Sir Alex Ferguson, one of the greatest football managers of all time, is more likely to be seen at a racetrack than in a tracksuit nowadays as he indulges in his other great passion in life: horses.
He is currently in Bahrain where the horse he co-owns, Spirit Dancer, a son of the legendary Frankel, competes in the kingdom’s showpiece race, the $1 million International Trophy on Friday afternoon.
This is the first time he has been back to Bahrain since 1986 when, having just taken over as manager of Manchester United, he brought the squad to the Gulf to train and play a Bahrain Select XI to celebrate the birthday of a member of the Royal family.
And Ferguson has nothing but praise for the transformation he has witnessed in the Kingdom in the intervening years. He is loving the experience.
“It has been fantastic here," Ferguson said on Thursday morning while watching his gelding being exercised. “The facilities are great and I think that in five or six years this will be one of the top places in the world for racing.”
Such praise and endorsement from a sporting legend will be music to the ears of the organisers, the Bahrain Turf Club, of a race which in only five years has risen to Group 2 status and for this renewal has attracted its best ever field from around the world.
Ferguson recalled he was drawn into racing as a young boy, remembering Saturday mornings with his father studying the form. “That was when the seed was set,” he explained.
He began to take it seriously rather than just a hobby about 25 years ago when there was an international break in the football season.
“I said to my wife Cathy, ‘Why don’t we go to the races?’,” Ferguson said. “She replied, ‘Where did you get that from?’.
“We went to Cheltenham and met two great Irish men, Dessie Scahill who did the commentaries in Ireland, and John Mulhern, a trainer and owner who was a wonderful man. I got hooked on it. I bought a horse with Jack Berry and I have now got 32.”
Racing helped to act as a distraction from the stresses of chasing titles and cup glory in the high-pressure world of football.
“It is a fantastic sport for me in terms of a release for me from the football,” he told Racing TV.
Ferguson explained that he was more sanguine about success and failure in racing.
“I leave my competitive element to football,” he said. “I never question the trainer or get upset if the horse loses. It is a different sport.
“I can’t tell a horse what to do but at least I could tell my players what to do,” he joked in reference to the famous ‘hairdryer’ treatment he on occasion felt he had to dish out to his team.
“In that respect, I am not a critical judge. I enjoy being at the races and of course, if it wins, you’re excited, particularly in big races.”
Spirit Dancer has a special place in his affections as he was homebred at the stud he now owns in Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire.
“He was the first product, a son of Frankel from Queen’s Dream. We have done well in the stud,” he added.
The four-year-old is trained by Richard Fahey at his yard in Malton, North Yorkshire.
“We’ve had a great season with him but it’s a tough race,” said Fahey. “It’s more like a Group 1 than a Group 2 in the Middle East. I’m very happy with him, we’ll just see what happens.
“Sir Alex has enjoyed him this year. You can tell he’s getting a buzz out of him. To be fair to him, he’s been patient, and he’s getting the rewards for his patience.”
Fahey shares Ferguson’s enthusiasm for what Bahrain has to offer.
“It’s great to be a part of it, Bahrain has been very good to us and fingers crossed we can finish in the first four.”
The favourite and class act in the field is Godolphin’s Nations Pride, trainer Charlie Appleby’s winner of Group 1 events in Germany and Canada already this year. He skipped an appointment at the Breeders’ Cup to run in Bahrain. He will be ridden by William Buick.
Aidan O’Brien runs Point Lonsdale with Ryan Moore on board. The four-year-old who was highly regarded by Ballydoyle has shown signs of coming back to form this season. Another one who could figure is Birr Castle trained by Andre Fabre in France.
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Aaron Finch, Matt Renshaw, Brendan Doggett, Michael Neser, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (captain), Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Jon Holland, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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Abaya trends
The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
LUKA CHUPPI
Director: Laxman Utekar
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Cinema
Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Kriti Sanon, Pankaj Tripathi, Vinay Pathak, Aparshakti Khurana
Rating: 3/5
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
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AWARDS
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Company%20profile%20
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SERIES%209
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The Bio
Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village
What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft
Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans
Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface
House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
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
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
THE SPECS
Engine: 4.0L twin-turbo V8
Gearbox: eight-speed automatic
Power: 571hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,000-4,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.4L/100km
Price, base: from Dh571,000
On sale: this week
Yuki Means Happiness
Alison Jean Lester
John Murray
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
The years Ramadan fell in May
Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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Destroyer
Director: Karyn Kusama
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Sebastian Stan
Rating: 3/5
UAE release: January 31
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
