For ten years, Kiaran McLaughlin spent half of each year working in Dubai and half in the
New York City area. In both locations he trained horses for Sheikh Mohammed and his brother,
Sheikh Hamdan. He was the leading trainer at Dubai's
Nad Al Sheba Racecourse on three occasions: 1994–95, 1995–96 and 2002–2003. In 1995, he shipped Dumaani to Japan and won the $1.5 million Keio Hai Spring Cup at Tokyo Racecourse at odds of 56–1. In 2006, he trained Shadwell's colt
Jazil, who won the
Belmont Stakes, and had enormous success with
Invasor, Shadwell's newly acquired four-year-old
Argentinian colt. Invasor won several
Grade I races in the U.S. including the
Breeders' Cup Classic, for which he earned
U.S. Horse of the Year honors and the number 1
World Thoroughbred Racehorse Ranking. McLaughlin's 2006 season earned him the
New York Turf Writers Association (NYTWA) C.V. Whitney Achievement Award and a share of the Red Smith "Good Guy" Award with fellow trainer
Tom Albertrani. In March 2007, Invasor won the world's richest horse race, the
Dubai World Cup with Invasor. Also in 2007, McLaughlin trained
Lahudood to victories in the
Flower Bowl Invitational and the
Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf, for which she earned the
Eclipse Award for Outstanding Turf Mare. ==Year-end rankings==