The most successful trainer since the inception of the Dubai International Racing Carnival in 2004, South African Mike de Kock enjoyed his most successful UAE campaign in 2008. His two World Cup night winners took his tally to 16 and 53 in total.
With three winners on the board already this season, and a host of equine talent yet to be unleashed among his largest-ever team of 40, 2009 could be a stellar year for the champion trainer in his homeland. With a yard about to be purchased in the UK for him by Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa, it is an exciting time for De Kock and his globe-trotting team.
Sun Classique and Honour Devil won the Sheema Classic and the UAE Derby respectively on the big night last year while Asiatic Boy was second in the World Cup and Archipenko placed in the Dubai Duty Free. The last three named all carry the now world-famous yellow colours of Sheikh Mohammed, which were carried to victory in the UK by both Archipenko and Eagle Mountain, who both won Group 1 races in Hong Kong and were narrowly denied when travelling to America.
However, De Kock's name is already firmly in the the USA history books as he was the first from his homeland to train a winner there when Horse Chestnut won the Group 3 Broward Handicap in 2000. The same horse remains the only one to have won the South African Triple Crown and his Asiatic Boy is the only horse to have sealed the UAE version.
World Cup night is, of course, the main focus of his Carnival campaign and he said: "Numerically, this is our strongest ever team with about 40 contenders and we hope it is the best quality team we have assembled.
"However, it is a real international operation now and a lot of these horses will be given easier campaigns with the UK, Hong Kong, America and all the big races on the agenda. Now we have a base in the UK it is great to campaign horses from there. Asiatic Boy is hopefully World Cup bound and runs at Nad Al Sheba. Front House will also run and she is a nice filly, while Archipenko and Eagle Mountain will be seen later in the Carnival. Those who have run so far have pleased us on the whole and will have improved for their outings in terms of fitness.
"Kildonan is a horse I have always liked and Silver Mist has been a revelation with his two wins. Hopefully we have better ones than him to bring out though!"
De Kock unleashes stable star Asiatic Boy in tonight's Group 3 Maktoum Challenge II over nine furlongs on the dirt in a fascinating clash with Godolphin's My Indy which the opening round three weeks ago.
Both hold World Cup aspirations at the moment and the South African explained: "Obviously the World Cup is a long way off but he is ready for a run. He will improve for the outing."
jsullivan@thenational.ae
Company%20profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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8 UAE companies helping families reduce their carbon footprint
Greenheart Organic Farms
This Dubai company was one of the country’s first organic farms, set up in 2012, and it now delivers a wide array of fruits and vegetables grown regionally or in the UAE, as well as other grocery items, to both Dubai and Abu Dhabi doorsteps.
www.greenheartuae.com
Modibodi
Founded in Australia, Modibodi is now in the UAE with waste-free, reusable underwear that eliminates the litter created by a woman’s monthly cycle, which adds up to approximately 136kgs of sanitary waste over a lifetime.
www.modibodi.ae
The Good Karma Co
From brushes made of plant fibres to eco-friendly storage solutions, this company has planet-friendly alternatives to almost everything we need, including tin foil and toothbrushes.
www.instagram.com/thegoodkarmaco
Re:told
One Dubai boutique, Re:told, is taking second-hand garments and selling them on at a fraction of the price, helping to cut back on the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of clothes thrown into landfills each year.
www.shopretold.com
Lush
Lush provides products such as shampoo and conditioner as package-free bars with reusable tins to store.
www.mena.lush.com
Bubble Bro
Offering filtered, still and sparkling water on tap, Bubble Bro is attempting to ensure we don’t produce plastic or glass waste. Founded in 2017 by Adel Abu-Aysha, the company is on track to exceeding its target of saving one million bottles by the end of the year.
www.bubble-bro.com
Coethical
This company offers refillable, eco-friendly home cleaning and hygiene products that are all biodegradable, free of chemicals and certifiably not tested on animals.
www.instagram.com/coethical
Eggs & Soldiers
This bricks-and-mortar shop and e-store, founded by a Dubai mum-of-four, is the place to go for all manner of family products – from reusable cloth diapers to organic skincare and sustainable toys.
www.eggsnsoldiers.com
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The studios taking part (so far)
- Punch
- Vogue Fitness
- Sweat
- Bodytree Studio
- The Hot House
- The Room
- Inspire Sports (Ladies Only)
- Cryo
Your rights as an employee
The government has taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay employees on time. Three years ago, the Cabinet passed a decree allowing the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.
The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the Wage Protection System, which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.
If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.
Despite those measures, late payments remain an issue, particularly in the construction sector. Smaller contractors, such as electrical, plumbing and fit-out businesses, often blame the bigger companies that hire them for wages being late.
The authorities have urged employees to report their companies at the labour ministry or Tawafuq service centres — there are 15 in Abu Dhabi.
A%20MAN%20FROM%20MOTIHARI
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FIGHT%20CARD
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Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded