Lucie Botti

The Charlie Appleby-trained Measured Time (GB) faces eight rivals on the Festive Friday card at Meydan when he attempts to repeat his 2023 success in the AED850,000 G2 Al Rashidiya Sponsored by Emaar. No horse has ever won back-to-back renewals of the Al Rashidiya, but Measured Time is likely to be a warm order as the sole previous Group 1 winner in the line-up. He followed last year's victory in this race with a first Group 1 triumph in the Jebel Hatta and a fourth-place finish in the G1 Dubai...

In Newmarket the rain is pouring and the sun, if it still exists, is being defiantly reclusive. But just one small click on a Zoom link and suddenly there is a backdrop of endless blue sky, and in the foreground the smiling face of Lucie Botti, back in Dubai for her umpteenth winter and looking understandably pleased to have escaped the English weather. Botti is of course married to Newmarket trainer Marco Botti, and for years their stable has had runners all over the world, but most often in Dubai...