After just two weeks of the new racing season, the trainer’s championship race already looks set to be another tight contest between defending champion Bhupat Seemar and Doug Watson.
They each saddled a double at Meydan’s opener on Friday and Watson followed it up with another two wins at Jebel Ali’s second meeting on Saturday to Seemar’s solitary winner.
Western Symphony and Pitcher’s Point, both under stable jockey Tadhg O’Shea, were Seemar’s two winners at the headquarters.
Watson followed up his treble at Jebel Ali’s opener last month with a double with One Idea and Verboten, both ridden by Pat Dobbs, to take the trainer’s tally to seven.
The Jebel Ali meeting was highlighted by a couple of handicaps rated for horses 80 to 100, and Salem bin Ghadayer’s Tenbury Wells under Royston Ffrench won the one run over the 1,600-metre trip. Verboten took the other run over 1,900m.
Tenbury Wells scored a gutsy win. He was hard ridden to lead in the early stages and then never headed in the colours of the Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed.
It was a fourth career success for the five-year-old gelded son of Medaglio D’Oro and his second in the UAE over the track and trip.
“He is a lovely horse and probably unlucky not to have won more for us as he did not always have the best of luck in the past. This is a perfect start to his new season” Ffrench said of Tenbury Wells.
At Meydan, Pitcher’s Point and Al Maroom led a one-two finish for Seemar. O’Shea prevailed over Sandro Paiva on the line having been headed with about 25m remaining.
“To be honest I thought I was beat but full credit to my fellow because he just kept battling away and put his head back in front on the line. It was a great effort from both horses,” O’Shea, said.
O’Shea was completing a double after turning the previous race into a procession onboard Western Symphony.
The second feature prize on the night was won by Bin Ghadayer’s Book Review with Ffrench atop.
“We know he goes well fresh and once he has a lead he is a very hard horse to get past. Hopefully he can have a good season and be a bit more consistent than he has been in the past,” French said of the Dubawi gelding’s victory over Seemar’s Twelfthofneverland by five and a quarter lengths.
5 of the most-popular Airbnb locations in Dubai
Bobby Grudziecki, chief operating officer of Frank Porter, identifies the five most popular areas in Dubai for those looking to make the most out of their properties and the rates owners can secure:
• Dubai Marina
The Marina and Jumeirah Beach Residence are popular locations, says Mr Grudziecki, due to their closeness to the beach, restaurants and hotels.
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh482 to Dh739
Two bedroom: Dh627 to Dh960
Three bedroom: Dh721 to Dh1,104
• Downtown
Within walking distance of the Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa and the famous fountains, this location combines business and leisure. “Sure it’s for tourists,” says Mr Grudziecki. “Though Downtown [still caters to business people] because it’s close to Dubai International Financial Centre."
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh497 to Dh772
Two bedroom: Dh646 to Dh1,003
Three bedroom: Dh743 to Dh1,154
• City Walk
The rising star of the Dubai property market, this area is lined with pristine sidewalks, boutiques and cafes and close to the new entertainment venue Coca Cola Arena. “Downtown and Marina are pretty much the same prices,” Mr Grudziecki says, “but City Walk is higher.”
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh524 to Dh809
Two bedroom: Dh682 to Dh1,052
Three bedroom: Dh784 to Dh1,210
• Jumeirah Lake Towers
Dubai Marina’s little brother JLT resides on the other side of Sheikh Zayed road but is still close enough to beachside outlets and attractions. The big selling point for Airbnb renters, however, is that “it’s cheaper than Dubai Marina”, Mr Grudziecki says.
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh422 to Dh629
Two bedroom: Dh549 to Dh818
Three bedroom: Dh631 to Dh941
• Palm Jumeirah
Palm Jumeirah's proximity to luxury resorts is attractive, especially for big families, says Mr Grudziecki, as Airbnb renters can secure competitive rates on one of the world’s most famous tourist destinations.
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh503 to Dh770
Two bedroom: Dh654 to Dh1,002
Three bedroom: Dh752 to Dh1,152
Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
Directed by: RS Prasanna
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar
The chef's advice
Troy Payne, head chef at Abu Dhabi’s newest healthy eatery Sanderson’s in Al Seef Resort & Spa, says singles need to change their mindset about how they approach the supermarket.
“They feel like they can’t buy one cucumber,” he says. “But I can walk into a shop – I feed two people at home – and I’ll walk into a shop and I buy one cucumber, I’ll buy one onion.”
Mr Payne asks for the sticker to be placed directly on each item, rather than face the temptation of filling one of the two-kilogram capacity plastic bags on offer.
The chef also advises singletons not get too hung up on “organic”, particularly high-priced varieties that have been flown in from far-flung locales. Local produce is often grown sustainably, and far cheaper, he says.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
