The first cousin of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Fahad Al Thani started owning and racing horses in 2010, under the Pearl Bloodstock banner, notably winning the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket with Lightening Pearl, trained by Ger Lyons, and the Melbourne Cup and Hong Kong Vase with Dunaden, trained by Mikel Delzangles, in 2011. Nowadays, though, Sheikh Fahad oversees the running of Qatar Racing – like Pearl Bloodstock, as subsidiary of the private, family-run investment company, Qipco Holding – which represents the ownership interests of the Al Thani brothers.
Founded in 2012, Qatar Racing is based in the United Kingdom, but also has horses in training in Ireland, France, the United States, Japan and Australia. On British soil, 2018 proved to be a breakthrough year for the increasingly familiar claret and gold colours of Qatar Racing, with Roaring Lion, trained by John Gosden, winning the Coral-Eclipse Stakes, Juddmonte International Stakes, Irish Champion Stakes and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and Lightening Spear, trained by David Simcock, winning the Sussex Stakes. In late 2019, Kameko, trained by Andrew Balding, won the Futurity Stakes and the following June won the delayed 2,000 Guineas.
Further success at the highest level in Britain has proved elusive since, but the likes of Ocean Road, winner of the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita in May 2022, and New Century, winner of the |Grade 1 Summer Stakes at Woodbine in September 2024, have continued to fly the flag for Qatar Racing worldwide. In Britain, Qatar Racing actually enjoyed its most successful season, numerically and fiscally, in 2015, when its 277 runners yielded 39 winners, at a strike rate of 14%, and just over £1 million in prize money. The biggest single payday that year came courtesy of Arod, trained by Peter Chapple-Hyam, who won the Group 2 Summer Miles Stakes at Ascot, worth £62,381 to the winner.