Having picked up two wins from two runs at Meydan, Kabirkhan has raised hopes he can deliver what would be a first success for Kazakhstan in the Dubai World Cup.
All in all, he has won 10 times and finished second on his other start. Success in the $12-million Group 1 race would make him a superstar as well as providing a first success in the showpiece for Doug Watson, the long-serving American trainer based in Dubai.
Kabirkhan faces his biggest challenge at Meydan on Saturday when he comes up against a highly competitive 12-runner field that also includes the defending champion Ushba Tesoro, the $20-million Saudi Cup winner Senor Buscador, Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap hero Newgate and the Breeders’ Cup Classic runner-up and last year’s UAE Derby winner Derma Sotogake.
Kabirkhan, the four-year-old chestnut son of 2016 Dubai World Cup winner California Chrome has continued to impress the racing fraternity.
He won on his first two starts at Meydan, even though Watson remains realistic when he says the horse must step up in class. He does think, however, he can follow his victories over the track and trip on January 12, followed by his Group 1 success in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 just two weeks later.
Kabirkhan and Hero Mo – the only horse to deny Kabirkhan victory with a win at the Russian Derby – moved to Watson’s Red Stables last year.
Kabirkhan avenged his defeat to Hero Mo when he reversed that result by four lengths on his Meydan debut and comes into the Dubai World Cup spotlight following his win in the Al Maktoum Challenge.
“He’s got to step up his game and we think he can,” Watson, the seven-time UAE champion trainer, said of Kabirkhan at Meydan on Tuesday.
“I think what he's shown out there is that he likes the track. I don't have many that work like him. He’s got the pace to be in the race early somewhere and he comes home nicely.”
Watson liked the horse from the first moment he watched him breeze over the trackwork in Dubai.
“We kind of all just looked at each other, and were like ‘wow, this is a pretty nice horse’. Then we saw him win that first handicap pretty well and two weeks later he ran a huge race in the Al Maktoum Challenge. After that win, we really got excited.
“He’s a horse that does everything you want in the morning and in the afternoons. Just looking back the Al Maktoum Challenge, he travelled so well.
“When you look at that race, you see about six or seven jockeys, just scrubbing their horses to get towards the front and he just kind of took Pat [Dobbs, the stable jockey] there.
“He doesn't break particularly well. We did work on that a little bit and I just think it's a kink in him, but hopefully on the night, he breaks well and can put himself in the race and then from there, a little racing luck, and see what happens.”
“I liked him physically by himself, although there were minor flaws,” Nadir Khassanov, the Kazakh agent who made the purchase told The Racing Post.
“In general, I liked his father California Chrome. I watched him when he raced. That year my budget was more than $12,000, I would have given up to $20,000 for him, but that year the prices for California Chrome foals fell and I managed to buy Kabirkhan.”
Kabirkhan began his racing career with Kazakh trainer Turganzhan Yuldashev in June 2022 at the Almaty Hippodrome. He beat just two rivals on his debut on a dirt track.
“He won all his races in Kazakhstan, racing three times for three wins, including in the main race for two-year-olds, the Favourite Prize,” Khassanov said.
Kabirkhan was sold to Kazakhstani owner Tlek Mukanbetkaliyev and was transferred to training in Russia with Arslangirey Shavuyev, where he continued his domination.
“As a three-year-old in Russia he had five wins out of six starts, winning two Derbies [Pyatigorsk and Kabardino Balkaria] but losing the main Derby,” Khassanov continued.
“It's very exciting for us to see him run in the Dubai World Cup. This is a historic moment when our horse performs from Kazakhstan, especially since he has come this far.
“He became a champion two-year-old in Kazakhstan, then one of the best three-year-olds in Russia, and is now winning races in Dubai.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Scoreline
Man Utd 2 Pogba 27', Martial 49'
Everton 1 Sigurdsson 77'
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
How it works
A $10 hand-powered LED light and battery bank
Device is operated by hand cranking it at any time during the day or night
The charge is stored inside a battery
The ratio is that for every minute you crank, it provides 10 minutes light on the brightest mode
A full hand wound charge is of 16.5minutes
This gives 1.1 hours of light on high mode or 2.5 hours of light on low mode
When more light is needed, it can be recharged by winding again
The larger version costs between $18-20 and generates more than 15 hours of light with a 45-minute charge
No limit on how many times you can charge
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
INFO
Everton 0
Arsenal 0
Man of the Match: Djibril Sidibe (Everton)
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
Juliet, Naked
Dir: Jesse Peretz
Starring: Chris O'Dowd, Rose Byrne, Ethan Hawke
Two stars
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
