DUBAI // Gloria de Campeao, a distant runner-up to the runaway 2009 Dubai World Cup winner Well Armed, made it third time lucky in the world's richest horse race last night as he stubbornly refused to be overtaken throughout the 2,000 metres.
The Brazilian-bred, French-trained and Swedish-owned six-year-old showed tremendous courage down the home stretch as he was challenged by a cluster of rivals before finally being taken on in the closing strides by Mike de Kock's Lizard's Desire and Godolphin's Allybar, ridden by the Emirati jockey Ahmad Ajtebi.
The massive crowd, watching this US$10million (Dh36.7m) showpiece for the first time at its new Meydan Racecourse home, were convinced that Lizard's Desire, under the relentless driving of jockey Kevin Shea, had got up on the line but the photograph ruled in favour of "Gloria", who was declared the winner by a nose with Allybar a further short head away in third place.
It was a tribute to the tenacity of jockey Tiago Pereira, who refused to accept that his mount was tiring on the run-in and he was wildly embraced on returning to the saddling enclosure by the victorious trainer Pascal Bary.
The narrowest of victories boosted Gloria's career earnings by a further $6m - the take-home payout for the winner - after the consolation prize of $1.2m 12 months ago. Gloria de Campeao finished eighth behind the American wonder horse Curlin in 2008.
The World Cup, contested for the first time on the synthetic surface of Tapeta after 14 previous runnings on the dirt track of Nad Al Sheba, had two principal supporting events on the exciting eight-race programme, which offered total prize money of $26.25m.
Two Group One turf races - the Dubai Duty Free and the Dubai Sheema Classic - each offered $3m to the winner out of their purses of $5m and they produced thrilling finishes to delight the packed Meydan crowd.
The Duty Free trophy stayed in local hands thanks to a blistering finishing burst by Royston Ffrench on the outsider Al Shemali who comfortably got the better of Bankable and Imbongi down the lush home stretch to endorse the credentials of UAE champion trainer-designate Ali Rashid al Raihe.
Dar Re Mi prevailed in a blanket finish to the Sheema, the five-year-old mare holding off the Japanese-bred Buena Vista and Sir Michael Stoute's Spanish Moon after Frankie Dettori's mount Cavalryman had looked like winning going into the final furlong.
wjohnson@thenational.ae
%3Cp%3EThe%20Punishment%20of%20Luxury%3Cbr%3EOMD%3Cbr%3E100%25%20Records%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
Where%20the%20Crawdads%20Sing
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EOlivia%20Newman%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Daisy%20Edgar-Jones%2C%20Taylor%20John%20Smith%2C%20Harris%20Dickinson%2C%20David%20Strathairn%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Results
2.30pm Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m
Winner Lamia, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
3pm Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,000m
Winner Jap Al Afreet, Elione Chaves, Irfan Ellahi.
3.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m
Winner MH Tawag, Bernardo Pinheiro, Elise Jeanne.
4pm Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 2,000m
Winner Skygazer, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
4.30pm The Ruler of Sharjah Cup Prestige (PA) Dh250,000 1,700m
Winner AF Kal Noor, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
5pm Sharjah Marathon (PA) Dh70,000 2,700m
Winner RB Grynade, Bernardo Pinheiro, Eric Lemartinel.
'Brazen'
Director: Monika Mitchell
Starring: Alyssa Milano, Sam Page, Colleen Wheeler
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 6 Huddersfield Town 1
Man City: Agüero (25', 35', 75'), Jesus (31'), Silva (48'), Kongolo (84' og)
Huddersfield: Stankovic (43')
UK%20record%20temperature
%3Cp%3E38.7C%20(101.7F)%20set%20in%20Cambridge%20in%202019%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
