Qatari Horse Racing Center Al Shaqab Apologizes For Causing Racing Debts

An "apologetic" Al Shaqab thanked trainers for their "considerable patience and understanding" as Sheikh Joaan's racing operation vowed that "those who for months have been chasing unpaid bills will finally have accounts settled," according to Lee Mottershead of RACING POST. Several of Britain's leading trainers were "forced to run their businesses without the many thousands of pounds owed to them by Al Shaqab." Al Shaqab GM Khalifa Al Attiya claimed the problems are "linked" to a financial review and reorganization. However, a number of those on the organization's payroll believe budgets were last year "exhausted prematurely due to expensive transactions." Attempting to estimate the scale of the Al Shaqab debts "is difficult," but with numerous yards thought to be missing at least tens of thousands of pounds, the "scale of the overall shortfall is likely to run well into seven figures" (RACING POST, 1/3).