Twelve days ago Khadija Al Bastaki received a telephone call she hopes will prove life changing – not only for her but also for many other girls in her homeland of Qatar.
The 34-year-old was asked if she would be an emergency replacement in Friday's Magnolia Cup, the showpiece race at Goodwood for amateur women jockeys and an event which raises huge amounts of money for charity.
Khadija jumped at the chance and dropped everything to fly to England which she describes, despite the incessant rain, as ‘paradise'.
“It is a dream come true, I am so excited, so happy” says Khadija, for whom the past few days have been a whirlwind of activity at the British Racing School in Newmarket, where she has been staying ahead of the race on Ladies’ Day at the festival fondly known as ‘Glorious Goodwood'.
She has had to undergo rigorous fitness and technical skills tests under the watchful eye of the BRS’s international jockey coach Michael Tebbutt, who has pushed her hard, as well as simulator training to ensure she is up to the requisite standard demanded by the prestigious race.
That she had no problem passing is no surprise. She has been an amateur jockey for 16 years in Qatar where she has ridden 10 winners, both on thoroughbreds and Arab horses.
Her only concern was fitness given racing in Qatar shuts down in April for the summer, but she proved up to the task, having continued training in the off season with daily visits to the gym, 8km runs twice a week and juggling riding with family commitments. Although small in stature at only 1.58m and 46kg, she is more than capable of handling a thoroughbred weighing half a tonne.
Khadija, the mother of a three-year-old daughter, will be one of 12 amateur jockeys who are competing in the five-and-a-half furlong race. She will be riding a horse called Harry With Style, trained by John Ryan in Newmarket, who on form will have a fair chance.
As one of six siblings, her family have rallied around, including her mother babysitting while she is away. Her brother Abdulrahman Abdulwahed is a trainer for whom she sometimes works and who acts as a guide and mentor.
As her country’s only female jockey, something which has taken real determination and commitment, she hopes her participation will light a fire for aspiring girls who might follow in her footsteps.
“I hope so, because I am the only female jockey," she says. "I would like to have others with me!”
Having been bitten by the racing bug as a young child when her kindergarten class visited the races, Khadija has not looked back.
“From then I fell in love with the horses,” she explains. “They are unique and very special. When I ride I am just relaxed. I love it. It helps me to clear my head, gets rid of stress. It is about freedom. I am not scared.”
She appreciates the impact winning the race can have. Four years ago Khadijah Mellah, who learnt to ride in an inner city racing school in south London, triumphed wearing a hijab. It was an uplifting moment which garnered worldwide attention. A documentary on her life was made.
“If I win it will be great," adds Khadija, who likes reading, drawing and music. “If I don’t I will still be happy because that is what racing is about. I also hope that next season in Qatar I will be allowed to ride with professional jockeys.
“I already have my dream come true being in England. But my ambition is to ride more in Qatar and one day be a professional jockey.”
Proceeds from the race will go to the Education Above All (EAA), founded 11 years ago by Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, the former first lady of Qatar and the mother of the ruling Emir.
Chief among the projects to benefit is one in Malawi that provides education and support for children at risk of dropping out of primary education and aims to empower thousands of girls to access education and remain in school.
In the UK, the EAA works closely with Educate A Child International. Its CEO James Shaw-Hamilton said there were 320,000 children out of education in Malawi for myriad reasons such as poverty, displacement and natural disaster. The EAA supports 40,000 of those children, the majority of which are girls.
“Money raised by the Magnolia Cup is very important," said Shaw-Hamilton. "The whole event is about empowerment for girls and young women."
In such circumstances Khadija is proud to fly the flag for Qatar. But there was one problem that looked as if no-one could help her with.
She left in such a rush she only packed her riding gear, not knowing she had been be invited to a private ball thrown by the Duke of Richmond at Goodwood House.
Some quick thinking and a trip to the shops with Beth Sullivan, the BRS operations manager, provided the solution.
"We went shopping in Newmarket and found a beautiful dress in jade green,” said Sullivan. “When Khadija saw it her face lit up. She looks wonderful in it.”
Having made it to the ball, now it only remains for her to land the biggest prize of her life and for another dream to come true.
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ICC Awards for 2021
MEN
Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)
WOMEN
Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
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Company%20profile
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: from Dh155,000
On sale: now
Six tips to secure your smart home
Most smart home devices are controlled via the owner's smartphone. Therefore, if you are using public wi-fi on your phone, always use a VPN (virtual private network) that offers strong security features and anonymises your internet connection.
Keep your smart home devices’ software up-to-date. Device makers often send regular updates - follow them without fail as they could provide protection from a new security risk.
Use two-factor authentication so that in addition to a password, your identity is authenticated by a second sign-in step like a code sent to your mobile number.
Set up a separate guest network for acquaintances and visitors to ensure the privacy of your IoT devices’ network.
Change the default privacy and security settings of your IoT devices to take extra steps to secure yourself and your home.
Always give your router a unique name, replacing the one generated by the manufacturer, to ensure a hacker cannot ascertain its make or model number.
CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
If you go
Flight connections to Ulaanbaatar are available through a variety of hubs, including Seoul and Beijing, with airlines including Mongolian Airlines and Korean Air. While some nationalities, such as Americans, don’t need a tourist visa for Mongolia, others, including UAE citizens, can obtain a visa on arrival, while others including UK citizens, need to obtain a visa in advance. Contact the Mongolian Embassy in the UAE for more information.
Nomadic Road offers expedition-style trips to Mongolia in January and August, and other destinations during most other months. Its nine-day August 2020 Mongolia trip will cost from $5,250 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, two nights’ hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, vehicle rental, fuel, third party vehicle liability insurance, the services of a guide and support team, accommodation, food and entrance fees; nomadicroad.com
A fully guided three-day, two-night itinerary at Three Camel Lodge costs from $2,420 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals and excursions including the Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs. A return internal flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad costs $300 per person and the flight takes 90 minutes each way; threecamellodge.com
The years Ramadan fell in May
THE SPECS
Aston Martin Rapide AMR
Engine: 6.0-litre V12
Transmission: Touchtronic III eight-speed automatic
Power: 595bhp
Torque: 630Nm
Price: Dh999,563
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Company%20Profile
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Specs%3A%202024%20McLaren%20Artura%20Spider
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Read more from Aya Iskandarani
Wayne Rooney's career
Everton (2002-2004)
- Appearances: 48
- Goals: 17
Manchester United (2004-2017)
- Appearances: 496
- Goals: 253
England (2003-)
- Appearances: 119
- Goals: 53
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
If you go
The flights
The closest international airport for those travelling from the UAE is Denver, Colorado. British Airways (www.ba.com) flies from the UAE via London from Dh3,700 return, including taxes. From there, transfers can be arranged to the ranch or it’s a seven-hour drive. Alternatively, take an internal flight to the counties of Cody, Casper, or Billings
The stay
Red Reflet offers a series of packages, with prices varying depending on season. All meals and activities are included, with prices starting from US$2,218 (Dh7,150) per person for a minimum stay of three nights, including taxes. For more information, visit red-reflet-ranch.net.
RESULTS
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