Abu Dhabi // The thoroughbred Master of War and the Purebred Arabian Shateh won the official prep races for the National Day Cups on Sunday night, each run over 1,600 metres, as are the main events.
Shateh made all the running under UAE apprentice jockey Saeed Al Mazrouei and held on well from stable companion Marzooq.
Both are trained by Majed Al Jahouri, for Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, and were making only their second start in the UAE. The pair pulled well clear of their six opponents, including the favourite, Nymphea Du Paon, who ran fourth.
“The plan was to be positive and it worked out well. He ran really well for me last week over this course and distance, so I was pretty hopeful coming into the race,” Al Mazrouei said. “It is great to get this kind of opportunity on such nice horses.”
Master Of War was ridden by UK champion apprentice Oisin Murphy and trained by Dhruba Selvaratnam.
The pair hit the front about 100m out to defeat Naawaar, winner of last season’s National Day Cup and The President’s Cup.
Selvaratnam said: “We have to be very happy with that as we really thought he would need the run. Hopefully, he will be a Carnival turf horse, via the National Day Cup.”
Girl Powerr, trained by rookie Saeed Hadher Al Mazrouei, who enjoyed his first victory last week, doubled her handler’s account with a game success in a 1,600m handicap under Royston Ffrench.
The pair led most of the way and were headed just over 200m out but fought back to lead again at the finish.
“She was very game and has battled very hard to win this,” Ffrench said. “When we were headed, she fought back very bravely and did not want to beaten.”
Jockey Jose Santiago and MH Kanz were forced to work hard to allow the filly to make a winning debut in a 1,400m fillies’ maiden. Seemingly beaten when passed by Huyam 200m from home, Santiago’s mount fought back to lead again close home, providing trainer Elise Jeanne with a first winner this season and a second in the UAE.
Haanoof was the easy winner of the opening 1,600m maiden, given a confident ride by Pat Dobbs for trainer Yousef Al Bloushi. Winning for the first time at the eighth attempt, Dobbs’s mount had been highly tried in the past and relished the drop in class.
Al Shahab was an easy winner in the 1,400m maiden for trainer Helal Al Alawi, with champion jockey Tadhg O’Shea making virtually every yard of the running on the winner.
Third on his only previous start, Al Shahab was far too good for his six rivals here.
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Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
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Source: American Paediatric Association
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
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
