Golfing Phenom Meets Sheikh, Tours Stables

From United Arab Emirates
Tiger Woods, the reigning champion of the golfing world, spent Wednesday afternoon touring the state of the art Al Quoz Stables in Dubai, the home of Godolphin Racing. During the tour of Al Quoz, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum told the golfer that one of Godolphin's most promising 2-year-olds was to be named Dubai Tiger.

Sheikh Mohammed announced that he had chosen this name in recognition of the talents and sportsmanship of Tiger Woods and to commemorate his trip to Dubai

Dubai Tiger was purchased for US$1,800,000 at the 2000 Keeneland September Yearling Sales and is by Storm Cat, out of the Saratoga Six mare Toga Toga Toga.

Sheikh Mohammed said "Tiger is very pleased that we are naming one of our most exciting two-year-olds after him, we hope that Dubai Tiger will become an equally outstanding athlete of the future."

Woods, 26, is currently in the United Arab Emirates to take on the World's elite golfers in the Dubai Desert Classic, part of the PGA European Tour, at the Emirates Golf Club.

While looking around the state of the art training facilities, Woods was introduced to some of Godolphin's leading thoroughbreds, including Best Of The Bests, whose name effectively sums up both Tiger Woods and Godolphin.

Best Of The Bests will be heading Godolphin's defense of the worlds' richest race, the US$6,000,000 Dubai World Cup, following their impressive win in 2000 with Dubai Millennium.

After the tour Sheikh Mohammed said, "This was the perfect opportunity to show one of the world's greatest sportsmen some of the world's greatest equine athletes. Tiger Woods, Godolphin and Dubai all have one thing in common - their strive for excellence."

Woods showed a great deal of interest in the sport of horse racing and discussed with Sheikh Mohammed a number of topics relating to the training and breeding of Thoroughbred and Arabian racehorses.

Woods said, after touring Godolphin's training operation, "It is a great honor for me that Sheikh Mohammed has chosen the name Dubai Tiger for one of his racehorses. I am so impressed at how sophisticated the whole training facility is here. It has been a really enjoyable afternoon."

In 2000, Woods made history by becoming the youngest ever player to complete a career Grand Slam of professional major tournaments and only the fifth to do so. Woods had previously become the youngest golfer to claim the number one position on the Official World Golf Ranking and to date has won over $22-million in prize money.