Ash Tree Meadow put up a brilliant performance from the front to lift the Tote Galway Plate.
Fourth in the Ballybrit feature 12 months ago, Gordon Elliott’s seven-year-old was given a superb ride by Danny Gilligan, who had the company of the loose Andy Dufresne to deal with at times after he departed at the very first fence.
Willie Mullins’ Authorized Art looked a big threat under Danny Mullins after jumping the last, but Gilligan kept his cool and his mount was quickly on top again before being kept up to his work on the way to recording a two-and-a-half-length success at 13-2.
Another Elliott runner, Hollow Games, took third, with Joseph O’Brien’s A Wave Of The Sea in fourth. Last year’s winner Hewick showed up well for a long way before his big weight began to tell approaching the business end of the contest.
Danny Care has unfinished business with the World Cup but refuses to hold back during England’s warm-up games even if it means repeating one of his career’s most crushing disappointments.
Care was considered first choice scrum-half heading into the 2011 tournament only to sustain a serious foot injury against Wales in Cardiff during the build-up, preventing him from playing any part.
The Harlequins half-back had already paid for his parents to travel to New Zealand in anticipation of his involvement and while they watched England reach the quarter-finals, he remained at home on crutches.
Four years later, he had slipped down the pecking order and was confined to a single match against Uruguay, and when 2019 arrived he was among the victims of Eddie Jones’ leftfield approach to scrum-half selection.
View this post on Instagram
France this autumn offers a final chance for the 36-year-old to realise his World Cup dream, but first England must revisit the setting for his misfortune of 2011 when they face Wales at the Principality Stadium on Saturday.
“I’m desperate to try and play more World Cup games, try and win some more games for England,” Care said.
“It will be a dream come true to get on that plane and hopefully I’ve done enough to get on the plane.
“I got named in the squad in 2011, played a warm-up game and ended up missing the tournament. Touch wood that doesn’t happen again, but it is rugby, it happens.
“One thing you can’t do going onto a rugby field is think about staying fit and no one will be doing that.
“It is the nature of the beast – you’re not playing tiddlywinks. It’s a tough old sport and you can get injured at any point, in any training session.
“It’s the way it is, there is a bit of luck involved sometimes. You try and not think about it, just crack on and put your head 100 per cent into everything and then hope for the best.
“Everyone will be flying in to win Test matches. We are going to try to win games and the best way to be prepared for France is to go and win some Test matches.”
Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls confirmed their spot in the semi-finals of the Vitality Netball World following another impressive performance in bettering Caribbean rivals Trinidad and Tobago 89-26 in their second Pool G game in Cape Town, South Africa on Wednesday.
Romelda Aiken-George led the way on this occasion with 37 goals from 42 attempts, getting support from Shanice Beckford, who chipped in with 20 goals from 24 attempts early on.
Captain Jhaniele Fowler, who was only introduced for the third quarter of the match, added 17 goals from 19 attempts, while Rebekah Robinson had 15 goals from 17 attempts in the blowout win.
Afeisha Noel expectedly led Trinidad and Tobago with 20 goals from 22 attempts.
After celebrating the Reggae Girlz historic feat of progressing to the knockout stages of the Fifa Women’s World Cup at the expense of Brazil in Australia, the Sunshine Girls entered their contest brimming with confidence and that was on display from the opening whistle.
With another strong start, both in attack and defence, the number four-ranked Jamaicans, forced a number of early turnovers and at one point, opened an 8-1 lead in the early exchanges.
Their fast and fluent transitions, coupled with that defensive pressure proved too much for the number 11-ranked Calypso Girls, who struggled to maintain composure, resulting in the Sunshine Girls taking a 20-6 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter was more of the same, as Trinidad and Tobago again struggled for rhythm. In fact, so high was the Jamaican tempo and flair that they scored 12 unanswered goals with the Calypso Girls only scoring one, in the first 10 minutes of the quarter.
They eventually found three more late on, but by then, the Jamaicans had raced to a 34-point gap, to enter the half-time break 44-10 up.
Fowler entered the contest at the start of the third quarter and kept the scoring momentum going, so even though Trinidad and Tobago enjoyed their best scoring period with nine goals at that point, they found themselves 69-19 down and with too much to do heading into the final stanza.
As such, Sunshine Girls Head coach Connie Francis, used the opportunity to feel out a few other combinations, throwing rising sensation Crystal Plummer at centre and Adean Thomas back at wing attack to feed Aiken-George and Robinson, who scored at free will to complete the rout.
The Jamaicans, who last won one of their three bronze medals at the tournament in 2007, are aiming to not only break that drought, but to do so by winning the coveted gold medal and, by all indications, they are on course to do so.
Sunshine Girls assistant coach Shawn Murdock, believes the performance was a glimpse of how lethal the team can be when fresh and focused, as the brace for reigning champions and number two-ranked New Zealand in their Pool G top of the table clash on Thursday.
“We were so happy for the rest day to have the ladies rest and go again and the performance was proof of that recovery. We were actually using this game to prepare for the game against New Zealand tomorrow, so we wanted to get the ladies tuned in, limit turnovers and penalties to get ourselves ready for the game tomorrow,” Murdock said.
Meanwhile, Trinidad and Tobago’s captain Shaquanda Greene-Noel rued the lack of concentration from her team in another loss.
They are scheduled to take on Wales on Thursday.
“I don’t think we executed our game plan, I thought we had moments of brilliance, but indiscipline worked against us. It was a pleasure to come up against a Caribbean team, but we need to be better. We won some balls in defence which is good, so it is just to create more opportunities and put some shots up,” Greene-Noel said.
Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from August 2.
FootballGianluigi Buffon retired.
Rob McElhenney continued to help Paul Mullin’s recovery.
Ian Wright and Usain Bolt enjoyed the success of the Reggae Girlz.
The shy and retiring Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Kammy had work to do.
South Africa reached the last 16 at Italy’s expense.
England were still celebrating.
TennisEmma Raducanu was back out there.
CricketKevin Pietersen found a zebra crossing.
GolfLuke Donald welcomed Jose Maria Olazabal to his Ryder Cup team.
Rugby UnionJason Robinson completed an early-morning gym session.
BoxingBig news in the boxing world.
SnookerJudd Trump took in the sights in China.
Andrew Balding’s The Goat routed the opposition in the curtain-raising Coral Handicap to spark a double on day two of Goodwood for the Kingsclere handler.
Despite being placed in three of his four previous races, the Cracksman colt was a 25-1 chance stepping up to a mile and a half in the hands of Jason Watson and clearly relished the testing conditions.
Amleto, the 5-2 favourite, did his best to bridge the gap inside the final furlong but The Goat was away and gone and passed the post with 12 lengths in hand.
Balding said: “The Goat stands for the ‘greatest of all time’ – the greatest in this race, anyway!
“He loved the ground and he’s a horse who’s just had a tough spring and took a couple of runs to hit his form at home.
“He was very good – I thought he might be in a bit of trouble, but I’m very happy with the way he pulled clear. He’ll love the autumn ground and there might be something for him.”
Balding completed his brace when Flora Of Bermuda (5-1) made a mockery of her poor draw to land the British EBF 40th Anniversary Alice Keppel Fillies’ Conditions Stakes under Oisin Murphy in similarly emphatic style.
Having tracked across towards the stands rail early, the Andrew Balding-trained daughter of Dark Angel powered home in the five-furlong contest and had the race won at the furlong pole.
Having been unlucky when runner-up in the Hilary Needler at Beverley and again when first of the far-side group when drawn on the wrong side in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot, she gained just compensation, surging clear of Juniper Berries to score by four lengths, with a further three lengths back to Indispensable.
Balding said: “We think a lot of this filly, and it was a bit of a bump on the ground, but we felt we’d learn something if it didn’t work, but she took to it and she’s pretty tough.
“In a way, the draw was a plus because we didn’t get involved in any barging to hold our position. She has a lot of talent, enjoyed the ground and would have no problems getting six (furlongs). He couldn’t pull her up, by the looks of it.
“As long as she stays in one piece, black type won’t be a problem for her. She’s in the Lowther and that was always the plan.”
Proven mudlark There’s The Door (6-1), dropping back in trip, outstayed her rivals in the 10-furlong British European Breeders Fund EBF Fillies’ Handicap.
In a race where David Egan was unshipped by Decoration coming out of the stalls, the David Evans-trained three-year-old tracked Chips And Rice and took it up from the dogged La Isla Mujeres inside the final furlong, having enough to hold the staying-on Persist by half a length.
Winning rider Richard Kingscote said: “She loves this ground so we were delighted when the rain came for her.
“I felt last time at Ascot just stretched her a little bit, but a mile and a quarter on heavy ground is spot on for her.
“She has a good attitude and we had a lovely smooth run.”
Murphy completed his own double when Rhoscolyn (2-1 favourite) defeated Wobwobwob by a lengths as the pair drew clear of the remainder in the concluding seven-furlong World Pool Handicap.
The David O’Meara-trained five-year-old had been steadily dropping down the weights and the heavy ground played to his strengths, with Murphy’s mount grinding down the gutsy Wobwobwob to gain a fifth career victory.
In driving rain on the South Downs, the casual television viewer could have been forgiven for thinking the footage had been taken from a November National Hunt meeting and not the linen suit and Panama convention that is usually the Qatar Goodwood Festival.
Though the weather denied racegoers the summer garden party they may have hoped for, the quality of the racing and the promise of seeing a true superstar in action was compensation enough for the sodden shoes and obliterated umbrellas.
The horse in question was Aidan O’Brien’s Paddington, a three-year-old son of Siyouni whose swiftly accelerating run of form brought him to the Qatar Sussex Stakes less than a month after his superb Coral-Eclipse victory.
Only four horses opted to take him on and even the relentless rain and deteriorating ground could not dissuade punters from sending him off as the 4-9 favourite under Ryan Moore.
Those that did back him experienced just the briefest moment of worry when an outsider, Jerome Reynier’s Facteur Cheval, loomed up in the final furlong, splashing happily through the rain-soaked terrain.
Paddington was not for passing, however, and his class snatched him away from any danger as he pulled clear to cross the line a comfortable length and a half ahead of his French rival.
The heaviest rain of the day fell when he returned to the paddock, but the weather did not prevent a warm reception as the horse strode back in looking as damp and imposing as a winning hurdler on a wet day at Cheltenham.
In his coat colour he bears little resemblance to Giant’s Causeway. But his Goodwood victory saw Paddington match his extraordinary treble of the St James’s Palace, Coral-Eclipse and Sussex Stakes.
His next step he is likely to mirror the ‘Iron Horse’, too, as the Juddmonte International at York beckons, a race Giant’s Causeway won by a head in 2000.
O’Brien – who was all smiles when posing for pictures with the ‘real’ Paddington Bear after the race – said: “We love these big days and I’m delighted that the lads are happy to run on them. York is a massive festival as well. We’ll definitely look at it and consider it very seriously.
“We’ll have to see how he comes out (of the race). But he’s very special, we think. We weren’t expecting the ground to be as tough as it was today, but knowing the horse he could take it with a smile on his face.”
Australia for the Cox Plate has also been mentioned, alongside the Breeders’ Cup, the latter meeting being the scene of an unforgettably agonising defeat for Giant’s Causeway in the final run of his career, going down by a neck to Tiznow in the Classic at Churchill Downs.
The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is even a tantalising possibility, which would mean stepping up to a mile and a half for a race that can be run in gruelling autumn conditions, as it was last year when Alpinista prevailed on very deep ground.
“The Breeders’ Cup is an option and Tom (Magnier, of Coolmore) mentioned something about Australia,” said O’Brien.
“We made an Arc entry because there doesn’t seem to be any end to his stamina. He could go anywhere or do anything. He’s had a busy season. You run in any one top-level race and you know it, but he’s doing them one after another.
“I thought he wanted good ground or better because he’s quick, but he has handled the soft ground and he’s won on heavy before – but when a horse can quicken like that you’d think he’d want good ground.”
Moore, who is not often overly effusive in his praise, hinted that Paddington could be one of the most talented horses he has partnered in a career that has seen him ride many champions.
“It’s a hard thing to say, but he gives you the feel that he might be as good a horse as I’ve ridden,” he said.
“He’s exceptional. And he’s handled everything that we’ve put in front of him, whether it’s a mile, 10 (furlongs), good ground, soft.
“He’s a straightforward horse who thrives on his racing. Someone asked me yesterday if he’d go on this ground and I said he’d go on snow.”
Shane Lowry feels he might be “owed” a little good luck in the FedEx Cup play-offs as he battles to qualify for the post-season for a fifth straight year.
The former Open champion is ranked 76th in the standings and needs to climb inside the top 70 at the Wyndham Championship after the field for next week’s first play-off event was reduced from 125.
The top 50 after the FedEx St Jude Championship in Memphis will then advance to the BMW Championship, with only the top 30 making it to the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta.
“It’s funny, I feel like I’ve been in situations like this quite a bit over the last number of years,” Lowry said in a pre-tournament press conference at Sedgefield Country Club.
“I missed out on the Tour Championship by one spot last year, by two shots in 2019. I remember playing here one year, I’d been told I needed a top 10 to get to the play-offs, I finished seventh and I missed out by one point.
“So I feel like the play-offs nearly owes me one at this stage, so that’s what I’m trying to tell myself this year.
“I feel like I’ve been playing some pretty good golf most of the year. I’m coming off the back of a pretty bad week at The Open, which I was very disappointed with, but I had a nice holiday with my family last week to kind of regroup and hopefully get going again this week.”
Lowry has recorded just one top 10 on the PGA Tour this season and, although three of his eight top 20s came in the majors, the top-heavy points structure has not done him any favours.
“I think there’s been a lot of good, not much great (golf), which on the PGA Tour doesn’t cut it,” the world number 30 said.
“I think I’ve had a lot of top-20 finishes, but you need those great weeks, you need those top fives to move up the FedEx Cup points list.
“It’s been an interesting year for me. The way the schedule is with the designated events I feel like I’ve played some places that I wouldn’t normally play and I’ve had to miss tournaments that I normally like to play.
“But I’m here now and I want to play well and I want to get into next week and I want to make a run in the play-offs.
“Memphis is a course that I like playing and I’ve played all right in the past, so if I can get there, I know I can make a run there. I certainly don’t want to be sitting at home on my couch watching the play-offs.
“It’s a lot of motivation for me this week to play good golf and hopefully get my rewards at the end of it. I still feel like I can make the Tour Championship.”
Jerome Reynier will target Qipco British Champions Day with Facteur Cheval after finishing best of the rest behind Paddington in the Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.
The French raider had been kept fresh since finishing a close-up third behind the Owen Burrows-trained Anmaat in the Prix d’Ispahan at the end of May.
Given a patient ride by Maxime Guyon, the 11-1 chance moved into contention with a couple of furlongs to run and briefly looked like giving red-hot favourite Paddington a real run for his money.
In the end Aidan O’Brien’s superstar colt found more to extend his unbeaten record this season to six, but Reynier was understandably thrilled with his four-year-old’s performance in defeat.
He said: “It’s like a victory today. We really thought he was going to beat Paddington, but he had the stands rail and we were in the middle of the track and he was stuck in the middle of traffic.
“He ran a great race, he was third in a Group One the other day and second today in a very nice Group One and I hope the next time we will be able to win at that level.
“With five runners it was best to wait at the back for a late challenge. We were the fourth favourite out of five runners, so we thought if he can just beat one or two home, we would be happy, but we never thought he was going to be able to run that way.
“He keeps improving mentally and physically, so probably the best is yet to come.”
Reynier has gone close on Champions Day before, with Skalleti filling the runner-up spot behind Addeybb in the Champion Stakes three years ago.
Facteur Cheval is also be Ascot bound, with the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes a logical target.
“Fingers crossed he will be coming back in good shape and we can aim for the Queen Elizabeth at the end of the year with him,” the trainer added.
Roger Varian was pleased with the performance of third home Charyn, who was placed again behind Paddington having run well behind him in both the Irish 2,000 Guineas and the St James’s Palace Stakes.
“He ran well and he prefers better ground. He travelled into it well,” said the Newmarket handler.
“He ran very well at Royal Ascot to be third in the St James’s Palace, nearly second, and he ran very well in the Irish Guineas (finished fourth), so he’s knocking on the door at this top level.
“He doesn’t like this ground really, he wants better ground.”
The disappointment of the race was John and Thady Gosden’s three-time Group One winner Inspiral.
Frankie Dettori made an early move in the straight in an effort to beat Paddington to the stands rail, but his mount soon came under pressure and weakened to finish last of five.
Dettori said: “We tried, but it was very obvious that she doesn’t cope with this kind of ground.
“If the ground dries up and she comes out of this race, we can back her up in the race she won in France last year (Prix Jacques le Marois).
“It was obvious what was going to happen – Paddington got a lead and everything his own way, so I grabbed the fence as I had to make a race of it.”
Katie Taylor has an immediate chance to avenge the first defeat of her professional career as she takes on Chantelle Cameron again on November 25 in Dublin.
Cameron retained her WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO light-welterweight titles in May with an against-all-odds majority decision win in Taylor’s Irish homecoming at the 3Arena, which will also stage the rematch.
While Cameron expressed a wish to move down to 135lbs and challenge Taylor’s status as undisputed world lightweight champion, the return bout will once more be at 140lbs for the Northampton fighter’s belts.
Taylor’s loss shattered her perfect record in the paid ranks after 22 consecutive wins and the unbeaten Cameron, who moved to 18-0 by beating her rival, is ready to show it was no one-off.
Cameron said: “To go over to Ireland for her homecoming with my belts on the line and beat her was a brilliant experience, but beating her on November 25 will surpass that as I know what to expect now.
“I’ve boxed at that high level with a huge amount of pressure on me and the crowd against me. I’m going in there with more aggression and energy. I’m confident of getting the job done in better fashion.
“In the gym we’re correcting mistakes that I’ve made. Going back to Ireland to beat Katie Taylor twice in a row will show that it wasn’t just a lucky night for me and an off night for Katie.
“I think I’m all wrong for Katie. I’m too big, I’m too strong and my will to win is too strong. I’m going to be there all night long. Katie picked the wrong fighter to fight.”
Taylor had been undefeated since Rio 2016, when she was still in the amateurs but, despite turning 37 last month, retirement is a long way from the Bray fighter’s mind.
“I’m delighted the rematch has been made and really can’t wait for another huge night in November,” Taylor said. “I relish challenges like this and these are the occasions I live for.”
Gregor Townsend is confident Scotland captain Jamie Ritchie will recover from injury in time for next weekend’s World Cup warm-up match away to France after sitting out this Saturday’s Test against Les Bleus at Murrayfield.
The Edinburgh flanker has sustained a minor calf strain and will play no part in this weekend’s match in Edinburgh, with stand-off Finn Russell handed the skipper’s armband in his absence.
However, Townsend is optimistic that Ritchie will be back in contention for the rematch against the French in Saint-Etienne the following Saturday.
“I would hope he will be back next week,” said the head coach. “He’s confident he will be back in full training next week.
“It was a calf strain that has required more time off. He got a scan on Tuesday just to make sure there was no more damage done, and it was felt that this week there was no need to push the injury.
“He’s confident he will be running by the weekend and back to full training next week.”
Talismanic stand-off Russell – who will join Bath from Racing 92 after the World Cup – will lead the national team for the first time, less than 10 months after being omitted from the initial squad for the autumn series.
Asked what has changed in the intervening period for the 30-year-old to go from outsider to leader, Townsend said: “Finn has played really well since he got back into the squad.
“He has always been a leader for us in terms of attack. He is older, has more experience and an opportunity has opened up where he’s the right man to lead us this week.
“It’s the right time to give him that opportunity, and it will be interesting to see how he goes. Being vice captain and our most important attack leader gives him a real confidence and I’m hoping that being captain gives him confidence too.
“The players that do most of the talking on the field are your 10, your captain and maybe one other player. Finn has certainly done that for us over the last couple of years.”
Townsend believes Russell is in his prime.
“He’s in really good physical shape and was when he came back in last November and during the Six Nations too,” he said.
“He’s hitting that sweet spot where, after playing the game for 10 years in that one position and playing against some of the best teams around, he has an understanding of where space might open up.
“If you’ve got that physical side right too, you can exploit those opportunities. That’s what he is doing. He’s really motivated about playing for Scotland and playing club rugby for the next few years.
“If you can get that mix for the next two or three years, and it’s important to note he is improving all the time, you’ve got one of the best players in the world in that position with us, which is great.”
Townsend has made 13 changes to his starting XV for this weekend’s clash with the French, restoring the majority of his big-hitters after fielding a largely experimental side for last Saturday’s win over Italy.
Ritchie and hooker George Turner are the only notable absentees from the starting line-up, with Ewan Ashman – capped seven times – the least established international in the line-up.
Townsend is hoping Scotland can show over the next two games that they have built on a strong performance in their 32-21 Six Nations defeat by France in Paris in February when they roared back from 19-0 down and threatened to pull off a famous victory.
“We want to show we are a better team than that day,” said Townsend. “I feel that what the players are showing in training is at a lot higher level than what we produced in the Six Nations. That gives us a lot of encouragement and excitement.
“We did play well and the character in the team was outstanding, but we didn’t finish off nearly enough opportunities to win the game. Three times we were over the try-line and didn’t score, and there were another four times where great creative play didn’t get rewarded.
“It’s great that France have committed to home and away fixtures like they did last time. It suits us that we were able to mix up our team last week and we now have two very tough Test matches home and away.”
Paddington made it a brilliant six from six for the season with a dominant front-running victory in the Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.
The Siyouni colt has not looked back since making a successful start to his campaign in a handicap at Leopardstown, winning a Listed race at the Curragh, the Irish 2,000 Guineas and the St James’s Palace Stakes before successfully stepping up to 10 furlongs in the Coral-Eclipse.
Dropping back to a mile, Aidan O’Brien’s teak-tough three-year-old was the 4-9 favourite to make light of testing conditions and controlled matters from flag-fall in the hands of Ryan Moore.
Three-time Group One-winning filly Inspiral was the first of his challengers to throw down a challenge, but her effort was short lived and in the end it was French raider Facteur Cheval who emerged as the biggest threat.
But try as he might, he could never quite get on terms with Paddington, who had matters well in control as he passed the post with a length and a half in hand.
The winner was emulating former Ballydoyle great Giant’s Causeway by completing the St James’s Palace, Coral-Eclipse, Sussex Stakes treble.
The ‘Iron Horse’, as he was affectionately known, went on to add the Juddmonte International at York to his CV 23 years ago.
Emma Raducanu has stepped up her recovery from wrist and ankle surgery by returning to the practice court for the first time.
The 20-year-old was forced to miss the French Open and Wimbledon after undergoing operations on both wrists and one ankle at the beginning of May.
She has been rehabilating over the last few weeks but made a big step by hitting for the first time at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton on Wednesday.
View this post on InstagramRaducanu documented her session, which saw her gently hitting with a practice partner, on Instagram with the caption: “August 2nd, THE FUN PART. 1st time back on court.”
The US Open winner, who has been dogged by injuries since her amazing 2021 triumph in New York, will not be fit for the forthcoming tournament at Flushing Meadows, with a return in the Asia or European indoor swing in the autumn more likely.
Clive Cox makes no apology for thinking Jasour is at the top of the pecking order of his juveniles at Beechdown Stables in Lambourn as he bids for a hat-trick in the Markel Richmond Stakes at Goodwood on Thursday.
The Havana Grey colt has progressed in each of his three runs this term and followed up his Nottingham five-furlong maiden win with an authoritative two-length verdict over Lake Forest when upped to six furlongs in the July Stakes at Newmarket.
He tackles nine rivals in similar Group Two company on the Sussex Downs, with his trainer expecting him to back up that good performance.
Cox, who won this race in 2019 with Golden Horde and again the following year with Supremacy, said: “We were thrilled with the Newmarket success. He has come out of the race really well, we’re very happy with the way he’s been since then.
“It was nice to see him settle behind the pace and finish off in a race of that level, and to win as nicely as he did.
“We rate him highly. We had him entered in the Gimcrack before he ran at Newmarket and was our only entry in the race, so that tells you.
“It was not as if it was unexpected, but it is always nice to confirm what you hope and believe. We are hopeful that he’ll go well.”
First-time winners Vandeek, who landed a six-furlong maiden in easy ground at Nottingham for co-trainers Ed and Simon Crisford, and Sketch, who was an eyecatching Newbury scorer for Freddie and Martyn Meade, look worthy opponents.
Confidence is high that Showcasing colt Sketch, who scored by five lengths on debut 12 days ago, can back up that form.
Freddie Meade said: “He seems to have come out of it really well. Obviously it is quite a quick turnaround, but he was a true professional at Newbury. In the winner’s enclosure he seemed to take it all in his stride.
“It looks a tough renewal, but I think he showed he’s entitled to be there and he is a big, strong horse and it is not all about this season.
“He is a really nice horse who we think a lot of and we are hoping to go there with a live chance. Not many can do what he did first time out and the sectional times were good if you compare them to the Hackwood.”
Ed Crisford feels Vandeek will gain some useful experience, suggesting it is not all about his juvenile season.
He said: “He looked a bit inexperienced at Nottingham and just fell out the stalls, but with the ground the way it is – it was soft when he won there – it will help. He seems to have come on for that mentally for the last few weeks, so we thought we’d take a chance.
“If he can take a step forward from his maiden win, we’ll be pleased. He is one for the future and it is not all about this.”
The Group Three John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes over a mile and a half sees the King’s Royal Ascot winner Desert Hero having his first outing since landing the King George V Stakes.
However, the top two in the market are the Aidan O’Brien-trained Espionage and the Crisfords’ Chesspiece.
The former won a Listed race at Rosscommon on his seasonal bow, having shown some smart form in three runs last autumn, including when beaten a head by Donnacha O’Brien’s Proud And Regal in the Criterium at Saint-Cloud.
O’Brien said of the Galileo colt, who is towards the head of the betting on the St Leger: “He’s only had the one run this year and nearly won a Group One in France last year.
“He’s progressing, he’s coming on. That was his first run at Roscommon this season and we think he’ll progress as the year goes on.”
Chesspiece was placed in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot before dropping back in trip to land a Listed prize at Hamilton over a mile and three furlongs.
Ed Crisford feels he will appreciate the easy ground in what looks a high-quality renewal.
“He won nicely in a Listed race at Hamilton and he’s come out of it very well,” he said.
“We know he likes softer conditions and with all the rain, we thought it was a good option to run him.
“He is doing extremely well and I’m sure he will be very competitive. It looks a strong race for the class and if he can take another step forward, he’ll be right in the mix.”
Big Evs proved his surprise Royal Ascot success was no fluke with victory in the Jaeger-Lecoultre Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood.
Narrowly beaten on his debut at Redcar in May, Mick Appleby’s juvenile was sent off at 20-1 for the Windsor Castle Stakes but ran out a clear-cut winner.
He was the 9-4 joint-favourite to follow up at Group Three level and a smart start meant he was soon leading the field in the hands of Jason Hart.
Purosangue came at him hard as the post loomed, but Big Evs kept responding to pressure and clung on by a neck.
Kylian, the other 9-4 favourite, appeared outpaced early on, but made late progress to place third and may well have finished closer with a clearer run.
Betfair cut Big Evs to 5-1 from 8-1 for the Gimcrack at York on August 25, although connections also raised the possibility of paying the £40,000 required to supplement him for the Nunthorpe on the same day.
He is an 8-1 shot with Paddy Paddy Power to become the first two-year-old to win the all-aged Group One since Kingsgate Native in 2007.
Magical Sunset finished with some gusto to secure the Whispering Angel Oak Tree Stakes at Goodwood.
Richard Hannon’s filly won three times last season, including a Listed success, but could finish only fifth when favourite to make a winning reappearance in the Fred Darling Stakes at Newbury in April.
She had also troubled to fail the judge in four starts since, but bounced right back to the best in deteriorating conditions on the Sussex Downs.
Matilda Picotte cut out much of the running in the seven-furlong Group Three before being swallowed up by the chasing pack, and in the final furlong 4-1 joint-favourite Breege hit the front.
But Kevin Stott was biding his time in behind aboard 18-1 shot Magical Sunset and she picked up well once in the clear to get up and score by three-quarters of length.
Hannon said: “I think she would have been unlucky if she’d been beaten, she’s much better on this ground – she won the Radley Stakes at Newbury very well on it and that’s helped her today.
“She looked the best turning in at Sandown the other day and it looked to me like she didn’t get home, so we came back to seven furlongs today and I’m delighted. She won very well.
“The owner rang me and was actually pleased – that’s very rare! Group races are very hard to win. My god, there’s a massive bottle of Whispering Angel over there – he’s not getting that! That’s what you call tax…”
He added: “She’s a really sweet filly. She’s always been lovely, but she’s much better on that ground. She cost a few quid, mind you. She was unlucky in the Goffs Million, she’s getting her revenge slightly and getting her slice of luck.
“I think she’s entered in a Group Three in Deauville, so she might go there – she’ll have a penalty, obviously, but she’ll go wherever the soft ground is.”
Europe captain Luke Donald has named former skipper Jose Maria Olazabal as his fourth vice-captain for this year’s Ryder Cup in Rome.
Olazabal enjoyed a stellar playing career in the biennial contest against the United States before leading his side to victory in the famous ‘Miracle at Medinah’ in 2012.
The 57-year-old won a total of 20.5 points in his seven appearances, with 12 of those coming from 15 matches in partnership with fellow Spaniard Seve Ballesteros.
Olazabal, who was also vice-captain in 2008, 2010 and 2014, joins Thomas Bjorn, Edoardo Molinari and Nicolas Colsaerts in Donald’s backroom team.
The two-time Masters champion said: “With my previous experiences in the Ryder Cup I am obviously thrilled to be back involved once again.
“I am really looking forward to feeling that special adrenaline flow, the intensity and the electricity that only the Ryder Cup can bring.
“It was a very nice surprise to be asked by Luke. I didn’t expect it, but I was delighted when the call came.
“I have no doubts that Luke will be a great captain. He has played in the Ryder Cup four times and won four times and he therefore knows what is required to perform well in the match.”
Donald, who was sent out first by Olazabal in the Sunday singles at Medinah, said: “To know he had that respect and confidence in me to go out and lead Europe in such a pressurised last-day environment meant a lot and this feels, perhaps, that I am returning that favour a little bit, as I have a huge amount of confidence in him.
“Just his mere presence brings energy to any Ryder Cup environment and I saw that first hand when I asked him to be involved in the Hero Cup we staged in Abu Dhabi at the beginning of this year.
“He was such a big part of that week, being with the players and sharing stories with them of just what the Ryder Cup is all about.
“People notice when Jose Maria walks into a room and you could see at the Hero Cup how much everyone respected him and admired him for all he’s done in the game. I could not be more excited to have him on my team.”
French trainer Christopher Head is excited to see how the “filly of my life” Blue Rose Cen shapes up against Nashwa in a mouthwatering Qatar Nassau Stakes at Goodwood.
Unbeaten in three starts this season, Blue Rose Cen landed the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas) and then produced a powerful performance over an extended 10 furlongs, winning a deep Prix de Diane (French Oaks) at Chantilly by four lengths.
Last year she won four of her six starts, culminating in another top-class success in the Prix Marcel Boussac, to be crowned the French champion two-year-old.
Her first crack at the older generation comes on her international debut. And Head is relishing the chance to visit a track where Solow landed the Sussex Stakes for his father, Freddy, in 2015.
“Everything is all right – all lights are green,” said Head.
“She has had a brilliant preparation and we are very happy with her, and we can’t wait to get to Goodwood races.
“She is a wonderful filly, the filly of my life for now, and I’m really happy to have the luck to train her.
“It has been a tremendous season with her and we can’t wait to see what she is capable of doing at the Goodwood track.”
Head is a fifth generation of his family to excel in the thoroughbred business. He is the son of Freddy, the multiple champion-jockey-turned-trainer, and grandson of Alec, something akin to French racing royalty.
While this will be Head’s first runner at the undulating circuit, he is no stranger to British racing and is keen to see how far the daughter of Churchill can climb.
“It has been a very nice run and I think it is a very tactical racetrack and a very interesting one,” he added.
“I can’t wait to get into it, because there is such a good atmosphere at the races in the UK and it is really a unique feeling when you run a horse there.”
The Chantilly-based handler has no qualms that Blue Rose Cen will handle the rain-soaked ground.
“The ground should not be any issue for her,” he said. “She has already encountered various tracks and there is no problem at any of them.”
Though he initially felt she was a 10-furlong filly on pedigree, he is exploring the possibility of seeing her race over further.
“We will need to see her run, but there is a project about seeing what she is capable of doing in a staying capacity, such as the Vermeille, just to see if she is capable of going further,” he added.
“We don’t have the limit of the filly now – she looks like she can do everything! For now, she has the benefit of choice.”
Five fillies stand in her way, including Roger Varian’s Al Husn, who won the Group Three Hoppings Fillies’ Stakes, at Newcastle, and Joseph O’Brien’s Above The Curve, who won the top-level Prix Saint-Alary last season.
Nashwa, though, would appear to be Blue Rose Cen’s biggest danger. The John and Thady Gosden-trained four-year-old won this race last year, having previously given Hollie Doyle her first Classic success in the Prix de Diane.
The daughter of Frankel, who is rated 2lb superior on official ratings, will be conceding 8lb to the French raider due to the weight-for-age structure.
She took her time to find her form this season, and was narrowly beaten by Al Husn at Newcastle, but was subsequently an eyecatching winner of the Group One Falmouth at Newmarket, where she powered to a five-length success back over a mile.
Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager for Imad Al Sagar, who owns Nashwa, feels she is up to the task now she has found her form.
He said: “She’s in good form, actually. She came out of the Falmouth really well. I think it was so encouraging the way she did it at Newmarket.
“Everybody’s faith has been repaid, as it were. She looked good and had done well over the winter and, if anything, might have done a bit too well.
““She is a big, scopey filly and sometimes they just take a little while to come to themselves. It was never that she worked badly, she was always going nicely, but I think after Newcastle, it looked like she suddenly began to take hold of the bridle.
“She settled really well at Newmarket and showed a really good turn of foot, galloped out well and wasn’t stopping.”
Nashwa justified favouritism, beating Aristia by a length and three-quarters in the race 12 months ago, but Grimthorpe knows she faces a tough task against Blue Rose Cen.
He added: “We know she acts at Goodwood, anyway. It is a very interesting race and the French filly looks exceptional. It is going to be a good race.
“We are always hopeful, but the good thing is she is going into the race how we’d want her to.”
Jac Morgan will captain Wales on Saturday in what is effectively the first of three World Cup leadership auditions.
The 23-year-old Ospreys flanker takes charge for Wales’ opening tournament warm-up game against England in Cardiff.
Wales then go to Twickenham seven days later before hosting reigning world champions South Africa – and there is likely to be a different skipper each time as head coach Warren Gatland considers his options.
Hooker Dewi Lake, fly-half Dan Biggar, plus locks Adam Beard and Will Rowlands are also among realistic captaincy candidates.
Should Morgan or 24-year-old hooker Lake be handed the World Cup reins, it would echo Gatland appointing Sam Warburton as skipper for the 2011 tournament, when he was just 22.
“We’ve named Jac as captain for this match, and it is a great honour for him to be leading his country,” Gatland said.
“We will be looking at probably having a different captain for each of the matches as we give as many as possible in the squad an opportunity to impress, but also mindful about potential combinations as we get closer to naming the World Cup squad.”
Gatland is set to name his final 33-strong World Cup squad later this month, and there are early chances in the spotlight for an uncapped trio of Max Llewellyn, Corey Domachowski and Keiron Assiratti, who all start against England.
And former England prop Henry Thomas, who qualifies for Wales through his father and has been able to switch countries under new World Rugby regulations, is among the replacements along with fellow uncapped forward Taine Plumtree.
Since the start of last year, players can switch to their country of birth – or their parents’ or grandparents’ birth – provided a minimum period of three years has elapsed since they were last selected for an adopted country.
Thomas, who won the last of his seven England caps against New Zealand in 2014, follows players like Jean Kleyn (Ireland to South Africa), Charles Piutau (New Zealand to Tonga) and Byron McGuigan (Scotland in Namibia).
Full-back Leigh Halfpenny, meanwhile, will win his 100th cap as Wales step up their World Cup preparations after tough training camps in Switzerland and Turkey.
Gatland added: “I have been really pleased with the players’ effort and commitment in Turkey, Switzerland and the mini camps in Wales, but now it is about putting what we’ve been training into practice.
“There is some great competition among the squad in all positions, and we’ve selected a team this week with a few debutants because we want to give them the opportunity to see what they can do.
“There is a lot to play for over the next three matches, and everyone is still in contention to make that final squad for France.”
Centre Llewellyn, who is the son of former Wales lock Gareth Llewellyn, will partner George North in midfield, with Cardiff props Domachowski and Assiratti also gaining immediate chances to shine.
Swansea-born Plumtree, meanwhile, goes straight into the matchday 23 after linking up with the Wales squad ahead of last month’s trip to Switzerland.
He has played Super Rugby in New Zealand and will be part of the Scarlets set-up next season.
For Halfpenny, Saturday’s game sees him reach three figures almost 15 years after he made his Wales debut as a teenager against South Africa.
He will become the ninth Wales player to clock up a century, and only the fifth back, joining North, Biggar, Stephen Jones and Gareth Thomas.
Gatland said: “I would like to make a special mention for Leigh Halfpenny, who will win his 100th cap for Wales on Saturday.
“Reaching this milestone is an incredible achievement and testament to the player and person Leigh is. I know it will be a very special day for him and all his family.”
Dylan Hartley has urged England to install Owen Farrell at fly-half for the entire World Cup and its build up in the belief it will provide reassurance to the team.
Farrell is competing with George Ford and Marcus Smith for the role of chief conductor with the alternative option to pick him at inside centre, operating alongside one of his rivals for the number 10 jersey.
Head coach Steve Borthwick used both Farrell and Smith in the position during the Six Nations, while Ford is back in contention having fallen out of favour under Eddie Jones.
Hartley, who led England to the 2016 Grand Slam, insists his successor as red rose captain should start the Summer Nations Series opener against Wales on Saturday and then be retained, to send out a message.
“I would love for Owen to play at 10 and for Steve Borthwick to make his mind up and go with him for all these opening games,” Hartley told the PA news agency.
“The team ticks when there is certainty and I love the conviction of seeing Owen at 10. If he’s at 10 then it frees up Ollie Lawrence or Manu Tuilagi, or whatever combination there is outside him.
“As the leader, heartbeat of the side and world class player when given the reins, Owen is integral to how England will perform.
“He’s not just the fly-half and goalkicker, he’s everything to that squad. He’s not a young kid any more, he’s a battle-hardened warrior.
“He’s still matching where he needs to be physically, it’s not like they’re carrying him just for his experience, whereas you’d probably argue I was just there for experience and captaincy instead of performance.
“In that regard you hit a tipping point and my tipping point came pre-30-years-old. Owen ticks all the boxes for me.”
Borthwick has four Tests – Wales’ visit to Twickenham and clashes with Ireland and Fiji complete the schedule – to fine tune England ahead of their seismic opener against Argentina on September 9.
The Principality showdown is the only match to take place before Borthwick names his 33-man World Cup squad on Monday with the management team holding their final selection meeting on Saturday night.
Hartley, who is now exploring coaching consultancy roles, having retired in 2019, believes it is crucial England use the Tests to stitch together a winning run.
“You want to roll these games into the World Cup and win them all. You don’t want to experiment and I’d like to see conviction from the off. Don’t mess around and pick the team you would for a World Cup final,” the former Northampton hooker said.
“Pick a team against Wales to win, not to work on combinations. If you experiment with a player you might learn more about him, but you get more from a winning team. You go through the gears easier when you’re winning.
“Uncertainty can keep environments competitive and honest, but you also need a little bit of comfort.
“Injuries will come, but deal with those retrospectively and go win the games which will build momentum and confidence.”
Rugby is going through a challenging period amid concerns over concussion, its laws, finances and playing numbers, but Hartley believes the coming weeks in France will provide a much-needed lift.
“The game has taken bit of a shoeing but the best of rugby is displayed at rugby World Cups, so it’s timely,” the 97-cap front row said.
“You have the underdog stories – the teams you never get to see like Portugal and Chile – that emerge and are hugely positive.
“The game is in a tough place but with the quality of teams and calibre of athlete we’ll see at the World Cup, it will be a great advertisement for the game and we can stop talking about the negative stuff.”
:: All 15 Summer Nations Series matches are available exclusively on Prime Video in the UK.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
