Group A of League A of the 2023-24 Concacaf Nations League completed its September window on Sunday, with Trinidad and Tobago moving to the top of the group with their second win in two matches.
Martinique vs. Curacao
The day started off with Martinique edging Curacao 1-0 at the Stade Pierre-Aliker in Fort-de-France, Martinique.
An even first half gave way to a second half that started with a bang, as Martinique took a 1-0 lead in the 48’ when Brighton Labeau rose up above a pair of defenders and steered a header into net.
Martinique kept their foot on the gas in search of a second score and were awarded a penalty in the 62’ when Mickael Biron was fouled by Juninho Bacuna in the Curacao area. Biron stepped up to take the spot kick, but was denied on a soaring save from Curacao GK Trevor Doornbusch.
The game loosened up in the 67’ when both teams were reduced to 10 men, as captains Leandro Bacuna of Curacao and Martinique’s Daniel Herelle were sent off with straight red cards.
Minutes later Curacao were on the doorstep for an equalizer when a deflection fell to Kenji Gorre right in front of goal, but Gorre was unable to get a shot on target, with the ball caroming to Jearl Margaritha, who missed the follow-up completely.
Margaritha had one final crack in second half stoppage time, but the block was made from the Martinique defense to secure the three points.
Guatemala vs. Panama
In a duel of teams who left their mark on the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup, Guatemala and Panama played to an exciting 1-1 draw at the Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores in Guatemala City, Guatemala.
Gold Cup finalists Panama could not have asked for a better start, as they earned a penalty just over five minutes into the match when Jose Fajardo was taken down from behind in the Guatemalan area. Eric Davis stepped up and calmly stroked home a left-footed attempt into net for a 1-0 Panama lead.
Panama remained on the front foot as played drifted into the second half, but soon enough the Guatemala attack, just like it did in their Gold Cup quarterfinal run, came to life and they got their reward in the 71’ to pull level 1-1.
A foul on the left edge of the box resulted in a free kick, and Oscar Santis duly obliged by steering home a right-footed effort over the Panama wall and into net.
El Salvador vs. Trinidad and Tobago
The day wrapped up with Trinidad and Tobago rallying for a 3-2 victory over El Salvador at the Estadio Jorge Gonzalez in San Salvador.
El Salvador were aggressive from the start and grabbed a 1-0 lead in the 17’ when Dustin Corea played in a free kick that Eriq Zavaleta met with a perfectly placed header into net.
Trinidad and Tobago’s response was almost immediate, as Reon Moore played in a cross to Ryan Telfer from the left wing, and the first touch gave Telfer the time and space to fire into the net the 1-1 equalizer in the 22’.
Things were wide open to begin the second stanza and Trinidad and Tobago made the most of it, taking a 2-1 lead in the 51’ through Malcolm Shaw, who converted a penalty after being fouled in the box by Zavaleta.
Right back came El Salvador to pull even 2-2 in the 53’ courtesy of Brayan Gil, whose nodded header off a corner kick deflected right back to him, allowing him to guide a shot into net.
Back and forth the teams went with each looking for a winning score. That precious third goal would fall for the visiting Soca Warriors, as a falling away Justin Garcia managed to pop a header over El Salvador GK Tomas Romero in the 72’ to make it 3-2.
El Salvador pushed hard for a third to get a point, but Trinidad and Tobago GK Denzil Smith was excellent in net and made the saves to lock down the three points.
A first Classic winner for the King and the Queen this weekend remains a possibility, with Desert Hero one of nine confirmed for the Betfred St Leger at Doncaster on Saturday.
The William Haggas-trained Sea The Stars colt has already entered the record books once this season, when winning the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot.
On that occasion, it was the first time the King and Queen’s colours had been victorious at the Royal meeting since the death of the late Queen, and having enhanced his reputation in the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood he now has the chance to follow in the footsteps of Dunfermline, who carried the royal silks to glory in 1977.
Desert Hero’s rider Tom Marquand has already experienced victory in the Leger, with Galileo Chrome for Joseph O’Brien in 2020.
“He ticks all the boxes of what you want from a Leger horse,” he said of this year’s contender.
“It’s a mile and three-quarters but he has speed, he stays, he relaxes right and he’s with the right team, so fingers crossed we get a good draw and the right trip around.
“It would be amazing (to win a second Leger), and I think the magnitude of it possibly being Desert Hero for the King and Queen is not lost on me after I had that experience at Royal Ascot.
“I didn’t acknowledge the significance of it beforehand. As a jockey you just want to go out and win, you don’t think past what happens getting over the winning line. I think this time it is a little different, the Doncaster crowd are notoriously passionate about their racing and love a big day out. If it was to come off it would be pretty magical.”
Simon and Ed Crisford’s Chesspiece is the sole Godolphin representative and was second behind Desert Hero on the Sussex Downs, while John and Thady Gosden could saddle three in the race having confirmed both market leader Gregory and the Juddmonte-owned Arrest as well as supplementing Melrose winner Middle Earth.
Oisin Murphy rides the latter and is excited about his prospects. He told Sky Sports Racing: “He has to step up on his Melrose victory, but the form has been franked. He beat Naqeeb at Newmarket in the novice and he won really at Haydock (on Saturday) and Kempton the time before, so hopefully he’s improving and I’m looking forward to riding him.
“Sheikh Fahad has won the race before with Simple Verse, so hopefully he’ll be bang there.
“It doesn’t look like it’s going to be a very big field, but there’s some good horses in there.
“Time will tell, but I think he’s a horse with the right profile and I’d be very excited about his future in general anyway.”
Gregory has the chance to give Frankie Dettori one last Classic success and although losing his unbeaten record in the Great Voltigeur at York last month, he won the Queen’s Vase over this distance at Royal Ascot.
Great Voltigeur winner Continuous is one of four in the mix for Aidan O’Brien alongside Denmark, Alexandroupolis and Bahrain Trophy runner-up Tower Of London.
Providing an update on ground conditions, Doncaster’s clerk of the course Paul Barker said: “We are currently good on the straight course and good, good to soft in places on the round course. We had a few thundery showers over the weekend, but are sunny today, with the potential of some more showers tonight and tomorrow.
“Racing on Thursday and Friday are set fair, with some showers forecast Friday evening, into Saturday.”
Racing will be the winner, according to Willie Carson, if Desert Hero is able to replicate his historic achievement aboard Dunfermline and carry the royal silks to Classic glory in Saturday’s Betfred St Leger.
It was 1977 when Carson famously got the better of Lester Piggott and Alleged to give the late Queen Classic success in the Doncaster showpiece, during the same season the duo also tasted Oaks glory at Epsom in the height of the Silver Jubilee celebrations.
Dunfermline remains the last royal Classic winner, but now 46 years later the attention is once again on Town Moor as the William Haggas-trained Desert Hero attempts to add his name to the history books.
Having already provided the King and Queen with their first Royal Ascot triumph, the son of Sea The Stars, who will be ridden by Tom Marquand, now bids to add one of the sport’s crown jewels to his ever-growing CV.
“If the King wins then that will help racing, without a doubt,” Carson told the PA news agency.
“I rode two Classic winners for the Queen, but she wasn’t there either time. She was too busy with the Silver Jubilee celebrations for the Oaks and she was at Balmoral for the Leger, but I spoke to her on the telephone after.
“It’s a very good race, our oldest Classic, and it has the makings of a good horse race and the makings of a good story and we’re looking forward to a marvellous race.
“And if the King does arrive at Doncaster on the day and wins, then there is only one winner – racing.”
Carson won the St Leger three times, but 35 years after his final Doncaster triumph aboard Minster Son, another member of the family now has his chance to add his name to the annals of Britain’s oldest Classic.
That is because Desert Hero has been helped in his preparation for the big race by Carson’s grandson Luke, who rides the King George V Stakes and Gordon Stakes scorer in his work and is a key figure in the colt’s journey to the top.
“He’s looked after and ridden every day by my grandson, his name is Luke Carson,” continued the 80-year-old, who partnered 17 British Classic winners during his decorated career.
“He rides him in the morning, looks after him, he’s his baby.
“So I will be very happy if the King wins, for all sorts of reasons. He’s obviously got a chance, but I wouldn’t say he has as good a chance as Dunfermline did.
“Not only was that Leger famous because the Queen won it, but it was the only time in his career Alleged was beat. It was an incredible race and she was a very good filly, Dunfermline.”
Not only does Carson have the family connection with Desert Hero to look forward to, he also owns a half-sister of the dam of ante-post favourite Gregory, and it promises to be a huge afternoon for the Scotsman, who may struggle to juggle his loyalties in the closing stages.
He added: “It’s a race I won three times. The race was quite kind to me.
“The horse Gregory, I own the dam’s half-sister called Leah. For me it is a big day all round.
“We’ve got a few irons in the fire and I guess I’ll be shouting for them both. Maybe a dead-heat!
Gregory heads to Doncaster Moor as market leader despite losing for the first time in the Great Voltigeur at York.
It was Aidan O’Brien’s Continuous who lowered the Golden Horn colt’s colours on that occasion, but Carson believes Gregory could be seen to better effect this weekend.
He said: “I saw an interview that John Gosden gave and I agreed with everything he said about why Gregory got beat at York.
“Unfortunately Frankie (Dettori) rode a fantastic race in the following race that day (Mostahdaf in the Juddmonte International Stakes), but he fell into a bad trap on Gregory by going too fast.
“John Gosden pointed that out and he also pointed out that when the race was over and he was beat, and Frankie had decided that was it, the horse still ran on.
“So Continuous is not certain to beat him at Doncaster. I think Frankie thought he would be able to dictate at York, but I’m afraid the dictation got thrown out the window because he had two people annoying him all the way round.”
He has also narrowed the stamina-sapping one-mile-six-furlong contest down to the three at the head of the betting and is relishing the prospect of three of the weighing room’s best slugging it out to lift the trophy.
“It looks like those are the three (Gregory, Continuous and Desert Hero) that should be winning the St Leger and I would say it will be the horse that gets the best ride, basically – the one who it clicks for and whoever gets it right,” said Carson.
“O’Brien will organise the pace and it will be up to Frankie, who is normally very astute when it comes to tactics, I imagine he will not get it wrong this time. Of course, Ryan Moore will just sit on the tail of Frankie, that’s how I see it, whether it happens is another matter.
“You’ve got three of the top jockeys at the top of the game and we’re in for a treat.”
Qipco British Champions Day at Ascot is viewed as the “end game” for Nashwa following another excellent run in defeat in Saturday’s Irish Champion Stakes.
Having claimed her third Group One win in the Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket in July, John and Thady Gosden’s filly was beaten a length into third place in the Nassau at Goodwood and finished the same distance behind her stablemate Mostahdaf when runner-up in the Juddmonte International at York.
She was sent to Leopardstown for another top-level assignment and stormed home from the rear to again pick up minor honours in third, finishing on the heels of the Aidan O’Brien-trained pair of dual Derby winner Auguste Rodin and defending champion Luxembourg.
Nashwa has the option of return to Paris on Arc weekend for the Prix de l’Opera, in which she was touched off as a hot favourite last season, while she also holds an entry in the Sun Chariot at Newmarket the following week – but it is the big day at Ascot that connections are focussing on.
“She ran a super race on Saturday, she really did. She’s proven herself in top-class company against the colts and has come out of the race really well,” said Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to owner Imad Al Sagar.
“We’ll look at the options, but I think possibly the end game would be Qipco Champions Day, whether that be for the QEII or the Champion Stakes.
“I don’t think it would be necessary to have another run between now and then, but she is in the Sun Chariot or there’s the Prix de l’Opera.
“The Opera does come up quite quick, so we’ll see.”
Last term Nashwa finished fourth at the Breeders’ Cup, but a trip to California appears less likely this time around, and a decision on whether she will race on next season has yet to be made.
Grimthorpe added: “It (Breeders’ Cup) certainly hasn’t been discounted because you never know what may or may not happen, but I think at the moment Ascot would be the main aim.
“Nothing has been decided (regarding next year), we’ll see how she is and see how she goes and Imad will decide nearer the time.”
Rogue Millennium could be headed to Paris after her gallant second-placed run behind Tahiyra in the Matron Stakes at Leopardstown.
The Tom Clover-trained four-year-old was a 12-1 chance for the Group One on her sixth start of a successful season in which she has only once been out of the top three for owners The Rogues Gallery.
A Group Two winner in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot, the daughter of Dubawi was then fifth when stepping up a grade on soft ground in the Prix Rothschild at Deauville.
Conditions at Leopardstown were more to her liking, however, and she showed a brilliant turn of foot to accelerate away in pursuit of Tahiyra – the 5-6 favourite and a multiple Group One winner.
Rogue Millennium was a length and quarter behind when the line came, a valiant run in defeat and a performance that may inspire a step back up in trip.
“She’s taken us on a terrific journey, she’s given us some fantastic days,” said Clover.
“After the race we were a little bit disappointed but we shouldn’t be, the form was so strong, there were a few little things that didn’t go in her favour but I loved seeing her on that quick ground.
“She showed a terrific turn of foot and we were as happy as you could be after finishing second.
“You win a maiden and then you want to win a Listed race, you do that and you want to win a Group race, then you want Group One black type.
“You always want more, but we’re thrilled with her. It was a fantastic day and she ran a great race.
“I suppose what’s exciting is that she’s a filly that still looks like she’s improving and that’s great to see. She’s so game, she tries her heart out and she loves the game.”
Rogue Millennium has form over 10 furlongs having been placed at Pattern level over the trip earlier in the season and connections will now consider whether to return to that distance for the Prix de l’Opera on the same day as the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp.
Clover said: “We always felt that nine furlongs would be her optimum, she’s been finishing well over a mile and has now been second in a Group One over a mile but we felt like she was making up ground the whole time and had it been over nine, we would have been getting closer a lot further away.
“She’s in the Opera and we’ve got her in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, those are our two options.
“We’ll look at the Opera and see how she is, three weeks is a reasonably tight turnaround with the travel and so on, but if she’s OK we’ll be tempted to go to Longchamp, I think.”
Ed Bethell is planning to give his Sprint Cup hero Regional a well-earned break before targeting further big-race honours on Dubai World Cup night in March.
The five-year-old provided his young trainer with a first taste of Group One success at Haydock on Saturday, his third win from as many visits to the Merseyside venue.
Connections have the option of supplementing for next month’s Qipco British Champions Sprint at Ascot, while he also has foreign options at the Breeders’ Cup and in Hong Kong.
Bethell, though, is unsure about the suitability of any of those three races and would prefer to keep his powder dry for the Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan in the new year.
Reflecting on Haydock, he said: “Things like that don’t happen very often and I probably was in a bit of shock. We celebrated on Saturday night, but I think I was so shattered from the whole occasion I went to bed quite early.
“The horse is absolutely fine – he came out of the race sounder than he went into it.
“I would imagine he’s probably going to go on holiday now. I don’t think the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita would really suit him. He got rushed off his feet in the Nunthorpe at York last month and I think if he went there the same would apply.
“We’re not entered for the Champions Sprint at Ascot, so we’d have to supplement, but for however many years it’s been run it’s been run on soft ground and he doesn’t like soft ground, so we don’t run him on it.
“After that there’s only really Hong Kong left and again, I’m not sure Sha Tin would be his bag, whizzing round that bend. I have nominated him, but I would rather end the year on a high.”
Although not ruling out the possibility of a prep run, the Middleham Moor handler is currently in favour of heading straight to the Al Quoz before bringing Regional back to Europe.
He added: “I’ve said to the lads that own him I’d quite like to train him for the Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai on World Cup night. Of all these international tracks I think Meydan would be the place for him as it’s very similar to Haydock and York – a big, flat, open, galloping track, which is what he likes.
“I’ll see how he is. You’ve got that Super Saturday meeting you might fly out for. He’s travelled before, having been to Qatar and finished second for us out there, so we know he’s good off an aeroplane.
“He’ll be targeted at all the top sprints next year, starting off with the Duke of York maybe if he comes back from Dubai all right.
“He’ll get an entry in both sprints at Royal Ascot (King’s Stand and Jubilee) I would think and then hopefully all roads lead back to trying to defend his crown at Haydock.”
A first Classic winner for the King and the Queen this weekend remains a possibility, with Desert Hero one of nine confirmed for the Betfred St Leger at Doncaster on Saturday.
The William Haggas-trained Sea The Stars colt has already entered the record books once this season, when winning the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot.
On that occasion, it was the first time the King and Queen’s colours had been victorious at the Royal meeting since the death of the late Queen, and having enhanced his reputation in the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood he now has the chance to follow in the footsteps of Dunfermline, who carried the royal silks to glory in 1977.
Simon and Ed Crisford’s Chesspiece is the sole Godolphin representative and was second behind Desert Hero on the Sussex Downs, while John and Thady Gosden could saddle three in the race having confirmed both market leader Gregory and the Juddmonte-owned Arrest as well as supplementing Melrose winner Middle Earth.
Gregory has the chance to give Frankie Dettori one last Classic success and although losing his unbeaten record in the Great Voltigeur at York last month, he won the Queen’s Vase over this distance at Royal Ascot.
Great Voltigeur winner Continuous is one of four in the mix for Aidan O’Brien alongside Denmark, Alexandroupolis and Bahrain Trophy runner-up Tower Of London.
Highfield Princess could bid to get back on track in the Prix de l’Abbaye providing she is fine following her below-par performance at the Curragh.
John Quinn’s star mare was tasked with defending her Flying Five Stakes crown on day two of the Irish Champions Festival, but nothing went to plan for the evens favourite who finished midway down the field in fifth as Ken Condon’s Moss Tucker landed a surprise victory.
Slipping on exiting the stalls, Jason Hart’s mount was immediately on the back foot, and although she quickly made up ground and was still giving her all at the finish, was never able to land a telling blow in a race she won with supreme style 12 months prior.
It was a rare disappointment from the ultra-consistent six-year-old who has been a real force on the sprinting scene over the past two seasons and, although reported to be coughing and showing signs of being in season by the vet post-race, Quinn believes Highfield Princess’ troubles at the start played a key role in her bad day at the office.
“She was scoped afterwards and was absolutely fine so the coughing was just mud that was kicked back because she got behind early on so she was fine on that front,” explained Quinn.
“Missing the break did not help her. Jason said she lost her hind legs when she came out and with the first stride she took her hind legs went. She was on the back foot straight away and did well to finish where she did in the end. It’s just one of those things and these things can happen.”
She will now be given a thorough check by the team at Quinn’s Highfield Stables, with a run at ParisLongchamp on October 1 pencilled in for her next start.
Quinn added: “She’s fine this morning. We’ll have a good look at her and if she is OK we will run her in the Abbaye.”
Trinbago Knight Riders ensured a top-two finish and place in the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Qualifiers with a seven wicket victory over the Saint Lucia Kings on Sunday.
The home team won the toss and chose to field but it was their former player Colin Munro who was the star of the Saint Lucia Kings innings, scoring an unbeaten 72 runs to take the side to 167-3 after 20 overs.
The Knight Riders’ chase was headlined by a superb half century from Mark Deyal, alongside support from wicket-keeper Lorcan Tucker and Andre Russell, to take the side to a seven-wicket victory in their final game this season in front of their home crowd.
Saint Lucia Kings lost powerful opener Johnson Charles in the PowerPlay, as fast bowler Jayden Seales celebrated with a wicket on his birthday, but the Kings would rebuild as Colin Munro and Roston Chase patiently scored runs in their 76-run partnership, which came off 58 balls.
Chase was dismissed off a Waqar Salamkheil delivery and that was followed shortly afterwards with the big wicket of captain Sikandar Raza, who fell to Sunil Narine. A late cameo from Sean Williams, who smashed 34 runs off 17 balls would see the Saint Lucia Kings score 58 runs in the last five overs to finish on 167-3.
Trinbago Knight Riders had an early scare as opener Martin Guptill was given out LBW from just the third ball of the innings but the decision was overturned on review.
Guptill eventually lost his wicket in the fourth over, and when Nicholas Pooran, leading run scorer for the franchise this season, lost his wicket in the final ball of the Powerplay to an Alzarri Joseph delivery, the Knight Riders looked in trouble at 45-2.
However, opener Mark Deyal would compose a brilliant half century, reaching 57 before being caught on the boundary by Peter Hatzoglou. Lorcan Tucker would provide invaluable support with 38 runs, before a flurry of boundaries from Andre Russell would ensure the Trinbago Knight Riders would win.
CPL action now moves on to the final leg in Guyana, with the Guyana Amazon Warriors taking on the Jamaica Tallawahs on Wednesday evening.
Scores: Trinbago Knight Riders 169-3 (Deyal 57, Tucker 38; Joseph 2-42, Chase 1-25) beat Saint Lucia Kings 167-3 (Munro 72*, Williams 34*; Seales 1-23, Salamkheil 1-23) by 7 wickets
Barbados Royals finished the 2023 Massy Women’s Premier League (WCPL) season as champions after they wrapped up an eight-run final win against the Guyana Amazon Warriors on Sunday.
After topping the group stage with two wins over the Warriors and a win and a loss over previous winners Trinbago Knight Riders, the Royals claimed the second ever WCPL title at Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad.
Having lost the toss and being put into bat for the first time, the Royals posted 169-7 with Captain Hayley Matthews finding a big score at the right time before being slowed down in the final few overs keeping the Warriors in hope of a result.
In response, competition top scorer Sophie Devine could only manage a start before some tight bowling restricted the run rate required, leaving the Warriors short.
Gaby Lewis got the Royals off to a firing start before falling side the PowerPlay with a score of 37-1 after six overs.
Matthews prevailed through the middle overs putting on the first century partnership of the competition with Rashada Williams. The Warriors clawed back the Royals, restricting them to 32-6 from the final five overs.
After early struggles for wickets, Shabnim Ismail showed her quality with 4-30, picking up the wickets of all the Royals top four batters.
Guyana Amazon Warriors, in similar fashion to the Royals, had an important middle over partnership after making the most of the PowerPlay, with Suzie Bates and Shemaine Campbelle putting on 60.
The Royals’ bowlers did enough with the ball to restrict run rate enough to deny the Warriors despite some late hope given by Natasha McLean with a 17-ball 28, including taking 16 runs from the 17th over.
Matthews was at the forefront once again in key moments with McLean being run-out off Matthews’ bowling at the non-striker’s end with some misfortune in her dismissal combined with some brilliant reactions from the Barbados captain.
Royals bowlers were economical as they have been throughout the competition with overseas star Amanda-Jade Wellington, in particular, starring with 4-23, including 3-2 in the penultimate over when the Warriors required 23 from 12 balls.
Campbelle’s brilliant unbeaten knock of 47 was in vain as Matthews was able to defend 21 off the final over despite Ismail’s cameo giving the Royals a late scare.
Scores: Barbados Royals 169-7 (Matthews 82, Williams 36; Ismail 4-30, Patil 1-25) beat Guyana Amazon Warriors 161-8 by eight runs
Amo Racing has dispensed with the services of Kevin Stott as retained rider.
Stott, who replaced Rossa Ryan in the role earlier this year, rode Amo’s first Group One winner on Bucanero Fuerte in the Phoenix Stakes just last month and has enjoyed plenty of success in the purple and white silks.
However, Kia Joorabchian, the driving force behind Amo, voiced his displeasure at the ride Stott gave Derby runner-up King Of Steel in Saturday’s Irish Champion Stakes, in which he was beaten a length into fourth place by dual Derby hero Auguste Rodin.
Joorabchian told Sun Racing: “I told Kevin thank you very much. This was a collective decision on and off the racetrack.
“We have decided not to renew his contract for next season. It was always a one-year contract.”
Stott partnered King Of Steel to win the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot, won the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes on Persian Dreamer, and the Craven on Indestructible among plenty of other big-race winners this term.
The 29-year-old had been stable jockey to Kevin Ryan in Hambleton before announcing he was to move south and ride freelance last autumn.
Joorabchian added: “We have done everything that we promised, he (Stott) has done everything he promised and we have parted ways, nothing more than that.
“I’ve never had a problem with jockeys. I never fell out with Rossa (Ryan), I love him more than anybody, he rode at Royal Ascot for me.
“He was my only retained jockey, he needed to go out on his own and get experience. I have supported him and he is thriving.
“But you know, Kevin is not a young boy, he has experience. For reasons outside of racing, I have to decide what’s best.
“I don’t know what jockeys we’ll use now, I’ll leave it to the trainers to pick the best available.”
Guyana Amazon Warriors maintained their unbeaten start to the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) with a last over thriller against the Barbados Royals on Sunday.
The Amazon Warriors won the toss and opted to bat first and despite losing a flurry of wickets at the back end of their innings they posted an ominous 181-9.
Scoreboard pressure saw the Royals lose early wickets in the PowerPlay but they were always in sight of the required run rate in their reply. Having seemingly timed their chase to perfection, the Royals needed six runs from the final over but Gudakesh Motie held his nerve to seal a dramatic win for the Amazon Warriors.
Earlier Amazon Warriors had surprised everyone by opening with Motie and Saim Ayub and the experiment did not bear fruit as Motie fell for seven runs inside the opening nine balls.
Ayub and Hope laid a foundation following that dismissal to leave the Amazon Warriors handily placed on 83-1 at the half-way stage of the innings.
The 98-run partnership was eventually broken when Carlos Braithwaite dismissed Ayub caught and bowled for 57. Azam Khan fell shortly afterwards but the Amazon Warriors continued to force the pace before Obed McCoy got Hope to chop on to his stumps for an even 50.
Late-over fielding penalties saw the Royals get punished but Brathwaite continued to be a thorn in the Amazon Warriors side dismissing Shimron Hetmyer, Romario Shepherd and Odean Smith in the 19th over before Jason Holder followed suit in the last over to remove Dwaine Pretorius and Keemo Paul.
The Amazon Warriors still posted an imposing total of 181-9 that left the Royals an almighty task ahead.
While 182 to win was always likely to be a tall order, the Royals did not help their assignment by losing both their openers inside the PowerPlay. However, the Royals reached the six-over mark at 54-2 and ensured they had a base from which to mount a charge.
A 60-run partnership between Laurie Evans and Alick Athanaze was eventually bought to a close when Odean Smith got Evans to commit to a shot too early and Athanaze himself was to follow 12 balls later.
Just when it seemed the Royals were going to fall to defeat captain Rovman Powell blasted 39 from 19 balls to leave the Royals the equation of 31 runs needed from 19 balls.
Once Braithwaite and Justin Greaves had got the equation down to six of the final over it looked a forgone conclusion but the Warriors and Motie closed out a famous win.
Scores: Guyana Amazon Warriors 181-9 (Ayub 58, Hope 50; Brathwaite 4-27, McCoy 2-25) beat Barbados Royals 178-8 (Evans 44, Powell 39; Pretorius 2-24, Motie 2-38) by three runs.
A trip to the Breeders’ Cup looks to be on the agenda for Auguste Rodin following his thrilling return to form in the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes.
On the weekend Aidan O’Brien became just the third Irish trainer to reach the 4,000 career winners landmark, the dual Derby winner provided the Ballydoyle handler his fifth straight victory in the 10-furlong Group One contest, denying stablemate Luxembourg back-to-back wins in the Leopardstown feature.
The success was made all the remarkable as it was the second time this season O’Brien and his team had conjured up a piece of magic on the training grounds as the son of Deep Impact once again proved his doubters wrong to bounce back from a bitterly disappointing display in Ascot’s King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
With a preference for a sound surface, the high-class colt could now have booked his ticket to Santa Anita in early November, with O’Brien believing that could be the perfect spot for the apple of his eye.
He said: The lads love the Breeders’ Cup and he’s a lovely horse for it. They will decide, but he’d love that ground.
“He’s a beautiful mover. He won in Doncaster on heavy and we couldn’t believe that he did it, but it was probably just sheer ability.
“We’ll take our time and see how he is, but I’d imagine it will be something like that (Breeders’ Cup).”
Luxembourg, meanwhile, could bid to better last year’s seventh in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
O’Brien added: “He could go to the Arc. He wouldn’t mind as long as the ground is not heavy, and over a mile and a half we know to ride him like a horse that just gets a mile and a half.
“He doesn’t want to go any further, but we are learning about him all the time. It was a massive run yesterday.”
Richard Fahey’s Native American demonstrated a great deal of promise when coming out on top in the Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sale Stakes at the Curragh.
The juvenile had not been seen since his debut at York in May, a novice race he won by a facile five and a half lengths over six furlongs.
Partnered by Colin Keane this time around, the colt was the 4-5 favourite and made light work of the task in hand, streaking away from 11 rivals to cross the line two and a half lengths ahead of the runner-up.
Fahey said of his Wathnan Racing-owned youngster: “He was workmanlike, I thought, but he did it well in the end to be fair.
“He grew and just wasn’t scoping great so I couldn’t get stuck into him, but he’s done plenty of cantering and we were pleased with him. I’m sure he will improve again.
“He’s quite a nice horse, we do like him but he’s a work in progress.
“We won some sales races with Wootton Bassett and he ended up winning the Lagardere. That was in my mind before the race so we’ll see how he is and decide whether he goes or not.
“The jockey felt the ground was just dead enough for him and felt he wanted better ground.”
Charles O’Brien’s Big Gossey won for the first time this season when taking the Irish Stallion Farms EBF “Bold Lad” Sprint Handicap under teenage apprentice Robert Whearty.
The six-year-old, who claimed the same race in 2021, is a regular over sprint trips at the Curragh and was third over the same course and distance under Whearty last time out.
With a slicker exit from the stalls this time the pair were victorious, striking at 16-1 to land a valuable prize for owners the Allegro Syndicate.
Whearty said: “He was a bit unlucky the last day. He went up in the gates a small bit and I missed the break. I had a bit of ground to make up and probably used him up at the wrong time.
“I had a lovely position today and he travelled into it lovely. He had a bit of a look when he got there but thankfully he stayed going.
“It’s brilliant to be riding (this weekend), never mind have a winner.”
The final race of the meeting, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF “Northfields” Handicap, was claimed by the Irish Cambridgeshire third Crystal Black.
Ridden by Colin Keane for his father, Gerard, the gelding came home the winner having started as the 5-1 joint-favourite.
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