Udabaa and Paul Hanagan, left, pull away from the field in the 2,400-metre thoroughbred race Sunday at Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club. Ravindranath K / The National
Udabaa and Paul Hanagan, left, pull away from the field in the 2,400-metre thoroughbred race Sunday at Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club. Ravindranath K / The National

Hanagan wastes little time settling into UAE racing



ABU DHABI // After failing to win from six rides at Jebel Ali on Friday on his first day at work in the Emirates this season, Paul Hanagan got off the mark in his only start on Sunday night at the capital’s racecourse.

The two-time British champion jockey rode the Doug Watson-trained Udabaa to a superb victory in the silks of his principal patron, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid, in the solitary thoroughbred handicap of the six-race card meeting.

Hanagan had the six-year-old gelded son of Alhaarth in the lead after racing behind stable companion Mantoba until the field swept on to the home stretch of the 2,400-metre trip.

He had to hold off the challenges of Tanfeeth, ridden by Dane O’Neill, and Amaan under apprentice Noel Garbutt to lead a sweep of the first three places for owner Sheikh Hamdan – under three different trainers.

“It’s nice to have one on the board in only my second day at work in the UAE,” Hanagan said.

“He went nice and steady earlier on and it was a good position to be for most of the trip. And when I gave him a crack of the whip, he moved up a gear and stayed on strongly to win pretty well.”

Udabaa was on the winning side for the second time in three weeks at the capital track, and Watson was already planning to bring him back for a similar race in three weeks.

“He won at Meydan in the all-weather last season and this season he seems be going well,” the American said.

“He is rated 87, and with this win he may move up to the low 90’s for the next race. The way he is progressing over these kinds of trips, he might be able to keep this kind of form and maybe win again.”

Meanwhile, the smiles were back on the faces of the UAE champion trainer-and-jockey combination Ernst Oertel and Tadhg O’Shea.

The leading duo, after drawing a blank for the first time in four meetings at the capital racecourse last week, were back in the winner’s enclosure, though it took four races.

O’Shea, aboard Nemrah, won from stable companion Richly Blessed, ridden by Sam Hitchcock, in the handicap rated 0-70 for fillies and mares.

The win took O’Shea’s tally to 18, four more than Wayne Smith, who is facing a lengthy absence after breaking a collarbone at the Jebel Ali meeting last Friday.

“I was a bit disappointed when some of the horses expected to win didn’t run true to their potential, but then you can’t win all the time in horse racing,” Oertel said.

“The important thing is that we are back on the board and that’s some relief. [Nemrah] is a good filly and winning her second race in two starts. Even the second horse ran a good race.”

The win took the South African’s tally to 15 wins, two more than his closest challenger, Musabah Al Muhairi.

The Emirati trainer Ahmed Al Mehairbi and Jordanian Jameel Salman saddled their first winners of the season, with Safir Bainuna under Harry Bentley winning the Al Wathba Stud Farm Cup for private owners and stables and Xavier Ziani aboard Girl Powerr taking the opener.

Ameer Al Reef won under Jesus Rosales in the second race, and Sam Hitchcott rode Majed Al Jahouri’s Raheq to the winner’s enclosure half an hour later.

Race 1 – 1,400m – Turf

Winner: Girl Powerr Jockey: Xavier Ziani

Trainer: Jameel Salman

Race 2 – 1,400m – Turf

Winner: Ameer Al Reef

Jockey: Jesus Rosales

Trainer: Jaber Bittar

Race 3 – 2,200m – Turf

Winner: Raheq

Jockey: Sam Hitchcott

Trainer: Majed Al Jahouri

Race 4 – 1,600m – Turf

Winner: Nemrah

Jockey: Tadhg O’Shea Trainer: Ernst Oertel

Race 5 – 1,600m – Turf

Winner: Safir Bainuna

Jockey: Harry Bentley

Trainer: Ahmed Al Mehairbi

Race 6 – 2,400m – Turf

Winner: Udabaa

Jockey: Paul Hanagan

Trainer: Doug Watson

apassela@thenational.ae

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Company profile

Date started: Founded in May 2017 and operational since April 2018

Founders: co-founder and chief executive, Doaa Aref; Dr Rasha Rady, co-founder and chief operating officer.

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: Health-tech

Size: 22 employees

Funding: Seed funding 

Investors: Flat6labs, 500 Falcons, three angel investors

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Director: Tom Tykwer

Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger

Rating: 3/5

THE SPECS

Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine 

Power: 420kW

Torque: 780Nm

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Price: From Dh1,350,000

On sale: Available for preorder now

Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.

A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.

Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.

A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.

On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.

The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.

Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.

The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later. 

Vidaamuyarchi

Director: Magizh Thirumeni

Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra

Rating: 4/5

 

Tips on buying property during a pandemic

Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.

While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.

While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar. 

Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.

Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.

Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities. 

Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong. 

Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.