NEWMARKET, England // Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid, John Gosden and Richard Hills team up with Maqaasid this afternoon in the hope of replicating their success in the 1000 Guineas 11 years ago.
The owner, trainer and jockey combined with Lahan in 2000, beating out 17 rivals to win the race.
With 19 runners going to post today, a shoot-out should suit their runner. Maqaasid turned in a solid performance at Newmarket two weeks ago when finishing third to Barefoot Lady in the Nell Gwyn Stakes over 1,400m.
The daughter of Green Desert had to give weight to Barefoot Lady, who also is in today's line-up.
Gosden said both fillies would carry an advantage into today's 1,600m contest.
"She ran nicely with a penalty in the Nell Gwyn and saw out the race well enough," Gosden said. "The great trainer Vincent O'Brien was always keen to give his horses a prep run.
"It's suddenly become a bit of a cult thing to come here without one. It happened when the springs were cold and everyone had to come fresh. It's a bit of a fashion now."
Six of the seven most favoured fillies in the Group 1 contest have yet to run this season, including Hooray, last season's European champion juvenile filly.
Since the European Free Handicap was established in 1978, only six champions have won the 1000 Guineas, although in an illustration of thoroughbred fragility 18 did not turn up and run over the Rowley Mile.
Maqaasid lowered the track record at Royal Ascot last season when winning the Group 1 Queen Mary Stakes over 1,000m. As a January foal, she was entitled to be more mature than her peers but Gosden said his charge has a fair chance of lasting the extra 600m here.
"We're going from five furlongs to a mile," Gosden said. "She has quite a lot of stamina on the dam's side so she could be a bit of a sleeper on that front."
The biog
Age: 59
From: Giza Governorate, Egypt
Family: A daughter, two sons and wife
Favourite tree: Ghaf
Runner up favourite tree: Frankincense
Favourite place on Sir Bani Yas Island: “I love all of Sir Bani Yas. Every spot of Sir Bani Yas, I love it.”
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
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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
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FIGHT NIGHT
Four title fights:
Amir Khan v Billy Dib - WBC International title
Hughie Fury v Samuel Peter - Heavyweight co-main event
Dave Penalosa v Lerato Dlamini - WBC Silver title
Prince Patel v Michell Banquiz - IBO World title
Six undercard bouts:
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Amandeep Singh v Shakhobidin Zoirov
Zuhayr Al Qahtani v Farhad Hazratzada
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Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
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CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Tips for used car buyers
- Choose cars with GCC specifications
- Get a service history for cars less than five years old
- Don’t go cheap on the inspection
- Check for oil leaks
- Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
- Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
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- Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
- If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
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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.
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
