Sheikh Mohammed buys into Frankel’s line

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, bought into Frankel's line with a purchase of Dancing Rain for 4 million guineas.

Dancing Rain is a daughter of Danehill Dancer. Adrian Dennis / AFP
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NEWMARKET, England // Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has bought into Frankel’s line with the purchase of Dancing Rain for 4 million guineas (Dh25.3m).

Sheikh Mohammed rarely buys brood mare prospects but John Ferguson, his bloodstock manager, beat off rival bids for the dual Oaks winner to trump by 100,000 guineas the final bid of Pinar Araci, daughter of prominent Turkish owner Ibrahim Araci.

Dancing Rain, a daughter of Danehill Dancer who won the 2011 English and German Oaks, is in foal to Frankel, who retired last year as officially the highest-rated thoroughbred of all time.

“It really was a no-brainer,” Ferguson said outside the Tattersalls sales ring late on Monday night. “This game is all about reducing the odds to give you the greatest chance of producing a Classic winner – buying Dancing Rain is a way of reducing those odds.

“You can have lots of mares, but you need the jewels – Sheikh Mohammed felt that she is a jewel.”

Ferguson spoke with the mare’s former trainer, and was determined to secure the prize when bidding started for the five-year-old mare at 2m guineas. “On paper she looks the part, but there were two things in particular that I loved about her,” Ferguson added.

“Firstly she is such a beautiful mare, then secondly I had supper with William and Maureen Haggas at the weekend and they told me what a straightforward pleasure she was to train.”

sports@thenational.ae