Dubai // Colm O'Donoghue emerged with maximum points from the opening skirmish of the Meydan Masters jockeys championship at the Dubai racecourse last night.
The Irish rider now goes into today's three Meydan Masters contests with 75 points after a solid win aboard the UAE trainer Erwan Charpy's Furnace.
The Coolmore stalwart, who has been associated with Aidan O'Brien's Ballydoyle yard in Ireland for 13 years, must now defend his lead from 11 of the world's best jockeys.
Chief among the dangermen for O'Donoghue is second-placed Frankie Dettori.
Godolphin's retained jockey earned 20 points yesterday thanks to his fine runners-up position on Musabah Al Muhairi's Paschendale.
Tom Queally's third on Masaalek earned him 15 points, Mirco Demuro, the Italian Dubai World Cup champion, has 10 points while the Australian rider, Craig Williams, is on eight.
"It's great to get a winner in the first race and great to be a part of this championship," said O'Donoghue, who claimed the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland Racecourse near Lexington, Kentucky, on Together in October. The horses are assigned to each jockey through a draw system and most jockeys have not sat on their rides before the race.
Charpy, who was collecting his first thoroughbred winner at Meydan Racecourse this season, said he was very pleased with the ride O'Donoghue gave his charge.
"Every one of these guys are top professionals, that's what's great about this competition" he said. "I just told Colm that this horse doesn't have a huge turn of foot but he stays very well."
Riding at Meydan for the first time, the Japanese star, Kenichi Ikezoe, who last season was the much-lauded rider of Japan's Triple Crown winner Ofevre, finished in 10th position to score three points.
Ikezoe is joined at the bottom of the table by Christophe Lemaire, the Melbourne Cup-winner, who finished last for one point while William Buick, the local favourite, was 11th.
sports@thenational.ae
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
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Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
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Director: Shawn Levy
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Abu Dhabi traffic facts
Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road
The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.
Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.
The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.
The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.
Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019
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Pupils to learn coding and other vocational skills from Grade 6
Exams to test critical thinking and application of knowledge
A new National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance, Assessment, Review and Analysis for Holistic Development) will form the standard for schools
Schools to implement online system to encouraging transparency and accountability
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
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Starring: Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos
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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 Voice of Hind Rajab
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