Sheikh Fahad, the principal of Qatar Racing and sponsor, with his brothers, of the QIPCO British Champions Series. Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani was in the royal procession at Ascot on Thursday.
Wathnan Racing, representatives of which received the Gold Cup from the King and Queen at Ascot, has burst onto the British racing scene this week, winning the Gold Cup on the Thursday with the former Anthony Oppenheimer-owned Courage Mon Ami (GB) after taking the G2 Queen's Vase on Wednesday with another recent purchase, Gregory (GB).
The Poule d'Essai des Poulains runner-up Isaac Shelby (Ire), who was bought after winning the G3 Greenham S. in April, finished fourth in the Wathnan Racing colours in Tuesday's G1 St James's Palace S.
Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock, who is responsible for buying the horses on behalf of Wathnan Racing, told TDN on Thursday, “I was asked to buy some proper horses who could go to the big meetings and compete in the big races, and this is as big as it gets.
“We haven't bought very many, we've been very selective, but there are a couple more to come out. The owners want to be under the radar slightly, though I think the last two days has just blown that apart, but they are private people. It was just a case of getting started with a few horses and this has been a dream start.”
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