Death of leading racing figure Michael Osborne

MICHAEL OSBORNE, a former senior steward of the Irish Turf Club and one of the leading figures in international racing in recent decades, has died after a short illness at the age of 71.

A former managing director of the Irish National Stud, he was chosen by Sheikh Mohammed to build up the sheikh’s stud farm operations in Ireland and then to establish international racing in Dubai.

Osborne, as chief executive of the Emirates Racing Association, supervised the construction of the first Nad Al Sheba grandstand and managed the successful launch of the world’s richest race, the Dubai World Cup.