Fergal O’Brien feels Dysart Enos has enjoyed the perfect preparation ahead of her bid to see off a formidable Irish challenge at the Cheltenham Festival next month.
The Malinas mare has yet to taste defeat in six starts under rules, with her three wins of last season supplemented by a hat-trick of victories over hurdles.
O’Brien’s team went to £95,000 to secure Dysart Enos’ services at the Goffs UK Aintree sale two years ago and the Ravenswell Farm handler had high hopes from the moment the hammer went down.
“Dysart has been phenomenal for us, she’s six from six and we loved her when we bought her,” he said.
“From day one I felt we had a good horse because Noel Fehily was underbidder and he and David Crosse are very shrewd judges. Noel actually brought her back from Aintree for us and rang me up and said ‘are you sure you’ve got someone for this mare’ and I said we definitely did!”
Seven months after being bought Dysart Enos made a winning debut under rules at Ludlow before getting the better of the highly-regarded Queens Gamble in Listed company at Market Rasen.
But it was her nine-length success in the Grade Two mares’ bumper at Aintree’s Grand National meeting that marked her down as a potential top-notcher.
O’Brien added: “The day we bought her I never envisaged this mare would take us where she has. To turn up at Ludlow on the first day, Connor (Brace) gave her a lovely ride and it’s very difficult to drop in behind 14 others at Ludlow and come through and beat the geldings and that race worked out well.
“We genuinely went to Market Rasen thinking we’d finish second to Queens Gamble. Paddy (Brennan) gave her a lovely ride, but I felt Market Rasen probably suited her and she had the speed for it.
“We rolled on to Aintree and that is where she really blew us away. It was a very good field, the form has worked out very well and she was phenomenal that day, the way she travelled through the race and Paddy was able to put her where he wanted.
“As soon as they got inside the last furlong and a half he was able to let her go and the way she opened up and quickened away from them was spectacular.”
Dysart Enos made a smooth transition to the jumping game at Huntingdon in November and the route she has taken since has been slightly unorthodox.
Rather than sticking to her own sex in Listed and graded races, she has gained some valuable experience of Cheltenham, beating the boys in December, before landing cramped odds in another novice event at Doncaster last month.
“Jumping hurdles we’ve planned our route to Cheltenham, rightly or wrongly,” said O’Brien.
“We’re going there without a 5lb penalty, which most winners have over the last few years, but we just felt if we could get away without having a 5lb penalty then surely that’s got to be better.
“The plan was always to start off at Huntingdon and then go to Newbury for the Listed race and none of the owners were at Cheltenham when she won, so I was very grateful they let us run there.
“She can be a bit hot and stressy, so it was important for her to go and see Cheltenham and have a walk round that paddock and come up that hill and see what’s in front of her.
“Hopefully we can get her there in one piece and I think if we do she’ll be in the mix.”
Despite her unbeaten record, Dysart Enos is only third in the betting for the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, with Gordon Elliott’s Brighterdaysahead and the Willie Mullins-trained Jade De Grugy also yet to taste defeat.
O’Brien respects the claims of both, but does not fear either.
He added: “Gordon’s horse does look phenomenal and Willie’s horse looks great, but there’s a couple of English horses there I wouldn’t rule out, Queens Gamble being one and Jeremy Scott’s horse (Golden Ace), who I was so impressed with round Taunton.
“We’ve ticked a lot of boxes as we’ve been round Cheltenham and she’s got a lot of speed. You’re hoping Gordon’s horse might want two and a half (miles) and we’ll have the legs on that one, that’s what we’re hoping anyway – you’ve got to cling to some bit of hope when Willie’s and Gordon’s horses are coming over!
“We certainly wouldn’t change anything that we’ve done this season. We’ll see on the day and give it our best shot.”
While Dysart Enos and Stayers’ Hurdle candidate appear the trainer’s two chief Festival contenders, he has a couple of others who could join them on the short trip to Prestbury Park.
Springtime Promise is three from three since joining O’Brien, most recently landing a Grade Two at Sandown, and may line up alongside Dysart Enos in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle if conditions are testing, while Teorie is considered a lively outsider in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle.
“It would want to come up soft or worse for Springtime Promise to run. She won over two and a half the other day at Sandown on heavy ground and she could go to Fairyhouse at Easter if it came up soft there,” said the trainer.
“We’ll take it right up to the day and see what the weather does. If it turned up soft she would have a fantastic chance as we haven’t seen the bottom of that mare yet and I could see her coming up that hill in great style.
“I love Teorie, I think he’s got a great attitude. He’s a big price, but he’s in great form. He disappointed a little bit at Musselburgh, but he won very well first time out and then he beat older horses next time at Southwell.
“He’s got a great attitude and loves racing and loves being a racehorse – he loves being amongst them.
“I’m hoping he’ll run very well.”
Family and friends with connections to 1932 Grand National-winning jockey Tim Hamey will gather at Ludlow on Thursday for the latest running of the Forbra Gold Cup.
Hamey partnered Forbra to Aintree glory and while he died in 1993 at the age of 88, the fact the Forbra Gold Cup has been run at Ludlow since 1955 means memories are always evoked at this time of year.
Forbra was owned by William Parsonage, Ludlow’s mayor and a bookmaker, and he was trained by Tom Rimell, father of Fred Rimell – who would go on to win the National four times as a trainer himself.
In 1932, he was a jockey, but as he was only 18, he was deemed too inexperienced for the mount, meaning Hamey was the man called upon for the ride on the 50-1 outsider.
Three previous winners were in the line-up that year but in a race stacked full of previous drama, Forbra came through to beat Egremont by three lengths.
Hamey also won the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Koko in 1926, in what was just the third running of a race that has gone on to become the holy grail for a steeplechaser.
His nephew, Will Lefebve, a retired racing journalist, said: “The family is steeped in racing history, as Tim had 12 rides in the National, his son Rex had seven and my father, Len, also had one.
“Tim’s record was very impressive, though, he rode in 12 consecutive Nationals and took part in the 1929 one which had a record 66 runners, finishing sixth of just 10 finishers on Grakle behind Gregalach. Grakle actually went on to win the race in 1931.”
While there have been get-togethers on Forbra Gold Cup day in the past, this time Lefebve has arranged a much bigger group of people with links to Hamey and Forbra.
“I have assembled a gathering of about 40 people directly linked to Forbra – either the horse himself or the race named in his memory – who will descend on Ludlow on Thursday,” he said.
“They include descendants of Forbra’s owner William Parsonage, a bookmaker and mayor of Ludlow, and the race is being sponsored by local hydraulics company Flowfit, which is managed by William’s great grandson Simon.
“Forbra was, of course, trained by Tom Rimell, father of four times National-winning trainer Fred.
“A solid gold trophy was presented to Ludlow racecourse 70 years ago by William’s sons, and according to former course supremo Bob Davies, it is worth around £75,000, and consequently is kept in a Ludlow bank vault for 365 days a year. The winning owner gets his or her hands on it for about an hour!
“I first organised a get-together five years ago of the families representing the owner, trainer and jockey of Forbra, and decided on a repeat assembly this year, when there will be many more ‘connections’ at the track.
“Five of the Hamey clan will be present, including Hamey’s grandson Paul, who is bringing along the replica trophy presented to Tim by the Princess Royal in a 1985 Aintree ceremony hosted by Peter O’Sullevan (before his knighthood), during which all surviving Grand National-winning riders received identical mementos. Tim was then the ‘daddy of them all’.
“As far as the Rimell family is concerned, Fred’s daughter Scarlett (Knipe), who bred both Master Oats and Thistlecrack with her late husband Robin at their Cobhall Court Stud, hopefully will be joined by Mark, Annie and Katie Rimell.
“I expect to feel a bit like a shepherd on Thursday, rounding up his flock, with the likes of Richard Johnson, Bob Davies, Graham Thorner, Henry Daly, Venetia Williams, David Pipe and others expected to be there.
“Simon Parsonage has also purchased at a National Horse Racing Museum auction the saddle used by Tim Hamey on Forbra at Aintree 91 years-plus ago. He has had it ‘framed’ in a glass case and is bringing the saddle to Ludlow.”
Kerry Lee is prepared to roll the dice and allow Nemean Lion to take his chance in the Unibet Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
The seven-year-old has had a successful campaign so far, which began in October when he won the Welsh Champion Hurdle by a length and a half on debut.
He was fifth in the Greatwood at Cheltenham next time out and then ran an admirable race under a considerable amount of weight to finish the runner-up when stepping up in trip in the Lanzarote.
The Golden Horn gelding then tried Grade Two level to contest the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton, a scaling back in trip as the race is run over a mile and seven furlongs.
There he was the 6-5 favourite under Richard Patrick and justified those odds when securing a length and a half success over fellow Champion Hurdle entrant Colonel Mustard.
The success has seen his mark rise from 145 to 151, and he is set to take his spot in a Champion Hurdle that this year might prove just more open than initially presumed.
“He’s been really good since Wincanton, he came out of the race very well,” said Lee, speaking before the market for the race was disrupted by the news that reigning hero Constitution Hill was a doubt after a below-par racecourse gallop on Tuesday morning.
“He loved the conditions and ran a great race, it was lovely to watch and we were really pleased with him.
“He wasn’t stopping at the end of the Lanzarote but he relished the two miles too, you’d have to say he was even better over the two.
“It’s all systems go for the Cheltenham Festival now, his target is going to be the Champion Hurdle.
“There are very few options for him and as long as the ground is good to soft or softer, he will run.
“It looks to be wide open for third and realistically in racing, anything can happen.
“I think off 151 he deserves the chance to prove himself so we can see what he can do.
“It is a pleasure to have such a good horse, we’ll keep our fingers crossed that he can go and run a good race but as long as he comes back safe and well then we’ll be happy.”
Fergal O’Brien is confident Crambo possesses all the necessary tools to make his presence felt in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.
The seven-year-old is very much the new kid on the block in the staying division over the smaller obstacles, kicking off his campaign with a handicap victory at Aintree.
He had to make do with minor honours on his next start at Haydock, but fully justified his trainer’s decision to throw him in at the deep end after coming out on top in a titanic tussle with popular veteran Paisley Park in the Long Walk at Ascot the following month.
Speaking at Jockey Club press morning at his Ravenswell Farm yard, O’Brien issued an upbeat bulletin on Crambo’s well-being ahead of his bid for Festival glory in little over a fortnight’s time.
“Crambo is not a great workhorse, but he does everything very well and he’s very fresh after his work, which is what you want to see,” he said.
“He’s got a great temperament. He hasn’t won round Cheltenham yet, but fingers crossed he can go there and be our first Festival winner.
“You look at the likes of Paisley Park and all those (Stayers’ Hurdle) horses, that’s their one common denominator – they always have that little flat spot.
“In the Long Walk, it was actually the best I’ve seen Crambo travel and jump. He’s normally a bit behind the bridle and he’s made it hard work for Connor (Brace) on a few occasions.”
Crambo came up short in a couple of Grade One assignments last season, but O’Brien insists he never lost faith.
He added: “We’re very lucky to have him and we always hoped he would develop the way he has. As a novice we ran him in two Grade Ones, in the Challow Hurdle, where it never happened for him in wet ground, and then we took him to Aintree after he won the EBF Final at Sandown.
“He was running a big race at Aintree and I think he would have been fourth, but Rachael Blackmore’s horse (Cool Survivor) fell in front of him and that sort of stopped him.
“I always believed in the horse, he won first time up this year at Aintree and then we were a little bit unlucky at Haydock. We could have gone down the Pertemps route, but I really wanted to have a crack at another Grade One and his owners were happy to go to the Long Walk.”
While many of his Festival rivals went on to contest the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham in January, O’Brien decided to keep his powder dry with Crambo and is relishing the challenge.
He said: “He had a hard race at Ascot and it took him a couple of weeks to get over it and get his spark back, but Eve who rode him this morning knows him inside out and she’s delighted with him.
“I’d love to be able to tell you he’s very difficult to train, but he’d train himself. Johnny Burke took him to Lambourn on Friday and jumped 10 or 12 hurdles and he said he felt great, so I’m really happy with where he is.
“I think Cheltenham will suit him, to be fair. I think it will bring out a little bit more improvement and he does need to improve again from the Long Walk.”
Assessing the likely opposition, he added: “Gordon’s (Elliott) two horses at the head of the market (Teahupoo and Irish Point) are two very good horses and there’ll be plenty of others there.
“Dashel Drasher will be there, Paisley Park will be there, Emmet Mullins’ horse (Noble Yeats) and I’m not sure what Gavin Cromwell is doing with Flooring Porter.
“They’ve all been there and done it and got the T-shirt, but Crambo’s got youth on his side and we think he’s a very good horse, so fingers crossed.”
Constitution Hill sent shockwaves through the Unibet Champion Hurdle market on Tuesday morning, with the participation of the reigning champion seemingly in doubt following a below-par workout in a pre-Cheltenham visit to Kempton Park.
As has become tradition, Nicky Henderson took several of his Festival contenders for a spin at the Sunbury circuit, including the unbeaten Constitution Hill, whose only start this season was in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day.
Bookmakers were quick to suspend betting in the wake of the work, and the Seven Barrows trainer told the PA news agency his superstar had since scoped badly.
“Unfortunately, in a routine gallop this morning, Constitution Hill was very disappointing and it transpires, after the vet has scoped him, that there is evidence of mucus,” said Henderson.
“We’re taking a sample of it to a laboratory to analyse it, which will tell us about the significance of it and we should know more after that.
“Last week, he worked brilliantly and he was scoped 10 days ago, but these things happen, just like it did with him earlier in the year (having to miss Cheltenham on Trials day in January).
“Horses are like humans, look how many people had the awful cough around Christmas that took ages to get rid of.”
Jamaica's young Reggae Boyz remain in the driver's seat to secure the coveted Group F top spot, following their 2-0 win over Grenada in their second encounter at the Concacaf Men’s Under-20 Championship qualifiers in St Kitts and Nevis on Monday.
The Jamaicans, who clipped Martinique 1-0 in their opening contest on Saturday, made it two-in-two, courtesy of goals from Nicholas Simmonds (30th) and Ronaldo Barrett (82nd). It was the first goal for both players at this level and the first time Jamaica have secured consecutive wins at the tournament since 2022. It was also the country's first consecutive clean sheet at the tournament since 2018, and first win against Grenada at this level since that 2018 outing.
Simmonds, who represents Richmond Kickers in the United States, was delighted by his first start and, by extension, his first national goal.
"It felt good so thanks to coach for giving me the start and it was also great to get a goal in. I am just happy to wear the national colours and I am looking forward to a good game against Bermuda, the team chemistry is really good, so we should again do well in that game," Simmonds said in a post-game interview.
With the win, the John Wall-coached young Reggae Boyz remain in pole position on six points, and only require a draw against second-placed Bermuda (three points) on Wednesday to confirm their spot in the Concacaf Championships round where the top six teams –United States, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica and Dominican Republic -awaits.
The final round will be staged in Mexico in July, where four spots to the 2025 FIFA Under-20 World Cup will be up for grabs.
Elsewhere in Group F, Martinique rebounded from their loss to Jamaica to edge Bermuda 2-1.
Hervinsonn Gervais (33rd) and Awon Guillaume (63rd) scored for Martinique, while Riley Robinson (82nd) pulled one back for Bermuda.
Meanwhile, Trinidad and Tobago will be among those in action on Tuesday, as they lock horns with Canada in a much-anticipated Group D top-of-the-table clash with Canada, at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
The two will meet in the 6:00pm feature contest, after Dominica and St Vincent and the Grenadines square off in a 3:00pm contest of academic interest.
This will be the 10th all-time meeting between Trinidad and Tobago and Canada at this level, with the North American boasting seven wins, one loss and one draw from their previous encounters. Both teams are currently locked on six points, with Canada ahead on goal difference. The winner progress to this summer’s Championship.
Caribbean representative Dominican Republic ended their Concacaf Women's Gold Cup campaign winless, as they went down 0-3 to Argentina, while Mexico stunned tournament favourites United States 2-0, in the final round of Group A fixtures at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, on Monday.
The results saw Mexico finishing tops in the group on seven points, with United States second on six, while Argentina improved their chances of being one of the two best third-place teams to progress to the quarterfinals, as they end third on four points. Dominican Republic finished without a point and conceded 16 goals.
Dominican Republic vs Argentina
With two third place spots up for grabs at that point, both Dominican Republic and Argentina started purposefully and with some intensity as they went in search of their first win. The fact that Argentina held Mexico to a goalless stalemate to start the tournament, while Dominican Republic lost 0-8 to the same opponent, meant the South Americans were a bit more confident, and they put that on display in the early exchanges.
They pushed back their Spanish-speaking Caribbean rivals into a defensive posture and fired a few warning shots from a distance, before they inevitably broke the deadlock in the 30th minute. Midfielder Dalila Ippolito fired home from a one-on-one situation with Dominican Republic's goalkeeper Paloma Pena, after the opponents defence failed to take care of possession.
Argentina doubled their lead in the second half through Celeste Dos Santos's 76th-minute effort, which polished off a tidy one-two combination with Mariana Larroquette.
And the win was capped by Maricel Pereyra in the 90+4, who fired home from just outside the 18-yard area.
United States vs Mexico
The feature contest of the group ended with Mexico securing a historic 2-0 win over four-time World champions United States to take top honours.
It is the first Mexico win against the United States since 2010, a span of 16 matches. The two goals also snap a streak of 33 straight matches in which the United States kept a clean sheet in Concacaf competitions.
Both teams gave as good as they got in end-to-end action, with strikers Sophia Smith of United States and Mexico's Maria Sanchez testing the goalkeepers Esthefanny Barreras and Alyssa Naeher, who both proved equal to the task.
Mexico eventually found the go-ahead goal in the 38th minute when Jaqueline Ovalle capitalized on a defensive error by Becky Sauerbrunn and fired past the hapless Naeher, who was left for dead after advancing off her line.
Karla Nieto went close to doubling the lead on the stroke of half time, but her well-struck shot from just outside the 18-yard box, rattled the crossbar.
United States went in search of the elusive equaliser, but their hunt ended fruitless, as Lindsey Horan fired a freekick over the crossbar in the 56th, while Trinity Rodman's 89th-minute effort went just wide of the upright.
And if that wasn't bad enough, Mayra Pelayo rubbed salt in the United States wounds in the 90+5, when she rifled home a right-footer from outside the box, that lodge in the top right corner, to gift Mexico an historic victory.
Joe Fanning is set for a short spell on the sidelines after being knocked out in a fall at Wolverhampton on Monday night that led to three-time champion jockey Oisin Murphy being hit with a nine-day ban.
Fanning and his mount Sennockian passed the post a nose in front of the Murphy-ridden Dr Foster in an extended one-mile handicap at Dunstall Park, but was unseated just after the winning line.
The 53-year-old regained consciousness prior to leaving the track, but was taken to hospital for precautionary tests before later returning home.
“Joe is fine. He had precautionary scans on his head and everything at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton and they came back clear,” said his agent Niall Hannity.
“He got home late last night and I spoke to him this morning and he is fine.
“I’m not sure how long he’ll be out for. He’ll have to pass a baseline concussion test and it will be up to Dr Jerry Hill when he’ll be able to take that.
“We’ll see how he is in the next day or two, but he obviously won’t be riding this weekend or next week, I wouldn’t have thought.”
A stewards’ enquiry was called to consider the placings after several incidents of interference in the home straight.
The stewards ruled that Fanning had not committed any riding offences and that the placings should remain unaltered, but Murphy was found guilty of careless riding.
A stewards’ report read: “Murphy was suspended for nine days as he allowed his mount to drift approximately two horse widths right-handed away from the whip causing interference to Sennockian, before then using the whip again in the left hand whereupon his mount shifted further right-handed causing interference to Sennockian, with Fanning being unseated after the line.”
Murphy will be out of action on March 11 and 12 and from March 18 to 24, meaning he is set to miss the first weekend of the British Flat turf season at Doncaster.
Gordon Elliott is readying Jalon D’oudairies, Romeo Coolio and The Yellow Clay for the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival.
The Cullentra handler has saddled two previous winners of the Grade One contest that concludes day two of the meeting, with Fayonagh striking gold in 2017 and Envoi Allen prevailing two years later.
Jalon D’oudairies, a £420,000 purchase for Gigginstown House Stud after winning his sole start in the point-to-point field, moved towards the top of ante-post lists for this year’s renewal after following up an impressive bumper debut at Fairyhouse with another clear-cut win at Leopardstown in December.
The five-year-old is set to be joined by the equally expensive Romeo Coolio, who won his only bumper start so far at Fairyhouse, and The Yellow Clay, who Elliott feels may have been underestimated following his fourth-place finish in Grade Two company at the Dublin Racing Festival.
“Jalon D’oudairies is a nice horse and has a good attitude. He showed in Leopardstown that he drops his head and wants to win,” said the trainer.
“Romeo Coolio pulled a muscle and we didn’t get to run him (before Christmas) and then I put myself under pressure to run him. He’ll have come on a stone for his first run and we haven’t missed a beat with him since he ran. He’s in good form and we’re happy with him.
“I think The Yellow Clay is going under the radar. He doesn’t do anything fancy at home and I think he was declared to run in a maiden hurdle at Down Royal in November and got a kick the day before, so we ended up missing a month with him.
“I think he’ll come on a lot from his run the last day. He mightn’t have beaten the winner (Jeroboam Machin), but he definitely would have been a good second if he’d got the run of the race.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Jack (Kennedy) rode him.”
While Elliott suggested it will not be a straightforward choice for his stable jockey to decide which one of the trio he would like to ride, there is no doubt the trainer holds Jalon D’oudairies in particularly high regard.
He added: “I know last October, November and December, which horse was knocking the place down working, so I’ll leave it up to Jack to decide and we’ll let the other lads ride the others.”
Eric Ramsay has left Manchester United to join Minnesota United and become the youngest head coach in Major League Soccer history.
The 32-year-old Welshman, who was a first-team coach under Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford, is the latest British coach to cross the Atlantic, joining the likes of Phil Neville and Dean Smith.
In a statement issued by Minnesota United, Ramsay said: “I’m incredibly excited to be joining a club with such a strong football culture, a fanatic fan-base and a brilliant infrastructure.
“I’ve spoken to a lot of the club’s staff throughout the process and you can’t help but feel everyone’s passion for moving the club forward.”
Ramsay joined Manchester United as a coach under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2021 and also served as an assistant coach to the Welsh national team in 2023.
He started his career working with junior levels at Swansea and also acted as interim head coach at his home-town club Shrewsbury before moving to work with the Chelsea Under-23s.
Ramsay became the youngest British coach to earn his UEFA Pro Licence in 2019.
Minnesota’s Chief Soccer Officer Khaled El-Ahmad said: “After an extensive search that included dozens of impressive domestic and international candidates, we are confident that Eric Ramsay is the best choice to lead our club.
“His experience working with top-level players, coaches, and sporting staff at both the club and international level – as well as his alignment in playing style and development philosophy – all fit with the vision we have for the future of MNUFC.”
A number of MPs called for ministers to reconsider affordability checks during in a debate at Westminster Hall on Monday.
It was the first chance for MPs to properly interrogate proposals of the implementation of the supposedly “frictionless” checks after 100,000 people signed an e-petition to trigger the debate.
Matt Hancock, who has Newmarket within his constituency, Connor McGinn, whose St Helens North constituency includes Haydock, and Philip Davies were among MPs to lay out arguments against the checks.
Gambling minister Stuart Andrew said both the government and Gambling Commission had listened to the points, although the proposals will proceed, with a pilot of enhanced checks running for “a minimum of four months, during which time the commission will consider all issues that arise”.
Andrew also underlined the concerns about the possible impact of the checks on racing are being taken “extremely seriously”.
He said: “I am clear that we must ensure that the checks do not adversely affect racing or those who work in the sector, or interrupt the customer journey.
“They also must not push away high-net-worth individuals such as owners and trainers that invest in the sport.
“The Gambling Commission has worked very closely with operators to explore the practical aspects of implementing the checks, and colleagues have said that they have seen an improved relationship between the commission and the industry. The commission has also been carefully considering responses to the consultation, which have helped to shape the implementation plans.
“We want to protect those at risk – I make no apology for our doing that – with minimal disruption to the majority, who I recognise bet on horseracing with no ill effect.”
Shadow gambling minister Stephanie Peacock called for the government to outline how it could ensure checks are “accurate, frictionless and non-intrusive for consumers”.
“I think there is a consensus over the need to update our regulation so that vulnerable people are better protected from gambling harms in the modern age,” she said.
“But at the same time it is the punters, racing and the gambling industry that deserves some clarity on how the government will ensure affordability checks are carried out with accuracy and in a way that does not cause unnecessary friction for those gambling responsibly.”
In a triumphant display of school spirit and athletic prowess, Christine Day, the Jamaican Olympian and Commonwealth Games champion, spearheaded her eponymous house to a resounding victory at Tacky High School's sports day last Thursday. Despite her significant achievements, Day had largely flown under the radar in her home country until her high school honoured her by renaming a school house after her last year.
Formerly known as Grant House, Day House, after a 12-year hiatus, clinched the sports day crown with an impressive total of 486 points, overcoming challenges from rival houses Hudson, Ashton, and Crawford. This marked a significant milestone for Day House, as their last victory dated back to 2012.
The decision to rename the houses came as part of an initiative by the school administration to honour contemporary past students who have excelled in various fields. School principal Errol Bascoe explained the reasoning behind the change, stating, “What was happening is that the patrons for the houses have been some old-timers, business people in the area. Some have died, and we think that the sport itself was dying with the patrons, and so it was a consensus of the school that we look for past students who are doing well and who have done well; in whatever area.”
Day was a natural choice for this honour. Principal Bascoe revealed that Day wasn't merely a patron in name; she brought a burst of energy and enthusiasm to the sports day preparations. "Christine was integral in the planning. She gave them jerseys, she came with her energy drinks, she gave them everything, and she was there jumping up and blowing the vuvuzelas with them."
Day, the 2015 national 400m champion, 2015 World Championship 4x400m gold medalist and a two-time Commonwealth Games 4x400m relay gold medalist, has often been overshadowed despite her impressive athletic achievements.
When her high school named a house in her honor last November, she was visibly moved by the gesture. "I felt really elated and overwhelmed that my high school considered using me, my name for one of the school houses. It actually makes me realize that I am appreciated and loved by my school community," Day expressed.
Buoyed by this recognition, Day went above and beyond to support her house. She garnered donations from friends, including notable Olympians, to provide essential items for the athletes. The support included shirts, energy drinks, banners, fruit, water, and even a massage gun.
“I got help from Andisports Management, my besty, Kaliese Spencer; Stephenie-Ann McPherson, Rusheen McDonald, my daddy Hope Day, sister Jonique Day; as well as Andre Edwards, Aundrae Drummonds, Miguel Melbourne, Miquel Emmanuel and Jerald Irons,” she said.
Her efforts paid off as Day House secured a convincing victory, echoing the excitement and energy of the renowned ISSA GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships.
Reflecting on the success, Christine Day said, "The energy was like at Champs vibes. There was a lot of excitement and joy coming from both teachers, students, and supporters." The win not only showcased the athletic prowess of Tacky High School's students but also highlighted the impact a dedicated and honored alumna like Christine Day can have on inspiring future generations.
Three dominant wins in the first three rounds have the Windward Islands Volcanoes holding a comfortable lead atop the points table of the 2024 West Indies Championship as the teams gear up for the season’s resumption after a week off.
The Volcanoes have racked up an impressive 62.2 points (36 match points and 26.2 bonus points) courtesy of a pair of nine-wicket wins over the Jamaica Scorpions and the Barbados Pride in the first two rounds followed by an eight-wicket win over the Combined Campuses and Colleges in round three.
The Leeward Islands Hurricanes sit second with 45.6 points (24 match points and 21.6 bonus points) after two wins and a draw in their first three outings.
The Barbados Pride are third with 43.6 points (24 match points and 19.8 bonus points) after also recording a pair of wins and a draw in their first three games.
The Jamaica Scorpions, who finished at the foot of the table last season, have a win and two losses but sit fourth on the table with 29.6 points mainly due to getting 17.6 bonus points.
The Trinidad and Tobago Red Force (27.6 points), defending champions Guyana Harpy Eagles (26.4), West Indies Academy (24) and the Combined Campuses and Colleges (14.6) round out the rest of the table after three rounds.
Action resumes with the start of round four on Wednesday, March 13 with the Red Force taking on the Volcanoes at the Queen’s Park Oval, CCC facing the Leewards at the Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground in St. Augustine, the Scorpions hosting West Indies Academy at Sabina Park and the Harpy Eagles facing the Pride at Coolidge.
James Owen’s Triumph Hurdle hope Burdett Road has been ruled out of the contest by an injury that will sideline him for the remainder of the season.
The four-year-old was formerly trained by Michael Bell on the Flat, winning the Golden Gates Stakes at Royal Ascot last season and reaching a peak rating of 101 after a third-placed finish in the Winter Hill.
He was then gelded and turned his attention to hurdling for Owen, winning his debut by 12 lengths at Huntingdon before claiming a Cheltenham Grade Two next time out.
Burdett Road returned to the same track last month to contest the Triumph Trial and was this time beaten by Nicky Henderson’s very highly-regarded Sir Gino, though connections were still keen to let him take his chance in the main event come March.
That plan has now been scuppered by injury, meaning the horse will not only miss the Cheltenham Festival but will also sit out the rest of the season.
Owen confirmed the news via X, saying: “Burdett Road has unfortunately picked up a setback and will miss the remainder of the season.”
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