Ado McGuinness thoroughly enjoyed his Breeders’ Cup experience despite Tiger Belle finding it tough going in the Juvenile Turf Sprint at Santa Anita.
The Cotai Glory filly stepped up to the highest level in California following Group Three and Listed victories but after taking up a handy position, she dropped away in the closing stages to be beaten seven lengths by impressive winner Big Evs.
Tiger Belle’s next engagement will be at Tattersalls’ December Mares Sale, with McGuinness anticipating a healthy return for connections from their £70,000 breeze-up buy.
The trainer said: “She ran well to a point. I suppose we had a nice draw and we went to try to win the race. I think if we had ridden her a little bit differently, and took our time with her, she may have been placed.
“You make these decisions and you have to live by them.
“I didn’t realise Big Evs is the horse he is, he is a phenomenal horse. He actually burnt off the Queen Mary winner (Crimson Advocate), she struggled three-quarters of the way through the race.
“That just goes to show you the calibre of horse that is in it.
“She (Tiger Belle) will go to the mares’ sale in Newmarket next month. The syndicate that Stephen (Thorne, assistant trainer) set up is an investment syndicate and it was always the plan to move them on and reinvest again.
“We should have an awful lot more money than what we started off with, and she has been brilliant. We will be better off financially when we go shopping next spring.”
Reflecting on his Santa Anita trip, McGuinness added: “What an experience for everybody that was there and all my guys. I met Davy Russell who was over there just to experience it. It is just a different world, you have to go down there to really experience it.
“It is like the Olympics every year, and it is the best horses with the best jockeys and the best trainers there.”
Knickerbockerglory has the Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle in his sights following his commanding victory at Ascot on Saturday.
Making his seasonal return just 1lb higher than when a brave second in the Imperial Cup in the spring, Knickerbockerglory thrived in his favoured soft ground, coming home with real authority and over four lengths clear of his nearest pursuer Altobelli.
It was the gelding’s first victory since switching back to hurdles from the larger obstacles and Mark Speelman, who purchased the horse in January 2021 and remains an integral part of the Knickerbockerglory team, is hoping there is more to come from their progressive operator.
“It was a great performance in ground that he loved,” he said.
“He ran some very promising races last year. We started over fences but just felt the opportunities for him were better over hurdles and he ran a hell of a race in the Imperial Cup at Sandown where he was second. He led up until the last and was just caught up the run-in.
“He was entitled to win a race of this nature but it was great to see him do it.”
Knickerbockerglory is now set to take his chance at Cheltenham on November 19 providing he recovers sufficiently from his Ascot exertions.
The seven-year-old is a 10-1 chance with sponsors Unibet for the prestigious handicap in which trainer Dan Skelton has a stellar record and connections are dreaming of once again seeing soft appear in the going description for their mud-loving contender.
“They have won it with North Hill Harvey and then again with West Cork a couple of years ago, so they know what it takes to win the race,” added Speelman.
“We’re just seeing how he is and how he comes out of Ascot, but all being well that is the plan.
“It’s very exciting. He will carry a 5lb penalty and went up 7lb, so he will be a couple of pounds well in and hopefully he can back up his Ascot performance with another good one at Cheltenham. We will let him take his chance if he comes out of Ascot as well as we hope he does.
“The softer the ground, the better for him. He’s one of those horses who we will only ever run on ground that is very soft as that is where he thrives – he just seems to get through it a little bit easier than some of the others.”
Tommy Fleetwood is relishing the “pretty surreal” chance to write his name into the history books with a third straight victory in the Nedbank Golf Challenge.
Fleetwood defeated Sweden’s Marcus Kinhult on the first play-off hole at the Gary Player Country Club in November 2019, but the Covid-19 pandemic meant he had to wait until 2022 to defend the title.
A closing 67 on a weather-affected final day gave the Ryder Cup star a one-shot win over New Zealand’s Ryan Fox and both men are back in Sun City 12 months on to seek victory in the 66-man field.
Fleetwood, who can join an elite group which includes the likes of Tiger Woods and Sir Nick Faldo in winning the same DP World Tour event three times in succession, said: “Ever since the first time I came it’s got a very special feeling to it driving into the gates of Sun City and it’s such an historic event for a lot of us.
“For my generation I guess, and for people older and younger too, but I remember it as the Million Dollar Challenge so it’s always had such a high value.
“And yet to be going for a third win seems pretty surreal, but we’ll see what we can do.”
Victory last year ended a three-year winless run for Fleetwood and the world number 15 again arrived in South Africa seeking a first win of the season.
“I’ve played really well,” said Fleetwood, who lost in a play-off in June’s RBC Canadian Open and posted eight other top-10s in 2023.
“You should always look at the positives and I think this year has been arguably my most consistent year.
“I am very happy with how I’ve been playing. Yes, there’s not been a win, but I’ve been very, very close. Things could have gone either way in certain events. [I’ve] not won yet, but there’s still a couple of events to go for the rest of the year.”
World number eight Max Homa is the top ranked player in the field and has been making the most of the chance to see the local wildlife, along with Ryder Cup team-mate Justin Thomas.
“The safari is life changing,” Homa said. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to explain this to my friends and family. I would never do it justice.
“A running joke between Justin and I is that if I was a guide it would be all made up and just tremendously terrible. But it’s just so cool to spend some time away from the golf course and experience kind of what the world has to offer.
“When I was growing up I watched this tournament and tons of DP World Tour events that I always wanted to play in. With the previous PGA Tour schedule it would be wild to try and do this. You would have to battle jet lag from tournament to tournament.
“But now, with a real off-season for us, I made it a point to play at least one over here. To be able to get a spot here and play has been a dream.”
Jumps fans are served up a midweek treat in Ireland on Thursday as one of the sport’s superstars makes his long-awaited return in the Clonmel Oil Chase.
Willie Mullins has landed seven of the last 10 editions of the Grade Two feature at Powerstown Park, with Champagne Fever (2014), Kemboy (2018) and Douvan (2019) among those on the roll of honour.
This year the champion trainer saddles two of the of declared runners, with Janidil joined by his long-absent and esteemed stablemate Allaho.
The Cheveley Park Stud-owned gelding was spectacular in winning back-to-back renewals of the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham, pummelling his rivals by 12 and 14 lengths respectively, before successfully stepping up to three miles with a 14-length demolition job in the 2022 Punchestown Gold Cup.
He has not been seen in competitive action since the latter of those triumphs 19 months ago, but will nevertheless be a short price to dispatch of his three rivals in the hands of Paul Townend.
“Allaho has been fantastic for us, winning a couple of Ryanairs, a Punchestown Gold Cup and a John Durkan. It’s great to see him back and hopefully he can show us that he’s back to his best,” said Cheveley Park Stud director Richard Thompson.
“He’s nine turning 10 in January, he’s been one of the stalwarts from the bunch of jumps horses we bought and hopefully we’ll still have some good days with him.
“He’s been off the track since April 2022, a good year and a half, so it will be fascinating to see him back and we’ll see how he gets on.
“Before he got injured last season we hoped he might be a three-time winner of the Ryanair and hopefully still can be.”
The biggest threat to the Mullins pair is French Dynamite, who bids to provide Mouse Morris with another big-race win following Gentlemansgame’s victory in the Charlie Hall at Wetherby on Saturday.
Morris said: “He’ll probably take the run and it would be hard to think we’ll beat Allaho, but it’s a good place to start and it will put him right for wherever we want to go afterwards.”
John Ryan’s outsider Grange Walk completes the quartet.
Gold Cup hero Subjectivist will stand at the Skelton family’s Alne Park Stud next year.
The six-year-old was a brilliant winner of the Royal Ascot showpiece in 2021, adding to his previous big-race victories in the Prix Royal-Oak and Dubai Gold Cup.
A career-threatening tendon injury sidelined Subjectivist for the best part of two years following his Gold Cup heroics, but he did finish an honourable third in his bid for a second victory in the two-and-a-half-mile contest this summer before being retired.
He will now be readied for a stallion career in Warwickshire in 2024 with a stud fee of £4,000.
Alne Park Stud director Grace Skelton, wife of leading National Hunt trainer Dan, said: “The addition of Subjectivist to our stallion roster is a huge leap forward for Alne Park Stud. To stand a stallion of this calibre is an immense honour.
“He will stand at an introductory fee of £4,000. We firmly believe that keeping this exceptional stallion in the UK is a real boost to British breeders and we hope that he will see plenty of support in his debut season.”
Subjectivist was initially trained by Mark Johnston, before his son Charlie took over the licence, and he added: “I always say that, when placing horses, the opposition trumps all other factors. But, very rarely, you come across a horse where the opposition isn’t a factor at all. Subjectivist was such a horse.
“In 2021, I truly believed that there wasn’t a horse in the world that could beat him at two miles or more, in any ground.
“There is less and less need for British NH (National Hunt) breeders to travel to Ireland and, with the incentives on offer in the UK, perhaps the Irish breeders will be thinking of coming over here!”
Porta Fortuna could be aimed at a Guineas trial in the spring following her narrow defeat at the Breeders’ Cup on Saturday.
The daughter of Caravaggio has enjoyed an excellent campaign for trainer Donnacha O’Brien, highlighted by her big-race wins in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Cheveley Park at Newmarket.
Stepping up to a mile for the first time for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, Porta Fortuna was beaten just half a length into second by Hard To Justify and will now be given a well-earned break.
O’Brien said: “She ran very well and we were delighted with her. Obviously she’s had a long season, for her to be holding her form this late in the year shows how brave a filly she is.
“I think she got the trip well, it wasn’t an issue, and we’re going to give her a good break now.
“I’m not sure exactly when she’ll be back out, but we might look at a Guineas trial over seven furlongs to try to get a read on her and see whether we go back sprinting or go back to a mile.
“That would be the thinking for now, but obviously it’s a long way away.”
Gary Moore is keen for a crack at the Ladbrokes Long Walk Hurdle with Botox Has after his winning return at Wetherby.
The game seven-year-old had been off the track since finishing fourth in Cheltenham’s Cleeve Hurdle in January and pulled out arguably a career-best performance to deny Red Risk by a length in the West Yorkshire Hurdle.
That was the second time he has struck at Grade Two level and his handler was thrilled to see him return from 280 days off in such brilliant form.
“It was good to see him back on form, he’s a big-hearted horse who tries really hard,” said Moore.
“It worried me when he made a mistake two out, but he stuck to his guns and won quite well in the end.”
Botox Has holds an entry for the Betfair Exchange Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle at Haydock later this month – a race he won 12 months ago.
However, Moore is keen to stick to the graded route in a division without a standout performer and is eyeing up a first run in Grade One company at Ascot on December 23.
“I hope to train him for the Long Walk Hurdle now, that’s what I hope the plan will be,” he added.
“Whether he won the other day because he was fitter than the rest of them and because he had been trained for that race, I don’t know? He always does run well fresh, but I hope he can improve on that.
“It’s probably not quite the strongest division there is.”
Maximilian’s novice chasing career is temporarily on hold, with the seven-year-old set to miss the first part of the season through injury.
Trained by Donald McCain, Maximilian built up a fine reputation as a staying novice hurdler last season winning three times, including when scooping Grade Two honours in Doncaster’s River Don Novices’ Hurdle.
He finished second to Apple Away in the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree on his final start of the campaign, with impressive Warwick scorer Iroko and Cheltenham Festival winner Stay Away Fay behind in third and fourth respectively and was due to embark on a novice chasing campaign this term.
Having seen Storm Babet curtail plans for a chasing bow at Carlisle, Maximilian’s season has now met with further interruption after suffering a setback which will keep him sidelined.
“He’s picked up an injury so he won’t be out for a few months,” said Dan Downie of Owners Group, to whom Maximilian belongs.
“It’s not a big thing, but he will need some time off, so it’s just frustrating really.
“He will come back at some point and it will just be a case of giving him time. I’m not too sure on the timescale exactly. He definitely won’t be out in the next few months.
“The plan was to go novice chasing with him and I think that would still be the plan.”
Cheveley Park Stud director Richard Thompson is targeting further top-level success next year with the brilliant Inspiral following her last-gasp success at the Breeders’ Cup on Saturday.
A homebred daughter of Frankel, the John and Thady Gosden-trained filly headed for Santa Anita in search of a sixth Group or Grade One victory in the hands of Frankie Dettori.
Stepping up to a mile and a quarter for the first time for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, Inspiral was still well back in the field rounding the home turn, but her trademark acceleration soon kicked in as she fairly rocketed home under an inspired ride to get up and beat Warm Heart by a neck.
Cheveley Park has enjoyed huge success on the Flat over the past three decades and more recently taken the National Hunt game by storm – but Thompson admits the the team’s triumph in the Californian sunshine may have been the biggest highlight of his racing life.
“It’s hard to put into words, it really is. I’ve seen some big moments on the racecourse over the years, but that’s got to be right up there,” he said.
“Inspiral is a homebred filly, it was her sixth Group One and as well as that it’s the way the race unfolded – it’s California, it’s Santa Anita.
“My legs had gone after the last furlong!”
With Inspiral having now proven her stamina over the longer distance, there is every chance she will bid for further riches over 10 furlongs on home soil next summer.
Thompson added: “She obviously stayed the mile and a quarter. She probably needs the right ground and the right track, but she needed every inch on Saturday, didn’t she?
“That home straight at Santa Anita is a bit short, but she needed every inch of that particular straight and she was running on at the end, which is a good sign.
“You’d like to think she’ll run in another handful of Group Ones next year and let’s see what she can do. As long as she’s enjoying her racing and John and Thady tell us that she’s in great form and wants to race, she’s carrying on, which is great for us and everybody.”
Considering possible plans for 2024, Thompson said: “I guess you might see her over the stiff mile in the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot, but we’ll give give 10 furlongs a shot at some stage during the summer, absolutely.
“You could potentially see her in the Nassau at Goodwood or the Juddmonte International at York. I wouldn’t have thought she’d run in both of those as they’d probably be too close together, but certainly one of those could come into play.
“We can look at anything from eight to 10 furlongs, depending on the track and the ground, and hopefully we’ll have another couple of great days with her. That’s the objective.”
Vincent Trocheck scored a pair of goals to help the Metropolitan Division-leading New York Rangers extend their point streak to eight games with a 5-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday.
After having a six-game winning streak end with Saturday's shootout loss to the Minnesota Wild, Trocheck put the Rangers (9-2-1) ahead early, scoring 1:40 into the contest.
Chris Kreider and Artemi Panarin each had a goal and an assist during a four-goal second period for New York, which hasn't lost in regulation since a 4-1 setback to the Nashville Predators on October 19.
The Rangers converted two of three power-play opportunities while holding the Red Wings (7-5-1) without a score on their six chances with the extra skater.
Panarin's goal was his seventh of the season as he extended his season-opening points streak to 12 games. The only longer points streak to begin a season by a Ranger is Rod Gilbert's 14-gamer to open the 1972-73 season.
Lightning score four in first period in win over Canadiens
Nikita Kucherov stayed hot and Matt Tomkins earned his first career win in the Tampa Bay Lightning's 5-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens.
A night after blowing a three-goal lead in Monday's 6-5 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Lightning (6-3-4) jumped out to a fast start with Kucherov scoring 22 seconds into the game for his 10th goal of the season. Tampa Bay led 4-0 in less than 14 minutes, with Nicholas Paul, Alex Barre-Boulet and Michael Eyssimont also scoring in the first period.
Paul later scored on the power play in the third period to give him seven goals on the season, with Kucherov and Steven Stamkos being credited with assists.
With 11 points in his last three games, Kucherov now leads the league with 22 points on the season.
Tomkins stopped 22 shots to notch his first NHL win in his third career start. His bid for a shutout ended when Nick Suzuki scored 6:50 into the third period.
Michael Pezzetta and Christian Dvorak also scored for Montreal (5-5-2), which lost its fourth in a row with the last three coming in regulation.
Avalanche score three in third period to pull away from Devils
After being embarrassed the last time they took the ice, the Colorado Avalanche responded with a 6-3 win over the New Jersey Devils.
Tied at 3-3 after two periods, Ryan Johansen scored the go-ahead goal 7:37 into the third period with Nathan MacKinnon scoring his fifth goal of the season just over two minutes later.
Mikko Rantanen later added an empty-netter for Colorado (8-3-0), which was playing for the first time since Saturday's 7-0 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. That marked the Avs' third defeat in four games, with all three losses being shutouts.
All of Colorado's defeats, however, have been on the road, as the Avs improved to 4-0-0 at home.
The Devils (7-4-1) took advantage of successive boarding and cross-checking penalties on Ross Colton, that resulted in a seven-minute trip to the penalty box, during which Timo Meier and Dougie Hamilton scored power-play goals.
Tyler Toffoli opened the scoring for New Jersey with his team-leading eighth goal of the season 3:43 into the game.
Jason Robinson became the first black player to captain England in a rugby union Test after being named as skipper on this day in 2004.
Robinson captained England to a 70-0 victory over Canada at Twickenham where he scored a hat-trick of tries.
The winger, who made 302 appearances for Wigan, became the first former rugby league player to be named England captain in rugby union.
Robinson, who was deputising for the injured Jonny Wilkinson, said: “There have been many highlights in my rugby career, and being England captain is certainly one of them.
“It is not something I have deliberately sought with England or Sale, but I am enjoying being captain at my club and I am understandably excited at the prospect of being England captain at Twickenham on Saturday.
“I have been blessed with success in my rugby career, and I am grateful for that. But when new challenges such as the captaincy come along, I have no hesitation in accepting.”
England’s then-boss Andy Robinson said: “Jason is an outstanding member of the England team, who has led by example for the three years he has been playing international rugby union.
“He has an exceptional record, not only in this sport but in rugby league, earning him the respect of the whole squad.”
The Los Angeles Rams remain optimistic that starting quarterback Matthew Stafford will be able to return from a thumb injury following the team’s bye week, but they are adding veteran Carson Wentz as insurance.
Stafford suffered a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his right throwing thumb during the Rams’ 43-20 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 8.
Brett Rypien got the start in Week 9 and struggled as Los Angeles dropped to 3-6 with a 20-3 defeat to the Green Bay Packers.
Rypien completed 13 of 28 passes for 130 yards with one interception for a 45.2 passer rating – the 12th-worst in a single game in the NFL this season.
The Rams reportedly will release Rypien once Wentz’s signing becomes official.
Wentz has not played in the NFL since appearing in eight games with the Washington Commanders last season.
The Eagles drafted Wentz with the second overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, and he played his first five seasons with Philadelphia before spending one campaign each with the Indianapolis Colts and Washington.
Wentz has passed for 22,129 yards with 151 touchdowns and 66 interceptions in 93 career games while adding 1,362 rushing yards and 10 TDs on the ground.
Los Angeles next plays on November 19 when it hosts the Seattle Seahawks.
Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel announced Tuesday that rookie Will Levis will remain the team’s starting quarterback.
Vrabel also said Ryan Tannehill will serve as Levis’ backup Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers if the veteran signal-caller has recovered from a sprained right ankle suffered in Week 6.
“We think that’s the best opportunity for our football team right now," Vrabel said.
After Tannehill injured his ankle on October 15 during a 24-16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in London, Levis was named Tennessee’s starter for Week 8 following the team’s bye.
The 33rd overall pick in last year's NFL Draft went out and joined Marcus Mariota and Pro Football Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to throw four touchdown passes in their debuts as the Titans beat the Atlanta Falcons 28-23.
Levis passed for 238 yards against Atlanta and then 262 yards at Pittsburgh in his second start in Week 9, but he failed to throw a TD and had his first interception as the Steelers defeated the Titans 20-16.
Much has been said about Jamaica’s sports tourism product, especially as those in the tourism industry continues to tap into the potential of golf to attract visitors to the island.
This, as according to the International Association of Golfing Tour Operators (IAGTO), the global golf tourism market, where people take trips with the main purpose of playing the sport, is valued over US$17 billion.
Additionally, it is said that an estimated 56 million people play golf worldwide, most of whom are in the United States and Canada alone, making North America the leading market in terms of the sport contribution to that economy.
It is with that in mind that Angela Bennett, Jamaica Tourist Board’s Regional Director for Canada is of the view that the recently-concluded Baxter Media-sponsored Sandals Canadian Travel Advisors Golf Tournament, is testament to what can be achieved through the sport.
The 27th edition of the two-day tournament attracted 61 travel advisors, who beyond basking in the fun, frolic and excitement, will ensure that Jamaica’s golfing and, by extension, sports tourism stock in North America continues to rise.
“This is a major achievement for us because golf is a big volume driver for earnings for Jamaica. It also targets a specific sport because we have so many golf courses in Jamaica, in Montego Bay alone, we have almost six golf courses and then there is the picturesque Sandals Golf and Country club among others in this region. From the tournament, we had our top producing tour operators like Air Canada, WestJet, Red Tag, they're all focused on selling sports tourism like golf,” Bennett said.
“So, to have them here for a week, there's a lot of networking going on, a lot of business and new airline partners coming in. This is another focus area for us to drive that sort of niche market to Jamaica and it's really a sport that encourages a long stay because these travellers usually like to golf around,” she added.
Bennett pointed out that the longstanding partnership between Sandals and Baxter Media in hosting the travel advisors tournament, serves as a springboard on which the JTB is aiming to launch strategies to drive more growth in Jamaica’s sports tourism product.
“We are known for sports in Jamaica, of course, Usain Bolt, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and all the other wonderful athletes, so it encourages us to build packages around golfing and promoting the sport, not only golf but all the other sports in Jamaica and this is a significant part of our strategy,” she shared.
“So, we have basketball that we do every year in Montego Bay, and we bring down some of our international stars to engage with the local talent. We also have Reggae Marathon in Negril where we're bringing down runners from Canada and across the world and while here, they experience the different offerings that Jamaica has in the sports field,” Bennett noted.
To that end, she pointed to the importance of capitalizing on the country’s sporting brand, particularly where the likes of Bolt, Fraser-Pryce and other sporting stalwarts are concerned.
“We always go where our athletes are, and sometimes we build a whole strategy around our athletes because just the way we know Bob Marley and everywhere in the world you go, they know Bob Marley, they know Usain Bolt and they know all our other track star because we shine, and we are at a superior level in this field. So, we're always looking to build a strategy around them to create a lot of awareness for Jamaica through them and through the work they're doing internationally,” Bennett ended.
South Africa hooker Bongi Mbonambi has accused England of being “unprofessional” over allegations that he racially abused Tom Curry during last month’s Rugby World Cup semi-final.
World Rugby found “insufficient evidence” to back up Curry’s claim that he was called a “white c***” by the Springboks player midway through the first half of the match in Paris.
Mbonambi said the “misunderstanding” arose because Curry failed to realise he was speaking Afrikaans, a common practice among the Springboks to ensure opponents do not understand their messages.
He told BBC Sport Africa: “I think it is a very sad thing when you live in a first world country (England), you think the rest of the world speaks English.
“It was unprofessional on their part. They could have gone on a website and looked for an English dictionary and looked for the word in Afrikaans.
“People understood (in South Africa), but obviously their side was misunderstood.”
World Rugby stressed that Curry made the allegation in good faith and added there was no suggestion that it was “deliberately false or malicious”.
Both players have been subjected to online abuse since the alleged incident, with Curry’s club, Sale Sharks, saying they were “disgusted” by some of the criticism aimed at Curry.
Wales fly-half Sam Costelow is expected to be sidelined until January after suffering shoulder and hamstring injuries.
Scarlets playmaker Costelow was hurt during Wales’ 49-26 victory over the Barbarians on Saturday and went off at half-time.
He is a clear favourite to succeed Dan Biggar, who retired from Test rugby after the World Cup, in Wales’ number 10 shirt.
Wales kick off their Six Nations campaign against Scotland in Cardiff on February 3.
“We are not expecting him in the short term,” Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel told reporters ahead of Saturday’s United Rugby Championship clash against South African side the Lions.
“It will be beyond Christmas, beyond the new year before we see him. I haven’t an exact date. We are still waiting on the final prognosis and some specialist opinion, really, on that.
“It is a disappointing one for us because he is going to be out for the large part of the first half of the season.
“There is loads more to come from him, and this is obviously a setback in his career at the minute to have this injury.”
Costelow impressed for Wales at the World Cup in France, starting the pool game against Georgia when Gareth Anscombe was a late withdrawal.
And he is the latest member of that squad to be sidelined, with Exeter forward Christ Tshiunza suffering a broken foot on his return to domestic action and number eight Taulupe Faletau continuing his recovery from a broken arm sustained in the Georgia match.
Wales, meanwhile, are without the Six Nations services of Anscombe and full-back Liam Williams, who will play domestic rugby in Japan next year.
Gordon Elliott’s Imagine looks set to go on to bigger and better things judged on a successful start to his career over fences in the opening race at Fairyhouse on Tuesday.
The Punchestown bumper winner won only one of his six hurdling starts last season, but was placed in Graded and Listed company and was not beaten far when fifth in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
He faced a far from straightforward task in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase, with Paul Nolan’s Albert Bartlett third Sandor Clegane and the talented Inothewayurthinkin from Gavin Cromwell’s yard both in opposition.
Jack Kennedy sent 9-4 favourite Imagine into the lead from the off, though, and some accurate jumping kept the pressure on his rivals in behind.
After seeing off his long-time pursuer Sandor Clegane, who can be expected to go back up in trip next time, Inothewayurthinkin charged home from an uncompromising position after the final fence, but Imagine was well on top as he passed the post with two and a half lengths in hand.
Of the winner, Elliott said: “It was a good performance, I was happy with him. I thought there would be plenty of improvement in him.
“Jack said he had a good blow going to the second-last. He jumped well and he’s not a bad horse.
“We might look at something like the Craddockstown at Punchestown. I’d say there is improvement in him.
“He ran to a good level last year and he can go up a bit in trip.”
Elliott doubled up with the Robcour-owned Absolute Notions, who landed odds of 1-12 under 5lb claimer Danny Gilligan in the Fairyhouse Membership 2024 Hurdle.
“To be honest, he’d probably have done more going around the gallop at home, but it was a nice opportunity for him,” the trainer added.
“He’ll have an entry in the Lismullen Hurdle and we’ll see what it’s like.”
An Tobar also carried the Robcour colours to victory on his rules debut for Henry de Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore in the Winter Festival 2nd & 3rd December Maiden Hurdle.
A wide-margin point-to-point winner in January of last year, the six-year-old was the 8-13 favourite for his first outing since and was not hard pressed to score by four and a quarter lengths.
“He’s been doing everything nicely at home. He got a little bit of a setback last year, so we had to ease off him,” said De Bromhead’s representative Robbie Power.
“He’s a big horse and in the long run it might have been the best thing that ever happened to him, to give him a bit of time to develop and grow into himself.
“We were hoping he’d go and do that today. We’ll have a look at options but he’ll be put into the Royal Bond and there is also the two-and-a-half-mile novice hurdle at Navan.
“It’s nice to get that out of the way.”
Cheltenham Festival hero Iroko made a spectacular debut over fences in the Stan Mellor Memorial Novices’ Chase at Warwick.
The JP McManus-owned five-year-old won his first three starts last season after joining the Cheshire-based training partnership of Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero, with successive victories at Wetherby followed by his Festival triumph in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Hurdle.
He rounded off his campaign by finishing third in the Grade One Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree’s Grand National meeting and was the 11-10 favourite to make a successful reappearance and chasing bow in a race won 12 months ago by a subsequent Festival winner in the Paul Nicholls-trained Stage Star.
This season, the champion trainer saddled a 142-rated French recruit in Golden Son, who set out to make every yard of the running under Harry Cobden and jumped well throughout.
But while Golden Son still led the way rounding the home turn, Iroko soon moved powerfully into his slipstream under Jonjo O’Neill Jnr and the ultra-confident rider barely had to move a muscle on the run-in as his mount took full command and eased to a three-and-a-quarter-length success.
“That was absolutely perfect. Jonjo was thrilled with him, he said he jumped absolutely perfectly and travelled like a dream,” said Greenall.
“We thought he might be a bit outpaced over two-and-a-half (miles), but Jonjo said it was perfect, so we’ll probably stick to two-and-a-half I’d say.
“Warwick is a good test for a horse first time over fences and I was worried about the trip, but we couldn’t have asked any more from him really.”
Paddy Power cut Iroko to 10-1 from 20-1 to double his Festival tally in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at Prestbury Park in March, while Coral offer slightly more generous odds of 14-1.
While hesitant to commit to future plans, Greenall revealed options will be considered over a variety of different trips.
He added: “We’ve not really made any plans, we’ll just speak to AP (McCoy) and JP and see, but I think it will be ground dependent whether we go up or down in trip.
“AP was just saying if it was soft ground at Sandown, you could even go back to two miles for the Henry VIII, you could go two-and-a-half in the Dipper (at Cheltenham), or if Kempton on Boxing Day was nice ground, you could go back up to three miles for the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase.
“There’s a few races for him, so we’ll just see how he is and what the ground is like nearer the time.”
Constitution Hill could face up to 12 rivals when he makes his seasonal comeback in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle in December.
Nicky Henderson’s gelding is unbeaten under rules and is the undisputed star of the hurdling division, winning all seven starts and among them six Grade Ones.
He was last seen claiming back-to-back successes at the big spring festivals, winning the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham and then the Aintree Hurdle over two and a half miles before heading off on a summer break.
A graduation to chasing was discussed and ultimately vetoed, meaning the six-year-old will take a familiar route through the division by starting out in the Fighting Fifth – a race he won by 12 lengths last year.
“He’ll go straight to the Fighting Fifth, that’s December 2, hopefully we’re all ready for that,” Henderson told Racing TV.
There are 12 others engaged, amongst them is Jamie Snowden’s You Wear It Well, a Cheltenham Festival winner who made light work of her seasonal debut when winning Wetherby’s Listed bet365 Mares’ Hurdle by three lengths at the weekend.
There is a programme of valuable mares’ events throughout the term and that is the path the six-year-old is likely to follow, though the Fighting Fifth option remains open for now.
“She did really well, she was carrying a penalty first time out and it’s always nice to see them stepping up to the mark like that,” Snowden said of her Wetherby run.
“The mares’ route maps itself out, from Sandown to Warwick to Cheltenham in March. Sandown is in January, so the question is whether we think about getting a run into her before then.
“I have just put an entry for the Fighting Fifth this morning, I’m not sure we’d want to be taking on Constitution Hill necessarily, but it doesn’t hurt to put an entry in.”
Harry Fry’s Love Envoi is another mare entered, with Kerry Lee responsible for a duo of entrants in Black Poppy and Nemean Lion.
Sandy Thomson has put forward Benson and Phil Kirby has entered Jason The Militant, whereas Hughie Morrison could saddle the dual-purpose gelding Not So Sleepy, who dead-heated with Epatante in 2021.
Alan King’s Sceau Royal is another seasoned campaigner with an entry, alongside which Brian Ellison has entered Salsada, James Owen has Too Friendly and Iain Jardine has Voix Du Reve.
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