The Guyana Amazon Warriors will contest the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) final after a convincing 81 run victory over the Jamaica Tallawahs in Qualifier two.
The Tallawahs won the toss and opted to field first and they produced a disciplined bowling performance to ensure the Amazon Warriors were restricted to 182/6. Azam Khan produced the star knock in the Amazon Warriors innings, his 54 at the back-end propelling Guyana to a competitive total.
The chase was always going to be a steep one for the Tallawahs and that equation became all the harder when they lost four wickets in the PowerPlay.
It was a position they never recovered from eventually succumbing to 101 all out.
The Amazon Warriors made a solid start in their batting PowerPlay, reaching 49 for the loss of one wicket. It could have been two but for the faintest of inside edges that saved Shai Hope from being dismissed lbw.
However, Saim Ayub departed for 20 immediately following the end of the PowerPlay, his miscued shot only finding Alex Hales at long on.
Hope and Shimron Hetmyer struggled to add some attacking impetus to the innings but just when it seemed they were ready to accelerate Hope was caught on the boundary for 40.
Hetmyer followed shortly afterwards for 31 – but Romario Shepherd and Azam Khan cashed in at the back end. Khan smashed a brutal 54 runs off 27 balls to give the Amazon Warriors momentum heading into the second half of the game.
If the Tallawahs were to chase the 183 to win, they needed a lightning start in the PowerPlay but they got the opposite of that.
Four wickets fell in the first six overs and the procession continued after the fielding restrictions had been lifted. All of the Guyanese bowlers got in on the act to ensure the Tallawahs were never in the contest.
Imad Wasim added a respectable unbeaten 43 but no one stayed with him as the Tallawahs were eventually bowled out for 101.
The Amazon Warriors victory means they will now contest their sixth Republic Bank CPL final where they will aim to win their first ever title.
Jamaica...0
Canada...2
Prince (18th), Leon (90+2)
Jamaica's senior Reggae Girlz dreams of an historic Olympic Games qualification is all but up in smoke, as they suffered a 0-2 defeat to Canada in their first-leg playoff encounter at the National Stadium on Friday.
Goals from Nichelle Prince in the 18th and the menacing Adriana Leon in the 90+2 minutes was enough to lift the Bev Priestman-coached reigning Olympic champions to a crucial advantage heading into Tuesday's second leg which will be played before a sold-out crowd at BMO Field in Toronto.
For Lorne Donaldson and his Girlz it will be a case of pulling off the improbable win in a hostile environment, if they are to progress.
The Girlz started out fairly disciplined, as they were quick on the ball and did well to contain Canada in the early exchanges.
In fact, the Girlz looked more threatening in opening play, but their first real chance in the final third came from Deneisha Blackwood’s teasing 10th-minute free kick, which had to be mopped up by the Canadian defenders.
Such was the Girlz discipline when they gradually gained the ascendancy that Canada was hardly allowed to play their usual fluent passing game to get into the final third.
Instead, they were on the back foot and almost found themselves a goal down in the 14th minute. This, as Jody Brown was sent on the break by Atlanta Primus, but the diminutive forward’s shot was charged down by a defender.
All the Reggae Girlz hard work was undone in the 18th when poor positioning by Blackwood allowed Ashley Lawrence to slip further down the right channel and deliver a weighted cross, which was expertly headed in by Prince, giving Rebecca Spencer no chance at a save.
Still, the Girlz fought on and again went close in the 29th courtesy of Brown, who orchestrated a tidy build up and picked out Cheyna Matthews on the left, but the run amounted to nothing.
Matthews again went on the break five minutes later, as she shook her defender and should have initially struck a left footer, but was hesitant in doing so. When she belatedly got a shot off her favoured right foot, her marker had already recovered and averted the danger.
Though the score remained unchanged at half-time, the Jamaicans seemingly failed to recover from the manner in which they ended the first half. A defensive lapse immediately on the resumption allowed Leon through on goal and it took a tidy save from Spencer to deny her.
Canada again went close from the resulting corner with Prince's effort from the top of the 18-yard box rattling the crossbar.
By virtue of pushing a high line in their probe for the equalizer, the Girlz absorbed some amount of pressure from Canada's break, as Leon got by Konya Plummer a couple of times but found Spencer in her way.
The Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper did her utmost best to keep the Girlz in the game as she was again called upon when Cloe Lacasse got away down the left channel in the 64th and struck a left-footed effort which Spencer had to parry at her near post.
The Girlz had their best chance of the second half a minute later when substitute Tiffany Cameron’s shot from a rebound went just over the crossbar, after Khadija “Bunny” Shaw's initial effort was thwarted by Vanessa Gilles.
But just when the moderate turnout in the stadium may have harboured a glimmer of hope that the Girlz would pull one back, Leon broke their hearts with a cheeky finish at Spencer’s near post from a Julia Grosso cross to put Canada 2-0 up.
Despite being down, the Jamaicans continued the push to at least reduce the deficit, but when Plummer fired a tame left-footed effort straight at Canada’s goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan, deep inside added time, it all but summed up their lukewarm evening.
Teams: Jamaica -Rebecca Spencer, Allyson Swaby, Konya Plummer, Tiernny Wiltshire, Deneisha Blackwood, Vyan Sampson, Drew Spence, Jody Brown (Solai Washington 55th), Atlanta Primus (Kayla McKenna 71st), Cheyna Matthews (Tiffany Cameron 55th), Khadija Shaw
Subs not used: Sydney Schneider, Liya Brooks, Sashana Campbell, Chantelle Swaby, Kameron Simmonds, Olufolasade Adamolekun, Trudi Carter, Shaneil Buckley, Paige Bailey-Gayle
Booked: None
Canada -Kailen Sheridan, Sydney Collins, Kadeisha Buchanan, Rebecca Quinn, Ashley Lawrence (Gabby Carle 82nd), Vanessa Gilles, Nichelle Prince (Jordyn Huitema 64th), Jessie Fleming (Julia Grosso 79th), Adriana Leon, Cloe Lacasse, Jade Rose (Shelina Zadorsky 79th)
Subs not used: Lysianne Proulx, Sabrina D'Angelo, Olivia Smith, Marie-Yasmine Alidou, Evelyne Viens, Christine Sinclair, Simi Awujo, Bianca St-Georges
Booked: Gillies (54th), Grosso (90+5)
Referee: Ekaterina Koroleva (USA)
Assistant referees: Kathryn Nesbitt (USA); Felisha Mariscal (USA)
Fourth official: Natalie Simon (USA)
Match Commissary: Techell McLean (SKN)
After switching allegiance from Canada to Jamaica, Tiffany Cameron will play against her birth country in one of the most important fixtures of her career.
Cameron, who earns her Jamaican stripes through her parents Yvonne Brown and Donovan Cameron, represented Canada at the Under-17 level and then played six friendly contests with the senior team, before making a switch from the Canucks to the Reggae Girlz in 2019.
While it is not her first time playing against Canada since her switch, the significance of this two-leg Olympic qualifying playoff, is such that Cameron’s sentimental attachment to her birth country and former team, is almost non-existent.
In fact, Cameron is buzzing with excitement ahead of the opening fixture scheduled for later this evening inside the National Stadium at 7:00pm, and moreso about her return to the BMO Field in Toronto where the second-leg will be contested before a sold-out crowd on September 26.
“The last senior international cap I had with Canada was on June 2, 2013, against United States at BMO. We lost that game 0-3 and I haven’t played on the BMO Field since. So, it will be extra special for me to go back there now representing Jamaica,” Cameron told Sportsmax.tv.
“Situations like these don’t happen often, so I’m excited. I’m ready to give my best and I think it will be a competitive match,” she added.
The two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup representative, who has enjoyed a decorated career spanning 14 years to date, recently inked a deal with Liga F outfit, Real Betis, where she hopes to again put her versatility on display, much like she did with the Reggae Girlz at the global showpiece in Australia.
Simply put, Cameron, though at age 31, is still very much in her prime and has a real hard desire to work hard and improve her craft, especially now in a country where she enjoys their brand of football.
“I think it (Real Betis) is a great fit for me because I enjoy combinational play and playing with players that express themselves and make football an enjoyable sport to watch. Playing in Spain will improve my decision making overall, as the speed of play in Spain is ranked one of the highest in the world. I have settled in well so far and I am very much looking forward to my time with the club,” she shared.
But, for now, Cameron is solely focused on assisting her Reggae Girlz team in their bid to once again rewrite the history books by being the first Caribbean team to qualify for women’s football at the Olympic Games.
The Reggae Girlz, are coming off a confident run at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, where they finished second in Group F, holding top 10-ranked teams France and Brazil to goalless stalemates, complemented by a 1-0 victory over Panama, before losing 0-1 to Colombia in the Round of 16.
It was the first time since 1938 that a Caribbean team –male or female –contested the knockout stages at the global showpiece and the Girlz have a chance to build on that momentum.
“We are all proud of what we were able to accomplish at the World Cup and I think those accomplishments have given us a boost in confidence going into these games against Canada. We want to continue to make Jamaica proud and will give our best,” Cameron declared.
“We know what’s at stake in these games, so we will go into these games with a similar mentality as the World Cup. The opportunity to continue to make history is a blessing within itself and we won’t be taking that for granted,” she noted.
A win and a draw against 10th-ranked Canadians would be good enough to not only book the 37th-ranked Jamaicans one of 12 spots at next year’s Olympic Games in Paris, but also a spot in the group stages of the Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup, alongside United States.
Both Jamaica and Canada are in this position after placing second and third at last year’s Concacaf Women’s Championships in Mexico. United States, by virtue of topping the tournament, earned automatic qualification to both the Olympic Games and the Gold Cup.
Like many of her teammates, Cameron knows all too well that another history-making feat would add further impetus to not only their status, but to women’s football in the Caribbean on a whole.
“It would mean a lot to us to be able to make history and be the first Caribbean team to qualify for women's football at the Olympics. The more successful we are, the more hope we will give to the younger generation in the Caribbean,” Cameron ended.
Defending ISSA Manning Cup champions have been docked three points following an investigation that revealed that the school used an ineligible player in their season-opening victory over Tivoli Gardens Comprehensive High School on September 9.
In the recent development, the Inter Secondary Schools Sports Association's (ISSA) Disciplinary Committee convened to address the issue pertaining to the alleged utilization of an ineligible player by Jamaica College in their season-opener clash against Tivoli Gardens High.
After a thorough investigation, the Disciplinary Committee reached a decisive verdict on the matter. It was determined that Jamaica College indeed fielded an ineligible player and as a consequence, Old Hope Road school will forfeit all three points initially earned in the match, and Tivoli Gardens High will be awarded the points with a revised score-line of 3-0 for the game.
The disciplinary committee also ruled that the player in question will continue to be ineligible for participation in the 2023 Schoolboy Football Competition.
This ruling by the Disciplinary Committee reshapes the dynamics of the Manning Cup standings. Tivoli Gardens High now assumes the leading position in Zone B with seven points, while Kingston Technical follows closely in second place with six points.
Jamaica College, despite having three points deducted, occupies the fourth spot, with the consolation that they have one match in hand to potentially amend their standing.
When contacted Jamaica College's Head coach Davion Ferguson referred the question to ISSA.
“You cannot play a player without registering the player because you cannot put him on your match card if he is ineligible. So, ISSA has to answer that,” he told Sportsmax.tv.
ISSA's competitions director Ewan Scott explained how they arrived at the ruling.
"Sometimes people get privileged based on the information presented. However, after the protest came in, we investigated further and took the necessary action," Scott shared.
"The player was registered based on the initial information provided. So, it's basically a case of them presenting us incorrect information and after the protest came, we conducted further investigation," he added.
In the high-stakes arena of Concacaf matches, exceptional talent invariably takes centre stage. At the 2023 Concacaf Central American Cup group stage, it was Deportivo Saprissa's dynamic forward, Javon East, who rose to the occasion and stood as a game-changer.
East, a 28-year-old Jamaican striker, delivered a stellar performance for the Monstruo Morado, propelling his team to a commanding first-place finish in Group A. His remarkable display included three goals from eight well-placed shots, all accomplished within 251 minutes of relentless gameplay. Impressively, he also boasted a pass completion rate of nearly 65 per cent.
As a fitting tribute to his pivotal role, Javon East has been bestowed with Concacaf's Game-Changer title for the 2023 Concacaf Central American Cup group stage. In an exclusive interview with Concacaf.com, East expressed his gratitude for this recognition and acknowledged its motivating influence on his future endeavours.
"I'm grateful for the credit, and it adds a little bit of motivation to push even harder for the future games coming up in Concacaf," said East.
He went on to emphasize the significance of the accolade, stating, "I'm thankful. I'm happy as a player that I know I'm doing something right, and people are watching and see my talent and give me credit for it. I'm grateful for that."
East's remarkable impact extends beyond the pitch, as he attributes much of Saprissa's success in the competition to the strong bonds forged both on and off the field.
"It's a family first. It's more important that we are a family on and off the field, it is carrying over inside the game, and we are doing pretty well in Concacaf. We are qualified to the next round, and we just have to take it a game at a time and see where it goes," East remarked.
While his two-goal performance in the resounding 5-0 victory against Coban Imperial may appear particularly impressive, East personally values his role in the team's opening 1-0 triumph against Cartagines as his standout performance of the group stage.
"I think the first game was my best game, not because I scored one goal in that game, but because of the number of chances I created. So normally as a striker, I like to see how many more chances I create more than how many I score," East explained.
With the group stage behind them, Saprissa now shifts its focus to the knockout stage, where they will encounter a formidable adversary in Real Esteli of Nicaragua during the quarterfinals. East recognizes the challenge posed by their upcoming opponent and emphasizes the importance of thorough preparation.
"[Real Esteli] are a team that has improved over the years. I watched them in their first game and their last game. I didn't know that we were going to play that team, but I was watching the game, and they are very impressive. I give them their respect. We have to prepare mentally and physically for that battle because it's going to be a tough one," East asserted.
As Javon East continues to make his mark on the Concacaf stage, his remarkable journey unfolds as an inspiring testament to talent, dedication, and the pursuit of excellence in the world of football.
The David “Wagga” Hunt Scholarship Foundation is set to disburse J$3.6 M to 24 scholarship recipients of Calabar High School & Kingston College for the 2023-2024 School Year.
They will have 24 students (12 from each school). The recipients will be announced during as Awards Ceremony on Sunday at the Social Club Auditorium in New Kingston.
The David “Wagga” Hunt Scholarship Foundation was established in 2009 to honour the legacy of football coach and sport administrator extraordinaire, David “Wagga” Hunt, an alumnus of Kingston College and revered football coach of Calabar High and Meadhaven United Football Club.
On Hunt’s untimely passing in 2007 his family and a group of friends established the Foundation to assist needy students at both schools with scholarships.
Each year, the foundation awards scholarships valued at J$100,000.00, beginning at grade 8 (two per school) and continuing through to grade 13, for a total of J$600,000.00.
Beginning, 2023-2024 school year the annual disbursement per recipient will be increased from J$100,000 to J$150,000. The disbursement covers books, lunch, and other related expenses.
Selection is based on financial need, academic performance, participation in extra-curricular activity, deportment, and discipline.
These criteria must be maintained throughout the life of the scholarship. The Foundation has awarded to date 50 scholarships valued at J$22.6 million.
Karl Burke’s Beautiful Diamond made light work of the British EBF Stallions Harry Rosebery Stakes at Ayr.
The daughter of Twilight Son was the 5-6 favourite for the Listed event under Clifford Lee, with the race a return to five furlongs after a fifth-placed finish in the Lowther over six furlongs last time.
Though previously only seen on good or good to firm ground, this time the filly encountered a surface with more give but found no hardship in it as she made the running from stall four.
She was pursued by Purosangue but never headed and crossed the line a length ahead in what was a comfortable success.
“I was very pleased with her, she deserved that,” said Philip Robinson, assistant racing manager to owner Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum.
“She was third in the Queen Mary and didn’t get home at York over six furlongs, so five furlongs today was perfect.
“She’s very quick, that seems to be her game. I don’t rule out six furlongs in the future on faster ground, maybe next year, but at the moment she’s showing more and more speed.
“She doesn’t just look like a two-year-old, she’s the type of filly that may progress from two to three as she has a bit of scope about her.”
William Haggas’ Pink Crystal was then the winner of the Listed Arran Scottish Sprint EBF Fillies’ Stakes over five and a half furlongs having started at 7-1.
Jason Hart took the ride and guided the chestnut to a result that was a place better than last year’s runner-up spot as she won by a length and a half from Burke’s Secret Angel.
The run follows a Group Three effort at York in the Summer Stakes, where she was beaten only a length and three-quarters in fourth by Swingalong, with whom she shares an owner.
Robinson is also employed in the same assistant racing manager role for the owner in question, Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum, and said: “I was delighted with her, she ran a very, very good race at York.
“She did very well, she was stuck out on the wing all the way so she did so well to come home like she did behind Swingalong. It was a very good run.
“The plan today was to sit quite close to the pace but she was struggling with the ground early on, then she came home very strongly and I was very impressed with her.
“She’s a very tough filly, she loves her racing and she’s a very good competitor.”
The Virgin Bet Ayr Bronze Cup Handicap then went the way of David O’Meara’s Ascot Adventure, a 15-2 chance who was ridden to a three-quarter-length success by Ben Curtis.
Frankie Dettori teams up with Aidan O’Brien’s Navy Seal as the trainer looks to regain the Alan Smurfit Memorial Beresford Stakes at the Curragh.
When Crypto Force beat O’Brien’s Adelaide River in the race 12 months ago, it was the first time the Ballydoyle handler had suffered a defeat in the Group Two since Casamento won for Michael Halford in 2010.
Among his incredible 21 winners of the race are St Nicholas Abbey, Capri, Saxon Warrior and Luxembourg, but perhaps the most famous winner on the recent roll of honour is John Oxx’s brilliant Sea The Stars in 2008.
The trainer has had to look away from usual jockey Ryan Moore this weekend as he is in Australia to partner Shinzo for owners Coolmore in the Golden Rose at Rosehill.
O’Brien has three strong contenders this year in Leopardstown winner Chief Little Rock (Gavin Ryan), Galway debut winner Grosvenor Square (Colin Keane) and Dettori’s mount Navy Seal, who stepped up markedly on his debut fifth at Killarney to win at Galway.
“Chief Little Rock came forward nicely to win at Leopardstown but he only just won, we thought he’d win easier than he did but he won anyway,” said O’Brien.
“He’s in good form and we think he’s a horse who is going to progress more. He’s got a stout pedigree and will be staying well next year.
“Grosvenor Square won nicely at Galway, that was only 11 days ago. He’s a lovely, big horse but he was babyish and green there, so we think the experience will do him well. He’s another with plenty of stamina in his pedigree.
“Frankie is riding Navy Seal for us. He won nicely at Galway the last day but he was a little but green.
“He ended up winning nicely at the end and we think he’s ready to go again. The first day we were a bit disappointed, we expected him to run better but he was very green. He was still green the last day, so we’re just hoping that he keeps coming forward.
“Ryan is in Australia and it’s worked out that Frankie is available.”
It is not all about the Ballydoyle runners, though, as Joseph O’Brien’s Stromberg has won his last two by an aggregate of 17 lengths and Paddy Twomey’s Deepone brings Pattern form to the table.
Julie Camacho’s Significantly will bid bounce back from a narrow Doncaster defeat last week as he heads further north for the Virgin Bet Ayr Gold Cup Handicap.
The five-year-old was a 12-1 shot for the five-and-a-half-furlong Portland Handicap at the St Leger meeting and very nearly made light of those odds when just missing out on first place by a short head.
Connections report he is ready to go again and he will return to six furlongs for the valuable Gold Cup, a big field handicap worth over £90,000 to the winner.
“When you come as close as Significantly did last week, you always have the disappointment that the result didn’t go your way but pride in the performance,” said Steve Brown, Camacho’s husband and assistant.
“We’ve seen no reason at home not to run him again and going back up to six furlongs should suit.”
Karl Burke has a pair of runners in Fast Response and Lethal Levi, with the first-named contender likely to relish the conditions as autumn rain has left the ground on the easy side.
The trainer said: “Fast Response loves soft ground, she’s a Listed winner and a good quality filly. She should run very well.”
Of Lethal Levi, who was fourth at Doncaster last week, Burke added: “Lethal Levi probably wouldn’t want too much more rain and wears a visor for the first time.
“He hasn’t really gone on as I hoped he would this year, but he’s a fair horse and ran pretty well at Doncaster last week, so we’re hoping for another big run.”
Kevin Ryan has a superb record with six past successes in the race and will saddle a trio of contenders in Aleezdancer, Bielsa and Magical Spirit.
Bielsa won the contest in 2021 and Magical Spirit is well proven over course and distance after winning the Ayr Silver Cup in 2020 and finishing fourth in the same race the following year.
The chestnut is owned by Hambleton Racing, whose director of racing Simon Turner said: “He’s in great form at home, he worked well earlier in the week and the ground should be ideal for him, so we’re hoping for a big run.”
Magical Spirit has a wide draw in stall 18, something Turner is fairly neutral about as handicaps with large fields can gravitate to either rail or into several groups.
“I have an open mind on the draw until we see how some of the big-field races pan out before then,” he added.
“We’ve had instances in the past where we thought we were on the wrong side at Royal Ascot but we stuck to our guns and had the winner.
“You convince yourself that one place is the place to be, but we’ll go in a straight line from where we are and hope we’re on a fair part of the track.
“He’s been in great form through the year, he’s run some smashing races and he’s run twice in the Silver Cup at Ayr and won it and finished fourth.
“He’s got solid form over course and distance in this type of race and he’s been targeted at this for some time. He’ll be one of the outsiders but we know he’s well capable of winning a big race.”
Charlie Hills’ Orazio is among the leading fancies, with David O’Meara’s Summerghand the returning champion after a one-length victory last season.
The line up also features other O’Meara-trained sprint handicap regulars such as Aberama Gold and Escobar, with further familiar names including David Evans’ Rohaan and John Quinn’s Mr Waygu.
The Triple Crown-seeking filly In the Headlines has been drawn in post position four for Monday’s Trinidad Derby at Santa Rosa Park.
Champion trainer John O’Brien has booked the services of Naim Samaroo for this very important assignment.
In the Headlines is listed as the 6-5 second favourite behind her stablemate and 4-5 shot Hello World for the 10-furlong run on the Republic Day holiday card.
Hello World will be ridden by 58-year-old Panama-born Nobel Abrego.
Coming off wins in the Guineas in May and the Midsummer Classic in August, In the Headlines is trying to become the first filly to capture the Triple Crown at Santa Rosa Park and would also give trainer O’Brien a second Triple Crown win in four years after Wise Guy in 2020.
Shaquille Cairo scored a pair of goals to lead 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Club Shield winners Robinhood of Suriname to a 2-0 victory against Jamaican side Dunbeholden in Group B action of the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Cup at Sabina Park on Thursday.
Robinhood now sit atop the group with six points after two games, while Dunbeholden have one point after three matches.
Robinhood raced out to an early 1-0 lead in the 15th when they were able to take advantage of a defensive error from Dunbeholden. The home side failed to clear their lines adequately and a deflected ball up into the air right in front of goal was headed into net by Shaquille Cairo.
Dunbeholden went right to work on finding an equalizer and Stephen Barnett looked poised to do it in the 25th, only for Robinhood goalkeeper Jonathan Fonkel to make a sensational stretch save.
Odane Samuels was next to be turned away on a brilliant save by Jonathan Fonkel, this time on a shot from just a few yards out that the visiting shot-stopper somehow managed to parry to safety in the 34th.
Robinhood absorbed Dunbeholden’s punches and then landed another big blow in the 55th when a cross from Tuur Don met the charging Cairo, who fired into net for a 2-0 Robinhood lead.
The Robinhood defense took over after that, nailing things down to record the clean sheet victory.
Sense Of Duty will try to overcome a 455-day absence as she returns to action in the Dubai International Airport World Trophy Stakes at Newbury.
When she fairly bolted up in the Group Three Chipchase Stakes at Newcastle last June, beating this year’s King’s Stand third Annaf by four and a half lengths, it appeared Sense Of Duty would soon make her mark at an even higher level.
However, injury intervened and trainer William Haggas and owners St Albans Bloodstock have had to display real patience as she has been nurtured back to full fitness.
While her handler has warned she will not be fully tuned up for this assignment, with a trip to Ascot on Champions Day the main aim, he admitted he will be disappointed if she fails to make a successful return to action.
“She’s never run over five furlongs, but she has to run somewhere with as big a gap as possible between Champions Day,” said Haggas.
“She will need the run, but she’s pretty useful. She was very good the day she won the Chipchase at Newcastle. I think she’ll enjoy the ground.
“Obviously she is against race-fit contenders, including one owned by the same stud in Nymphadora, but I think we’ll all be a bit disappointed, everyone bar Andrew Balding (Nymphadora’s trainer), if she can’t beat her.”
Despite Sense Of Duty’s profile, with her only defeat coming on her debut by a head, she is not the highest-rated in the field as that honour goes to Mick Appleby’s Raasel, who has returned to form of late and was just touched off in a Listed race at Doncaster last week.
Jack Davison sends Thunderbear from Ireland while John Butler’s Designer, a winner at York’s Ebor meeting, completes the field.
Hughie Morrison’s 2021 Fighting Fifth dead-heater Not So Sleepy carries top weight in the Dubai Duty Free Autumn Cup, which will be his first run since finishing fifth in the Champion Hurdle behind Constitution Hill.
Eve Johnson Houghton’s Mister Sketch will tackle testing conditions in the Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury on Saturday.
The colt made a taking debut when just missing out by a neck in a July maiden at the same track, after which he headed to Salisbury for a six-furlong novice where he was a runaway nine-and-a-half-length winner.
Those outings were on good to soft and good ground respectively, conditions the now Wathnan Racing-owned youngster will not find this time, as wet weather has left the ground heavy, soft in places.
Johnson Houghton is hopeful he can still produce a good effort, however, and is mindful that her runner is not the only one for whom the ground is less than ideal.
She said: “He’s in great form and really well. It’s not ideal ground for him, but it’s the same for everyone and I think he’ll run a big race.
“He’s a lovely, strong horse, so I hope he’ll be able to handle the ground.
“He was obviously impressive last time. This is a big step up, but where else do you go?”
Andrew Balding is represented by Array, a Juddmonte-owned and bred son of No Nay Never.
The colt won for the first time in a Newmarket novice after two encouraging runs beforehand, with his most recent effort being a narrowly-beaten third place in the Group Three Sirenia Stakes at Kempton.
Barry Mahon of Juddmonte is not concerned about the going, especially considering he encountered similar conditions at Goodwood when finishing second in a maiden earlier in the term.
He told Sky Sports Racing: “I think the ground won’t be an issue for him, Andrew always felt he’d go with a bit of ease in the ground and obviously he ran well at Goodwood on desperate ground.
“He’s a nice horse who probably hasn’t been the luckiest, but he looked good winning his maiden and he’s shown a good level of form to partake in such a race.”
Michael Bell saddles the Middleham Park Racing-owned Red Zone Hero, an impressive nursery handicap winner at Doncaster’s St Leger meeting.
Prior to that, the Starspangledbanner colt finished a length behind George Scott’s Seven Questions in a Yarmouth maiden and was the decisive winner of a five-and-a-half-furlong contest at Ayr next time out.
“He won well at Doncaster on easy ground, it’s a big step forward and we’ll see how he gets on,” Bell said.
“That was big step forward from him at Doncaster and I’m sure he’s got more to offer going forward.”
Seven Questions also heads to the Group Two after his runner-up effort in the Sirenia Stakes, with Richard Hannon’s Vintage Stakes winner Haatem another due to take his chance.
Balding has another string to his bow with Spanish Phoenix, while Ralph Beckett’s Matters Most and John Ryan’s Roman Emperor complete the field of eight.
Royal Rhyme could earn himself a tilt at the Qipco Champion Stakes with victory in the Virgin Bet Daily Extra Places Doonside Cup at Ayr on Saturday.
The three-year-old made a huge impression when powering clear of his rivals in handicap company in the mud at Goodwood last month and trainer Karl Burke has no doubt his exciting colt can make his presence felt at a higher level granted suitable conditions.
The Spigot Lodge handler views this weekend’s 10-furlong Listed contest as an ideal next step for his charge, with bigger targets on the horizon.
“He’s a good horse and he goes there in good shape,” said Burke.
“I think it will be just slow ground and any more rain will be to his advantage, I think – the softer the better, to be honest.
“He is a fair horse and that (Champion Stakes) is the idea, thinking it might be very soft ground at Ascot, but we’d want to be running very well on Saturday first, obviously.”
Irish hopes are carried by Noel Meade’s Helvic Dream.
He has not managed to get his head in front since securing Group One glory in the 2021 Tattersalls Gold Cup, but did run his best race for a while when third behind stablemate Lafayette in the Royal Whip Stakes at the Curragh last month.
Meade said: “Our horse is in great shape and the more rain that comes, the better for him.
“That (Tattersalls Gold Cup win) was a while ago and he’s found it hard to recover that, but I’m very happy with him now and he’s in good form.”
Pride Of America provided his trainer Amy Murphy with big-race success in the John Smith’s Cup at York in July, since when he has finished third in another valuable handicap at Goodwood.
Murphy acknowledges the six-year-old has more on his plate in Scotland but is happy to roll the dice.
“His hike after winning the John Smith’s Cup means we’re kind of forced into this company,” said the Newmarket handler.
“As always, he will wear his heart on his sleeve and he’ll be trying his hardest.”
William Haggas’ My Prospero, the forecast favourite, was declared a non-runner on Friday morning.
Burke’s experienced course winner Dorothy Lawrence sets the standard in the Group Three Virgin Bet Best Odds Daily Firth Of Clyde.
Placed twice in Listed company earlier in the year, the Soldier’s Call filly has since opened her account at Ayr before finishing fourth in the Lowther at York and a close second, beaten just a short head by Juniper Berries, in the Dick Poole at Salisbury.
Burke said: “She is one who wouldn’t want too much more rain, but she’s in good form. I don’t think it’s the strongest Group Three in the world and we’re giving it a go.”
The likely favourite is Raqiya, who has impressed in her last two races for Owen Burrows, while Great Generation is unbeaten in two starts for Marco Botti, who said: “She’s done nothing wrong and progressed a lot from her first start to win at Chester three weeks ago.
“She’s a very honest filly who tries hard. Obviously, this is a step up in class, but we don’t want to run her on fast ground and it looks like we’ll get good ground at Ayr.
“She’s in great form, six furlongs seems to be her trip and we hope she’ll improve again from Chester and will be there or thereabouts.”
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