James Doyle stole the spotlight at the Dubai World Cup Carnival for the second time in two meetings .
Having racked up a hat-trick in the opening week of the carnival, Doyle once again turned out to be the star as he landed the Group 2 Al Rashidiya at Meydan on Friday.
Riding the Charlie Appleby-trained Valiant Prince, he led the first three home for Godolphin in the 1,800-metre feature race on turf in the seven-race thoroughbred card.
Doyle settled Valiant Prince fourth behind the Godolphin pair of Passion And Glory and Dubai Future, and Wirko.
They were joined by a fourth Godolphin runner, Ottoman Fleet, at the 400m marker to turn the race into a three-way battle between the royal blues, with Doyle getting the better of Dubai Future and Ottoman Fleet by three quarter length and half-a-length respectively.
“That was a big step forward from Valiant Prince on what he has achieved in the past and I think he did a good job,” Doyle said after the five-year-old Dubawi gelding stretched his unbeaten run at Meydan to three.
“While we were drawn well and had a cheap run around early, it got a little hairy on the bend, which meant the two in front got away from us a bit.
“That suited him in a way, as he does not want to see loads of daylight, and the way he picked up was quite a surprise to me. I was eager to get going but, once he got a bit of space, he felt like he was always going to win comfortably.
“It will be interesting to see what Charlie wants to do with him. He has the option of going up in trip and the way he relaxed after some time off was pretty good.”
Appleby added: “We were very pleased with Valiant Prince, who seems to have improved again with the step up to nine furlongs. We will probably head straight towards the Group 1 Jebel Hatta with him now.
“Ottoman Fleet ran a creditable race in third and I feel that stepping back up a mile and a quarter for the Group 3 Dubai Millennium Stakes is going to suit.”
Godolphin picked up three of the four prizes in the four races they had entered their runners.
Saeed bin Suroor teamed up with Daniel Tudhope to complete a double on the night.
A new conditions race this year for fillies and mares, the 1400m Ipi Tombe Stakes was dominated by Godolphin, Saeed bin Suroor saddling the 1-2 with Danny.
Tudhope on Soft Whisper got the better of stable companion White Moonlight under Pat Cosgrave.
“Soft Whisper just keeps improving physically and is bigger and stronger than last year. We have looked after her as we have always liked but she has had a few problems,” Bin Suroor said of the five year old mare by Dubawi.
The trainer-jockey partnership completed the double by taking the concluding handicap with Electrical Storm.
Salem bin Ghadayer’s Tiger Nation maintained his perfect start after an impressive victory in the UAE 2000 Guineas Trial. Mickael Barzalona sent him in front and he was never headed by his seven rivals.
A colt by Tamarkuz, he had won a 1,200m Jebel Ali maiden in style on his only previous start, on New Year’s Day, and built on that here.
“He obviously loves the dirt and should stay further so, hopefully, there is a lot more to come from him,” Barzalona, who was also completing a double after riding George Boughey’s Al Dasim 35 minutes earlier, said.
Results
6pm: Azizi Mina – Handicap (TB) $75,000 (Dirt) 1,600m; Winner: Royal Mews, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Bhupat Seemar (trainer)
6.35pm: Al Wasl Stakes – Conditions (TB) $80,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Al Dasim, Mickael Barzalona, George Boughey
7.10pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,400m; Winner: Tiger Nation, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
7.45pm: Ipi Tombi Stakes – Conditions (TB) $150,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Soft Whisper, Daniel Tudhope, Saeed bin Suroor
8.20pm: Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m; Winner: Valiant Prince, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
8.55pm: Thunder Snow Challenge – Conditions (TB) $150,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
9.30pm: Azizi Riviera – Handicap (TB) $75,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Electrical Storm, Daniel Tudhope, Saeed bin Suroor
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.8-litre%204-cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E190hp%20at%205%2C200rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320Nm%20from%201%2C800-5%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.7L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh111%2C195%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Omar Yabroudi's factfile
Born: October 20, 1989, Sharjah
Education: Bachelor of Science and Football, Liverpool John Moores University
2010: Accrington Stanley FC, internship
2010-2012: Crystal Palace, performance analyst with U-18 academy
2012-2015: Barnet FC, first-team performance analyst/head of recruitment
2015-2017: Nottingham Forest, head of recruitment
2018-present: Crystal Palace, player recruitment manager
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Brief scoreline:
Liverpool 2
Keita 5', Firmino 26'
Porto 0
More on Quran memorisation:
%20Ramez%20Gab%20Min%20El%20Akher
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStreaming%20on%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMBC%20Shahid%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
box
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Letstango.com
Started: June 2013
Founder: Alex Tchablakian
Based: Dubai
Industry: e-commerce
Initial investment: Dh10 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 300,000 unique customers every month
Bio
Born in Dubai in 1994
Her father is a retired Emirati police officer and her mother is originally from Kuwait
She Graduated from the American University of Sharjah in 2015 and is currently working on her Masters in Communication from the University of Sharjah.
Her favourite film is Pacific Rim, directed by Guillermo del Toro
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
Keep it fun and engaging
Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.
“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.
His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.
He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 480hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 570Nm from 2,300-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 10.4L/100km
Price: from Dh547,600
On sale: now
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
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
