Wayne Pinnock, the long jump sensation from Jamaica and University of Arkansas, has signed with 7venz Media Agency for public relations and media representation. Pinnock won the SEC long jump title, his second, with a leap of 8.28m on Friday.
With a personal best of 8.54 meters, Pinnock is taking the track and field world by storm. His impressive performances have earned him a spot on the PUMA roster, signing a NIL deal with the global sports brand.
"I'm excited to partner with 7venz Media Agency to share my story and showcase my abilities on a global stage," said Wayne Pinnock. "Their expertise will help me build a strong brand and inspire others to chase their dreams."
7venz Media Agency will leverage its expertise to elevate Pinnock's profile, increase his visibility, and propel him to new heights in the sports industry.
"We are thrilled to welcome Wayne Pinnock to our roster," 7venz Media Agency said in a statement. "His dedication, passion, and talent make him a perfect fit for our agency. We look forward to helping him achieve his goals and making a lasting impact on the sports industry."
Pinnock won the silver medal at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest in 2023, losing the gold medal on the final jump by Greek jumper Miltiádis Tentóglou.
Pinnock has joined a growing number of Jamaican athletes who have signed with 7venz Media Agency, who boasts Olympic champion Hansle Parchment, World champion Danielle Williams, and Olympic relay gold medalist Briana Williams, on its roster.
Former Molynes United FC head coach, Alex Thomas, is set to kick off his campaign with Guyana's Elite League Championship team, Slingerz FC, as they face Monedderlust FC in a much-anticipated grudge match on Sunday at the Guyana Training Centre, scheduled for 6:00 pm (5:00 pm Jamaica time).
Thomas, who took the reins after departing Jamaica Premier League unit Molynes FC in November 2023, faces a challenging start, aiming to avenge Slingerz FC's previous 1-0 upset defeat to Monedderlust FC in the Elite League playoff last January. Despite the setback, Slingerz secured their place in the championship by defeating Victoria FC a week later.
With just one week to prepare, Thomas has hit the ground running, emphasizing the mental and physical aspects of the game to his new squad. In an exclusive interview with Sportsmax.TV, Thomas expressed satisfaction with the warm welcome and effort from the players.
“I have had to do things fast. I’ve been trying to get to know the players, trying to get them to understand what I want, how I want them to play mentally and physically. It’s a lot of work but they have given me a warm welcome and they’re putting in the work.
“In the future, you’re going to need more players to complete the squad but this is the squad that I am working with for Sunday.”
Notwithstanding, he believes the team will be ready to begin a successful campaign against the team that upset them in early January.
“Definitely, I have prepared the players to the best of my ability so the players can execute well on Sunday. They understand that Monedderlust FC is the team that beat Slingerz FC in the playoff for promotion and Slingerz finished second so it’s going to be a big grudge match, so it’s going to be more of a mental game, get them up to speed, get them vibing, energetic but they’re doing what they do best.
“At any given time you want to put your best foot forward, especially in a new job, a new challenge, a new environment because coming from Jamaica you have to understand everything going on around you, the culture, the people, everything; so it’s a learning process not only for football but the whole general aspect of things but you always want to put your best foot forward to win.”
Top-class filly Nashwa is being readied for a trip to Meydan next month, with the Dubai Turf pencilled in as her planned comeback target.
Winner of the French Oaks and the Nassau Stakes as a three-year-old in 2022, the John and Thady Gosden-trained daughter of Frankel notched a third Group One win in last season’s Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket, as well as being placed in the Nassau, the Juddmonte International and the Irish Champion Stakes.
She was well beaten on her final start of the year in a soft-ground Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot, but owner Imad Al Sagar has sportingly brought her back for another campaign.
“The plan at the moment is to head for the Dubai Turf,” his racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe said.
“There doesn’t seem to be an ideal race for her beforehand, so she’ll probably have a racecourse gallop, just to make sure she’s in good shape.
“She’s won Group Ones at a mile and a mile and a quarter, so in between (nine furlongs) should be ideal.
“She’s wintered well and is really just beginning her preparation. She’s a lovely, scopey filly and very important to Imad and his Blue Diamond Stud – and it’s exciting to have her back in full work.
“She ran some really top-class races last year, she had quite a hard end to the season but she seems to have got over it well and we’re looking forward to this season.”
Long Run can lay claim to many astonishing achievements throughout his stellar career, but he will always be remembered best for the day he ended an era in the 2011 Cheltenham Gold Cup, bursting through the clouds to slay the great Ditcheat duo of Kauto Star and Denman.
Owned by Robert Waley-Cohen, Nicky Henderson’s first Cheltenham Gold Cup winner was for a long while considered the heir apparent of the staying division and had already marked his territory by winning the King George earlier that season.
But it was the moment he crossed the Gold Cup finishing line that was seen as the passing of the torch moment and a victory made all the more remarkable by the fact the man in the plate going toe-to-toe with Ruby Walsh and Sam Thomas up the Prestbury Park hill was in fact an amateur in the owner’s son, Sam Waley-Cohen.
Of course, the by-day dentist was far from plucked off the streets to partner a horse who was already a multiple Grade One winner. But it added to the mystique of this brilliant French import, who at the tender age of six had climbed to the top of racing’s mountain.
“Winning the Gold Cup has to be classed as his best performance ever – you can’t beat that,” said Waley-Cohen senior.
“You had multiple Gold Cup winners in that race and they were the ones coming down hill who looked like they were going to do it all over again.
“Sam was brilliant on him that day and he was not an easy ride – he did thump some fences on the way round.
“I still treasure the front cover of Owner Breeder magazine that has a picture of him coming over the last in front of Kauto Star and Denman and says ‘The Greatest Gold Cup’.”
Even though only six when storming up the Cheltenham hill to claim National Hunt racing’s greatest prize, Long Run had already cemented his place in his owner’s affections.
For this was a horse that had seen the winner’s enclosure eight times in France before he burst onto the British scene aged only four.
Long Run’s Feltham Novices’ Chase success would be the first of three magnificent victories at Kempton, with the gelding returning a year later to claim the King George VI Chase and then adding a second victory in that contest in 2012.
That second King George, when rallying to collar Captain Chris in the shadow of the Kempton winning post, would be the final top-level success of Long Run’s decorated career, but by that point he had already accomplished things his connections could only dream about.
Waley-Cohen continued: “He achieved things no other horse has ever done. He’s the only horse to win the Grade One three-year-old hurdle and the Grade One four-year-old chase in France and the only four-year-old to win a Grade One chase in the UK when he won the Feltham.
“The shortest race he ever ran in was the Kingmaker over two miles and he won that – and there isn’t many horses who would have won a Kingmaker and a Gold Cup.
“He was unbelievable in the Feltham and after the race he walked into the winner’s enclosure and looked around as if to say ‘ah, my subjects have come to admire me, how nice’. He was imperious, totally imperious and only four years old.
“What he achieved as a youngster was astonishing and when he won a Gold Cup, he was only six. He won Grade Ones for five consecutive years, not many horses can do that.
“They say French horses don’t last and they are right, but if you can win Grade Ones over five straight years, it doesn’t matter. Not many stay at the top that long.”
Waley-Cohen has since added a Grand National to Long Run’s Gold Cup triumph thanks to the exploits of Noble Yeats in 2022 and although there may have been 11 years between those two big-race successes, the one constant was his son in the saddle, adorned in the family’s orange and brown silks.
Sam may have hung up his saddle after sprinkling Aintree glory on his decorated amateur CV, but the part he played in many special days – especially aboard Long Run – will live long in his father’s memory.
“He really was an amazing horse and gave us an enormous amount of pleasure. Doing everything with Sam on board only added to the pleasure,” explained Waley-Cohen.
“You can’t match winning Grade One races at the highest level with your son on board. You would be thrilled to win them anyhow, but when your son is on board – which we were quite strongly criticised for – it is special. In the end, the jockey didn’t do too bad.
“To my mind, he only ran one disappointing race in the whole time we had him and that was in the Gold Cup the following year (2012), where Sam rode him impeccably and produced him at the exact right moment, but for whatever reason he didn’t spark and finished third. Something didn’t fire that day, but horses are horses.”
Long Run is now very much part of the furniture at the Waley-Cohen family farm in Warwickshire, where he enjoys a well-earned retirement and serves as a constant reminder that just sometimes, racing dreams do come true.
“He is in great order and he’s out in the field at 19 years old and very happy,” said Waley-Cohen.
“He had a very good time after he retired from racing, we used to ride him round the farm and the great thing about him, like so many horses, he completely understood when Sam wanted to put his very small daughter on a leading rein, he would behave impeccably. Now he’s fully retired and out at grass.
“He’s been with us a long time and we’ve owned him for 16 years now and we bought him as a three-year-old, so we’ve had him a long time.”
Nicky Henderson is predicting an uphill task for British handlers in April’s Randox Grand National, with the home team responsible for just seven of the horses currently guaranteed to make the cut for the Aintree showpiece.
Victory for Lucinda Russell’s Corach Rambler last year was the first for UK-based trainers since the Kinross handler struck with One For Arthur in 2017.
And with Irish raiders dominating both the recent roll of honour and this season’s ante-post betting, it is easy to envisage the trophy heading across to the Emerald Isle once more.
Henderson has three entries for this year’s race but only 150-rated Dusart is presently set to make the final line-up, with the Seven Barrows trio all available at odds of 100-1.
Fantastic Lady and last year’s eighth Mister Coffey are Henderson’s other two runners, but he hinted that he may not be represented in this year’s race and was clear about what he thought of the home team’s chances when asked about the current make-up.
“We’re not going to win it are we – and I’m not, because I haven’t got one in it,” he said.
“There’s nothing I can do about it and I’ve been trying to win it for 42 years, so I can tell you something about it, but that’s probably how not to win it.”
Leading Irish duo Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott are responsible for over half of the current top 40 in the National, but Henderson is not in favour of limiting the number of runners each trainer or owner can have in the race – something which the British Horseracing Authority were considering for major handicaps earlier in the season.
“That was crazy,” he added. “I wouldn’t agree with that unless they said Henderson is the only one who can have a runner!”
Henderson is currently putting the finishing touches to his Seven Barrows string ahead of the Cheltenham Festival and believes he is in the fortunate position of having not only a talented bunch of horses at his disposal, but a loyal and supportive network of owners.
“We’ve been very lucky and I have the best bunch of owners anyone can wish for,” he added.
“They are all great guys and great mates and great people.
“We have to enjoy it and that’s our game, this is an entertainment hobby sort of thing – it’s their hobby and I have to make it entertaining.”
Windward Islands Volcanoes registered their third win on the trot, as they defeated Combined Campuses and Colleges Marooners by eight wickets, while Leeward Islands Hurricanes, Barbados Pride and Guyana Harpy Eagles, also secured wins in their respective Round three West Indies Championship encounters on Saturday.
Set 125 for victory at Chedwin Park, Volcanoes cruised to their target with West Indies batsman Alick Athanaze finishing unbeaten on a 58 off 42 balls. He struck six fours and three sixes in an unbroken 83-run third wicket stand with Trinidadian left-hander Jeremy Solozano, who struck an unbeaten 61-ball 42, which included six fours.
Solozano also shared in a 37-run opening stand with Kimani Melius (20) before off-spinner Romario Greaves struck twice to end with two for 64.
Earlier, left-arm spinning all-rounder Kavem Hodge grabbed two of the last four wickets to end with two for 48 as the Marooners, who resumed on 271 for six, were bowled out for 315.
Romario Greaves, unbeaten on 62 at the start, added just one, while Sion Hackett never added to his overnight 24.
Scores: Combined Campuses & Colleges Marooners 204 (Demario Richards 46, Damel Evelyn 43, Jonathan Carter 31, Shamarh Brooks 29; Darel Cyrus 25-2-72-6, Gilon Tyson 3-32) and 315 (Jonathan Carter 94, Romario Greaves 63, Damel Evelyn 56, Zishan Motara 33, Sion Hackett 24; Shamar Springer 2-33, Kavem Hodge 2-48).
Windward Islands Volcanoes 395 (Kavem Hodge 158 not out, Sunil Ambris 120, Alick Athanaze 26; Romario Greaves 5-142, Jediah Blades 2-35, Edmond Govasta 2-54) and 128 for two (Alick Athanaze 58 not out, Jeremy Solozano 42 not out)
At Sabina Park, Barbados Pride marched to their second win of the competition with a six-wicket victory over hosts Jamaica Scorpions.
Chasing 173, Pride reached their target courtesy of 43 from Roshon Primus, 29 from Kevin Wickham and 25 from Shayne Moseley, off-spinner Peat Salmon claiming three for 69.
Salmon struck twice early to leave Pride in a spot of bother on 52 for three, but Moseley posted 45 for the fourth wicket with Wickham before adding a further 44 for the fifth wicket with Primus, who slammed seven fours in a robust 34-ball knock, as Pride recovered well.
Scorpions were earlier dismissed for 292 after resuming on 220 for eight. Pacer Shaquille Cumberbatch finished with five for 46, as Scorpions Derval Green resisted with an unbeaten 78-ball 48, which include seven fours and a six. Green was the aggressor in a 40-run ninth-wicket stand with Gordon Bryan (26) and 37 for the last wicket with Ojay Shields (4).
Scores: Jamaica Scorpions 269 (Romaine Morrison 97 not out, Carlos Brown 40, Kirk McKenzie 40, Peat Salmon 24; Jomel Warrican 27.4-6-62-5, Jair McAllister 3-69) and 292 (Abhijai Mansingh 54, Derval Green 48 not out, Leroy Lugg 43, Kirk McKenzie 39, Carlos Brown 35; Shaquille Cumberbatch 5-46, Kevin Wickham 2-26)
Barbados Pride 389 (Kraigg Brathwaite 142, Kevin Wickham 63, Shane Dowrich 44, Jonathan Drakes 31, Roshon Primus 22; Derval Green 4-78, Peat Salmon 3-94) and 176 for six (Roshon Primus 43, Kevin Wickham 29, Shayne Moseley 25; Peat Salmon 3-69)
Reigning champions Guyana Harpy Eagles completed an emphatic, record win at Coolidge Cricket Ground.
Harpy Eagles wasted little time in picking up the last four CWI Academy wickets cheaply, to storm to a 221-run win – the fifth largest margin of victory by runs for Harpy Eagles in the modern era of the championship.
For Harpy Eagles, it was also their first win of the campaign following a draw in their first game against Trinidad and Tobago Red Force and a heavy 273-run defeat to Leeward Islands Hurricanes in their second game.
Resuming the morning on 161 for seven in pursuit of 429 for victory, CWI Academy were dismissed for 207 all out, with veteran left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul (2-48) claiming two of the three wickets to fall.
Carlon Bowen-Tuckett, unbeaten on 34 overnight, top-scored with 43 while Ashmead Nedd, on two at the start, struck a breezy 30 off 28 balls. Together, they stretched their eighth wicket stand to 32 before the final three wickets went down for 16 runs.
Scores: Guyana Harpy Eagles 175 (Ronaldo Alimohamed 30, Matthew Nandu 28, Tevin Imlach 24, Kevin Sinclair 24; Joshua James 4-43, Johann Layne 2-27, Joshua Bishop 2-31) and 415 for seven decl. (Kevin Sinclair 165 not out, Kemol Savory 58, Kevlon Anderson 49, Ronaldo Alimohamed 31, Veerasammy Permaul 29 not out, Tevin Imlach 29, Tagenarine Chanderpaul 22; Ashmead Nedd 5-97).
Cricket West Indies Academy 162 (Rashawn Worrell 58, Joshua Bishop 51; Kevin Sinclair 4-45, Veerasammy Permaul 3-15, Gudakesh Motie 3-31) and 207 (Jordan Johnson 54, Carlon Bowen-Tuckett 34, Joshua James 26; Isai Thorne 4-49, Kevin Sinclair 2-30)
At Warner Park in Basseterre, St Kitts, Hurricanes too helped themselves to their second win of the campaign when they beat Red Force by four wickets.
Set 162 for victory after bowling Red Force out in their second innings for 342, Hurricanes got a top score of 53 from West Indies white-ball stroke-maker Keacy Carty while 17-year-old Jewel Andrew missed out on his second fifty of the game with 48.
With the hosts in trouble at 26 for two, Carty put on 45 for the third wicket with Jahmar Hamilton who made 29 from 38 balls, and a further 70 with Andrew for the fourth wicket, to put Hurricanes in touching distance of victory.
While Carty faced 136 deliveries and struck half-dozen fours, the Under-19 World Cup star Andrew belted three fours and two sixes in an entertaining 53-ball knock.
Left-arm spinner Khary Pierre claimed four for 69.
Resuming earlier from 285 for six, Red Force were undermined by left-arm spinner Daniel Doram (3-80) who snatched three of the last four wickets to tumble.
Scores: Trinidad and Tobago Red Force 137 (Jyd Goolie 30; Colin Archibald 3-28, Jeremiah Louis 3-38) and 342 (Jyd Goolie 64, Jason Mohammed 49, Tion Webster 38, Cephas Cooper 36, Terrance Hinds 34, Joshua Da Silva 34, Vikash Mohan 25, Bryan Charles 24; Rahkeem Cornwall 3-68, Daniel Doram 3-80, Jeremiah Louis 2-70)
Leeward Islands Hurricanes 318 (Jewel Andrew 87, Kieran Powell 65, Jeremiah Louis 41, Mikyle Louis 34; Anderson Phillip 4-62, Bryan Charles 3-81) and 165 for six (Keacy Carty 53, Jewel Andrew 48, Jahmar Hamilton 29; Khary Pierre 4-69)
Lamara Distin of Texas A&M once again etched her name in the record books, as she became the first female high jumper in NCAA history to clear 2.00m (6-6.75) at the South-Eastern Conference (SEC) indoor championships at the Tyson Sports Complex in Fayetteville, on Saturday.
The 22-year-old Distin, who won gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and was a finalist at last year’s World Championships, once again demonstrated her class and rich vein of form in her winning mark.
Along with rewriting her previous national record of 1.97m set last year, Distin also shattered her own meet record of 1.95m, as well as the previous championship record of 1.98m set by Hooker Tex in 2016. She also equaled the facility record.
Distin won ahead of Arkansas’ Rachel Glenn (1.94m) and University of Georgia’s Elena Kulichenko (1.91m). Another Jamaican Nia Robinson or Arkansas was 12th with a new personal best mark of 1.75m.
Jamaica’s Romaine Beckford representing Arkansas also topped the men’s high jump after clearing the bar at 2.25m. He won ahead of Mississippi State’s Sherman Hawkins (2.16m) and Texas A&M’s Ushan Perera (2.11m).
On the track, Brianna Lyston of Louisiana State University, also continued her rich vein of form when she clocked a meet record equalling 7.08 to win the women’s 60m final. She equalled the time set by another Jamaican Remona Burchell of University of Alabama in 2015.
Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) president Christopher Samuda and chairman of the Sports Development Foundation (SDF) George Soutar said the void left by Hubert Lawrence will be hard to fill, as they paid tribute to the respected track and field analysis, whose untimely passing has cast a pall of gloom over the sporting fraternity.
Lawrence, 64, who was also well-known for his authorship, and historical documentation, passed away at home on Friday.
Samuda remembered Lawrence as an authority on Jamaican and global track and field, who played a crucial role in television coverage of various athletic events, including the Olympics, World Championships, and local meets.
The veteran analyst had been an integral part of the track and field commentary for more than three decades, his passion for the sport evident in his dedicated contributions to both television and written media.
“Hubert Lawrence was not simply an encyclopedia of statistics and historical data of others, but more importantly, he was himself a landmark that gave a nation in his commentary a self-portrait in track and field. A man in the mirror vision of where an athletic fraternity stood in his development and the journey must take in order to progress and mature,” Samuda shared.
“He gave statistics context in his written and spoken word, so that players could understand the culture of the sport more, their role and responsibility, and be guided by the principles of Olympicism, which is pen-inked in personalizing successive Olympic Games. The Olympic family mourns his mortality, but is assured and assures his family that his soul now rests eternally,” he added.
Beyond his on-screen presence, Lawrence was a prolific author, having written and co-authored significant books on track and field. Some notable works include "Champs 100" in 2010, "The Power and the Glory: Jamaica in World Athletics, From World War II to the Diamond League Era" in 2012, and "50 Days of Fire" in 2022.
Lawrence, who Soutar described as a true champion for athletes and sports development in Jamaica, inspiring generations with his passion and knowledge, leaves behind a profound impact on the track and field community in Jamaica and beyond.
“He was well known for his balanced and insightful commentaries and interviews, not only to local sports but also in the region and internationally.
“Jamaica has lost a dedicated, and one of our most knowledgeable sports analysts and commentators. On behalf of the Sports Development Foundation, our condolences go out to his family and the sports fraternity,” Soutar said.
Wayne Pinnock of the University of Arkansas won his first indoor long jump championships at the South-Eastern Conference (SEC) indoor championships on Friday.
Pinnock, who was second last year to then teammate Carey McLeod, secured his first indoor title with a leap of 8.28m at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Arkansas.
The World Championships silver medallist, Pinnock, stamped his class and led from the second round after a foul in the first round.
His teammate Nia Robinson was second in the women’s long jump with 6.44m. Robinson also recovered well after she fouled her opening attempt.
Meanwhile, Brianna Lyston is among a number of Jamaicans down to contest finals on Saturday. The Louisiana State University (LSU) representative is down to contest the women’s 60m final, after she clocked 7.12 seconds to win her heat on Friday.
Rosealee Cooper of Mississippi State will enter the women's 60m hurdles with as the sixth fastest qualifiers, as she clocked 8.21s for third in her heat.
Nickisha Pryce of Arkansas will line up in the women’s 200m and 400m finals, after she clocked personal best times of 22.94 and 50.90, when she finished tops in the heats. She is one of five Razorback athlete in the 400m final.
Jevaughn Powell also displayed good early season form with a personal best 45.35-clocking to lead qualifiers to the final of the men’s 400m.
Meanwhile, Tyrese Reid of Mississippi State and Kimar Farquharson of Texas A&M, both booked their spots in the men’s 800m final, after placing first and second in their respective heats in 1:50.50 and 1:50.95 respectively.
Military Order denied Lord North a second win in the BetUK Winter Derby Stakes at its new home of Southwell.
Now eight, Lord North was having his third run in the race having also been second in 2022 and it has worked well in teeing him up for the Dubai Turf on World Cup night, which he has won for the last three years.
This time he was having his first run since bagging a hat-trick in that Group One and his lack of race sharpness, and the extra distance now the race takes place over 11 furlongs at Southwell, seemingly caught him out.
Military Order had the benefit of a recent run when second in the trial for this race but this was a definite return to his best form.
Having won the Lingfield Derby Trial last spring, he was sent off a 9-2 chance for the Derby but finished last of the 14 runners and fared little better on his next outing at Chester.
Danny Tudhope always looked confident on Charlie Appleby’s charge, though, and having taken up the running from Forest Of Dean, he was able to able to hold off Lord North’s late run by a length.
Tudhope told Sky Sports Racing: “He travelled great into the race and probably got there too easy. He might have just let me down but today we had a nice pace to aim at.
“He’s a proper horse this fellow and he’s always been highly thought of. That was nice.
“He’s probably a little bit cute and I said to Charlie I’d ride him a bit quieter today. He’d obviously improved for his run as well.
“An extra furlong would be no problem, he’s a lovely, big horse.”
John Gosden, who trains Lord North in partnership with his son Thady, said: “They did a wonderful job with him at Wood Ditton Stud (when injured), a lady called Geraldine looked after him.
“He’s come here at 80 per cent and he’s running over a a lot further than he wants – a mile and three is not his game – but I’m absolutely delighted with him. He’s run a lovely race, enjoyed his day out, he’s having a blow and it will set him up lovely for Dubai.
“It was super run, Rab (Havlin) looked after him well, the winner had had a race and outstayed him. I’d have loved it to have been over a mile and a quarter.”
Diligent Harry showed all of his speed to blaze to victory in the BetUK Hever Sprint Stakes.
Carrying a 3lb penalty following a Listed win last time out, the Clive Cox-trained runner started the 9-4 second favourite under John Fahy and he galloped home for a length victory.
“The way he got into a nice, even rhythm I was always in control, really,” Fahy said.
“I got my hands on his neck and found a good rhythm, he picked up nice and he was just idling a bit in front but he’d enough done.
“He’s not the easiest but that being said, his training is going a lot better this year than it had last year.
“I think he might finally be showing us the horse we’ve seen all along at home.
“Sometimes he hits the lids very sharp and you’re fighting a losing battle trying to hang on to him but a fast pace, where you can get your hands on his neck and find a rhythm, probably suits him.”
I Am Maximus booked his Randox Grand National ticket with an easy victory over last year’s Aintree runner-up Vanillier in the Tote.ie Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse.
Trained by Willie Mullins, I Am Maximus was returning to the scene of his finest hour having won the Irish Grand National last season and after this display, he is now a general 12-1 chance for Aintree on April 13.
Mullins used the Bobbjyo as an Aintree prep for Hedgehunter, who went on to win on Merseyside in 2005, but I Am Maximus looked to face a stiff task giving 12lb away to Gavin Cromwell’s Vanillier.
Jody McGarvey did the steering on the evens favourite, travelling well throughout the near three-mile-two-furlong affair before thoroughly asserting his authority in the straight, cruising home by 14 lengths.
Mullins said: “I thought it was a magnificent performance considering how badly he jumped going away from the stands.
“He just missed one or two there and Jody left him alone and let him find his own feet.
“When he got half down the back and around the fifth last once he saw the stands, I think he just clicked into a another gear.
“I don’t know how good he is but he’s certainly improving with every run. However, he does love Fairyhouse and maybe this is his track, he certainly has an engine.
“It’s very hard to quicken in this ground, he has a big engine in there.
“I’d imagine he goes for the Grand National, he would look a Gold Cup horse in time but I’d imagine Aintree is his objective.
“I’m not worried about ground for him. I don’t know how good he is yet because he just keeps improving.”
Sean Flanagan was not too disappointed with Vanillier’s effort in second, with the gelding having finished a half-length second in the race last year to Kemboy before going on to the National itself.
Vanillier will have a reduced 8lb advantage over I Am Maximus at Aintree and his rider is eager for the big day.
He said: “I’m very happy and I think he’s run better in the race this year than he did last year. There were a lot higher quality horses in the race this year.
“He’s probably got going a bit early in the race, but I wanted to get a proper race into him as I didn’t think they were going to go quick. Without forcing him I was trying to force the tempo of the race. I think he’s ran well.
“I’m looking forward to Aintree.”
Forward Plan came from the clouds to deny Al Dancer victory in the Coral Trophy Handicap Chase at Kempton.
Dylan Johnston was positive from the off aboard the grey Al Dancer, making full use of his 5lb allowance aboard the Sam Thomas-trained runner in the three-mile feature.
Despite looking a sitting duck at the top of the straight as half a dozen jockeys appeared to be travelling better than Al Dancer, one by one they began to come under pressure.
Flegmatik, Killer Kane, Bowtogreatness and Blackjack Magic were giving chase but approaching the last, Al Dancer appeared to have them all cooked.
However, despite his chance seemingly having disappeared on jumping the second last, Forward Plan got a second wind and began to make ground and when he met the last running, he had momentum firmly on his side.
Anthony Honeyball’s charge, beaten just a short head in the Great Yorkshire Chase last time out, fairly flew up the run in and came home a comfortable length-and-a-quarter winner for Ben Godfrey.
“This race was always on the agenda for this lad and we were always going to go to Doncaster because we thought it would suit him and it did,” said Honeyball.
“We got beat a nose at Doncaster and you just think ‘are we going to get that chance again?’. But he is a horse who is just progressing nicely and our initial thought today was the going had gone too soft, but he’s proved he does go on it and today was three miles, rather than three-mile-two.
“Doncaster is definitely home games for him and we will be back here with him, that’s for sure. We were always working back from this and you can’t do anything about the weather.
“We were all geared up to run and he’s not going to run again until Aintree, so we thought if the ground is too soft today and that finds us out, at least we’ve got a nice race to go to in the spring where the ground might be better. Now it doesn’t matter what the ground is like at Aintree.
“He’s not very big, but he travels and he’s a handy horse who you can put where you want. I suppose he’s handy for races like this because he can travel away and he has a few gears. You have obviously got to be good enough to have a few gears and he had enough in reserve (stamina wise) to use them.
“Aintree will be next, the race we won with Sam Brown a few years ago.”
Honeyball also reserved plenty of praise for Godfrey, who was celebrating the biggest success of his fledgling riding career.
He continued: “It’s one of the biggest wins of any jockey’s career, it’s a £150,000 race and in a handicap what is there worth more than that?
“Ben has been based with us since he claimed 7lb. He just knows the horses and is learning to be cool and calm in a race.
“He’s gaining some great experience in races like this and on this horse in particular and it’s really standing him in good stead. He’s finding himself in the right places quite often which is not an easy thing.”
Lump Sum confirmed Doncaster form with Fiercely Proud as Sam Thomas’ bright prospect impressed in winning the Coral Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle at Kempton.
In dominating the Grade Two, the duo paid a handsome compliment to Nicky Henderson’s Jeriko Du Reponet, who had them both behind when booking his Cheltenham ticket on Town Moor.
Lump Sum was sent off the 13-8 favourite and Sam Twiston-Davies dropped his mount out in the rear early on as Fiercely Proud was close to the pace, racing keenly for the in-form Ben Jones.
When he joined Panjari on the turn for home, Fiercely Proud looked to have things under control but Twiston-Davies had bided his time on the favourite and ran out a comfortable four-and-a-half-length winner.
Thomas said: “I’m delighted. We’re not having as many runners as we may be have done in the last season or two and as a trainer I don’t have as much confidence as I should do going into races like that – I was nervous beforehand.
“I was delighted to see the horse transfer that Doncaster form, but he’s a smashing horse and learning all the time.
Lump Sum does not hold any entries in the Grade One novice events at the Cheltenham Festival, but does have options in the County Hurdle and Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle at Prestbury Park.
Aintree is also an option later in the spring, but further down the line a trip to Ffos Las appears in order to try to fulfil owner Dai Walters’ long-held ambition of winning the Welsh Champion Hurdle.
“We left him out of the novices (at Cheltenham) because of how competitive it is,” continued Thomas.
“He’s in the handicaps and he could still be well handicapped, but that is a decision for Mr Walters and myself to have a chat about in the next week or two.
“Absolutely Aintree could be an option, but there is never any pressure from Mr Walters with any of the young horses and we’ve got a young horse to look forward to for many seasons to come.
“He’s a smashing hurdler for now and we’ll enjoy today before we think about the future. He’s up there with Good Risk At All who is a real mudlark and I just think he could keep going the way he is. He’s such a nice, straightforward one to train at home and is definitely one of the best ones yet. He’s done everything right.
“Our dream would be to try to win the Welsh Champion Hurdle and I know Mr Walters is desperate to win that, so that will be our first target next season.”
Tom Lacey’s Kempton specialist Blow Your Wad denied Paul Nicholls a fourth successive win in the Coral Pendil Novices’ Chase.
Having already won over hurdles at the Sunbury venue, Blow Your Wad then won a competitive event at the King George meeting over fences.
He disappointed behind Nicholls’ Ginny’s Destiny at Cheltenham last time out but fitted with first-time cheekpieces and back on a flat track, he beat Tahmuras by three-quarters of a length, justifying 13-8 favouritism for Stan Sheppard.
“We have run him in Grade Ones before over hurdles but he was a five-year-old taking on six-year-olds, which was probably a bit harsh on him to be fair,” said Sheppard.
“We’ve always liked him and I think he probably has to stay right-handed now because he’s won three times round here. I would say here and Sandown would be where he goes I imagine.
“He’s probably still 10lb off the top races, but with another summer he might improve again because he’s only six and there’s still plenty of room for improvement.”
Earlier on the card, Gary Moore and Caoilin Quinn teamed up to go back-to-back in the Coral Racing Club Handicap Hurdle with 9-2 shot Mark Of Gold.
Kalif Du Berlais maintained his unbeaten record but he was made to pull out all the stops by Givemefive in the Coral Adonis Juvenile Hurdle at Kempton.
Trained by Paul Nicholls and part-owned by Sir Alex Ferguson, Kalif Du Berlais created a huge impression on his UK debut over the same course and distance and he was sent off the 10-11 favourite to follow up.
The Harry Derham-trained Givemefive had won each of his two starts though, and with Irish Derby fourth Peking Opera and the well-backed Captain Marvellous also running, it looked a deep race.
The two who fought it out pulled a long way clear, however, and it was the superior stamina of Kalif Du Berlais which saw him prevail by three-quarters of a length under Harry Cobden and meant the major golf champion, Graeme McDowell, had to settle for second with his horse.
“He took a bit of time to get going. We went an even gallop, I didn’t feel like we were going mad but I didn’t feel like he was going that easy jumping the last down the back and took a little bit of cajoling,” Cobden told ITV Racing.
“He jumped the second last well and winged the last. He’s still a big baby and was hanging up the run in, so there’s lots of improvement to come.
“He’s massive – he’s a big chasing type. I’d probably favour Aintree if it was left up to me but Paul knows what he’s doing.”
Nicholls said: “He’s shown he can tough it out, he’s given them all weight but whether we rode him right, I don’t know – I’ll see what Harry says.
“He’s very much a horse for the future and we’ll look after him at the minute, I’m thrilled with that.
“He’s had a hard race today, so I’d say he won’t run in the Triumph. Aintree is a possibility I suppose, if we’re happy, but if he didn’t run again (this season) it wouldn’t matter.
“As a chaser he’d be one of the most exciting prospects I’ve had for a long time, he’s got size and scope. To win three as a juvenile at his size is impressive.
“Harry is riding at the top of his game and let’s hope he can keep going until the end of the season like that.”
Derham may also look away from Cheltenham with Givemefive, who McDowell owns in partnership with multiple major winner Brooks Koepka.
“He’s run a brilliant race,” said Derham.
“Paul (O’Brien, jockey) and I spoke about it last night and the plan went perfectly and we just said if Cobden gets by us after the last, then so be it.
“I’m extremely proud of my horse’s run and he did everything right but just came second.
“Maybe (we’ll go to Cheltenham) but there’s a Grade Two at Fairyhouse two weeks later that makes appeal to me. There’s loads of options for him.
“I know that horse and he’s very genuine. I imagine he’ll be very tired and the lads can’t go to Cheltenham. There will be loads of very fresh and well-handicapped horses in the Fred Winter and he won’t be fresh and he won’t be well handicapped, so we might swerve that and go elsewhere.
“He’s a horse with a bright future and we’re looking forward to what’s to come.”
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