T H E A R A B I A N
Welcome to the Spring edition of The Arabian Racehorse previewing the UK's most valuable race for Arabians over six furlongs and celebrating the breeding legacy of the Al Nujaifi family.
Year on year Arabian racing continues to grow around the world and with the increase in prize money for such events, such as the Jewel Crown, the HH The Amir Sword, the Saudi Cup, the Dubai World Cup and the Arc de Triomphe meetings, international interest in these races grows with it
This year the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Cup has taken over sponosrship of the race formerly known as the Za'abeel International Stakes, and moved venues to Royal Windsor in Berkshire
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Dr Mohammed Al Nujaifi with his Hilal Al Zaman, winner of the 2012 Za'abeel International Stakes at Newbury and the Malazgirt Trophy in Instanbul - both Group1 PA races
photo Val Bunting
Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Nujaifi, father of Dr Mohammad Al Nujaifi, figurehead of Al Nujaifi Racing, sadly passed away on Tuesday June 25 2024 The founder of the family’s stud farm, he was instrumental in preserving the Arabian racehorse in Iraq, as well as ensuring the continuity of racing in a country constantly affected by challenging events
The Al Nujaifi Racing story began at the turn of the last century with Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Nujaifi’s father, Sheikh Mohammad Pasha Al Nujaifi who was known to be passionate about Arabian horses. They were the only horses bred and owned in Iraq at that time and he sought out the best Desert bred Arabians he could find from the Bedouins The Iraqi horses were
originally bred to be used by the early tribes and later by the military to carry riders hundreds of kilometres across challenging terrain Consequently, the Iraqi horses are big and tough, with plenty of speed, excellent legs and great temperaments Which also makes them perfect for flat racing, with their careers frequently spanning several seasons
However it was his son, Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Nujaifi, who took the project to his heart when in 1959 he established the modern farm of the Al Nujaifi family in Jadidat Halla, 40 km north of Mosul and bought a handful of mares There he created a legacy that continues to this day, in Iraq, Europe and the Gulf States
During that era it was difficult to purchase horses in Iraq following the death of Sheikh Suffook bin Ajeel Al-Yawer Al-Jarba and the closure of Baghdad Racecourse in 1958 Racing did not officially return until 1968-69 season, after which Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Nujaifi was able to secure more foundation broodmares and an Iraqi bred stallion, Mufawwad (Wadee Amal x Mahfodat Wasmiyah), who had won five races in the Lebanon.
The Iraqi government also bought and imported a number of Arabian stallions for breeders to use free of charge, hoping to upgrade their horses, along similar lines to the national studs that had sprung up in Europe One of these was Valiant Gold (General Gold), bred by Lady Wentworth in the UK, from a classic Crabbet bloodline, he traces all the way back to Ibrahim, bred and raised by Sheikh Abdullah Abd Ar-Rahman of the Banu Sakr Bedouins, and sire of the famous Polish Stallion Skowronek
Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Nujaifi had great faith in this small chestnut stallion and when Dr Al Nujaifi took over the racing and breeding program, its continued success is due in part to his father’s belief in Valiant
Gold. That sire has shown to be a positive influence, appearing in many of the pedigrees of the recent leading Al Nujaifi racehorses, such as Hilal Al Zaman (Mencour) and Gharraa (Matador 12), the dam of Al Ghadeer (Al Mourtajez).
Sheikh Mohammad Pasha Al Nujaifi with the Bedouin trribesmen
Photo: Al Nujaifi archive
The Al-Nujaifi family and their studs have played a major role in preserving the continuity of racing and the purity of the Arabian breed in Iraq during challenging times When Sadam Hussein imposed a ban on racing in 1978, few breeders took up the opportunity to buy these unwanted racehorses. Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Nujaifi saw this as an opportunity to buy the very best broodmares available, including mares that he’d been unable to purchase when they were racing as their owners wouldn’t sell.
Thereby he amassed an enviable selection of bloodlines These included Shabab, the best horse in Iraq from 1973 to 1975, winner of their Derby in 1975 Having been bought by the Iraqi government and gifted to the Bahrani Royal Family he eventually found his way back to Iraq once racing resumed during 1980/81 and was purchased as a stallion by Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Nujaifi Unfortunately his stud career was brief, siring only 20 foals, however all became champions, such as Dhabyat Al-Wadi, Reemat Qutaybahm Bint Aba, Anjool, Filwa, and Gharthan
During the period from 1992 to 2008 the only stallions (both Arabian and Thoroughbred) that were available to breeders were from the Al-Nujaifi Studs To this day, the family continue to be leading owner
breeders in Iraq and support several training stables around the country in Baghdad, Erbil and Mosul.
When he took over the management of the breeding program Dr Al Nujaifi wished to maintain the foundations of the family’s Iraqi bloodlines, however he knew he needed to add in some outcrosses Initially he purchased several horses from Russia’s famous Tersk Stud, including Matador, the sire of Gharraa.
He then looked to France, the modern-day source of Arabian racehorses, to improve his program further First came the stallion Mencour and two broodmares by the top sire Dormane in 2003 The mares had been bred to French stallions before all three were exported to Iraq
The second stage of his grand vision was to send a select group of horses from Iraq to France, to set up a racing and breeding operation there, with the first horses arriving in 2009. He periodically refreshes the French based stock with new Iraqi blood from his farm at home It is still a family concern with Dr Mohammad Al Nujaifi’s youngest son Zaid, a keen showjumper, now very much part of the Arabian racing scene, joining his father in this new undertaking
For the Al Nujaifi Racing team, pedigree is important but racing performance is the key factor in the breeding program. As racing and breeding manager Val Bunting explains, “Both the broodmare and stallion must have a proven record on the track The broodmare band are all from ‘Black Type’ mares, those that have proven themselves at Group level, with one exception of a young mare who was retired due to an eye injury
“For us it is not an option to breed from a mare who has not achieved - just to breed another nonachiever Good stallions can definitely improve a pedigree, but they cannot be expected to work miracles. There are exceptions to every rule, but it costs as much to raise an inferior horse as it does to raise a champion, so why take the risk?”
They keep the broodmare band small with just nine broodmares in France Bunting continues, “Nothing is a given with breeding, but our policy is ‘Quality over Quantity’. Many breeders play the numbers game, which works on large scale Thoroughbred studs with a huge market for the sale of progeny But in the Arabian world there is not a big enough gene pool to support it and not a large enough market in which to sell ”
She also has strong views on two practices alien to Thoroughbred breeders - Artificial Insemination (AI) and Embryo Transfer (ET) Both can be valuable additions to a breeders’ armoury in producing
winners, but there are downsides too
“AI has reduced genetic diversity in the population by overuse of the same stallion, as by freezing the semen, it can be available anywhere around the world Some breeders using ET may produce as many as four foals from one mare in the same year. Breeding at this volume further weakens an already fragile gene pool and devalues the market It’s a very risky practice
“Therefore ET in its entirety is not acceptable to us, however if it aids a valuable mare who has problems carrying her own foal then we would use it to produce just one foal from her per year. ”
Of course, creating a racehorse of excellence does not stop with the mating plan. There is the management of the pregnant mare, the feeding and the education of the foals, yearlings and two-yearolds, right up until they are sent to a pre-trainer and then into racing. Bunting takes a holistic approach, seeing it very much as a science, which can make or break a potential champion
Whilst the proven mares will head straight to the paddocks, Al Nujaifi Racing has retained two of their stallions to stand at public stud, headed by multiple Group 1PA winner, Hilal Al Zaman at the Haras de Thouars in France and his son Amir Al Zaman, who stands in Italy at the Centro Riproduczione Equina
“We use our stallions on our mares ” explains Bunting, “but are mindful to extensively use outside stallions as well The Iraqi pedigrees have a great deal of line breeding and in-breeding so care must be taken to outcross to retain the hybrid vigour ”
This strategy seems to be paying dividends, with the Al Nujaifi horses much sought after. However, just like the thoroughbred industry, they also sell to reinvest in the business, usually the colts They are raced before they are sold to showcase the breeding program, like current champion Al Ghadeer, who debuted in the Al Nujiafi silks in France, though if a good price is offered before they reach the track then of course it’s considered.
“Some horses will never be sold though, like our broodmares and some of the fillies we earmark as their replacements. They’re just too valuable to us and our program ” Bunting continues
“One of our most successful foal crops in the last ten years was that of 2019. This produced two champion colts, the paddock companions, Al Ghadeer leading Arabian worldwide in 2023 with a rating of 130 and a Champion in Saudi, Najeeb Al Zaman rated 123 Both pedigrees are strongly representative of Al Nujaifi breeding, that is Iraqi / Russian / French / Crabbet bloodlines ”
As well as at home in Iraq, Al-Nujaifi Racing also
maintains horses in training around the world principally with Damien de Watrigant, as well as Francois Rohaut, in France, in Italy with Endo Botti and in Saudi Arabia with Abdulaziz Almosa. This season for the first time in seven years, the blue and white silks are back in the UK with the arrival of two four-year-old filles Fareedhat El Izz and Amirat Al Zaman at the stables of James Owen in Newmarket, though the original association with the UK goes back over 20 years
Fareedhat El Izz is already well travelled having raced as a three-year-old Italy She was first past the post there, but due to inference, she was deservedly demoted to third place. She raced twice in France this spring for Rohaut, but was considerable suitable to head to the UK There her maiden status was swiftly lost on her first start, winning a novice contest at Newbury, she will now take her chance in the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Cup at Royal Windsor
Of her participation Bunting says, “This race, originally called the Zabeel Stakes has a somewhat sentimental history for me with the victories of the colt Makzan and the filly Al Hanoof when I was the manager of Umm Qarn, and then subsequently in 2012 Hilal Al Zaman won the race for Al Nujaifi Racing For Fareedhat El Izz to make a good account for herself this year in UK would be significant for her sire and to the Al Nujaifi breeding program as a whole.”
She is by their stallion Izz Al Hail who raced successfully in Iraq He won on his only start in France for de Watrigant, but an injury he had sustained in Iraq recurred and he was retired to stud Unfortunately his stud career was brief as he succumbed to colic and died on the operating table Though he has a few ‘outside’ progeny produced whilst he was still alive such as LS Max Factor in Sweden, with such limited semen stored, all remaining straws have now been retained by the Al Nujaifi family
Amirat Al Zaman is a cross of two of Al Nujaifi’s most successful bloodlines being by Hilal Al Zaman, winner of two Group 1PA races and Hamiya, dam of many winners, but principally the Group1PA winning fillies Muneera (Dormane) and Al Shomoos (No Risk Al Maury)
“She compares well to the others” Bunting comments, “She has spirit though and that needs to be channelled I’d like to see her run on artificial surfaces too, it would suit her action She should get a mile and a quarter like her half-sisters, so the Derby in August is definitely an option Her full
brother Amir Al Zaman who stands in Italy, had his first foals last year ”
On the return to UK soil Bunting says, “We’re back in the UK to support the racing, it has some of the best tracks in Europe, so we should have horses there Of course the decision has already paid off with Fareedhat El Izz, hopefully she can progress this weekend too.”
The decision also makes sense as currently Dr Al Nujaifi splits his time between the UK and Saudi Arabia. There he has around six horses including the Obaiyah Arabian Classic third, Najeeb Al Zaman and a few broodmares including the dam of Fareedhat El Izz, Fareedha. Najeeb Al Zaman is currently enjoying a break but will return to action in Ta’if throughout the summer
With racing interests so widely spread and a solid foundation of broodmares producing to their own stallions and the likes of Al Mourtajez and Ebraz, Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Nujaifi’s legacy looks set to continue well into this century and beyond.
