The Injured Jockeys Fund and mental health charity Mind are the beneficiaries of a magnificent marathon-running effort from Catherine Leeson, who completed her year-long fundraising challenge in Malton this weekend.
The Jack Berry House employee embarked on the unique and awe-inspiring mission of running one marathon every month at the beginning of 2023 and fittingly completed the final miles of her daring dozen with a racing-themed run around the Yorkshire training hub.
Treacherous icy conditions thanks to the recent cold snap meant for a more testing final leg to her endeavours, which started and finished at the IJF’s northern rehabilitation centre, Jack Berry House, and encompassed some of the town’s major training bases, such as Richard Fahey’s Musley Bank stables.
Overcome with emotion at the finish line as she was cheered on by friends, family and members of the racing community, Leeson – who grew up close to Malton – has currently raised over £3,000 to split between her two chosen charities.
“I felt very lucky and very emotional,” said Leeson. “My pride to work for the Injured Jockeys Fund and my pride about being part of the Jack Berry House team was my overall emotion.
“I was very lucky to have a great team supporting in the conditions, it was minus 5C and it was really frosty and icy.
“The team who work at the Injured Jockeys Fund are amazing and the overall support from not only the staff, but the patients, the beneficiaries and the local racing community, I felt very lucky and proud to be a part of that and it made it special.”
She went on: “I originally set a target of £1,000 for each charity, which I know sounds a bit low, but it is a difficult time and everyone is watching their spending; I didn’t want people to feel pressured.
“But I’ve raised just over £3,000 in total so far and I would love to raise another £1,000 or £2,000 if possible.
“I think with everything which has happened recently with Graham Lee, we are always trying to get more funds for the Injured Jockeys Fund and the more the better, but I’m happy with what we have raised so far.”
A spotlight has been shone on the work of the IJF following the incident at Newcastle that saw Graham Lee sustain serious injuries.
Its work is invaluable to the racing community not only in the rehabilitation of injuries but in offering financial support and help with mental well-being, with Leeson having immense pride in working for the company as a sports rehabilitator for the past eight years.
She added: “I’ve always been super, super proud to work for the Injured Jockeys Fund and in particular at Jack Berry House. It’s a really, really special place.
“I’ve never actually sat on a racehorse, I’m not quite brave enough to do that, so technically I’m not from a racing background, but after eight years at Jack Berry House you learn to love the sport, really. When the centre was being built, I always wanted to work there.”
Leeson’s time with the IJF has exposed her to the harsh realities of a 365-days-a-year sport and the life of the professionals at the heart of it, with one of the main objectives of her marathon challenge being to highlight the mental health support available via the fund.
She continued: “The brilliant idea was to run around the racing yards (for the final marathon) and as much as it is about raising money, the challenge is about raising awareness of the mental health side and the support that is needed.
“It’s amazing when people come in for treatment or are one of our respite patients, coming in for a longer period of time, how people start to open up about their struggles and the difficulties of racing.
“Until you are in that position and you see people day-in, day-out, you don’t realise the toll it takes and the internal mental strength that people in racing need to battle through the highs and lows of it.
“It would be over 10 yards we ran past or through and it was amazing to fit in as many yards as possible.
“Malton is such a hub for racing and I really wanted to, as well as raise awareness, just celebrate the work of the Injured Jockeys Fund. We had a lovely day and lots of beneficiaries joined us afterwards, it was a special day.”
There was also another reason close to the heart of Leeson for raising such vital funds for two worthy causes, with herself once a beneficiary of IJF support at a time of need.
“A few years ago, I went through a really challenging time and, as amazing as the team is, they not only look after their patients, but they look after their staff really well,” she explained.
“They sensed after a little bit of time, I wasn’t quite right, and I was fortunate enough that the team gathered round me and picked me up and I was able to access some amazing mental health support through the charity, which was invaluable.
“Having gone through that myself, I could see what a difference it makes to our patients – and without them, I don’t know where I would have been, which is a really scary thought.”
She went on: “I decided I wanted to give something back to the charity and continue the amazing work they do on the mental health side alongside the stuff we do day-to-day in the centres.
“I also chose Mind, as I wanted to fundraise for people who didn’t have access to specialist facilities and so no one should have to suffer with poor mental health.”
Now, despite almost falling at the very first hurdle, she can look back with pride, having successfully completed her ambitious challenge when crossing the finish line at the Jack Berry House she holds dear.
Leeson said: “I took a fall when doing the first one and knocked myself out after 30 kilometres. I managed to continue and looking back, I was thinking why did I decide to do 12!
“But I’m so glad I did and, as well as a big challenge, it’s been a brilliant experience.”
Donations can be made via the following link: https://www.justgiving.com/page/catherine-leeson-1677512328351
Three-time champion jockey Oisin Murphy is relishing the prospect of riding over hurdles for the first time at Wincanton on Thursday.
While most of the elite Flat riders are either enjoying some rare downtime during the winter, or plying their trade on foreign soil, Murphy will take up a new challenge in Dorset.
The 28-year-old is fresh from enjoying another successful campaign on the level, which yielded six Group One winners, including Classic success aboard Mawj in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas at Newmarket in May.
His mount on Thursday is the Cian Collins-trained Irish raider Lets Do This, who will contest the Danny McNab Bookmakers “National Hunt” Novices’ Handicap Hurdle.
Explaining his decision, the Killarney-born jockey said: “My uncle is Jim Culloty, who rode winners of the Cheltenham Gold Cup (Best Mate), Grand National (Bindaree) and Irish Grand National (Timbera) and also trained a winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup (Lord Windermere).
“I worked with him in my teens, so jumps racing has always been part of my life and it has always been a burning ambition of mine to ride in a jumps race.
“I took out a jumps licence earlier in the year, as at one stage it looked like I might get a ride in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival.
“The programme of Flat racing means it is unlikely that I will be able to ride over hurdles often, but this opportunity arose as I know the trainer and owner of Lets Do This well. It is only a fairly low-grade handicap hurdle on Thursday, so it seemed like a good place to start.
“I have been schooling horses to prepare, though have not yet ridden Lets Do This.”
Murphy is set to be well supported at Wincanton, adding: “Jim might be coming along to see me ride and my friend Denis O’Regan, who recently retired, might be travelling over from Ireland.
“I’ll be walking the course when I get to Wincanton to see what it’s like and will try and seek the advice of the jump jockeys riding there. I am really looking forward to the challenge.”
Several leading Flat jockeys have enjoyed success under both codes, perhaps most notably the late, great Lester Piggott, who partnered 20 winners over hurdles, including the 1954 Triumph Hurdle hero Prince Charlemagne.
More recently, the likes of Richard Hughes, Jamie Spencer and Tom Queally have combined the two disciplines and Murphy hopes to add his name to the list.
He said: “It would be an amazing feeling to get a winner over jumps and I’m not looking beyond Thursday at the moment – I just hope I don’t embarrass myself!”
Two more National Hunt meetings have fallen to the weather, with today’s fixture at Southwell and Thursday’s Leicester card both abandoned.
Southwell was hit by a further 9mm of rain overnight, which has left the turf track waterlogged and not fit for racing.
That means there will be no jump racing in Britain for the second successive day, after Ayr and Plumpton were lost yesterday.
There will, however, be all-weather Flat racing at Lingfield this afternoon and Wolverhampton this evening.
Leicester have already thrown in the towel regarding Thursday’s National Hunt fixture, with melting snow and heavy rain leaving the course waterlogged.
The British Horseracing Authority has scheduled an additional all-weather meeting at Southwell for that afternoon.
Frankie Dettori pledged to “rebuild his reputation” on this day in 2012 after receiving a six-month ban for taking a prohibited substance when riding in France.
The three-times British champion jockey, 41, tested positive following a routine examination at Longchamp on September 16.
Dettori’s suspension, from French racing authority France Galop, was backdated from November 20 and ran until May 19, 2013.
In a statement to the PA news agency, Dettori’s solicitor Christopher Stewart-Moore said: “France Galop have announced their finding Frankie Dettori has committed a breach of their rules relating to prohibited substances.
“I have spoken to Frankie since the announcement was made, and he has told me he fully accepts France Galop’s decision.
“He also accepts that he has let down the sport he loves and all those associated with it, as well as the wider public. But most of all, and this is his greatest regret, he has let down his wife and children.
“Racing has been good to Frankie and he knows that his privileged position brings with it responsibility.
“For this reason he is determined to rebuild his reputation when he returns to the saddle.”
Dettori had four rides at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe trials meeting, after which the sample was returned.
The case was then put before an independent medical commission in Paris on November 20, where Dettori spoke via conference call, but it was announced a day later that he was temporarily suspended from competing in France on medical grounds.
The file was passed on to a disciplinary panel of the stewards at France Galop, and Stewart-Moore said his client had received “a sympathetic hearing”.
As was expected, West Indies Academy inflicted a soul-crushing defeat on Emerging Island in their four-day match at the Coolidge Cricket Ground on Wednesday to sweep the series 2-0. Having been set a nigh-impossible target of 575 runs, the tourists wilted under the pressure and we bowled out for 143, thus losing by a mammoth 432 runs.
Having resumed from their overnight total of 172-4, for an already significant lead of 432 runs, West Indies Academy, spurred by Kevin Wickham’s unbeaten 105 and contributions of 32 from Nyeem Young and 22 from McKenny Clarke, eventually declared on 321-8.
The spark in the dark for Emerging Ireland was the haul of 5-75 by Tom Hayes, who got some support from Michael Frost whose two wickets came at the cost of 136 runs from 32 overs.
With a target of almost 600 runs, Emerging Ireland were never up to the task against a rested and confident West Indies Academy bowling attack led by Joshua Bishop who snagged 4-36 and Clarke, who bowled miserly for 2-16 from six overs.
Lower-order batter Liam McCarty offered the most resistance with a knock of 35 not out. Otherwise, opener Stephen Doheny was the only other batter who got into the 20s, with 23.
The Real Solid Action campaign team, led by Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Presidential candidate, Raymond Anderson, has provided evidence of what they describe as “massive electoral fraud” by the incumbent JFF administration led by President Michael Ricketts.
Last week, Anderson’s team expressed profound outrage and dismay at the recent uncovering of actions taken by the Michael Ricketts-led administration to disenfranchise constitutionally recognized voter organizations.
Anderson's team said it has in its possession irrefutable evidence showing the JFF's repeated attempts to prevent legitimate voter organizations from exercising their right to vote in the upcoming presidential election, scheduled for January 14.
These tactics, the RSA team believes are a blatant disregard for democratic principles and are aimed at silencing voices that are crucial to the fair and transparent functioning of the electoral process.
They presented said evidence to members of the media and, thus, to the public during a press briefing at the Liguanea Club in Kingston on Monday.
To better understand the questions at hand, we must first gain a better understanding of exactly how the voting structure for the JFF elections is made up.
“There are 56 votes spread across what we refer to as three pillars,” according to RSA team member and current JFF director Denzil Wilks.
“Pillar one comprises all the football parish associations and each parish has two votes so that’s 26 votes there.”
“Pillar two comprises the top four clubs in the Men’s Premier League, the top four clubs in the Women’s Premier League, the top four clubs in what is referred to as the men’s tier two and equally in the women’s tier two. We are aware that in the current circumstances, because there has not been any tier two in the women’s area, there is a special arrangement as far as voting is concerned where the top four in tier one will vote on behalf of what should be tier two.”
“Pillar three comprises the Referees Association, Jamaica Football Coaches Association, ISSA, Inter-col, Beach Soccer Jamaica, Past Players Association and the PFJL.”
With that said, RSA’s major concerns have to do with the disenfranchising of two of these members-the Jamaica Football Coaches Association headed by Vin Blaine and Beach Soccer Jamaica headed by Pat Garel.
The RSA argues that the current JFF administration masterminded the formation of two shell companies, namely the Jamaica Coaches Association led by Rudolph Speid, and the Beach Football Association of Jamaica Limited which listed current JFF vice president Bruce Gaynor, team manager for the Senior Reggae Boyz O-mar Stennett and current JFF director Patrick Malcolm as directors.
These companies were formed to supplement votes for the current administration at the January 14 elections. Both companies were granted admission to the JFF.
The evidence provided against the Jamaica Coaches Association was a letter from the Companies Office of Jamaica stating “the name Jamaica Coaches Association Limited does not appear on our list of registered companies.”
“When we looked at the coaches and we sat and planned, the only group we had in mind was the Vin Blaine-led group that was formed in 2009. There was no other group,” Anderson, who also the current vice president of the JFF, said.
The board was essentially tricked into thinking that the Speid-led Jamaica Coaches Association Limited was a registered company as Anderson explained further.
“When we as a board made that decision, the General Secretary Dennis Chung told us that all the boxes by the Speid-led association were checked and that the association led by Blaine had some outstanding boxes. If you look at it, the boxes that were not ticked for the Blaine-led group did not apply to coaches. It was an inside job. They went ahead and tried to register the company and it could not be registered so they just ticked that box and brought it to the board. Based on that, the board referred it to congress with all those boxes ticked. So, the decision congress made on the coaches’ association is not true. It is a lie!”
A similar situation took place regarding Beach Soccer Jamaica and Beach Football Jamaica Limited.
Beach Soccer Jamaica, run by Pat Garel, is the internationally recognized body controlling the sport in the country by the global governing body, Beach Soccer Worldwide, whereas Beach Football Association of Jamaica Limited is not internationally recognized.
The latter was, however, chosen by the JFF to cast a vote at the upcoming election instead of the actual body overseeing the sport in Jamaica.
“On September 15th, we (Beach Soccer Jamaica) were invited to what would be a congress on the 24th of September to ratify the affiliates based on the mandates of the new constitution. Prior to that time, when we were having any kind of Beach Soccer event, all that was necessary was to send a letter to the JFF and ask them for a sanction letter,” Garel said.
“The congress took place and we were told that we need to be compliant in being a registered company which we did on September 18, then we sent in our membership application on the 19th of September as instructed by the JFF so we thought that we would have gotten an acknowledgment letter which would have been the proper process,” she added.
Garel said that they followed up regarding their application on September 22 with JFF General Secretary Dennis Chung and even thought that they couldn’t go to the congress on the 24th without it being ratified.
“The congress took place and they said don’t worry about it. We need more supporting documents-a short profile of your directors- and we duly obliged and sent those. We kept calling and we kept writing then he (Chung) sent to say that they are giving some of the pillar three people, who are not as compliant as we have been, time to get their documents in,” she said.
According to Garel, they wrote again on October 30th and the message from the General Secretary was the same as before.
“On November 7, we heard through the media that there was consideration for another Beach entity and so we enquired and we were told that on October 18, a Beach Football Association of Jamaica Limited was registered,” she said.
“We got back in touch with Mr. Chung and he said they’re not understanding what’s going on. He told us to just send any other additional information we have regarding our qualification and I said ‘what else would that be?’ He said anything from the international body so we got a letter from the international body inviting both the JFF and Beach Soccer Jamaica to the World Cup in Dubai next February so we sent that letter only to understand, through the media again, that they decided on Beach Football Association of Jamaica Limited,” Garel added.
In fact, one of the listed directors of Beach Football Jamaica Limited, O-mar Stennett, denied any involvement with the company, stating that the furthest his involvement with the sport goes is being added to a WhatsApp group titled Beach Football Jamaica.
The other listed directors of the company- Bruce Gaynor and Patrick Malcolm- wouldn’t even be able to vote at the elections due to the JFF’s constitution. There was even evidence of Stennett's signature being forged on an official document signed by Gaynor.
To conclude, the RSA is appealing to the JFF’s electoral committee, including JOA President Christopher Samuda, Leighton McKnight, Acting Principal of Jamaica College Wayne Robinson and Steve Distant, will overturn the JFF’s decision and grant voting privileges to the legitimate, constitutionally recognized pillar three members, Jamaica Football Coaches Association and Beach Soccer Jamaica.
A nomination to star colt Paddington was sold for 72,000 guineas at Tattersalls on Monday to raise funds on behalf of injured jockey Graham Lee.
The Grand National and Ascot Gold Cup-winning rider remains in hospital after suffering serious neck and spinal injuries in a fall at Newcastle last month.
A JustGiving page set up by Lee’s daughter Amy for the Injured Jockeys Fund is approaching the £170,000 mark – and the Coolmore team were keen to add their support by auctioning off a nomination to their top-class three-year-old Paddington before the first ‘Sceptre’ lot at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale.
Paddington rattled off four straight Group One victories in the space of 68 days earlier this year, landing the Irish 2,000 Guineas, the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown and the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.
The recently-retired son of Siyouni will stand his first season at Coolmore in 2024 with a stallion fee of €55,000.
The winning bid was made by Lady Lloyd Webber of Watership Down Stud.
A decision on whether Coral Gold Cup runner-up Mahler Mission will be aimed at the Randox Grand National has yet to be made following his fine effort in defeat at Newbury on Saturday.
Having looked the likely winner of the National Hunt Chase at last season’s Cheltenham Festival before falling two fences from home, the seven-year-old made a promising return when second at Carlisle last month, teeing him up for an appearance in one of the year’s most prestigious handicaps.
Mahler Mission travelled powerfully and fenced fluently for much of the three-and-a-quarter-mile journey before being reeled in by the patiently ridden Datsalrightgino.
While proud of his stable star’s performance, John McConnell was left wondering what might have been after admitting his preparation was not entirely trouble-free, while the fact he finished without his two front shoes could not have been a help.
McConnell said: “Overall, we were delighted, he ran a great race and just got beaten by one on the day. We were very happy with him and we’ve got plenty to look forward to.
“He travelled very well and it looked like he got outstayed nearly in the end. We didn’t have the clearest of runs up to it, so maybe he was a little bit short, but I’m not going to make excuses – when you’re second in a race like that, it’s great.
“People forget that was only his seventh run over fences, so it was definitely a big deal.”
Mahler Mission is a 16-1 joint-favourite for the Grand National with Paddy Power, but he is not yet certain to make the trip to Aintree in April.
“I have to talk to the owners and see what they want to do,” McConnell added.
“Obviously, the National has been talked about a lot and if that’s going to be a target, we’ll have to sit down and work back from that.
“It’s obviously a major race and it would be great to be a part of it, but at the same time you’re kind of sacrificing your season nearly to set yourself up for it, so it’s a hard call.
“I’ll have to speak to the owners and see what they’re thinking. With the mark he has, you’d like to take advantage of it, so if we were going to go down that road, we wouldn’t want to be any higher (in the handicap) than we are and that would frame our whole season.
“We’re just not sure if we’re going to aim for that yet. On Saturday, we didn’t really discuss it, we were just happy for him to have run so well.”
Mahler Mission holds an entry in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown on December 27, but he appears unlikely to line up in that lucrative contest if the National is confirmed as his major target.
“Again, it depends on the route we’re going to take. The Paddy Power itself is a good race with plenty of prize-money on offer, so it is an option,” said McConnell.
Coko Beach heads 17 confirmations for the BoyleSports Becher Handicap Chase at Aintree on Saturday.
Gordon Elliott’s grey has been a fine servant to owners Gigginstown House Stud, winning a Thyestes Chase, the Grade Two Ten Up Novice Chase, Punchestown’s Grand National Trial and the Troytown Chase on his most recent appearance at Navan last month.
The eight-year-old was pulled up in the Grand National last season, having finished eighth in 2022, and could bid to make it third time lucky over the famous fences on Merseyside this weekend.
If Coko Beach does line up, his lofty rating of 162 means he will have to concede upwards of 15lb to each of his rivals.
Leading contenders include last year’s winner Ashtown Lad (Dan Skelton) and last year’s third Percussion (Laura Morgan), who again showed his liking for the track when runner-up in the Grand Sefton four weeks ago.
Nicky Henderson has left in Fantastic Lady and Mister Coffey, while Nicky Richards views the race as an ideal target for Houston Texas, who was last seen winning the Cumberland Handicap Chase at Carlisle for the second year in succession.
However, the Greystoke handler admits the possible presence of Coko Beach gives him a headache as it means Houston Texas is currently 8lb out of the handicap.
Richards, who won the 1999 Becher Chase with Feels Like Gold, said: “It will all depend what Gordon’s going to do as if his horse runs it will just spoil it for me – I’m not running from that far out of the handicap. It wouldn’t the brightest thing in the world to do, would it?
“I’d be very hopeful that he’d enjoy it round there. He’s a good, bold jumping lad and very sensible with it as well.
“I just thought it would be ideal for him and was hoping I would sneak in at the bottom and have a right chance, but you don’t want to be that far out of the handicap – you’ve got to be realistic with it.”
Fergal O’Brien’s Highland Hunter, Stuart Crawford’s Now Where Or When and the Venetia Williams-trained Chambard also feature among the acceptors.
Queens Gamble is set to continue her hurdling education at Newbury over the Christmas period, with Harry Derham keen to run her in handicap company as he builds up her experience over obstacles.
A high-class bumper performer when trained by Oliver Sherwood, she made it two from two over timber on her first run for Derham, winning comfortably in the hands of Johnny Burke at Kempton.
A step up to Listed company at Newbury had been mooted following that triumph, but although connections are still planning to head to the Berkshire track next, they have decided to test the waters in a handicap on the course’s December 30 card.
“She’s fine, everything is well and there are no problems at all,” said Derham.
“As I said on the day at Kempton, Newbury was an option but I wasn’t going to commit to it and we brought her home and all of us thought about it and we’re going to run her in a handicap on Challow Hurdle day.
“It’s a 0-125 and we think some experience in a handicap hurdle will help her. That’s our plan and she’s very well and we’re very happy with her. She won well at Kempton and hopefully she will keep progressing.”
The ultimate aim for Queens Gamble will be a return to the Cheltenham Festival and Derham will test progressive Newbury scorer Young Butler’s suitability for a spot on the teamsheet for March when he lines up at Prestbury Park on New Year’s Day.
Having won a Pertemps qualifier on his stable bow, Young Butler has the series final on his radar for the spring, but one horse set for an easy period is the Andy Mitchell-owned Dargiannini, who suffered a setback following his third win for the Derham operation at Kempton recently.
“Dargiannini had a bit of a setback. He was fine after the race, then about a week after the race he went lame,” said the handler.
“He’s having a bit of time off and hopefully he will come right in a couple of weeks. We’re just going to have to bide our time a little bit with him, which is a shame because he has been an absolute superstar for me and won three races in under a year and been great.
“I wouldn’t think the Pertemps would be an option. Three miles round Cheltenham wouldn’t suit him. We tried three miles in the spring round Haydock, which is a much easier track, and Paul (O’Brien) didn’t think he got home, so round Cheltenham it will be much more difficult.”
Derham went on: “We are hoping Young Butler, who won a Pertemps qualifier at Newbury, could be a Pertemps horse.
“He’s going to run at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day to see if he likes it and can act round there. If he does, then he could be a candidate for the Pertemps and is at the right end of the handicap.
“Poor Dargiannini is 143 now, which will make life really tough, but Young Butler is off 126 and he could still have a bit of improvement in his rating.”
Peter Fahey is targeting the Cheltenham Festival with The Big Doyen following an encouraging performance at the track during the November Meeting.
The six-year-old has banked plenty of experience over hurdles and has been an improver since stepping up in trip in his most recent starts, winning at Galway in the summer before placing at both Limerick in October and when outstayed by two useful prospects in a Grade Two at Prestbury Park last time out.
His handler has taken plenty of positives from that raiding mission and is now eyeing a return to Gloucestershire in the spring for a tilt at one of the Festival handicaps, with a drop back in trip for the County Hurdle a plausible option.
“He ran a very good race (at Cheltenham) and what I really liked was how well he settled,” said Fahey.
“He settled really well and it looked like he was just outstayed in the race.
“He took the travelling over there really well and hopefully we can aim him back at one of the handicaps there during the Festival.”
The trainer went on: “Even the County Hurdle (would be an option) because even though he was very keen in all his races (previously) over two miles, the way he jumped and travelled the last day, at two miles I think he was going best of all.
“He definitely had more pace than his rivals that day and just didn’t get home.
“I think definitely over there when it is a true run race, I think two miles might be as far as he wants.
“He will have plenty of options and he will definitely have an entry in the Martin Pipe as well, and we will see what happens.”
In the immediate future, Fahey is considering a tilt at the Grade One Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown on December 27 and although he could face a stern test, it is a race that could allow The Big Doyen to add to his prize-money haul.
“At the moment, we have done an entry and we’re just looking at how things are between now and then,” continued Fahey.
“There is a good chance he will run there and he has a good bit of experience and it isn’t usually the biggest of fields. So, if he could get himself placed, he could pick up a good lump of prize-money and that would be great.
“But I do think the future for him would be in those good handicaps.”
Cannock Park is set to have his sights raised over the Christmas period when he heads to Aintree for the Formby Novices’ Hurdle.
The exciting prospect, who is the star of Borders handler Paul Robson’s fledgling string, was a convincing bumper winner at Bangor in October before immediately switching his attentions to timber and making a successful hurdling debut at Cheltenham the following month.
He downed some well-regarded opponents when making all at Prestbury Park and Robson is confident that there is more to come following an interrupted build-up to his jumping bow.
The handler is now keen to test the five-year-old’s big-race capabilities in Aintree’s Boxing Day Grade One, the feature of their newly-created Christmas meeting.
“He didn’t have the easiest of run-ups to the race, he had a small infection in his leg and he had a bit of an accident two or three weeks before,” explained Robson.
“He missed two or three weeks’ work going into Cheltenham, so I think there is definitely improvement to come on his fitness and he’s come back from Cheltenham all OK.
“I imagine we will now run him in what was the Tolworth at Aintree, I think a flat track will suit him best.”
In the immediate aftermath of Cannock Park’s Cheltenham victory, Robson was keen to keep things low-key and head to Wetherby for a simple novice event before thinking of bigger things.
However, a second look at the fixture list and an urge to find out just what is lurking under the exciting youngster’s bonnet has seen the lofty festive target enter the picture and a race that could help map out the rest of the gelding’s season.
Robson continued: “Looking at the race at Cheltenham, we think a flat track is going to be a lot better for his attributes and when we started looking at the programme, there wasn’t actually a race at Wetherby, funnily enough.
“When we looked at the calendar and saw the Tolworth had been moved to Aintree, it gives him a good chance to go there.
“I think we are right to say we would be dreaming to think he is a Supreme horse on the back of winning a Class Two maiden hurdle at Cheltenham, I think he certainly has to go and run in a high grade of race now to give us the nod whether he was good or not.
“Even if he was good enough, I think I would sidestep the Supreme and probably take him back to Aintree again in April – I think that would be more likely, but we will see.”
Despite shaping with real promise over the smaller obstacles, it appears the old cliché of ‘anything he achieves over hurdles is a bonus’ applies to Cannock Park and his training team are already looking forward to when their point winner jumps a fence in 12 months’ time.
“Before he ran at Cheltenham, we knew what we had and he was always going to be a better chaser than he was a hurdler – and the way he jumps would suggest that,” said Robson.
“So, we’re just along for the ride this season unless he turns out to be extra special, but we will find out in the Tolworth.
“He’s a very nice horse and we’re lucky to have him, he’s been a real find.”
Guyana secured first place in Group A of League B as the Road to W Gold Cup tournament began its final matchday on Sunday. Guyana won 3-0 against Antigua and Barbuda at the Dr. Ir. Franklin Essed Stadium in Paramaribo, Suriname.
Annalisa Vincent struck with a back-heel in the 39th minute to put Guyana in front. The play developed quickly from a Otesha Charles cross to the left side to a pass in the box by Shanice Alferd before Vincent got the final hit.
Charles put her name on the scoresheet with a header in the 63rd after connecting with a cross from Brianne Desa and Neema Liverpool put the finishing touch on a Guyana corner kick in the 85' on a second assist from Desa.
Meanwhile, Grenada topped United States Virgin Islands 2-0 to finish Group C of League C of the Road to W Gold Cup with a perfect record at the Bethlehem Soccer Stadium in St. Croix, USVI.
Grenada finished the group with four wins in four matches, while USVI are second with four points, followed by Bahamas with one point.
The first half did not see a goal, but there were ample chances for both sides, including five shots on target for the home side. USVI was getting most of their activity from Ariel Stoltz and Josie Couch, while Grenada’s top scorer, Nia Thompson, accounted for the two best looks at goal for the visitors.
Grenada came out much more aggressive to start the second half and a driving run into the area from Melania Fullerton resulted in a foul from the USVI defense and a penalty kick. Fullerton was tasked with taking the spot kick and she coolly converted, firing in a powerful right-footed attempt for a 1-0 Grenada lead.
Grenada were flying and came within a whisker of doubling the lead in the 71st minute when Roneisha Frank hammered a shot toward goal that USVI keeper Kinda Lambert managed to tip to the crossbar and out of play.
Frank would get her goal in the 78th when miscommunication between Lambert and her defense led to spill in front of goal and Frank was there to clean it up to double the lead, 2-0, which held until the final whistle.
Jamaica's Reggae Girls fell short of their goal to qualify for the preliminary round of the Concacaf Women Gold Cup following their 1-1 draw against Guatemala in the final match of Group B of League A of the Road to W Gold Cup on Sunday night at the Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores in Guatemala City, Guatemala.
The result also means that Panama have finished in first-place in the group and have qualified for the W Gold Cup group stage. Guatemala will progress to the Prelims, while Jamaica finish in third.
Jamaica came out strong early and almost snuck in a goal through Davia Richards, but instead it was Guatemala breaking the deadlock in the 10th minute. Ana Martinez was taken down in the Jamaica penalty area and it was Martinez who converted from the spot to hand the home side a 1-0 lead.
That was followed later in the half by a buzzing chance from Andrea Alvarez from 40 yards out that forced Jamaica’s goalkeeper Serena Mensah to make a leaping save with her fingertipping the ball to safety.
Jamaica were keen to get back on even footing and a long ball played up to the Guatemalan half led to a mix-up between a pair of defenders, allowing Davia Richards to swoop in and score to level things at 1-1 in minute 66.
But the Guatemalan defense would hold firm the rest of the way to secure the necessary result to earn their prelims place.
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