Kiaran McLaughlin: Invasor winning the Dubai World Cup is my fondest memory

Dubai dominance: Invasor (Fernando Jara) adds the Dubai World Cup to his victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Photo: Al Adiyat

Former trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, best known for Dubai World Cup winner Invasor, answers the questions

Kiaran McLaughlin secured his first job as a trainer when he was hired by Sheikh Mohammed to work in Dubai, having assisted various trainers including the legendary D Wayne Lukas and also working as a jockey’s agent.

McLaughlin, 61, went on to operate barns in both Dubai, where he was champion trainer three times, and New York. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1998, he escaped the desert heat by returning to New York permanently in 2003 where – with the continued support of Sheikh Mohammed and particularly his brother Sheikh Hamdan – he trained more than 1,500 winners.

McLaughlin’s biggest successes were for the Maktoum family. For Shadwell he won the Belmont Stakes with Jazil in 2006, when the Argentine-bred Invasor earned Horse Of The Year honours, having won the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Invasor went on to win the Dubai World Cup in 2007.

For Godolphin, McLaughlin trained Frosted to win three times at G1 level, including the Whitney in 2016. He quit training in 2020 to become agent to top jockey Luis Saez.

Which racing figure past or present do you most admire?

Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum. He was a special man, a fabulous person to be in the presence of and I was lucky enough to be around him for 25 years. I felt like I learned something every day I was around him. He was fantastic with pedigrees and possessed a photographic memory for horses’ faces. I first met him after I was hired by his brother Sheikh Mohammed in 1993 to go to Dubai. I started training a couple of horses for Sheikh Hamdan and things just grew and grew until I then started to take some back to America. It was a wonderful relationship.

Which is your favourite venue and race anywhere in the world? 

Saratoga is my favourite race meet. For six weeks you get to see everybody. They come from around the world for the sale and the races. My favourite race is the Dubai World Cup. It was fabulous to win it for Sheikh Hamdan with Invasor and then many years later I went back to win it last year as a jockey agent with Mystic Guide, ridden by Luis Saez with Godolphin being the owner. It’s such a great event.

Who is your favourite racehorse and why?

Invasor because it was such a great story to receive him in Florida from Sheikh Hamdan and Shadwell, not knowing what we had. We trained him and took him back to Dubai for the UAE Derby, where he finished fourth the first time he ran there. He almost stayed there for the summer in Dubai but luckily we brought him back and he never lost another race for us. It was great to go back again and win the Dubai World Cup with Sheikh Hamdan sitting on his couch watching. It doesn’t get any better than that.

What is your fondest memory in racing? 

It’s a repeat but, as a trainer, it would be Invasor winning the World Cup, no question about it. As an agent, one of the fondest memories would be Luis winning his first Breeders’ Cup race on Essential Quality in the Juvenile in 2020.

If you could change one thing in racing, what would it be?

Uniform laws, rules and regulations from coast to coast in America. By that I mean things like the same rules for the starting gate. Sometimes racetracks allow the ‘Monty Roberts’ blanket at the starting gate, some allow you to open the front door to try and load the horse, some allow you to blindfold, but not all. That’s one example. But there are different rules for what types of shoes horses can wear. Every racetrack should be the same. 

Medication should be the same everywhere, or worldwide for that matter, with us getting away from Lasix and raceday medication. Licensing and colours too, there are so many rules and regulations. I feel like in America every state is different.

Kiaran McLaughlin was speaking to Jon Lees

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