Godolphin will be doubly represented in the UAE 1,000 Guineas on Friday as the Dubai-based operation attempt to win the first classic of the season at Meydan racecourse.
Mahmood Al Zarooni's Gamilati will attempt to build on her impressive victory in the trial three weeks ago, while she will be joined in the Listed contest by Pimpernel, her stablemate.
Gamilati slammed Alsindi by almost three lengths in the trial on Meydan's Tapeta track earlier this month and could clash with Ali Rashid Al Raihe's filly, who has also been entered.
Gamilati, a three-year-old daughter of Bernardini, the 2006 Breeders' Cup runner-up, won the Group 2 Cherry Hinton Stakes at Newmarket, England in July before disappointing in the Group 2 Lowther Stakes at York a month later.
A small, but select field will join the Godolphin duo with Stan Moore's Mary Fildes, Erwan Charpy's Bonne Idee and Herman Brown's highly-regarded Moon Spun also among the entries.
Marco Botti's Colorful Notion makes up the field and will run in the red and black silks of Sheikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan.
In the other feature race on the card, the Al Shindagha Sprint, Steven Burridge, the Singapore trainer, saddles Captain Obvious in a bid to improve on his sensational record in the UAE.
Burridge made his debut at Meydan this season and from five starts has sent home four winners, including the Australian bred sprinter.
Captain Obvious won the Al Naboodah Contruction Group sprint over 1,200m 11 days ago and could face up to 13 other rivals in the Group 3 contest.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder MHEV
Power: 360bhp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh282,870
On sale: now
Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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.
Sunday:
GP3 race: 12:10pm
Formula 2 race: 1:35pm
Formula 1 race: 5:10pm
Performance: Guns N' Roses
