Roger Varian is taking the positives out of Charyn’s easy victory at Doncaster on Saturday ahead of Eldar Eldarov’s run in the Dubai Gold Cup at Meydan.
Winner of the St Leger at Doncaster in 2022, he added another Group One when successful in the Irish version last season.
That was his last outing of the year, with connections electing to bypass Champions Day at Ascot, but he has been in training for a while ahead of his trip to Dubai.
The race is over two miles, however, a distance over which Eldar Eldarov has yet to win at.
“Everything has gone to plan and hopefully the victory of Charyn is a plus,” said Varian.
“They are different types of horse but they have been doing a lot of work on a similar programme because they both had early-season targets.
“So Charyn winning hopefully tells me that Eldar is probably ready, so we are looking forward to it.
“I just wish it was a mile and six (furlongs) because he seems to love the mile and six trip – but two miles around there should be OK.”
Adrian Murray is keen to give Arizona Blaze more match practice ahead of a planned appearance at Royal Ascot following his impressive debut at the Curragh earlier this month.
The County Westmeath trainer saddled subsequent Group One winner Bucanero Fuerte to claim the first two-year-old race of the Irish turf campaign last year and repeated the feat with this son of first-season sire Sergei Prokofiev.
While Arizona Blaze’s victory was achieved in testing conditions, Murray would not be afraid to run him on a quicker surface as he looks to continue his education ahead of the showpiece meeting in Berkshire in mid-June.
“We were thrilled with the run and he’s come out of the race great. He was doing his best work at the finish on very testing ground and he looks like a decent horse,” said the trainer.
“He’ll probably have one more run and then we’ll go to Royal Ascot, all being well. We’ve no plans yet as we want to give him a bit of time to get over that first run.
“It’s hard to say what sort of ground he wants, he handled that heavy ground very well, but you’d be looking forward to getting him on a bit of better ground.”
The grounds of Edwin Allen High School in Frankfield, Clarendon, erupted with jubilation on Monday as the school basked in the glory of its 10th girls' title at the 2024 ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships. The atmosphere was electric as students, teachers, and staff gathered to celebrate a decade of dominance in Jamaican high school track and field.
This year's victory held special significance for Edwin Allen, as they faced stiff competition from defending champions Hydel High School. The battle for supremacy came down to the wire, with Hydel pushing Edwin Allen to the final event of the meet, the 4x400m relay. Despite Hydel's valiant effort to claim victory in the relay, Edwin Allen's second-place finish secured their 10th consecutive title, finishing with a total of 335.5 points, just ahead of Hydel's 326 points.
Addressing the crowd gathered in the school's quadrangle, winning coach Michael Dyke expressed his pride and congratulations to his team for their remarkable achievement. He singled out individual medalists and relay teams for their outstanding performances throughout the championship, acknowledging their dedication and determination in bringing the trophy back home to Edwin Allen.
Among those commended by Coach Dyke were athletes Kemoya Campbell, Denique Palmer, Kevongaye Fowler, Shandre Brown, Theianna-Lee Terrelonge, Dionjah Shaw, Sushana Johnson, Kellyann Carr, Horecia Love, Tonyann Beckford, Natasha Fox, Rickeisha Simms, Rasheeda Samuels, Alliah Gittens, Daijanae Bruce, Jounee Armstrong, and Monique Stewart, whose contributions played a pivotal role in securing victory.
Each name drew celebratory cheers and the sound of vuvuzelas.
Coach Dyke also extended his gratitude to the coaching and support staff, whom he hailed as some of the best in Jamaica. He credited their dedication and commitment to the team's success, emphasizing the crucial role they played behind the scenes.
Furthermore, Coach Dyke expressed his determination to continue the legacy of excellence at Edwin Allen, affirming that the championship trophy would remain at the school for many years to come.
Julie Camacho’s Significantly will bid for more handicap riches this season after a productive campaign last year.
The six-year-old ran seven times and never finished far from the action when winning twice and placing second on three occasions.
He was in particularly good form in the latter part of the term, missing out by just a short head when second in the Portland at Doncaster before going on to land the Ayr Gold Cup.
He then ran another fine race to end the season in the Coral Sprint Trophy at York, finishing second again when outdone only by William Haggas’ Montassib.
The latter horse began his campaign in good style when taking the Listed Cammidge Trophy Stakes on Town Moor at the weekend, a nice boost to Significantly’s form from the Knavesmire.
Listed and Group level races could end up on his agenda this season, but there may be more lucrative handicap pots to be targeted before that transition is made.
“He’s in really good shape, he’s forward,” said Steve Brown, Camacho’s husband and assistant.
“He’s a horse that likes cut in the ground so he may start in a fortnight at the Craven meeting in the six-furlong handicap there.
“There are a couple of races we’re keeping an eye on for him but he’s wintered really well.
“He had a positive year last season and he looks every bit as well, he’s on as good terms with himself as he was then.
“We’re in the twilight zone, that grey area where we’re behind the handicapper but it doesn’t quite make sense yet to run in a Listed or Group Three race.
“We’ll keep an eye on them all though, because the one thing we know is that there are a lot less runners in them than in these big-field handicaps.
“It was interesting to see that the horse that beat him at York at the back end of last year won a Listed race quite cosily on Saturday.
“That catches your attention, he’s a horse that might suit a Listed race in Ireland. We’ll keep an open mind and we’re really pleased with his well being, which is the main thing at this time of year.”
Significantly is owned by Niall O’Keeffe, who, alongside the Camacho team, had a good result at Doncaster at the weekend with new purchase Lattam.
The Lope De Vega gelding was bought out of William Haggas’ yard at the end of last season with an Irish Lincolnshire title to his name after he landed that Curragh contest in 2023.
He aimed to add a Lincoln to that title on Saturday and found only one horse too good, finishing second to Mr Professor when having to throw down a challenge from fairly far back in the field.
The run still earnt him over £36,000 and replenished a good chunk of his 50,000 guineas purchase price, with connections hopeful there will be more where that came from as the big mile handicaps will be considered for him throughout the season.
“He’s come out of it fresh and well, he’ll have a quiet week and then I suppose the obvious place to look at is Newbury,” Brown said of the chestnut.
“We know he’s a horse who is ground dependent so we’ll be keen to get another run or two into him in the spring and go from there.
“It was a good, solid start. He could have been a touch closer but I don’t think he’d have beaten the winner, who won well on the day.
“That was pleasing for Niall, these are the sorts of horses he targets to run in the big handicaps and festivals on Saturdays.
“He was thrilled with him, we all were, and we’re looking forward to seeing him run again.”
Lattam is likely to be campaigned in two phases, making the most of the softer spring ground and then lying low in the summer before returning to action in the autumn with Ascot’s Balmoral Handicap in his sights.
Brown said: “The race we’d really love to run him is the Balmoral Handicap, by virtue of him being a soft ground horse, he could go into that race without as much racing as some of them have had at that time of year.
“You’re almost working back from that to a degree, obviously we hope he can strike before then but it would be very much on our minds if you were asking me to name one race for him now.”
It was a celebratory atmosphere at 2A North Street on Monday morning as Kingston College celebrated their 35th hold on the highly coveted Mortimer Geddes trophy.
KC produced another dominant display throughout the five days of the globe’s biggest high school track & field showcase on their way to 335 points, 57 more than their nearest rivals, Jamaica College. Calabar High (194 points), Excelsior High (122 points) and St. Jago High (111.5 points) rounded out the top five schools.
This year’s crown also secured KC’s first three-peat since they won the title for six years in a row from 2001-2006.
Head Coach Leaford Grant summed up what this year’s triumph means to the school.
“This one is right up there. It was a hard-fought title. In previous interviews I said the 2019 one was always the best one because that year we brought the trophy back to KC after many years absent. This was a hard-fought one and it’s always good to win a trophy,” he told SportsMax.tv.
One thing that made it hard-fought, according to Grant, was the presence of injury concerns for some of their athletes that hampered their preparation for the championships.
“We had some injury concerns throughout the course of the season but we prevailed and managed to overcome them,” he said.
One notable absence from the championships was the 2023 Class Two 200m and 400m champion, Tahj-Marques White.
White, a first year Class One athlete, pulled up with an injury while competing earlier in the season and, while Grant said he’s fully recovered, the decision was made to hold him out of the championships as a precaution.
“He’s practically recovered but we thought that, because it’s his first year in class one, we’d give him some time to properly recover to serve us next year,” he said.
“He’s a talented youngster so we didn’t want to stress him too much. He’ll be fine next year,” he added.
Next year will mark KC’s 100th anniversary and Green says a fourth consecutive title would be fitting for such an occasion.
“There’s no special plan. We just have to plan as usual and work hard as usual. At the end of the day, God’s willing, we will bring back the trophy to Kingston College,” he said.
Perhaps KC’s most productive discipline over the five days was the hurdles where they racked up 56 points in total across five finals.
KC’s hurdles coach Kirk King, who is also the head coach of Convent of Mercy Academy, was ecstatic about the performance of his troops.
“My hurdlers stuck to the task and they stepped up their game for the championships. Nobody was expecting a quinella in the Class Two sprint hurdles, nobody was expecting Daniel Clarke to come second in Class One,” he said.
King mentioned that a number of his hurdlers were disappointed after their performances at the Carifta Trials but they recovered well mentally ahead of the championships.
“We had a talk especially after a lot of them were devastated after Carifta Trials because they didn’t make the team and they were demotivated and some of them even said they’re not coming back,” he said.
“I had to motivate them to come back and they came out and delivered. We only had one mishap in our entire hurdles crew,” he added.
KC’s Co-Captains for the championships, Antwon Walkin and Yourie Lawrence-Clarke, also reacted to the team’s 35th title.
“To win anything 35 times is a lot and so we always talk about the greatness of Kingston College, I think this number specifically signifies just how great our institution is,” said Walkin who, despite nursing a groin injury, finished fifth in the Class One discus.
“It feels great. Finishing off the trifecta feels great. There’s no better feeling in the world than to have done all this hard work for a year and come out with a championship,” Walkin added.
Lawrence-Clarke competed in both the 100m and the 4x100m relay. He produced a spirited effort to claim bronze in the 100m final.
“A lot of people didn’t expect me to even make the final so to go out there and get a bronze medal means a lot to me,” he said.
“I really went out there for the team and the supporters because in the 100m, they always expect somebody from KC to be in the mix. It was a great experience for me,” he added.
The track and field community, and indeed the entire nation, was left reeling by the sudden passing of beloved journalist and broadcaster Hubert Lawrence on February 23, 2024. Lawrence, known for his encyclopedic knowledge and unparalleled passion for sports, particularly track and field, had been a fixture in the hearts of many for years. His unexpected departure just before the Gibson/McCook Relays sent shockwaves through Jamaica and beyond.
In recognition of his immense contribution to the sporting world, GraceKennedy Ltd, the title sponsors for the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships, vowed to pay tribute to Lawrence during the event. True to their word, an emotional tribute unfolded during the Championships, featuring a heartfelt video presentation from colleagues and athletes alike, including GraceKennedy Ambassadors Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Hansle Parchment, and Briana Williams. The moving tribute was complemented by a musical performance from Alaine, accompanied by the St. Jago High School chorale.
However, the tribute did not end there. Frank James, CEO of Grace Foods Domestic, stepped forward to present a symbolic gesture of support to St. Jago High School, Lawrence's alma mater. A cheque for JMD$1 million was handed over to a tearful Mrs. Collette Pryce, Principal of St. Jago High School, to fund a legacy project in honour of Lawrence.
Speaking to Sportsmax.TV following the presentation, Mrs. Pryce expressed her gratitude for the generous donation and reflected on the profound impact of Lawrence's legacy. She described Lawrence as a "walking encyclopedia" whose wealth of knowledge and dedication left an indelible mark on all who knew him.
Mrs. Pryce also emphasized the importance of preserving Lawrence's memory for future generations. She mentioned the void left by Lawrence's passing and the community's determination to honor his memory in a meaningful way.
“It is a huge loss. Personally, I was with him the Wednesday (February 21), before he died. We had plans. One of the things I wanted to see was a book for our school for first formers to know the stories of St. Jago and Hubert had all the stories about all the headmasters, about all the characters and I think we have lost a lot because most of it was not recorded and there is this void that we’re feeling right now and we are hoping that someone can step up but the community is shaken.
“He never left St Jago, so we knew him and we are speechless and tonight (Saturday) was difficult. I have been getting the messages from the Diaspora, from persons in Jamaica and they really want to thank Grace for recognizing our school in honour of Hubert, we know that he would have wanted that and we will need time to think this through but it’s a huge loss.”
Mrs. Pryce revealed plans to form a committee comprising Lawrence's friends and family to ensure that any tribute truly reflects his greatness.
“St Jago is 280 years old this year and we are doing a number of activities and Hubert’s legacy is huge. For me, it’s larger than life, heroic and so for the next 280 years Hubert’s name, his work must be in the annals of St Jago High School.
“So, a committee will have to work on this, his friends, we would love for them to be involved in this along with his family, so that whatever we so will really recognize his greatness.”
Karen Mussington, Sponsorship and Events Manager at GraceKennedy, shed light on the company's decision to honour Lawrence and the emotional significance of the tribute. She recalled Lawrence's integral role in sporting events over the years, stating, "What is Champs without Hubert? Personally, I can't remember having Champs, other than this one, without hearing his voice."
She recounted the emotional response from Mrs. Pryce upon learning of GraceKennedy's intention to donate to St. Jago High School in Lawrence's honour, underscoring the deep impact of Lawrence's legacy.
“When I called Mrs. Pryce to tell her what our intention was, she cried,” Mussington stated while recalling how the tribute came together.
“We thought we would get persons close to him to talk about him, Bruce (James), Dwayne Extol, that looked up to him, our brand ambassadors. Shelly talked about him giving her the name ‘Pocket Rocket’, so we thought we’d just put together that tribute for him. It was well received by the stadium and then, not only the tribute, but to make this meaningful donation to his beloved alma mater, St Jago and we will be working with Mrs Pryce to get a project done in his honour.”
While details of the legacy project are yet to be finalized, Mussington hinted at its focus on sports in line with Lawrence's passion and St. Jago High School's active involvement in athletics. She assured that GraceKennedy would continue to collaborate with Mrs. Pryce to ensure that Lawrence's memory is honored in a meaningful and lasting way.
“We definitely want it in line with sports because that was him and St Jago is very active in sports, especially athletics. So we want to something down that line but we have to speak with Mrs Pryce. There will definitely be a part two to this, it is a meaningful story but whatever it is it is going to be in his honour.”
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Trinidad and Tobago's versatile athlete, Tyra Gittens, made an impressive debut in her long jump season opener at the Charles Austin Classic held at the Texas State Track and Field Complex in San Marcos, Texas, last Friday.
The reigning women's long jump champion of Trinidad and Tobago has been diligently training, aiming to shine on the Olympic stage at the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics. Her performance on Friday served as a promising preview of what she could deliver this summer.
Gittens, renowned as an NCAA Indoor high jump and pentathlon champion, showcased her skills in the long jump with leaps measuring 6.44m and 6.68m, achieved from a 10-step run-up. These remarkable performances secured her victory in the event and undoubtedly boosted her confidence as she pursues her Olympic dreams.
With her sights set on the Olympics, Gittens aims to match or even surpass her lifetime best of 6.96m in the long jump. As she continues her preparations, she remains dedicated to representing her twin-island republic of Trinidad and Tobago with pride and determination on the global stage.
The United States clinched their third consecutive Concacaf Nations League title with a commanding 2-0 victory over Mexico in the final of the 2023-24 Concacaf Nations League Finals at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Tyler Adams and Gio Reyna were the heroes for the USA, each finding the back of the net to secure the historic win against their arch-rivals.
The match kicked off with an electrifying atmosphere, and the intensity was palpable from the start. Christian Pulisic had an early opportunity to put the USA ahead but was denied by Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa in the 5th minute.
Mexico responded by applying pressure in the USA's half, and their best chance of the first half came in the 22nd minute when Luis Chavez's shot was saved by USA goalkeeper Matt Turner after a flicked-on header.
As the first half progressed, the USA began to test Mexico's defense from distance. Sergino Dest came close with a shot that sailed just over the crossbar in the 38th minute. However, it was Tyler Adams who broke the deadlock just before halftime with a stunning long-range strike from 35 yards out, giving the USA a 1-0 lead.
In the second half, Mexico looked to mount a response, but they struggled to break down the resolute USA defense. Instead, it was the USA who extended their lead in the 63rd minute when Gio Reyna capitalized on an initial clearance from the Mexican defense and fired a shot past Ochoa at the near post, making it 2-0 for the USA.
Despite Mexico's efforts to get back into the game, the USA defense held firm, denying their opponents any clear-cut opportunities. As the final whistle blew, the USA celebrated their third consecutive Concacaf Nations League title, reaffirming their dominance in the region once again.
Forward Plan will bid for a third big pot of the season at the Grand National meeting in April.
Anthony Honeyball admits to have been taken aback by just how effective the eight-year-old has been this term, winning a good prize at Doncaster and then being beaten a nose in the Great Yorkshire Chase before winning the £150,000 Coral Trophy at Kempton.
He now has his sights set on the £100,000 William Hill Handicap Chase on Grand National day at Aintree, April 13, a race the yard has fond memories of.
“Forward Plan goes to Aintree for the race Sam Brown won two years ago,” said Honeyball.
“When Sam won it it was the race before the National so we had an hour in the winning connections room, but the only thing was we probably didn’t get much exposure as they went straight into the build-up for the National!
“Forward Plan has been a cracking little horse, he’s picked up about £120,000. We’ve dared to dream chucking him in big handicaps and he has kept on delivering.
“Last season we thought he had won his Gold Cup in a £20,000 race at Southwell but he has just improved and improved this season.
“The Badger Ales was a good place to start but the ground was softer than he liked, then he won a nice race at Doncaster and in between Doncaster and his Kempton wins he was beaten a nose in the Great Yorkshire Chase.
“Arguably the best ride Ben (Godfrey) has given him was that one too as everyone was sure the winner, Annual Invictus, had gone off too fast so he ignored him for much of the race, he beat the rest easily but to be fair to the winner he just found that little bit extra.
“The race at Kempton was worth more than the Ultima and there wasn’t one Irish entry. They probably think it comes too close to Cheltenham.
“He looked beaten two out, he’d lost his position down the back straight but he flew home. If he can win a third big pot it would be great, we’ll try and go to Aintree and if not it will be Punchestown.”
Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz clinched third place in the CONCACAF Nations League on Sunday with a hard-fought victory against Panama at Arlington Stadium in Virginia.
The Boyz, under the guidance of coach Heimir Hallgrimsson, secured their triumph thanks to a 41st-minute strike from Dexter Lembikisa.
Lembikisa, operating as a fullback, received a well-timed through pass from Hector near the edge of the 18-yard box before unleashing a powerful shot into the top left corner of Oscar Mosquera’s goal. The goal, Lembikisa's first for Jamaica, sparked jubilant celebrations for the Reggae Boyz, who had suffered a heartbreaking 3-1 loss in extra time against the United States in their semi-final match just days earlier.
Jamaica welcomed back Demarai Gray and Shamar Nicholson, who had missed the previous match due to suspensions. Their return provided a boost to the team's attacking prowess.
In front of a sparse crowd at Arlington Stadium, Panama initially dominated possession in the scrappy affair. However, it was Jamaica who had the best chance to score early on when Shamar Nicholson's right-footed shot on goal was deflected into his path. His subsequent left-footed strike was cleared off the line by Mosquera.
Despite Panama's early dominance, Jamaica managed to create opportunities of their own. A build-up along the left flank saw Kasey Palmer squander a chance from Gray's cross into the box.
In the second half, Jamaica came close to doubling their lead when Damion Lowe's attempted lob over the goalkeeper struck the crossbar and stayed out of the net. Lowe, once more, had an outstanding game playing in midfield for Jamaica breaking up attacks and initiating attacking plays.
As time passed, Panama launched relentless attacks against the Jamaican defense in search of an equalizer. However, the Boyz stood firm, thwarting Panama's efforts and holding on to their lead until the final whistle.
The victory secured third place for Jamaica in the CONCACAF Nations League, capping off their campaign with a well-deserved win against Panama.
It was a case of mission accomplished for Knebworth who stuck his head out in game fashion to achieve trainer Richard Hughes’ early-season objective.
The four-year-old was sent off a 6-1 chance for the William Hill NRMB On The Grand National Handicap and was always prominent in the hands of young apprentice Ethan Jones.
The 9-2 favourite Aleezdancer and most notably Woven laid down a stern challenge at the business end of the six-furlong event, but Jones was strong and had a willing partner when he needed him to prevail by a short head from Woven.
Hughes said: “It was a great run and that has been the plan. I gave him a prep on the all-weather to knock the cobwebs off as you can find with sprinters they can be quite fresh after they’ve had a break.
“I wanted to get that freshness off before he went running on soft ground up there and it was an ideal spot for him.
“Ethan claiming the 7lb certainly helps and it was a lovely win. Ethan is doing most things right at the moment, he’s listening and riding well.”
On future plans, Hughes added: “That was our first target and there might be a race back on the all-weather for him Easter weekend as he’s quite good on the all-weather.
“That might be one of the last highly-rated all-weather races because when the summer comes, it’s hard to get a highly-rated all-weather race. He’ll either go there or I’ll wait for another turf race where there is some moisture in the ground.”
The William Hill Epic Boost Novice Stakes has been won by the likes of Maljoom and Fox Champion in the past and produced another likeable winner in the shape of Eve Johnson Houghton’s Balmacara.
Third on debut behind a subsequent Listed winner and the highly-regarded Kikkuli, the son of New Bay relished the cut under foot to get off the mark at the second attempt at odds of 5-2.
“I’m absolutely thrilled with him and he probably enjoys a bit of juice in the ground, he hits the ground quite hard so I was always keen to get him out early,” said Johnson Houghton.
“He probably wants further and is just a really nice, likeable horse. He definitely wanted soft ground last year but now he’s maturing he might be able to handle better ground better – but he wouldn’t want it very firm.
“It’s our first runner on turf and he wins, so it’s great for all the team and gives us a boost.”
King Of Spain provided a sentimental victory for Gemma Tutty in the Harrison College Your Future Your Choice Handicap as she continued her fine weekend on Town Moor.
Tutty saddled Look Back Smiling to win the Spring Mile at the South Yorkshire track on Saturday and she was in the winner’s enclosure again with a half-brother to former stable standard-bearer Mostly Cloudy, with the three-year-old King Of Spain making an impressive turf debut to follow up a recent success on the all-weather.
“He’s a half-brother to Mostly Cloudy who was our star during our first season so he has a lot of sentimental value anyway, but to see him keep progressing is really satisfying.
“We bought him as a yearling and the owners have been really patient. We were really keen to get him on soft ground and up in trip. I knew he would come on from his last run because he felt amazing at home, but I wasn’t expecting him to put the race to bed quite as impressively as he did.
“Looking at his knee action, he was always going to appreciate a bit of juice in the ground, but he has taken a big step forward today.
“I’m really thrilled and most of the owners of Mostly Cloudy have reinvested and it’s wonderful to pay them back for keeping the faith in me. The weekend couldn’t have gone much better really.”
The afternoon was kicked off by husband-and-wife team of Archie Watson and Brodie Hampson combining with Throne Hall (13-2) to win the William Hill Epic Value Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap, while Qitaal (14-1) returned from over 600 days off the track to make a blistering debut for Charlie Johnston in the 10-furlong Injured Jockeys Fund Handicap.
Purple Lily advertised her Classic claims with victory in the TRM Equine Nutrition Race at Naas.
A winner at Galway on her sole two-year-old outing, Purple Lily was sent off the 10-11 favourite to maintain her perfect record for trainer Paddy Twomey in the mile heat.
She made smooth progress for Billy Lee and when sent to win her race a furlong out, she had more than enough in reserve to win by three lengths from the Group One-placed Portland.
Twomey said: “She’s a nice filly and she wintered well. We just gave her the one run after the breeze-ups last year and she was good.
“I like her, the horses have done loads of cantering but they haven’t done much fast work. When you are taking on a 108-rated colt, you are asking them a question and she did it well.
“We might look at a Guineas trial and then the Irish Guineas. I think we’ll take our time.”
The Calyx filly has now won twice on testing ground, but Twomey added: “That’s only what was there the day she ran, I’d say it doesn’t matter.
“She’s versatile, she has a lovely attitude and is a lovely filly to train. Hopefully we have a good year with her.”
Wendla could also be set for a Classic trial after a taking success in the Dubawi Legend Irish EBF Fillies Maiden.
Beaten in two juvenile starts, Wendla was sent off an 11-2 chance to make it third time lucky for trainer Ger Lyons and jockey Colin Keane and she obliged in style, with a cosy two-and-a-half-length verdict over Harbour Gem.
The Ulysses filly is out of Breeders’ Cup winner Intercontinental, who is a daughter of Juddmonte’s prolific mare Hasili and counts Dansili, Banks Hill and Champs Elysees among her illustrious relations.
“Colin said to me she’d win if she did what we’ve seen at home. It’s about whether they handle the ground or not,” said Lyons.
“She’s a nice filly and it’s nice to get the maidens out of the way with the likes of her and (Friday’s Dundalk winner) Sakti.
“We thought if she handles that ground, if one of the trials comes up soft then we have one for it and if it turns up good, we’ve one for it too.
“I’m not saying they are Guineas horses or anything, they’ve to prove that, but at the minute we’ve won our maiden and they are horses we would like to be going to a trial with and see where the ceiling is in time.
“There’s nothing that gets going until after Punchestown so that gives us a chance to take a breather and obviously the trials are what I wanted to aim at. Ultimately it’s all about stakes races with all the horses.”
Janoobi (4-1) made it a double for Lyons and Keane in the Far Above At Compas Stallions Handicap, returning from a 575-day absence to win by five lengths – much to Lyons’ delight.
He said: “There is a lot of satisfaction in that because he’s come back from a massive injury and the team have done a marvellous job.
“He had a bad fracture in his front leg and it was touch and go whether he was going to be with us. They did a massive job with him and it’s a credit to anyone that had anything to do with him.
“He’s a horse that we always liked and it’s just a bonus to get him back, to win with him is just massive.
“He’s a good, fun horse to have on the team and every day we have with him now is a bonus.”
A Royal Ascot repeat will be on Desert Hero’s agenda when he returns to the track this summer, with William Haggas keen to head to the Hardwicke Stakes in peak condition.
The son of Sea The Stars entered the record books at last year’s Royal meeting when his last-gasp King George V Stakes success provided the King and Queen with their first Royal Ascot champion and prompted joyous scenes in the royal box.
He would go on to land the Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood on his next start which teed-up a shot at the St Leger, where Desert Hero would finish an honourable third in the presence of his owners.
Initial talk of a Melbourne Cup bid was soon curtailed and with the Somerville Lodge handler electing against taking him to Australia this side of the new year, he is pleasing Haggas at home as he builds towards the start of his four-year-old campaign.
The earlier part of the season will have a Royal Ascot focus, with the Hardwicke Stakes currently nominated as Desert Hero’s target for the summer showpiece.
“He’s done really well and I’m really pleased with him,” said Haggas.
“We cut (gelded) him over the winter and took the view he was unlikely to make a stallion, or a stallion that would be popular for anyone, and that he still had plenty of mileage as a racehorse. I think he will be better for being gelded and hopefully he will have a good season.
“He will have a run or two, probably only a run, and it would be very much the Hardwicke. It would be lovely to go back to Ascot with a chance for him.”
For his Royal Ascot tune-up, Desert Hero could tread a similar path to 12 months ago by appearing on Lockinge Day at Newbury on May 18.
The four-year-old reappeared in the London Gold Cup on that card in 2023 and Haggas has tentatively suggested that the Al Rayyan Stakes, previously known as the Aston Park, could be the ideal spot to return to action.
“It will depend how quickly he comes to hand, but the obvious race is the Aston Park,” he continued.
“He ran in the London Gold Cup last year at Newbury and the Aston Park is on the same day, a valuable Group Three race.
“He will be penalty free for that and if you are asking me in March where he will go, then off the top of my head that is what I would say.
“It’s very possible he will start there. That to me looks the perfect place to start him with a nice gap until Royal Ascot.”
Aided by a superior squad with depth across events and classes, Kingston College expectedly retained their boys’ title, while Edwin Allen turned back the challenge from Hydel High to reclaim the girls’ crown, as the curtains came down on the 113th staging of the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships at the National Stadium on Saturday.
Kingston College were always favoured to cop the Mortimer Geddes trophy for a third-straight year and they did so with consummate ease to make it their 35th overall lien on the coveted prize.
The North Street-based purples, who led from day one of the five-day spectacle, fittingly closed the show with victory in the 4x400m relay open to end with a tally of 335 points. They finished 57 points ahead of closest rivals Jamaica College (278 points), with Calabar (194 points), Excelsior (122 points) and St Jago (111.50 points), completing the top five.
Meanwhile, it was sweet redemption for Edwin Allen, who had their eight-year unbeaten run snapped by Hydel in last year’s nail-biting battle in which they were separated by two points.
Like Kingston College, Edwin Allen were also expected to take the girls’ title back to their Frankfield, Clarendon base for a 10th time overall, but dethroned champions Hydel kept things interesting throughout, and lacked the venom to upstage their rivals on this occasion.
The Michael Dyke-coached Edwin Allen amassed 335.50 points to finish nine and a half points ahead of Hydel High, who ended on 326 points after they closed the show with victory in the 4x400m. St Jago (171 points), Holmwood Technical (149 points) and Wolmer’s Girls (128.50 points) round out the top five.
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