It is 11 years since Christian Wroe dispatched the last Royal Ascot runner to be trained in the UAE when Edwin Landseer took part in the 2006 Wokingham Handicap. It is a lost art, it seems. Godolphin and Mike de Kock aside, Satish Seemar is the only other UAE-based trainer to have had a runner at the royal meeting: Desert Glow in the 2003 Hampton Court Stakes.
The horses are clearly good enough – Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid’s smart sprinter Ertijaal would be rated only behind Lady Aurelia in Tuesday’s King’s Stand Stakes, for instance. He would have his preferred rattling fast ground, too, after sun-kissed week in Britain.
That said, the UAE will be amply represented across the five-day meeting that starts on Tuesday and here are five horses to keep an eye on carrying the silks of UAE owners across the week.
(Horse name – owner – race – day)
Ribchester – Godolphin – Queen Anne Stakes – Tuesday:
John Ferguson has left Godolphin, but Ribchester provides a reminder to all that he bought some smart horses in training for the Dubai-based operation. Trained in Yorkshire in the north of England by Richard Fahey, the four-year-old colt is the best miler in training in Europe. He may have fluffed his lines when not staying 1,800 metres in rain-softened ground on Dubai World Cup night, but he showed his class when hammering his rivals in the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury last month. That would not have been the strongest Group 1 contest, but neither is Tuesday’s and he should win.
Profitable – Godolphin – King's Stand Stakes – Tuesday:
Profitable won the premier Group 1 sprint over 1,000 metres 12 months ago and appears to have been pushed out of the limelight by Wesley Ward’s Lady Aurelia. Profitable went off the boil following his Royal Ascot triumph last season but had excuses for all three lacklustre efforts and made a solid comeback behind French raider Signs Of Blessing at Deauville last month. One for the shortlist.
Sheikhzayedroad – Mohammed Jaber – Gold Cup – Thursday:
Any horse named after Dubai’s main traffic artery needs a mention, particularly when it is a runner as hardy and gutsy as this one.
Although an eight-year-old Sheikhzayedroad could have more improvement to come over staying distances, having raced only twice beyond 3,200 metres. He was left gasping for air in the fumes left behind by Order Of St George when third in last season’s 4,000-metre Gold Cup. Sheikhzayedroad obtained his revenge on Order Of St George with beneficial race conditions in October, which sets up Thursday’s rematch perfectly.
Harry Angel – Godolphin – Commonwealth Cup – Friday:
Harry Angel was no match for Godolphin’s Blue Point at Ascot giving him weight in May. Trained by Clive Cox, the lightly-raced colt has more scope for improvement, however, and could easily turn the tables having smashed the track record at Haydock three weeks ago. Coolmore’s Caravaggio and Wesley Ward’s Bound For Nowhere look tough opposition.
Tasleet – Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid – Diamond Jubilee – Saturday:
Despite his no-show in Dubai on World Cup night Limato looks very hard to beat in the final Group 1 race of the meeting on Saturday. That said, Sheikh Hamdan’s Tasleet is an improving colt who seems to have put behind him his fair share of problems. His victory at York last month was achieved despite the soft ground, and he showed a devastating turn of foot that day. With ground conditions in his favour, and improvement likely, he is a real player.
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Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
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Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
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Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
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Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
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Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
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Pieces of Her
Stars: Toni Collette, Bella Heathcote, David Wenham, Omari Hardwick
Director: Minkie Spiro
Rating:2/5
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
New schools in Dubai
The specs: 2018 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy
Price, base / as tested Dh97,600
Engine 1,745cc Milwaukee-Eight v-twin engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 78hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque 145Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.0L / 100km (estimate)
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Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo, Tomoaki Makino, Maya Yoshida, Sho Sasaki, Hiroki Sakai, Sei Muroya, Genta Miura, Takehiro Tomiyasu
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Forwards: Yuya Osako, Takuma Asano, Koya Kitagawa
RESULTS
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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
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
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Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
