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It all starts with a simple phone call.
He was surprised when Colonel Ali Khamis Al Jafleh answered the phone. On the other end of the line was His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Al Jafleh listened carefully, then politely agreed. He was called to discuss some “big things”. Little did he know then that in the next few hours, his life would change forever.
“I don’t know what happened, but I’m curious,” he told harrij times In an exclusive interview.
“But in short, His Royal Highness told me that he wanted to start developing horse racing in the country and wanted it to develop to the highest international standard.
“I have been given the huge but very exciting task of making this vision a reality.”
A commander in the UAE Air Force and a qualified pilot, Al Jafleh has reached dizzying heights. But here he was asked to reach into the sky by the visionary and forward-thinking Sheikh Mohammed, then deputy ruler of Dubai.
“As everything started to sink in, I realized this was the beginning of an incredible journey into the future of sports in Dubai,” said Al Jafleh.
“It’s a tall order. The biggest challenge for me is where do I start, what do I do and how am I going to get there.”
However, Al Jafleh said Sheikh Mohammed had all the answers.
“It was like he was reading my mind and understanding what I was going through,” he said. “Sheikh Mohammed reassured me and told me he had a game plan. It was my job to execute it.
“Obviously he trusted me. So there I was, my mind racing, full of ideas, trying to assess the situation.”
Al Jafleh would go home and start looking for a master plan.
He told himself that he needed to focus on implementing Sheikh Mohammad’s ideas instead of worrying about how and why.
“You’d be surprised how well everything went,” Al Jafleh said. “Sheikh Mohammed has handpicked a team to assist me with this project. Among them is the legendary Dr Michael Osborne, not a big shot but a man with big ambitions and a passion for horse racing that is unparalleled.
“Dr. Michael Osborne was Sheikh Mohammed’s trusted partner who helped establish Sheikh Mohammed’s Irish Thoroughbred business and breeding business in 1986 .He started as CEO of the Emirates Racing Association.
“Brough Scott was another key member of the team that Sheikh Mohammed wanted me to build. As a veteran motorsports journalist and radio and television presenter, Brough provided valuable input into the planning.”
Throughout, Al Jafleh is uniquely open and infectious about his actions.
“While Dubai already hosted races at the dusty Nad Al Sheba racecourse in the 80s, we knew we had a lot of work to do to develop a racecourse that met international standards,” said Al Jafleh.
“However, the first hurdle is to get the Jockey Club to accept that the UAE is a certified horse racing jurisdiction which complies with all the necessary rules and standards. The most important thing is to prove to the Jockey Club that the country is free of any horse diseases so that the horses can compete according to Protocols come in and out,” he added.
“I started visiting England, Ireland, France and the Far East, where I attended all the racing meetings to observe and understand how the sport works globally. I would bring back all the information and present it to the Sheikh muhammad.
“We don’t want to make headlines, we want to get into the business of setting up Dubai Turf Club with the least amount of hassle,” Al Jafleh said. “Our goal is to get the job done.”
As the first president of the Dubai Motorsports Club, established in 1992, Al Jafleh’s convening power went beyond his official duties. That same year, the first official race meeting was held at the Nad Al Sheba circuit.
In no time, Al Jafleh was recognized as an instructor who worked tirelessly, selflessly and with extreme attention to detail. Everything he does is backed by Sheikh Mohammed who has enabled him to achieve everything he has done for Dubai and the UAE.
When Nad Al Sheha hosted the first International Jockeys’ Challenge in 1993, the class changed, attracting some of the best jockeys in the world, including Lester Piggott and Willie Carson.
The event caught the attention of the motorsport community both in terms of its quality and the professional way in which it was organized.
“All the while, I thought about how lucky I was to work under the direction of Sheikh Mohammed,” Al Jafleh said. “He made sure everything ran smoothly. If there was anything I needed to bring to him, he would listen and find a solution.
“One of the things that Sheikh Mohammed has repeatedly advised us to do is to comply with international racing rules and ensure full transparency.
“During that time, I also had great support from Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Chairman of the UAE Equestrian Federation Sheikh Abdullah bin Majid Al Qassimi and other members of the ruling family,” Al Jafleh added. “We are working with senior professional owners, trainers and officers.
The success of the Jockey’s Challenge paved the way for the 1996 World Cup in Dubai. Interestingly, the plans for this great event were drawn up years ago by Sheikh Mohammed, Al Jafleh, Dr Osborne and other team members.
On that landmark day, Al Jafleh watched the race at the Nad Al Sheba racecourse, his heart filled with pride for his instrumental role in making Sheikh Mohammed’s dream race a reality.
Since then, the Dubai World Cup has undergone some changes and some challenges, but it has always triumphed and won.
Al Jafleh remembers how the second race in 1997 was actually canceled due to torrential rains making the track impossible to race, and how Sheikh Mohammed proved that nothing was impossible.
“Sheikh Mohammed directed that helicopters be brought in from the UAE Air Force to dry the surface,” Al Jafleh said. “And with the determination of all the officials, the match was held five days later.”
The following year, the race reached Division I, won by Silver Charm, one of three Kentucky Derby winners to win the race, another milestone.
Al Jafleh has finally retired as chairman of the Dubai Turf Club, but he will never leave.
He continues to participate and watch every game to this day.
“Horse racing has always been a big part of my life and nothing will change that,” Al Jafleh said. “I had an amazing time in motorsport and I will always remember the great job we did to make Sheikh Mohammed proud.”
With each World Cup in Dubai, you can’t help but remember the mark Al Jafleh left on the sport and the legacy that will live on forever.
Copyright © 2022 Khaleej Times. all rights reserved. Supplied by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndicate Information).
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