With the flat season in full swing, August brought sad news regarding a beloved National Hunt warrior. Lighting up the track for 10 consecutive seasons between 2015 and 2024, the ex-Willie Mullins star Sharjah has succumbed to colic at the age of 13.
Starting out on the flat in France, this son of Doctor Dino will be best remembered for his jumping exploits. A regular at the major National Hunt festivals, Sharjah carried the famous pink and green silks of Rich and Susannah Ricci with distinction. After his passing, those close to the horse were quick to remember both his talent and kind nature.
Early Promise
Beginning life in France, Sharjah had eight outings on the flat, including a sole success at Deauville, before joining Willie Mullins’ in September 2017.
Setting out on the right foot, he cruised to victory at Gowran Park only a couple of weeks after arriving at Closutton. Following up at that same track in November 2017, Mullins looked to have yet another rising star on his hands.
Pitched into the Grade 1 Future Champions Novice Hurdle on his third start over obstacles, Sharjah was cantering all over his rivals only to take a crashing fall at the last. That mishap seemed to take a toll, as he wasn’t quite the same in four subsequent outings during the 2017/18 season. However, his time in the Grade 1 winners’ enclosure would come.
Galway Festival Heroics
Having blown away the cobwebs on his seasonal return at Tipperary, Sharjah was set the task of winning one of the most competitive handicap hurdles on the Irish calendar. In entering the horse for the 2018 Galway Hurdle, Mullins clearly thought there was room for manoeuvre off a mark of 146. As is so often the case, Mullins was proved correct about a horse who would hit a peak rating of 165. Travelling ominously well throughout, Sharjah overcame a late error to power three lengths clear on the run-in. It would be five years before he next lined up in a handicap hurdle.
Six-Time Grade 1 Winner
| Date | Race Won | Course | Winnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18/11/18 | Morgiana Hurdle | Punchestown | €59,000 |
| 29/12/18 | Ryanair Hurdle | Leopardstown | €73,750 |
| 29/12/19 | Matheson Hurdle | Leopardstown | €73,750 |
| 29/12/20 | Matheson Hurdle | Leopardstown | €59,000 |
| 14/11/21 | Morgiana Hurdle | Punchestown | €59,000 |
| 29/12/21 | Matheson Hurdle | Leopardstown | €88,500 |
Sharjah finished well beaten in his three outings following his Galway Hurdle triumph – including two spins on the flat – but ended 2018 in style.
Expected to play second fiddle to stable- and owner-mate Faugheen “The Machine” in the Morgiana Hurdle, he instead cruised to a 7½l verdict to claim a first Grade 1 victory. A second top-tier success immediately followed as he accounted for a field including Supasundae, Melon, and Samcro in the December Hurdle at Leopardstown. The regular partner of Patrick Mullins went on to win the Morgiana Hurdle for a second time, easily seeing off the Gordon Elliott-trained Zanahiyr in 2021.
Despite his many achievements elsewhere, Leopardstown, and specifically the December Christmas Hurdle, was where Sharjah shone brightest. Returning in 2019, he left Supreme Novices Hurdle champ Klassical Dream trailing in his wake for a second success. The hat-trick arrived in 2020, with Aspire Tower and Saint Roi among the defeated. Then, in 2021, he became only the third horse in history to win the race for a fourth time, joining hurdling luminaries Istabraq and Hurricane Fly. However, with each of those runners having a gap between wins, Sharjah stands alone as the only horse to win four consecutive editions.
Finishing Off Over Fences
With his time at the top over hurdles coming to an end, Sharjah switched to fences in 2023. While never quite hitting the Grade 1 heights over the larger obstacles, he still managed to win three of eight starts, including a 12-length romp in a Grade 3 contest at Tipperary.
His most significant chase success – at least from his trainer’s perspective – came on Scottish Grand National Day at Ayr in 2024. Sitting neck and neck with Dan Skelton in a battle for the British Trainers’ Championship, Mullins opted to step Sharjah up to 3m for the first time in his career. The marathon trip and top weight of 12st were no obstacles for the 11-year-old, who oozed class and heart to score by 2½l. The first-place prize money helped to swing the pendulum decisively in Mullins’ direction.
The Kind Superstar
If there is one omission from the Sharjah CV, it is a success at the Cheltenham Festival. Making six appearances at the March showpiece, he ran some mighty races in defeat, including runner-up finishes in the 2020 and 2021 editions of the Champion Hurdle, without managing to get his head in front.
Upon his 2024 retirement, Sharjah had won 13 of 50 starts under rules and amassed £990,678 in prize money for connections. Patrick Mullins, who partnered the horse to six of those wins, including all four in the December Hurdle, was among those to pay tribute, stating:
“He was a very, very kind horse in the yard that everyone was very fond of and I doubt I will ever get to be associated with a horse like him again. I owe him some of the best memories of my riding career. He was a superstar.”