DUBAI // No filly has ever won the UAE Derby, but Saeed bin Suroor hopes to change that statistic on Saturday night when he lines up Khawlah against the colts.
Last year Mike De Kock's Raihana became the 13th filly to be defeated in the race when she came within a length-and-three-quarters of stablemate Musir in the 1,900m Classic.
Khawlah defied almost a five-month absence to grind down de Kock's Mahbooba in the UAE Oaks in February, and bin Suroor was bristling with confidence when asked whether he expected a repeat of something similar on Saturday.
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"Yes. When she ran first time out she was not 100 per cent when she won," he said.
"She's class and came back sound from that race. She beat the best fillies here in the UAE and she has the class to run with the colts."
The Godolphin trainer has previous form in this department having saddled the filly Folk to finish 10th behind Asiatic Boy in 2007. Cocoa Beach was third three years ago in Honour Devil's race.
He is famous for taking on the colts in the English Derby with Cape Verdi in 1999 and believes that the daughter of Cape Cross is cut from the same cloth.
"Cape Verdi, Moonshell, and other great fillies we have had in the past 17 years, she is one of them," he said. "It's a good result to win the Oaks, and now she takes on the colts we are looking for a better result. I'm really happy with her."
After the UAE Oaks it was announced that Khawlah would go for the Musidora Stakes in England before a tilt at the English Oaks, which bin Suroor has won twice and has two other entries, Rumh and White Moonstone.
"We kept our options open," bin Suroor said. "The plan was the Musidora at York but we saw she came back so well and now we have a chance to run her in the UAE Derby, which is a [US] $2 million (Dh7.34m) race. We will see how she runs in that and then prepare her for the English Oaks."
The prize money bin Suroor mentions has been a significant draw card for trainers in Europe as it dwarfs that of the Epsom Derby, as well as the Irish and French versions.
Aidan O'Brien has entered Master Of The Hounds and Alexander Hope, who is intriguingly ridden by Jamie Spencer, the former Ballydoyle stable jockey. Others include David Simcock's Ahlaain, John Gosden's Utley and Brian Meehan's Mantoba, as well as Laser Bullet, the Japanese raider.
Only bin Suroor and De Kock have won the UAE Derby in the decade of the contest's existence and the enduring success of the Emirati was highlighted in a nail-biting finish to the Carnival trainers' championship.
It took a treble on the final night of this year's Carnival season to clinch the spoils from his long-standing rival. Honour System's victory in the Dubai Duty Free Double Millionaire Handicap on March 10 saw the scores stand, in terms of winners, at 16 to 15, and bin Suroor was delighted at the result.
"It's great to win it for the fourth time," he said. "It wasn't easy. It's just great to have horses that are good enough to win these races."
sports@thenational.ae
RESULTS
Light Flyweight (48kg): Alua Balkibekova (KAZ) beat Gulasal Sultonalieva (UZB) by points 4-1.
Flyweight (51kg): Nazym Kyzaibay (KAZ) beat Mary Kom (IND) 3-2.
Bantamweight (54kg): Dina Zholaman (KAZ) beat Sitora Shogdarova (UZB) 3-2.
Featherweight (57kg): Sitora Turdibekova (UZB) beat Vladislava Kukhta (KAZ) 5-0.
Lightweight (60kg): Rimma Volossenko (KAZ) beat Huswatun Hasanah (INA) KO round-1.
Light Welterweight (64kg): Milana Safronova (KAZ) beat Lalbuatsaihi (IND) 3-2.
Welterweight (69kg): Valentina Khalzova (KAZ) beat Navbakhor Khamidova (UZB) 5-0
Middleweight (75kg): Pooja Rani (IND) beat Mavluda Movlonova (UZB) 5-0.
Light Heavyweight (81kg): Farida Sholtay (KAZ) beat Ruzmetova Sokhiba (UZB) 5-0.
Heavyweight (81 kg): Lazzat Kungeibayeva (KAZ) beat Anupama (IND) 3-2.
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- Premier League-standard football pitch
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Where can I submit a sample?
Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.
Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:
- Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
- Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
- Al Towayya in Al Ain
- NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City
- Bareen International Hospital
- NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
- NMC Royal Medical Centre - Abu Dhabi
- NMC Royal Women’s Hospital.
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New Zealand 21 British & Irish Lions 24
New Zealand
Penalties: Barrett (7)
British & Irish Lions
Tries: Faletau, Murray
Penalties: Farrell (4)
Conversions: Farrell
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Aaron Finch, Matt Renshaw, Brendan Doggett, Michael Neser, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (captain), Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Jon Holland, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle
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Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Match info
Deccan Gladiators 87-8
Asif Khan 25, Dwayne Bravo 2-16
Maratha Arabians 89-2
Chadwick Walton 51 not out
Arabians won the final by eight wickets
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
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MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2 (Benzema 13', Kroos 28')
Barcelona 1 (Mingueza 60')
Red card: Casemiro (Real Madrid)
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
