DUBAI // One of India's top trainers, Sadakshara Padmanabhan, is hopeful of heading back to the UAE for the first time since 2007 for the Dubai International Racing Carnival.
Padmanabhan bought two horses at the December Tattersalls sale for a Dubai-based Indian owner and hopes they will race at Meydan.
"They are nice horses, rated 102 and 100 and we are waiting to see if they will be accepted," said Padmanabhan, who in 2003 was the first India-based trainer to bring horses to compete in Dubai.
Perfect Polly, a double Stakes winner, is a five-year-old mare who was fourth in the Group One Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket in 2007. She was most recently third in the Listed Mercury Stakes in Ireland in October.
Padmanabhan hopes she and his second purchase, Allegoria, placed in a Group Three race in Italy and who has also competed at Group One level, will be able to run for him in Dubai.
"This year I wanted to bring some horses from England to run for this owner, but in the past I have brought horses that I have trained in India to Dubai," he said.
"It's the exposure to competing at the highest level that has always attracted me to come to Dubai. When we see how our horses perform in Dubai, then we know how far we have come and how far behind we still are."
Padmanabhan has won every Indian Classic except the Indian Derby. He has also saddled winners in the Stayers' Cup, Sprinters' Cup and Indian Turf Invitation Cup.
It was in 2007 that India celebrated its first Dubai victory when Mystical, trained by Subaiah Ganapathy, won two handicaps at the Carnival.
Since then Dubai has not hosted another Indian-trained runner, but Bangalore-based Padmanabhan predicts an Indian horse will win a Group One on foreign shores in the next few years.
"I don't feel that day is far off. Quarantine restrictions can discourage some trainers, but the progress that Indian horses have made in the last half decade is astonishing," he said.
"It's a great place to come as an Indian trainer because there are so many Indians living in Dubai and you have great support."
Healthy tips to remember
Here, Dr Mohamed El Abiary, paediatric consultant at Al Zahra Hospital Dubai, shares some advice for parents whose children are fasting during the holy month of Ramadan:
Gradual fasting and golden points - For children under the age of 10, follow a step-by-step approach to fasting and don't push them beyond their limits. Start with a few hours fasting a day and increase it to a half fast and full fast when the child is ready. Every individual's ability varies as per the age and personal readiness. You could introduce a points system that awards the child and offers them encouragement when they make progress with the amount of hours they fast
Why fast? - Explain to your child why they are fasting. By shedding light on the importance of abstaining from food and drink, children may feel more encouraged to give it there all during the observance period. It is also a good opportunity to teach children about controlling urges, doing good for others and instilling healthy food habits
Sleep and suhoor - A child needs adequate sleep every night - at least eight hours. Make sure to set a routine early bedtime so he/she has sufficient time to wake up for suhoor, which is an essential meal at the beginning of the day
Good diet - Nutritious food is crucial to ensuring a healthy Ramadan for children. They must refrain from eating too much junk food as well as canned goods and snacks and drinks high in sugar. Foods that are rich in nutrients, vitamins and proteins, like fruits, fresh meats and vegetables, make for a good balanced diet
Sun jukebox
Rufus Thomas, Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (1953)
This rip-off of Leiber/Stoller’s early rock stomper brought a lawsuit against Phillips and necessitated Presley’s premature sale to RCA.
Elvis Presley, Mystery Train (1955)
The B-side of Presley’s final single for Sun bops with a drummer-less groove.
Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, Folsom Prison Blues (1955)
Originally recorded for Sun, Cash’s signature tune was performed for inmates of the titular prison 13 years later.
Carl Perkins, Blue Suede Shoes (1956)
Within a month of Sun’s February release Elvis had his version out on RCA.
Roy Orbison, Ooby Dooby (1956)
An essential piece of irreverent juvenilia from Orbison.
Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)
Lee’s trademark anthem is one of the era’s best-remembered – and best-selling – songs.
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
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MATCH INFO
Borussia Dortmund 0
Bayern Munich 1 (Kimmich 43')
Man of the match: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
