test

a film by Saïd Bakhtaoui

Running Time: 52'

/ Format: SD

/ Available versions: FR

The crown prince of Dubai´s livestock consists of four thousand thoroughbred horses. The emir spends lavish amounts in order to shine at the races. This is the portrait of a man who is mad about horses, and who has the money to indulge his passion.

Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum, the crown prince of Dubai, has only one passion: thoroughbreds. For the past twenty or so years, he has been investing his fortune in the most beautiful endurance racehorses. He is capable of splashing out up to ten million euros for a yearling, and he dominates the world market. The total of his investment is estimated at five billion euros. His stock is the largest in the world, and is made up of around four thousand thoroughbreds, reared and trained in the most notable European stud farms, or on his personal property, at the Godolphin stables, in the middle of the desert. Every winter, they welcome the best horses. 

The Al Maktoum family dominates the horseracing world, and has practically no competition. Their horses have won the most prestigious competitions, such as the Dubai World Cup in March 2003, the Arc de Triomphe Prize in both 2001 and 2002, and the Punchestown European Endurance Championship in September 2003… Not forgetting the Abu-Dabi endurance race - around a hundred kilometers run in the desert in 40º heat. It is such a demanding race for the horses that a mist-generating unit is installed at each stage to cool them down! Thanks to rebroadcast races, interviews with stud farm managers and trainers, this documentary lifts the lid on a fascinating world, shedding light on the excessiveness of the crown prince of Dubai´s passion for these thoroughbreds whose speed and beauty is so alluring.