Dubai // On a Thursday night of former Godolphin horses making winning returns after long breaks from the track, Le Bernardin landed the featured 1,600m handicap.
Now trained by Ali Rashid Al Raihe, Le Bernardin was making his first start for 630 days and was a comfortable winner under apprentice Saeed Al Mazrouei, who said: “We knew he was in with a big shout and that he was as fit as we could get him at home.
“His form in America was strong and he is a nice new addition to the yard.”
Trainer Satish Seemar and stable jockey Richard Mullen were in treble form and Tahaamah made a winning debut for the pair, winning a 2,000m handicap.
Formerly with Godolphin, for whom he won four times, and off the track since winning in October 2013 in England, Tahaamah was impressive, hitting the front 400 metres out and running on strongly.
Mullen said: “That was a very pleasing first start for us after 400 days off. We were hopeful though as he has plenty of ability and had been working well.
“There should be more to come.”
Satwa Story then completed a quick double for jockey and trainer, on returning from a 438 day break since leaving Godolphin.
They turned a 1,400m handicap into a comfortable victory with Mullen sending Satwa Story to the front 300 metres from home and they stormed clear.
“Again we were hopeful and he did that very nicely although this was probably a weaker race than the previous one,” said Mullen
Stable companion Price Is Truth and Mullen could not have won the following 1,200m handicap more easily, completing a rapid treble for jockey and trainer.
An easy winner at Sharjah at his previous start, he was far too good for 10 rivals last night.
Seemar said: “It has been a really good evening and the horses are running well.
“Price Is Truth has been a revelation on the dirt this season and hopefully can continue to improve.”
The opening 1,600m maiden went to State Law, ridden by Pat Dobbs for trainer Doug Watson who said: “He was an excellent third on his first start for us over 1400m two weeks ago and we were very hopeful this evening.
“Hopefully he is the type to improve with experience and he clearly likes this new surface.”
Seemar and Mullen were second in that race with Year Of Glory and also supplied the runner-up in the concluding 1600m handicap, which was won by Muhtaram, who is trained by Musabah Al Muhair and had former Godolphin jockey Silvestre De Sousa in the saddle.
Improved Bigg N Rich ready for his rival at Al Ain
he feature race in Al Ain’s second meeting of the season on Friday night will see Molahen El Alhan and Bigg N Rich again go head to head.
Ernst Oertel’s locally bred Molahen El Alhan got the better of Bigg N Rich to win the Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship in Abu Dhabi two weeks ago.
The gelded son of Al Nasr has won his past three starts and has five career victories from eight starts. On the other hand, Bigg N Rich won twice over the course and distance in Al Ain last season and should be well placed under Wayne Smith.
Tadhg O’Shea, the UAE champion jockey, is on board Molahen El Alhan. He said: “Ernst was very confident before that Abu Dhabi race. The horse certainly did not let him down and it was a good performance. He has to go very close again.”
Bigg N Rich tired in that Abu Dhabi race and finished more than four lengths back in third.
Smith said he thought he would come on from that first run of the season.
“I’m really looking forward to riding him again,” he said. “I did win on him a couple of years ago, and he has improved a lot since then. We are hopeful.”
Haajeb and Ghalib, both in the silks of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed but trained by different trainers in Yousef Al Bloushi and Majed Al Jahouri respectively, pose a challenge along with Doug Watson’s Quite A Show.
- Amith Passela
sports@thenational.ae
Follow us on twitter at @SprtNationalUAE
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
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
Fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit
As he spoke, Mr Aboul Gheit repeatedly referred to the need to tackle issues affecting the welfare of people across the region both in terms of preventing conflict and in pushing development.
Lebanon is scheduled to host the fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit in January that will see regional leaders gather to tackle the challenges facing the Middle East. The last such summit was held in 2013. Assistant Secretary-General Hossam Zaki told The National that the Beirut Summit “will be an opportunity for Arab leaders to discuss solely economic and social issues, the conference will not focus on political concerns such as Palestine, Syria or Libya". He added that its slogan will be “the individual is at the heart of development”, adding that it will focus on all elements of human capital.
Voices: How A Great Singer Can Change Your Life
Nick Coleman
Jonathan Cape
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
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.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers Henderson, Johnstone, Pickford, Ramsdale
Defenders Alexander-Arnold, Chilwell, Coady, Godfrey, James, Maguire, Mings, Shaw, Stones, Trippier, Walker, White
Midfielders Bellingham, Henderson, Lingard, Mount, Phillips, Rice, Ward-Prowse
Forwards Calvert-Lewin, Foden, Grealish, Greenwood, Kane, Rashford, Saka, Sancho, Sterling, Watkins
Company profile
Name: Tharb
Started: December 2016
Founder: Eisa Alsubousi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: Luxury leather goods
Initial investment: Dh150,000 from personal savings
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
A%20QUIET%20PLACE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Lupita%20Nyong'o%2C%20Joseph%20Quinn%2C%20Djimon%20Hounsou%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMichael%20Sarnoski%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
more from Janine di Giovanni
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
