A first win for Qatar’s Wathnan Stables at Dubai World Cup was a shot in the arm for the Gulf operation.
Hit Show’s stunning win over Mixto and the Saudi Cup winner Forever Young at Meydan on Saturday has put the spotlight on Wathnan Stables, backed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim, and the nation which has influence in the industry through owners and sponsors across the world.
On an action-packed day in Dubai, Florent Geroux pushed Hit Show for a strong late run from the back of the field to clinch the $12 million feature race.
Geroux, who rode Gun Runner to second behind Arrogate eight years ago, was content to settle Hit Show behind the crowd, as Mickael Barzalona and Walk of Stars set the pace with Mixto under Frankie Dettori.
It was not until the runners approached the final bend that Geroux and Hit Show showed signs of progressing from the back, weaving through the tiring horses ahead to cross the line first and deny Dettori a record fifth win in the Dubai World Cup.
With the victory, Hit Show earned an all-expenses-paid trip to the Group 1 Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar on November 1.
“Only at the 100m did I think I could win ... when I passed a lot of horses. Forever Young was my target and he was not travelling at all. I tried to find another horse to follow, from there my horse was game. For some reason, he just runs for me all the time, he is amazing,” Geroux said.
“I’ll be honest with you, I was running for a place and he gave me more. I can’t quite believe it. I’ll take it though! Gun Runner (second to Arrogate in 2017) was such a great horse and he couldn’t do it, it was a very tough beat, but Hit Show has done it.”
Hit Show’s American trainer made no secret of his surprise at winning his first Dubai World Cup.
“I still can’t quite believe it, it’s unbelievable,” trainer Brad Cox said. “I would have loved to be there but just with so much going on with these three-year-olds and trying to get to the [Kentucky] Derby, I couldn’t make it.
“However, he was in good hands with the people I sent over with him. It’s a great accomplishment and we have a great team that allows us to spread ourselves out and travel when the opportunities are there.
“He ran a great race in California and it set him up well. The mile and a quarter is his trip, he ran well in the Kentucky Derby and out to a mile and a half in the Belmont but he hasn’t got out in trip properly until his last two starts.
“We always knew that ground was his thing, the further the better. He’s a classy horse, he’s shipped all over and now he’s a Dubai World Cup winner.”
Hit Show’s biggest career success took his record to nine wins in 18 starts, and above all, his name in the Dubai World Cup roll of honour.
Dettori’s bid to become the all-time leading jockey in the Dubai World Cup failed to materialise. The Italian shares the record of four wins with the now-retired American Jerry Bailey.
“There's good prize money for second! He ran superb. He was a genuine outsider. I knew he was underrated because he’s a good old warrior who loves the distance and he loves an outside post,” Dettori said of Mixto.
“I had the perfect trip. I couldn’t complain. It’s just a shame he got beaten on the line.”
Doug O’Neill, his handler, added: “I thought Mixto ran lights out and Frankie is just a legend for so many reasons. He had him in a great spot without having to use much of him. I thought he had enough in the end but he got outrun late. He ran super. I’m very proud of everybody.”
Forever Young’s jockey Ryusei Sakai said: “We had to win this race and I am disappointed. He ran a great race in Saudi and I expected him to win if he ran his race but it was a tough race as he was the horse to beat.
“It was tough and we did our best. He wasn’t traveling at all. It wasn’t an easy race and hard to keep winning.”
Bhupat Seemar, last year’s winning trainer with Laurel River, was all praise for the fourth spot of Walk Of Stars.
“Walk Of Stars ran a super race,” he said. “Maybe if he didn’t go to Saudi Arabia, he could have finished better. We saw that all the horses that participated at the Saudi Cup were beaten today. So it is not easy to do both races. He just got tired in the end.”
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A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
Sheer grandeur
The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
MATCH INFO
Watford 2 (Sarr 50', Deeney 54' pen)
Manchester United 0
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Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
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
AIDA%20RETURNS
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MO
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PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Company%20profile
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
MATCH INFO
Everton 2 (Tosun 9', Doucoure 93')
Rotherham United 1 (Olosunde 56')
Man of the Match Olosunde (Rotherham)
Squads
India (for first three ODIs) Kohli (capt), Rohit, Rahul, Pandey, Jadhav, Rahane, Dhoni, Pandya, Axar, Kuldeep, Chahal, Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar, Umesh, Shami.
Australia Smith (capt), Warner, Agar, Cartwright, Coulter-Nile, Cummins, Faulkner, Finch, Head, Maxwell, Richardson, Stoinis, Wade, Zampa.
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Date started: 2014
Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand
Number of employees: 125
Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners
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PROFILE OF CURE.FIT
Started: July 2016
Founders: Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori
Based: Bangalore, India
Sector: Health & wellness
Size: 500 employees
Investment: $250 million
Investors: Accel, Oaktree Capital (US); Chiratae Ventures, Epiq Capital, Innoven Capital, Kalaari Capital, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Piramal Group’s Anand Piramal, Pratithi Investment Trust, Ratan Tata (India); and Unilever Ventures (Unilever’s global venture capital arm)
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Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
Andor
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
