Get some money back from Dubai

Billions of our rands have been stashed away in Dubai, if the pesky press is to be believed. We understand it was put there for safekeeping, of course; but now we want it back. Please.

Those devilish Gupta fellas found the Emirati state a handy place to take the loot, channelling it through shell companies and buying themselves a mansion, among other nice things. When one is accustomed to a genteel Saxonwold shebeen one needs a new pad in the same style. Naturally.

If South Africa gets more than a tiny sliver of the cash the Guptas spirited off from under the beaks of the mighty Hawks, I’ll be very surprised.

So, what’s to be done.

On an individual level, we could try to win some money on the Dubai races. It’s not direct payback – or in any way adequate – but pocketing a bit of dosh from canny bets on the action at Meydan can be a consolation of sorts. If you don’t think too hard about the whole catastrophe, that is.

The clawback can commence on Thursday 24 October, when the 2019/2020 UAE racing seasons kicks off at Meydan racecourse in Dubai.

It’s the first of 23 fixtures in the season, of which 10 next year will make up the Dubai World Cup Carnival – a lead-up to the richest race day in the world on 28 March.

That, of course, is the Dubai World Cup meeting, which is worth $35 million.

(With all their money, you’d think those desert sheikhs might help is get some of our measly rands back.)

There are six races on Thursday’s card, but no South African presence. So, punters can place their wagers with heads and not their hearts – the latter impulse so often proving fatal when betting on foreign racing.

Not even UAE’s champion trainer Ernst Oertel is represented. The South African is based in Abu Dhabi and mostly handles purebred Arabians, though he also has success with thoroughbreds.

Dubai stalwarts Doug Watson and Satish Seemar do have several runners at the curtain-raiser and it might pay to follow these two dominant forces early in a season.

In Race 4, Watson saddles promising Big Brown Bear, who won twice at Meydan last year.

Seemar sends out probable favourites in Races 1 and 5 – juvenile Barack Beach and talented four-year-old George Villiers – and either could be a banker opportunity.

Wonder if Ajay will be on course?

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.