DUBAI // Satish Seemar has had a golden touch this season, winning 20 times. Yet there is one occupant of the trainer's leading yard who is proving more problematical than the rest.
Lord Tiger is a big, hardworking four-year-old who is rated by those who work with him as one of the nicest horses in the yard. But despite coming close on a number of occasions, he has yet to win a race.
Seemar hopes to change that at Meydan Racecourse's second Spring Meet tonight when he drops the colt in distance from 1,600m to 1,400m in the first race.
"He is going to win one," Seemar said. "I really like him and we know he's good enough. He's been a little bit unlucky and we are trying new tactics with him."
Jockey Richard Mullen will be charged with guiding Lord Tiger - who has run fifth, second and third in his previous outings - to his first victory.
"He's had us scratching our heads a little bit," Mullen said. "Other maidens in the yard have won and we haven't thought as much of them.
"We have always thought quite highly of him at home and we expected him to win first time out but that didn't happen and then, the next time we set off and were looking for a bit of pace in the race but nobody took it on, so I ended up doing my own thing and it was West Emirates that ended up winning.
"Then we took him to Jebel Ali and expected him to win there but rode him a bit differently, holding him up and it was probably the wrong tactic. So now we are dropping him in trip to the 1,400m and planning to smooth him along."
Lord Tiger will take on the Musabah al Muhairi-trained Grand Duchy under Wayne Smith, but Mullen counts the runner from French trainer Stephane Chevalier, Prime Preacher, as the main threat.
Mullen also fancies his chances in a 2,000m handicap in which he will ride Radegund Abbey, a course and distance winner last time out. Seemar also saddles Treachery under apprentice Harry Bentley.
"Radegund Abbey is one that we got last year and is based at Millenium Stables where Ivan Pavlovsky is the assistant," Mullen said.
"He has improved a lot this season and won his last race. We expected him to win his most recent race at Sharjah, but he got a bit stuck in traffic and it is such a short home stretch that he did not have time to get going once he got clear, but he really flew home.
"I'm confident with him and he has got to be my best chance on the night."
Radegund Abbey holds winning form over the Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum-owned opponent Mushreq, trained by Doug Watson, and will also take on another Sheikh Hamdan runner, Jadal, on his UAE debut.
sports@thenational.ae
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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Was a middle distance state athletics champion in school
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His dream is to continue working as a social worker and help people
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What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
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The Gandhi Murder
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Results:
5pm: Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: AF Tahoonah, Richard Mullen (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 1,400m | Winner: Ajwad, Gerald Avranche, Rashed Bouresly
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m | Winner: RB Lam Tara, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m | Winner: Duc De Faust, Szczepan Mazur, Younis Al Kalbani
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Dh70,000 2,200m | Winner: Shareef KB, Fabrice Veron, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh90,000 1,500m | Winner: Bainoona, Pat Cosgrave, Eric Lemartinel
Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
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