There are 101 Derby races worldwide, but the 2,400 metre Classic, along the twists and turns of Epsom, is the original. It is a test like no other.
The Kentucky Derby and the French equivalent are run over 2,000m. The Japanese Derby has only recently been opened to foreign challengers.
The challenge at Epsom, however, is complete.
Few three-year-old horses can assemble the balance, the combination of speed and stamina, and tack in all on to sheer class so early in their careers. Since 1780, the winning horse has raced 800m uphill before sweeping down Tattenham Corner on a camber into the long downhill straight to immortality.
With around 25,000 thoroughbred foals born every year in England alone, the chances of making the final line-up of 15 or so on the first Saturday in June is remote. To win the race as a trainer, jockey or owner is sublimity itself.
It puts into context, therefore, the extraordinary gift of the likeliest winner of this afternoon's race, Carlton House, given by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to Queen Elizabeth II of England.
For Sheikh Mohammed to give such a present to the Queen is a significant gesture, and one which transcends the boundaries of the sport. A portion of the prize money to today's race alone would be present enough, standing at £1.25 million (Dh7.5m). Add on the prestige of owning a Derby winner, the subsequent hopes of winning further races and the breeding opportunities, and the Sheikh's munificence has exceeded even his most generous of levels.
Sheikh Mohammed has previous form in this department. In 2007 he purchased, from trainer Jim Bolger, New Approach, a Galileo colt that had cost the Irishman €430,000 (Dh2.3m) at Goffs the year before. The Ruler of Dubai gave the colt to his wife, Princess Haya of Jordan, and New Approach subsequently won the 2008 Derby before going on to victory in the Irish and English Champion Stakes.
In the early 1990s, Sheikh Mohammed gave his cousin, Sheikh Mohammed Obaid, the broodmare High Tern. With her fifth foal she produced High Rise, who won the Derby in 1998 before being transferred to Godolphin for a campaign in Dubai which included a victory in the Dubai City Of Gold.
To understand the process which led the Sheikh to give Carlton House to the Queen it is necessary to go back to the summer of 2009 when a three-year-old colt bred by the Queen called Highland Glen refused to enter the stalls at Goodwood racecourse.
As a son of Montjeu, he was entitled to have his quirks if the payback was victory, but his latent talent was yet to be discovered due to his inability to handle starting gates. Sheikh Mohammed wanted to purchase the colt, believing him to be perfect for racing in Dubai and contacted the Queen's racing representatives to make inquiries.
Highland Glen had been gelded and the queen was acutely aware of the potential embarrassment the horse might cause should he never win again. She thus gave the Ruler of Dubai the horse as a present. In return, Sheikh Mohammed scoured his Darley stock and sent the queen a batch of yearlings that arrived in November 2009. From the very first moment it was clear that one stood out above the other three, and that was Carlton House, the son of former Dubai World Cup winner Street Cry.
"When the yearlings arrived, I had to describe them to the Queen," said John Warren, the Queen's bloodstock adviser. "He was a lovely yearling and beautifully bred. He was the pick and he ticked all the boxes from the word go, which is why we sent him to Sir Michael Stoute."
Carlton House finished last season with a nine-length demolition of 17 other rivals in October to fuel winter dreams of Classic aspirations. Due to a dry spring, which resulted in problematic training schedules for many of Newmarket's finest, the colt emerged at the beginning of this season somewhat disappointing.
"I don't think he wintered particularly well," Warren said. "In November it was clear he was going through a growing phase. He had the skeletal frame but he didn't have the sort of muscle development on him that he has now got. In March the horse started to flush up, and was a bit hairy, and Sir Michael's horses were behind. He did not look game ready."
For one so inexperienced, Stoute initially wanted to run Carlton House in the Sandown Classic Trial, won in April by Godolphin's Genius Beast. The race was to act as a marker to see where Carlton House stood in the Derby pecking order but Warren received a call five days before the race with some exciting news.
"Michael rang me and said: 'I am going to pull him and we are going to go straight to the Dante." That was when I thought, 'Crickey, he really is not just dealing with a horse that might win a trial, he is training a horse that might win the Derby.' That was an exciting turning point. I've had to take things a little more seriously since then," Warren said.
The Dante Stakes is a key trial and has provided the winner of the Derby four times in the past seven years. It also acted as the stepping stone for Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid's Erhaab in 1994.
In this year's race Carlton House put in a remarkable performance under Ryan Moore. The three-times champion jockey had to battle with his mount, forcing him to settle, and when the slightest of gaps appeared at the business end of the race Carlton House went through to win without hesitation and without the need for Moore to reach for his whip.
Warren was on the telephone to the Queen during the race. "Goodness, he's gone straight through that gap," she gasped. Since then, Warren has reported that Carlton House has filled in all of the missing angles that differentiate a champion thoroughbred from the merely ordinary. Stoute is famous for being a patient trainer and his tender handling of Carlton House seems to have paid off. Last week the colt put in a performance on the gallops that has set tongues wagging.
"It was a routine piece of work," Warren said. "Two horses in the distance, a long way away. I could see the other horse in trouble and Carlton House just smoothly pulled clear as they came past us. It looked like a very nice piece of work, but nothing important.
"At breakfast, Ryan Moore said, 'Wow, we went quickly there. He has so much speed. Didn't you see? It was so easy'."
Sheikh Mohammed's relationship with the Queen consists of perhaps two or three meetings a year at the Derby and at Royal Ascot, where the proximity of their boxes means Her Majesty often receives the Sheikh for afternoon tea. His association with the royal family stretches back decades and recently released cables by US diplomats indicate the sheikhs in the UAE were "enthralled" by Charles and Diana on their visit to the UAE in 1989. Their families are entwined with racehorses, and to hear Warren discuss the Queen's passion for the sport is similar to any member of the Godolphin team talk about the founder of their organisation. "She wants to know absolutely everything. When a foal is born we send her all the details of the height, weight and time of birth. We also send her a photograph," said Warren. "It is like she is a matron to all of them. She has never told me her favourite horse because it is a bit like discussing her favourite child."
There can be no doubt that if Carlton House were to win the Derby today he would enter a special place in the Queen's heart. It is 102 years since Minoru triumphed for Edward VII, the last ruling monarch to have a Derby winner, and since 1953, when Aureole finished second in her Coronation year, the Queen has had eight losers in the race.
For Sheikh Mohammed, it has been a similar journey of frustration. His maroon-and-white colours have raced 20 times in the Derby without success. Lammtarra won for the Dubai-based operation in 1995, but raced in the green-and-white colours of Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum. Since then Godolphin have sent out 22 runners, but are still to follow up in the colt's Classic.
This year they rely on Ocean War. "We will, of course, still be trying to do our best to beat Carlton House," said Simon Crisford, Godolphin's racing manager.
"Carlton House's dam [Talented] is one of the first mares Godolphin ever had, so it is a very close family to him and he is very excited about the possibility of it all."
Sheikh Mohammed concurred. "It is a weekend of exciting horse racing for Godolphin, but the highlight will be if the Queen of England's Carlton House wins the Epsom Derby," he said.
sports@thenational.ae
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Raha%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Kuwait%2FSaudi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Tech%20Logistics%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2414%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Soor%20Capital%2C%20eWTP%20Arabia%20Capital%2C%20Aujan%20Enterprises%2C%20Nox%20Management%2C%20Cedar%20Mundi%20Ventures%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20166%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
Key features of new policy
Pupils to learn coding and other vocational skills from Grade 6
Exams to test critical thinking and application of knowledge
A new National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance, Assessment, Review and Analysis for Holistic Development) will form the standard for schools
Schools to implement online system to encouraging transparency and accountability
Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
RACE CARD
6.30pm Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,200
7.05pm Handicap Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
7.40pm Maiden Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm Handicap Dh190,000 (D) 1,600m
8.50pm Handicap Dh175,000 (D) 1,400m
9.25pm Handicap Dh175,000 (D) 2,000m
The National selections:
6.30pm Underwriter
7.05pm Rayig
7.40pm Torno Subito
8.15pm Talento Puma
8.50pm Etisalat
9.25pm Gundogdu
How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed PDK
Power: 630bhp
Torque: 820Nm
Price: Dh683,200
On sale: now
Jordan cabinet changes
In
- Raed Mozafar Abu Al Saoud, Minister of Water and Irrigation
- Dr Bassam Samir Al Talhouni, Minister of Justice
- Majd Mohamed Shoueikeh, State Minister of Development of Foundation Performance
- Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
- Falah Abdalla Al Ammoush, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Basma Moussa Ishakat, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Ghazi Monawar Al Zein, Minister of Health
- Ibrahim Sobhi Alshahahede, Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Environment
- Dr Mohamed Suleiman Aburamman, Minister of Culture and Minister of Youth
Out
- Dr Adel Issa Al Tawissi, Minister of High Education and Scientific Research
- Hala Noaman “Basiso Lattouf”, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Mahmud Yassin Al Sheyab, Minister of Health
- Yahya Moussa Kasbi, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Nayef Hamidi Al Fayez, Minister of Environment
- Majd Mohamed Shoueika, Minister of Public Sector Development
- Khalid Moussa Al Huneifat, Minister of Agriculture
- Dr Awad Abu Jarad Al Mushakiba, Minister of Justice
- Mounir Moussa Ouwais, Minister of Water and Agriculture
- Dr Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education
- Mokarram Mustafa Al Kaysi, Minister of Youth
- Basma Mohamed Al Nousour, Minister of Culture
MATCH INFO
Europa League final
Who: Marseille v Atletico Madrid
Where: Parc OL, Lyon, France
When: Wednesday, 10.45pm kick off (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The Saga Continues
Wu-Tang Clan
(36 Chambers / Entertainment One)
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Tank warfare
Lt Gen Erik Petersen, deputy chief of programs, US Army, has argued it took a “three decade holiday” on modernising tanks.
“There clearly remains a significant armoured heavy ground manoeuvre threat in this world and maintaining a world class armoured force is absolutely vital,” the general said in London last week.
“We are developing next generation capabilities to compete with and deter adversaries to prevent opportunism or miscalculation, and, if necessary, defeat any foe decisively.”
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
The Written World: How Literature Shaped History
Martin Puchner
Granta
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley