Whenever Her Highness Sheikha Hissa goes to the races in England, her beloved late father Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid, a titan of the sport for decades, is never far from her side.
In a fitting tribute to his memory, the 26-year-old carries — on the right side of her abaya — a small photograph of Sheikh Hamdan, who founded the global Shadwell horse racing and breeding empire which she inherited upon his death last year.
“He comes with me always,” Sheikha Hissa explained in an emotional television interview earlier in the summer after Baaeed had won the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood. The bond between father and daughter was strong. On his passing, she wrote on social media: “People lost a father, I lost my best friend.”
And his image carried on a badge will certainly be on display at Ascot on October 15 when Sheikha Hissa will watch Baaeed in his last ever race in the Champion Stakes.
Baaeed, which loosely translated means ‘far away’, has won all ten of his races, most recently at York in the International Stakes. His scintillating performance there drew comparisons with the great Frankel.
The fact that Baaeed is even being mentioned in such glowing terms is a fitting legacy for Sheikh Hamdan whose breeding operation has produced a clutch of equine superstars over the years.
It is a shame the late Deputy Ruler of Dubai did not live to see the son of Sea the Stars ever run.
The breeding dynasty was founded 40 years ago when Sheikh Hamdan visited the royal stud of Queen Elizabeth II at Sandringham in Norfolk and bought a filly named Height of Fashion from Her Majesty for a reported £1.5 million. Baaeed, a fifth generation direct descendant, is now worth an estimated £50m.
“For me and my family Baaeed means the world,” Sheikha Hissa continued. “He is homebred. The whole lineage goes back to Height of Fashion.”
Although the Prix de l’arc de Triomphe was another option for the champion four-year-old, Sheikha Hissa and her advisers, trainer William Haggas and Shadwell’s racing manager Angus Gold opted on Wednesday for his finale on ‘home turf’ in England.
Gold, who has worked for Shadwell since 1987, helped Sheikha Hissa overhaul the Shadwell empire which has been slimmed down significantly since Sheikh Hamdan passed away.
From 450 horses in training worldwide together with 220 broodmares, numbers have reduced to about 85 and 50 respectively.
“It was a big exercise which took a lot of organising,” Gold explained. “We kept the ones we felt had the most potential plus a few very well bred we had not been able to run.”
Baaeed’s impact on Sheikha Hissa and her family has been profound.
“I have told them to try to enjoy it because this doesn’t happen very often This is the best horse I have been around in 36 years, which shows how rare they are,” Gold added.
“It is very hard to appreciate something if you come into a business and have this success immediately. I am sure it’s a huge thing for the whole family, even those not as interested as Sheikha Hissa. People are coming up to them and congratulating them in Dubai. When they see they own the greatest horse in the world, it is a huge boost.
“It has been a huge learning curve for Sheikha Hissa but she has been fantastic to deal with. She is incredibly knowledgeable.”
Ironically, Gold was working at the Sandringham stud for the Queen when Sheikh Hamdan bought Height of Fashion.
“Everyone was asking why on Earth would anyone want to pay that much for a filly? But then she came and bred the likes of Nashwan (who won the 1989 Derby) and Unfuwain.
“Sheikh Hamdan adored Height of Fashion. And so it is especially meaningful and poignant that Baaeed is descended from her. As sheikh Hamdan passed, Baaeed arrived so he means much more to the family than the average horse. It was like he was sent to help them through the transition period and put them on the right footing.
“Sheikh Hamdan was a very gentle man. The greatest thing about him was his overall passion for this sport, not just racing but particularly breeding.
“He loved every aspect of the breeding. He was humble in victory and gracious in defeat. He understood the business, knew things went wrong and took the bad news amazingly well. ”
Maureen Haggas, the trainer’s wife and daughter of Lester Piggott, summed up Baaeed and his huge appeal.
“He is a dude, he loves the attention. He knows he is a superstar. He has people coming in most days to see him and he loves it. He stands in the yard and poses for half an hour. He knows he is something special.
“He is the horse of a lifetime. We will never have another horse like this. He is very different. Everything is very easy for him. He is a pleasure to train, straightforward, charming, and with a great character and a huge amount of ability.
“Baaeed forms a great link between Sheikh Hamdan and his daughter. Hopefully this horse will help to keep Shadwell alive and thriving in years to come. That would be great and an incredible legacy.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ABU DHABI ORDER OF PLAY
Starting at 10am:
Daria Kasatkina v Qiang Wang
Veronika Kudermetova v Annet Kontaveit (10)
Maria Sakkari (9) v Anastasia Potapova
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Ons Jabeur (15)
Donna Vekic (16) v Bernarda Pera
Ekaterina Alexandrova v Zarina Diyas
PROVISIONAL FIXTURE LIST
Premier League
Wednesday, June 17 (Kick-offs uae times) Aston Villa v Sheffield United 9pm; Manchester City v Arsenal 11pm
Friday, June 19 Norwich v Southampton 9pm; Tottenham v Manchester United 11pm
Saturday, June 20 Watford v Leicester 3.30pm; Brighton v Arsenal 6pm; West Ham v Wolves 8.30pm; Bournemouth v Crystal Palace 10.45pm
Sunday, June 21 Newcastle v Sheffield United 2pm; Aston Villa v Chelsea 7.30pm; Everton v Liverpool 10pm
Monday, June 22 Manchester City v Burnley 11pm (Sky)
Tuesday, June 23 Southampton v Arsenal 9pm; Tottenham v West Ham 11.15pm
Wednesday, June 24 Manchester United v Sheffield United 9pm; Newcastle v Aston Villa 9pm; Norwich v Everton 9pm; Liverpool v Crystal Palace 11.15pm
Thursday, June 25 Burnley v Watford 9pm; Leicester v Brighton 9pm; Chelsea v Manchester City 11.15pm; Wolves v Bournemouth 11.15pm
Sunday June 28 Aston Villa vs Wolves 3pm; Watford vs Southampton 7.30pm
Monday June 29 Crystal Palace vs Burnley 11pm
Tuesday June 30 Brighton vs Manchester United 9pm; Sheffield United vs Tottenham 11.15pm
Wednesday July 1 Bournemouth vs Newcastle 9pm; Everton vs Leicester 9pm; West Ham vs Chelsea 11.15pm
Thursday July 2 Arsenal vs Norwich 9pm; Manchester City vs Liverpool 11.15pm
The years Ramadan fell in May
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
Scoreline
Arsenal 0 Manchester City 3
- Agüero 18'
- Kompany 58'
- Silva 65'
The%20specs
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Dhadak
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana
Stars: 3
Five films to watch
Castle in the Sky (1986)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Only Yesterday (1991)
Pom Poki (1994)
The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
Four tips to secure IoT networks
Mohammed Abukhater, vice president at FireEye in the Middle East, said:
- Keep device software up-to-date. Most come with basic operating system, so users should ensure that they always have the latest version
- Besides a strong password, use two-step authentication. There should be a second log-in step like adding a code sent to your mobile number
- Usually smart devices come with many unnecessary features. Users should lock those features that are not required or used frequently
- Always create a different guest network for visitors
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
Company%20Profile
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In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Cabriolet
Price, base: Dh429,090
Engine 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Power 510hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 700Nm @ 1,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.2L / 100km
The%20specs
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Info
What: 11th edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship
When: December 27-29, 2018
Confirmed: men: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Kevin Anderson, Dominic Thiem, Hyeon Chung, Karen Khachanov; women: Venus Williams
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae, Virgin megastores or call 800 86 823
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Indoor Cricket World Cup Dubai 2017
Venue Insportz, Dubai; Admission Free
Fixtures - Open Men 2pm: India v New Zealand, Malaysia v UAE, Singapore v South Africa, Sri Lanka v England; 8pm: Australia v Singapore, India v Sri Lanka, England v Malaysia, New Zealand v South Africa
Fixtures - Open Women Noon: New Zealand v England, UAE v Australia; 6pm: England v South Africa, New Zealand v Australia
Profile of MoneyFellows
Founder: Ahmed Wadi
Launched: 2016
Employees: 76
Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)
Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund
