Royal Ascot, England // It is fair to say that the jury is out on Rizeena.
Sheikh Rashid bin Dalmook’s filly racked up a huge reputation last season as one of Europe’s leading juveniles, but her standing suffered a significant hit in May when she finished down the field in the English 1,000 Guineas in her first start as a three year old.
She then missed the Irish 1,000 Guineas after experiencing a bleeding nose.
Today’s Coronation Stakes is the biggest stage of all on which to re-establish her credentials, and it was where she announced herself 12 months ago, when she won the Queen Mary Stakes.
Without Miss France, the English 1,000 Guineas winner, and Marvellous, who won the Irish equivalent, the Coronation is there for the taking.
Troubled preparations for any elite sporting event can often be overblown, and trainer Clive Brittain has played down the seriousness of Rizeena’s affliction.
“It was only a minor trickle [of blood], but we had her scoped and it was almost 100 per cent clean,” he said.
“There was a bit of colour there, but it hasn’t developed into anything serious and I’m very happy with her.
“She’s all set to go and she’s in very good form, so we are looking for her to bounce back to her best.”
Rizeena, who will be ridden by Ryan Moore, faces 11 rivals, including Tapestry, who is similarly looking to get her career back on the right path after finishing last at Newmarket. Her task has been made significantly easier by yesterday’s events.
Tapestry is trained by Aidan O’Brien, whose horses had run poorly until Thursday, when the sequence came to an abrupt halt.
Leading Light edged out Queen Elizabeth's Estimate during a pulsating finish to the feature race of the five-day meeting at Ascot Racecourse. For good measure, the Ballydoyle trainer also won the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes with Bracelet.
For almost 400 metres, Leading Light, Estimate and outsider Missunited were locked together before Joseph O’Brien eked out just enough to win the race by a neck.
It is custom for Queen Elizabeth to hand out the trophy to the winner.
“We are sorry the Queen’s filly was second,” Aidan O’Brien said. “We had a tough young colt, and he just found that little bit at the end.”
It was a brave attempt by Estimate to defend her crown after she suffered an interrupted lead-in due to a muscle problem that prevented her from undergoing a prep run.
“It was a great run, and I’m very proud of her,” trainer Sir Michael Stoute said.
“It has been a great team effort back at home to get her back on the track after so long, but she’s made it easy for us and she’s a very brave filly.”
Last year, television pictures were broadcast around the world as the face of the Queen lit up at her 22nd Royal Ascot success, and the monarch was graceful in defeat, according to her racing manager.
“It was tremendous and the Queen got such pleasure out of it,” John Warren said.
sports@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter at @SprtNationalUAE
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Essentials
The flights
Return flights from Dubai to Windhoek, with a combination of Emirates and Air Namibia, cost from US$790 (Dh2,902) via Johannesburg.
The trip
A 10-day self-drive in Namibia staying at a combination of the safari camps mentioned – Okonjima AfriCat, Little Kulala, Desert Rhino/Damaraland, Ongava – costs from $7,000 (Dh25,711) per person, including car hire (Toyota 4x4 or similar), but excluding international flights, with The Luxury Safari Company.
When to go
The cooler winter months, from June to September, are best, especially for game viewing.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Directed: Smeep Kang
Produced: Soham Rockstar Entertainment; SKE Production
Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Jimmy Sheirgill, Sunny Singh, Omkar Kapoor, Rajesh Sharma
Rating: Two out of five stars
