While most attention will be focused on the clash between Mike de Kock's massed ranks of Vercingetorix, Sanshaawes and Mujaarib against Godolphin's True Story in the Al Rashidiya at Meydan Racecourse on Thursday night, the debut of a new enterprise might be missed.
Salem bin Ghadayer has proved that rookie trainers in Dubai can generate success with the right backing, and Takashi Kodama is out to repeat the trick.
The Japanese trainer calls The Curragh in Ireland, where he trains no more than 15 horses at any time, his base of operations. The eye-catching Argentine filly Sociologa Inc, who has scored at the Group 1 level in South America, will be his first runner in Dubai.
He also runs Scighera in the concluding handicap.
Kodama has been in Dubai for two weeks looking after his equine team of five that includes Emirate’s Girl, another Argentine Group 1 winner.
He returns to Dubai having worked as a racing manager for Japanese horses during the Nad Al Sheba years in 2004 and 2005 but does not envisage a winning debut.
“She is a very good filly, but she needs around 2,800 metres, so the Al Rashidiya will be too short for her,” Kodama said. “Ideally, I see her as a Dubai Gold Cup horse in time.”
Sociologa Inc is owned by Japan Health Summit, a manufacturer of health food supplements in Japan owned by Takaya Shimakawa.
The Japanese businessman is a regular at yearling sales and routinely goes to sums in the millions of dollars to secure bloodstock.
Shimakawa has more than 200 horses in training in addition to 100 yearlings in Japan, and he has chosen Kodama to be his international trainer.
“He wants to have runners on the world stage,” Kodama said. “So I started looking in South America last year because Europe is so expensive.
“I have been to Dubai many times before, so it is easy for me to come here.
“Our dream is just to have one winner at the Carnival, and if possible a runner on World Cup night.
“It is small steps.”
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What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
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