The Rise And Rise Of Niels Petersen

Q: Earlier this year, you had shared your hopes for acquiring a permanent winter license in the UAE and setting up a satellite yard here. Could you please tell us more about the situation now?

A: I tried to do that, but everything was slightly delayed and now that the season is in full swing I have decided to postpone this plan to next year. I will start preparations earlier. Now the plan is to go down now just for the carnival, but the horses are able to go to Saudi Arabia.

Q: Considering how successful you are in Scandinavia, what is the reason behind this move to Dubai?

A: I have a whole plan around setting up something permanent down there. I'm based in Oslo and I have my main stable in Oslo. I and have a satellite table in Copenhagen and Denmark. I have about sixty to seventy horses here in Norway and then I got twenty in Denmark.

Norway is a lovely place to live. I have been training here for twenty-four years and have won the Derby fourteen times.  But we all have ambitions and a drive. There comes a point we cannot achieve more in the same place and also you want to challenge yourself.

We wanted to find an opportunity for the winter. It could not come to fruition this season, but we will do it for the next season but for this year. We will be just flying our string of 11 horses for this year’s Carnival.

Q: So, you have horses here until April, will any of them be racing in Qatar as well?

A: You need a special kind of horse to go with (into Qatar) because of the fast track. Its not a big galloping track like Dubai and Qatar. So, I will if we have a suitable horse.

Q: Could you tell us more about the eleven horses coming out?

A: We are bringing out a couple of 2YO that turn 3. One of them is the Danish horse, Hear The Drums is by Appel Au Maitre (FR) who is considered a top 2YO here.

We have an American-bred horse called Chief of Comanche, who is in the top five here.

Then we have a nice French-bred horse by Zarak called Chianti. He is also a promising horse but he is probably more there for the education. It is a good way to bring them onto the next year.

We bought a horse called Tuwaiq who won his maiden and was placed third in the Gr.2 Bresford Stakes to Luxembourg who is rated 100. He is currently in Newmarket but he will be flying out with all the others and he will join them in Dubai.

And then from the fillies we have a very good champion filly called Ascot Brass and the Danish Derby-winning Iron Butterfly..

Then we have the Bullof Wall Street, a son of Tapizar, won the €300000 Swedish Derby and Could Be King, which we bought in Dubai last year after the Carnival. He has been very good in Scandinavia this season.

We also have King David a very good horse here in Scandinavia. He has cleaned up nicely.

And then there's one called King David, he won the Gr.3 Hamburg Trophy last year. He joined my stable last year and we are bringing him out this season.

And finally, of course, we have our stable star Square De Luynes.

Q: And have you decided which race each horse is pointed at?

A: To be honest, I have looked at the program of races but it's a little bit hard to say too much before we get down there and get them going properly. We have two or three horses pointed at Saudi and then we have a few horses. And if we can get Square De Luynes in good shape then we have a chance of racing him on World Cup night. He is in much better shape now than before.

Q: And what about iron butterfly? What are your plans with her?

A: She is still a young horse and needs time. We are looking at the Balanchine and Cape Verde for her. She's a very good horse and has had a tough campaign this year. So, we gave her a good break and are just bringing her back. January might be a bit too close for her but in February she will be spot on.