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Al Bawaba
06-04-2025
- Business
- Al Bawaba
Azizi Developments sponsors 29th Dubai World Cup for 8th consecutive year
Azizi Developments, a leading private developer in the UAE, proudly marks its eighth consecutive year sponsoring the Dubai World Cup (DWC), now in its 29th edition. The $1.5 million, 1,200-meter G1 Al Quoz Sprint, which is the fourth race on the card, has been sponsored by the developer since 2017. The Al Quoz Sprint, introduced in 2007 and added to the Dubai World Cup card in 2010, has become one of the most thrilling international races, with past champions from Australia, South Africa, Ireland, the USA, UAE, and Hong Kong. In 2024, California Spangle, trained in Hong Kong, claimed victory, further adding to the race's illustrious history. Azizi's continued support of the DWC underscores its role in positioning the emirate as a premier destination for world-class sporting and cultural Mirwais Azizi, Founder and Chairman of Azizi Developments, presented the trophy to the winning connections of Believing—jockey William Buick, trainer George Boughey, and owners Mrs. Magnier, M. Tabor, D. Smith, and Excellency Ali Al Ali, CEO and Board Member, Dubai Racing Club, welcomed Azizi's ongoing involvement, saying: 'We look forward to welcoming our friends at Azizi back to Meydan Racecourse for our biggest day of the year, and we thank them for their sponsorship of one of our most prestigious races. The Al Quoz Sprint has an international role of honor and it is always one of the most popular contests on the Dubai World Cup card.'He added: 'Azizi has been a highly valued partner with Dubai Racing Club for several seasons, also sponsoring two meetings during the Dubai Racing Carnival. We wish their team and guests an enjoyable and memorable day of racing.' Mr. Farhad Azizi, Group CEO of the Azizi group of companies, said: 'Our eight-year pillar partnership with the Dubai World Cup reflects our shared values of excellence, global unity, and meaningful experiences. This iconic event brings together the world's top equestrians, celebrating the UAE's rich cultural heritage and its deep connection to horse racing. It is a true display of passion and performance, aligning perfectly with our vision as a real estate developer in this marvelous emirate.' He added: 'As a company focused on creating landmark developments, supporting the Dubai World Cup feels like a natural fit. Just as the race brings together people from around the world, we strive to create spaces that inspire connection and enrich lives. The World Cup highlights Dubai's global prestige, and we're proud to contribute to its success, reaffirming our commitment to shaping both the city's future and unforgettable experiences.'Established in 1996 under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Dubai World Cup symbolizes Dubai's stature as a central hub for global sporting events. Being among the premier events on the global sporting calendar, the Dubai World Cup underscores the city's unwavering dedication to setting standards of excellence and pioneering innovation. Azizi's endorsement mirrors Dubai's renowned status as a premier destination for top-tier entertainment, thus reinforcing its standing on the global platform. © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba ( Signal PressWire is the world's largest independent Middle East PR distribution service.
South China Morning Post
30-03-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
‘Foolproof' Ka Ying Rising makes it 11 straight with Sprint Cup rout
Ka Ying Rising is one win away from a perfect season after coasting to victory in Sunday's Group Two Sprint Cup (1,200m) at Sha Tin. Sent off the shortest price of his career at $1.05, Ka Ying Rising tracked leader California Spangle in the run before powering to his 11th win on the bounce and seventh success of the campaign. 'He runs those times with ease,' said trainer David Hayes after Ka Ying Rising stopped the clock at 1:08.18 – about a length inside standard but well short of his own track record of 1:07.2. 'He's just got this group of horses covered and I knew he was in peak form. 'The way he looks and the way he's behaving, he is improving his manners – clearly his ability has been there the whole time. UNSTOPPABLE! 🤯 11 straight wins for world's best sprinter Ka Ying Rising as David Hayes' star is an emphatic G2 Sprint Cup winner at Sha Tin... @zpurton #LoveRacing | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) March 30, 2025 'He's developing into a more foolproof horse. Today he took the sit. He doesn't have to lead – he's all right with a sit and he's all right leading, so he's a beauty.' Back in the saddle for the first time since fracturing his toe in a race fall on February 9, jockey Zac Purton let Ka Ying Rising go upon straightening before easing him to a three-length victory over Helios Express, who ran second to the sprint sensation for the fourth time running. 'It's nice to come back and ride a horse like him. He's a pleasure to do anything with, he's really relaxed going to the gates and behind the gates now. He just does everything you want him to do,' said Purton, who finished the afternoon with a treble after also saluting aboard La Forza for Jamie Richards and Another World for Benno Yung Tin-pang. 'The leader today didn't go as fast as I was hoping he would go. I travelled a bit stronger than I would have liked and with the extra weight on his back, I didn't want to sit around and wait for the others, so I sent him for home early and he just let him do what he does. 'He was always cruising and he didn't give us a moment of worry and that's the good thing about him.' Ka Ying Rising will chase a fourth Group One win in the Chairman's Sprint Prize (1,200m) on April 27, while he can also complete a sweep of the Hong Kong Speed Series after victories in the Centenary Sprint Cup (1,200m) and Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup (1,400m). 'Even Zac's starting to acknowledge the horse's ability now. He took a while but he's really starting to say that he's quite special, which he really is,' said Hayes. 'This was a stepping-stone race, where he had to give five pounds, and the next one is set weights and it's his grand final. 'There's a HK$5 million bonus for the [Speed Series] and, of course, it's an international sprint. 'It's what he's been set for the whole year and if he achieves it, it's the perfect season. Eight wins – not many horses have done that. 'He'll have an easy trial 10 days out from the race. Whether we have it at Conghua or Sha Tin will be decided, but he will certainly go up to Conghua and enjoy the facilities. He just recovers between runs so well.' Ka Ying Rising would draw level with Lucky Sweynesse and Beauty Generation on a record eight wins in a season should he snare the Chairman's Sprint Prize, where he is likely to face a rematch with Japanese speedster Satono Reve after that galloper, who finished third in December's Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m), took out Sunday's Group One Takamatsunomiya Kinen (1,200m) under Joao Moreira at Chukyo.
South China Morning Post
11-03-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Ben Thompson maintains Hong Kong Derby ride on Bundle Award, while California Spangle presses on
Ben Thompson will again ride Bundle Award in the Hong Kong Derby on March 23. Photos: Kenneth Chan Ben Thompson will maintain the ride on Bundle Award in the BMW Hong Kong Derby (2,000m), while three-time Group One winner California Spangle is bound for the Group Two Sprint Cup (1,200m) after his racing future came into question. Thompson has a golden opportunity to strike on his first ride in the city's most coveted race after booting home the John Size-trained Bundle Award in Sunday's Class Two Carpenter Handicap (1,800m). The Australian jockey, who has ridden in Hong Kong since February last year, was pumped to retain the mount and is confident Bundle Award will thrive stepping up to 2,000m. 'It was a huge result to get on the horse and to win on him was fantastic,' Thompson said of Bundle Award's fast-finishing victory by a length and a quarter on Sunday. 'He looks the right horse, he couldn't be in better hands with John Size and I hope it's meant to be. 'He was great at the 1,800m and especially he really showed versatility, the way he settled back on Sunday and showed a lethal turn of foot. Before that, he sat close to the speed and was three pairs back when he won his first in Hong Kong. There's no reason to suggest he won't run the trip out strong.' Bundle Award was handed a much-needed penalty of 11 points for his second triumph in the city, with his new mark of 86 putting him safely in the Derby field. The son of Shamus Award also won over 1,400m in January when ridden by James McDonald and up to 1,600m in three consecutive starts in Australia pre-import. Meanwhile, California Spangle led all the way to comfortably win a star-studded dirt trial at Sha Tin on Tuesday morning as he prepares for another clash with star sprinter Ka Ying Rising. Brenton Avdulla fired Tony Cruz's stable star to the front in the 1,200m heat and he kept on well under little pressure to beat last-start Sha Tin winner Invincible Shield. Connections and Cruz met to discuss the possibility of retiring California Spangle after his fading sixth in last month's Group One Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup (1,400m), but they opted to give him another shot to turn his form around in the Sprint Cup on March 30. 'He trialled just as good as ever – I'm happy with him,' Cruz said. 'We'll see. We're planning for the race at the end of the month – the Sprint Cup. The signs are good.' Quality miler Galaxy Patch warmed up for the Group Two Chairman's Trophy (1,600m) on March 30 when he ran on strongly from last for third in Tuesday's trial. Size's Group One placegetter Helios Express, who will take on the likes of Ka Ying Rising and California Spangle in the Sprint Cup, was close behind in fourth. Group One winner Beauty Eternal, Ensued and Red Lion were under firm holds when they finished towards the rear in the same trial.
South China Morning Post
02-03-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Brenton Avdulla snares Classic Cup on his way to brilliant treble: ‘it was hard to get a ride today'
Australian jockey salutes with three of his four mounts on an afternoon when six overseas jockeys suited up at Sha Tin He may have been restricted to just four rides but Brenton Avdulla put on a clinic at Sha Tin on Sunday, snaring the Classic Cup (1,800m) aboard Rubylot on his way to a running treble. While Avdulla is one of the form jockeys on the Hong Kong roster after nine wins in February, he had to settle for a small book in the presence of superstar fly-in riders like Ryan Moore, Joao Moreira and James McDonald. 'It's always nice to win big races, especially with everyone flying in – it was hard to get a ride today,' said Avdulla after standing high in his irons and unleashing his trademark salute as the David Hayes-trained Rubylot snared the HK$13 million Classic Cup in swashbuckling style. 'I lost a lot of my rides today to fly-ins, so it's nice to get on the board with limited rides. 'I had four rides. I thought three of them were good, competitive rides and they're the three that have lobbed. They all had nice runs in transit [and] got the job done.' While the jockey merry-go-round was in full swing ahead of the Classic Cup, Avdulla stuck fat with the galloper he partnered into sixth in the first leg of the four-year-old series, the Classic Mile. 'Hayesy had the horse spot on. He had a nice run through and I was confident at the 250m he was going to get the job done,' said Avdulla after adding a Classic Cup victory to a Hong Kong CV that includes two Group One wins aboard California Spangle. 'I've got no doubt if he drew a gate in the Mile he would have gone very close. I was just back in no man's land and he still ran on well, so I was confident enough to stick with him to come to 1,800m. Rubylot mows them down in the Hong Kong Classic Cup at Sha Tin! My Wish is brave in defeat as @brentonavdulla and David Hayes combine for victory... 🏆#4YOSeries | #LoveRacing | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) March 2, 2025 'I thought the draw was a little bit tricky again and ideally I would have been a bit closer but it just didn't look any good after 50m, so I just rode him quiet and my only decision was whether I go inside Mickley or around him,' added the Australian after Rubylot swept to victory down the outside after travelling at the back of the field from gate eight. After Rubylot saw off My Wish by three-quarters of a length, Avdulla proceeded to bag the afternoon's second-richest contest – the Class Two Tai Hing Handicap (1,400m) – aboard Young Champion and the Class Three Yan Tin Handicap (2,000m) atop Enthralled, both for John Size. The win of Young Champion would have been a relief for the Jockey Club's Racing Club after its banner horse entered the season with big wraps but had failed to deliver until Sunday. While there will be stamina concerns around many of the four-year-olds who line-up in the Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) on March 23, it's not the trip that is the issue for Enthralled, who will move to a rating in the low 70s after Sunday's win. Tidy win, Young Champion! 👊 The HKJC Racing Club-owned chestnut overhauls Healthy Happy to secure a @brentonavdulla race-to-race double at Sha Tin... #LoveRacing | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) March 2, 2025 Size labelled trying to get the galloper into the Derby 'a futile exercise' – the lowest-rated runner in the Classic Cup was Sky Trust on 79 – but Avdulla knows the son of American Pharoah can make an impact if he does get there. 'I actually said to John after I first rode him that if you had another two months up your sleeve, he'd be one of the live chances in the Derby,' said Avdulla after Enthralled broke through in Hong Kong at start three. 'He's had to get him there quickly. It's not often you see John give them only a couple of trials and then run them in a mile. What a ride, @brentonavdulla! 🙌 Enthralled makes it a treble for the Australian rider at Sha Tin as the American Pharoah gelding wears down Pray For Mir... #LoveRacing | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) March 2, 2025 'I think he's a good quality horse and if he makes his way into the Derby field, he'll be a live hope for sure.' Size's double moved him to 34 victories for the season and he sits just one victory behind championship leader Hayes, while Avdulla surged to third in the jockeys' premiership on 29 wins. Of the six big-name jockeys in town for the afternoon, McDonald was the best performed with a double aboard Lucky Fionn and Fast Network, while Blake Shinn tasted success with Ballistic Win.
