ABU DHABI // It was a case of third time lucky for Ernst Oertel on Sunday night as Daffagh Al Asayl got the better of Naseem in an intriguing renewal in the Arabian Triple Crown Round 2.
Beaten twice by Naseem in the Round 1 of the race series for four year olds and in the UAE Arabian Derby, the chestnut son of Darike came with a storming late run under Mirco Demuro, the Dubai World Cup winning jockey, to clinch the Group 3 prize at Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club.
Oertel had the option to run the UAE-bred Daffagh Al Asayl in the Emirates Colt's Classic, the main support event in the seven-race card, but decided to challenge the Majed Al Jahouri's pair of Naseem and Areem for the feature prize.
"He is a good little horse and we've got faith in him," said the South African, who took his tally to 13 winners in his first season in the UAE.
"He is just improving; it's just that he took some time to acclimatise. He is getting better and now will go for the Triple Crown Round 3 [over 2,400m] and that suits him better because he is a distance horse." Naseem, ridden by Wayne Smith, and Areem, under Harry Bentley, made the early running and went clear of the seven-runner field in the 2,200m race.
Demuro got to work on Daffagh Al Asayl as they approached the final bend and overhauled the leading pair as they tired, winning by four-and-a-half lengths.
Versac Py gave the retiring Richard Hills a victory in the sixth race, taking his tally to 496 winners in the UAE.
"It would be nice to step down with 500 winners in a country that has given me so much," said the Englishman.
"There are nine more meetings and I wish I get enough rides to achieve that goal."
Versac Py, who won his fifth race of the season, will now step up in class with Erwan Charpy, his trainer, aiming to run him in the Group 1 Emirates Championship at the final meeting of the season in Abu Dhabi on March 18.
"He has been one of the most successful Arabians in training this season in the UAE," said Charpy.
"It was a little bit of a test for him because the option was to wrap it up for the winter and go for the next season, but he has now already won five races so it's about time to take on the better horses before he takes a break."
The trainer-jockey combination of Eric Lemartinel-Gerald Avranche scored a double by taking the second and third races with Ibn Battuta Monlau and AF Sanadek after Richard Mullen had won the opener on Wajfah W'Rsan.
Carlos Sanchez won the fourth race on Rakkad Al Asayl and Tadhg O'Shea rounded off the evening with a victory in the Emirates Championship Prep, the lone race for the thoroughbreds, on the Doug Watson trained Jutland, who held on to beat Achill Bay by a head.
apassela@thenational.ae
How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
The story in numbers
18
This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens
450,000
More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps
1.5 million
There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m
73
The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association
18,000
The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme
77,400
The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study
4,926
This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
A cryptocurrency primer for beginners
Cryptocurrency Investing for Dummies – by Kiana Danial
There are several primers for investing in cryptocurrencies available online, including e-books written by people whose credentials fall apart on the second page of your preferred search engine.
Ms Danial is a finance coach and former currency analyst who writes for Nasdaq. Her broad-strokes primer (2019) breaks down investing in cryptocurrency into baby steps, while explaining the terms and technologies involved.
Although cryptocurrencies are a fast evolving world, this book offers a good insight into the game as well as providing some basic tips, strategies and warning signs.
Begin your cryptocurrency journey here.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The low down on MPS
What is myofascial pain syndrome?
Myofascial pain syndrome refers to pain and inflammation in the body’s soft tissue. MPS is a chronic condition that affects the fascia (connective tissue that covers the muscles, which develops knots, also known as trigger points).
What are trigger points?
Trigger points are irritable knots in the soft tissue that covers muscle tissue. Through injury or overuse, muscle fibres contract as a reactive and protective measure, creating tension in the form of hard and, palpable nodules. Overuse and sustained posture are the main culprits in developing trigger points.
What is myofascial or trigger-point release?
Releasing these nodules requires a hands-on technique that involves applying gentle sustained pressure to release muscular shortness and tightness. This eliminates restrictions in connective tissue in orderto restore motion and alleviate pain. Therapy balls have proven effective at causing enough commotion in the tissue, prompting the release of these hard knots.
