G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and G1 Juddmonte International winner Sakhee (Bahri-Thawakib {Ire}, by Sadler's Wells) was euthanized on Friday at Shadwell's Nunnery Stud due to the infirmities of old age. He was 24.
Bred by the late Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, Sakhee was born at Shadwell Farm in Kentucky before being sent to Newmarket to join trainer John Dunlop, who had trained Sakhee's sire and dam to wins in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. and G2 Ribblesdale S., respectively, in the Shadwell blue and white. Sakhee won two of his three starts at two and opened his 3-year-old account with victories in the G3 Classic Trial and G2 Dante S. before finishing second to Sinndar (Ire) in the Derby after being collared in the final 150 yards. Sakhee ran just once more at three, finishing fourth behind Giant's Causeway in the G1 Eclipse S.
Resurfacing at four under the care of Saeed bin Suroor and carrying the Godolphin blue of Sheikh Hamdan's younger brother Sheikh Mohammed, Sakhee won the Listed Steventon S. before his prolific Group 1 double under Frankie Dettori, where he took the Juddmonte International by seven lengths over Grandera (Ire) and Medicean (GB) and the Arc by six over that year's G1 Prix de Diane and G1 Prix Vermeille scorer Aquarelliste (Fr) (Danehill). Sakhee rounded out his season with a second-place finish by a nose to Tiznow in the Breeders' Cup Classic on the dirt in one of the most famous finishes that meeting has ever seen. Sakhee's exploits at four earned him champion older horse honours.
Sakhee ran three times at five, winning a Nad Al Sheba conditions race before finishing third to Street Cry (Ire) in the G1 Dubai World Cup. He retired after a third in the G3 Prix Gontaut-Biron with eight wins from 14 starts and a shade over £1-million in the bank.
Standing at Shadwell all bar one season from 2003 to when he was pensioned in 2016, Sakhee didn't light up the world as a sire but he provided a few notable Group 1 winners in the G1 Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup and G1 Dubai Duty Free winner Presvis (GB), the earner of more than £4-million; G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains victor Tin Horse (GB) and the G1 July Cup scorer Sakhee's Secret (GB). Sakhee had been living out his retirement at Nunnery Stud.
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