Latest news with #TheHunter
Muscat Daily
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Muscat Daily
Oman's Children Culture Centre expands digital projects
Muscat – The Children Culture Centre, under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, is expanding its digital initiatives aimed at developing children's creativity and digital awareness while strengthening their connection to Omani cultural heritage. Salwa bint Saif al Rashidi, director of the centre, said, 'The goal of these projects goes beyond visual presentation or technical entertainment. Rather, it aims to build a sustainable cognitive relationship between children and their cultural identity by re-presenting Omani heritage as a living, interactive experience.' The centre's 2024 activities reached 35,603 beneficiaries, increasing to 39,383 from January to July this year. These initiatives combine culture, education and technology, using tools such as virtual reality (VR), artificial intelligence (AI), and electronic gaming to engage children. 'These projects are deeply aligned with Oman Vision 2040 and the cultural strategy, focusing on national identity, digital transformation and innovation-based education,' Salwa explained. The centre aims to empower children to contribute actively to the nation's future. Among its digital projects are interactive games like 'Amber' and 'The Hunter', designed to preserve Omani cultural heritage and develop children's creative thinking and problem-solving skills in an engaging manner. The project 'The Palm Tree and its Associated Practices: An Interactive Story of Date Harvesting (Al-Kharf)' employs VR to introduce children to the cultural and agricultural significance of the palm tree, which is recognised on Unesco's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Another key initiative is the 'Interactive Camel Racing Experience', which uses VR technology to simulate camel racing, a traditional sport. The project raises awareness of Oman's sporting heritage while providing a safe environment for users to experience the race. The centre has also launched the 'Smart Children's Culture Center' project, incorporating AI, data analysis and remote control technologies. This environmentally friendly model supports Oman's digital transformation and highlights childhood as central to building a knowledge-based, technological future. More digital projects are planned for release throughout the year. Salwa emphasised the centre's role in presenting culture and education in ways that resonate with younger generations.
Muscat Daily
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Muscat Daily
Child Culture Centre drives digital innovation to preserve Omani heritage
Muscat – The Child Culture Centre, under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, is expanding its digital projects to promote cultural awareness and interactive learning among children. The initiatives aim to blend Omani heritage with modern technology through virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and gaming applications. In 2024, the centre's programmes benefited 35,603 children, with 39,383 more reached between January and July this year. Director Salwa bint Saif al Rashidi said the projects go beyond entertainment, fostering a sustainable link between children and their cultural identity while equipping them with future skills. Key projects include 'Amber' and 'The Hunter' – games preserving traditional Omani pastimes, 'The Palm Tree and its Associated Practices' VR story on date harvesting, and an 'Interactive Camel Racing Experience.' These initiatives, aligned with Oman Vision 2040, combine fun with knowledge to strengthen national identity and cultural heritage among the youth.
Tom's Guide
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
The best Marvel game you (probably) skipped is free for Prime Day — and it's not the only gaming freebie at Amazon right now
Prime Gaming is one of the best Amazon Prime benefits year-round, but the offerings have gone into overdrive for Prime Day 2025. Right now, you can score 29 free video games via the gaming hub, and that includes the fantastic, and overlooked, Marvel's Midnight Suns. If you're unaware of Prime Gaming, it's included with all Amazon Prime subscribers as standard and offers a rotating selection of completely free PC games. These aren't just little time-wasters or bargain bin picks either. We're talking about major blockbuster games from juggernaut franchises. There are currently 29 free games to choose from, but my pick of the bunch is definitely the brilliant and extremely content-rich Marvel's Midnight Suns. Marvel's Midnight Suns: FREE (w/ Prime) @ AmazonIn Marvel's Midnight Suns, you create your own hero, known as The Hunter, and then set out on a world-saving mission to defeat the fearsome Lilith. Mixing strategic turn-based battles that utilize a customizable deck-building system, with a superhero life sim, Midnight Suns is a unique blend that lets you fight alongside the biggest heroes in Marvel's roster, and then befriend them at your home base. It's a lengthy tactical RPG that Marvel fans won't want to miss. This 2022 superhero title from developer Firaxis mashes together a tactical battle system with surprisingly gripping life-sim elements, letting you team up with some of Marvel's most iconic heroes by day, and then befriend them at your home base in the evening. Because who doesn't want to go fishing with Captain America or play chess against Iron Man and Doctor Strange? In our Marvel's Midnight Suns review, we praised the game for delivering 'satisfying strategic battles, as well as a full-fledged superhero social sim.' Plus, it's jam-packed with Marvel heroes from Wolverine and Spider-Man to Scarlet Witch and Ghost Rider. The cast is expanded further via optional DLC to include fan-favorites like Deadpool, Venom, and the X-Men's Storm. Unfortunately, despite its high-quality and well-conceived mixture of strategic turn-based battles and Persona-like social sim elements, not to mention its meaty length (even a rushed playthrough will take you around 50 hours), the game was a sales disappointment. So, if you skipped it at launch, don't miss your chance to correct that error for free via Amazon Prime Gaming. Not a Marvel fan or already played Midnight Suns? That's no problem, Midnight Suns is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Prime Gaming freebies. Right now, you can also pick up free copies of Football Manager 2024, Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Saints Row IV: Re-Elected and Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft. Amazon Prime: for $139/yearAmazon Prime gives shoppers access to a whole host of benefits, Prime Gaming among them. Also included is free shipping on over 100 million products, plus access to additional services like Prime Video and Prime Music. You can pay an annual $139 fee or choose a monthly plan at $14.99. And these are just some of the 29 PC games currently available for free on Prime Gaming. To claim any (or all of them), head over to the Prime Gaming hub, and then click the 'claim game' button on the title(s) you want, follow the simple on-screen instructions and you'll be playing your free game in no time. Plus, each title is yours to keep even if your Prime subscription expires. Prime Day 2025 is offering a host of excellent gaming deals across PlayStation, Nintendo and Xbox, and while deep discounts are pretty unmissable, it's hard to beat free games. Especially when the free games are of the caliber of Marvel's Midnight Suns. So, even if you're planning to keep your wallet locked down over Prime Day, don't miss these epic gaming freebies on Amazon.
News.com.au
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Hawkesbury's strongest stand-alone program deserves to have a big-money race
The Hawkesbury stand-alone meeting, the pioneer of the popular and successful concept, deserves to have a big-money race. Hawkesbury celebrates its 20th anniversary on Saturday and boasts the strongest program of all the stand-alone meetings with three Group 3 races worth $250,000 prizemoney each and a Listed race of $200,000. But the stand-alone meetings at other venues have bigger prizemoney races including $1 million features at Newcastle (The Hunter) and Kembla Grange (The Gong), and $500,000 races at Wyong (The Lakes) and Gosford (The Coast). Perhaps the era of stakes increases is over for the immediate future but Hawkesbury is entitled to have a principal race with at least $500,000 prizemoney. While Hawkesbury Race Club chief executive James Heddo acknowledged the quality of the current race program, he said: 'I'm more than happy at the appropriate time to sit down with Racing NSW to see if there is an opportunity to add a new race to the card.'' â– â– â– â– â– I felt for Shane Dye after he was lambasted on social media for daring to declare Ka Ying Rising a better sprinter than the legendary Black Caviar or former Hong Kong champion Silent Witness. Dye, a Hall of Fame jockey, is certainly entitled to his opinion and whether he is right or wrong, only time will tell. But I decided to ask Timeform guru Gary Crispe for his expert view on the comparison as he was trackside for Ka Ying Rising's win in the Chairman's Sprint Prize in Hong Kong last Sunday. Ka Ying Rising takes the Chairman's Sprint Prize (G1)! â€' IFHA's Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings (@worldsbesthorse) April 27, 2025 • Smith's 'unbelievable' win on game-changing day for NSW racing 'Ka Ying Rising is a very good horse but my first impression was that he reminded me of Hay List,'' Crispe said. 'My opinion is Black Caviar would be too good for Ka Ying Rising, just as she was always too good for Hay List.'' The Timeform ratings supported Crispe's assessment with Black Caviar earning a lofty 136 figure while Kay Ying Rising is on 132, the same peak rating returned by both Hay List and Silent Witness. â– â– â– â– â– Newgate Farm's super sire Extreme Choice is standing at an equal Australian record fee of $330,000 in the spring breeding season. Extreme Choice, only the second stallion to sire the winners of the Golden Slipper (Stay Inside, 2021) and Melbourne Cup (Knight's Choice, 2024), has the same fee Redoute's Choice commanded in 2007 and 2008. This means Extreme Choice has the highest fee of any stallion in the southern hemisphere with Widden Stud's Zoustar and Darley's Too Darn Hot next on $275,000, then Arrowfield's Snitzel at $247,500 and Yarraman Park Stud's I Am Invincible at $220,000. The only other stallion to sire the winners of the Golden Slipper and Melbourne Cup was Sir Tristram. The legendary New Zealand-based Sir Tristram sired three Melbourne Cup winners with Gurner's Lane (1982), Empire Rose (1988) and Brew (2000), plus a Golden Slipper with Marauding (1987). â– â– â– â– â– Racing Australia this week announced the increase of the mandatory minimum ban for any person found guilty of using an electronic device more commonly referred to as a 'jigger' on a racehorse. From Thursday, May 1, the amended rule means the minimum penalty period for jigger use is five years (up from two years). In other major rule changes, stewards Australia-wide have been given additional and wider powers on the frequency a horse is allowed to race. Under the new rule, a horse will not be allowed to race on consecutive days without approval from a Principal Racing Authority or its panel of stewards. â– â– â– â– â– Trainer Ian Wilkes is attempting to become the first Australian to win the famous Kentucky Derby with Burnham Square at Churchill Downs on Sunday. Burnham Square was an impressive last start winner of the Blue Grass Stakes and is among the early favourites at $9.50 behind Journalism at $3.50 for the 'Run for the Roses'. Wilkes, whose brother Wayne is a leading NSW country trainer based at Taree, said Burnham Square has done well this week in the build-up to the three-year-old classic. Burnham Square just solidified his spot in the @KentuckyDerby starting gate with a win in the Blue Grass (G1) @keeneland! 🌹 Trainer: @IanWilkesRacing Jockey: @b_hernandezjr 🎥 TwinSpires Replay â€' TwinSpires Racing ðŸ�‡ (@TwinSpires) April 8, 2025 • Shayne O'Cass's race-by-race tips, analysis for Hawkesbury on Saturday 'Everything is good, he is keeping a lid on it which is good,'' Wilkes told American reporters. 'He has to handle everything, the crowd, the long post parade. The mile and a quarter (a2000m) is no issue, it is just whether he is fast enough.'' Wilkes, 59, began his professional career working at Lindsay Park under legendary Hall of Fame trainer Colin Hayes before moving to America in the late 1980s. He teamed up with trainer Carl Nafzger and was associated with two Kentucky Derby winners, Unbridled (1990) as trackwork rider and then Street Sense (2007) as assistant trainer. Wilkes then started training in his own right with his biggest win in the 2012 Breeders Cup Classic with Fort Larned. He's also had Derby runners before but Burnham Square is clearly his best chance yet to win America's biggest race. 'I'm happy with the horse and I couldn't ask for a better draw (nine),'' Wilkes said. 'I'm seeing a horse that is thriving, he's moving forward and improving every time.'' Burnham Square will be ridden by Brian Hernandez who won last year's Kentucky Derby on Mystic Dan and the Kentucky Oaks with Thorpedo Anna.
News.com.au
30-04-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Wagga preview: Trainer Gary Nickson has bold frontrunner Felix Majestic primed for success in the Wagga Town Plate
An interrupted preparation for Felix Majestic could provide trainer Gary Nickson the opportunity to claim a second win in the Wagga Town Plate 37 years after his first with Grand Gaelic. The Wagga Town Plate (1200m) on day one of the carnival wasn't on the agenda for Felix Majestic but a missed run in the Group 1 All Aged Stakes and a lack of suitable options in Sydney has forced Nickson to look further afield. 'His preparations always seem to get interrupted,' said Nickson. 'I was getting him ready for the All Aged Stakes but it was going to be a wet track which he doesn't like so we didn't accept. 'He is screaming to go back the races and this is the only suitable race for him at the moment.' A star on the rise! â�ï¸� Briasa sits three-wide with no cover throughout and wins The Hunter! @HawkesRacing @G1TySchil ðŸ'� â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) November 16, 2024 The Form: Complete NSW Racing thoroughbred form, including video replays and all you need to know about every horse, jockey and trainer. Find a winner here! Felix Majestic resumed this campaign with an eye-catching fourth behind Eagle Nest in the Group 3 Maurice McCarten Stakes at Rosehill back on March 15. The gelding normally jumps quickly to take up his favoured frontrunning role but was slow out that day and settled a conspicuous last. 'The 1100m was too short but he absolutely rattled home from last at the top of the straight,' he said. 'Then we couldn't find anything for him so I had to trial him. That was over 1200m and went to the line with his head on his chest. 'It was the fastest time of the day and Molly Bourke was just sitting on him.' Josh Parr rode the gelding first-up but Bourke reunites with him this week where they have drawn ideally in barrier 6. 'He's a good horse. You just have to know how to ride him,' Nickson said. 'Molly knows exactly what to do and he goes very well for her. 'He's got a high cruising speed and can maintain it for the whole race anywhere from 1200m to 1400m. 'If anyone wants to take him on, they do so at their own peril. He will break their hearts.' Queanbeyan trainer Nick Olive doesn't have a runner in the Town Plate but saddles up two leading chances on the card in the Extravagant Choice and Exceedingly Hot. Extravagant Choice only joined Olive's stable at the start of this preparation after being purchased of Inglis Digital last October for the princely sum of $3,000. In nine starts for Olive, he was won three races and has won over $65,000. Extravagant Choice dominates Race 5 at Goulburn! ðŸ'° @nickoliveracing â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) February 11, 2025 'He has been a little ripper for us. He has definitely exceeded our expectations and I just love the horse,' said Olive. 'He is so easy to train, he just goes through everything really nicely.' Two of his three wins have come in his last three starts over 1610m at the Sapphire Coast and 1800m at Bathurst and he looks like he will relish the step up to 2000m in the Benchmark 66 Handicap. 'He is in a rich vein of form. He has been so consistent and is absolutely thriving within himself,' Olive said. 'I'm looking forward to seeing how he goes over the 2000 metres. 'He won very well last start and was given a good ride by Caitlin (Sinclair).' Olive has Final Comment in the same race but said he will likely be scratched after drawing the outside gate. Exceedingly Hot scored a tough win at Wagga on March 1 followed by two good placings and is a leading chance in the Benchmark 66 Handicap (1600m). 'He is another horse who is really happy. He has just thrived the last couple of months,' Olive said. 'Drawing barrier 1 is ideal for him. He will should get a lovely run and hopefully he's right there in the finish.' â– â– â– â– â– Circumstances have just been against Titanium Miss at her past two starts but trainer Tracey Bartley is banking on a big drop in class and a return to her home track to get the filly back into winning form. Titanium Miss was caught three-wide without cover on a sizzling speed when ninth behind French Ruler in the Provincial-Midway Wildcard at Wyong two starts ago. She then went to Randwick for the Group 3 James H B Carr Stakes on April 19 where she finished last behind Lilac, beaten just over four and-a-half lengths. 'The other day, I think it just the quality of the race that told on the end result,' Bartley said. 'She was whacking away alright and just stopped the last little bit. 'I had a blood test dome and couldn't find anything wrong. 'She faced the breeze out wide at Wyong and they went 10 lengths faster than standard for the first 1000m that day. 'It was a ridiculous speed and she had to stop. The @BWiddupRacing trained Money Team takes out the Gosford Provincial Midway Qualifier and books a spot at Randwick for the Final! ðŸ�† Joining them in the Final is Mogul Monarch from the @kimwaugh6 stable, securing qualification with a strong second-place finish! ðŸ'� â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 15, 2025 'Her two runs before that were really good and on those performances, she is right in this race.' The three-year-old filly has drawn barrier 7 in the Benchmark 68 Handicap (1350m) with Tim Clark to ride. 'The barrier is ideal and she can roll forward at her own tempo,' he said. 'I think we might have fought her a little bit hard when holding her up. 'We will just let her roll forward and if she leads, she will lead on her ear and can dictate the race. We will do a Gai Waterhouse. 'She drops considerably in class so she should be able to go into this race and perform to her best.' Earlier in the day, Bartley expects Think Of One to figure prominently in the Midway Maiden Plate (1600m). The son of So You Think resumed over 1400m at Scone when sixth behind Spenzalot and will relish the step up in distance. 'Aaron Bullock come back after the race and said get him out over a mile. He will appreciate that,' Bartley said. 'They were just a bit nippy got him over the 1400m. Under the circumstances, he was quite happy with him.' 'I think he finds himself in the right race.
