EPSOM, ENGLAND // Arrogate has been given another month off after his heroics in the Dubai World Cup at Meydan in March and is unlikely to be seen again on a racecourse before August.
The American colt powered to a stunning success at Meydan last month having won the Pegasus World Cup in January and the Breeders’ Cup Classic in November.
The grey, trained by Bob Baffert, is being targeted at a repeat victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, staged at Del Mar in his home state of California, and the Pacific Classic in August looks the most logical stepping stone.
“The initial thing is to probably give him a break, then think about something like the Pacific Classic at Del Mar as that is where the Breeders’ Cup is this year, and take it from there,” Lord Grimthorpe, UK racing manager for owners Juddmonte, said.
“That’s in August and whether we go before it is hard to tell at this stage. He won’t work for at least a month. The horse will tell Bob when he is ready. The main aim is the Breeders’ Cup Classic again.”
UAE Derby winner Thunder Snow could be in line for a trip to Louisville in the next few days as Godolphin mull over whether to pitch him in to the Kentucky Derby next Saturday at Churchill Downs.
Godolphin have never won the “Run For the Roses”, and as they have ample ammunition to fire at the English 2,000 Guineas, run on the same day in Newmarket in England, it is expected that the Meydan winner will travel, perhaps as soon as on Sunday.
Speaking after Leader’s Legacy had won a maiden at Epsom on Tuesday, trainer Saeed bin Suroor said: “I have trained him for the race but all options are still open: the Kentucky Derby, the English and French Guineas. The decision will be left to Sheikh Mohammed [bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai]. He will decide very, very soon.
“So far everything has gone well with him and the travel is no problem for him and the Kentucky Derby is the same day as the Guineas.
“If he goes he’d probably go about a week before the race, so it wouldn’t change anything.
“He’s working very well and we know he’s very good.”
Ascot racecourse revealed the initial entries for all eight of their Group 1 races for the royal meeting in June on Tuesday and a rerun of the thrilling Al Quoz Sprint between The Right Man and Long On Value appears on the cards.
The Right Man, trained in France by Didier Guillemin, edged out Bill Mott’s Long On Value by a nose in a pulsating contest at Meydan last month.
Bill Mott has yet to dispatch a horse to Royal Ascot, but the 63-year-old American is looking forward to the challenge.
“Long On Value travelled very well from Dubai and is back in training,” he said. “We haven’t given him a breeze yet, but he is cantering. He looks like he held his weight well and seems to be doing good after his trip.
“He has been nominated for the Diamond Jubilee Stakes and it is very exciting as I have never been to Royal Ascot before.
“We are excited just to be able to participate.”
sports@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 435hp at 5,900rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,800-5,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Price: from Dh498,542
On sale: now
Persuasion
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECarrie%20Cracknell%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDakota%20Johnson%2C%20Cosmo%20Jarvis%2C%20Richard%20E%20Grant%2C%20Henry%20Golding%20and%20Nikki%20Amuka-Bird%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Iran's dirty tricks to dodge sanctions
There’s increased scrutiny on the tricks being used to keep commodities flowing to and from blacklisted countries. Here’s a description of how some work.
1 Going Dark
A common method to transport Iranian oil with stealth is to turn off the Automatic Identification System, an electronic device that pinpoints a ship’s location. Known as going dark, a vessel flicks the switch before berthing and typically reappears days later, masking the location of its load or discharge port.
2. Ship-to-Ship Transfers
A first vessel will take its clandestine cargo away from the country in question before transferring it to a waiting ship, all of this happening out of sight. The vessels will then sail in different directions. For about a third of Iranian exports, more than one tanker typically handles a load before it’s delivered to its final destination, analysts say.
3. Fake Destinations
Signaling the wrong destination to load or unload is another technique. Ships that intend to take cargo from Iran may indicate their loading ports in sanction-free places like Iraq. Ships can keep changing their destinations and end up not berthing at any of them.
4. Rebranded Barrels
Iranian barrels can also be rebranded as oil from a nation free from sanctions such as Iraq. The countries share fields along their border and the crude has similar characteristics. Oil from these deposits can be trucked out to another port and documents forged to hide Iran as the origin.
* Bloomberg
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
----
Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
----
Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
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
