Charlie Appleby is pinning his hopes on the dirt pedigree of Emotionless ahead of the opening round of the Al Maktoum Challenge at Meydan on Thursday night.
Emotionless showed in Europe as a juvenile that he was Classic material by taking victory at Doncaster Racecourse in September 2015.
He suffered an injury in the Dewhurst Stakes, one of the key juvenile contests of the British season, and then failed to build on that promise in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot in June and a Group 3 at Goodwood in July.
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Emotionless is by Shamardal, the dual French Classic winner, but his dam is Unbridled Elaine, who won the 2001 Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
The Godolphin four year old has been in Dubai since November at Appleby’s Marmoom Stables and the trainer hopes his charge’s debut on dirt will not be an problem.
“He has thrived since he arrived,” the trainer said of William Buick’s mount.
“He has been working really well on our dirt surface at home and we could not be happier.
“His pedigree offers every hope dirt will suit him and he is a very happy horse at the moment.
“He had problems last year and can hopefully bounce back.”
In contrast, the impressive Dubai Creek Mile winner Fitzgerald is improving rapidly on the dirt. Ahmad bin Harmash has got the best out of the American-bred gelding, who trounced the smart Farrier by just over five lengths at Meydan last month.
Antonio Fresu is once again on board and Bin Harmash is hoping for further improvement in what will be the five year old’s first start in Group company.
“He has won his last two starts well and again takes a step up in class,” the trainer said. “He has continued to work well and deserves to take his chance. “We will find out how much he has improved in the process.”
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What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now
Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.
The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.
1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):
a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33
b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.
2. For those who have worked more than five years
c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.
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Developer: 11 Bit Studios
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UAE players with central contracts
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