Auguste Rodin and his old rival King Of Steel could lock horns once again as both feature among the pre-entries for the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita.
Aidan O’Brien’s colt came on top when they clashed at Epsom in the summer, wearing down Roger Varian’s charge deep inside the final furlong and was then much the best when claiming the Irish Champion Stakes in September.
King Of Steel finished well to be fourth on that occasion, and would head to California with confidence sky high having carried Frankie Dettori to a fairytale success on British Champions Day.
Plenty of familiar names could feature in the Turf, with Royal Ascot and Juddmonte International champion Mostahdaf set to represent John and Thady Gosden and Donnacha O’Brien’s Piz Badile joining Ballydoyle’s Bolshoi Ballet and Broome.
The Amo Racing-owned King Of Steel also has the Classic as a second preference, a race won last year by the all-conquering Flightline and this year could see a match-up between Belmont Stakes winner Arcangelo and Kentucky Derby hero Mage.
Paddington has been given the option of ending his stellar 2023 campaign in the Mile, where he could meet Saeed bin Suroor’s 1000 Guineas and recent Keeneland scorer Mawj.
She is one of two for Godolphin alongside Master Of The Seas who will bid to give Charlie Appleby his third straight success in the race.
High-class duo Inspiral and Warm Heart will lead the raiding contingent in the Filly & Mare Turf with both operating at the peak of their powers this season, while Simon and Ed Crisford’s Dubai World Cup runner-up Algiers is the sole British challenger in the Dirt Mile.
Brad Cox’s Caravel held off the British raiders in the Turf Sprint 12 months ago and has the likes of Adam West’s Nunthorpe hero Live In The Dream and King’s Stand Stakes winner Bradsell to take on this time.
Michael Appleby’s Big Evs will carry British hopes on the opening night of action when he looks to round off a brilliant juvenile campaign in the Juvenile Turf Sprint.
Anzac Day earned quotes for the Derby following an impressive display at Newmarket in the Visit racingtv.com Maiden Stakes.
Trained by Andrew Balding and ridden by James Doyle, the well-named son of Australia stepped up markedly on his debut showing when fourth at Goodwood.
Always to the fore, he bounded five lengths clear of Tribal Star and is 25-1 with Paddy Power for the premier Classic.
Sue Johnson, of owners Brook Farm Bloodstock, said of the 13-2 winner: “He was absolutely fantastic. We expected him to come on for the run at Goodwood but not to win in the style that he did.
“He was slow away at Goodwood, but he was just learning on the job. Jason (Watson) said once he clicked at Goodwood he really went and he finished encouragingly.
“We are dreaming of the Derby next year but we need to talk to Andrew first. We are the dreamers and he is the realist, but you buy into racing for the dream.”
Charlie Appleby’s string are ending the season in fine form and Point Sur (13-8 favourite) was another winner in the Visit racingtv.com Maiden Stakes.
“He put his experience to good use. He is a horse with a nice pedigree and we know his family. Next year stepping up in trip he is a horse we will see further improvement from,” said Appleby.
“He was a horse that we were keen to get another run into. The ground is testing out there and probably in some ways I don’t think he handled the ground, but it brought his stamina into play as on pedigree he has an abundance of it.
“To be fair Kevin Stott, who rode him last time, said you could probably leave the hood off but I thought I will give him one more experience in it up here then put him away.
“He won’t go out to Dubai, and he will winter here before we look at something in the spring. It could come into the category of being a Feilden (Stakes) type of horse next year.”
Appleby and William Buick doubled up when Mountain Song (11-2) won the Every Race Live On Racing TV Fillies’ Handicap.
Another trainer to celebrate a double was Ralph Beckett. His Shemozzle got up late in the opening racingtv.com Fillies’ Restricted Novice Stakes.
“I trained her mother (Sibilance) and she was quite good as she was placed in the Michael Seely Stakes. She was quite good and hopefully this filly can do the same.
“She didn’t come to me until quite late and she has pretty much got there on her own. I’m very pleased she has won for her owner. She will get a mile no problem.
“The other filly (So Logical) had the rail, but she still showed a good attitude to get past her.”
Feigning Madness (9-4) completed Beckett and Hector Crouch’s brace in the British Stallion Studs EBF Future Stayers Novice Stakes when getting up in the final stride.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Victoria Swift says the team’s build-up to their Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup qualifier against Puerto Rico has been intense and purposeful, as they target a positive result on Friday.
With this being the first on home soil for the senior women’s team since April last year, Swift is eagerly anticipating the encounter which represents an opportunity to put points on the board, following a 0-6 loss to Mexico last month.
The experienced defender is one a few veterans expected to be named in Head coach Richard Hood’s side which is set to be announced on Wednesday.
Kick off for Friday’s game is 7:00pm at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
“Preparations have been very intense since we got back from playing Mexico. Thus far I’m extremely proud of the players for all their efforts in each and every session,” Swift told TTFA Media.
“Words can’t explain how excited I am to be playing in Port of Spain before the home fans. This is going to give us the opportunity to bring back joy and passion of women’s football to Trinidad and Tobago. I know there are a lot of players hungry to get opportunities and do well in women’s football here and a positive showing by us can only boost the local women’s game,” she added.
Swift knows the importance of seeing Trinidad and Tobago advance to the next Women’s Gold Cup, especially as they harbour hopes of possibly making the cut for the next FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2027.
“Getting a positive result on Friday is of utmost importance. This would keep our dream alive of qualifying for the first ever Women’s Gold Cup. It’s an opportunity to create history.
“A lot of the focus has been on how we want to play as a unit. We plan to go out there as a team and play with heart and soul… laying it all on the line,” Swift shared.
Following Friday’s match, the Soca ladies will travel to play Puerto Rico on October 31st.
The Road to the Women’s Gold Cup involves 34 participating teams split into the three leagues – League A, League B and League C.
Trinidad and Tobago are in League A which has the nine top-ranked teams divided into three groups of three. League B consist of 12 teams split into three groups of four teams, while League C has 13 teams in total. In League C, Group A will have three teams, while Group B, Group C and Group D will have three teams each.
In all three leagues, the teams will play each other home and away.
The three group winners from League A will qualify for the 2024 Women’s Gold Cup, while the three second-placed teams from League A, will advance to the playoffs, which will include the three group winners from League B. The League A second-placed teams will play a single-leg playoff match against the League B group winners to determine the final three places in the Gold Cup.
Roshawn Clarke’s world junior record set during the semi-finals of the 400m hurdles at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest last August has been ratified by World Athletics.
Clarke, 19, enjoyed a phenomenal breakthrough season in 2023, culminating with a world U20 record and a fourth-place finish at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23.
At the start of the year, his PB stood at 49.35, which he set en route to taking bronze at the 2022 World U20 Championships. He broke his lifetime best in mid-May, then made two further revisions at the senior Jamaican Championships in July, clocking 48.91 in the heats and 47.85 in the final on 7 July, the latter equalling the world U20 record set by USA's Sean Burrell on 11 June 2021.
His progress continued at the World Championships. After advancing through his heat, he went on to finish second in his semifinal in a world U20 record of 47.34 – a time that would have been good enough for gold at many past editions of the championships.
In the final one day later, Clarke finished fourth in 48.07 and beat some of the best 400m hurdlers in the world.
Alana Reid will be training in the United States with the Star Athletics Track Club, Sportsmax.TV has now confirmed.
The 18-year-old former Hydel High School sprinter, who signed a professional contract with Nike in June, had been training with her high school coach Corey Bennett until recently but according to reports this week, the Pan American U20 100m champion, will now be training alongside World 100m champion Sha’Carri Richardson and relay gold medallist Twanisha Terry.
Sources close to the development confirmed on Wednesday that the emerging star who ran 10.92 to win the Class I Girls 100m at the 2023 ISSA GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships, the first ever female to break 11 seconds at the championships, will be developed by former US sprinter turned coach Dennis Mitchell.
The Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile is Algiers’ only option at Santa Anita on Saturday week, as Simon and Ed Crisford bank on the six-year-old’s pace coming to the fore in California.
The Shamardal gelding showcased his talent on dirt in Meydan earlier in the year, finishing second in the feature Dubai World Cup over a mile and a quarter in March.
A tilt at the Breeders’ Cup Classic over that trip had not been ruled out by connections, but they had always been favouring a drop back to a mile for their visit to America and have elected to go that route having been encouraged by Algiers’ imperious displays over similar distances in the Middle East.
“He just looked very effective over a mile and a mile-and-one at Meydan and he has a lot of speed,” explained Ed Crisford.
“I’m not saying he doesn’t stay the 10 furlongs, it’s just that we felt at Santa Anita a mile may play to his strengths more.”
Since his exploits in Dubai, Algiers was given a long summer break before tuning up for the Breeders’ Cup at Woodbine when second in the Durham Cup.
Having bounced out of that first taste of North American dirt well, he is now poised for one final piece of work in the hands of big-race jockey James Doyle before crossing the Atlantic once again.
“It was like a racecourse gallop to be honest, but he has come out of it super well,” reflected Crisford.
“He’s had that run now and has come out of it fresh and well and looks great. He is going to have a good gallop under James Doyle before he leaves and hopefully that will be him set for the race next weekend.
“James knows him and what he can do and what is under the bonnet. He rides the American tracks really well and it should be perfect.”
Joining Algiers for the trip Stateside is impressive Rockfel Stakes scorer Carla’s Way, who is a leading fancy for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
The form of that race got a real boost when the second and third fought out the finish of the Fillies’ Mile and her training team believe she has all the attributes to be right in the mix in her first try at a mile.
“She is in good form and won well at Newmarket,” added Crisford.
“She can quicken off a quick pace which is what you need in America and that track should suit her well, a two-turn mile on quick ground.
“We opted not to go for the Fillies’ Mile because that mile at Newmarket on soft ground wouldn’t really be for her, but she’s got a lot of ability and is progressing with each run and looks like a filly who could be a lot of fun for the future.
“I’m sure she will run really well at Santa Anita.”
A third Ryanair Chase is the ultimate goal for Allaho, who has been been pencilled in to return in the Clonmel Oil Chase having been given a clean bill of health by Willie Mullins.
The dual Cheltenham Festival winner has not been seen since claiming Punchestown Gold Cup glory in the spring of 2022 with a rare spleen injury keeping him sidelined for the whole 2022-23 campaign.
However, the master of Closutton is happy with where he has the nine-year-old ahead of his slated November 9 return, with sights firmly fixed on a third victory at Prestbury Park in the spring.
“Allaho had a very unusual injury last year, I think it was around this time,” said Mullins.
“He came back from the gallops and he displayed signs of colic and yet we couldn’t find any colic in him. All his vitals were all right but it transpired he had a bleed on his spleen which is very unusual, I’ve never heard of it before in a horse.
“He’s a huge horse, about the biggest in the yard, and one of the things with big horses is they can carry weight easier over longer trips but sometimes it makes it tricky carrying their own weight over their career.
“But he’s in great shape this year and I’m very happy with him and he’ll probably start off in the Clonmel Oil, I think he’s ready for that and hopefully he’ll be back for the Ryanair again if we can.
“People will maybe say the Gold Cup but I think the trip is too long for him. He’s good around Cheltenham over that Ryanair trip.”
It is also set to be business as usual for Galopin Des Champs, whose quest for back-to-back victories in the Cheltenham Gold Cup will begin in Punchestown’s John Durkan Memorial Chase on November 26.
The seven-year-old was an emphatic 13-length winner of the race last season and Mullins has no issue with the race’s new place on the calendar as part of the Kildare track’s two-day Winter Festival.
“I’m happy enough (with him) and I know the John Durkan is a week nearer the start of the season this year which is probably better and I assume we go there,” added Mullins.
“I imagine I will try to do what I did last year with him and keep the same routine. He will set off there and hopefully he will be all right and then Christmas at Leopardstown, then the Dublin Racing Festival and then on to Cheltenham and Punchestown.”
With dual Champion Chase winner Energumene out of action, it could be left to El Fabiolo to try to continue Closutton’s dominance in the two-mile chase division.
First port of call for last year’s impressive Arkle winner is filling Energumene’s shoes in Cork’s Hilly Way Chase before connections plot a course to the Champion Chase in March.
Mullins said: “He’s our replacement at this stage of time for Energumene.
“I think he will start off in the Hilly Way, I think that is the place to go. Then plan a route to Cheltenham.”
Also set to start off over two miles is the gallant front-runner Dysart Dynamo, who could contest Naas’ Barberstown Castle Poplar Square Chase on November 12.
“Dysart Dynamo’s ability seems to be the fact that he can jump and gallop from the start and he probably needs nice ground to do that,” said Mullins.
“I think he is a Poplar Square chaser, start him off at Naas and we will take the two-mile route with him for the rest of the season I think.”
Blue Lord is another who could make his mark in the two-mile division this term, although he will join Allaho at Clonmel to start his campaign.
Mullins went on went on: “Blue Lord is another pencilled in for the Clonmel Oil Chase. He was very impressive at Leopardstown over two miles but we know he stays two and a half. I don’t want to go much further with him I think.
“So he will go down the two to two-and-a-half-mile route. Champion Chase, Ryanair Chase are the type of race we will look at and we will see where he puts himself after a couple of races. We will start off at the Clonmel Oil and then go back to that race at Christmas that he won last season.”
Sir Gerhard will return with chasing on the agenda, however, his handler is willing to make a mid-season switch to the smaller obstacles if things do not go to plan and he could feasibly become a Stayers’ Hurdle contender by the spring.
Mullins explained: “He won well the first day and I think he jumped poorly enough after that. He was just beaten in the WillowWarm Gold Cup at Fairyhouse, he jumped well I think that day and was just beaten.
“We were wondering did he not stay and his pedigree suggests he should stay much further than that. He is horse who I think if I can get his jumping right, then he should stay over fences.
“I’m not sure which trip, at one stage I thought he could be a Champion Hurdle horse when he won his maiden hurdle in Leopardstown and then we went out in trip with him because he didn’t jump well enough. We know he has the ability to jump well when he wants to.
“What we might do is if things don’t go well over fences in the early part of the season, I might switch him to be a staying hurdler. That’s the way I’m looking at him, but I would rather stay over fences if I can get his jumping right.”
Also with a brief hurdling foray looming is Monkfish who seems to be over the worst of his injury worries, with his trainer even speculating a Gold Cup entry could be on the cards.
“I was very happy how he came out of the season with his two runs and he is in great shape on the gallops,” said Mullins.
“I imagine I will start him off over hurdles, just to get a run under his belt and then I would hope to go back chasing, that’s the plan anyhow.
“So far so good and his health problems have been no problem this season. Who knows he may get a Gold Cup entry, if all goes well.”
However, one still very much on the road to recovery is Ferny Hollow, with Mullins envisaging a back-end return if the former Champion Bumper winner is to race this season.
“Ferny is making very slow progress, we were not very happy with him at all last spring and we decided to give him the summer off and reports are a lot better now given more time,” he explained.
“I’m hoping we just give him all the time that he wants, he is too good a horse to put by the wayside at this stage.
“I don’t think we’ll make a plan for him this season, if anything it will be the very end of the season, but I wouldn’t be putting him in any 10 to follow or anything like that.”
Meanwhile, all roads lead back to Aintree for last year’s Grand National third Gaillard Du Mesnil.
“He looks the obvious horse to stay going for the Aintree Grand National,” said Mullins.
“I’m wondering which direction to go with him and I know I want to get a few more runs into him this year.
“Whether I start him off over hurdles or fences, the Aintree National will be the main target and I have no plan made for him at this stage. But he might have three or four runs before the big one.”
Kerry Lee’s Nemean Lion has the Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle in his sights after a pleasing victory on seasonal debut at Ffos Las.
The six-year-old was a Grade Two-winning novice last season when taking Premier Novices’ Hurdle at Kelso but still looked to have taken strides forward with an assured round of jumping in the Welsh Champion Hurdle.
The latter run under rider Richard Patrick has seen his rating rise to 140, the mark he will carry at Cheltenham on November 19.
“He’s entered in the Greatwood, he’s had a pop this morning and he seems in great form,” said Lee.
“We’re very happy with the way he’s come out (of Ffos Las), he’s gone up 5lb so he goes into the Greatwood off 140 – onwards and upwards hopefully.
“He did everything right, he was much more the professional and it was really reassuring to see that, having been quite so novicey in his novice season.
“We’ve worked hard, Richard has worked hard to hone his jumping technique and he looked to really enjoy himself and relish the hurdles.”
Alongside a Grade Two success last term, Nemean Lion was also third in the Grade One Tolworth, though Lee is mindful that the gelding will need to step forward again if he is to mix it in the same company this year.
“For that to happen he’d need to be rated a little higher, so we’d need a good run in the Greatwood and then we can really look and see how to shape our season,” she said.
“The Greatwood isn’t the be-all and end-all and if the ground doesn’t lend itself then there are options, but for now we’ll focus on that and see what happens.”
Connections of Impaire Et Passe are keen to have a crack at the Champion Hurdle despite the imposing figure of Constitution Hill standing in their way.
Trained by Willie Mullins and owned by Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, Impaire Et Passe looked imperious in winning all four outings last term.
While his six-and-a-half-length victory over stablemate Gaelic Warrior in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle last season was impressive, he is a best-priced 13-2 for the Champion Hurdle, with current title-holder Constitution Hill the general 4-9 favourite after his connections ruled out a chasing switch.
“Impaire Et Passe is staying hurdling. Connections are keen to have a crack at the Champion Hurdle,” said Mullins.
“I’m not sure if that decision was made before the Constitution Hill one or not, but I think he has a fair crack at the Champion Hurdle.
“He won the Ballymore, the only reason he ran in that was because we had Facile Vega in the Supreme, so that is the route he will go down.
“If he improves any little bit – he’ll probably have to improve a fair bit to beat Constitution Hill – but I think he can and that is the decision we’ve made. I think he might start in the Hatton’s Grace.”
Second to Constitution Hill last season was Mullins’ State Man. He won all his other four outings at Grade One level but has nine lengths to find with Nicky Henderson’s supreme talent.
“I think when you can win four Grade Ones in Ireland – every horse is only one gallop away from an injury – it’s all to play for. Constitution Hill has to get there and so do we, so we just felt that he could earn his keep easier over hurdles, that was the main reason (for staying over hurdles),” said Mullins.
“The obvious race is the Morgiana. It’s hard to see him beating Constitution Hill, but I’m hoping he’ll improve.
“The two of them will get entries in both the Morgiana and Hatton’s Grace, the two could run in either, it will depend on who is ready first. Whoever runs in the Morgiana, we might let the other go for the Hatton’s Grace.”
Some bookmakers have Mullins’ Triumph Hurdle winner Lossiemouth in the Champion Hurdle betting but she is likely to stick to her own sex.
“Lossiemouth could go for the Champion Hurdle or the Mares’ Hurdle but it will more than likely be the Mares’ Hurdle,” said Mullins.
“I haven’t decided where I will start her yet as she had a busy enough season last season, she’s only four. We’d probably like to run her at Christmas, Dublin Festival and Cheltenham so whether she runs before Christmas, I’ve not decided and might just keep her fresh.”
Million-pound purchase Rogue Lightning will return to action next year for a top-class sprint campaign for new owners Wathnan Racing.
The bay son of Kodiac has worn the silks of The Rogues Gallery all season, chalking up a hat-trick of five-furlong sprints that culminated with Listed success in the Scarbrough Stakes at Doncaster.
The gelding was then stepped sharply up in grade to take on the Group One Prix de l’Abbaye at ParisLongchamp and was not beaten far when fifth and only a length and a quarter behind the winner Highfield Princess.
He was then auctioned via the Goffs Qipco British Champions Day Sale prior to racing at Ascot on Saturday and fetched an impressive £1million as Richard Brown was the winning bidder on behalf of Wathnan Racing.
Rogue Lightning will stay in the care of trainer Tom Clover and will return to training next season with an eye on a programme of valuable sprint contests.
“It’s absolutely fantastic news, it’s terrific to have a horse like him in the yard,” Clover said.
“He’s been a great horse for the Rogues and for us, as an ambitious yard, to keep him for some fantastic new owners in the yard is very exciting.
“We’ll have to speak to Richard Brown but the plan for now is that we’ll give him a break and bring him back fresh in the spring.
“He’s the type of horse where you’d hope that the programme would work itself out, all the obvious races – King’s Stands, Nunthorpes, who knows?
“He should winter very well, I hope, and should shape into a top-class sprinter.”
Cavalier continued their high-flying, goal-scoring form, as they hammered Harbour View 5-0 in the first leg of the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Cup semifinals at Sabina Park on Tuesday.
With the win, Cavalier is now on the cusp of securing a spot in the Caribbean Cup Final, as well a spot in the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup.
Shaniel Thomas hit the ground running and after scoring seven goals in the group stage, the dynamic Cavalier striker tallied his eighth goal of the tournament with just five minutes on the clock. The former Jamaica College standout volleyed home a cross from Orlando Russell from the left wing.
Cavalier continued to apply pressure and quickly doubled their lead in the 12th, courtesy of Jamaro Calvin, who latched on to a loose ball in front of the Harbour View's goal after a free kick was played into the area.
Harbour View were down but not out, and they soon found their range. However, Vino Barclett in goal for Cavalier, proved equal to the task.
The "Stars of the East's" best effort at that point came when a Jahshaun Anglin shot deflected off Shaquiel Bradford and spun over the crossbar on the stroke of halftime.
Harbour View kept pushing for a goal and a snap header from Bradford in the 52nd was well kept out Barclett with a reaction save.
Ludlow Bernard's side later paid for their profligacy, as Cavalier extended their lead to in the 64th, when a cross from Calvin clipped the heel of Harbour View's defender Keven Clark and rolled over the line for a goal.
The Cavalier attack was unyielding, and they soon went 4-0 up in the 73rd on an excellent finish from Jeovanni Laing.
Dwayne Allen then completed the rout for Rudolph Speid's side with an easy finish from close range in the 87th.
Corach Rambler will start his season off at Kelso on Saturday, rather than Cheltenham.
The Grand National hero is all set for the Edinburgh Gin Chase at the Borders track, in preference to a handicap at Prestbury Park.
William Hill ambassador Russell said: “We could have gone to Cheltenham, but we just thought with this being a limited handicap it was the better option. He doesn’t have to give quite as much weight away and it should suit him nicely.
“He’s in really great form at home and everything he’s shown us so far suggests he’s still going as well as he did before the Grand National.
“You can never be sure how much these races take out of a horse, but he seems really well in himself and we’re looking forward to getting him going. He doesn’t take an awful lot of work to get fit and we took him for a racecourse gallop at Ayr which will have hopefully brought him forward too.
“He owes us absolutely nothing and he’s just a real joy to have in the yard.”
Bluestocking will be back again next year after a frustrating winless season ended with her finishing second in another Group One on Champions Day.
Ralph Beckett’s filly chased home Savethelastdance in the Irish Oaks and just failed to reel in Poptronic at Ascot on Saturday.
She was also placed in the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot and finished fourth in the Yorkshire Oaks but failed to get her head in front even when dropped to Listed company at Chester in September.
Barry Mahon, racing manger for owners Juddmonte said: “She ran another cracker, she’s having a break for the winter but she’ll be back next year.
“The owners had said before Saturday that they would like to keep her in training.
“Rossa (Ryan) gave her a lovely ride on Saturday, I thought the winner would have come back to her a little more but in fairness to her, she kept going.”
Roger and Harry Charlton’s Time Lock ran in the same race but disappointed back in seventh.
“The ground was too testing for her,” said Mahon. “William (Buick) said he knew after a furlong she wasn’t in love with the ground, it was just too soft.”
Unfortunately similar comments applied to 2000 Guineas winner Chaldean in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, he ended up being beaten 49 lengths.
“Frankie (Dettori) said he travelled great for five or six furlongs but then, having been off the track for a while, that ground found him out,” added Mahon.
“He couldn’t quicken off that really deep ground so he looked after him. We haven’t fully decided if he’s coming back next year or not.”
Next year promises to be another good one for Juddmonte either way, with the Middle Park runner up Task Force and Skellet, a narrow runner-up in the Oh So Sharp likely to take high order.
But Mahon also said it was too early to rule out Mill Reef winner Array from being a leading player despite him disappointing in the Dewhurst, for which he was supplemented.
“The horse we ran in the Dewhurst is a very nice horse but he came out of the that with an injury, so we didn’t see his true running there. I think he’ll be a nice horse next year, it’s not serious but enough to cause a below-par effort,” said Mahon.
A makeshift Senior Reggae Girlz squad will have it all to do when they take on Panama in a Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup Qualification fixture on Wednesday.
The players who were responsible for leading Jamaica to a historic Round of 16 appearance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup earlier this year are not part of the group in Panama after withdrawing from selection to protest what they describe as “constant mistreatment” from the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF).
Things have been made even more difficult for the travelling squad after a late change in venue due to ongoing protests in Panama City.
New Head Coach of the team, Xavier Gilbert, said the protests have also led to some logistical issues for the Girlz, including a lack of training time.
“We’ve been here from Sunday. We were in another city where there was a protest so it affected us. I must give credit to CONCACAF and the local organizing committee for responding the way they did. They tried to get us out the same time we landed on Sunday which is three hours away from the airport so it was difficult. Then yesterday in the morning we couldn’t move because roads were blocked,” he said.
“The good thing is that it didn’t affect any of the players and for that I must commend the local organizing committee once again. Once they picked up the players. They moved them straight to this hotel here so that was good. They didn’t encounter any delays,” he added before noting the challenge of the late venue change and an inability to train.
“It is challenging because now the venue has changed, the training venue has changed and the game venue changed and we’re still uncertain on some logistics as it relates to time,” he said.
“We’re going to have to do something. It’s not ideal in terms of what we want to do and to have everybody who we want involved but a lot of the players, especially when we travel at youth level, we find ourselves in similar situations so some of them are used to this. We only have a one-hour session before our first game and that includes a warm-up so we just have to try and get in and get out. We’re going to have to do a lot of mental and tactical preparation as it relates to how we want to approach the game,” he added.
In an interview on Tuesday, Gilbert said that about 15 members of the squad had already arrived in Panama with a few more coming.
He added that the absence of 18-year-old Shaniel Buckley, who is currently with the Jamaica team at the Pan Am Games in Chile, will be a big loss for the Girlz.
“We have about 15 players here so far. We’re expecting another couple and then we’ll take it from there. Unfortunately, I’m not sure that we’ll have Shaneil Buckley. She’s at the Pan Am Games and she hasn’t left yet so that’s a huge blow for us,” Gilbert said.
With regular skipper Khadija Shaw among those unavailable, Gilbert says midfielder Chinyelu Asher will Captain the team on Wednesday.
“Chinyelu Asher based on her experience playing at the international level and playing at the World Cup. She’s the most experienced and capped player here and it’s fitting for her to be the leader,” Gilbert said.
The 30-year-old Asher has scored six goals in 29 caps for the Reggae Girlz since her debut in 2015.
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