ABU DHABI // Being an unofficial hotspot for purebred Arabian racing, Abu Dhabi celebrates a double tonight; the start of the new season and another grand accomplishment in completing the Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Racing Festival's final race.
Jean Pierre Totain, who became the first and only trainer from Europe to win the Kahayla Classic, the Arabian showpiece and traditional opener in the Dubai World Cup meeting, is one of the invitees among the five trainers and nine jockeys, all of whom either have trained or ridden Sheikh Mansour's horses.
"The Middle East, particularly the UAE, have given a new lease of life for Arabian racing, and they continue to play a vital role on its improvement," said Totain, who saddled Magic de Piboul to victory in the Kahayla Classic in 2001.
"The Arabian races are now better known and is drawing global attention. They have made their way to some of the most prestigious meetings, the Royal Ascot in England and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in France.
"It is getting better every year with both, the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Cup and Sheikh Mansour Festival series, providing the encouragement and incentive for the owners and breeders of the Purebred Arabians."
Totain trains both, Arabians and thoroughbreds in France, and has saddled more than 1,600 winners as a trainer and more than 50 as a breeder in his 24 years on the job.
He is one of the four trainers for Sheikh Mansour in France. The others who arrived along with him are Jean Francois Bernard, Robert Litt and Damien de Watrigant, who ran Djezika in the Kahayla Classic in 2006.
De Watrigant will get an opportunity to watch a former inmate and winner of the Deauville Derby, Kandar Dul Falgas, racing in tonight's feature race, the Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Cup, a prep race for the National Day Cup.
Joining the trainers are nine French riders, all of them who have carried the silks of Sheikh Mansour to victory in Europe.
Phillipe Sogorb is booked on Barood Al Reef, for the Al Reef Stables, in tonight's opener; a maiden for UAE bred colts and geldings.
"It's my first visit and I am greatly looking forward to riding in Abu Dhabi," said Sogorb. "I have heard of UAE's racing and watched the Dubai World Cup, so it's nice to have got an opportunity and experience a ride.
"Given the opportunity, I will certainly like to ride in the UAE. It suits us very well because the UAE season is during the winter and our off-season in Europe. I hope I can get to know more of the local trainers that can lead up to a good partnership for the future." It was a sentiment shared by Sogorb's colleagues Charles Nora, Jean Bernard Eyquem, Jean Baptiste Hamel, Jimmy Martin, Roberto Montenegro, Fabrice Veron, David Morrison and Francois Xavier Bertras.
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Famous left-handers
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The Ashes
Results
First Test, Brisbane: Australia won by 10 wickets
Second Test, Adelaide: Australia won by 120 runs
Third Test, Perth: Australia won by an innings and 41 runs
Fourth Test: Melbourne: Drawn
Fifth Test: Australia won by an innings and 123 runs
THE BIO
Ambition: To create awareness among young about people with disabilities and make the world a more inclusive place
Job Title: Human resources administrator, Expo 2020 Dubai
First jobs: Co-ordinator with Magrudy Enterprises; HR coordinator at Jumeirah Group
Entrepreneur: Started his own graphic design business
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THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
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Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Intercontinental Cup
Namibia v UAE Saturday Sep 16-Tuesday Sep 19
Table 1 Ireland, 89 points; 2 Afghanistan, 81; 3 Netherlands, 52; 4 Papua New Guinea, 40; 5 Hong Kong, 39; 6 Scotland, 37; 7 UAE, 27; 8 Namibia, 27
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Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rahul, Shaw, Pujara, Rahane (vc), Karun, Karthik (wk), Pant (wk), Ashwin, Jadeja, Pandya, Ishant, Shami, Umesh, Bumrah, Thakur, Vihari
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
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Price: From Dh599,000
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How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
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• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
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When: Sunday, July 15, 7pm (UAE)
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- Adapt your business model. Make changes that are future-proof to the new normal
- Make sure you have an online presence
- Open communication with suppliers, especially if they are international. Look for local suppliers to avoid delivery delays
- Open communication with customers to see how they are coping and be flexible about extending terms, etc
Courtesy: Craig Moore, founder and CEO of Beehive, which provides term finance and working capital finance to SMEs. Only SMEs that have been trading for two years are eligible for funding from Beehive.
Key facilities
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- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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