Royal Ascot is Britain’s most valuable horse race meeting, attended by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and other members of the royal family. It attracts some of the finest equine luminaries interspersed with fashion amidst a backdrop of history and pageantry.
Queen Elizabeth and other members of the royal family arrive each day in a horse-drawn carriage with the Royal procession taking place at the start of each race day at 5pm UAE time.
There is a strong UAE contingent at the royal meet, with horses representing Godolphin and Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid prominent throughout the five-day meet.
When is Royal Ascot?
June 18 to 22 (Tuesday to Saturday)
Where is Royal Ascot?
Ascot racecourse is in Berkshire, England.
Total Royal Ascot prize fund
£7.33 million (almost Dh34m).
The feature races:
Tuesday: There are three Group 1 races: Queen Ann Stakes, King's Stand Stakes and St James's Palace Stakes
Wednesday: Group 1 Prince of Wales's Stakes
Thursday: Group 1 Gold Cup
Friday: Group 1 Commonwealth Cup and Coronation Stakes
Saturday: Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes
Which horses have Godolphin entered?
Godolphin horses are contesting six of the eight Group 1 races across the five days. Their best chance of success lies with Barney Roy in the Queen Ann Stakes and Blue Point in the King’s Stand Stakes.
Both are trained by Charlie Appleby with Blue Point looking to replicate his success in the race 12 months ago.
He returns to the track having notched up a hat-trick of victories at Meydan in Dubai over the winter. Blue Point meets the Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid-owned Battaash and Mabs Cross in a re-match.
Saeed bin Suroor sends out Royal Marine in the St James’s Palace Strakes to complete Godolphin’s campaign in the Group 1 races on Day 1.
On Thursday, Cross Counter is on course for a treble when he takes on Stradivarius in the Group 1 Gold Cup. The Godolphin runner was earlier successful in the Melbourne Cup and Dubai Gold Cup.
Castle Lady carries the hopes of the royal blues in the Coronation Stakes on Friday. The French 1000 Guineas winner trained by Henri-Alex Pantall in France is undefeated in three starts.
On Saturday, Inns Of Court carries Godolphin’s hopes in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes. Trained by Andre Fabre in France, the five-year-old arrives in England on the back of two victories this season.
Are there any other UAE connections?
Battaash in the silks of Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid could challenge Godolphin’s Blue Point in the re-match in the King’s Stand Stakes on Tuesday.
With two Group 3 prizes under his belt, Dee Ex Bee, in the colours of the Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, is one to watch in Thursday's Gold Cup.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid is double handed with Jash and Khaadem in Friday’s Commonwealth Cup.
Saturday’s Diamond Jubilee Stakes appears to be a wide open race with Dubai-owned runners Invincible Army, Dreams Of Dream, Sands Of Mali, Yafta and Emblazoned challenging for the prize.
Other horses to keep an eye out for
A re-match of the first two in the Irish 2000 Guineas winner - Phoenix Of Spain and runner-up Too Darn Hot - recommences in the St James’s Palace Stakes on Tuesday.
The Prince of Wales’s Stakes on Wednesday should provide an absorbing contest between Magical, Crystal Ocean and Sea Of Class.
Another battle could be on the cards when Godolphin’s French 1000 Guineas winner takes on Aidan O’Brien’s dual English and Irish 1000 Guineas champion Hermosa in the Coronation Stakes on Friday.
How to watch on TV in the UAE
You can watch all the races daily from 5pm on Dubai Racing Channel .
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
The Florida Project
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe
Four stars
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
Company Profile
Company name: Yeepeey
Started: Soft launch in November, 2020
Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani
Based: Dubai
Industry: E-grocery
Initial investment: $150,000
Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
The Gandhi Murder
- 71 - Years since the death of MK Gandhi, also christened India's Father of the Nation
- 34 - Nationalities featured in the film The Gandhi Murder
- 7 - million dollars, the film's budget
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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.
One-off T20 International: UAE v Australia
When: Monday, October 22, 2pm start
Where: Abu Dhabi Cricket, Oval 1
Tickets: Admission is free
Australia squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, Darcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa, Peter Siddle
ICC T20 Team of 2021
Jos Buttler, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, David Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi, Josh Hazlewood, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mustafizur Rahman, Shaheen Afridi
Race card
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
6pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-2 Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 2,200m
6.30pm: Liwa Oaisi Group 2 (PA) Dh300,000 1,400m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,600m
The National selections: 5pm: Flit Al Maury, 5.30pm: Sadah, 6pm: RB Seqondtonone, 6.30pm: RB Money To Burn, 7pm: SS Jalmood, 7.30pm: Dalaalaat
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
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
