Our questions are answered by the former Royal Navy Commander who steers the ship for Godolphin in the UK and Dubai
Hugh Anderson, 57, is the managing director of Godolphin (UK and Dubai). Formerly a Commander in the Royal Navy and a practising barrister who specialised in crime and public international law, he made a surprising career change when he joined Godolphin in 2008.
Originally operations director for Godolphin Racing, Anderson was promoted to managing director in 2014 and shortly afterwards took the same role at Darley. He oversaw the merger of the two companies in 2016.
During his tenure he has been on hand for many of Godolphin’s recent triumphs from Thunder Snow’s double Dubai World Cup win to several Classic wins culminating in the recent Guineas double at Newmarket where Ruling Court and Desert Flower triumphed on the same weekend that Godolphin’s US arm won both the Kentucky Derby and Oaks.
Which figure in racing, past or present, do you most admire?
The obvious and truthful answer to this is Sheikh Mohammed – not only do I owe my career to him but I have seen at first hand his astonishing influence on our sport and his philanthropy to our communities.
However, if I am allowed a second bite at the cherry, I would choose Admiral Henry Rous (right) who was a famous 19th century fighting naval officer when the Royal Navy was at its most powerful and then a member of the Jockey Club. In fact he was known as ‘The Admiral of the Navy and The Admiral of the Turf’. He heroically saved his ship, HMS Pique, from sinking in a storm off the coast of Labrador and got her back across the Atlantic despite being holed beneath the waterline. It was an astonishing feat of seamanship which was rewarded by him being unfairly court martialled.
He justifiably left the Royal Navy and devoted the rest of his life to racing. He imposed order on a dubious and often corrupt sport and was the inventor of the modern handicap system. I love the image of him treating Newmarket Heath like it was the quarterdeck of his fighting cruiser. Even some of our bravest modern-day trainers would probably have found him an imposing figure. I like everything about him.
Which is your favourite venue and race anywhere in the world?
I love York for the sheer quality of the racing and the great professionalism of the whole operation from top to bottom. If you enjoy the English summer and racing, it’s the perfect place to be.
My choice of favourite race has changed recently (about ten days ago) – it was the Melbourne Cup but is now the 2,000 Guineas. It’s a thrilling and long anticipated spectacle with so much at stake, so much uncertainty, but then a great future always beckons for the winner.
Who is your favourite racehorse and why?
Personally it is Light Infantry Man because I am a small part of the ownership group and have seen him go from Yarmouth maiden winner to recently taking the Australian Cup. He is a fabulous and consistent racehorse who is massively suited by Australian racing.
At Godolphin this is a very hard choice but I would go with Farhh. He was such a tough horse who trailed behind Frankel several times before he won the Lockinge. The rest of that summer he was trained so carefully and cautiously by Saeed bin Suroor to get him in peak condition to take the Champion Stakes at Ascot. It was a superb performance by horse and trainer.
What is your fondest memory in racing?
Melbourne Cup 2018. During the race I stood in the paddock at Flemington in the rain, jetlagged after flying over from Kentucky and rather glumly watched Cross Counter, Best Solution and Avilius fill the last three places for 12 furlongs.
“Oh dear,” I thought. Cross Counter’s surge under Kerrin McEvoy to take the race for the first time in Godolphin’s history will live with me forever. Charlie Appleby and I sat in the press conference afterwards, completely soaked, totally euphoric but pretty stunned. I will never forget it and the memory always makes me smile.
If you could change one thing in racing, what would it be?
I’d love to see the various vested interests in UK racing demonstrably pull together for the good of the sport. There are some excellent people in leadership roles across the industry and I am convinced that, with the right attitude, our sport can prosper and flourish. Perhaps we need another Admiral Rous!
Hugh Anderson was speaking to Jon Lees
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