Goodwood, England // Godolphin’s Encke made a pleasing comeback from a near-two-year lay-off when he finished second to Pether’s Moon in the Group 3 Glorious Stakes yesterday.
Encke had not run since he beat Camelot in the English St Leger in 2012, and he shrugged off the 685-day absence under William Buick to finish a length and a quarter behind the winner, who was partnered by Richard Hughes.
Charlie Appleby, his trainer, said Encke was only 80 per cent fit for his comeback run and added that he was delighted by his charge's effort.
“He showed all the qualities that he once had, so I am very happy with that,” Appleby said.
“He has had two years off and had every entitlement to say he wanted the easy life. He showed all his old enthusiasm and ability.”
Encke was one of 22 Godolphin horses who were banned from racing because of the Mahmoud Al Zarooni steroids scandal.
Al Zarooni was disqualified from horse racing for eight years last April for administering anabolic steroids to horses in his care. All 22 horses were banned for six months but are now free to race.
Jamie Spencer set the pace on Battle Of Marengo, who was having his second run since disappointing at Meydan during the World Cup Carnival. Buick was tucked in behind on Encke, with Pether’s Moon on his outside.
Quest For Peace, back from a spell in Australia, made a bold bid 400 metres out on the outside of Encke as Pether’s Moon collected himself on the far rail.
Battle Of Marengo was the first to come under pressure, followed by Pether’s Moon.
Pether’s Moon was in the lead with 200 metres to run, however, and extended that lead over an understandably tiring Encke as Cafe Society picked up the pieces to finish third.
Both Pether’s Moon and Cafe Society will continue to be prepared for a campaign in Australia with the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups in mind, while Appleby will monitor Encke before making a decision on where the five year old will race next.
Appleby said that the Grand Prix de Deauville at the end of the month or the Irish St Leger at the revamped Irish Champions’ weekend in the middle of September are the likely options.
Appleby was so content with the run that he even mentioned the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris in October.
Battle Of Marengo seems to be going the other way. Bought by Al Asayl as a Dubai World Cup horse, he has run poorly since he finished second at Royal Ascot last season. He finished last yesterday.
“We are struggling with him,” trainer David Simcock said. “He hasn’t shown anything at home, and didn’t show much in Dubai, either.
“He looks fantastic, he’s moving great and we will have to go to extreme distances now.”
sports@thenational.ae
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The specs: 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio
Price, base: Dh198,300
Engine: 2.0L in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 280hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 2,250rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7L / 100km
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Pearls on a Branch: Oral Tales
Najlaa Khoury, Archipelago Books
23-man shortlist for next six Hall of Fame inductees
Tony Adams, David Beckham, Dennis Bergkamp, Sol Campbell, Eric Cantona, Andrew Cole, Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba, Les Ferdinand, Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Matt Le Tissier, Michael Owen, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Scholes, John Terry, Robin van Persie, Nemanja Vidic, Patrick Viera, Ian Wright.
FIXTURES
Saturday
5.30pm: Shabab Al Ahli v Al Wahda
5.30pm: Khorfakkan v Baniyas
8.15pm: Hatta v Ajman
8.15pm: Sharjah v Al Ain
Sunday
5.30pm: Kalba v Al Jazira
5.30pm: Fujairah v Al Dhafra
8.15pm: Al Nasr v Al Wasl
Take Me Apart
Kelela
(Warp)
LUKA CHUPPI
Director: Laxman Utekar
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Cinema
Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Kriti Sanon, Pankaj Tripathi, Vinay Pathak, Aparshakti Khurana
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 630bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh810,000
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch
Power: 710bhp
Torque: 770Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 2.9 seconds
Top Speed: 340km/h
Price: Dh1,000,885
On sale: now
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
Match info:
Real Betis v Sevilla, 10.45pm (UAE)
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (all kick-offs UAE time)
Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (10.30pm)
Saturday
Freiburg v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Paderborn v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Sunday
Schalke v Augsburg (3.30pm)
Mainz v RB Leipzig (5.30pm)
Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf (8pm)
Indika
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How to turn your property into a holiday home
- Ensure decoration and styling – and portal photography – quality is high to achieve maximum rates.
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The Baghdad Clock
Shahad Al Rawi, Oneworld
MATCH INFO
World Cup qualifier
Thailand 2 (Dangda 26', Panya 51')
UAE 1 (Mabkhout 45 2')
The Light of the Moon
Director: Jessica M Thompson
Starring: Stephanie Beatriz, Michael Stahl-David
Three stars
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club race card
5pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic (PA) Prestige; Dh110,000; 1,400m
5.30pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic (PA) Prestige; Dh110,000; 1,400m
6pm: Maiden (PA); Dh80,000; 1,600m
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship (PA) Listed; Dh180,000; 1,600m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap; Dh70,000; 2,200m
7.30pm: Handicap (PA); Dh100,000; 2,400m
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
Votes
Total votes: 1.8 million
Ashraf Ghani: 923,592 votes
Abdullah Abdullah: 720,841 votes
Zidane's managerial achievements
La Liga: 2016/17
Spanish Super Cup: 2017
Uefa Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
Uefa Super Cup: 2016, 2017
Fifa Club World Cup: 2016, 2017
MATCH STATS
Wolves 0
Aston Villa 1 (El Ghazi 90 4' pen)
Red cards: Joao Moutinho (Wolves); Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa)
Man of the match: Emi Martinez (Aston Villa)
