DUBAI // Bold Silvano, the World Cup hope of Mike de Kock, will use Saturday night's Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 to prove he is good enough for the world's richest horse race on March 31.
The fragile six year old was one of the most talked-about horses in the UAE last season and was installed as favourite for the 2011 World Cup after romping home in the second round of the Al Maktoum Challenge ahead of Godolphin's Spring of Fame.
But he was withdrawn from the US$10m (Dh36.7m) race after picking up an injury during his final preparations.
Bold Silvano, who won South Africa's biggest race in 2010, is to be given another chance to prove himself for the showpiece race at Meydan Racecourse.
"Tonight is the big test," De Kock said.
"He's either good enough or he isn't and we will find out. I have been very happy with how he's worked at home. He's going a lot better than before the Firebreak Stakes and now it's basically time to see exactly where he is.
"He has always been treated as our World Cup horse and that has been the target for a long time."
After 53 weeks off the track, the son of Silvano made his Meydan Racecourse return in February's 1,600m Group 3 Firebreak Stakes, a trip somewhat short of his best. He finished fifth and De Kock acknowledged he was relieved more than anything else after his charge pulled up sound.
"He had been off the track a long time and, to be honest, I was more delighted by the fact that he came out of that race well and had not picked up any injuries than by the way he acquitted himself," De Kock said.
"That race was essentially a training gallop for him and with a clearer passage he may have gone closer, but the World Cup is the target."
De Kock is the most successful international trainer in the history of the Dubai Carnival but is yet to win the big race on World Cup day.
The South African and his team at Blue Stables, including his assistants Trevor Brown and Steven Jell, have spent many months preparing Bold Silvano for this year's World Cup.
A combination of trackwork, treadmill work and time in the specially purchased horse spa have all been used to keep the runner sound.
"It's a long slow process with him," De Kock said. "We are always very careful with how hard we push him but we know he's come on for his run in the Firebreak and he will just keep getting better with each run."
Christophe Soumillon, De Kock's stable rider, takes the ride on Bold Silvano while Kevin Shea will partner second-string Irish Flame in the same race.
De Kock also saddles Meydan specialist Musir in the Group 3 Burj Nahar.
"He's doing very well," De Kock said. "He is a very honest little horse with a great turn of foot."
Musir is on for his third consecutive victory in the UAE this season after claiming the first round of the 1,600m Group 3 Al Maktoum Challenge on the all-weather and the 1,800m Group 2 Al Rashidiya on the turf.
He stays at the mile (1,800m) trip this evening, a distance that his handler feels is his best.
"I think this is his best trip, he's doing very well indeed and we know that he's very comfortable around Meydan," De Kock said.
Also in the fray for De Kock and principal owner Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa is Mickdaam, the three year old.
Mickdaam, who finished second to Godolphin's Kinglet in the 1.600m UAE 2,000 Guineas by just quarter-of-a-length, is expected to improve when he steps up to tonight's trip of 1,900m.
"This is much more his trip," said De Kock. "He will be far more comfortable here or even over further."
sports@thenational.ae
@ For more HORSE RACING visit thenational.ae/topics
GRAN%20TURISMO
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Neill%20Blomkamp%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20David%20Harbour%2C%20Orlando%20Bloom%2C%20Archie%20Madekwe%2C%20Darren%20Barnet%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 2 (Heaton (og) 42', Lindelof 64')
Aston Villa 2 (Grealish 11', Mings 66')
ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
%3Cp%3EThe%20Department%20of%20Culture%20and%20Tourism%20-%20Abu%20Dhabi%E2%80%99s%20Arabic%20Language%20Centre%20will%20mark%20International%20Women%E2%80%99s%20Day%20at%20the%20Bologna%20Children's%20Book%20Fair%20with%20the%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Translation%20Conference.%20Prolific%20Emirati%20author%20Noora%20Al%20Shammari%2C%20who%20has%20written%20eight%20books%20that%20%20feature%20in%20the%20Ministry%20of%20Education's%20curriculum%2C%20will%20appear%20in%20a%20session%20on%20Wednesday%20to%20discuss%20the%20challenges%20women%20face%20in%20getting%20their%20works%20translated.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Fixtures
Tuesday - 5.15pm: Team Lebanon v Alger Corsaires; 8.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Pharaohs
Wednesday - 5.15pm: Pharaohs v Carthage Eagles; 8.30pm: Alger Corsaires v Abu Dhabi Storms
Thursday - 4.30pm: Team Lebanon v Pharaohs; 7.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Carthage Eagles
Friday - 4.30pm: Pharaohs v Alger Corsaires; 7.30pm: Carthage Eagles v Team Lebanon
Saturday - 4.30pm: Carthage Eagles v Alger Corsaires; 7.30pm: Abu Dhabi Storms v Team Lebanon
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Leap of Faith
Michael J Mazarr
Public Affairs
Dh67
