His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Pays Tribute To Halling

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed has paid tribute to Halling - one of his great horses in the formative years of Godolphin - who has died in Newmarket, England, at the age of 25.

"To me, he was a special horse, one who had courage and great heart. He was one of my favourites," Sheikh Mohammed said.

"In racing, you are always looking for the best horses who can consistently excel at Group 1 level.

Halling, with his 5 Group 1s, was truly one of those rare horses, and later he was a success at stud, with Irish Derby winner Jack Hobbs being one of his best," he added.

Halling died at Sheikh Mohammed's Dalham Hall Stud on Tuesday. He had been suffering the infirmaries of old age.

In the 1990s, he was one of the early Godolphin stars. Trained by Saeed bin Suroor, he carried the famous royal blue colours, ending his career with an outstanding record of 12 wins from 18 starts.

His victories included the G1 Coral-Eclipse at Sandown Park and the G1 Juddmonte International at York in 1995, and a repeat of that glorious double in 1996, when he also added the G1 Prix d'Ispahan at Longchamp.

Halling began his career with Newmarket trainer John Gosden, putting together a string of wins in minor races before being hailed as a future champion by easily winning the 1994 Cambridgeshire, one of Europe's most fiercely competitive handicaps.

In those early days, he carried Sheikh Mohammed's personal maroon and white colours.

Halling, a son of Diesis, retired in 1997, and at stud he sired many winners, including Jack Hobbs, Cavalryman, Norse Dancer, Cutlass Bay, Empoli, and a host of other talented horses.