Irish jockey John Egan, riding Yellowstone, has been fined by the Racing Appeals Disciplinary Board for outspoken comments ahead of the Melbourne Cup.
Irish jockey John Egan, riding Yellowstone, has been fined by the Racing Appeals Disciplinary Board for outspoken comments ahead of the Melbourne Cup.

Irish jockey fined over 'Hitler' slur



SYDNEY // The Irish jockey John Egan was fined A$8,000 (Dh19,700) today for describing Australian veterinary surgeons as a "couple of tin pot Hitlers". Egan made the remark at the weekend after vets ordered his mount Yellowstone to undergo an additional fitness test before being allowed to run in Tuesday's Melbourne Cup. Yellowstone injured his hip in his stall last week and was eventually scratched on the eve of the race on vet's advice.

Australian racing stewards, who have the power to stop a horse running in a race if vets deem it to be unfit, took a dim view of Egan's remarks, charging him with bringing the sport into disrepute. Egan pleaded guilty to the offence but said his remarks were not aimed at the vets. The Racing Appeals Disciplinary Board chairman Russell Lewis described Egan as an unreliable witness whose comments were reprehensible.

Yellowstone was not among the favourites in pre-Cup betting. Luca Cumani-trained Mad Rush, to be ridden by Damien Oliver, was firming as the favourite, with Aiden O'Brien-trained Irish St Ledger winner and topweight Septimus easing in the market due to the likelihood of a hard track at Flemington. Oliver rode Purple Moon to second place for Cumani in last year's Melbourne Cup. Oliver won the Cup with Doriemus in 1995 and had an emotional victory on Irish stayer Media Puzzle six years ago, a week after his jockey brother Jason was killed in a trackwork fall.

Zarita, trained by Pat Hyland, was scratched from the Cup today due to a respiratory infection, leaving a field of 23 for the race. *Agencies

The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Why it pays to compare

A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.

Route 1: bank transfer

The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.

Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount

Total received: €4,670.30 

Route 2: online platform

The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.

Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction

Total received: €4,756

The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.

The biog

Mission to Seafarers is one of the largest port-based welfare operators in the world.

It provided services to around 200 ports across 50 countries.

They also provide port chaplains to help them deliver professional welfare services.