Ahead of the Dubai World Cup, The National has talked to trainers and race officials about their fondest memories of the event, beginning with South Africa trainer Mike de Kock.
My best Dubai World Cup meeting has to be my first one in 2003 – it is like your first love, I suppose, you never forget.
I was not used to racing abroad and, at that level, so to have Ipi Tombe win the Dubai Duty Free and Victory Moon the UAE Derby on the same night just blew me away.
It is difficult to describe that feeling. Now when I have a winner there is more a sense of relief, whereas then it was simply “wow” and a real feeling of surprise that I had done it.
Ipi Tombe was the reason I came to race in Dubai. I had come to Dubai before that when I had heard that they were trying to get the Carnival going.
I had wanted to leave South Africa and tried to get a trainer’s job here, but I was knocked back. After that experience, I vowed that I would come back one day with horses.
Ipi Tombe was owned by a syndicate at the time and Henk Leyenaar, who was one of the major shareholders, gave me full backing to go. Team Valor International wanted to buy in and we were not so keen, but the sale of a share to them was on condition we came to Dubai.
Three years before that I had raced a legendary horse in America called Horse Chestnut, who won a Group 3 at Gulfstream Park, but this was international racing at the highest level.
Every trainer knows when he has a good horse and, at the time, I thought if there was one horse that could compete on the world stage then she was it – if there was one better, I sure wanted to see it.
I brought Victory Moon along as well, not really knowing at all whether he was good enough. He was a big, strong horse and won first time up at Jebel Ali, so I thought we’d give the Derby a go.
It was a strong field in the Duty Free, but Ipi Tombe won well and there was a huge sense of vindication for everybody involved as she was now a world champion.
International competition drives sport at the top level. If Ernie Els had only played golf on the Sunshine Tour in South Africa, he would never have been recognised. He had to get out of South Africa to play in the majors to be thought of as a great golfer.
Those wins turned South African racing upside down in terms of worldwide recognition of our bloodstock – it showed what we could do. Back then we could export freely when nobody knew about us, but we are now worse off than we have ever been in the whole history of exporting thoroughbred horses.
There were no quarantine issues then and, after 40 days in quarantine in Cape Town, the horses flew straight to Dubai for six days in quarantine here – that was it.
We had a good World Cup night the following year with Lundy’s Liability in the UAE Derby and Right Approach in the Dubai Duty Free but, after that, African horse sickness broke out in South Africa and we were suspended from trading with the European Union and then Dubai. The EU opened up a few years later, but Dubai still has not.
Now we have to go through this long quarantine procedure. I get a lot of satisfaction when every one of my horses wins in Dubai because I know what it has taken to get these horses here.
It is all very well me accepting the trophy, but my whole team have worked extremely hard and some are on Mauritius for three months away from their families.
On Mauritius, we are talking about horses worth millions of dollars training on a beach-sand track that is four furlongs round, through a forest that is conditioned by a makeshift harrow we welded together that is held down by boulders pulled along by a bread delivery van. You couldn’t make it up.
Of course nobody wants African horse sickness to leave South Africa, but it is not a contagious disease and is vector-driven, like malaria.
It would be fantastic to get clarification on this issue as I don’t think there is a scientific solution any more. It is now about politics.
All of this is a great motivator for me to succeed in Dubai, and Shea Shea last season was another highlight. To see the joy on the face of owner Brian Joffe and to be able to share in that is what we are all in racing for.
Trainer Mike de Kock was talking to Geoffrey Riddle of The National
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Teams
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan Shanwari, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf.
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (captain), Corey Anderson, Mark Chapman, Lockie Ferguson, Colin de Grandhomme, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Seth Rance, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor.
The%20specs
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Meydan card
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 (PA) Group 1 US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm: Conditions (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,400m
7.40pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Trial (TB) $100,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,200m
8.50pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 (TB) Group 2 $350,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,900m
10pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
Movie: Saheb, Biwi aur Gangster 3
Producer: JAR Films
Director: Tigmanshu Dhulia
Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Jimmy Sheirgill, Mahie Gill, Chitrangda Singh, Kabir Bedi
Rating: 3 star
Result
UAE (S. Tagliabue 90 1') 1-2 Uzbekistan (Shokhruz Norkhonov 48', 86')
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: N2 Technology
Founded: 2018
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Startups
Size: 14
Funding: $1.7m from HNIs
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
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Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
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
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Transmission: 10-speed automatic
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Need to know
When: October 17 until November 10
Cost: Entry is free but some events require prior registration
Where: Various locations including National Theatre (Abu Dhabi), Abu Dhabi Cultural Center, Zayed University Promenade, Beach Rotana (Abu Dhabi), Vox Cinemas at Yas Mall, Sharjah Youth Center
What: The Korea Festival will feature art exhibitions, a B-boy dance show, a mini K-pop concert, traditional dance and music performances, food tastings, a beauty seminar, and more.
For more information: www.koreafestivaluae.com
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
India cancels school-leaving examinations
MEYDAN CARD
6.30pm Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm Conditions Dh240,000 (D) 1,600m
7.40pm Handicap Dh190,000 (D) 2,000m
8.15pm Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 2,200m
8.50pm The Entisar Listed Dh265,000 (D) 2,000m
9.25pm The Garhoud Sprint Listed Dh265,000 (D) 1,200m
10pm Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,400m
The National selections
6.30pm Majestic Thunder
7.05pm Commanding
7.40pm Mark Of Approval
8.15pm Mulfit
8.50pm Gronkowski
9.25pm Walking Thunder
10pm Midnight Sands
