LONDON: The late Prince Khalid bin Abdullah was on Monday posthumously inducted into the QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame — the official hall of fame for British flat racing. Saudi Prince Khalid is only the second person to be recognized within the hall of fame’s Special Contributor category, following in the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth II, who was inducted in 2021. He was chosen by an independent panel of industry experts in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the sport, and his achievements through his breeding and racing operation, Juddmonte. Prince Khalid’s induction will be officially marked through a special presentation at York Racecourse on Wednesday, on the same day as the Juddmonte International, a race that the organization has supported since 1989. Douglas Erskine Crum, chief executive of Juddmonte, said: “Prince Khalid was an owner-breeder like no other, with his numerous cherished champions, including perhaps the greatest thoroughbred of them all in Frankel. “Through Juddmonte, the prince has left a legacy which, now under the direction of his sons Prince Fahad, Prince Saud and Prince Ahmed, continues to have a massive influence on the sport globally, at the same time as giving great pleasure and entertainment to his family. “Prince Khalid would have been very pleased to be recognized by the British horse racing industry in this way and, on behalf of his whole family, I thank British racing and the QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame for this exceptional accolade.” Launched in 2021, the hall of fame sets out to immortalize the modern greats of the sport, both human and equine, from 1970 onwards. Prince Khalid is the fourth member to be inducted in 2023, following the inductions of Sir Michael Stoute and Sea The Stars ahead of the QIPCO Guineas Festival in May and this year’s public vote winner Stradivarius, recently inducted on Al-Shaqab Goodwood Cup day at Glorious Goodwood. “I think it’s very fitting for Prince Khalid to be inducted into the hall of fame; to have someone in racing that long and invest so much money into the game,” Juddmonte’s retained jockey from 2001 to 2007 Richard Hughes said. “He’s probably bred the best racehorse to ever walk in Frankel and that really rounded off his breeding operation. When you look at his stud-mare book, it was like a Bible nearly, there were about 300 mares in there. Everything he wanted to achieve, he achieved it and he bred the best horse in the world.” Prince Khalid started his breeding programme from scratch, buying four yearlings at the Newmarket sales in 1977, with all four horses going on to become winners. Juddmonte has approximately 250 horses in training worldwide these days, around 200 broodmares, and employs 250 people, with headquarters near Newmarket (Banstead Manor Stud), County Meath (Ferrans Stud), and Lexington, Kentucky. Prince Khalid was a popular figure in British racing throughout his career as an owner and breeder. Grant Pritchard-Gordon, his racing manager from 1982-99, said: “Prince Khalid was generous to a fault and the most loyal friend. “Working closely with him has been one of the biggest privileges of my life. He was very proud of his involvement with the Juddmonte International. I suppose Frankel winning his race was the pinnacle of his racing successes.” Roger Charlton, trainer of Prince Khalid’s first Derby winner, Quest For Fame, in 1990, said the Saudi prince had a “great understanding of racing” and was a “very quiet, dignified and polite person.”