Shaikh Maktoum Bin Khalifa dies

HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa bin Saeed Al Maktoum is a United Arab Emirati politician and royalty of Dubai.

Sheikh Mohammed is the first cousin of the current ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the head of the Dubai Land Department, the land registrar of the Emirate of Dubai.

He was appointed in 1971 (the establishment of UAE) by his late first cousin, Emir (ruler) of Dubai, Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Emir Maktoum himself was the first chairman since 1960.^[1]

The Sheikh is also a noted owner of thoroughbred racehorses, including the 2007 UAE triple crown winner Asiatic Boy.^[2]

Formerly trained and rode Arabian horses in endurance races of up to 75 miles. He also kept and trained camels for racing. Since 2000 he has been involved in the sport of polo

He was given four horses by Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum in 1996 to race in Dubai, where he had his first winner with Map Of Stars.  … His involvement in racing then lapsed until 2000 and his first high profile purchase was the New Zealand Derby and AJC Australian Derby runner-up, Sir Clive, who ran down the field to capture the 2001 Caulfield Cup in Australia … He now has over 40 horses in training in Australia, where his affairs are managed by former top class polo player Tim Stakemire. They are mainly with John Sadler States, but he also has some trained by Tim Martin, including Murtajill, who was second in two Group 1 races in May 2008 … In 2006, he decided to reinstate his Dubai ownership operation and quickly teamed up with trainer Mike de Kock. Their first runner together, Candy Critic, was a winner, but in South Africa, not Dubai, landing the South African Oaks … De Kock was sent to South America by Sheikh Mohammed to purchase Argentine champion Hussonet, but instead came back with a horse Hussonet beat, Asiatic Boy. This proved an inspired purchase, as he won the UAE Derby in 2007 and finished second to Curlin in the 2008 Dubai World Cup … Sheikh Mohammed had a superb Dubai Carnival in 2008, also winning the UAE 2000 Guineas with Honour Devil, who went on to lead home a 1-2 for his owner in the UAE Derby. Although only represented by 19 runners, Sheikh Mohammed won seven races and over $2.8 million in prize money, making him champion owner, in terms of prize money, for the 2007-8 Dubai season … Sheikh Mohammed and de Kock have made some significant purchases from Irish training maestro Aidan O’Brien, most significantly Archipenko, who won the Audemars Piguet QE II Cup in Hong Kong before finishing second in the Arlington Million, and Eagle Mountain, who made a winning debut for his new connections in the Joel Stakes at Newmarket and is set to become their first Breeders’ Cup runner.

Is involved in breeding in both Australia and South Africa, where he owns the stallion Hobb Alwahtan, a half-brother to Dubai Millennium, who stands at Summerhill Stud. … Calls his Thoroughbred operaion “Al Adiyaat”, and says, “It is the aim of Al Adiyaat to buy horses anywhere in the world, it doesn’t matter where. If Mike (de Kock) finds the right ones, we will buy them as we’d like to win big races all over the world, in the U.K., the U.S.A., Australia, and South Africa.”