WE are well used to Cheltenham preview nights, but three nights before the Dubai World Cup I experienced my first such event for the world’s richest raceday.
Held in one of the McGettigan pubs (the other hosted one on the following night), it was staged in association with David Marnane Racing. The trainer was present and is a well-known name and face in the country, where his runners have won in excess of €800,000. A colourful brochure was available for potential owners, while the television screens showed many of his big race winners on a loop.
Among them was Marnane’s first Royal Ascot winner, Dandy Boy, who raced for Malih Al Basti. The UAE Derby runner-up Elleval, one of a dozen horses trained for Damian Lavelle, 10-time winner Maundy Money, earner of more than €200,000 who cost just €5,000, Jamesie, Nocturnal Affair and He’s No Saint were also highlighted.
The preview evening was chaired by Gary O’Brien from At The Races and the star panel included Laura King, Pat Cummings, Stephen Molyneux, Kevin Blake and jockey Martin Harley.
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PROMINENT among the racing community in Dubai, and a semi-permanent resident there it would seem, is Damien Gleeson. Director of Ardmore Trading, he is a member of the Co Waterford family and brother of the broadcaster Brian.
Damien, Brian and yet another sibling, Kieran, are all involved and work alongside their father Liam. The latter founded the company in 1975, and in four decades they have carved a niche for themselves in the business. In addition to looking after horses with a range of products, they are also heavily involved in greyhound nutrition, while Damien has diversified in the UAE and includes camel nutrition in the range of products they sell.
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AIDAN O’Brien’s team of nine runners on Dubai World Cup night did not manage to garner a victory, but Seventh Heaven’s second place finish in the Dubai Sheema Classic and Lancaster Bomber’s fourth in the UAE Derby saw connections pick up a cheque for US$1,300,000. That alone will have made the trip worthwhile, and profitable.
On the Thursday evening prior to the big night, Aidan was prevented from being in Dubai due to unseasonable weather at home, so it was left to Annemarie to pick up the best trainer award given to Aidan for his wonderful year in 2016. Their daughter Sarah also made it onstage to collect the trophy for Highland Reel’s award as the best horse of 2016.
Four of the awards on the night were restricted to persons and horses that had competed at last year’s World Cup night. Christophe Soumillon won in the best jockey category, while Godolphin were runaway winners of the owner’s accolade.
The special achievement award was in the gift of a panel of judges and Khalid Abdullah was the chosen recipient. The week got better for him when Arrogate triumphed in the weekend’s feature, netting a cool $6 million in the process and becoming the highest earning racehorse in history.
The people’s choice award went to Hong Kong apprentice Kei Chiong Ka-kei and she, along with the other award winners or their representatives, were joined on stage by Sheikh Mohammed to be congratulated individually and for a photo call.
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SHEIKH Hamdan is the patron of a new college of equine studies that will shortly be launched in the UAE. Sheikh Hamdan is Deputy Ruler of Dubai and its Minster of Finance. In Ireland he owns Derrinstown Stud. The announcement was made at the inaugural International Equine Forum held last Thursday.
The college is set to offer a range of degrees and courses in veterinary nursing, horse care and administration. Students will be trained in everything from stable management, equine anatomy and physiology to care management. In addition to awarding degrees and certification, the college will also be a centre for research and training.
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IRISHMAN Tom Ryan has relocated to Dubai where he hopes to serve clients in the UAE and Qatar. The former Irish and British agent told me “I am delighted to be able to say that I have now relocated to Dubai for 2017 and hopefully well beyond.
“The UAE is where I have had most of my success and the racing calendar now accounts for six months of the year. The racing and opportunities to race at the many tracks with varying surfaces, along with the prize money, make this decision a no-brainer and also puts me between European and Australasian markets. I will now be one of a handful of bloodstock agents based in UAE and hope to capitalise on this opportunity”
Tom Ryan Bloodstock was the first bloodstock consultants to buy a thoroughbred Group 1 winner for Qatar when in 2010 Tom purchased Joshua Tree in a private sale from Coolmore. Three weeks later he won the Canadian International, earning $1.2 million. He was runner-up in 2011 and won the race again in 2012 and 2013. Incredibly he won the race for three different trainers and three different jockeys.
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AL BASTI Equiworld, the UAE’s leading distributor or horse feeds and veterinary supplements, has entered into an innovative five-year partnership with the New Zealand Jockey’s Association which will see the Dubai-based company’s logo carried by all licenced jockeys and apprentices in the country with effect from August 1st.
In addition to the provision of race day breeches, the sponsorship includes a significant financial contribution to the New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing General Trust Fund, which in turn supports jockeys’ welfare at all times.
“Through this sponsorship deal, the welfare of jockeys and apprentices will be advanced thorough a significant financial enhancement over the next five years to the New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing General Trust Fund which provides funding to injured jockeys and stable hands” New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Chief executive, Greg Purcell, said. “It’s fabulous to have someone of Mr Malih Al Basti’s status and international reputation commencing an association and involvement in New Zealand thoroughbred racing.”
The owner and founder of Al Basti Equiworld, Malih Al Basti said: “The welfare of jockeys in any country is paramount and I admire their passion for the sport.”
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ADVERTISERS in the Meydan racecard certainly get value for money. The cards are printed in English and Arabic and therefore each advertisement appears twice. In the Arabic language the reader starts at what we would consider the back page.
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ONE of the four paddock stewards on duty at the meeting last Saturday was Davy Condon, the former National Hunt jockey. He was forced to retire with a spinal injury in 2015. Davy enjoyed a Cheltenham Festival success on Ebaziyan for Willie Mullins, and also rode big race winners for many leading Irish trainers, including Noel Meade, Gordon Elliott, Tom Mullins and Pat Fahy. They included Go Native, Morning Assembly, Pandorama and Homer Wells. In Britain he was associated with Nicky Richards and Monet’s Garden gave him his biggest success with the yard when he won the Scottish Champion Hurdle. You can follow Davy on Twitter @DavyCondon1
CONGRATULATIONS to Siobhan Thompson, wife of Andrew who is one of the co-breeders of Ribchester. The couple attended the meeting as Ribchester was running in the Dubai Sheema Classic, where he finished third. On the morning of Breakfast with the Stars, Siobhan was the winner of one of the many prizes on offer, an iPhone. Speaking to Rishi Persad, she revealed that she had bought her husband the same gift for Christmas, but that three months later he still hadn’t opened it!
AN intriguing list of rules and guidelines for The Meydan Style Stakes, held on the day of the Dubai World Cup, were published by the organisers in Gulf News. They formed just part of the competition rules, which also included a prize for the best dressed man. The shortlist in the paper included: 1) hats and fascinators were mandatory and must be worn at all times; 2) dresses or tops must have straps at least one inch wide; 3) hemlines must fall no higher than just above the knee; 4) no sunglasses to be worn on stage; 5) casual wear is not permitted; and 6) punctuality is essential!