Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor believes Real World can bounce back and hand him a 10th Dubai World Cup in the 26th running of the thoroughbred spectacle at the Meydan Racecourse on Saturday.
The Emirati is confident that the five-year-old will put a disappointment run at the $20 million Group 1 Saudi Cup – that ended a five-race winning streak – behind him this weekend. The son of Dark Angel suffered his first defeat in six starts when finishing 11th in Riyadh.
Godolphin are double-handed in the $12m Group 1 race in Dubai with Real World drawn in Gate 6 and the French maestro Andre Fabre-trained Magny Course jumping out of Gate 9.
“This was always the plan for him and we’ve always trained him on the all-weather track at home,” Bin Suroor said of his preparation for the race that will be run over the 2,000 metre dirt surface.
“Real World missed the break in the Saudi Cup and that effectively ended his chances. But he’s come out of that run very well and has trained on really well.
“He worked last Saturday and it was the best work I’ve ever seen, clocking 1 minute 26 seconds on the bridle."
“His draw is brilliant and Christophe [Soumillon] the jockey knows the track very well,” Bin Suroor added.
“Christophe is a two-time winner of the race [with Thunder Snow in 2018 and 2019] so it’s great to have him on our side.
“It’s a very tough race and it’s hard to win. You always have to have a good horse. We’ve won it nine times and we’ll try to do it again.”
Magny Course, third in the Dubai World Cup 12 months ago, is back after finishing one spot ahead of Real World in the Saudi Cup.
The real test for the Godolphin pair is sure to come from the American quartet led by Life Is Good along with Hot Rod Charlie and the Saudi Cup runner-up and third-place finisher, Country Grammer and Midnight Bourbon.
Elliott Walden, president of WinStar Farm and China Horse Club, the owners of Life Is Good, described the four-year-old Into Mischief colt as a “super horse” and in a good position in Gate 1.
“It’s a 11-horse field and the inside draw shouldn’t bother him,” Waldon said after picking up the draw slot.
“It’s been amazing and he never had a bad day. He’s special in every way and has a beautiful way of moving, and I think he knows he’s special and a great honour to be here and be the favourite.
“We are looking to good things Saturday. We’re grateful to have him – a special horse. Every time he’s gone on the race track he’s done well.
“He has enough time to get over from the inside draw and has enough speed to put himself in a good position.”
Hot Rod Charlie starts from Gate 7, while Midnight Bourbon is next to him in Gate 8 and County Grammer in Gate 5.
Japan’s Chuwa Wizard, last year’s runner-up to Godolphin’s Mystic Guide, starts from gate three – just as last year.
“I’m happy with the gate and his condition is better than last year,” his trainer Ryuji Okubo said.
“He’s got the experience of Meydan last year and that has served him well for this year. I’m happier this year that he’s drawn well again, and that’s perfect for him.”
The local trainers Salem bin Ghadayer’s Hypothetical and Bhupat Seemar’s Remorse were the winner and runner-up of the Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 over the track and trip on Super Saturday, the traditional Dubai World Cup dress rehearsal.
Completing the 11-runner field are William Haggas’ Grocer Jack from the UK while Antonio Cintra Pereira’s Aero Trem carries the hopes of Uruguay.
If you go
Flying
Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
KYLIAN MBAPPE 2016/17 STATS
Ligue 1: Appearances - 29, Goals - 15, Assists - 8
UCL: Appearances - 9, Goals - 6
French Cup: Appearances - 3, Goals - 3
France U19: Appearances - 5, Goals - 5, Assists - 1
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
Zayed%20Centre%20for%20Research
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The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
RACECARD
6pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 – Group 1 (PA) $50,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
6.35pm: Festival City Stakes – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,200m
7.10pm: Dubai Racing Club Classic – Listed (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 2,410m
7.45pm: Jumeirah Classic Trial – Conditions (TB) $150,000 (T) 1,400m
8.20pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 – Group 2 (TB) $250,000 (D) 1,600m
8.55pm: Cape Verdi – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,600m
9.30pm: Dubai Dash – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,000m
J%20Street%20Polling%20Results
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Notable salonnières of the Middle East through history
Al Khasan (Okaz, Saudi Arabia)
Tamadir bint Amr Al Harith, known simply as Al Khasan, was a poet from Najd famed for elegies, earning great renown for the eulogy of her brothers Mu’awiyah and Sakhr, both killed in tribal wars. Although not a salonnière, this prestigious 7th century poet fostered a culture of literary criticism and could be found standing in the souq of Okaz and reciting her poetry, publicly pronouncing her views and inviting others to join in the debate on scholarship. She later converted to Islam.
Maryana Marrash (Aleppo)
A poet and writer, Marrash helped revive the tradition of the salon and was an active part of the Nadha movement, or Arab Renaissance. Born to an established family in Aleppo in Ottoman Syria in 1848, Marrash was educated at missionary schools in Aleppo and Beirut at a time when many women did not receive an education. After touring Europe, she began to host salons where writers played chess and cards, competed in the art of poetry, and discussed literature and politics. An accomplished singer and canon player, music and dancing were a part of these evenings.
Princess Nazil Fadil (Cairo)
Princess Nazil Fadil gathered religious, literary and political elite together at her Cairo palace, although she stopped short of inviting women. The princess, a niece of Khedive Ismail, believed that Egypt’s situation could only be solved through education and she donated her own property to help fund the first modern Egyptian University in Cairo.
Mayy Ziyadah (Cairo)
Ziyadah was the first to entertain both men and women at her Cairo salon, founded in 1913. The writer, poet, public speaker and critic, her writing explored language, religious identity, language, nationalism and hierarchy. Born in Nazareth, Palestine, to a Lebanese father and Palestinian mother, her salon was open to different social classes and earned comparisons with souq of where Al Khansa herself once recited.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
