UAE horsemen are notable in their support of the inaugural Irish Champions Weekend, with several entries running at Leopardstown tonight or at The Curragh tomorrow.
Five Group 1 races will be run in Ireland across the two days and there is every indication it could be a major success, with 13 of the 16 races featuring overseas runners, up from nine of 16 last season when the races were spread out.
Godolphin is an international operation so its presence in the Irish Champions Weekend is almost a given, even if this season the stable is still without a top-flight success outside Dubai. Yet in Sheikh Rashid bin Dalmook’s Rizeena and Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid’s Mukhadram the UAE is almost certainly going to secure a spot on the shiny new podium.
Rizeena faces nine rivals in the 1,600-metre Matron Stakes for fillies and mares, in which she appears to have everything in her favour.
Bruce Raymond, Sheikh Rashid’s racing manager, also sees it that way, with the stumbling block of Aidan O’Brien’s Tapestry, who beat Taghrooda in the Yorkshire Oaks last month, the only danger.
“I think there are only two runners in the race,” Raymond said. “We have got the best jockey in Ryan Moore. She is in good shape, she is running over the right distance, and will probably be on the right going.
“Tapestry is very good but coming back from 12 furlongs to a mile I would be very surprised if she beat Rizeena.”
Mukhadram has the unenviable task of trying to outrun Australia in the Irish Champion Stakes at 9.50pm (UAE time).
He spearheads a three-pronged attack in the €1 million (Dh4.76m) event for the Maktoum family, with Sheikh Hamdan’s Alkasser supplemented this week to act as a pacemaker and Godolphin’s Trading Leather looking to improve on last year’s third.
In tandem with Taghrooda, Mukhadram has carried Sheikh Hamdan’s colours successively throughout this season but Mukhadram fell off dramatically in the International Stakes at York when O’Brien orchestrated his downfall by unleashing Kingfisher as a pacemaker.
Mukhadram was far too keen under regular rider Paul Hanagan when pestered on the outside by Kingfisher and, almost after the first furlong, his race was run. It was an easy victory for Australia.
Sheikh Hamdan’s team hope that Alkasser can prevent a repeat and that Mukhadram’s battling qualities can be utilised at the end of the 2,000m race, rather than at the start.
“Sheikh Hamdan told Paul to make sure he got a lead,” Angus Gold, Sheikh Hamdan’s racing manager said.
“The horse fought him for two furlongs and that was it. The horse got fed up with it. He’s a very good horse on his day and is taking on the big boys.”
sports@thenational.ae
South and West: From a Notebook
Joan Didion
Fourth Estate
ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS
%3Cp%3ECreator%3A%20Tima%20Shomali%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%C2%A0Tara%20Abboud%2C%C2%A0Kira%20Yaghnam%2C%20Tara%20Atalla%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
box
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Letstango.com
Started: June 2013
Founder: Alex Tchablakian
Based: Dubai
Industry: e-commerce
Initial investment: Dh10 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 300,000 unique customers every month
The five pillars of Islam
More on Quran memorisation:
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
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Cologne v Hoffenheim (11.30pm)
Saturday
Hertha Berlin v RB Leipzig (6.30pm)
Schalke v Fortuna Dusseldof (6.30pm)
Mainz v Union Berlin (6.30pm)
Paderborn v Augsburg (6.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund (9.30pm)
Sunday
Borussia Monchengladbach v Werder Bremen (4.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Bayer Leverkusen (6.30pm)
SC Freiburg v Eintracht Frankfurt (9on)
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
