What was expected to be a match-race between God of Love and Yellowstone, proved their undoing, as both went too fast, too early and it paved the way for the late-running Perfect Brew to snare the 19th running of the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission (BGLC) Trophy race at Caymanas Park on Tuesday.
Piloted by reigning champion jockey Dane Dawkins, the Richard Azan-conditioned Perfect Brew closed from well off the pace in the small six-horse field to grab his more fancied rivals close to the wire and in a length and quarter win in the three-year-olds and upward Open Allowance contest over five-and-a-half furlongs (1,100m).
Dawkins, who was enjoying decent form on the day with two winners leading up to the feature event, rode the four-year-old Bern Identity-Moonlight Brew progeny with a great deal of confidence from the off.
Perfect Brew left post position five well and was expectedly urged by Dawkins in an effort to get into stride early, as God of Love (Anthony Allen) and Yellowstone (Tevin Foster) opened up a two or more lengths gap on the field, with Lure of Lucy (Phillip Parchment), being their closest pursuer at that point.
Despite being vigorously ridden by Dawkins, Perfect Brew continued to labour and was in fact, nowhere in sight when God of Love and Yellowstone left the half-mile (800m) and headed towards the homestretch.
By the time the fleet-footed frontrunners straightened, God of Love easily repelled Yellowstone's challenge and looked all over the winner inside the final furlong, but little did they know that Perfect Brew under Dawkins’s left-hand stick, had begun to roll and was rapidly closing the gap with each stride.
Before long, Dawkins and the Azan trainee had them measured and he inevitably swept by on the outside to complete victory in a flat 1:08.0. The splits were 23.0 and 46.2 seconds.
God of Love, stayed on for second, with Yellowstone third and Lure of Lucy, fourth.
While it was Perfect Brew’s second win from seven starts this season, it was Dawkins’s third on the day and 47th of the season, as he moved within 16 of leader Reyan Lewis, who was absent from the programme.
Dawkins earlier won aboard Rejected Raja in the third race for trainer Robert Pearson and also produced a late burst aboard Michael Marlowe’s Blue Persuasion in the fifth race.
Racing continues on Saturday with the running of the Jamaica Oaks Classic race, while the Blueriband Jamaica Derby event will be contested on Monday’s Independence Day card.
After a day of much-needed rest and recovery, Sunshine Girls Head coach Connie Francis is anticipating another solid performance from her team at the Vitality Netball World Cup, when they take on Caribbean rivals Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday.
The number four-ranked Jamaicans, who have won all four games contested so far at the tournament in Cape Town, South Africa, will be seeking to make it five-in-five, but the number 10-ranked Calypso Girls is not expected to make it easy.
Francis is very much aware of that given their history, so though her Sunshine Girls are enjoying a rich vein of form at present, she is taking steps to guard against complacency.
Jamaica’s most recent victory was a 61-49 scoreline against Uganda, while Trinidad and Tobago will be trying to bounce back from a 28-69 defeat to host South Africa.
The game is scheduled to begin at 9:00am Jamaica time.
“We are still on the right path of going for gold, the coaching staff has been rotating some players to ensure that when the big game comes around, we are able to get the job done. We are more than capable of putting on a good show when it comes to rest and recovery and as I always say, different combination gives you different games, so it was really good to get a day for them to unwind and come again,” Francis told Sportsmax.tv.
With the Jamaicans determined to break a lengthy medal-less drought at the tournament dating back to 2007 when the won the last of their three bronze medals, Francis pointed out that they will also be using tomorrow’s contest to fine tune aspects of their game, ahead of the top of the pool clash with reigning champions New Zealand.
“Our defence continues to hunt balls which is good, so going forward against Trinidad we will have a different combination and then possibly rotate some of our starters in that game just to keep them as fresh as we possibly can so the mind and the body will be aware that we still need to play, especially as we look forward to that game against New Zealand,” Francis said.
“We know they play a very structured type of game, their defensive line up and their attacking line up are both good, but we are confident that all of our players are more than capable of counteracting what they have. So, our focus is really on these games based on how we attack and our all-round defensive effort. We are already playing at a high percentage rate, so we just need to keep that up and really give ourselves a chance for that gold,” she added.
Victory against Trinidad and Tobago will assure the Sunshine Girls of a semi-final spot and by all indications, they will have number one-ranked Australia or number-three ranked England to contend with at that stage.
This is another reason why Francis stressed the need to stay locked in from the start of each game going forward, if they are to reach their ultimate goal.
“When you put fresh legs and fresh combinations in, it kind of keeps the consistency going, so it's important to get other players on court competing, not just seven or eight players. So going up against Trinidad we are confident but not overconfident, as we are focused on our possession game and taking care of the ball.
“So, we are going to send in a combination with some new players, not everybody will play, but it is an opponent to give more players longer playing time on court because we want it to be a case that any combination, we put out there, will be successful,” Francis ended.
Coeur D’or swooped late to claim a head verdict in the featured Colm Quinn BMW Mile Handicap on day two of the Galway Festival.
Trained by Dermot Weld and ridden by Chris Hayes, Coeur D’or was a winner on his penultimate run at Leopardstown, but he was allowed to go off a 14-1 shot in the handicap highlight.
The 18-runner contest proved typically competitive and it looked as though Dunum was going to take the win two furlongs out, only for No More Porter to battle his way to the front inside the distance.
However, Hayes had launched Coeur D’or down the outside and he grabbed the lead in the shadow of the post to take the prize in a photo, with Dunum a further three-quarters of a length back in third.
Weld said: “He is a very consistent horse, this was the plan and he delivered. He had been running very consistently all year and is a brave horse.
“I was worried about the ground as he is very effective on a slightly quicker surface. A mile is his trip but he was a very immature horse in his early days and took a long time to come to hand but patience paid dividends.
“He has two great owners in Stephen O’Connor and Mark Phelan and I’m delighted for them.”
Sharjah returned to the scene of one of his finest hours to make a seamless transition to fences in the Latin Quarter Beginners Chase.
Winner of the Galway Hurdle in 2018, he has gone on to become a multiple Grade One scorer, triumphing in the Matheson Hurdle at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting on four occasions.
He has also been second in two Champion Hurdles so had a clear class edge over his rivals, but he was making his debut over fences at the age of 10.
Always handy under Paul Townend, reunited with him for the first time since the 2021 Champion Hurdle, Sharjah jumped soundly throughout and came clear under no pressure to win by 11 lengths as the 1-4 favourite.
Mullins said: “He was very smooth and jumped like he did at home. Every time I schooled him, he always looked very capable and confident over fences and showed that today. If he wasn’t good, we wouldn’t have gone chasing with him, but he was so natural at home and did today what he has done at home.
“In today’s race he was meeting a lot less competition compared to what he had been meeting over hurdles for the past four or five years – none of those horses had ever run in a Grade One hurdle – and he enjoyed it.
“I imagine he’ll stay to winners’ races now and he would get nice ground for the Drinmore.”
Promoter Eddie Hearn revealed Conor Benn is itching to “rip someone’s head off” ahead of a possible return to the ring next month after his suspension for two doping violations was lifted.
Benn’s career was thrown into turmoil last October after he twice tested positive for the banned drug clomifene in the lead-up to a bout against Chris Eubank Jr that was subsequently shelved in fight week.
While he has repeatedly stressed his innocence, Benn faced a potential two-year ban after being formally charged by UK Anti-Doping in April, but the Briton claimed last week he has now been cleared.
UKAD confirmed the provisional suspension had been lifted but included the clause that there was a 21-day window in which it could appeal the decision made by the independent National Anti-Doping Panel.
Hearn admitted the situation has taken a toll on Benn, who according to the Matchroom Boxing chief is ready to take his frustrations out on his next opponent having not fought since April last year.
Hearn said: “I would like him to box in September. He wants to go straight into a big fight but he’s been out the ring for 16 months. (Benn fighting in) September and December will be great but we’ll see.
“He’s ready to rip someone’s head off. When you talk about how low he’s been, there’s some people who are like ‘he deserves it, who cares?’ But what he’s been through would break most men.”
Hearn wants Benn to fight again under the auspices of the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC), having relinquished his licence and criticised the governing body’s handling of the matter.
Such a manoeuvre would be halted if the BBBofC decides to appeal the outcome of UKAD’s ruling on Benn, which the body that licenses fighters in Britain said on Monday it was “considering”.
Hearn said: “He has an international licence to box but I would like him to box in the UK. If they (BBBofC) appealed, that would slow down the process. A lot of people will be trying to convince them to (appeal).
“I don’t expect them to, but if they do, we’re here and ready – we’ve done it every day for a year. What’s another month or so? Hopefully we can all move forward.
“Everything that has been asked for Conor Benn, he’s done. I just hope that’s respected. At what point do you say ‘it’s been a year and a half since he’s boxed, how are we going to move forward?’.”
Benn’s positive tests were carried out by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association for the WBC, which cleared the boxer of any wrongdoing in February, pointing to an “elevated consumption of eggs” for the findings.
Hearn said: “You don’t just get cleared, especially not twice as well. One is through the people that controlled the test which is the WBC and VADA – cleared of any wrongdoing which were their words.
“A lot of people were unhappy that he didn’t go through the UKAD and the British Boxing Board of Control route. He did that and UKAD has cleared his suspension and cleared him to box.”
Hearn was speaking to promote Leigh Wood defending his WBA featherweight title against British rival Josh Warrington at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena Sheffield on October 7.
Warrington lost his IBF title in a majority points loss to Luis Alberto Lopez last December in his second defeat in his last four contests – but Hearn is convinced the Leeds fighter remains a danger.
Hearn added: “He looks fresh, he’s motivated and he’s as fit as a fiddle. I’m not saying he’s a favourite in the fight but I don’t think there’s anything in it. It’s a real 50-50 fight.”
Ollie Chessum is in contention to win a place in England’s World Cup squad after making a successful early comeback from the ankle surgery that had jeopardised his tournament hopes.
England feared they had lost their breakout star of the Six Nations after he was ruled out for between five and six months with the injury sustained during preparations to face Ireland in March.
But on Tuesday he took part in a live scrummaging session during training as he closes in on making a complete recovery that should see him named in Steve Borthwick’s 33-strong squad on Monday.
England had made it clear Chessum would not be risked in Saturday’s opening warm-up match against Wales in Cardiff if not fully fit, but would be willing select him for the World Cup on the strength of his performances this year.
“Ollie’s close to a return. He’s done incredibly well and has been so diligent with his rehab. He looks really good,” attack coach Richard Wigglesworth said.
“He’s definitely a great character and I’ve enjoyed working with him over the last few years, but he’s also a top-quality player who we are keen to get fit.
“The medics said that if he’s free of complications then there’s a very good chance of him being ready for the World Cup. He’s had no complications and flew into his rehab.
“I don’t think we’re going to rush someone back from that injury and say ‘you have to play (against Wales)’ – it’s up to us to make a decision on the best 33 on the back of all the evidence we’ve had.
“Ollie has obviously given pretty strong evidence that he’s a top international player when he was fit.”
Chessum won the first of his nine caps under Eddie Jones but it was during the Six Nations that he announced his arrival as a high-calibre Test player through a series of imposing displays in an otherwise-underperforming team.
The 22-year-old can play lock or blindside flanker and made a big impression on Wigglesworth, who played alongside him and coached him at Leicester until leaving to join Borthwick’s coaching team at the end of the season.
“When Ollie’s fit and firing he brings an energy with him that’s infectious and he’s someone who’s just going to get better and better,” Wigglesworth said.
“He’s got a great attitude, great athletic ability and he’s got the mind to be in an England shirt for a long, long time if he keeps progressing the way he wants to.”
Billy Vunipola has also provided a fitness boost as he shows no adverse effects from his recent knee surgery, nudging him closer to regaining his place as England’s number eight.
“Billy looks highly motivated and he’s had a big impact in training, coming back in straight away,” Wigglesworth said.
“He’s shown his class and his form. His training is slightly modified but not much.”
Borthwick will oversee the final selection meeting in Cardiff on Saturday night before telling each player individually on Sunday whether they made the cut for the World Cup.
The date of the announcement means that the Principality Stadium clash will be the final opportunity for players to play their way into the 33.
“We pick a team to try and win a Test match, without a doubt, but it would probably be disingenuous to say we aren’t trying to get a squad ready for the tournament as well,” Wigglesworth said.
“We have to have a squad that is ready to play in France to the best of its ability. Will the same team play four weeks in a row? No, absolutely not. There will be changes throughout the four weeks.”
Jim Crowley has been banned for 20 days and fined £10,000 for his winning ride aboard Hukum in Saturday’s King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.
Both Crowley and Rob Hornby, who finished second aboard Westover, were referred to the British Horseracing Authority’s Whip Review Committee following a duel to the line in the midsummer highlight, with Hukum prevailing by a head.
Flat riders are allowed to use their whip six times in a race, with a four-day ban for going one over the limit and seven days for going two over. Crowley used his whip nine times, which incurs a 10-day ban and is doubled for a class one race.
Had Crowley used his whip four times over the limit then Hukum would have been disqualified.
The rider will be banned August 15-21 and August 23 – September 4, meaning he misses the Ebor meeting at York, where he was due to ride runaway Prince of Wales’s Stakes winner Mostahdaf in the Juddmonte International. He also received the substantial fine due to the class and value of the race.
On Monday the whip rules were tweaked once more by the BHA following a six-month review period and while the changes would not have affected Crowley’s punishment due to the severity of his offence, Hornby has benefitted from the revisions.
He used his whip once above the permitted level, but given he has had more than 200 rides in Britain since his last whip offence, his initial ban was cut to two days. However, that is then doubled due to the calibre of race, meaning he will be out of action for four days (August 15-18 inclusive).
Had the rules not been changed 24 hours previously, Hornby would have had an eight-day suspension imposed.
Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton, Indiana Pacers guard Buddy Hield and Charlotte Hornets forward Kai Jones have committed to play for their native Bahamas in upcoming Olympic qualifying action.
All four are on the roster for Bahamas for its Olympic qualifier in Santiago de Estero, Argentina, from Aug. 14-20.
Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Panama, Uruguay and the U.S. Virgin Islands are also participating in hopes of qualifying for a spot in the 2024 Paris Games.
Bahamas must win this tournament to qualify for another Olympic qualifier next summer.
Bahamas has never competed in the Olympics in men’s basketball.
This Bahamian team is projected to be the strongest the country has ever had. Bahamas is coached by Golden State Warriors assistant coach Chris DeMarco.
The full roster is as follows:
Deandre Ayton, Dominick Bridgewater, Jaraun Burrows, Garvin Clarke, Kadeem Coleby, Rashad Davis, Buddy Hield, Sammy Hunter, Kai Jones, Danrad Knowles, Lourawls Nairn, Willis Mackey Jr, Franco Miller, Travis Munnings, Kentwan Smith, David Nesbitt, AJ Storr, Mychel Thompson
Tom Marquand executed a perfect front-running ride aboard Quickthorn to win the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup.
Trained by Hughie Morrison, Marquand had adopted very similar tactics last season in the Lonsdale Cup at York when beating the reopposing Coltrane by 14 lengths.
Quickthorn had failed to quite match that level of performance since, but did return to winning ways last time out back at York in a Listed race and the form was subsequently franked when the second, Israr, won a Group Two next time out.
Marquand stole a few lengths early and then once again on the brow of the hill, when the field might expect to start making ground, but the jockey ensured there was no let up in the pace.
At one stage he was around 20 lengths clear but Oisin Murphy on Coltrane, who was leading the pack, seemed content in where he was with half a mile to go.
The riders of Eldar Eldarov, Giavellotto, Emily Dickinson and Gold Cup winner Courage Mon Ami all suddenly realised Quickthorn was not stopping, but the victor had a decisive lead.
Quickthorn won by six lengths from Emily Dickinson, who prevailed in a photo for second with Coltrane, with Eldar Eldarov a further short head back in fourth.
Frankie Dettori opened his account at this year’s Qatar Goodwood Festival as Kinross gained a second success in the World Pool Lennox Stakes.
It was a case of experience prevailing over youth as the six-year-old Kinross pulled clear with the three-year-old Isaac Shelby.
Having won the race in 2021 and finished second 12 months ago, seven furlongs with cut in the ground are the ideal conditions for Ralph Beckett’s Kinross.
When the split came up the inside, Dettori took advantage as Audience weakened but Isaac Shelby still looked a danger.
Despite a 6lb pull at the weights, Isaac Shelby, runner-up in the French Guineas, could not quite do enough and the 10-11 favourite began to pull away at the line to win by a neck.
Dettori said: “He tries, he loves the ground and loves the track. I think seven (furlongs) is his best but he can do six and a mile. He’s my ATM machine!
“From the Prix de la Foret he might go to somewhere else, maybe Doncaster and I think Marc (Chan, owner) is keen to run him in Hong Kong. I promised I’ll go.”
Beckett said: “We’ve never had one like him. He’s spent most of the last 48 hours with his left fore in a bucket because he trod on a stone, he’s got very thin soles and he feels every pin prick. He should have won it last year really, he got trapped in and got there too late.
“What a horse to train, he’s a joy to train.
“We’ll take the same route again with him and try to dance every dance. Santa Anita again and in between he might go to York for the City Of York and Doncaster for the Park Stakes. I hope he’ll go to Longchamp for the Foret and the sprint at Ascot.
“We’ll dance every dance again – he’s a gelding, he’s got to dance every dance.”
Of a possible Hong Kong challenge, Beckett added: “There is an idea that might happen, we might have to duck one of the races here to ensure he gets there – it’s a good problem to have.
“He needs no work, he’s very clean winded and you really don’t have to gallop him at all. He is very easy to train but he wasn’t initially, he didn’t get his act together until he won the Hyde Stakes but once he’s in a groove, he stays in that groove and you don’t have to do anything to keep him that way.”
Should Kinross line up in the Foret at ParisLongchamp in the autumn, he could well clash again with Isaac Shelby.
His trainer Brian Meehan said: “I am disappointed he got beat but pleased he got that close to showing himself to be a genuine Group One horse, which I’m sure he is.
“I’m where I want to be with him and he will only get better.
“I shall talk to the owners and see what they want to do and they will ask the same about me.
“But the ground has never been a factor. Sean was very happy and I guess the cutaway helped Kinross somewhat.
“The Foret is the obvious race for him, but let’s see.”
Paul O’Connell believes suspended Ireland captain Johnny Sexton will be concerned about his lack of game time ahead of his World Cup swansong.
Fly-half Sexton, who is set to retire following the tournament in France, will miss each of his country’s warm-up matches after being hit with a three-match ban for misconduct.
The 38-year-old has not played competitively since March, having been forced off by a groin injury in the final match of the Guinness Six Nations against England.
Forwards coach O’Connell insists Sexton’s extended absence is not a major worry for Ireland’s management team but concedes his former team-mate is likely to feel uneasy about the situation.
“Whenever he’s come back from injuries (previously), he rarely needs a lot of games to get back up and running,” said O’Connell.
“It’s a real strength of his. He’s trained since the start of pre-season pretty much, he hasn’t missed a training session.
“He seems to watch an awful lot of rugby, he thinks a lot about rugby, so I think that kind of helps him hit the ground running when he comes back.
“(But) I’d say it’s a worry for him, you know. He wants to finish playing really, really well, and I’d say he’d love to have a few more games under his belt.
“It is what it is. It’s not something I’m worried about.”
Ireland face Italy, England and Samoa this month before beginning their World Cup campaign on September 9 against Romania in Bordeaux.
Sexton’s prolonged spell on the sidelines – in the wake of his behaviour following Leinster’s Heineken Champions Cup final defeat by La Rochelle on May 20 – has opened the door for rival number 10s Ross Byrne, Jack Crowley and Ciaran Frawley.
O’Connell says the opportunity for the three understudies is a significant “silver lining” of the undesirable circumstances.
“They’re all playing for places – Johnny’s selection allows those guys to own it a little bit,” said the 43-year former lock, who represented Ireland at four World Cups.
“It puts us in a good position heading into the World Cup because those guys get to accumulate more experience; not just of playing on the big day, but of owning it and running the week, driving some of the detail as well.
“Johnny’s suspension is unfortunate for us. But there’s a real good silver lining for us as well.”
Jim Crowley is set to miss the ride on Mostahdaf at York after picking up what is believed to be a significant suspension for his winning ride on Hukum in Saturday’s King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.
Crowley and Westover’s jockey Rob Hornby, who finished second, were both referred to the British Horseracing Authority’s Whip Review Committee in the wake of what was unforgettable finish to the midsummer showpiece.
Flat riders are allowed to use their whip six times in a race, with a four-day ban for going one over the limit and seven days for going two over. Crowley reportedly used his whip nine times, which incurs a 10-day ban and is doubled for a class one race.
Had Crowley used his whip four times over the limit then Hukum would have been disqualified.
The punishment is doubled-edged for Crowley as he was due to ride runaway Prince of Wales’s Stakes winner Mostahdaf in the Juddmonte International at the Ebor meeting.
On Monday the whip rules were tweaked once more by the BHA following a six-month review period, but the changes would not have affected Crowley’s punishment due to the severity of his offence.
Speaking to ITV Racing before any official publication of the committee’s findings, Crowley said: “It’s a huge punishment. I spoke to Rob and neither of us knew we had gone over.
“I had absolutely no idea. When we go out we are aware of the whip rules and aware of the severity of them.
“In the finish we are both thinking, ‘don’t go over’, as one thing and secondly you are trying to keep the momentum of your horse, you can’t cause any interference as a slight bump and you could get chucked out. You are trying to stay in rhythm with the horse and you are really in the zone.
“That is not to say you are not thinking about the whip because you are, but it is very difficult to be counting the strokes when you are in that scenario. It’s not a win-at-all costs ride, but it is so difficult, until you are in that situation yourself – it is hard to explain.
“Neither of us were aware we’d gone over, that’s the worrying thing. We got back to the weighing room and got a tap on the shoulder and straight away a feeling of dread comes over you.
“Imagine a tennis player in the Wimbledon final, you are not counting numbers in your head – it’s very difficult.
“The rules are the rules. Does the punishment fit the crime? I don’t think so, but I would say that. It’s going to be a tough pill to swallow.
“Some jockeys were consulted about the rules, there’s a bit of a stigma about that, but I can guarantee you know there isn’t a jockey in that weighing room who agrees with the rules.
“Neither jockey went out there to win at all costs. It was a mistake, it’s very unfortunate. He’s my favourite horse, it’s a shame it’s worked out this way.”
Ralph Beckett, the trainer of Westover, said: “I think once you put a finite number on it, you run into more problems than you solve and that is where we are now, we’ve created more problems than we’ve solved.
“Westover is fine, he bounced out of it and if I showed you a video you’d say he was ready to go again.”
Haatem held off the late lunge of Iberian to win the Nicholson Gin Vintage Stakes at Goodwood.
Second to 2000 Guineas favourite City Of Troy in the Superlative Stakes last time out, albeit beaten six and a half lengths, Haatem was finally enjoying his moment in the sun after several respectable efforts this season.
Sean Levey rode him with confidence and was never too far from the pace, but the same could not be said of Charlie Hills’ Iberian, who was slowly away.
That left William Buick with no choice but to drop in at the rear and when push came to shove, that allowed Haatem (9-4 favourite) to get first run.
Haatem quickened up stylishly away from Witness Stand and Golden Mind, and while Aidan O’Brien’s Mountain Bear briefly looked a threat, it was Iberian who threw down the last challenge.
He could never quite get on terms, however, and went down by a length.
It was a first win in the race for Hannon, a Group Two his father won five times.
He said: “I’m very pleased, he’s a lovely horse and he ran so well in the Coventry and the Superlative. He was very unlucky in the Woodcote, he didn’t get any luck on the inside. That was our day and I thought it was all going wrong, but on days like today you realise you get your luck back.
“I thought this was his day, it was almost his Derby but he will get better as the year goes on. He’s a horse that’s big enough for next year, it’s not about being a two-year-old.
“He ran here first time and he’s improved all year. He’s a Group Two winner now so obviously we have to aim high, but he’s getting better.
“Something like the Dewhurst (will be the aim), he’s got to improve to take on the big guns but he’s doing that with every run.
“This horse has won a very good race, (Ascot winner) Rosallion might be the best we’ve had for years. This fella is a quiet achiever, he gets better every day.
“This lad is your mate, he tries every time and he’s just getting better.”
Hills will also look towards the Dewhurst with Iberian.
He said: “William was very impressed with him. He was drawn nine and has run a great race. It’s nice to know you have a horse you can target the top races with, and we will look at the Champagne Stakes and if that goes to plan the Dewhurst.
“I think the softer surface just blunted the speed out of him and he floundered in the going.
“But he’s a good horse for the future and could be a Guineas horse.”
Ancient Rome shone on his first start for new connections when pouncing late to land the Coral Chesterfield Cup Handicap on the opening day of the Qatar Goodwood Festival.
The Charlie Hills-trained War Front colt was previously trained by Andre Fabre for Coolmore, but changed hands earlier in the season and then moved yards after three more runs for Fabre.
Last seen coming home third in the Group Three Prix Messidor at Chantilly, the four-year-old was a 33-1 chance under Jamie Spencer and had most of the field to pass approaching the two-furlong pole.
Spencer is a jockey who thrives in such situations, however, and the pair picked off their rivals to lunge over the line and win by a length in the end.
Hills said: “I haven’t had him very long, he’s only been with us a couple of weeks, but he’s a very laid-back individual.
“Jim and Fitri Hay are big supporters of this meeting, so we thought we’d give him a go and it’s paid off.
“When we saw the draw (stall 16) I thought it didn’t look good, but there was only one way to do it, which was to give him a chance and try to keep down the middle.
“He’s got some very good form from last year, he was fourth in the French Guineas, and while he’s obviously come down the handicap we’ll probably aim a little bit higher with him.
“That should have given him some confidence now.”
John Quinn’s Lord Riddiford flew to a third success in the Coral Handicap in the hands of Andrea Atzeni.
The eight-year-old landed the contest in both 2021 and 2022, but had been well beaten in two efforts this season.
Back over his favoured course and distance, the 8-1 winner cruised down the inside rail to cross the line a convincing three and a quarter lengths ahead of Stuart Williams’ Existent.
“He really, really likes this track, he ran quite well in the Dash (at Epsom), but the ground was a little bit quick for him,” Quinn said.
“We thought as he’s an old horse we’ll freshen him up for here and hope that he gets a bit of cut in the ground.
“We were more than hopeful. With these older horses, they need conditions to be ideal.
“Two-year-olds will probably go on ground a bit quicker than is ideal, but older horses need it ideal.
“When I was driving down yesterday there was rain all the way to London, which was lovely! It stopped a bit further on, and then when we got to Goodwood it was raining again and I thought, ‘lovely’. It’s great to see an eight-year-old bounce back and I’m delighted.”
Diego Dias’ first runner in Britain was a winning one as Mansa Musa claimed a hard-fought triumph in the British EBF 40th Anniversary Maiden Stakes.
The former jockey, who hails from Brazil, has been heavily involved in the bloodstock industry for some time and only recently switched to training.
Based on the Curragh, Dias has held his licence for four months but had a good deal of well-placed confidence in his runner, who started at 20-1 under Rossa Ryan, standing in for sidelined Hong Kong ace Vincent Ho.
Array, the 4-6 favourite, battled Mansa Musa all the way to the line but it was the latter who prevailed by a short head.
“We always liked this horse at home. We know he improved from the run and there’s a lot more to come from this horse.
“He’s a really nice horse, we always did like him even when he went to the breeze-up sales in Dubai.
“We didn’t sell him and had to bring him back, he’s just proven for us now how good he is.”
Of his background and journey into training Dias added: “I’m from Brazil, rode back home in Brazil in Rio and rode in Ireland as well.
“The past few years I’ve been doing breeze-ups, I just took out my licence this year and that’s my second winner. It’s great.
“I’m based at the Curragh, best place to be – the gallops are the best in the world!
“It’s going better than I imagined, but I came here very confident that he was going to put on a good show.”
Paddington has been the breakout star of the Flat season to date, in a campaign starting to bear very close resemblance to a Ballydoyle great of the past, Giant’s Causeway.
And like the ‘Iron Horse’, the Aidan O’Brien-trained colt will need to show all his versatility in his latest assignment, the Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.
Having emerged from winning a handicap first time out this season, the son of Siyouni is now chasing a fourth successive Group One victory.
He took the Irish 2,000 Guineas in style, before readily accounting for English Guineas winner Chaldean in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and then stepping up to 10 furlongs to beat Emily Upjohn in the Eclipse last time out.
Now he is dropping back to a mile, taking on the classy Inspiral with substantial rain forecast on Tuesday evening into Wednesday, although O’Brien is not unduly concerned.
He said: “He’s got winning form on very soft ground, so I wouldn’t be as concerned for him as I might have been for other horses. He’s got form on all types of ground.
“I hold Paddington in very high regard. He is very natural, very quick and very straightforward. He is a little bit different, we think, and the way he has progressed from run to run is very unusual.
“Ryan (Moore) always thought he had lots of pace and coming back to a mile won’t be a problem. We were delighted with him in the Eclipse and we always had the Sussex Stakes as part of his programme.
“He has been putting on weight after every run. He was much heavier heading into the Eclipse than he was before Ascot, which is quite unusual. He thrives on work and everyone involved with him is very happy.
“He has gone from strength to strength and Ryan is very impressed with him all the time. He is standing up to a lot of scrutiny and it is the ease with which he is doing it. He looks a serious horse at the moment.”
Giant’s Causeway was runner-up in the Irish Guineas, but did win the St James’s Palace, Eclipse and Sussex Stakes, and then added the Juddmonte International and Irish Champion Stakes, races that could easily feature on Paddington’s radar.
For now it is Goodwood, with O’Brien adding: “The Sussex Stakes is a very prestigious race that has stood the test of time. For a horse going to stud, it is very important with it being the first time the three-year-olds can take on the older milers.”
Just as in the Eclipse, Paddington’s biggest market rival is a filly trained by John and Thady Gosden.
Winner of six of her nine races, including three Group Ones, the Cheveley Park Stud-owned four-year-old Inspiral should certainly give Paddington something to think about – but whether she would want very soft ground is debateable.
“At this point in tine, all being well, we’ll run. The ground is changing, but this has been the plan and she is on course to go to Goodwood,” said Chris Richardson, racing manager for the owners.
“Obviously she has a weight for age difference, but it is a logical step really. We wanted to give her plenty of time after Royal Ascot.
“It was a good performance on her first run. She proved last year she runs well fresh and she followed it up.
“We obviously bypassed Newmarket (Falmouth) in preference for Goodwood. France was in the mix, but those races are too close together now and they have had plenty of rain over there.”
The ground, though, is a cause for concern.
Richardson went on: “Heavy ground wouldn’t suit her. We have taken the chance and more rain would suit Paddington probably more perhaps than us.
“She handles soft ground. She won the Marois on soft ground, and it was easy in the Falmouth when she was second as well. If you are not in, you can’t win.
“Paddington is a serious horse. He is a bit of a superstar, but we’re fresh and he’s had a few more races than us. The weight allowance might make a difference and she’s in good form.”
The feature Qipco British Champions Series event on day two also features the William Haggas-trained Aldaary, who has not quite hit the heights after missing last season but is one who will appreciate the rain.
“We left Aldaary in the Sussex in the hope that we get the sort of ground we had when Here Comes When won in 2017,” said Haggas, successful 12 months ago with the mighty Baaeed.
“He’s probably not good enough to win, but he likes the soft, so who knows. It wasn’t as soft as ideal at Ascot last time and it was a funny race. He was still a bit rusty there, but he’s better now.”
Richard Hannon does not think conditions will suit Chindit, however.
“If the word soft appears in the ground, he won’t run,” said Hannon.
“He has to have fast ground. If he doesn’t go there, he’s got the Sovereign Stakes at Salisbury, he’s got a race at York, there’s a Group Two somewhere else – there are a good few, but he can’t function on soft ground.”
Barbados Gems secured a 55-50 win over Singapore while Trinidad and Tobago’s Calypso Girls were handed a 28-69 defeat by hosts, South Africa, as action continued in the 2023 Netball World Cup at the Cape Town International Convention Center on Monday.
The Gems and Singapore played a tight first quarter with Singapore coming out with a 13-12 lead. The second quarter was a different story, however, as the Caribbean side won it 17-11 to go into the break with a 29-24 lead.
The third quarter saw Singapore roaring back to take it 16-11, meaning the teams entered the fourth quarter knotted at 40.
The Gems held their nerve in the final period to take it 15-10 and secure a 55-50 win. Kadeen Corbin had 41 goals from 43 attempts while Latonia Blackman had 14 goals and 13 assists for Barbados.
Amandeep Chahal led Singapore with 39 goals from 46 attempts.
On the other hand, Trinidad & Tobago’s Calypso Girls were hammered by South Africa.
After a relatively close first quarter, which South Africa won 18-12, the second quarter sealed T&T’s fate as they were held to just three points to go into halftime down 33-15.
The third quarter was no different as South Africa continued to dominate, winning 18-6 to go into the fourth period up 51-21.
The hosts won the fourth quarter 18-7 to complete the 69-28 win.
Nichole Taljaard had 24 goals and 15 assists for the hosts while Afeisha Noel had 11 goals for T&T.
Barbados Gems now have four points to lead Group E in the second preliminary stage while T&T are at the foot of Group E without a point.
Aidan O’Brien is still at a loss to explain the performance of dual Derby winner Auguste Rodin in Saturday’s King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
Having finished only 12th of 14 when favourite for the 2000 Guineas, O’Brien never lost faith and produced a terrific training performance to get him back in top shape to win the Derby.
The son of Japanese stallion Deep Impact then followed up in the Irish Derby at the Curragh, making him the first since Harzand in 2016 to win both Classics.
Sent off the 9-4 favourite in a stellar field at Ascot, Ryan Moore was sending out distress signals very early and ultimately allowed the colt to come home in his own time.
Several theories have been raised since the race as to his disappointing display, including the fact that the only other time he took a plane to England he ran no race in the Guineas. But as of yet, nothing untoward has come to light.
Speaking on Tuesday, O’Brien said: “He was a little bit stiff, but that’s it.
“As of now, there’s been nothing strange that has shown up.
“We’ll just continue to monitor him and see how he is over the next week.”
Hull KR coach Willie Peters will spare his star men the prospect of facing a potentially-vengeful Wigan on Friday night with their Wembley Challenge Cup final date fast approaching.
Peters plans to field a virtually-unrecognisable line-up for their Betfred Super League clash at the DW Stadium, including three players he has brought in this week on short-term loan deals plus three academy graduates who will make their first-team debuts.
Rovers edged Matt Peet’s men in a semi-final thriller at Headingley less than two weeks ago and despite their desire to cement a play-off spot, Peters is making no apologies for refusing to take risks with his already injury-hit squad.
“Obviously it’s a very important game this week but it’s a very important game next week too,” said Peters. “We will be going there with a team that is going to compete but we’ve got to be smart as well.
“If we have a team that goes out and competes from one minute to 80, I’ll be a proud coach. I think this is a game that we can hopefully go and make our fans proud of us, that a young team has gone over to Wigan and given their all.”
Rovers face Leigh at Wembley on August 12 where they will hunt their first Challenge Cup victory since their only previous triumph over city rivals Hull FC in 1980.
Peters confirmed the respective signings of Catalans half-back Cesar Rouge, Wakefield prop Isaac Shaw and Warrington forward Luke Thomas, all on two-week loan deals.
In addition, academy players Leo Tennison, Louix Gorman and Lennie Ellis will make the first team for the first time.
Peters is still hopeful that Tom Opacic, Eliot Minchella and Ethan Ryan will all recover from their current injuries in time for the Challenge Cup final a week on Saturday, but Jordan Abdull will definitely miss the Wembley date.
Ground conditions are the chief concern for trainer Shark Hanlon ahead of Hewick’s bid for back-to-back wins in the Tote Galway Plate.
Victory in the €270,000 contest 12 months ago was the middle leg of a huge treble in 2022 for the eight-year-old, as he also landed the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown and the American Grand National.
He subsequently fell two fences from home when still in with a shout in the Cheltenham Gold Cup and has since returned to Sandown to win the Oaksey Chase and finished fourth in the French Champion Hurdle.
Hanlon is thrilled with his stable star’s condition ahead of his planned return to Ballybrit, but admits the prospect of carrying top-weight in testing terrain is a worry.
He said: “Hopefully the ground will dry up a bit – we need to get the ground a bit drier.
“He’s in great form and everything, but he doesn’t want very soft ground. There’s nothing we can do about it, only wait and see.
“In fairness the two-mile-six might be on the short side for the horse and a bit of cut in the ground might be a help to us, but you’re always afraid when it gets very soft.
“I couldn’t have the horse any better, but if they end up with heavy in the ground I couldn’t run him. Hopefully it won’t get to that.”
With his first-choice pilot Jordan Gainford sidelined by injury, Hanlon turned to Rachael Blackmore to partner Hewick in his last two races.
However, Blackmore rides Gabbys Cross for Henry de Bromhead, leading Hanlon to book Britain’s champion jockey Brian Hughes.
He added: “Brian is a great jockey and he looks after me when I go to England. I’m delighted to have him on board.”
Gavin Cromwell is looking forward to saddling Final Orders, who won five successive races over fences last season before finishing fifth in the Grand Annual at Cheltenham.
The seven-year-old fell in the Topham Chase over the Grand National fences at Aintree on his next start, but recently proved his well being with a Flat victory at Bellewstown.
Cromwell said: “He’s in great shape and I’m delighted with him. I would love if the ground was a little bit better, hopefully it won’t be too bad.
“We’re happy he’s in great nick and if he can get a bit of luck in running, hopefully he’ll be involved.”
Another high-class chaser who warmed up for Galway’s midweek feature with a victory on the level is the Barry Connell-trained Enniskerry, having bolted up by six lengths at Leopardstown in June.
However, his participation is also dependent on conditions.
“The big problem is the ground – if it comes up soft he won’t run,” said Connell.
“It’s unfortunate because he’s in the form of his life, he has a lovely racing weight (10st 7lb) and if it was good ground we’d be very optimistic about his chances.
“We have him in another race on Friday, so that’s an alternative if we don’t get to run on Wednesday.
“He won his beginners’ chase there last year, so we know he likes the track and he’s a second-season novice who is unexposed, so he ticks a lot of boxes.”
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