A Force That Cannot Be Ignored

A Force That Cannot Be Ignored… 
Even from a distance, it was obvious that Qatar's Sheikh Fahad Al Thani and his team, including bloodstock advisor David Redvers, were not just pursuing big business while at the Japan Racing Horse Association Select Sale–they were also just plain having fun. 
Laughing, smiling and joking, they were not only a force to be reckoned with in the sale ring; They acted as ambassadors, helping to link Europe, the Middle East and Asia together in ways that only major buyers are able to do in their at times life-changing interactions with breeders. 
Even when they were at their most playful, they revealed a glimpse into their aspirations when they joked that their long-range goals include racing and breeding on the moon. 
“We want to be better and better,” Sheikh Fahad said more seriously when asked about his plans in the Thoroughbred world. “We try to improve year upon year.” 
At just 25 years of age, Sheikh Fahad is taking initiatives unlike anyone else at this point in time. It was his idea to dive into Japan's complex and expensive bloodstock market, recognizing the power of Deep Impact (Jpn) as a sire and aiming to tap into that line. Few others from outside the Land of the Rising Sun, with Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed as a notable exception, have attempted to get involved in Japan in a meaningful way. 
“I love Japan,” Sheikh Fahad said while buying foals at the sale. “I had come here many times before we started racing horses.” 
Not only did Sheikh Fahad buy seven sons of Deep Impact at the JRHA sale–one yearling and six foals–he also is boarding three mares in Japan that now are in foal to that premier stallion: Goodwood March (GB) (Foxhound), Ripples Maid (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and Common Knowledge (GB) (Rainbow Quest). 
He is also cleverly playing all his options. The Qatar Bloodstock entity formed by he and his brothers to annually make a profit decided to offer a filly foal by Frankel (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) out of Goodwood March at the JRHA sale, which is known for its huge foal prices but often is a risky venture with fillies, which can be devalued in this market. Their decision to get involved in both sides of the Japanese marketplace were rewarded with a robust sale of the filly for ¥96 million ($941,177), well over their reserve price of about $550,000. Plus, they also likely earned some good will through their bold approach and support of the Japanese industry by spending over $8 million to rank as leading JRHA buyer. 
“We're happy with the price” for the Frankel filly, Redvers said, adding that the group has about a dozen foals by Frankel this year. They intend to race most of them, but may sell one at the Tattersalls December sale. 
Redvers added, “We're all very excited about Frankel. I didn't want to sell [the filly], to be perfectly honest, but Sheikh Fahad wanted to be commercial here, and it's great we made a Frankel available to the Japanese market.” 
When asked during a press conference with Japanese media what Sheikh Fahad's long-term plans are, Redvers smiled. 
“I never know what Sheikh Fahad's grand plan is anywhere, much less in Japan. He plays his cards close to his chest,” Redvers said. But he pointed out that Sheikh Fahad and his brothers are “incredibly ambitious” and are unlikely to be satisfied with any activity in racing that is short of competing at the premier events round the world. 
Indeed, he gave some insight into Sheikh Fahad's determination when he revealed how keen the sheikh was about the yearling son of Deep Impact out of Group 1 winner Listen (Ire) (Sadler's Wells). Sheikh Fahad wound up buying the colt from the Northern Farm consignment for a sale-topping ¥260 million ($2,549,020). 
“Sheikh Fahad fell in love with the horse the instant he saw him,” Redvers noted. “It would have taken a strong man to beat him–he liked the horse very much.” 
One of Sheikh Fahad's goals is to take a son of Deep Impact to Europe, race him and stand him at stud, carrying on the legacy of Sunday Silence, which Redvers described as one of the most prepotent lines in the world. 
“You can't ignore it,” he said of Sunday Silence's genetic power. 
And after his moves at the JRHA sale, as well as his other activities in racing and breeding on several continents, Sheikh Fahad has shown that he is another force that cannot be ignored.