David Badel rides Al Charif to victory in the Arabian Triple Crown Round-2  at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club last night.
David Badel rides Al Charif to victory in the Arabian Triple Crown Round-2 at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club last night.

Al Charif makes it look easy



ABU DHABI // Al Charif underlined his reputation as one of the leading juveniles with last night's convincing win in the Arabian Triple Crown Round-2 for the Oman-based French trainer Phillipe Barbe. Given a well timed run by David Badel, the colt broke away from the pack in the final furlong to win by more than a length from Jaci Wickham's filly Raeaa W'rsan followed by Jawass and Sama Bu Dhabi.

"He was running very easy and when I asked for his effort he just sped away from the rest like a good horse he is," said Badel. "There wasn't much pace in the race but I was on a good horse, and when you are on a good horse, you know you can pick up the pace when you want to. "We were in a nice position in third throughout the race and I didn't have to do much on him. He is definitely a good horse and had come into this race having won a Group 1 prize at Saint-Cloud in France. And his connections definitely fancied him on the night and he did it in good style too."

Saifaldin Deeb's Ameer Al Sraya and Bierton Belle set the early pace, but his third entry Najem Al Khalij, the stable's main hope, was never able to make a challenge and finished fifth. Wayne Smith rode Detonator to an easy victory in the concluding event, the solitary race for thoroughbreds. Smith took over the running at the final bend and sped away on the Musabah al Muhairi-trained horse to win from stable companion Leitmotiv, in the prep race for the Abu Dhabi Championship, a listed event next month.

Albar Lotois is proving to be a valuable asset in Eric Lemartinel's yard. The five-year-old, ridden by the Frenchman Gerald Avranche, sprinted clear from the two-furlong marker to win the Gerbya Handicap by more than four lengths from Estiqraar, who tried to make all the running in the 11-furlong opener. Lemartinel's third horse in the race, AF Asasi, finished third. The Emirati trainer Majid al Jahouri's Maram, a daughter of the 2002 Kahayla Classic winner Nez D'or, ran out to a similar convincing victory half-an-hour later to take the Al Maha mares' race, a conditions event over the same trip.

The Argentine Jesus Rosales steered her clear after turning for home on the final bend to win by more than five lengths from Basmah W'rsan, who came with a late run to edge out Nawara for the second spot. Gillian Duffield's Mooser finally shed his maiden tag after finishing on the board eight times from 11 career starts. Alan Munro had him up in the lead in the final furlong to win by one-and-a-half lengths from AF Tharb and Waneessah W'rsan.

The rest of the races were delayed by 30 minutes after jockeys Avranche and Daragh O'Donohoe fell on the final bend. Avranche, who won the opener, was rushed to hospital and his injury was reported to be not serious. O'Donohoe walked away from the incident. apassela@thenational.ae

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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
Europe’s rearming plan
  • Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
  • Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
  • Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
  • Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
  • Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The specs: 2018 Maserati Levante S

Price, base / as tested: Dh409,000 / Dh467,000

Engine: 3.0-litre V6

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

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Torque: 580Nm @ 4,500rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 10.9L / 100km

Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh132,000 (Countryman)
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Quick pearls of wisdom

Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”

Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.” 

What is blockchain?

Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.

The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.

Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.

However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.

Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.

The Bio

Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity

Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge – Rally schedule:

Saturday: Super Special Spectator Stage – Yas Marina Circuit – start 3.30pm.
Sunday: Yas Marina Circuit Stage 1 (276.01km)
Monday: Nissan Stage 2 (287.92km)
Tuesday: Al Ain Water Stage 3 (281.38km)
Wednesday: ADNOC Stage 4 (244.49km)
Thursday: Abu Dhabi Aviation Stage 5 (218.57km) Finish: Yas Marina Circuit – 4.30pm.

'Spies in Disguise'

Director: Nick Bruno and Troy Quane

Stars: Will Smith, Tom Holland, Karen Gillan and Roshida Jones 

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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FROM%20THE%20ASHES
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Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Rating: 2/5