Aidan O’Brien’s St Leger winner Continuous will miss the Japan Cup next weekend due to stiffness.
His scheduled run at Tokyo racecourse on November 26 had garnered plenty of interest amongst the locals.
Not only was he due to take on the brilliant Equinox, currently rated as the best horse in the world, but Continuous is a son of Heart’s Cry.
Heart’s Cry was a quality performer in Japan and beat Deep Impact, the sire of O’Brien’s dual Derby winner Auguste Rodin, in the Arima Kinen of 2005 as well as winning the 2006 Sheema Classic in Dubai.
Continuous was far from disgraced in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe when a little over three lengths behind Ace Impact in fifth, however, his trip to the Far East has now been scuppered.
O’Brien said: “Unfortunately Continuous was stiff after his latest exercise which means he won’t be going to Japan.”
Ruth Jefferson’s classy chaser Sounds Russian is on the road to recovery after an injury sustained when he was brought down in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March.
The gelding had a fruitful season prior to the fall, winning the Edinburgh Gin Chase at Kelso on debut and then finishing second by narrow margins in both the Rowland Meyrick and the Cotswold Chase.
His next start was a return to Prestbury Park for the Gold Cup, where he started at 50-1 under Sean Quinlan in a field of 13.
Six fences from home he was still in contention when the leader, Ahoy Senor, fell and knocked him off of his feet as he followed on behind.
The resulting knee injury has required an operation and Sounds Russian has now started the pre-training phase of his return to action.
Jefferson said: “He’s in pre-training so he’s been doing some treadmill work, he’s seen the physio, he’s been doing a lot of flat work and fitness work at the moment. He’ll probably be back with me in the next month or so.
“He’s not always behaved himself so he might not be as fit as I was hoping he’d be when he gets back to me, which will push me back to February.
“He doesn’t take a lot of getting fit, that’s one thing about him, but it does mean everything has to slow down a stride.
“He damaged his knee and had to have it operated on, they took 12 chips of bone out. It was a funny injury really but he’s been sound on it, that’s the main thing. Ridden or otherwise, he’s been very sound on it.”
Jefferson predicts the bay will not make it to the racecourse before February and when he does a switch to hurdling is open to him as he is still a novice over smaller obstacles.
She said: “I’ve got no idea what he’ll be doing, he’s still a novice over hurdles so it’s possible we could revert to hurdling for the rest of the season because I don’t know what there’ll be for him when he comes back chasing-wise.
“He’s only rated 111 over hurdles so if the handicapper leaves him at that I’ll be delighted, it might make more sense to do that but there’s a few more bridges to cross before then.”
Elaine Thompson-Herah’s management has confirmed the separation of the athlete and her coach Shanikie Osbourne after a breakdown in negotiations over compensation. The double-double Olympic champion’s management, Andi Sports Management, made the confirmation in a statement released late Wednesday that also revealed that the search for a new coach is currently underway.
Thompson-Herah, who won the 100m/200m double at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and the Tokyo Olympics, struggled in 2023 failing to earn an individual spot on Jamaica’s team to the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary in August.
During the championships she brought Osbourne onto her coaching staff and the impact was almost immediate with the 30-year-sprinter who ran 11.06 at the Jamaica national championships, running times of 11.00, 10.92, 10.84 and 10.79 to end the season on a high.
It is against that background that when the situation became public earlier this week, it came as a surprise to many. However, there was no official confirmation. That came on Wednesday.
“Five-time Olympic Games Gold Medalist Elaine Thompson-Herah and her temporary coach has parted ways,” the statement began. “The professional separation came about due to a breakdown in negotiations on a compensation package for the services that would be provided by Coach Osbourne.”
According to the athlete’s management, the package proposed by Osbourne was “by any measure of what is the norm for such services, was extremely excessive and without any flexibility to negotiate by the other party.
“Collectively, we had no choice but to seek the services of another coach.”
Thompson-Herah’s management acknowledged the progress made with Osbourne and thanked her for her contribution.
“Mrs. Elaine Thompson-Herah benefitted from the services of Coach Osbourne, especially towards the end of the 2023 athletic season and for that Mrs. Thompson-Herah is grateful and would like to express her thanks for her impact in a very short space of time,” the statement read.
“With the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, fast approaching, Mrs. Thompson-Herah is fully focused on her preparations for the season and the defense of her Olympic titles. In this regard, we have undertaken a process to procure the services of a coach who would be able to ensure the high standards of Mrs. Thompson-Herah are exceeded and her goals for the 2024 outdoor athletic season are met.
“Once our search is complete and a final decision is made we will once again use this medium to officially notify the fans, followers, supporters and the general public. Rest assured that the best interest of Mrs. Elaine Thompson-Herah supersedes all other concerns and all decisions will be made to fortify her legacy as one of the World’s premier female athletes.”
Following a display of raw athletic talent, Vernez Nelson from Lacovia High School and Osmond Holt from Muschett High School emerged as the top performers at the MVP Grassroots Athletics Training Camp held in Cornwall County, Jamaica. Suzanne Richie-Brown of York Castle High was the top coach.
The training camp, organized by the MVP Track & Field Club, witnessed an overwhelming turnout of aspiring young athletes eager to learn from the best in the field. The event, held at the Montego Bay Sports Complex in St. James, marked the successful commencement of the training camps for this year.
The standout performers, Vernez Nelson and Osmond Holt, were crowned as the PUMA girl and NCB boy of the camp, respectively. Their achievements reflect not only their individual prowess but also the effectiveness of the comprehensive training provided by the MVP coaching staff.
The rankings were determined by the cumulative scores given by six technical coaches, each specializing in hurdles, jumps, throws, middle distance, relays, and sprints. The athletes showcased their competence in each technical area, emphasizing the holistic approach adopted by the MVP Track & Field Club.
Head Coach Paul Francis, who led the team to exceptional results at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, has stressed the significance of sharing knowledge and training methods, fondly recalling the success story of Antonio Watson, a participant in the 2016 MVP Grassroots Training Camps, who went on to win gold in the 400m at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August.
"The journey of nurturing young talent begins here," declared Coach Francis. He outlined the upcoming Advanced Level Training Camps, with the Middlesex edition scheduled for November 18th at the GC Foster College in St. Catherine and the Surrey edition to be held at the National Stadium in Kingston on November 25th, 2023.
The West Indies Rising Stars Men’s Under 19 Selection Panel has named 15 players for a two-week training camp in Trinidad. This will form as part of the ongoing preparations for the ICC Men’s Under 19 Cricket World Cup.
During the camp the players will have five matches at the National Cricket Centre at Couva. Three matches will be against the Trinidad and Tobago Under 23 team while the other two will be against the USA Under 19 squad, who will also be participating in the World Cup.
The West Indies will again be led by Stepan Pascal and the squad includes several members who toured Sri Lanka for four-day “Tests” and Youth One-Day Internationals in August and September.
The next ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup will be played in Sri Lanka in January and February 2024. The West Indies squad for the tournament will be named in early December.
FULL SQUAD: Stephan Pascal (captain), Jewel Andrew, Mavendra Dindyal, Joshua Dorne, Nathan Edward, Tarrique Edward, Reon Edwards, Deshawn James, Divonie Joseph, Zishan Motara, Tamarie Redwood, Nathan Sealy, Raneico Smith, Steven Wedderburn, Adrian Weir,
MATCH SCHEDULE (all matches at National Cricket Centre, Couva)
16 November: vs Trinidad and Tobago Under-23
18 November: vs Trinidad and Tobago Under-23
20 November: vs Trinidad and Tobago Under-23
23 November: vs USA Under-19
25 November: vs USA Under-19
If the confidence exuded by Neveal Hackshaw and Reon Moore is anything to go by, then Trinidad and Tobago are poised to give United States a tough run in the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals.
Both Hackshaw and Moore, declared the Soca Warriors intentions of taking a positive result off their highly-fancied opponents in their first-leg encounter at the Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas on Thursday.
The return-leg fixture is scheduled for four days later at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo.
The Angus Eve-coached Trinidad and Tobago secured their quarterfinals berth after they finished second in the six-team Group A on nine points. Their last two meetings with United States ended in 0-6 and 0-7 losses.
Despite the United States holding a significant advantage over Trinidad and Tobago based on those scorelines and others in the past, both Hackshaw and Moore rate their chances of upsetting the applecart, highly.
Hackshaw, who has 39 caps and two goals for Trinidad and Tobago, first expressed satisfaction with the preparation heading into the encounter.
“These sessions have been very important as we try to get match fit with these games we have been playing here and I think the guys are playing and doing pretty good. Now we're just waiting to meet up with the rest of the guys and I think it's going to be fun,” Hackshaw said prior to their departure.
“I think with the bunch of guys we have now; I think we're going to give them (United States) a good fight. It's not going to be easy both ways for us and for them, and I think we are going to do good.
“This team we have here is a fighting team. It's a younger group, but I think everyone is always up for the fight, and with the addition of Levi (Garcia), I think we are going to do great,” he added.
Should they pull a surprise in Texas, the midfielder pointed out that it would be a significant boost to ensure local fans are entertained when they return home for the second leg.
"It's not going to be easy for us, but we are going there to give them a show, and we are not going to step short, and we are going to go full hundred,” Hackshaw declared.
Meanwhile, Moore, 27, who has scored seven goals in 24 appearances, echoed similar sentiments.
“I think we will do well in Texas. The training session with the boys have been high intensity so far, we are fully enthusiastic about the task at hand, and we are going to go there and show that we have what it takes to beat the USA,” he stated.
The striker also welcomed the return of captain Levi Garcia, who missed all four matches for the Soca Warriors in the six-team League A qualifiers.
“It will be a big plus for all the guys and the technical staff to have Levi back in the team because what he brings to the table for us is great,” Moore noted.
The other quarterfinals fixtures will see Canada against Jamaica, Mexico against Honduras, and Panama against Costa Rica.
At the end of the two-leg ties, the four winners will progress to the Nations League semi-final in March next year, as well as the Copa America tournament.
The four losing quarterfinalists will engage a single-match direct elimination play-in for the final two spots to next year’s Copa America, which will be hosted in the United States.
Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero will keep the Grand National in mind for Gesskille following his win in the Grand Sefton over the famous Aintree fences, with the training duo also contemplating a run over the cross-country course at Cheltenham next month.
The seven-year-old has proven a brilliant operator over the famous spruce since joining the Cheshire-based training team, and after a couple of near-misses at the track last term, finally got his moment in the Merseyside spotlight as jockey Henry Brooke bounced out his mount who made every yard in testing conditions.
That victory has seen Gesskille rise to a career-high mark of 144, but with the world’s most famous steeplechase set to have reduced numbers for 2024, Greenall feels he may have to improve further in the ratings to guarantee his spot and is considering a run at Cheltenham on December 15 before firming up plans for the spring.
He said: “He would need to go up a bit to get in (the Grand National), so we will just see and he might go to the cross-country race at Cheltenham in December and see how we go after that really.
“We will keep him fresh anyway for a spring campaign, whether that is Auteuil or the National, we will have to wait and see.”
Gesskille was beaten a nose in the Grand Sefton 12 months ago, before filling the same runner-up berth in the Becher Chase a month later.
However, Greenall credits the application of blinkers as making the real difference for the gelding, who was a game winner at Auteuil in his new headgear prior to his Aintree triumph.
“He seems a little bit more professional with the headgear, it has definitely helped him,” he added.
“People said the loose horse helped him (at Aintree) and I’m sure it did a little bit. But with the headgear, he seemed to be staying on gamely anyway.”
Graham Lee has undergone surgery at the Royal Victoria Infirmary Hospital in Newcastle after a serious fall last week, with his daughter Amy thanking the racing world for its “overwhelming” support.
The Grand National and Group One-winning jockey was unseated from Ben Macdui at the start of an all-weather handicap at Newcastle on Friday, suffering injuries that saw him taken to hospital and admitted to an intensive care unit.
He has since been identified as having an unstable cervical fracture causing damage to his spinal cord, and the racing world has rallied round the rider and his family.
The Injured Jockeys Fund have been heavily involved in those efforts, and on Wednesday afternoon released an update which read: “Jockey Graham Lee had surgery yesterday at the Royal Victoria Infirmary Hospital in Newcastle to stabilise the fractures in his cervical spine and further protect his spinal cord.
“He also had a tracheostomy performed to allow him to be more comfortable and improve communication.
“Whilst Graham has recovered from the surgery well, the extent of his long-term recovery remains uncertain.”
The statement added: “Graham’s family would like to thank everyone for their best wishes and for their support of the JustGiving page set up by Graham’s 18-year-old daughter Amy, who says: ‘I am personally writing down each and every message and donation that comes through and I share all of these with dad. To be honest it’s simply overwhelming and we can’t believe that so many people are thinking of us. I wish I could explain how much of a difference it will make to dad’s recovery knowing that he has your support – thank you from the bottom of my heart’.”
The JustGiving page created by Amy Lee is now approaching £80,000 in donations that will go to the IJF.
Conflated is likely to bid for back-to-back victories in next month’s Savills Chase following a pleasing effort at Down Royal last weekend.
Gordon Elliott’s eight-year-old was a comfortable winner at Leopardstown last Christmas, his second Grade One victory at the Foxrock track having also landed the 2022 Irish Gold Cup.
He finished third behind Galopin Des Champs and Bravemansgame in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March, but subsequently failed to fire at Aintree and again disappointed on his return at Punchestown last month.
However, the Gigginstown House Stud-owned gelding roared back to form in Saturday’s Ladbrokes Champion Chase, making much of the running and looking the likely winner at the top of the home straight before being mowed down late on by both stablemate Gerri Colombe and Envoi Allen.
Gigginstown’s racing manager Eddie O’Leary expects Conflated to be an even stronger force back at Leopardstown on December 28.
“He ran an absolute cracker and he’s entitled to go on to Leopardstown after that,” O’Leary said.
“He’s much better going left-handed, so if he’s kicked out of the way at Leopardstown then we’ll look at different options.”
Conflated holds an entry in the Betfair Chase at Haydock on Saturday week, but O’Leary all but ruled out a trip to Merseyside, adding: “We travel for Cheltenham and Cheltenham only!”
Middleham Park hurdlers Red Risk and Marie’s Rock are likely to cross paths in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury next month.
Both horses run in the silks of the ownership group, and Marie’s Rock has won at the highest level for connections, taking both the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and the Mares Champion Hurdle at Punchestown last year.
The Nicky Henderson-trained mare was second to Sire Du Berlais in the Liverpool Hurdle on her final start last season and will reappear for the new campaign over the staying trip.
There she will encounter Paul Nicholls’ Red Risk, an eight-year-old who has been moving out of handicap company in recent starts and made a promising start to the season when second in the Grade Two bet365 Hurdle at Wetherby’s Charlie Hall meeting.
Tom Palin of Middleham Park said of the two horses: “I think they’re going to do battle, they’ll be taking each other on at Newbury in the three-mile Grade Two there (December 1).
“That’s been Marie’s Rock’s target for a while, that was the logical starting point for her.
“Red Risk ran a cracker at Wetherby, I thought we were going to go past the other horse but he really toughed it out as well. We were delighted with the run.
“He does go very well fresh, we’ll run at Newbury but the one question we have is whether it’s a bit too soon after Wetherby.
“Then we’d just look at giving him a bit of a freshen up going into something ahead of the spring, maybe a Cleeve Hurdle or something akin to that.
“They’ll probably end up taking each other on at Newbury in that Grade Two and it will be fascinating to see who comes out on top.”
Marie’s Rock will proceed from Wetherby in the direction of the top staying contests, with the big festivals at Cheltenham and Aintree pencilled in for the spring.
“She’s obviously got that useful weight allowance and I think she has a pull as it is on official ratings but that performance (by Red Risk) the other day was a very, very good performance,” Palin said.
“We’ve just got Red Risk figured out and Marie’s Rock is in great form. Her campaign kind of plans itself; Newbury, Ascot, Cheltenham for the Cleeve, Cheltenham for the Stayers’ and Aintree again.”
Martin Keighley’s Found On will bid for black type as she returns to Market Rasen for the Rhino.Bet Bud Booth Mares’ Chase on Thursday.
The eight-year-old has been consistent in recent seasons, winning six of her last eight starts over distances varying from two and a half miles to three.
She hit the ground running this season when making her yearly reappearance at this track in October, winning a competitive handicap chase by four lengths under Sean Bowen.
The mare will now return to the Lincolnshire circuit at Listed level, where she is set to join four rivals over an increased trip of three miles.
“It was a really good performance, her first run of the season at Market Rasen,” said Keighley.
“That was quite a strong handicap and she did it well, as soon as she won there we had this in mind as we’re desperate to get her some black type.
“We’ve saved her for this race and hopefully she can, she’s been to the track twice and won there twice, she’ll like the decent ground so I’m hoping for a big run.
“The Dan Skelton horse will be a hard one to beat, but she’s in good form and if she doesn’t win and is in the first three, it will be great to get her black type.”
The Skelton horse in question is Galia Des Liteaux, a Grade Two winner last season who was most recently seen coming home fourth behind Gerri Colombe in the Mildmay at Aintree.
Nicky Henderson’s Tweed Skirt, Sue Smith’s Burrows Diamond and Jedd O’Keeffe’s Fairfield Ferrata complete the line up.
Tom Cannon cannot wait to be reunited with Edwardstone when he makes his seasonal reappearance in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham on Sunday.
Alan King’s nine-year-old has shared many memorable days with the rider, none more so than their decisive Arkle victory at the Cheltenham Festival in 2022.
Last season included another Grade One success, this time in the Tingle Creek, and the bay was beaten just a head in the Clarence House in January.
There was no repeat Cheltenham Festival success as Edwardstone posted an uncharacteristic performance in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, but Cannon is happy to draw a line through that run as the duo return to the same track at the weekend.
He said: “Edwardstone has been good at home. I schooled him on Monday, and I schooled him last Monday as well. He seems very fresh and well in himself and I’m looking forward to Sunday.
“It is going to be a good race, but he doesn’t have any easy races now with the level he is at. He was meant to run in this race last season, but the ground was on the quicker side so he swerved it. He won first time out last year and he will be ready to go and do his best.
“He enjoyed it on Monday when I gave him a jump and he is a pleasure to have around and be involved with. He is a magnificent horse, not just to sit on but to look at as well.
“You get some horses that are good that might be small, but when you get on top of him it is like riding a horse into battle. He is a big strong brute of a horse that has got all the power in the right places.”
The Shloer Chase is run over a trip of two miles, Edwardstone’s usual trip, but there are discussions about stepping up in distance at a later point in the season and Cannon believes connections may find this outing helpful in making that decision.
“His pedigree suggests he will get further, and he ran further than two miles over hurdles and ran well. On his day he is a very quick two-miler which he showed in the Tingle Creek last season,” Cannon said.
“He probably wasn’t at his best after that, but we will see how we go in the race on Sunday and go from there.
“As he is getting bit older now, and with a few younger horses coming through, it might give us options if we go up further in trip.
“This is a case of testing the water with him and it is a nice place to go. I’m sure this will answer a few questions about where he will go for the rest of the season.”
Head Coach Andre Coley welcomed the West Indies A team tour of South Africa as a significant assignment to not only define, but more importantly, develop the region’s depth of talent in the longer formats of the game.
The Joshua Da Silva-captained team will engage their South African counterparts in three Tests between November 21 and December 8.
“It will give us an opportunity to boost our red-ball opportunities outside of the Caribbean. Earlier this year, we went to Bangladesh, and we did well there, and now we are going to another part of the world – South Africa. It will give us an opportunity to explore the brand of cricket that we want to play,” Coley said in an interview with CWI Media.
“Our next international assignment is in Australia, and six months after that we go to England, so this A team is positioned to offer red-ball playing opportunities on the back of the just-concluded Super50 Cup,” he added.
Coley, who is also Head coach of the senior West Indies Test side, is no stranger to South African conditions, having guided a Kraigg Brathwaite-led squad on last year’s tour.
“The South Africans are a team that want to play a specific way, and they always look to challenge you, but they respect our players. The pitches have offered pace, have offered bounce, so you will have pitches on which you can trust the bounce,” Coley reasoned.
“Players can, therefore, express themselves, whether they are batting or bowling, but it has never really been a place where the spinners have excelled. So, it’s also an opportunity for our spinners to learn to be effective in those conditions, and I am looking forward to being there,” he noted.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Da Silva will have Tevin Imlach as his deputy in a squad that also boast the experience of left-handers Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Kirk McKenzie, as well as fast bowlers Jayden Seales and Shermon Lewis.
Kevlon Anderson, fast bowler Shamar Joseph, and Jamaican spin bowling all-rounder Abhijai Mansingh, are also in the squad.
Coley, a former Jamaica wicketkeeper-batsman, pointed out that while the main objective is to come away from the tour victorious, there are other goals that are equally important for the development of the West Indies squad.
Coley will be assisted by former West Indies captain Jimmy Adams and former Australia fast bowler Shaun Tait.
“You learn to win over time. We want to see our primary batsman scoring loads of runs, as well as the all-rounders and bowlers averaging above 20 or 30 and building lower order partnerships, that will help to expand our batting options,” Coley said.
“Once we are able to tick the boxes that we have agreed upon, 75 per cent or more of what we have aimed for, that will help to define success,” he ended.
In a bid to secure maximum points and boost their chances of qualifying for the next Concacaf Gold Cup, the St Kitts National Senior Football Team, affectionately known as the Sugar Boyz, is gearing up for two crucial CONCACAF Nations League matches. The team, under the guidance of Coach Austin 'Dico' Huggins, is set to face St. Lucia at the SKNFA Technical Center on Thursday at 7 pm, followed by an away clash against Guadeloupe on Sunday, November 19, at 3 pm.
Coach Huggins, expressing confidence and optimism ahead of the matchups, shared insights into the squad's preparations on Tuesday evening. Major changes have been made to the squad, with the inclusion of players who were unavailable during the previous Gold Cup encounter. Coach Huggins highlighted the importance of having a full-strength team, stating, "A few of the guys that we brought in were with us when we went to the Gold Cup in the last encounter...for whatever reason, with their clubs (overseas) they were not able to make the trip with us. But they are here now, and we are thankful for that, so hopefully, we will be at full strength."
The first of the two matches will be hosted at home, and Coach Huggins called upon the fans to play a pivotal role. "Home fans are always beneficial to the home team. We call them the 12th player, so we are hoping that they will give us their support, cheer on the team, encourage the guys positively, and let us all win this game together," Coach Huggins emphasized.
The Sugar Boyz are aware of the significance of securing victories and maintaining a superior goal difference in the Nations League to enhance their chances of qualifying for the prestigious Concacaf Gold Cup.
The upcoming matches are crucial for St. Kitts and Nevis, and the squad is set to face St. Lucia on Thursday, November 16, at the SKNFA Technical Center (7 pm) and then take on Guadeloupe on November 19 at 3 pm. The selected squad for these vital matches includes:
Julani Archibald – CD Victoria, Zaykeese Smith – Village Superstars FC, Xander Parke – Leek Town FC, Gerard Williams – Trau FC, Andre Burley – Oxford City FC, Ethan Bristow - Minnesota United FC, Lois Maynard - Ratcliffe FC, Jalden Myers – Bath United FC, Jameel Ible – Guiseley AFC, Ezrick Nicholls - University of Tampa, Romaine Sawyers – Cardiff City FC, Tyrese Shade - Swindon Town FC, Omari Sterling-James – Ebbsfleet United, Ronaldo Belgrove - FC Miami City, Nequan Browne – United Old Road Jets FC, Yohannes Mitchum – Newtown United FC, Raheem Somersall - North Carolina FC, Harry Panayiotou – F.C. Bruno’s Magpies, Tiquanny Williams - United Old Road Jets FC, Diego Edwards – Notts County, Kimaree Rogers – Village Superstars FC.
The Sugar Boyz and their supporters are ready for an intense battle on the field, and the entire nation anticipates thrilling encounters in the upcoming Nations League matches.
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