DUBAI: The Dubai Racing Club (DRC) announced the winners of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Racing Excellence Awards during the Super Saturday card at Meydan Racecourse on Saturday.

The awards are given in seven categories: Best Horse, Best Jockey, Best Trainer, Best Owner, People’s Choice, Lifetime Achievement and Excellence Award. These are based on criteria laid out by Dubai Racing Club, overseen by the Trustee’s Committee.

The Best Horse Award went to outstanding six-time Group 1 winner Equinox, whose owners, Silk Racing, were honoured with the Best Owner Award. The award is decided by the top-rated horse to have competed at the Dubai World Cup meeting.

A superb 2023 for Aidan O’Brien, in which he won 20 Group 1 races, saw him win the Best Trainer award, while his stable jockey, Ryan Moore, was crowned Best Jockey, having won 19 top level races in 2023.

In a first for the H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Horseracing Excellence awards, there were two winners of the Lifetime Achievement Award; Co
lonel Ali Khamis Al Jafleh and Sheikh Abdulla Al Qasemi both being recognised for their integral roles in establishing racing in the UAE.

The winner of the Excellence Award went to Saeed Bin Suroor, one of the most popular trainers in the UAE, whose nine Dubai World Cup wins and global victories helped to promote racing in Dubai and the benefits of training horses in the UAE.

The award winners are selected on criteria designated by the Dubai Racing Club (DRC), overseen by the Trustee’s Committee. The public selects the People’s Choice Award. The full list of winners are as follows:

Best Horse: Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn})

Best Jockey: Ryan Moore

Best Trainer: Aidan O’Brien

Best Owner: Silk Racing

People’s Choice: Hamdan Sultan Al Sabusi

Lifetime Achievement (Joint Awards): Colonel Ali Khamis Al Jafleh and Sheikh Abdulla Al Qasemi

Excellence Award: Saeed bin Suroor

Source: Emirates News Agency