Category: Athletic

DUBAI, Life Is Good, the leading fancy for the 26th running of the Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates Airlines, will jump from stall one for Saturday’s $12 million contest.

Staged at the lavish setting of Dubai Opera, the post-position draw for the 11-runner Dubai World Cup of 2022 was attended by owners, trainers and invited guests from around the racing world.

1. Life is Good – Elliott Walden, president and racing manager of co-owner WinStar Farm said: “It’s an 11-horse field. He has enough time to get over, and has enough speed to put himself in a good position. It’s been amazing. He has a beautiful way of moving, I think he knows he’s special. It is just a blessing to have him. It’s a great honour to be favourite. We feel grateful to have him.”

2. Aero Trem – Trainer Antonio Cintra said: “It’s a good draw for him, he’s a horse that can’t run in the back (during his races) so it’s a good draw.

“We’re very proud to be here again. Last season was the first time we had a horse in the World Cup but I think this year we arrive with Aero Trem who is looking 100% so we’re hoping for a good race from him.”

3. Chuwa Wizard – Trainer Ryuji Okubo said: “I’m happy with the gate and his condition is better than last year. He’s got the experience of Meydan last year and that has served him well for this year. I’m happier this year and gate three is perfect.”

4. Grocer Jack – Maureen Haggas, wife of trainer William, said: “We’re quite happy with that, he’s inexperienced on the dirt so he wouldn’t have wanted to be drawn on the inside in stalls one to three. To be more to the outside is better for him and he’ll work it out on the dirt.”

5. Country Grammer – Assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes said: “He really showed up that night [in the Saudi Cup] and all signs are good for this. I really believe that he is a mile-and-a-quarter horse. He’s such a gritty horse.”

6. Real World – Trainer Saeed Bin Suroor said: “”I’m very happy with that, we’ve got the best draw.

“This was always the plan for him and we’ve always trained him on the all-weather track at home. He’s always shown his form really well on that and he’s trained really well so I’m very happy with him. He worked last Saturday and it was the best work I’ve ever seen, clocking 1 minute 26 seconds on the bridle.”

He added: “He came back very well from his last run, his draw is brilliant and Christophe (Soumillon) the jockey knows the track very well. He’s a two-time winner of the race (with Thunder Snow in 2018 and 2019) so it’s great to have him on our side.”It’s a very tough race and it’s hard to win. You always have to have a good horse. We’ve won it nine times and we’ll try to do it again.”

7. Hot Rod Charlie – Leandro Mora, assistant trainer to Doug O’Neill, said: “Very happy. He needs to prove it. We talked about it we wanted any post from one through seven, so we are happy.

Greg Helm, co-owner, Roadrunner Racing, added: “To be a part of this event in Dubai is outrageous. I am shaking like a leaf. I’m so excited to be here.”

8. Midnight Bourbon – Carlos Rosas, exercise rider, said: “I didn’t want him inside drawn on the rail so we have gone for the middle in eight. Hopefully his jockey Jose Ortiz can get a good position from there. He has been training beautifully since he finished third in the Saudi Cup.”

9. Magny Cours – Godolphin’s managing director Hugh Anderson said: “We have the best trainer in Europe at present and the leading jockey in Dubai on our side. Maybe they won’t thank me for drawing nine, but he is in better form now having disappointed us a little last time in Saudi. He finished third in this race last year so we know he likes the track.”

10. Hypothetical – Trainer Salem bin Ghadayer said: “It’s a good draw not an excellent draw. We would have preferred to have been inside but what can you do, this is the race. We have options from there and I am so happy with the horse.”

11. Remorse – “Funnily enough, eleven is my lucky number. I don’t think it’s too bad. We can follow Hypothetical. We’re just happy to be here in the Dubai World Cup.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI Meydan Racecourse is expected to be packed to the rafters on Dubai World Cup night after organisers prepare to welcome back capacity crowds for the spectacular 26th running of the Group 1 Dubai World Cup, sponsored by Emirates Airline, on 26th March, 2022.

While the highly prestigious US$12 million race and its equally coveted undercard have attracted the very best from around the world over the years, the excitement is bound to amplify on race day with a massive crowd expected to attend proceedings at the 80,000-capacity venue. The organisation of this year’s Dubai World Cup further reinforces the city’s rising status as one of the globe’s leading venues for international sporting events.

Sheikh Rashid bin Dalmook Al Maktoum, the Chairman of Dubai Racing Club, said, “We are so happy to have everyone back here for what will be a fantastic 26th running of the Dubai World Cup meeting. The atmosphere will be absolutely electrifying,” he said.

“The quality of the horses, trainers, owners and jockeys who have assembled is better than ever and we are looking forward to a superb day of racing with our guests from around the world.

“I would like to thank our partners for their support and also the team at Dubai Racing Club, who have worked so hard to bring this meeting together.

“The first-ever Dubai Breeze-Up Sale is something we are all looking forward to eagerly as well. It gives owners and connections in the region the chance to view and purchase some of the best bred two-year-old horses in their backyard. It is something that will further cement Dubai’s position as one of the main centres for racing, not just in the region, but globally too.”

From the time Cigar blew away his opposition at Nad Al Sheba at the inaugural meeting in 1996, to Thunder Snow’s stunning title defence in 2019, the Dubai World Cup meeting has gone from strength to strength, delivering some of the finest racing ever seen worldwide.

Last year’s programme saw John Gosden’s Saudi Cup winner Mishriff make a sensational return to the turf and silence a strong Japanese contingent in the Group 1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic and Mystic Guide, trained by Michael Stidham for Godolphin, claim a third successive Group 1 Dubai World Cup victory for the royal blue silks of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.

This year, there are bound to be more thrills and spills, with horses cherry-picked by connections to have a go at the massive $30.5m in prize money, which retains the Dubai World Cup card’s status among the richest single nights in horse racing.

The $12m Group 1 Dubai World Cup, sponsored by Emirates Airline, sees some of America’s top dirt performers go hoof to hoof against each other in the 2000-metre dirt contest.

This year’s renewal promises a fascinating clash between two of the best dirt horses in America in Todd Pletcher’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and Pegasus World Cup winner Life Is Good and Doug O’Neill’s Hot Rod Charlie, who hit the ground running in Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge R2 on his only start in Dubai. The pair will be joined by American counterparts Country Grammer and Midnight Bourbon, trained by US Hall Of Fame conditioner, Bob Baffert and Steve Asmussen, who run fresh from their respective second and third-place finishes in last month’s Saudi Cup at Riyadh.

The feature is supported by eight other equally gripping contests, including the 2410m $6m Group 1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic, where a strong Japanese contingent is expected again. Tetsuya Kimura’s Neom Turf Cup winner Authority is among the favourites, but this year’s race is a wide-open one with Godolphin handler Charlie Appleby fielding one of his stable stars in Yibir, who was last seen winning the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar in November. Shadwell will be represented by Owen Burrows’ Hukum, who enjoyed a highly productive 2021 campaign that saw him win four of his seven starts and begin 2022 with a narrow success in the Group 2 Dubai City of Gold, run over the course and distance of the Sheema Classic.

Three more top tier events are also part of the evening’s programme and feature the $5m Group 1 Dubai Turf, sponsored by DP World, over 1800m. Gosden’s Lord North will make a title defence bid with Shadwell’s Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes winner Mohaafeth, trained by William Haggas, leading the opposition along with the same owner’s Alfareeq, winner of the G1 Jebel Hatta over course and distance.

The card’s two sprints are the $1.5m Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint, sponsored by Azizi Developments, and the $2m Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen, which this year will be sponsored by Atlantis Dubai. Both are run over an identical 1200m trip, with the former playing out on the turf chute and the latter being contested as a one-turn dirt event respectively.

British Champion Flat Trainer Appleby, the winner of the 2018 and 2019 renewals of the Al Quoz Sprint with Jungle Cat and Blue Point, respectively, has a firm grip on the race with Group 1 Champion Sprint Stakes winner Creative Force and three-time course winner Man Of Promise.

Locally-trained Al Tariq, Canvassed and Good Effort represent the yards of Doug Watson and Ismail Mohammed in the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen and are up against some talented American dirt sprinters. They include Mark Glatt’s Dr. Schivel, winner of the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes, the 2020 Grade 1 Runhappy Del Mar Futurity, and Drain The Clock, trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., winner of the Grade 1 Woody Stephens.

These top tier events sit on top of a tidy undercard that features the $1m Group 2 Godolphin Mile, sponsored by Nakheel, which will see Bhupat Seemar’s Secret Ambition defend his title and a potent field of 3-year-olds line up for the 1800m $1m Group 2 UAE Derby sponsored by Mubadala. Within that group are Baffert’s recent 2021 Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity champion and Group 3 Saudi Derby winner Pinehurst and runner-up Sekifu, who is trained by Koshiro Take. The pair will have a formidable foe in Pavel Vashchenko’s Azure Coast, who made light work of his rivals in the G3 UAE 2000 Guineas a month ago.

The longest race on the card is the 3200m $1m Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup, sponsored by Al Tayer Motors, where Appleby’s Manobo, who is unbeaten in five career starts and won the Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy on his UAE debut over a slightly shorter 2810m trip, is the odds on favourite.

Like the Dubai Golden Shaheen, the 2000m $1m Group 1 Dubai Kahayla Classic for Purebred Arabians has a new sponsor in Ithra Dubai and, as is tradition will get the prestigious Dubai World Cup card underway.

Crowd interest has peaked with the announcement that Meydan Racecourse will open its doors fully for this year’s Dubai World Cup meeting for the first time since 2019. With tickets starting at just AED50 for General Admission, demand is bound to soar in the coming days. Various other options are also available for those seeking hospitality, while those attending will also gain entry to the spectacular closing ceremony and post-race concert that will feature Becky Hill, Rudimental and DJ Sigala.

Racegoers will be required to adhere to COVID-19 related protocols mandated by the UAE Government, which means visitors must wear face masks in all indoor areas of the venue.

The Dubai World Cup meeting will be the finale of an exciting week of racing-related activities in the emirate, which starts Tuesday, 22 March, with the Post-Position Draw held at the Dubai Opera.

That will be followed by the inaugural Dubai Breeze-Up Sale, the first of its kind in the region, a day later on 23rd March. In association with Goffs, the sale will offer Middle Eastern owners the chance to purchase 69 sublimely bred juveniles that are expected to go under the hammer.

Tickets for the Dubai World Cup can be purchased from the Ticket Office near Gate B at Meydan Racecourse or online at Dubairacingclub.com. Gates open at noon on race day, Saturday, 26th March.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, The Dubai Police has honoured the first fifty players who completed all the stages of Expo 2020 Adventures with the highest scores.

The interactive game was released last September, coinciding with the grand opening of the global event in all smartphone stores, including the App Store, Google Play, and Huawei AppGallery.

Brigadier Khalid Nasser Al Razooqi, Director of the General Department of Artificial Intelligence, said that the Department, on the occasion of UAE golden Jubilee, announced the Fifty Challenge to award dedicated and excellent players of Expo 2020 Adventures, who explore all the stages of the game and score the highest among other players.

The honouring ceremony was held at the Smart Police Station (SPS) at Expo 2020 Dubai, where the fifty winners from inside and outside the country were awarded in the presence of the force’s employees.

The awards were handed over by the Director of the Virtual Technology Center in the General Administration of Artificial Intelligence, Colonel Dr Mansour Nasser Al Razooqi, to the winners from different nationalities, including Germany, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the Sultanate of Oman, Russia, France, Canada, United Kingdom, Japan, and Nigeria.

Emirati national cadres developed the interactive game at the Virtual Technology Centre in Dubai Police in collaboration with Expo 2020 Dubai and a number of educational and social entities.

Source: Emirates News Agency

ABU DHABI, The Ghantoot Racing and Polo Club announced the details of the 22nd President of the UAE Polo Cup, which will take place from 13th to 27th March, 2022, under the patronage of Sheikh Falah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Club, supported by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, and in coordination with the UAE Polo Federation.

Today’s press release was attended by Saeed bin Hofan Al Mansouri, Vice Chairman of the Club’s Board of Directors, Hamad Abdul Rahman Al Sheikh, Executive Director of the Club, and Youssef bin Dasmal, who is representing the participating players, as well as representatives of sponsoring companies.

Six teams will participate in the event, which are Emirates, Al Habtoor, Bin Drai, Abu Dhabi, Dubai Wolves and Ghantoot, the title holders and host team.

The competing teams will be divided into two groups to ensure parity and help raise the technical level of the tournament, with the participation of many prominent national and professional players rated at 18 handicap.

During the press conference, Al Mansouri welcomed the participants and conveyed the greetings of Sheikh Falah, stressing that the club has completed its preparations to host the cup, in line with the event’s stature as one of the leading polo tournaments in the Middle East.

Al Sheikh lauded the directives of Sheikh Falah to ensure the success of the event.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI, Marking International Women’s Day 2022, UN Women and HeForShe today announced DP World Group Chairman and CEO, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, as the latest HeForShe Alliance Member.

The announcement took place during a high-profile event at the DP World Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai.

With this announcement, Bin Sulayem joins a group of ambitious leaders from across government, the corporate world and third sector to transform patriarchal masculinities and develop the largest set of scalable solutions for gender equality’s most pressing issues. As the leading provider of smart logistics solutions, DP World is uniquely set up to advance the ambitious goal of gender representation and equality in the global supply chain.

Bin Sulayem is the first leader from the Middle East region to join this prestigious group.

Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO, DP World, said, “Becoming a UN Women HeForShe Champion is a great honour, and I feel very humbled to be working alongside such esteemed leaders to accelerate progress toward gender equality. I believe in not just attracting, developing and retaining female talent in the trade and logistics industry, but truly focusing on efforts to build a global ecosystem that is equitable and fair for all.

“Through DP World’s sustainability strategy, ‘Our World, Our Future’, we apply a gender lens in everything we do to ensure gender equality is integrated into all our processes, regions and across departments. I am personally committed to making a positive impact that increases female representation, eliminates skills shortages and advocates for the diversity agenda.”

Anita Bhatia, UN Women Deputy Executive Director for UN Coordination, Partnerships, Resources and Sustainability, and Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, said, “We are honoured to welcome Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World to the HeForShe Alliance. The commitment to improve representation of women in this sector will go a long way in reshaping corporate and social norms in a region that holds great opportunity for progress on gender equality. DP World’s commitment paired with their global reach will spearhead transformative change and allyship to achieve a gender equal world.”

DP World has long been dedicated to making a positive impact for women and girls, both within the trade industry and wider society. In 2021 alone, DP World invested over US$1.9 million in gender equality projects, reaching more than 160,000 women in local communities. The same year, female employee representation across the DP World Group rose from 8.9 percent in June 2020 to 14.4 percent in December 2021. In 2022, the business intends to continue this investment by addressing the digital gender divide in education.

Source: Emirates News Agency

Abu Dhabi, The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge served up another dramatic episode today as heroic Argentinean rider Kevin Benavides built hopes of a first bikes win, and Stephane Peterhansel held course for a record seventh cars victory.

The 318-km ADNOC Distribution Special Stage 2 saw Nasser Al Attiyah on four wheels and Ross Branch on two record the fastest times, 24 hours after both had crashed out of overall contention.

It was a day when Benavides vividly illustrated the spirit of the new World Rally-Raid Championship stopping for more than 20 minutes to assist overnight bikes leader Michael Docherty after his heavy fall, before resuming to take the overall lead.

Credited at the end with the time he gave up in helping Docherty, the KTM star now holds a 4 mins 23 secs advantage over American Ricky Brabec, with Chile’s Ignacio Cornejo another 41 secs away in third place.

The top six was completed by previous champions Sam Sunderland on a GasGas and Honda’s Pablo Quintanilla, followed by the other Benavides brother, Luciano, on a Husqvarna.

Petershansel, fourth quickest on the stage in an Audi RS Q e-tron, finished the leg with a reduced outright cars advantage of 7 mins 49 secs from Saudi Arabia’s Yazeed Al Rajhi in a Toyota Hilux.

Czech Martin Prokop was third, 15 mins 50 secs off the lead in his Ford Raptor RS Cross Country.

Poland’s Jakub Przygonski in a Mini John Cooper Works Buggy andMathieu Serradori in a Century CR6 completed the provisional top five.

Nine-times World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb, whose victory ambitions on his Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge debut were buried by a series of first leg mechanical problems, recovered to set the second fastest time on the day in his Prodrive Hunter.

Reaching the finish in his Toyota Hilux, Al Attiyah said: “Now we will try and win every day to take maximum points like we did today. We did quite a good job, I am quite happy. We have to now work for the points. Today we won five and I hope to win five points tomorrow as well.

“It’s a disappointment not to win the rally because it is my favourite rally. We need to accept what happened yesterday. This is a motorsport. Now we must try to push the limit of the car, like we did it today.”

It was another superb day for Emirati rider Abdulaziz Ahli, as the defending quads champion on a Yamaha Raptor extended his lead over Slovakia’s Juraj Varga, to a massive 1hr 24 mins 12 secs Dubai-based Docherty deservedly stood in the rally spotlight as the overall bikes leader at the end of the previous day’s desert stage,after winning the Saturday qualifier.

Starting today’s stage was always going to be difficult, however, because of the navigational demands this brings, and the South African rider had already been overtaken by Mathias Walkner when he crashed.

Benavides stopped to assist him before the medical team arrived at the scene, and Docherty was evacuated by helicopter to MadinatZayed hospital.

Benavides said at the finish: “It was really long and hot today. I stopped to help Michael when he crashed, and waited for medical aid to arrive. On a good note, it looks like my brother had a great ride, so I am happy.”

Branch commented: “It was a good day for me. I rode smoothly and consistently trying to minimize mistakes after yesterday errors and crash. Today my riding was much better.”

Another South African, Bradley Cox, who was fastest in the Rally 2 category on the day, also crashed and was taken to hospital by helicopter. But Branch, who was evacuated from yesterday’s stagefor a hospital check-up, was cleared to restart today and was quickly back up to stage-winning speed.

ADNOC Distribution supplies the jet fuel for the Search and Rescue helicopters which are on permanent standby to go to the aid of competitors in need of attention.

Today’s ADNOC Distribution Special Stage 2 took the cars, trucks, bikes and quads on a difficult 318km passage through the Al Dhafradunes, with My Station trucks on hand to refuel rally competitors along the spectacular desert route.

“We are glad to have our My Station service participate in this event and to be able to refuel vehicles as contenders race during this challenging stage,” said Bader Saeed Al Lamki, CEO, ADNOC Distribution. Our Super 98 premium fuel, which is extracted and refined in the UAE, is specially designed to offer advanced care and efficiency in the most demanding environments. We are honoured to be involved in this event and keep racers moving through their journey to victory.”

The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge takes place under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region.

The rally’s strategic partners are the Ruler’s Representative Court Al Dhafra Region, the Ministry of Defence, Abu Dhabi Sports Council, ADNOC Distribution, Al-Futtaim Toyota, Abu Dhabi Police, YasMarina Circuit, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi Aviation, National Ambulance, Abu Dhabi Municipality, Abu Dhabi Distribution Co., Al Dhafra Region Municipality, Al-Ain Water, Abu Dhabi Sports TV, Civil Defence and the Abu Dhabi Waste Management Center.

Source: Emirates News Agency