Trainer Majed Al Jahouri enjoyed a career-best campaign last season. He saddled a winner in Abu Dhabi’s opening meeting and racked up 14 winners, including five Group 1 prizes for the Purebred Arabians.
The Emirati has yet to saddle a winner in 19 starts this season, but he can get off the mark by cashing in on the top two prizes on offer this weekend at Meydan Racecourse for the Arabians.
Al Jahouri has entered a quartet in Thursday’s Dh125,000 Mazrat Al Ruwayah Prep, a conditions race for the Arabians over 1,600 metres. He has four more lined up for the Group 1 National Day Cup, including the defending champion Areem, in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
“The objective this season is to win some of the prestigious prizes in the country for the Purebred Arabians,” Al Jahouri said.
“The majority of the Arabians in the stables are rated 90 and above, and I can’t find suitable races for them to run early in the season, so most of them will have to go directly for the big races.”
Al Jahouri has 23 horses in training, including four thoroughbreds, for his principal owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed.
Tonight he looks for his first winner of the season from the trio Thakif, Laamma and Awam, with Duzar the long-shot at Meydan’s opener, the most valuable race in the six-race card.
“Thakif has had the benefit of a run, and both Laamma and Awam, perhaps, may need the outing, but they go well fresh, though,” Al Jahouri said.
Thakif was fourth behind Sahib Du Clos in the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup in Abu Dhabi’s opening meeting on November 10.
The five-year-old chestnut son of Mahabb was second to stable mate Dariya in Mazrat Al Ruwayah Prep and third to Quite Al Show in the Group 2 race two weeks later. Laamma won the Group 3 Arabian Triple Crown Round 2 over 2,200m from Shayel Aldhabi in his UAE debut last season.
Shayel Aldhabi has since franked that form with an impressive victory in the National Day Cup Prep three weeks ago.
Awam made a promising UAE debut to finish third behind Albar Lotois in the Group 1 Maktoum Challenge Round 3 but was disappointing in his next two starts.
“It is a strong field and my horses are not 100 per cent, as it is still early into the season, but we are hopeful one of them can emerge victorious for us,” Al Jahouri said.
Najm Alemarat carries the hopes of Ernst Oertel, the UAE champion trainer, who has had a flying start to the season with 11 winners.
Takaamul, trained by Ali Rashid Al Raihe, Omar Daraj’s TM Super Bird and Eric Lemratinel’s Bigg N Rich are others with a chance.
Al Raihe has a good chance of visiting the winner’s enclosure with Bravo Ragazzo, Maraheb and Sharayeen from the remaining five races for the thoroughbreds.
Musabah Al Muhairi can strike with newcomer Shaishee in the second, and Oertel’s Brazen can better his UAE debut of fourth behind Innocuous in the fourth race.
Tonight
6.30pm Mazrat Al Ruwayah Prep 1,600m Dh125,000
7.05pm Main 1,600m Dh65,000
7.40pm Handicap (65-80) 1,600m Dh75,000
8.15pm Handicap (75-90) 1,200m Dh90,000
8.50pm Handicap (82-96) 1,400m Dh105,000
9.25pm Handicap (82-96) 1,900m Dh105,000
apassela@thenational.ae
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Grubtech
Founders: Mohamed Al Fayed and Mohammed Hammedi
Launched: October 2019
Employees: 50
Financing stage: Seed round (raised $2 million)
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
