The UAE horse racing community had a number of reasons to celebrate 2024, none more so than a momentous Dubai World Cup.
The Dubai World Cup has always been the highlight of the horse racing season not only in the UAE but throughout the world. This year was particularly special as Bhupat Seemar became the first local trainer to win the coveted $12 million prize race.
Saddling Laurel River in the silks of the renowned Saudi Arabian owners Juddmonte Farms and ridden by Tadhg O’Shea, the 12-time UAE champion and all-time leading jockey in the country, it turned out to be an historic occasion for the Zabeel Stables trainer and rider.
It was a tough race for the trainer-jockey partnership as O’Shea was drawn widest in the 12-runner race. But he was quick out of the gate. They got stronger as the race progressed, coming home eight and-a-half lengths clear of Japanese rider Ushba Tesoro with American hope Senor Buscador a further neck behind in third.
The six-year-old gelding by Into Mischief came into the Dubai World Cup reckoning after an eye-catching victory in the Group 3 Burj Nahar. And stepping up to the 2,000m trip, Laurel River was easily the standout horse and star of the 2024 Dubai World Cup meeting.
It was a season that will remain in Seemar’s memory for a lifetime. Apart from the main title, Seemar also completed a Group 1 double by clinching the Dubai Golden Shaheen, also ridden by O’Shea.
Seemar’s celebrations didn’t stop on the Dubai World Cup night as the trainer and rider then went on to secure UAE championship titles with Fall Of Rome’s victory in the season-ending meeting at Abu Dhabi on April 4.
Seemar bagged the UAE trainer’s crown for the second time in three years while O’Shea stretched his record with another jockey’s trophy.
O’Shea has been a phenomenon in more than two decades of riding full-time in the UAE. The Irishman rode 50 winners to clinch his 12th jockey’s title and is out on his own as the all-time leading rider on 798 and still counting – two records that will be hard to break.
Seemar saddled 37 winners to edge out Michael Costa by a winner in the trainer’s championship.
Things could not have turned out better for Seemar, who was assistant to his uncle Satish Seemar for more than two decades before taking charge of Zabeel in 2021-2022.
The life of a racehorse trainer is tough, but the rewards are sweet. Seemar is up at 1.30am to oversee the horses train and yet, points out there are others who wake up earlier than him.
“It's the grooms who arrive first. They come in to clean up the horses, clean the stables, check the horses, then the foremen comes in around 2am, and they'll check all the horses, and then it's my turn,” Seemar recalled.
But Seemar is in no mood to rest on his laurels. Looking ahead of the 2024-2025 season, Seemar has Laurel River targeted at the $20 million Saudi Cup in February and the title defence of the Dubai World Cup in March.
The Zabeel trainer also has Tuz aimed at the Golden Shaheen. The seven-year-old Oxbow gelding was an impressive winner on his reappearance in the Listed Al Garhoud Sprint on December 6.
Beyond the UAE, the fifth running of the Saudi Cup saw Senor Buscador win the record $20 million prize at the King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh. However, Senor Buscador could not complete the double as he finished third in the Dubai World Cup.
Also, earlier this month, Connor Beasley on Heros De Lagarde won the Dh8 million Group 1 President’s Cup for Omani trainer Ibrahim Al Hadhrami, who took his biggest career prize at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club to draw the curtains on an action-packed year.
The five pillars of Islam
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- 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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20Profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Meydan race card
6pm Dubai Trophy – Conditions(TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,200m
6.35Dubai Trophy – Conditions(TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,200m
1,800m
7.10pm Jumeirah Derby Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (T)
1,800m ,400m
7.45pm Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
8.20pm Al Fahidi Fort – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,400m
8.55pm Dubawi Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,200m
9.30pm Aliyah – Rated Conditions (TB) $80,000 (D) 2,000m
OPENING FIXTURES
Saturday September 12
Crystal Palace v Southampton
Fulham v Arsenal
Liverpool v Leeds United
Tottenham v Everton
West Brom v Leicester
West Ham v Newcastle
Monday September 14
Brighton v Chelsea
Sheffield United v Wolves
To be rescheduled
Burnley v Manchester United
Manchester City v Aston Villa
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Day 2, stumps
Pakistan 482
Australia 30/0 (13 ov)
Australia trail by 452 runs with 10 wickets remaining in the innings
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SHAITTAN
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MATCH INFO
Day 2 at the Gabba
Australia 312-1
Warner 151 not out, Burns 97, Labuschagne 55 not out
Pakistan 240
Shafiq 76, Starc 4-52
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Company%20Profile
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FIRST TEST SCORES
England 458
South Africa 361 & 119 (36.4 overs)
England won by 211 runs and lead series 1-0
Player of the match: Moeen Ali (England)
Elvis
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Specs
Engine: 3.0L twin-turbo V6
Gearbox: 10-speed automatic
Power: 405hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 562Nm at 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.2L/100km
Price: From Dh292,845 (Reserve); from Dh320,145 (Presidential)
On sale: Now
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Brief scores:
Manchester City 3
Aguero 1', 44', 61'
Arsenal 1
Koscielny 11'
Man of the match: Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
Results
Female 49kg: Mayssa Bastos (BRA) bt Thamires Aquino (BRA); points 0-0 (advantage points points 1-0).
Female 55kg: Bianca Basilio (BRA) bt Amal Amjahid (BEL); points 4-2.
Female 62kg: Beatriz Mesquita (BRA) v Ffion Davies (GBR); 10-2.
Female 70kg: Thamara Silva (BRA) bt Alessandra Moss (AUS); submission.
Female 90kg: Gabreili Passanha (BRA) bt Claire-France Thevenon (FRA); submission.
Male 56kg: Hiago George (BRA) bt Carlos Alberto da Silva (BRA); 2-2 (2-0)
Male 62kg: Gabriel de Sousa (BRA) bt Joao Miyao (BRA); 2-2 (2-1)
Male 69kg: Paulo Miyao (BRA) bt Isaac Doederlein (USA); 2-2 (2-2) Ref decision.
Male 77kg: Tommy Langarkar (NOR) by Oliver Lovell (GBR); submission.
Male 85kg: Rudson Mateus Teles (BRA) bt Faisal Al Ketbi (UAE); 2-2 (1-1) Ref decision.
Male 94kg: Kaynan Duarte (BRA) bt Adam Wardzinski (POL); submission.
Male 110kg: Joao Rocha (BRA) bt Yahia Mansoor Al Hammadi (UAE); submission.
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The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 575bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh554,000
On sale: now
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, Group B
Barcelona v Inter Milan
Camp Nou, Barcelona
Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
