The Dubai World Cup has attracted a stellar field of 14 Group or Grade 1 winners for the silver jubilee running of the race at Meydan on March 27.
A total of 117 horses from 11 countries will compete across a spectacular day of racing for a total prize fund of $26.5 million across nine races that features six Group 1 and three Group 2 contests.
The $12m Group 1 Dubai World Cup held over 2,000m will have a 14-strong line up headed by the USA-based Godolphin runner Mystic Guide, the highest-rated horse in the field and trained by Michael Stidham.
Mystic Guide is one of three Godolphin-owned runners in the field along with Saeed bin Suroor’s Gifts of Gold and French trainer Andre Fabre’s Magny Cours, who is making his dirt debut in the Dubai World Cup.
Challenging Godolphin’s trio in the race are American raiders including the 2021 Pegasus World Cup runner-up, Jesus’ Team, for trainer Jose Francisco D’Angelo and the Miguel Angel Silva’s Grade 2 winner Sleepy Eyes Todd.
Completing the US line-up is Dallas Stewart’s Title Ready, winner of January’s Grade 3 Louisiana Stakes.
Ryuji Okuba’s Grade 1 Champions Cup winner Chuwa Wizard carries Japan’s hopes while Uruguay’s Ajuste Fiscal lines-up for trainer Antonio Cintra.
Bahraini handler, Fawzi Nass saddles a first Dubai World Cup runner with Salute The Soldier, whose route to the Dubai World Cup included victory in two out of the three traditional Dubai prep races – the Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 over 1,900m and the Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 over the trip and track.
Abdullah Mishriff's Great Scot, third in The Saudi Cup last month, flies the flag for Saudi Arabia.
Japanese trainer Takashi Saito’s champion mare Chrono Genesis heads the list in the $6m Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic.
She lines-up against Aidan O’Brien’s dual Group 1 winner Mogul, the Bill Mott trained four-time Group 1 winner Channel Maker and John Gosden’s Saudi Cup hero Mishriff.
The $4m Group 1 Dubai Turf features a strong UK contingent, with Lord North winner of the Group 1 Prince of Wales Stakes from the Gosden yard, David O’Meara’s Lord Glitters, victor of the Group 1 Jebel Hatta on Super Saturday, and Michael Stoute’s Regal Reality as well as Simon Crisford’s pair Court House and Epic Hero.
The Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen boasts a multi-national field including the Doug O’Neill trained Wildman Jack, winner of the 2020 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint.
Hideyuki Mori’s Pink Kamehameha will be seeking victory in the Group 2 UAE Derby, having already landed the Saudi equivalent.
Stablemate France Go De Ina and the Yukihiro Kato’s Takeru Pegasus complete a powerful Japanese presence in the race while the Dubai World Cup Carnival star El Patriota prepared by Cintra represents Uruguay.
The Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint features Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby's Space Blues. He arrives fresh from victory in The Saudi Cup's Turf Sprint.
Testing their staying power in the Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup are Mark Johnston’s Group 1 Prix Royal Oak-winner Subjectivist, Germany’s Ralf Rohne’s Walderbe, Andrew Balding’s Spanish Mission and Red Verdon trained by Ed Dunlop.
The Godolphin Mile is headed by the Curlin Stakes winner Parsimony and include Saudi raider Urban Icon, and Doug Watson’s trio of Midnight Sands, Premier Star and Golden Goal.
Satish Seemar also sends out three – Secret Ambition, Roman Rosso and Tuz. The Salem bin Ghadayer trained Blown By The Wind lines-up alongside Japan’s Dieu Du Vin and the Bin Suroor’s Dubai Mirage.
The Group 1 Dubai Kahayla Classic has drawn an impressive list of some of the world’s best Purebred Arabians.
They include Group 1 winner Elisabeth Bernard’s Hajres, Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 winner and track record holder, RB Frynchh Dude trained by Emirati Helal Alalawi and the Didier Guillemin’s Deryan, winner of the 2020 The President of the UAE Cup at Deauville.
Also lining-up are Saudi trainer Mutlaq bin Mushreef pair Mubasher Al Khalediah and Mutawakel Al Khalediah, winner and runner up respectively in the Obaiya Arabian Classic in the Saudi Cup meeting.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
Company Profile
Company name: NutriCal
Started: 2019
Founder: Soniya Ashar
Based: Dubai
Industry: Food Technology
Initial investment: Self-funded undisclosed amount
Future plan: Looking to raise fresh capital and expand in Saudi Arabia
Total Clients: Over 50
McLaren GT specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 630Nm
Price: Dh875,000
On sale: now
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20DarDoc%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Samer%20Masri%2C%20Keswin%20Suresh%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20HealthTech%3Cbr%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%24800%2C000%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Flat6Labs%2C%20angel%20investors%20%2B%20Incubated%20by%20Hub71%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi's%20Department%20of%20Health%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2010%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ACL Elite (West) - fixtures
Monday, Sept 30
Al Sadd v Esteghlal (8pm)
Persepolis v Pakhtakor (8pm)
Al Wasl v Al Ahli (8pm)
Al Nassr v Al Rayyan (10pm)
Tuesday, Oct 1
Al Hilal v Al Shorta (10pm)
Al Gharafa v Al Ain (10pm)
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi
Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
Rating: 2.5/5
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
2019 ASIAN CUP FINAL
Japan v Qatar
Friday, 6pm
Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
Zayed Sustainability Prize
EMIRATES'S%20REVISED%20A350%20DEPLOYMENT%20SCHEDULE
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Scoreline:
Cardiff City 0
Liverpool 2
Wijnaldum 57', Milner 81' (pen)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
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.”
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
The biog
Place of birth: Kalba
Family: Mother of eight children and has 10 grandchildren
Favourite traditional dish: Al Harees, a slow cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled cracked or coarsely ground wheat mixed with meat or chicken
Favourite book: My early life by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah
Favourite quote: By Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, “Those who have no past will have no present or future.”
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
THE BIO
Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain
Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude
Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE
Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally
Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The bio
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France
Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines
Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.
Favourite Author: My father for sure
Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst
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SPEC%20SHEET
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
'Brazen'
Director: Monika Mitchell
Starring: Alyssa Milano, Sam Page, Colleen Wheeler
Rating: 3/5
The%20specs
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