As one of the most travelled racing journalists in the business, Laura King has a true global perspective on horseracing.
King (pictured) is the lead English language presenter/producer on Dubai Racing Channel, which means she not only reports from the UAE’s five racecourses but also travels regularly to the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, France, Ireland, North America, Singapore and Hong Kong. It also means that the week after next will be one of her busiest weeks of the year with the spectacular Dubai World Cup meeting taking place at Meydan racecourse on Saturday, March 27.
King is a regular contributor to TRC and our sister publication, Gallop magazine.
Who do you think is the most important figure in world racing history?
I’ll pick a current one, Frankie Dettori, who remains the only jockey ‘the person on the street’ could name. We’re lucky he’s been around for so long, but we need to try to bring out similar personalities for when he retires. They are out there; it’s just whether or not they can be encouraged to step into the spotlight.
The Queen is also hugely important. I know that plenty of Middle Eastern owners love the fact that their involvement with horses gets them close to the British Royal Family. I’ll also never forget being at Belmont Park when her Call To Mind won the [G2] Belmont Gold Cup Invitational [in June 2018] – people were scrabbling just to get a selfie with the jockey [Javier Castellano] wearing the silks in the background. It was crazy.
Which is your favourite venue and race?
I love Santa Anita. It has it all: Sun, palm trees, mountains and brilliant racing. Closer to home, I go to Jebel Ali here in the UAE even on my day off. It’s a totally unique, friendly, little track with an extremely steep uphill finish and it gets a large, enthusiastic crowd. Everyone should visit at least once.
My favourite meeting is the Breeders’ Cup, by a furlong, and I love the Mile. Top Euros against the best American turf horses and it’s been won by so many of the greats down the years.
What is your fondest memory in racing?
A horse my husband and I had a share in with the EERC syndicate in Dubai, called Active Spirit, won at 33/1 at Meydan in 2016, beating a horse Godolphin had nominated for the U.S. Triple Crown. I’ve never been more stunned, but I’ll never forget it.
Another one would be California Chrome’s World Cup win at Meydan in 2016 (see video below). He was owed that.
What do you see as the biggest challenge facing racing today?
The aftercare issue isn’t going to go away. There is still a perception from some portions of the public that horses are put down when they finish racing, or neglected. Thankfully, some countries, including the UK and U.S., are making great strides with this and the charities do a super job, so the message is getting out there that OTTBs [Off-track Thoroughbreds] can go on to thrive in different spheres. There’s much more work to do, though, especially in developing racing jurisdictions. Aftercare facilities need to be built into the infrastructure from the start.
If you could change one thing in racing, what would it be?
Fixture clashes drive me insane, especially when it comes to huge meetings such as the Guineas in the UK, which is almost always on the same weekend as the Kentucky Derby. It means Churchill Downs will get little to no coverage in the UK, and vice versa. A world governing body is needed to sort out not just this, but whip rules, medication, stewarding etc. I’m hopeful it will happen one day …