DUBAI // Ahmed Ajtebi, the Emirati jockey, enjoyed a perfect UAE National Day at Meydan Racecourse last night by riding the unlikely winner Game Stalker to victory in the Dh70,000 Meydan Golf Course handicap.
"I don't think we could give the country any greater gift than a UAE-trained, ridden and owned victory on National Day," said the jockey, whose mount was a second winner on the night for owner Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed and comes from the high-flying stable of Ali Rashid al Raihe.
Ajtebi returned to the UAE after a European season in which he claimed a fifth career Group One for Godolphin in the Premio Gran Criterium in Italy.
His latest success will be one to savour as Game Stalker, who claimed the victory in a photo finish from Musabah al Muhiari's Tayyab, had been considered an outsider in the build-up to the race.
Yet his trainer had faith in the four-year-old. "Ali just said to me to do what I wanted out there," said Ajtebi who rides for Godolphin during the Dubai International Racing Carnival.
"The horse has been working well at home but had been beaten in his last few races. Ali was joking with me and told me to use all my experience tonight, even my experience of riding camels, to see if we could find the key to the horse."
Whether it was the camel experience that made the difference to Game Stalker, Ajtebi does not know, although he does concede that every jockey needs luck in running.
"I work very hard but I also feel I am a lucky jockey," he said. "I won on Dubai World Cup night and at the Breeders' Cup while I was still an apprentice.
"This season I won on my first race day back in the UAE and now I win on UAE National Day."
Meanwhile Tadhg O'Shea also had a good night, extending his unbeaten partnership with Purebred Arabian, AF Alghabra to five in the opening race.
O'Shea has never lost a contest on the UAE-bred filly.
Gillian Duffield, her trainer, said she did well to win given the 58kgs she was carrying - the second-heaviest weight in the race.
"It was a lot of weight for a filly," Duffield said, "but she is all heart."
AF Alghabra is a victim of her own success, having now won five of her eight starts. Duffield must wait and see what the handicapper will do before she considers her next move.
Al Muhairi claimed a double with wins from Maath Gool and Always Emirates in the second and fourth races, while leading handler Seemar remained one ahead of al Raihe when Montmorency won the fifth.
The new trainer Stephane Chevalier opened his seasonal account with Lando Junior in the last.
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Brief scores:
Day 1
Toss: India, chose to bat
India (1st innings): 215-2 (89 ov)
Agarwal 76, Pujara 68 not out; Cummins 2-40
The rules of the road keeping cyclists safe
Cyclists must wear a helmet, arm and knee pads
Have a white front-light and a back red-light on their bike
They must place a number plate with reflective light to the back of the bike to alert road-users
Avoid carrying weights that could cause the bike to lose balance
They must cycle on designated lanes and areas and ride safe on pavements to avoid bumping into pedestrians
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 2
(Martial 30', McTominay 90 6')
Manchester City 0
FIXTURES
All kick-off times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Brackets denote aggregate score
Tuesday:
Roma (1) v Shakhtar Donetsk (2), 11.45pm
Manchester United (0) v Sevilla (0), 11.45pm
Wednesday:
Besiktas (0) v Bayern Munich (5), 9pm
Barcelona (1) v Chelsea (1), 11.45pm
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur (3.30pm)
Burnley v Huddersfield Town (7pm)
Everton v Bournemouth (7pm)
Manchester City v Crystal Palace (7pm)
Southampton v Manchester United (7pm)
Stoke City v Chelsea (7pm)
Swansea City v Watford (7pm)
Leicester City v Liverpool (8.30pm)
Sunday
Brighton and Hove Albion v Newcastle United (7pm)
Monday
Arsenal v West Bromwich Albion (11pm)
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
If you go
Flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh with a stop in Yangon from Dh3,075, and Etihad flies from Abu Dhabi to Phnom Penh with its partner Bangkok Airlines from Dh2,763. These trips take about nine hours each and both include taxes. From there, a road transfer takes at least four hours; airlines including KC Airlines (www.kcairlines.com) offer quick connecting flights from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville from about $100 (Dh367) return including taxes. Air Asia, Malindo Air and Malaysian Airlines fly direct from Kuala Lumpur to Sihanoukville from $54 each way. Next year, direct flights are due to launch between Bangkok and Sihanoukville, which will cut the journey time by a third.
The stay
Rooms at Alila Villas Koh Russey (www.alilahotels.com/ kohrussey) cost from $385 per night including taxes.
Jordan cabinet changes
In
- Raed Mozafar Abu Al Saoud, Minister of Water and Irrigation
- Dr Bassam Samir Al Talhouni, Minister of Justice
- Majd Mohamed Shoueikeh, State Minister of Development of Foundation Performance
- Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
- Falah Abdalla Al Ammoush, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Basma Moussa Ishakat, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Ghazi Monawar Al Zein, Minister of Health
- Ibrahim Sobhi Alshahahede, Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Environment
- Dr Mohamed Suleiman Aburamman, Minister of Culture and Minister of Youth
Out
- Dr Adel Issa Al Tawissi, Minister of High Education and Scientific Research
- Hala Noaman “Basiso Lattouf”, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Mahmud Yassin Al Sheyab, Minister of Health
- Yahya Moussa Kasbi, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Nayef Hamidi Al Fayez, Minister of Environment
- Majd Mohamed Shoueika, Minister of Public Sector Development
- Khalid Moussa Al Huneifat, Minister of Agriculture
- Dr Awad Abu Jarad Al Mushakiba, Minister of Justice
- Mounir Moussa Ouwais, Minister of Water and Agriculture
- Dr Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education
- Mokarram Mustafa Al Kaysi, Minister of Youth
- Basma Mohamed Al Nousour, Minister of Culture
