Trainer Eric Lemartinel plans to race Darius Du Paon in the National Day Cup next month after seeing his charge triumph at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club’s opening meeting for the season on Saturday.
Lemartinel's horse, ridden by Olivier Doleuze, riding in the UAE for the first time, prevailed in the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup Prep, a Rated Conditions for Purebred Arabians run over the 1,600-metre trip.
Lemartinel was pleased with his form and confirmed his next outing would be again in Abu Dhabi on December 9.
“He was runner up in the race last year after missing the break, so his win wasn’t a surprise,” said Lemartinel of Saturday's win.
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“Tonight he raced behind the leading horse and got a good run on the home stretch to win well. Obviously his next race will be the National Day Cup (on December 9).”
Doleuze, a French jockey who has been riding in Hong Kong for the last 15 years in freelancing in his first season in the UAE, made his mark on the very first ride in the Emirates.
“Eric asked me to ride his horse and I couldn’t have wished for a better result,” he said.
“I don’t know much about the horse but when I went to the start he was nice and relaxed. He was able to follow the lead horse (AF Al Sajanjle ridden by Tadhg O’Shea) and good enough to win.
“It is good for me to come and try different things. It isn’t a benefit to sit in the same place for a long time. So it was good to come meet other people and to win is really good.”
It was a good night for Lemartinel as he also enjoyed victory in the opening race as Ellal, ridden by Pat Cosgrave, prevailed.
“It was the first time I sat on him and Eric gave me the confidence and said to me he is a nice horse,” he said.
“He’s a big horse, he needs space and I had challenge from wide. He travelled well and it was a nice education run for him as well. He looks a smart horse with a lot of potential.”
Ernst Oertel and Tadhg O’Shea, the trainer-jockey partnership, also racked up a double with AF Waqas in AF Yatroq, both in the silks of Khalid Khalifa Al Naboodah.
O’Shea added a third when he rode the Satish Seemar-trained Parliamentarian to a dead-heat with Ben Curtis on board Jamesian trained by Musabah Al Muhairi.
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Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Strait of Hormuz
Fujairah is a crucial hub for fuel storage and is just outside the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route linking Middle East oil producers to markets in Asia, Europe, North America and beyond.
The strait is 33 km wide at its narrowest point, but the shipping lane is just three km wide in either direction. Almost a fifth of oil consumed across the world passes through the strait.
Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait, a move that would risk inviting geopolitical and economic turmoil.
Last month, Iran issued a new warning that it would block the strait, if it was prevented from using the waterway following a US decision to end exemptions from sanctions for major Iranian oil importers.
The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
