ABU DHABI // With stable jockey Tadhg O’Shea suspended for careless riding, Adrie de Vries gets the plum rides of the UAE champion trainer Ernst Oertel in tonight’s meeting at the capital’s racecourse.
The Dutchman is booked on four of the Al Asayl Stable handler’s first-choice Purebred Arabians, including Nymphea Du Paon in the Listed Abu Dhabi Championship, plus Molahen El Alhan and Fatat Al Arab, in the Abu Dhabi Colts and Fillies Classics.
Nymphea Du Paon is a winner of two races in three starts, including a Group 2 prize in France, and makes her first bow in the Emirates in the event for three year olds over 1,600 metres.
“Nymphea Du Paon is a very nice filly with strong form in Europe,” Oertel said. “She has settled in well and pleased me with her work. Hopefully she will run a big race for us.”-
The South African has also entered Burj Khalifa, a winner on his debut in a Listed event and in his next start, also in France.
“He’s also got what it takes to win a race of this level. It will be his first start in more than six months, but again, we are hopeful that one of the two can win for us,” he said.
Of the challengers, Eric Lemartinel’s duo Major and Swwing look like the picks of the 10-runner field. Major is the choice of the stable jockey Gerald Avranche. The bay son of leading sire Dormane has played second fiddle in all four of his career starts in France, including a Group 1 race in his most recent outing.
“He arrived with some decent form and still needs a career-best effort to win this prize,” the French rider said.
Oertel holds all the aces in the first two races, with Fatat Al Arab, with a win and a second under her belt, going in the Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic, plus Molahen El Alhan, who is two from two, going in the Colts Classic. Both races are for three year olds bred in the UAE.
Molahen El Alhan was an impressive winner of the opening race in Abu Dhabi’s curtain-raiser on November 10 and also won over the course and distance in his next start four weeks ago.
“He’s done nothing wrong so far and I would like to think he stands a big chance on that showing alone,” Oertel said of the bay son of Al Nasr.
Oertel has three entered in the Fillies Classic. Fatat Al Arab appears to be the stable’s first choice, but Afaal and Al Yawazi, both winners at Sharjah, could run close.
The trainer also has entered a trio of newcomers in the fourth race, with RB Smokin Rich being the choice of De Vries over Rehal and My Kayjun Cruiser.
James Doyle is booked on the Al Asayl Stables horse El Mansour in the concluding handicap for the thoroughbreds.
The six-year-old gelded son of Rahy made a winning return in his first start in two years at Meydan Racecourse on November 7, but was unplaced over the course and distance in the next outing two weeks later.
apassela@thenational.ae
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World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
The biog
Favourite pet: cats. She has two: Eva and Bito
Favourite city: Cape Town, South Africa
Hobby: Running. "I like to think I’m artsy but I’m not".
Favourite move: Romantic comedies, specifically Return to me. "I cry every time".
Favourite spot in Abu Dhabi: Saadiyat beach
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
Fixtures:
Wed Aug 29 – Malaysia v Hong Kong, Nepal v Oman, UAE v Singapore
Thu Aug 30 - UAE v Nepal, Hong Kong v Singapore, Malaysia v Oman
Sat Sep 1 - UAE v Hong Kong, Oman v Singapore, Malaysia v Nepal
Sun Sep 2 – Hong Kong v Oman, Malaysia v UAE, Nepal v Singapore
Tue Sep 4 - Malaysia v Singapore, UAE v Oman, Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu Sep 6 – Final
THE BIO: Mohammed Ashiq Ali
Proudest achievement: “I came to a new country and started this shop”
Favourite TV programme: the news
Favourite place in Dubai: Al Fahidi. “They started the metro in 2009 and I didn’t take it yet.”
Family: six sons in Dubai and a daughter in Faisalabad
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
