Lucinda Russell is hoping for a break in the wet weather ahead of Corach Rambler’s bid for back-to-back victories in the Randox Grand National at Aintree on Saturday week.
The 10-year-old provided the Scottish trainer and her stable jockey Derek Fox with their second victory in the world’s most famous steeplechase last spring, having previously successfully combined with One For Arthur in 2017.
Corach Rambler made an inauspicious start to the current campaign at Kelso in October, but performed better in Haydock’s Betfair Chase the following month and made an excellent return from a winter break when third behind reigning champion Galopin Des Champs in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Russell has been delighted with how her pride and joy has recovered from his Festival exertions, but admits the prospect of running in testing conditions on Merseyside is a concern.
“Time seems to be passing very quickly since Cheltenham, but everything has been going according to plan,” she said.
“He’s now back in full work, he was working today actually, and we’ll get him wound up for the National. Everything is looking good, I just wish it would slightly stop raining at Aintree.
“I don’t think anyone would want a really heavy-ground Grand National, so hopefully it won’t be too testing, it does drain well here.”
Corach Rambler is set to lead a small but select Russell team into battle at Aintree, with Ahoy Senor poised to run at the Grand National meeting for the fourth year in succession.
The nine-year-old was a shock 66-1 winner of the Grade One Sefton Novices’ Hurdle in 2021 and returned to Liverpool to claim another top-level success in the following season’s Mildmay Novices’ Chase.
Last term, Ahoy Senor had to make do with the silver medal behind Shishkin in the Bowl, but is poised for another crack at the same race next week after finishing sixth in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham.
Russell, a William Hill ambassador, added: “He’ll go for the Bowl again and again he’s one that will be affected by the ground, he’s better on good to soft but he’s in good form.
“Giovinco might run in the three-mile novice chase (Mildmay) and we have a few nice novice hurdlers like Esprit Du Potier and a horse called Myretown, who is by the same sire as Ahoy Senor (Dylan Thomas). He’s a lovely horse and he might go for the Sefton, which is a race we like having runners in.
“I’ve always loved Aintree and it’s very much in my heart. I love Liverpool and love the people here. They look after the horses and owners so well and it’s a track I like winning at.”
Clive Cox is “open-minded” as to whether to give his unbeaten colt Ghostwriter a prep run ahead of the Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.
The son of Invincible Spirit won each of his three starts as a juvenile, completing his hat-trick with a taking Group Two victory in the Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket in September.
Cox is delighted with how his charge has wintered and is now readying the Jeff Smith-owned three-year-old for a tilt at Classic glory on the first Saturday in May.
“Ghostwriter is really pleasing me, we’ve had a great winter with him and he’s trained well through the spring,” said the Lambourn-based trainer.
“I’m not sure about a trial, I think we’re open-minded. We definitely need to have him on fire for the Guineas in the first week of May and the going will play a part in whether we do have a trial or whether he has a racecourse gallop.”
Ghostwriter also holds an entry in the Derby at Epsom on June 1, with Cox optimistic he will stay further than the straight mile of the Guineas.
He added: “He won over a mile at two and being out of a Champs Elysees mare, I think he could stay a little bit further.
“He’s got an entry in the Dante as well, so we’ve got longer trips in mind, but obviously he’s got a bit of class to win like he did at two and we’ll feel our way as we go regarding that (trip).
“I think he’s quite versatile ground-wise, but he’s only run on a quicker surface.”
Marco Botti paid tribute to his compatriot Stefano Cherchi after the young jockey died as a result of injuries sustained in a fall in Australia last month.
The 23-year-old was riding at Canberra on March 20 when his mount, Hasime, fell in the Affinity Electrical Technologies Plate, with two other riders escaping serious injury after being unseated in the incident.
Cherchi received medical treatment at the track before being transferred to hospital and was found to have sustained a head injury and internal bleeding.
The New South Wales Jockeys Association posted on X, formerly twitter, on Wednesday: “With deep sadness, the Cherchi family have announced their beloved son Stefano passed away peacefully today.
“The family are very grateful for the love, prayers & messages sent by the racing community across the world.”
The majority of Cherchi’s success in Britain came aboard horses trained by fellow Italian Botti, the man who provided his most recent mount in Britain at Chelmsford in November.
Cherchi partnered 38 winners for Botti while in the UK, and the Newmarket handler was hugely saddened by the news of his death.
He told the PA news agency: “We were devastated this morning when we heard that Stefano had passed away. I think it was midday in Australia and we just heard an hour ago basically.
“It’s just devastating news for all of us. We knew it was a bad fall and we knew things didn’t look great, but you live in hope and hope for a miracle. Hopefully he’s going to a better place and we will never forget him – he will always be with us.”
Botti added: “His charm and his way of behaving with people, he was such a nice guy. For me, he was a little bit like a son to be honest.
“When he left for Australia, we had a chat and in a way I was happy he was going to try to have a career there. He had a couple of winners recently and things were just picking up and then this happened. Life is tough.
“For us he was always a good judge in the mornings. He rode some of our nice horses and his feedback was incredible. As a jockey he just needed to get on good horses and he would have proven himself.
“Away from the saddle he has always been a really good guy. We were texting each other through the winter and I was hoping he would come back in the spring.
“It’s very sad for the family and all his friends. It’s like we lost a member of the family to be honest.”
The Sardinian-born Cherchi made his British debut in 2018 and rode his first winner the following April aboard the Botti-trained Withoutdestination at Wolverhampton.
He teamed up with a wide variety of trainers, including Godolphin handler Saeed bin Suroor for whom he partnered eight winners, and Newmarket trainer Amy Murphy who provided 10 victories from 175 rides.
Cherchi struck gold four times for David Loughnane, who said on X: “We are all completely devastated with the loss of Stefano Cherchi.
“He was an absolute gentleman and a pleasure to have known and worked with. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.”
In a statement, the British Horseracing Authority said: “We are heartbroken to hear the news that Stefano Cherchi has died following a fall at Canberra racecourse last month.
“Stefano rode over 100 winners in Britain before moving to Australia, and the high esteem in which he was held around the world is clear to see.
“Our thoughts are with his friends, family, and everyone who has had the pleasure of working with him. The entire racing industry will be in mourning after the loss of such a talented young man.”
Stefano Cherchi, who rode over 100 winners in the UK, has died as the result of injuries sustained in a fall in Australia last month.
The 23-year-old was riding at Canberra on March 20 when his mount, Hasime, fell in the Affinity Electrical Technologies Plate, with two other riders escaping serious injury after being unseated in the incident.
Cherchi received medical treatment at the track before being transferred to hospital and was found to have sustained a head injury and internal bleeding.
The New South Wales Jockeys Association posted on X, formerly twitter, on Wednesday: “With deep sadness, the Cherchi family have announced their beloved son Stefano passed away peacefully today.
“The family are very grateful for the love, prayers & messages sent by the racing community across the world.”
Cherchi partnered 38 winners for trainer Marco Botti while in the UK before switching to Australia earlier in the year.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Suncorp Super Netball star Sam Wallace-Joseph has come under fire for her stance on the International Transgender Day of Visibility falling on the same day as Easter Sunday.
Held every March 31 since 2009, the day has been set up as a celebration of pride and awareness, while aiming to recognise trans and gender-diverse achievements. Wallace-Joseph, a two-time NSW Swifts champion, shared a clickbait headline from a Canadian outlet that insinuated United States President Joe Biden had "declared" Easter Sunday would be the recurring day for International Transgender Day of Visibility moving forward.
"The disrespect is crazy. Don't play with God," Wallace captioned an Instagram story.
The day's crossover with Easter this year was used by some to criticise the United States president and suggest he was co-opting a religious holiday to promote trans rights. Fans criticised Wallace-Joseph's post and pointed out the misleading nature of the headline, but the Trinidad and Tobago shooter doubled down.
"I'm not hating on people, if you know me you will understand … I have heaps of gay friends and am not judging anyone on their gender," she wrote in a X, formerly Twitter, post.
Wallace-Joseph also confirmed she still planned to play in the NSW Swifts Pride Match in May. The Instagram story and relevant tweets have since been deleted after intervention from the Super Netball club, which distanced itself from her comments.
"The NSW Swifts are aware of a social media post that has caused understandable hurt to members of the transgender community," a statement read.
"The views expressed in the post are not shared by the club. The club spoke with Samantha raising its concerns. It is important to note that Samantha listened and will meet us tomorrow," it added.
The Super Netball league also issued a similar release, reinstating its commitment to "embrace diversity and ensure the sport is welcoming and safe for everyone who wants to participate", while it works closely with the Swifts regarding the sport's code of conduct.
Jamaica's two-time World Championships 4X400m relay silver medallist Tiffany James has been slapped with a two-year ban for an anti-doping rule violation by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).
According to the AIU, James' sanction stems from three Whereabouts failures within 12 months. The 27-year-old, who now goes by James-Rose following her marriage to Jamari Rose in 2019, is listed among 22 athletes, who were handed suspensions in the month of March.
By virtue of the sanctions, James-Rose, a former world Under-20 400m champion, was banned from June 19, 2023, and will be ineligible until November 4, 2025.
James-Rose recently gave birth to her son Jair.
Elegant Man has the Lockinge and Coronation Cup as options after his Good Friday triumph was followed by a boost from the Middle East.
The Amo Racing-owned four-year-old ran three times through the winter, winning twice at Dundalk and coming home second behind Rebel’s Romance in the Listed Wild Flower Stakes at Kempton.
The impression he made in those runs left him carrying top-weight at Newcastle, where he ran in the BetUK All-Weather Easter Classic Middle Distance from a wide draw in stall 14.
Neither factor was a hindrance to him in the 10-furlong contest, however, and under David Egan he was an impressive winner when crossing the line a length and a half ahead of Mick Appleby’s Penzance.
“It was a big run, but we were expecting a big run and he didn’t fail to deliver – he’s a right nice horse,” said trainer Adrian Murray.
A son of the late American superstar Arrogate, Elegant Man’s form was quickly boosted the following day when Rebel’s Romance struck at Group One level to take the Sheema Classic at the Dubai World Cup meeting, a two-length victory that reflects very well on Elegant Man after their meeting at Kempton.
“It’s huge, a huge boost. The day when we met that horse we were very, very green, it was only the second time he’d ever seen a racecourse,” Murray added.
Elegant Man is entered in the Alleged Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday but will not run, and is instead likely to be aimed at either the Coronation Cup or the Lockinge.
“I entered him this morning for the Coronation Cup and he’s entered at Newbury over a mile, too,” said his trainer.
“He’s entered in the Curragh on Saturday but he won’t go there, the race will come up a bit quick for him so we’ll freshen him up again.”
Murray also trains Bucanero Fuerte for Amo Racing, a Wootton Bassett colt who won the Railway and the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh last year and was third in both the Coventry and the National Stakes.
He holds an entry for the English and the Irish Guineas, but may head to Ascot for the Commonwealth Cup Trial in preparation for the Commonwealth Cup itself at the Royal meeting in June.
“He’s getting on great, we’re very happy with him,” Murray said.
“He’ll go for the Guineas or he’ll go for a race at Ascot, a prep race for Royal Ascot over six furlongs.”
Nico de Boinville paid Constitution Hill a visit on Tuesday and said the former champion hurdler is feeling “a bit sorry for himself”.
Nicky Henderson’s stable star has had no end of health trouble this season, scoping dirty in January and then being laid low with an infection which ruled him out of the defence of his Champion Hurdle title.
Just when connections had hoped for some light at the end of the tunnel and a possible run at Punchestown, he was then struck down by suspected colic and spent a few nights at the vets.
It was a relieved Henderson that informed everyone on Monday he was now back at Seven Barrows and De Boinville was keen to check in on him.
“Everyone has been kept in the loop. I went to see him this morning and hopefully he picks up in the next couple of weeks,” he told Racing TV.
“He’s certainly feeling a bit sorry for himself and I can see why.”
Micky Hammond was grateful for Aiden Brookes’ claim after landing round one of the Pontefract Stayers’ Championship with Justus at the opening meeting of the season at the West Yorkshire track.
Justus looked beaten down the stretch of the two-and-a-quarter mile Jamaican Flight Handicap under 5lb claimer Brookes, with Maxident and Robert Johnson apparently fighting out the finish.
But Justus (9-2) responded to Brookes’ urgings and got up close home to land victory by three-quarters of a length.
Hammond felt Brookes’ claim proved vital on ground the horse loves as he took advantage of carrying nearly a stone less than all four of his rivals.
Hammond told Racing TV: “The horse has had a good winter with us. Obviously Aiden has been with us now for a good few years now since leaving school and he’s well worth his claim.
“(The ground is) very important for the horse. Lightest-weighted in the race which has suited. When they quickened up a little bit they actually left us a bit flat footed.
“All we’ve done is just stay which has won the day for us really. Absolutely delighted.”
Hammond has a smaller army of runners on the Flat but is hoping for a drying up of the ground for his jumpers.
He added: “Surely it’s going to dry up very soon. Maybe for the winter jumpers this festival weekend we have in the north might be the last time that we get the soft or heavy ground.
“And then hopefully we might get some sort of a spring, although having said that it’s actually quite spring like here today.
“Hopefully the racing will go ahead through the rest of the week because the forecast isn’t too promising.
“We haven’t got a lot of Flat horses, we’re not going to have a lot of summer jumpers but the jumpers we’ve got we’ll keep them going until Cartmel at the end of May. The winter jumpers have done really well.”
The Bell Conductor (10-1) made all to land the feature William Hill Extra Place Races Every Day Handicap for Craig Lidster and William Pyle.
The seven-year-old was pressured in the final furlong but held off Glorious Angel to triumph by one and a quarter lengths.
Favourite Wen Moon was a further length and a half back in third.
Spirit Dancer is set for a well-earned break after finishing lame in his bid for further international honours in Saturday’s Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan.
Richard Fahey’s charge has enjoyed a hugely productive winter on foreign soil, carrying the red and white silks of part-owner and breeder Sir Alex Ferguson to victory in the Bahrain International Trophy before claiming an even more lucrative success in the Neom Turf Cup in Riyadh.
The seven-year-old was unable to land a blow when stepped up in class on Dubai World Cup night, finishing 11th of 12 runners, but was subsequently found to have sustained an injury.
“He has a chip in his joint I’m afraid, so he did pull up lame,” Fahey said on Tuesday.
“It (injury) won’t have helped. It was a messy sort of race as he sort of dropped in and never got back into it, but that can’t have helped.
“He was due for a holiday anyway and he’ll get it now. He’s fit enough to travel and we’ll sort him out when we get him home.
“It’s been a fantastic winter with him and he’s got the money in the bank to prove it!”
While Fahey is keen to get his charge back to his North Yorkshire base before committing to future targets, there is every chance Spirit Dancer will be stamping his passport again later in the year.
The trainer added: “I’d be keen to go back there (Dubai) again next year, so all roads and plans will lead to go there.
“I’ve got Hong Kong in my mind as well, so we’ll see. He could have a couple of runs over here and then head back over there.”
Clive Cox can justifiably target all the major sprints on home soil this summer with Diligent Harry following a fine effort in defeat on Dubai World Cup night at Meydan on Saturday.
Following successive Listed wins on the all-weather in February, the six-year-old faced a step up to Group One level for the Al Quoz Sprint and emerged with plenty of credit after passing the post in third place behind Hong Kong speedster California Spangle and Charlie Appleby’s Star Of Mystery.
An appearance at Royal Ascot looks likely to be on Diligent Harry’s agenda, with next month’s 1895 Duke of York Stakes at the Dante meeting a potential port of call along the way.
“I was thrilled with how he ran on Saturday – very, very pleased,” said Cox.
“He’d always promised at home that we had a big performance in him and to justify that with that run, on the back of two Listed wins this year, was absolutely wonderful. I’m really proud that he’d produced what we always hoped and believed was there.
“He appears to have come out of the race well and travels back home later in the week. He’s effective at five and six (furlongs), which is great, and ground is more suitable drier than wetter for him.
“We’ll see how he comes back. He has got an entry in the Duke of York, but we’ll see how he comes home first and gather our thoughts.”
Oisin Murphy has announced he will miss the Craven Meeting after breaking the whip rules at Newcastle on Good Friday.
The rider said he was found to have used his whip once more than the permitted six strikes when beaten just over five lengths in fifth aboard Vaguely Royal in the BetUK All-Weather Championships Marathon Handicap.
Murphy’s initial penalty was four days, but the value of the race means it is doubled to eight days, although he had two days deducted in recognition of his previous good conduct.
In a post on X, Murphy said: “I’ve picked up a six-day suspension for one strike too many on Vaguely Royal on Good Friday when finishing fifth in the Marathon.
“This was a genuine mistake and I didn’t purposely use my whip once more than permitted. As the race was worth £150k total prize money, my suspension should’ve been eight days but the fact I’ve not been suspended for a whip breach in over 200 rides, it’s been reduced by two days.
“Had I committed the same breach in the Listed Burradon Stakes on the card when finishing a narrowly-beaten second, I would be facing a two-day ban. I will miss April 12,13,15,16,17,18. The entire Craven meeting.
“I will endeavour not to fall foul of these whip rules as the penalties are costly.”
The three-day fixture at Newmarket features the first Classic trials of the season in the Nell Gwyn and Craven Stakes.
The Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) generated a total economic impact of US$40,446,754 for Barbados during the 2023 tournament.
2023 was the first time that the CPL had returned to Barbados since 2019 and the first time the country had hosted WCPL matches.
There were six men’s matches and three Women’s matches played in Barbados between 30 August and 3 September with the games taking place at the world-famous Kensington Oval.
The total event impact is calculated by world renowned research organisation, YouGov Sport with the final figure being based on a number of key metrics, including organizer and visitor spends on Island media as well as the commercial value generated from the extensive global TV distribution.
One of main contributing elements was the CPL cohort, who were responsible for filling 10,951 hotel room nights in Barbados, made up by CPL’s players, coaches, administrators, TV and media crews, team owner groups, league and franchise event management teams. Other visitor groups associated to the tournament also made a significant contribution to on Island spending during the tournament.
Barbados also benefited from the tournament being broadcast around the world with CPL’s audience reaching 853.5million total viewers in 2023. As always, the tournament worked closely with BTMI to create world class content which promoted Barbados as the unique holiday destination we all know it to be. These exclusive features and vignettes were shown during the CPL matches, further promoting the tourism message.
Pete Russell, Republic Bank CPL’s CEO, said: “It was fantastic to be back in Barbados after four years away and the atmosphere at Kensington Oval was brilliant, highlighting the local and international appetite for CPL cricket. These results are great news for Barbados and we are looking forward to making an even bigger impact in 2024.”
Graham Clarke, Director Caribbean for Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc, said: “It is great to see the iconic Kensington Oval - the cricketing mecca of the Caribbean - hosting CPL matches again, after a brief hiatus during and immediately after the Covid 19 Pandemic. Cricket is much more than a game, it is an economy. For every dollar of revenue earned through the purchase of Bajan goods and services by visitors to our island during the week of CPL, there is a direct and multiplier effect on the people and economy of Barbados.”
Trinidad and Tobago's Jaenae De Gannes was named winner of the prestigious Austin Sealey Award after three days of pulsating competition at the 51st edition of the Carifta Games at the Kirani James Athletics in Grenda.
The 17-year-old smashed the girls’ Under-20 long jump record during the morning session of Monday’s final day, and later returned to anchor the twin island republic to a silver medal in the girls’ Under-20 4x400m relay.
Named in honour of Sir Austin Sealy, who started the Carifta Games in 1972, the award is given to the most outstanding athlete of the three-day spectacle.
While there were a number of breathtaking performances, De Gannes topped the pile when she measured 6.50 metres to win gold and establish a new record in the girls’ Under-20 long jump. The effort erased the old mark of 6.48 metres – ironically set in Grenada eight years ago – and positioned her third in the world in the Under-20 category.
She returned later in the evening to partner with Kaori Robley, Saana Frederick and Kaziah Peters to finish second in the girls’ Under-20 4X400m in 3:47.51. The event was won by Jamaica in 3:34.69, with Barbados (3:48.21) in third.
By virtue of winning the Austin Sealy Award, De Gannes joins a long list of outstanding athletes to have won the award, including Usain Bolt, Shaunae Miller-Uibo, Yohan Blake, and Kirani James.
Jehue Gordon and Darrel Brown are among the Trinidad and Tobago athletes to have won the award previously.
Meanwhile, Jamaica topped the medal standings with 83 medals comprising 44 gold, 23 silver and 16 bronze, while the Bahamas ended with 34 – nine gold, 13 silver and 12 bronze. Trinidad and Tobago picked up four gold, 12 silver and 12 bronze to finish the championship with 28 medals overall.
Hosts Grenada were the only other team in double digits with 14 medals, logging one gold, six silver and seven bronze.
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