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Unfuwain (5 March 1985 – 16 January 2002) was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse bred and owned by Hamdan Al Maktoum. In a career of ten starts from 1987 to 1989, he won four Conditions races and was placed in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He went on to become a successful sire.
As a result of these victories, he was a leading fancy for the 1988 Epsom Derby, starting as the 9-2 second favourite. He disappointed in the classic, finishing seventh behind Kahyasi. He was beaten by horse of his own generation only on this occasion, apart from his debut. It was also the only race of his career in which he was not ridden by Carson, who chose to ride Minster Son, a colt he had bred himself. The ride instead went to Steve Cauthen.
After a brief break, he returned in the Princess of Wales's Stakes and, facing older horses, produced his best performance, taking the lead two furlongs out and pulling away to win by fifteen lengths from a field which included Canadian International Stakes winner Infamy, and Breeders' Cup Classic runner-up Ibn Bey. Coincidentally, this was the race in which his mother, Height of Fashion, had recorded her most important success when defeating Ardross in 1982.
He was made 2-1 favourite for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot three weeks later. He ran up to his best form, taking the lead in the straight before finishing second to Mtoto, ahead of the subsequent Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Tony Bin. In his final race of the year, he finished fourth in the Arc, beaten just over a length behind Tony Bin, Mtoto and Boyatino. In both the King George and the Arc, he finished well ahead of the other three-year-olds.
Three weeks later in the Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket Unfuwain went clear a quarter mile from home and did not have to be put under pressure to record a one length win over the Derby runner-up Glacial Storm. Sheriff's Star, who went on to win both the Coronation Cup and Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud later that summer, was beaten a further six lengths in fourth.
As the season progressed, Unfuwain reportedly became difficult to train and was retired to stud without racing again.
Unfuwain was given a Timeform rating of 99p as a two-year-old, 130 as a three-year-old and 126 as a four-year-old.
His progeny include Lahan, Petrushka, Lailani, Zahrat Dubai, Bolas, Eswarah and Alhaarth.
Unfuwain's most notable achievement as a sire came in the 1,000 Guineas in 2000. He was the sire of Lahan and Petrushka, who finished first and third respectively, and he was also the maternal grandsire of the runner-up, Princess Ellen.
In January 2001 he was awarded the title of Leading British-based Stallion for the previous year by the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association.
Unfuwain died from a neurological condition at the Nunnery Stud on 16 January 2002. The stud's director, Richard Lancaster described him as " a most wonderful horse to deal with. He had immense courage and will be remembered with great affection."
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