Marketing
Dubai World Cup - Parade of drunkenness and kitsch
There is no male part of the story. If we have to split Dubai World Cup into two parts, than it should be separated into horse races and peacock feather show. Barbara already described both phenomena from female aspect, and I will try to go into details, first with “peacock feather show”…
Dubai World Cup is the biggest event in horse riding sport. In seven races winners and other horses positioned up to 6th place will share $21.250.000,00, and if you take into account that in each race participate 11 to 16 horses you will see that prize money is not so far. But, on Dubai World Cup you can come only with invitation and, of course, you will get it if you are top class. This show have it “auxiliary orchestra” whose participants don’t see difference between horse-shoe and car wheel, and they are not familiar with terms colt, gelding, filly and mare. In other words, that day the whole Dubai came to Nad Al Sheba to present the new feather on green grass of hippodrome…
…although, as they admitted in tomorrows newspaper, they didn’t see a single horse. And just 100 meters from them jockeys were making millions. More than 150 EUR was ticket for restaurant with hippodrome view, but I didn’t see crown on terraces. “Working class” was entitled to enter on grass area for 70 EUR…
…where prominent restaurants from Dubai put their ad hoc branches. Majority of British population occupied those “restaurants” and spent afternoon watching Premiership, and party oriented population went to Bubble Lounge, close to main stand. Only champagne was served, and its popular price from 90 to 350 EUR per bottle and people queued for more than 15 minutes to take it was probably reason why liquor was allowed so close to centre of event. There were a lot of different people there, from new “tycoons”…
…to the people that, between horses and jet-set, decided to watch – themselves.
In any case, night life of Dubai flew down that Saturday afternoon to Nad Al Sheba, and besides incompatibility of “knight’s competition” with this parade of drunkenness and kitsch, our generous host do everything to pack it in glamour package.
Contrary to that, people that see difference between horse and hearse had exercise to understand comprehensive race guide…
…with all details regarding start and end of the race, which horses are running and who is riding and bunch of other “important” data such as who are the trainers, what are the parents and grandparents of horse, and full history of previous races…
…and they didn’t even think to move from the fence, as they will lose place immediately.
Maybe the sheikhs had better view to racing course…
…but the fence-stand allowed near contact to champion that just made two millions of dollars in one minute and forty seconds…
In that time, Barbara was chasing opportunity to contact someone else. Here you can see her undercover (or underfancyhat) and just few meters behind her, on the stairs, is Sheikh Mohammed, Ruler of Dubai.
As you can see in Guide, Electrocutionist, the winner, belongs to Godolphin farm, owned by sheikh Maktoum, former Ruler of Dubai that passed away in January. That is the reason why horse gets the support like Real on Santiago Bernarbeu. The celebration after winning of host-horse lated a long in the night, but we had to run to catch one of first taxis.
So much about peacocks. Next time about horses…
Post je objavljen 01.04.2006. u 08:12 sati.