Godolphin crowned British Champion Owner

Godolphin received the award for Champion Owner in Britain for a 14th time on British Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday, 16 October, following an exceptional season that yielded more than £5million in prizemoney.

Highlights in the UK this year included Classic victories for Adayar in the Derby and Hurricane Lane in the St Leger.

Both colts have established themselves among the best three-year-olds in Europe, with Adayar going on to further G1 glory in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Hurricane Lane also enjoying top-level success in France and Ireland.

Godolphin secured leading owner honours at this year’s Royal Ascot through the victories of Kemari, Real World and subsequent G1 British Champions Sprint winner Creative Force, while unbeaten G1 Darley Dewhurst Stakes hero Native Trail headlined a hugely exciting group of two-year-olds.

Hugh Anderson, Managing Director of Godolphin (UK and Dubai), said: “2021 has been a great year for British racing and Godolphin is proud to have played a part in many of the epic races that have framed the season. It is a huge honour to win the Owners Championship in such a competitive and high-quality year and testament to the fantastic work of all the Godolphin trainers and their teams. Charlie Appleby, Saeed bin Suroor and John Gosden have all played big parts in helping us win this Championship and I want to thank our jockeys, particularly William Buick and James Doyle, as well as everyone who works in our racing yards. Equally as important are our stud farms and support staff who are so essential to this operation; we are a team and we celebrate together.

“I could name over a dozen horses that have made this season for us – many are names that will go down in history – but I will just focus on the quality of the wins, the Classic successes and the overall consistency of Godolphin’s performances and make the assertion that these are the best we have seen for over 20 years. Our greatest supporter is of course His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and we are delighted that we can repay his loyalty to us by achieving this title of Champion Owner.

“As we see Covid recede in the collective memory, I think that British racing should be very proud of how it has emerged from this pandemic and shown unequivocally that racing is an absolute jewel in the crown of British sport. Long may it continue.”