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| Staff Writer |
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With an unprecedented US$2.2 million purse for December's UAE President Cup raising the stakes in Arabian racing, Al Shahania Stud is mobilising a powerful team to maintain its dominance in the sport's richest prizes. The Qatar-based operation's Director, Dean Lavy, outlines an ambitious campaign that could reshape the Gulf racing season while offering rare insights into one of Arabian racing's most successful breeding empires.
"The increase in prize money puts pressure on Dubai, Qatar, and Saudi because everybody wants their race to be the richest and the best," Lavy observes. "It makes it more competitive to continue to increase the prize money with the other countries. For me, it's a great thing."
Al Shahania's formidable hand for the UAE President Cup includes Hareeb, a French-bred colt; Basheer, a promising Jaffer colt; and AA Feel The Burn, a talented Burning Sand colt who captured third in last year's Amir Sword. This powerful lineup comes despite a slightly delayed start to their domestic season.
"Unfortunately, our season started a little bit late this year. They're doing some new work on the track at the QREC, and so it got delayed by three weeks. We just started running on 7 November," Lavy explains.
"While we're not too far into the season, there's still enough time. We have to have a run first, and then obviously see how they come out of the race."
"These are horses you have to baby a little bit. They don't need to run a lot, but you've got to keep them fit. From November to February, then to April-May, they only run four to five times," Lavy reveals about managing his elite string.
The strategic positioning of major races across the Gulf region presents both opportunities and challenges. While the UAE President Cup and Dubai's Kahayla Classic (US$750,000) fit neatly into Al Shahania's schedule, Saudi Arabia's timing creates a difficult choice, falling just one week after Qatar's prestigious Amir Sword festival.
"Dubai is perfect - it's one month from us, so it gives us four to five weeks to get ready if we have something for the Kahayla Classic," Lavy notes. "But the Amir Sword, obviously, for our owner, is very prestigious. It's his country, so we want to have everything we can for that weekend."
Samlla, a Group winner in France who claimed victory in Doha's International race two years ago, is now based in Doha. The operation has also unveiled promising talent in Jebran, a full sibling to champions Assy and Mon’nia.
Al Shahania's commitment to innovation sets it apart. The facility boasts a 2,000-metre dirt and turf track, starting gates, swimming pools, treadmills, and spas. But it's the embrace of cutting-edge technology that truly highlights their forward-thinking approach.
"You must keep your mind open always," Lavy emphasises. "You've got to continue to improve and educate yourself, look at everything, and stay open. It is important not just to stay focused on what you're doing but also look to the future because it's always changing."
"We use training devices that you put on the saddles of the horses that give you stride length, speed, and the balance of the riders. Then it all comes back on a computer, and you can put your works together, and it'll graph it for you," Lavy details.
The facility has also embraced modern therapeutic approaches. "Now you got your physical therapists, chiropractors, magnetic blankets, shock wave therapy, vibrating plates. Once you get your facility done, there's only so much you can do, other than keeping up with the times on what is new, what is trending, as far as the treatment of the horse."
Al Shahania's operation extends far beyond the Gulf region, with a strong presence in European racing that has yielded significant success. "We're based in France as well. When summer comes, we have other races in Goodwood, Longchamp, Deauville, St. Cloud, and Toulouse," Lavy explains." Then obviously, we want to focus on the young horses, the 3YOs, and the older horses for the Arc weekend."
This dual-hemisphere approach has proven particularly successful, allowing Al Shahania to target major prizes year-round. Their French base serves as a strategic hub for their European campaign, while their Qatar facility maintains their Gulf region dominance.
"Logistically, things have changed so much," Lavy notes. "In terms of transportation, it is very easy to travel horses all over the world now. When I first came here, all your products came from outside. You had to order six to eight weeks in advance. Now, most things can be sourced here, even in Saudi, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi. It has grown so much and improved so much. We're much more self-sufficient now."
The operation's adaptability to changing trends while maintaining its core strengths has been crucial. With the emergence of more precocious three-year-olds and an increased emphasis on speed, Al Shahania has shown remarkable versatility. Their sprinting revelation, Hargan, exemplifies this adaptability, transforming into a "rock star" over 1200 meters after a strategic distance change by trainer Rudy.
"We saw a trend two years ago where we had a couple of three-year-olds, but we didn't push the horses for three-year-old races. Now we're seeing a lot more speed factored into the racing," Lavy observes. "The Arabs have longevity. They can run until they're eight or nine, and some get to their best at five and six."
"We're getting more players involved, which is fantastic for the sport, but then it puts more pressure on us. The Arabian racing was a pretty niche group of people for a long time. Now maybe not big players, but lots of players with quality horses have come into play in the last couple of years."
With approximately 60 carefully selected broodmares, Al Shahania's breeding programme remains the cornerstone of their success. " H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani started over 30 years ago and built a very nice broodmare band with some fantastic bloodlines. Maintaining those was a key thing for us, as well as having athletic mares that were a little bit athletic themselves."
Their stallion roster includes the proven Assy, the promising young sire Ebraaz - whose first crop has impressed - and Gazwan, who has already produced Group race winners in France. "We were a little bit surprised to see 3YOs from him. We thought they'd be more 4YOs and 5YOs types, but we're excited that they're a little precocious, too," Lavy reveals.
The introduction of Methgal, a son of TM Fred Texas, adds an exciting outcross to their breeding programme. In France, they maintain strong connections with leading sires Azadi, AF Baraq, Al Bahar, and Al Mourtajaz.
"A Group One horse is only 1% of the horses, so there's a 99% chance you're not going to be at that level. But to compete in the races we are talking about, only a slim number of horses get there. So it's a tough, tough game," Lavy reflects.
Al Shahania's commitment to both tradition and innovation has been key to maintaining its position at the forefront of Arabian racing. Their training facility exemplifies this philosophy, with Lavy emphasising the importance of natural horsemanship alongside modern methods.
"All of our horses get turned out. We have lots of paddocks, grass, and sand. We like our horses outside as much as they can be, especially this time of year," he explains. "And of course, the team makes it all. I give everybody credit, from the people that cut the grass, because it takes all of us as a team."
The operation's success in producing versatile performers is particularly noteworthy. While some of their horses excel on dirt, Lavy notes that "we have mainly turf horses, 95%. So, we've got to find that dirt horse as well every year, and our pedigrees are mostly grass."
Their careful management of young talent has been particularly evident with horses like Jebran. "He ran in France, but we think he'll improve here, and like the ground and the conditions - obviously those two did, they liked it here a lot," Lavy shares, referring to the success of his siblings.
Al Shahania's strategic approach to both racing and breeding ensures they remain well-positioned for future success. "Workwise, unless a new race is added to the programme or something like this, the racing schedule pretty much stays the same," Lavy reflects. "We want to target key races in Europe. Then you come to the Middle East, where there's Saudi, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai. Those will always be on the list of targets."
Looking ahead, Lavy emphasises the long-term nature of their planning, "What I do today is four years before I see my product. The mare carries it for a year, and then typically it's three to four years before you see them on the track. So, the big thing is to stay on top of it."
With emerging players entering the sport and prize money reaching unprecedented levels, Al Shahania's blend of traditional horsemanship and modern innovation is perfectly positioned to maintain its position among Arabian racing's elite. As the season unfolds, their carefully curated string of runners, backed by one of the world's premier breeding operations, stands ready to compete for the sport's richest prizes.