Shadwell mare Al Bahathri dies in Ireland at 32

Al Bahathri, a cornerstone broodmare for Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Shadwell operation, died at Derrinstown Stud in County Kildare, Ireland, Racing Post reports.

“Al Bahathri lived out her final years in retirement at Derrinstown and, until recently, had remained healthy despite her advancing years,” Stephen Collins, manager of Derrinstown Stud, told Racing Post. “However, recently she passed away peacefully."

The Blushing Groom mare was bred in Kentucky by Thomas Whitney of Gainesway, and was sold to trainer Tom Jones for Sheikh Hamdan for $650,000 at the 1983 Keeneland July select yearling sale. She was out of the stakes-winning Nodouble mare Chain Store and a half sister to Grade 2 winner Geraldine’s Store and English stakes winner Peplum.

Al Bahathri raced primarily in England, winning the Group 2 Lowther Stakes and Coronation Stakes, and the Group 3 Child Stakes, with a runner-up finish in the 1985 English One Thousand Guineas. However, her biggest victory came in her lone start in Ireland, where she won the Irish One Thousand Guineas in 1985.

Al Bahathri finished her racing career with six wins in 12 career starts for earnings of $238,139.

The mare then began her breeding career in 1986, going to British-bred sire Kris and producing the eventual Group 1-placed stakes-winning filly Hasbah a year later. In total, she was the dam of eight winners from 10 foals to race, led by 2004 English Two Thousand Guineas winner Haafhd, and Group 2 winner Munir. Al Bahathri is also the dam of Grade 3-placed Za-Im and stakes-placed Goalwah.

Successful runners whose female families trace back to Al Bahathri include Hong Kong Horse of the Year Military Attack, Group 1 winners Red Cadeaux and Gladiatorus, Group 3 winners Almaty, Cannon Hill, Snaffy and My Sweet Baby, stakes winners Sundrenched, Mutakarrim, Nafisah, Waaheb, Power Elite, La Sylvia, and Judhoor, and Group 1-placed Bonnard.