Praise flows for Osborne
Sheikh Mohammed led the tributes to Michael Osborne, a former senior steward of the Irish Turf Club and leading figure in international racing, who died on Wednesday after a short illness at the age of 71.
A former managing director of the Irish National Stud, Osborne was the man chosen by Sheikh Mohammed to build up the his stud farm operations in Ireland and then to establish international racing in Dubai.
It was Osborne who, as chief executive of the Emirates Racing Association, supervised the construction of the first Nad Al Sheba grandstand and managed the successful launch of the world’s richest race, the Dubai World Cup.
Sheikh Mohammed said: “Michael was a wonderful man. My thoughts and sympathy are with his family.
“We had some marvellous times together and I will always remember the great work that he did.
“He was a hugely influential figure in world racing. It was Michael who established the Dubai World Cup as a great international race.
“Michael always had enormous enthusiasm – for horses, for Ireland and for Dubai.
“Nearly 20 years ago, he was the one who bought Kildangan Stud for me. He really loved the farm and it is fitting that he is going to be laid to rest in the graveyard at Kildangan.”
A native of Naas, Osborne also played a pivotal role in many of the major developments in Irish racing over the past 20 years.
A former director of the Irish Horseracing Authority and Horseracing Ireland as well as a past chairman of Punchestown racecourse, he was chairman of the Curragh at the time of his death.
Osborne, who was also a qualified vet, offered advice on the development of racing to a host of countries.
Earlier this year he had taken on the chairmanship of the World Racing Championships and had been working on proposals to revamp the World Racing Series.
Brian Kavanagh, chief executive of Horseracing Ireland said: “Michael Osborne was Ireland’s foremost international racing figure of recent times.
“Over four decades he occupied every significant role in the Irish racing and breeding industries and set new standards of excellence in every position he filled.
“His outstanding quality was his ability to relate to and work with people of all ages and backgrounds.
“His unique talents and enthusiasm saw him succeed wherever he operated and throughout the racing and breeding world his legacy will endure for a very long time.”
Osborne’s funeral service will take place on Thursday evening, with Requiem Mass on Friday morning.
