Little Big Bear’s participation in Saturday’s Pertemps Network July Cup is rated as only “50-50″ by Aidan O’Brien.
Runner-up to Shaquille in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, the pair had been set to cross swords once more on the July course this weekend.
However, the rematch may have to wait due to a stone bruise to last year’s leading juvenile.
“Little Big Bear is not definite to run as he had a foot bruise last week and he missed six days without doing any cantering,” said O’Brien.
“We might do something in the morning with him to see how he is and whether we decide to run him or not.
“If he does run, we won’t know until he has run how that has affected him. He is not guaranteed to run and we will decide in the next couple of days.
“I’d say it is 50-50 regarding his chances of running.”
Should Little Big Bear not run then Meditate, a winner at the Breeders’ Cup, could have her impending retirement delayed, despite only running in the Prix Jean Prat on Sunday.
“We have to decide whether we are going to retire Meditate or not. It is very possible that she could retire,” he said.
“France at the weekend was a bit of a mess. We thought Andrew’s (Balding) horse (Chaldean) would make the running, but he didn’t and the pace was just very messy so we didn’t get a clear picture with her.
“We didn’t want to carry on too long with her as she is a very high-class filly for the paddocks.
“She is obviously in the July Cup and if Little Big Bear wasn’t going to run we would give her a chance going back over six before she goes as she is a filly that has a lot of speed and was always very comfortable going forward over six furlongs.
“It is all a little bit up in the air, but it is dependent on Little Big Bear what happens to him during the middle of the week.”
As expected, Royal Ascot winner Khaadem has been supplemented.
Charlie Hills stated last week the Newmarket race was the “obvious target” for his surprise Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes scorer, and the £36,000 supplementary fee was paid on Monday.
Julie Camacho’s Shaquille put up a remarkable display to win the Commonwealth Cup during the same meeting having missed the break, but this time he will have to beat his elders.
Another northern raider, the Michael Dods-trained Azure Blue, is also strongly fancied on the back of her win in the Duke of York Stakes over Highfield Princess.
Kinross is in there for Ralph Beckett, but he will have to do without his usual partner Frankie Dettori, who is currently on the sidelines suspended.
Cold Case, Art Power and Run To Freedom are also among the 14 possibles.
O’Brien’s exciting City Of Troy is one of 12 in the bet365 Superlative Stakes.
The Justify colt won easily on his debut, making even the usual reticent Ryan Moore reach for the superlatives.
Charlie Appleby’s Great Truth and the Richard Hannon-trained duo of Son and Haatem are among his possible rivals.
There are 42 left in the bet365 Bunbury Cup, with Saeed bin Suroor’s Shining Blue at the top of the weights.
Natoya Goule-Toppin ran 1:58.89 to claim her ninth Jamaican 800m title on day four of the JAAA/Puma National Senior and Junior Athletics Championships at the National Stadium inn Kingston on Sunday.
The multiple-time Olympic and World Championship finalist comfortably won ahead of 1500m champion, Adelle Tracey, who ran a season’s best 2:01.11. Clemson’s Jessica McLean was third in 2:05.76.
On the men’s side, Rajay Hamilton, who entered the championships as Jamaica’s leader in the event with 1:45.91, got the better of last year’s winner and the national record holder, Navasky Anderson, with a 1:47.28 effort.
Anderson ran 1:47.67 in second while Mississippi State’s Tyrese Reid ran 1:48.45 for third.
George Boughey’s Soprano has the Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes in her sights after an encouraging Royal Ascot performance.
The chestnut daughter of Starspangledbanner won on debut in a Newmarket maiden in May, beating subsequent Hilary Needler winner Midnight Affair, and was then an admirable third in the Albany Stakes.
On the latter occasion she was two lengths behind the winner, Porta Fortuna, and a length behind Aidan O’Brien’s Matrika, since successful in the Group Two Airlie Stud Stakes at the Curragh.
Soprano will also be making the step up from Group Three to Group Two level when she heads to the July course on Friday.
Harry Herbert, of owners Highclere Thoroughbred Racing, said: “She’s in great form, she runs in the Group Two at Newmarket – the Duchess of Cambridge.
“That’s very much the plan, with Ryan Moore booked to ride.
“There’s been a really good form boost and she’s a very smart filly.
“I think she will be even better over further which is exciting for the future, but she’s in good form and I think a stiff six at Newmarket will suit her.
“She ran such a blinder at Royal Ascot, William (Buick) said that had things gone a bit differently, had she broken better and been a bit nearer the pace, then she might have gone very near to winning.
“We’ll see, she deserves to take her chance and she’s very exciting.”
Sonny Liston will be attempting to land a knockout blow at York on Saturday when he lines up in the John Smith’s Cup.
Ralph Beckett’s charge was outboxed by stablemate Jimi Hendrix when second in the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot but now has the chance to get the judge’s verdict as one of 33 who remain in contention for the valuable £200,000 contest.
Owned by Chelsea Thoroughbreds, the four-year-old has not had his hand raised since striking on debut when trained by Charlie Hills, but connections are banking on the gelding relishing a step up to 10 furlongs to return him to the winner’s enclosure.
“He runs off his old mark and we wanted to get him in somewhere off that mark,” said Emma Spencer, managing director of Chelsea Thoroughbreds and also racing manager for the owners.
“He’s proven over a mile and a quarter and although he didn’t stay in the Derby, he was third at Chester in the Dee Stakes and then he was third in a Group Three at Goodwood.
“So there is a case for saying that a mile and a quarter is his ideal trip and if he runs like he did the other day and he seems to be in a good place then the race could really suit him.”
Richard Fahey’s course-and-distance winner and last year’s fourth Spirit Dancer is also among the possibles for the historic 10-furlong handicap, with Simon and Ed Crisford’s Sea The Casper, William Haggas’ Amleto and Andrew Balding’s Nobel all potential improvers who head to the Knavesmire appearing unexposed and on the back of victories last time.
Also looking to go one better than at Royal Ascot is Kerdos who will line-up in the John Smith’s City Walls Stakes.
The three-year-old son of Profitable was downed late on by Rhythm N Hooves when a silver medallist in the Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes and trainer Clive Cox hopes he can get in the mix once again as he steps up to Listed level.
“Kerdos ran a blinder at Ascot and the Listed race at York, the City Walls Stakes, that would be our next target for him,” said the Lambourn-based handler.
“Obviously it is against older horses, but he’s a progressive three-year-old who we are really happy is going the right way.
“We know the family very well. I trained his sire Profitable and he’s out of a half-sister to Priceless who was a Group Two winner in the Temple Stakes at Haydock. They normally progress with age and this fella seems to fit that profile well.”
Kerdos is one of 17 possible runners for the five-furlong Listed event, with Edward Bethell’s Regional chief featuring in the opposition following his Achilles Stakes victory at Haydock last month.
Achilles second and third Equilateral (Charlie Hills) and Raasel (Mick Appleby) are also involved, while Fahey’s Great State was a winner of the Listed Westow Stakes over course and distance during the Dante meeting and will be bidding to provide his Malton-based handler with more success at one of his local tracks.
As expected, Royal Ascot winner Khaadem has been supplemented for the Pertemps Network July Cup at Newmarket on Saturday where he will clash with another Ascot hero, Shaquille.
Charlie Hills stated last week the “obvious target” for his surprise Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes scorer was the midsummer highlight on the July course, and the £36,000 supplementary fee was paid on Monday.
Julie Camacho’s Shaquille put up a remarkable display to win the Commonwealth Cup during the same meeting having missed the break, but this time he will have to beat his elders – as well as confirm form with Aidan O’Brien’s Ascot runner-up Little Big Bear.
Another northern raider, the Michael Dods-trained Azure Blue, is also strongly fancied on the back of her win in the Duke of York Stakes over Highfield Princess.
Kinross is in there for Ralph Beckett, but he will have to do without his usual partner Frankie Dettori, who is currently on the sidelines suspended.
Cold Case, Art Power and Run To Freedom are also among the 14 possibles.
Aidan O’Brien’s exciting City Of Troy is one of 12 in the bet365 Superlative Stakes.
The Justify colt won easily on his debut, making even the usual reticent Ryan Moore reach for the superlatives.
Charlie Appleby’s Great Truth and the Richard Hannon-trained duo of Son and Haatem are among his possible rivals.
There are 42 left in the bet365 Bunbury Cup, with Saeed bin Suroor’s Shining Blue at the top of the weights.
Chaldean is set for a break while connections attempt to get to the bottom of his lacklustre performance in the Prix Jean Prat.
Andrew Balding’s 2000 Guineas hero was dropping back in trip for the Deauville Group One having suffered defeat at the hands of Paddington in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.
However, despite travelling with what appeared his usual zest close to the pace in the hands of Oisin Murphy, the Classic winner failed to pick up and his challenge faded tamely as Fabrice Chappet’s Good Guess ran out a convincing winner.
The Frankel colt will now be fully checked over to see if there is any physical reason for the below-par display or whether a busy early season has simply caught up with the Juddmonte-owned colt.
“It was obviously not the horse’s true running, but we’ll have to wait until the horse gets home to check him out fully to see if there is something there or whether it was he had a hard race in Ascot and was just flat,” said Barry Mahon, European racing manager for the owners.
“On all known form it was not his true running and we’ll just have to see if anything comes to light.
“I think he’ll have to have a break now. Whether there is something underlying or it just turns out he has run flat, we’ll have to wait and see, but I think he will need a break now to freshen up for the back-end of the year.”
There are still plenty of big-race options on the table for Chaldean when he does return, with a trip to the Breeders’ Cup a possibility for later in the season.
Mahon added: “There’s lots of races for him. There’s the Prix Jacques le Marois (August 13), the race at Ascot on Champions Day (Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, October 21) and the Breeders’ Cup Mile (November 4), so there will be plenty of opportunities for him.
“I always felt the Breeders’ Cup would suit him, especially this year at Santa Anita, but we’ll have to see. We’ll get him checked out first and we know that wasn’t his true running.”
However, there was some joy for the owners this weekend as Ralph Beckett’s Westover enjoyed a more successful venture to France to pick up his second Group One in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.
Last year’s Irish Derby winner had run fine races in defeat to finish second in both the Dubai Sheema Classic and Coronation Cup so far this term, but produced a brilliant display to open his four-year-old account.
“To start the season behind Equinox was a good run and he ran a great race in the Coronation and it’s now nice to get the Group One at Saint-Cloud and make him a dual Group One winner,” said Mahon.
“To break the track record was a special feat when you consider so many great champions have won that race over the years.”
Westover holds an entry for the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes at Ascot on July 29 and although that will remain high-up in connections’ thoughts, there is a chance that could come too soon following his heroic exertions in the Paris suburbs.
“I was talking to Ralph last night and we said we will definitely keep it (King George) under consideration,” continued Mahon.
“He’s had a hard race on Saturday – you don’t break the track record without having a hard race – and it’s not a huge amount of time between now and the King George. It will very much depend on the horse’s well-being and we’ll let the horse tell us.
“He is in everything and has options everywhere. He could go to an Irish Leger (September 10), he could go to an Arc (October 1), he could go to a Breeders’ Cup Turf (November 4). He could even go to Hong Kong and he’s in everything. He’s there to be enjoyed and we will see what Prince Khalid’s family would like to do and see as we go along.
“He’s mentally and physically more mature now and he’s a good traveller. In a race he’s adaptable which is great and we think he’s on an upwards curve.”
Chaldean is set for a break while connections attempt to get to the bottom of his lacklustre performance in the Prix Jean Prat.
Andrew Balding’s 2000 Guineas hero was dropping back in trip for the Deauville Group One having suffered defeat at the hands of Paddington in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.
However, despite travelling with what appeared his usual zest close to the pace in the hands of Oisin Murphy, the Classic winner failed to pick up and his challenge faded tamely as Fabrice Chappet’s Good Guess ran out a convincing winner.
The Frankel colt will now be fully checked over to see if there is any physical reason for the below-par display or whether a busy early season has simply caught up with the Juddmonte-owned colt.
“It was obviously not the horse’s true running, but we’ll have to wait until the horse gets home to check him out fully to see if there is something there or whether it was he had a hard race in Ascot and was just flat,” said Barry Mahon, European racing manager for the owners.
“On all known form it was not his true running and we’ll just have to see if anything comes to light.
“I think he’ll have to have a break now. Whether there is something underlying or it just turns out he has run flat, we’ll have to wait and see, but I think he will need a break now to freshen up for the back-end of the year.”
There are still plenty of big-race options on the table for Chaldean when he does return, with a trip to the Breeders’ Cup a possibility for later in the season.
Mahon added: “There’s lots of races for him. There’s the Prix Jacques le Marois (August 13), the race at Ascot on Champions Day (Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, October 21) and the Breeders’ Cup Mile (November 4), so there will be plenty of opportunities for him.
“I always felt the Breeders’ Cup would suit him, especially this year at Santa Anita, but we’ll have to see. We’ll get him checked out first and we know that wasn’t his true running.”
However, there was some joy for the owners this weekend as Ralph Beckett’s Westover enjoyed a more successful venture to France to pick up his second Group One in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.
Last year’s Irish Derby winner had run fine races in defeat to finish second in both the Dubai Sheema Classic and Coronation Cup so far this term, but produced a brilliant display to open his four-year-old account.
“To start the season behind Equinox was a good run and he ran a great race in the Coronation and it’s now nice to get the Group One at Saint-Cloud and make him a dual Group One winner,” said Mahon.
“To break the track record was a special feat when you consider so many great champions have won that race over the years.”
Westover holds an entry for the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes at Ascot on July 29 and although that will remain high-up in connections’ thoughts, there is a chance that could come too soon following his heroic exertions in the Paris suburbs.
“I was talking to Ralph last night and we said we will definitely keep it (King George) under consideration,” continued Mahon.
“He’s had a hard race on Saturday – you don’t break the track record without having a hard race – and it’s not a huge amount of time between now and the King George. It will very much depend on the horse’s well-being and we’ll let the horse tell us.
“He is in everything and has options everywhere. He could go to an Irish Leger (September 10), he could go to an Arc (October 1), he could go to a Breeders’ Cup Turf (November 4). He could even go to Hong Kong and he’s in everything. He’s there to be enjoyed and we will see what Prince Khalid’s family would like to do and see as we go along.
“He’s mentally and physically more mature now and he’s a good traveller. In a race he’s adaptable which is great and we think he’s on an upwards curve.”
Laurel will miss the rest of the season due to the injury which saw her ruled out of Royal Ascot.
John and Thady Gosden’s lightly-raced daughter of Kingman was due to line-up in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at the summer showcase, but was a late absentee having suffered setback the weekend before her intended engagement.
Connections did have their sights on a quick return in the Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket later this week.
But it appears the issue is more serious than first envisaged with the Group One-placed filly set to remain on the sidelines for the rest of the current campaign and a decision on her future still to be made.
“Unfortunately she is going to miss the rest of the season,” explained Barry Mahon, European racing manager for owners Juddmonte.
“Initially it looked like it was going to be an insignificant thing, but it turned out to be a bit more than we thought.
“She’s on her way back to the farm for a rest, she definitely won’t run again this season and it is to be decided whether she stays in training next year or not.
“She’s a very lightly-raced filly and John and Thady both said to me last week they would love to keep her in training next year.
“She’s a high-class filly who could win a Group One and she’s only run five times in her life so I can sort of understand their point and maybe that is the right thing to do. But we will speak with Prince Khalid’s family and see what they would like to do and unfortunately she won’t be running again this season.”
Royal Ascot runner-up Sacred will head to Deauville for her next appearance with the Prix Maurice de Gheest identified by William Haggas as the perfect destination for his versatile mare.
The Cheveley Park Stud-owned five-year-old has been a consistent performer for connections throughout her career and won on reappearance at Lingfield in the Chartwell Fillies’ Stakes in May.
However, she was narrowly denied when taking her chance in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes for the second season in a row, having victory snatched from her grasp when headed late in the day by the fast-finishing Khaadem.
The daughter of Exceed And Excel holds entries over a mile closer to home over the next month, but following her fine effort at Ascot, Haggas is keen to keep Sacred to sprinting distances and will send her across the Channel for the six-and-a-half-furlong Group One in early August.
“She’s fine and we’re aiming her at the Prix Maurice de Gheest on August 6 which is a Group One over six and a half furlongs,” said Haggas.
“She likes going to her races relatively fresh, so she will go there and there is nothing overly obvious for her in the meantime.
“She’s in the Sussex, but I think we felt she ran very well over six furlongs at Ascot and six and a half in Deauville, providing the ground isn’t soft, should be fine for her.”
Haggas also revealed that My Prospero will head to York for the Sky Bet York Stakes on July 29 as the four-year-old attempts to tee-up a Knavesmire return for the Juddmonte International Stakes during the Ebor Festival.
“He’ll go for the Sky Bet at York,” added Haggas.
“He didn’t run as well as I hoped at Ascot. He didn’t run badly, but it wasn’t as well as I hoped and he will go to York and if he wins and wins nicely he will go back there for the Juddmonte.”
Shericka Jackson and Andrew Hudson both defended their respective 200m titles as the JAAA/Puma National Senior and Junior Championships ended at the National Stadium in Kingston on Sunday.
Jackson, who ran a world leading 10.65 to take the 100m title on Friday, produced another world-leading effort, 21.71, to complete the sprint double for the second consecutive year.
Five-time World 100m champion, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce ran a season’s best 22.26 for second while Texas’ Lanae Tava-Thomas ran 22.55 for third.
On the men’s side, Hudson, the reigning NACAC champion, produced a season’s best 20.11 to take the title ahead of Rasheed Dwyer (20.26) and Tyquendo Tracey (20.48). Yohan Blake, the second fastest man of all time in both the 100m and 200m, was fourth in 20.51.
Olympic bronze medalist, Megan Tapper produced one of her customary big-hearted performances to claim her third national 100m hurdles title on day four of the JAAA/Puma National Senior and Junior Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston on Sunday.
Tapper got her usual bullet start and held off NCAA Champion and the fastest Jamaican in the world this year, Arkansas’ Ackera Nugent, to win in 12.64. Nugent’s time in second was 12.67 while 2015 World Champion, Danielle Williams, was third in 12.82.
On the men’s side, Commonwealth champion Rasheed Broadbell ran the second fastest time ever by a Jamaican to claim his maiden national title in the 110m hurdles.
Broadbell, Jamaica’s National Sportsman of the Year for 2022, fought off the fast-finishing Olympic champion, Hansle Parchment, to win in a personal best and world-leading 12.94.
Parchment ran a season’s best 13.12 for second while Orlando Bennett was third in a personal best 13.19.
A lone strike from left full-back Amari’i Bell proved enough to put Jamaica’s senior Reggae Boyz into their fourth Concacaf Gold Cup semi-finals, as they edged Guatemala 1-0 in lively quarterfinals encounter at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Sunday.
Bell’s strike which came in the 51st minute, was also the first international goal for the 29-year-old Luton Town defender, and it couldn’t have come at a better time, especially as the Reggae Boyz hunt their first Gold Cup triumph.
The Jamaicans, who were finalists in the 2015 and 2017 tournaments, and also 2019 semi-finalist, will be hoping to get by perennial rivals Mexico in Wednesday semi-final contest at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Having won all four of their previous Gold Cup meetings, the Heimir Hallgrimsson-coached Reggae Boyz went in with some degree of confidence to again stamp their authority over the Central Americans on this the fifth occasion, and that they did to some extent.
They dominated possession and camped out in Guatemala’s quarters for most of the first half, as they showed enterprise in their build ups, which should have resulted in at least two early goals. However, proper decision-making in the final third was woefully lacking on their part.
Aside from defiant defending from the Guatemalans, the Jamaican attackers seemed a bit overconfident at times and neglected a simple one-time pass or shot when they opportunity presented itself. That resulted in a goalless end to the first half as Guatemala had little opportunities to trouble Jamaica’s goalkeeper Andre Blake.
Things shaped up differently on the resumption with Guatemala being more purposeful in attack, but it was the Jamaicans that broke the deadlock when Demarai Gray sidewinded his way into space to play off a pass to an unmarked Bell, who used time and space allowed to set and drive past Guatemala’s goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen at his near post.
The Jamaicans continued to marshal proceedings and could have pulled further ahead in the 65th when Gray, set Leon Bailey free, but the Aston Villa winger’s effort off his right foot was blocked by Hagen.
Guatemala grew in confidence in the latter stages of the encounter and almost got back on level terms in the 79th minute when substitute Alejandro Galindo’s header from dead centre of the 18-yard box, was kept by Blake, who took flight to his left.
Both teams continued their press in attack and while the Boyz had the better chances, they again lacked conviction in front of goal and fortunately for them, their profligacy didn’t come back to haunt them.
Teams: Jamaica- Andre Blake, Damion Lowe, Javain Brown (Dexter Lembikisa 64th), Kevon Lambert (Daniel Johnson 46th), Bobby Reid, Amari'i Bell, Dishon Bernard, Latibeaudiere, Leon Bailey (Corey Burke 85th), Demarai Gray, Michail Antonio (Shamar Nicholson 78th)
Subs not used: Jahmali Waite, Coniah Boyce-Clarke, Adrian Mariappa, Kemar Lawrence, Jonathan Russell, Dujuan Richards, Kaheem Parris
Booked: Bernard (32nd), Lambert (45th)
Guatemala –Nicholas Hagen, Aaron Herrera, Jose Pinto, Nicolas Samayoa, Jose Ardon, Oscar Castellanos, Marlon Sequen (Jorge Aparicio 64th), Nathaniel Mendez (Darwin Lom 82nd), Pedro Altan (Alejandro Galindo 71st), Carlos Mejia (Antonio Lopez 82nd), Rubio Mendez
Subs not used: Ricardo Jerez, Fredy Perez, Cesar Archilla, Jose Morales, Esteban Garcia, Gerardo Gordillo, Stheven Robles
Booked: Ardon (77th)
Referee: Drew Fischer (Canada)
Assistant referees: Micheal Barwegen (Canada); Caleb Wales (Trinidad and Tobago)
Fourth official: Joseph Dickerson (USA)
Nickisha Price and Sean Bailey were crowned as Jamaica’s national 400m champions on day four of the JAAA/Puma National Senior and Junior Athletics Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston on Sunday.
Price, an NCAA Champion this year in the 4x400m for the University of Arkansas, produced a personal best 50.21 to claim her maiden national title.
400m hurdles champion, Janieve Russell, continued her excellent form at the championships with a personal best 50.76 for second while Candice McLeod, the defending champion, was third in 51.01.
On the men’s side, Bailey, who entered the championships as Jamaica’s season leader in the event with 44.43, ran slightly slower than that with 44.48 to claim his second national title.
Bailey fought off a very game Antonio Watson, who ran a personal best 44.54 for second while Jevaughn Powell, the defending champion, was third in 45.19.
Jaydon Hibbert successfully defended his men’s triple jump title on day four of the JAAA/Puma National Senior and Junior Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston on Sunday.
The 18-year-old Arkansas freshman, who already won the SEC and NCAA Indoor and Outdoor titles this season, produced a best effort of 17.68m, a stadium record, for the win. Jordan Scott was second with a best jump of 16.32m.
Hibbert will enter the Budapest World Championships in August as one of the favorites for gold. He is currently the world leader in the event courtesy of his personal best and world under-20 record 17.87m done to win the SEC outdoor title in May.
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