Last week it was Luca Cumani, the Italian trainer, who stole the show at Meydan Racecourse when Presvis crushed the opposition in the Al Rashidiya. Marco Botti, his compatriot, is hoping for something similar tonight when his Gitano Hernando lines up in round two of the Maktoum Challenge.
Botti's five-year-old was the favourite for the Dubai World Cup in March, but after missing the break and finding trouble in running during the world's richest race he finished an unlucky sixth. It remains Gitano Hernando's only defeat on a synthetic surface in six outings.
Botti has been plotting a revenge mission during the intervening months, and now that the five-year-old has confirmed his liking for the Tapeta surface, the trainer has set a course that should ensure a repeat bid on March 26.
"The horse is in good form and has been wintering in Dubai really well," Botti said. "He's a fairly adaptable horse, who can pick up quickly but he needs a strong pace, which he didn't really get in the World Cup. He is not 100 per cent for this race as we want to build him up for Super Thursday and then hopefully on to the World Cup."
Aside from Gitano Hernando, Botti has two other horses entered for the Dubai International Racing Carnival. Fanunalter, who arrives in the emirate next week, and Lolamar, who will go down the handicap route, having struggled to acclimatise quickly to the warm winter.
Despite winning the Cape Verdi last season with Soneva, Botti has limited experience as a trainer in the UAE, having taken out a licence only in 2006. Prior to that he worked for six months in Dubai with Godolphin, under the gaze of Saeed bin Suroor.
"The methods used out there are slightly different to what I am used to, more in tune with an American style than European racing," Botti said. "In America they tend to concentrate more on speed, whereas in Europe trainers tend to build in stamina."
Changing visa rules
For decades the UAE has granted two and three year visas to foreign workers, tied to their current employer. Now that's changing.
Last year, the UAE cabinet also approved providing 10-year visas to foreigners with investments in the UAE of at least Dh10 million, if non-real estate assets account for at least 60 per cent of the total. Investors can bring their spouses and children into the country.
It also approved five-year residency to owners of UAE real estate worth at least 5 million dirhams.
The government also said that leading academics, medical doctors, scientists, engineers and star students would be eligible for similar long-term visas, without the need for financial investments in the country.
The first batch - 20 finalists for the Mohammed bin Rashid Medal for Scientific Distinction.- were awarded in January and more are expected to follow.
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
AGL AWARDS
Golden Ball - best Emirati player: Khalfan Mubarak (Al Jazira)
Golden Ball - best foreign player: Igor Coronado (Sharjah)
Golden Glove - best goalkeeper: Adel Al Hosani (Sharjah)
Best Coach - the leader: Abdulaziz Al Anbari (Sharjah)
Fans' Player of the Year: Driss Fetouhi (Dibba)
Golden Boy - best young player: Ali Saleh (Al Wasl)
Best Fans of the Year: Sharjah
Goal of the Year: Michael Ortega (Baniyas)
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
