Godolphin is out in numbers with 15 runners across four races in the all-thoroughbred seven-race card of the second weekend of the Dubai World Cup Carnival at Meydan on Friday.
The highlight of the meeting is the Group 2 Al Rashidiya run over the 1,800-metre trip on turf and in which Godolphin trainers Saeed bin Suroor and Charlie Appleby have entered two runners each in a field of 11.
Bin Suroor runs Dubai Future, winner of the Group 3 Bahrain International Trophy in November, under Danny Tudhope, and Passion And Glory who chased him home in that 2000m feature.
Both are running for the first time since, with the former seeking a fourth carnival success having scored once at each of the last three carnivals, twice over 2400m, once at 2800m.
“Dubai Future ran some very good races last year, including winning the Bahrain International Trophy on his latest start,” Bin Suroor said of the seven-year-old Dubawi gelding.
“He came out of that race well and I have been pleased with his work going into this. Dropping down to nine furlongs should be fine and I am looking forward to another good result.”
Meanwhile, as was the case in Bahrain, Pat Cosgrave partners Passion And Glory, competing at his third consecutive carnival and seeking a first Meydan victory at the sixth attempt.
“Passion And Glory was runner-up in Bahrain and is a horse who always tries hard in his races,” Bin Suroor said.
“He looks to be in good condition and has been working well, so I am hopeful of a good run.”
Appleby has claimed the Al Rashidiya twice, combining with William Buick on both occasions and they team up with Ottoman Fleet on this occasion, a four-year-old Sea The Stars gelding who has won twice from just six starts.
“Ottoman Fleet comes into this on the back of a nice Listed win at Newmarket and ran well over this distance when runner-up in the Group 3 Darley Stakes earlier in the autumn. His preparation has gone well and he should be very competitive,” Appleby said.
Buick’s mount is making his Meydan debut but Appleby also saddles Valiant Prince, the mount of James Doyle whose carnival treble last week included a double for Appleby.
The five-year-old Dubawi gelding is actually defending an unbeaten Meydan record having landed a pair of 1600m turf handicaps last year, the second at the carnival.
He too arrives on the back of a Listed victory in the UK. He and Doyle scored over 1600m at York, defeating stablemate Art Du Val.
“Valiant Prince has some solid form over a mile and we feel that the step up to nine furlongs will hopefully see further improvement at this stage of his career. If he sees the trip out well, it will open up a few more options,” Appleby added.
Challenging the Godolphin quartet is Doug Watson-trained San Donato, in the silks of Sheikh Mohammed Obaid and who made a victorious start to his UAE career in the Listed National Day Cup in Abu Dhabi. Stable jockey Pat Dobbs is atop the Lope de Vega gelding.
“I think he had been injured so only arrived really late last season and was a real tricky horse to train,” Watson said.
“Oscar Chavez has been riding him at home this year and has really sweetened him up.
“That was an exciting performance at Abu Dhabi, the way he quickened. Obviously it is a tough race taking on Godolphin but we are hopeful he can at least be competitive in a strong heat.”
Completing the line-up are the European challengers Michael O'Callaghan’s Fastnet Crown, David Marne’s Freescape, Niels Petersen’s King David and Yann Barberot’s Zagrey along with local runners Ursa Minor and Wirko.
Racecard
6pm: Azizi Mina – Handicap (TB) $75,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
6.35pm: Al Wasl Stakes – Conditions (TB) $80,000 (Turf) 1,200m
7.10pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,400m
7.45pm: Ipi Tombi Stakes – Conditions (TB) $150,000 (T) 1,400m
8.20pm: Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
8.55pm: Thunder Snow Challenge – Conditions (TB) $150,000 (D) 2,000m
9.30pm: Azizi Riviera – Handicap (TB) $75,000 (T) 1,600m
The National selections
6pm: Quality Boone
6.35pm: Princeville
7.10pm: Tiger Nation
7.45pm: Wild Beauty
8.20pm: Ottoman Fleet
8.55pm: First Constitution
9.30pm: Echo Point
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE
There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.
It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.
What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.
When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.
It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.
This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.
It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group H
Manchester United v Young Boys, Tuesday, midnight (UAE)
Oppenheimer
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Scores in brief:
Day 1
New Zealand (1st innings) 153 all out (66.3 overs) - Williamson 63, Nicholls 28, Yasir 3-54, Haris 2-11, Abbas 2-13, Hasan 2-38
Pakistan (1st innings) 59-2 (23 overs)
Messi at the Copa America
2007 – lost 3-0 to Brazil in the final
2011 – lost to Uruguay on penalties in the quarter-finals
2015 – lost to Chile on penalties in the final
2016 – lost to Chile on penalties in the final
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
