Jordan Nailor enjoyed one of his biggest days in the saddle when steering Nigel Twiston-Davies’ Beauport to bet365 Midlands Grand National glory at Uttoxeter.
The 25-year-old has regularly partnered the Bryan and Philippa Burrough-owned eight-year-old and was aboard when landing the Colin Parker Memorial Intermediate Chase in the autumn of 2022.
However, having been narrowly denied in the London National in December and then disappointing when last seen at Warwick in the Classic Chase in January, the duo’s triumph in the £150,000 contest was the perfect way to get back on track.
Sent off at odds of 18-1, Beauport was always handy despite hanging to his right as he was forced to chart a wide path around the Staffordshire track.
Moving into the home straight for the final time, he proved the biggest danger to Emma Lavelle’s My Silver Lining on the front end and after jumping the final obstacle locked together, they held a slim advantage with Mr Incredible and Autonomous Cloud also staying on not too far behind.
But it was the Twiston-Davies runner who had most left in reserve at the end of four and a quarter miles, staying on strongly to the line as the petrol tanks of his rivals began to empty.
It is of course not the first time the Burrough colours have been worn to National success and the gelding’s trainer hopes he could one one day follow in the footsteps of Corbiere and line up at Aintree for the Grand National itself.
“It was really brilliant and really exciting,” said Twiston-Davies.
“It’s brilliant for Jordan as he’s had a bit of a quiet season and it was great, we’re all really happy.
“Jordan has won a few big races on him before and it all went well on the day. We have no idea why he ran so bad at Warwick but it all went better for him this time.
“I hope it will be the Grand National one day. The owners had Corbiere and he will hopefully follow in his footsteps.”
Nailor told Sky Sports Racing: “He went so well and his jumping was keeping him up there, so I just sat and let him travel. It wasn’t exactly plan A.
“He’s such a nice horse and has given me some brilliant days in my career. All the thanks go to Faye who rides him out every day and Carl (Llewellyn) and the owners and I’m very, very happy.
“He tries every time and we’ve had an up-and-down season. He was good in the London National but apart from that he hasn’t been himself really. It is nice to see him win another big one.
“This horse has been with me since I was a 5lb claimer, so all the way through to now it has been a brilliant partnership. It means an awful lot.”
Reigning Olympic 400m champion Steven Gardiner continues to demonstrate strength, resilience and dazzling form in his push towards the 2024 Paris Games, as he opened his outdoor season with a tidy 31.99s-clocking to win the men’s 300m at the Hurricane Invitational in Miami on Friday.
The Bahamian won ahead of Trinidad and Tobago’s Asa Guevara, who finished in 32.78s and Barbadian Jonathan Jones (33.02s).
Though some ways off his 31.52s personal best in the event, Gardiner, has signalled that he is much stronger and better on return from last year’s injury, and is no doubt looking forward to repeating his 400m at this summer’s Olympic Games.
Last month, the 28-year-old clocked a world-leading 31.78s to win the men’s 300m at the Carolina Invitational indoor meet at the University of South Carolina. That time was the second fastest ever indoors, trialing his own 31.56s done at the same venue in 2022.
Gardiner, who is also the 2019 World Championships 400m gold medallist, was on his way to another undefeated season last year, but pulled up with an injury in the semifinals at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
While heartbroken by the injury at the time, Gardiner promised not to give up and his recent performances reaffirms his determination to defend his 400m title in Paris with a clean bill of health.
Nicky Henderson is planning a quiet few days as he tries to get to the bottom of the issue that scuppered his Cheltenham Festival hopes.
With Constitution Hill ruled out of a Champion Hurdle defence the week before the fixture due to a respiratory infection, Henderson’s week got off to an inauspicious start with five of his six runners pulled up on Tuesday.
That prompted the Seven Barrows trainer to rule out a string of leading contenders, with Jonbon missing his Champion Chase date, ante-post favourite Sir Gino sidestepping the Triumph Hurdle and Shishkin ruled out of his Cheltenham Gold Cup assignment due to an unsatisfactory scope.
A handful of Henderson runners did perform with credit at Cheltenham, most notably Champion Hurdle third Luccia, and Persian Time offered a further glimmer of hope when digging deep for a neck verdict in the Try Unibet’s New Acca Boosts Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase at Kempton on Saturday.
Henderson has no entries until Spring Note at Newbury on Friday and will now attempt to establish what has troubled his recent runners.
He told Racing TV: “It has been a difficult 10 days because to be fair, I think we knew before we went there that they hadn’t been running to what you would hope for.
“It’s nice just to sort of close the whole week down, we have nothing else (running) today.
“We probably will have hardly any runners next week and let the whole thing settle down and see if we can get to the bottom of what has been ailing, although it’s difficult to say ailing as they seem to be well, everything checks out right but they certainly checked out wrong at the top of that far hill last week – they couldn’t get over the top of it.
“I think we just take the whole thing apart and try to put it back piece by piece to see if there is a piece missing anywhere. I think there is something missing – there is no doubt about that – they’ve got to keep ticking over and I’d like to go quietly for one week and just let the whole thing die down.
“Everyone has been so incredibly helpful and I really appreciate it. We have just to got to see if there is a piece of the jigsaw missing and I hope it’s as simple as that, but it’s not there in black and white.
“Normally with the blood tests and scopes you can identify a problem – there’s just no sign of an issue. I do think the horses look well, they seem to be well, their work has been good, everything checks out right but they just weren’t performing at all and at the end, we just didn’t run – you were just getting scared to run.
“We will be quiet next week, hopefully we can then kick on to Aintree and Punchestown. There’s a lot still to come and they will come back I am sure. We have got a wonderful team at home and are surrounded by great people and we will get it back on track.
“I think everyone knows what Cheltenham is to nearly all of us and to come out of there like that – we’ve just had some wonderful years but you’re never going to get complacent about it. The amazing thing was the support we have had, everybody has been fantastic and I’m very grateful.”
Persian Time was last seen when pulled up behind Ginny’s Destiny at Cheltenham’s Trials day in January, but after bouncing back to form, a trip to Ayr could now be on the agenda for the gelding, who is owned by the McNeill and Stone families.
Henderson added: “He’s been good at home. On Trials day, he didn’t really want to have a cut at his fences there, then he was much happier today. He was tanking going down to the start and you could tell after the first three fences he was a different horse today.
“He’s a nice fellow and he’s going the right way, so let’s hope we can keep it going. There will be plenty more for him this season I would hope.
“I know Ayr is their (owners) very favourite track so I would think we might be scouring the programme book to see what there is for him there. he ran very well in a novice hurdle up there last year and just got touched off by what’s turned out to be a decent horse – Ayr could be good.”
British Horseracing Authority chief executive Julie Harrington has warned the dominance of Irish trainers at the Cheltenham Festival is “damaging” for the sport.
Irish handlers won 18 of the 27 races across the four days, with 12 of the 14 Grade One contests also going their way and Willie Mullins accounting for eight of those on his own among an overall tally of nine winners for the Closutton team – a total which also took him over 100 Festival winners.
Dan Skelton flew the flag for Britain by sending out four winners, including a memorable top-level double with Ryanair Chase victor Protektorat and Turners Novices’ Chase hero Grey Dawning on Thursday, with Ben Pauling, Paul Nicholls, Kim Bailey, Jeremy Scott and Fiona Needham also getting on the scoresheet.
While Harrington praised those achievements, she feels the Irish supremacy is “becoming more pronounced”.
She said: “I would like to offer my congratulations to every winner this week, and everyone connected with those horses. We again tip our hat to the Irish, and in particular Willie Mullins whose achievement in reaching 100+ Festival winners is truly remarkable.
“Congratulations also go to the British trainers who secured winners this week, in particular Dan Skelton for his impressive haul.
“I have no doubt that the men and women who train horses here in Britain are more than a match for their Irish counterparts. However, they need the ammunition and at present the balance of power and the best horses are going to our colleagues in Ireland, and in particular one yard.
“This is not a new issue. The direction of travel has been set for a number of years now. The sport has been alive to this and taken measures to seek to address it, through attempting to tackle funding issues associated with the sport, seeking increased investment, looking at the race programme, and more recently the delivery of the recommendations of the Quality Jump Racing Review.
“However, the Irish domination of the Grade One races this week has illustrated that the issue is becoming more pronounced and more damaging for the sport on both sides of the Irish sea.”
Following a nightmare Festival for the home side in 2021 which saw just five winners for British trainers, the BHA set up the review group which made a series of recommendations that were unveiled at the start of 2022, with further tweaks to the fixture list this term in an attempt to improve the upper tier of British National Hunt racing.
However, Harrington concedes more now needs to be done and at a faster pace to ensure no further ground is lost.
She said: “Put simply, the rate of decline of jump racing in Britain at the top end has outstripped the measures that have been put in place to tackle it. We must do more, more quickly, and in a more coordinated and decisive manner if we are going to restore British jump racing to the standing at which it belongs.
“Central to this is the delivery of the industry strategy. The strategy is all about growth. At the core of this is investment in the top echelons of our sport, with a view to incentivising the best horses to be bred, owned, trained and raced on these shores. An additional £3.8million in prize-money has already been earmarked for investment in 2024 across the top end of the sport in both codes.
“The strategy is also about much more than just investing in prize money. We need to grow our fanbase by encouraging new fans and retaining existing fans and owners, improve the experience of ownership and attending and viewing racing, and much more besides.
“To achieve this the sport must work together with urgency and clarity of purpose. The times of being reluctant to embrace change or new ideas, lack of transparency and focusing on narrow self-interest must be put firmly behind us.”
Talks are currently ongoing between the BHA and bookmakers on levy reform, which Harrington believes is another key factor in improving British fortunes in the future.
She concluded: “The very visible deterioration in British racing’s competitiveness with our international colleagues has also been at the heart of our discussions with the betting industry and DCMS around the levy, and our representations to Government around the risk of the damaging impact of affordability checks.
“We have seen great progress in the last 18 months and a spirit of collaboration is clearly developing. I am confident that if the sport and its allies work together around this shared goal then it can flourish once again. Not just across four days in March, but across the whole year. Jump racing’s popularity in Britain is immense and its potential limitless.”
Edwin Allen High’s Theianna Lee Terrelonge and former St Elizabeth Technical runner Javorne Dunkley headline Jamaica’s 79-member team to represent the island at the 51st Carifta Games to be held at the Kirani James Stadium in Grenada from March 30 to April 1.
The team, which was released by the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) on Friday, is expected to be bolstered by the top eligible Jamaican women’s Heptathlon and men’s Decathlon finishers from the ISSA Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships, which is scheduled for March 19-23 at the National Stadium.
With this another talented team selected from the Carifta Trials held two weeks ago, Jamaica will be aiming to defend their title and, by extension, secure a 38th straight win at the three-day championships.
Jamaica with a total of 78 medals –40 gold, 22 silver and 16 bronze –topped the medals standings at last year’s 50th edition of the meet held in the Bahamas.
NB: The Easter Weekend spectacle will be streamed live on SportsMax and the SportsMax App.
Jamaica’s team –Female Under-17: Natrece East, Poshannalee Blake, Shannia Campbell, Nastassia Fletcher, Tresha-Lee Sutherland, Britannia Bailey, Kevongaye Fowler, Alikay Reynolds, Dallia Fairweather, Malayia Duncan, Angel Robinson, Alyssa Carty, Sashana Johnson, Zavien Bernard, Jaeda Robinson, Jamelia Young, Jessica Thompson, Jessica Thompson and Zoelle Jamel
Female Under- 20: Theianna Lee Terrelonge, Sabrina Dockery, Shanoya Douglas, Abigail Campbell, Shanque Williams, Monique Stewart, Kitania Headley, Rickeisha Simms, Kaydeen Johnson, Ashara Frater, Habiba Harris, Briana Campbell, Kelly Ann Carr, Aaliyah Mullings, Rohanna Sudlow, Richelle Stanley, Rasheda Samuels, Deijanae Bruce, Dionjah Shaw, Najhada Seymoure and Kimeka Smith.
Male Under -17: Nyrone Wade, Malike Nugent, Oshane Jervis, Byron Walker, Nickecoy Bramwell, Paul Henry, Keandre Kelly, Alejandro Palmer, Shemar Green, Sekani Brown, Michael Dwyer, Robert Miller, Francisco Williams, Rodeeki Walters, Amani Phillips, Patrick Brown, Zachary Merchant, Kamari Kennedy and Javontae Smith
Male Under- 20: Javorne Dunkley, Raheem Pinnock, Gary Card, Jonah-Ramaldo Smythe, Marcinho Rose, Javaughn Pinnock, Kemario Bygrave, Yoshane Bowen, Jaquan Coke, Shaquane Gordon, Daniel Beckford, Shamer Blake, Princewell Martin, Rickoy Hunter, Jevontae Grant, Romaine Lewis, Shaiquan Dunn, Chad Hendricks, Rajay Hemmings and Brandon Fletcher.
Management team: David Wilson (Chef de Mission), Corinne Clarke (Manager), Courtney Lewis (Assistant Manager), David Riley (Technical Leader)
Coaches: Michael Dyke, Michael Carr, Leford Grant, Milton Sergeant, Damion Reid, Maurice Wignall, Camile Ennis
Having led from the off, Trinidad and Tobago Red Force will be hoping to wrap up an outright win over Windward Islands Volcanoes on Saturday’s final day of their fourth round West Indies Championship, as they require a further 176 runs to complete the feat at Queen’s Park Oval.
Set 186 for victory, the Red Force ended Friday’s third day at 10-2, with Jyd Goolie, on two, and Bryan Charles, who is yet to get off the mark, at the crease.
Earlier, the Volcanoes, who resumed at 68-2 from overnight, were eventually bowled out for 288, as Jeremy Solozano (70) and Sunil Ambris (71) both posted well-played half-centuries, with all-rounder Shamar Springer (40) being the next best scorer.
Jayden Seales led the Red Force bowlers with 3-45, to end with match figures of 5-93, after a first innings tally of 2-48. Fellow pacer Anderson Phillip, who had 5-37 in the first innings, backed that up with 2-65, to end with figures of 7-102, while spinners Khary Pierre and Charles ended with identical second innings figures of 2-67.
However, Pierre’s match figures are 5-88, after he took 3-21 in the first innings.
Scores: Windward Islands Volcanoes 191 (Alick Athanaze 56, Sunil Ambris 35, Kavem Hodge 28, Tevyn Walcott 28; Anderson Phillip 13-4-37-5, Khary Pierre 3-21, Jayden Seales 2-48) & 288 (Sunil Ambris 71, Jeremy Solozano 70, Shamar Springer 40, Ryan John 34; Jayden Seales 3-45).
Trinidad & Tobago Red Force 294 (Tion Webster 107 not out, Jason Mohammed 56, Vikash Mohan 52, Kjorn Ottley 47; Kenneth Dember 22-2-63-5, Shamar Springer 3-76) & 10 for two.
Trailing the Red Force by 35 runs on resumption, Solozano and Alick Athanaze batted positively to start the day, but the latter added only 18 to his overnight 10 before he was trapped in front by Charles.
However, Solozano pushed on from 30 overnight to post a 192-ball 70, which includes 11 boundaries, as he partnered with Ambris to balance the innings and gift Volcanoes a glimmer of hope of securing victory.
After Solozano went bowled by Seales, Ambris took up the mantle in a more aggressive display, as he slammed nine fours and one six in his 97-ball knock.
When Ambris and Tevyn Walcott (zero) fell in quick succession, it was left for Springer and Ryan John to carry the fight which they did to some extent. Springer smashed six fours in his 40 off 98 balls and John had four boundaries in his 34 off 51 balls, as the innings fell apart shortly after their dismissals.
Meanwhile, Red Force would have hoped for a good start, but the loss of openers Vikash Mohan (one) and Kjorn Ottley (two), means they will have to bat positively on the final day in their bid to condemn the Volcanoes to a first defeat of the campaign.
In other games, Leeward Islands Hurricanes require 301 runs for victory in their contest with Combined Campuses and Colleges Marooners at the Frank Worrell Field in Trinidad and Tobago.
Scores: Combined Campuses & Colleges Marooners 273 all out (Amari Goodridge 75, Sadique Henry 73, Romario Greaves 58, Yannick Ottley 24; Daniel Doram 4-37, Jeremiah Louis 3-54, Rahkeem Cornwall 3-86) and 301 (Kjorn Ottley 99, Odain McCatty 37, Sadique Henry 32, Zishan Motara 30; Rahkeen Cornwall 4-62, Jeremiah Louis 3-59).
Leeward Islands Hurricanes 259 all out (Kieran Powell 114, Jeremiah Louis 31, Justin Greaves 29, Rahkeem Cornwall 22, Jahmar Hamilton 21; Romario Greaves 19.2-1-63-5, Zishan Motara 2-14, Jediah Blades 2-50) and three without loss.
At Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua, Barbados Pride require 312 for victory over Guyana Harpy Eagles.
Scores: Guyana Harpy Eagles 436 all out (Veerasammy Permaul 90, Kevlon Anderson 87, Kevin Sinclair 72, Tevin Imlach 55, Tagenarine Chanderpaul 40, Gudakesh Motie 37, Matthew Nandu 28; Kemar Roach 2-52, Jason Holder 2-52, Jomel Warrican 2-98) and 136 for eight decl. (Kevlon Anderson 33, Kevin Sinclair 25; Jomel Warrican 3-32)
Barbados Pride 230 (Jonathan Drakes 101, Shane Dowrich 41; Nial Smith 3-54) and 31 without loss.
The Jamaica Scorpions will need 234 to win on day four of their 2024 West Indies Championship fourth round fixture against the West Indies Academy at Sabina Park.
The hosts began Friday’s day three 326-7 off 82 overs, leading by two runs with Peat Salmon (60*) and Derval Green (25*) at the crease.
They ended up adding a further 46 runs in 26.2 overs to finish 372 all out, leading by 48 runs.
Salmon added 21 to his overnight score to end up top scoring with 81 off 198 balls including eight fours and one six while Green ended up making a 38-ball 35.
Joshua Bishop was the pick of the Academy bowlers with 6-96 from his 33.2 overs.
The Academy were then bowled out for 281 in 74.1 overs leaving the Scorpions needing 234 to win on Saturday.
Carlon Bowen-Tuckett faced 132 balls for his 53 while Kadeem Alleyne got his second fifty of the contest with 52 off just 41 balls including six fours and three sixes.
Joshua James, Ashmead Nedd and Jordan Johnson also chipped in with 36, 30 and 26, respectively.
Abhijai Mansingh led the bowling for the hosts in the second innings with 4-70 off 14 overs while Peat Salmon provided good support with 3-55 from 24 overs.
Full Scores: West Indies Academy 324 all out off 82 overs (Joshua Dorne 83, Jordan Johnson 61, Kadeem Alleyne 52, Joshua James 36, Ojay Shields 3-28, Derval Green 3-38) & 218 all out off 74.1 overs (Carlon Bowen-Tuckett 53, Kadeem Alleyne 52, Joshua James 36, Ashmead Nedd 30, Abhijai Mansingh 4-70, Peat Salmon 3-55)
Jamaica Scorpions 372 all out off 108.1 overs (Peat Salmon 81, Brandon King 77, Leroy Lugg 64, Derval Green 35, Carlos Brown 33, Kirk McKenzie 29, Joshua Bishop 6-96, Kadeem Alleyne 2-29)
The anticipation for the upcoming Racers Grand Prix on Saturday, June 1, 2024, at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica, has intensified with the confirmation of two of Jamaica's most promising young athletic talents, Jaydon Hibbert and Roshawn Clarke.
Hibbert, a standout in the Men’s triple jump, has garnered global attention for his exceptional abilities in the event. Despite a setback due to a hamstring injury at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest last year, Hibbert's talent remains undeniable. With his distinctive style and flair, Hibbert has captured the imagination of fans worldwide, making him a highly anticipated addition to the lineup of the 15-event meet.
Glen Mills, Chairman of Racers Grand Prix, expressed excitement about Hibbert's participation, noting his potential to captivate audiences with his performance. "Jaydon is the most exciting talent we have seen and the top sensation in the men's Triple Jump. We are happy to provide him the opportunity to compete at the highest level locally in front of his home fans," Mills shared.
Having recently turned professional after signing with Puma, Hibbert is poised to make his mark on the global stage, with eyes set on the Paris Olympic Games this summer.
Meanwhile, Roshawn Clarke, the rising star in the 400m hurdles, has already made waves in the athletics world. At his debut World Championships appearance last year, Clarke broke the long-standing Jamaican 400m hurdles record previously held by Winthrop Graham. Despite finishing 4th in the final, Clarke showcased immense potential, clocking a personal best and World Under-20 record of 47.34s in the semi-finals.
With his confidence soaring after a season-opening victory in the 400m at the Camperdown Classics, Clarke, who will be turning 20 just prior to the Olympic Games, is expected to deliver a stellar performance at the Racers Grand Prix.
As these young talents prepare to grace the track at the Racers Grand Prix, Jamaican fans eagerly await the opportunity to witness their extraordinary abilities firsthand. With their sights set on Olympic glory, Hibbert and Clarke are poised to inspire a new generation of athletes and capture the hearts of spectators worldwide.
Galopin Des Champs’ brilliant Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup double left bookmakers licking their wounds at the end of the Cheltenham Festival.
Willie Mullins’ defending champion was sent off the well-backed 10-11 favourite and barely gave his supporters a moment of worry as he stormed to back-to-back triumphs in the blue riband.
It means that three of the four feature-race favourites obliged over the four days and although the layers received temporary relief on day two when El Fabiolo fluffed his lines in the Champion Chase, Galopin Des Champs’ victory only compounded the misery inflicted by State Man and Teahupoo earlier in the week.
“When the Festival’s leading trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Paul Townend team up on the reigning Gold Cup champion and hot favourite in the biggest betting race of the week, victory for the combination is never going to be anything other than bad news for the bookmakers,” said Coral’s David Stevens.
“Overall it’s been a rollercoaster week for us, but Galopin Des Champ’s Gold Cup double means plenty of punters have ended this huge week on a high.”
BoyleSports were another firm losing on the Gold Cup, with spokesperson Lawrence Lyons adding: “It was already a bruising week with so many Mullins winners going in, but he rubbed salt in our wounds on Friday and Galopin Des Champs was the knockout blow as he was the best backed horse of the week.”
However, it was not all bad news for the old enemy, with BetVictor relieved to escape relatively unscathed after an up and down week.
Sam Boswell of the firm explained: “After a bruising day one and day two – which could have been much worse if El Fabiolo had obliged for the many multiple bets – days three and four proved fruitful for the bookmakers with only Galopin Des Champs being a significant negative result.
“It is safe to say both bookmakers and punters had lots of fun at this year’s Festival and it is more or less honours even, perhaps a small win for the punters, over the last four days.”
Paddy Power’s Paul Binfield echoed those sentiments adding: “El Fabiolo’s unfortunate defeat in the Queen Mother was the turning point of the week.
“It went downhill from there for punters and the books have come out on top after a rather worrying start.”
An attempt to emulate three-time winners Arkle and Best Mate is uppermost in Willie Mullins’ mind for Galopin Des Champs having watched his stable star smoothly add a second Boodles Gold Cup at Cheltenham.
While last year’s race had its moments of concern before he eventually stamped his class on the contest, this time around it was much more straightforward.
In fact, the biggest worry was when Fastorslow, his nemesis from the Punchestown Festival and the John Durkan Chase earlier in the season, loomed up alongside him – the difference being this time his old foe had unseated earlier in the race and was riderless.
“The loose horse was obviously a worry, I was trying to work out if it was an English or an Irish one! But I could tell by Paul’s body language that he was comfortable throughout,” said Mullins.
For Mullins, the old saying ‘if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again’ certainly rings true where the Gold Cup is concerned.
Before Al Boum Photo won the first of his two Gold Cups in 2019, the master trainer had finished second in the blue riband an incredible six times.
“The two horses don’t really compare, Al Boum Photo was more of a galloper who would stay all day while this fellow has a bit of class but he’s still able to pull it out at the end of three and a quarter miles,” said Mullins, who was winning his fourth Gold Cup in six years.
“We’ve been very lucky that after six seconds we’ve now won four in six, we’re also very lucky to have Paul. He’s level with Pat Taaffe now (on four winners), that’s esteemed company.
“To win the 100th Gold Cup is amazing. The horses have been running so well, the jockeys have been riding so well, it’s like a perfect storm, that’s what it is, just the perfect storm.”
Where Al Boum Photo came up short in his bid for a third Gold Cup, Galopin Des Champs’ biggest test may come from within in the shape of Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase winner Fact To File.
“The aim now has got to be to get him back next year and go for a third and I imagine we’ll run a similar type of programme as we did this year,” said Mullins.
“Looking at the amount of horses he’s beaten, he’s probably run more times than most Gold Cup horses but I’m a believer that if you’ve got a good, sound horse and the prize-money is there, run them.
“I’m sure it’s a big help that we got those runs into him early in the season. He took the runs really well and gave us no reason not to run and that enabled us to come with race fitness rather than hope.
“It’s awesome that it looks like we might have other Gold Cup horses coming through, but we know through bitter experience how hard it is to get three-mile chasers back to the track, it’s a tough game. It would be great to bring him back but if he doesn’t, hopefully we have A, B and C as well.”
For Townend, who you sometimes feel would rather be anywhere else than the centre of attention, he has, as Mullins pointed out, matched the Gold Cup record of Arkle’s legendary rider.
“He’s felt stronger this year so we were able to ride him differently, he’s more grown up, he’s tough,” said Townend.
“It was more straightforward this year, last year we sort of had to fight our way through but this was a different race on a different day.
“You obviously never know what a loose horse is going to do, but he actually behaved himself quite well and my horse was very professional. He was also something for me to race with.”
For Mullins, the Gold Cup was his ninth winner of the week in a year he brought up an incredible 100th Festival success and put the seal on yet another remarkable meeting.
“The other morning before we came, we were all in the office and I said to them all ‘is it me or is everything in place this year’. The horses we were running at home were winning and the ones that were coming here were all in tip-top order and that has proved to be the case,” he said.
“It’s hard to say which is bigger, 100 winners or another Gold Cup, but there’s a Gold Cup every year – not many people will train 100 winners. I never dreamt I would and I didn’t aspire to do it, but you hope to have a Gold Cup winner.
“I obviously tried for a lot of years and couldn’t do it, but a few years later here we are with four out of six. You dream it would happen, but you don’t dream what has happened to Closutton in the last 20 or 25 years.
Townend, who had the misfortunate of being compared to Ruby Walsh when he took the top job, has now established himself as the man for the big occasion.
“It’s been an amazing journey and it’s all down to Willie, he gave me a lot of experiences as a young rider behind Ruby and I’m just grateful to be able to repay him with winners this week and every year,” he said.
“He gives you huge confidence riding the horses because if it’s not going to Plan A, you have the confidence to be able to go and do something else. I don’t remember us ever having a row!”
Comparing Townend to Walsh, Mullins said: “Totally different rider, different style of riding and a different way of viewing a race, but it works. I always admire Paul’s style of riding for different reasons – and he’s really settled into the top job hasn’t he.”
Mullins also had a poignant word for his late parents, Paddy and Maureen, the latter having died last month at the age of 94.
“I would have loved to have had my mother and my father here, for the whole week, not just the Gold Cup, but it’s not to be,” he said.
When asked what was left for him to achieve now, Mullins said: “Paul alluded to it coming in after winning on Absurde when he said ‘what the hell were you doing down in Melbourne with him!’.
“We’d like to go back. In the context of Flat racing, we’re never going to win a Guineas so we target the staying races and the Melbourne Cup is the one I’d really like.”
The effects of the fallout between Jamaica’s senior Reggae Girlz World Cup players and the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), has started to set in, as the country continues to slip down the FIFA/Coco-Cola Women’s World Rankings, and now sit 42nd.
After achieving an all-time high of 37 and 1589 points in August, following the Reggae Girlz historic Round of 16 FIFA Women’s World Cup exploits in Australia, the country’s women’s programme slipped five places and now has 1543 points on the latest rankings released on Friday.
This follows 0-2 and 1-2 defeats to Canada, as well as a 1-2 defeat and 1-1 stalemate against Panama, followed by 2-2 and 1-1 stalemates with Guatemala, over the September and December windows. Their most recent fixtures in the February window ended in 1-5 and 0-1 losses to Chile.
By virtue of the slip, Jamaica’s women lost ground on Concacaf rival Mexico, who inched four places up to 31st on 1668 points. Other Concacaf teams United States slipped to fourth despite their Women’s Gold Cup triumph, while Canada inched one place up to ninth.
World champions Spain remains atop the rankings, with England, France in second and third. Germany (fifth), Sweden (sixth), Japan (seventh), Netherlands (eighth) and Brazil (10th), completing the top 10.
Other Concacaf teams, Costa Rica slipped one place to 44th, Haiti slipped two places to 53rd, Panama held firm at 55th, and Trinidad and Tobago inched one place up to 77th.
Meanwhile, Guatemala held firm at 80th, with Puerto Rico making a big move up 18 places to its best ever ranking of 85th, while Guyana and Cuba both slipped three places to 90th and 92nd, respectively, with El Salvador (97th), the other team from the confederation in the top 100.
There was a winner for the north at the Cheltenham Festival as Fiona Needham’s Sine Nomine edged out 11-8 favourite Its On The Line in a thrilling finish to the St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase.
The market leader’s jockey Derek O’Connor was attempting to enter the record books by winning all three amateur rider events in the same week, but it was Catterick clerk of the course Needham who added herself to the race’s roll of honour for a second time.
Needham rode Last Option to victory in 2002 for her father Robin Tate and Sine Nomine, who cost just £2,400 as a three-year-old, sported the same Tate colours here.
The eye was drawn to Sine Nomine throughout the contest as the eight-year-old travelled with real zest in the hands of John Dawson but there was still plenty of work to do as David Christie’s long-time leader Ferns Lock gave way on the run to two out and eventual third Time Leader took things up.
Dawson elected to make his challenge up the inner where O’Connor was working away urging last year’s runner-up and having found himself short of room after the last, Dawson had to switch and regather his mount before launching one last assault up the Cheltenham hill.
It was a challenge timed to perfection as although Its On The Line soon had Time Leader covered, he had no answer to Sine Nomine’s late thrust as the gallant grey became the toast of Yorkshire at odds of 8-1.
All reads lead back to the Randox Grand National for Corach Rambler after Lucinda Russell’s pride and joy “ran his socks off” to finish third in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup.
The 10-year-old is a dual Festival winner having claimed back-to-back victories in the Ultima Handicap Chase, an achievement only bettered by his dominant success in the world’s most famous steeplechase at Aintree last spring.
Corach Rambler disappointed on his first start of the current campaign at Kelso, but an encouraging third in Haydock’s Betfair Chase in November was a step in the right direction and he had been kept fresh for his return to Prestbury Park.
Settled at the rear of the field for much of the way by Derek Fox, the Scottish raider began to make inroads racing down the hill and just for a fleeting moment halfway up the home straight the dream that he may achieve the extremely rare feat of landing National Hunt racing’s two biggest prizes was alive.
Ultimately his late thrust got him the bronze medal behind Galopin Des Champs, but he nevertheless received a rapturous reception from both his connections and the crowd after returning to the parade ring and he is now as short of 6-1 to successfully defend his National crown on April 13.
“I’d say on Tuesday we weren’t going to run, but I don’t want to run him ever, ever, ever, I just want to pat him and look after him,” Russell said afterwards.
“But he’s a racehorse and he loves his job and yesterday evening I said to Scu (Peter Scudamore, partner) ‘what are we going to do’ and he said ‘look, it’s going to be safe (ground) and as long as it’s safe it’s fine’, and he ran his socks off.
“When he was at the top of the hill I thought he was a little bit further back than usual and then when he came down the hill I thought ‘can he do it again?’. Maybe if the ground had been a little bit better, I don’t know, all I know is I’m delighted with him, to be third in the Gold Cup is fantastic.
“I can’t get over the way the people appreciate him, he’s just lovely – he’s the horse of a lifetime.”
Splitting Galopin Des Champs and Corach Rambler in second was the Gordon Elliott-trained Gerri Colombe.
The eight-year-old was blown away by his conqueror in Leopardstown’s Savills Chase over Christmas, but closed the gap to three and a half lengths on the day that mattered most.
Elliott said: “There was no excuse, the winner was very, very good, but we’re very proud of our horse. He ran a great race and we’re very happy.
“He was up against a superstar. It’s always disappointing when you lose, but the horse that beat him is exceptional.
“The loose horse didn’t help us, but I don’t think it made the difference between winning and losing.”
Back in fourth was the Venetia Williams-trained L’Homme Presse, who for a long way disputed the lead with The Real Whacker and those still in contention into the home straight.
His emotional co-owner Andy Edwards said: “Amazing, he served it up to them. Charlie (Deutsch) just said the ground is really tacky and the speed he had at Lingfield he just couldn’t show it in that.
“He’s jumped fantastically and he’s enjoyed it. I’m so proud.
“I was standing there calm and I could just see his stride shorten a touch just before the second-last, I knew that was tough for him. He’s had an interrupted season really and for him to finish fourth in the Gold Cup, bloody hell – it’s amazing isn’t it?
“It was brilliant ride from Charlie. If you watch it, they were as one – it wasn’t a horse and a jockey, they were one entity.
“I’m delighted, proud and I’m going to go and have a good cry.”
Having selected what, he believes to be a formidable squad, Trinidad and Tobago’s Head coach Angus Eve is now hopeful that is Soca Warriors will deliver the goods when the lock horns with Canada in their Copa America playoff encounter in Frisco, Texas, next week.
In fact, Eve would love nothing more than for March 23 to mark another special day in the annals of the twin island republic’s football history by taking the Canadians scalp and, by extension, securing a spot in the prestigious CONMEBOL Copa America.
The winner of the one-off encounter will make a debut appearance at the Copa America tournament, where they will contest group A alongside Chile, Peru and reigning Fifa World Cup champions Argentina. United States, Jamaica, Mexico and Panama are the other Concacaf teams in the tournament.
“We know how important the game is, this would be one of the most prestigious tournaments to go and represent our country in, if we get the victory. (A win) will put us on a different level, on a different map. That would open up a lot of doors for our players,” Eve said during a press conference shortly after naming his 23-player squad.
However, in order to win, Eve is well aware that the first need to defend well to keep the Canadians at bay, and also showcase their attacking prowess.
“We need to defend well—it’s like David against Goliath. It’s top players that they have, so we have to be astute defensively but also offensively. We have to express ourselves so that we can come out with a victory,” Eve declared.
The tactician has included Greece-based brothers, Levi and Judah Garcia in his squad, as both recently signalled a return to form from respective injuries.
“We’re very optimistic of Levi being fit and ready to play. He’s been doing well in [the Greek] League. He’s gone through injuries but we’re very happy to see the form that he’s in. Judah had a back injury and then a groin injury, so he was not available for us. He is back playing, he’s scoring goals, and we think that he can add goals from midfield,” Eve shared.
He also welcomed the return of Atlanta United midfielder Ajani Fortune to the Soca Warriors setup after a series of injuries.
“Ajani had some injuries that affected him, also he was fighting for a place in [his] team. We left him out sometimes by mutual consent, based on injury or a particular situation that was happening at his club,” Eve revealed.
That said, Eve declared that he selected his 23-man squad with a specific skillset in mind.
“[We looked at] the flexibility of the players, players being able to play multiple positions, based on the fact that we may want to change something during the game, and also the level of competition that the players are playing in, at this point in time. Also, giving the players who brought us to this point the opportunity to finish the job,” he ended.
Soca Warriors Squad: Christopher Biggette (Defence Force), Adrian Foncette (Police FC), Denzil Smith (Club Sando FC), Aubrey David (CS Cartagines), Ross Russell Jr (La Horquetta Rangers), Jesse Williams (Chattanooga FC), Robert Primus, Alvin Jones (both Police FC), Andre Raymond (GD Vilar De Perdizes), Shannon Gomez (San Antonio FC), Justin Garcia (Defence Force), Noah Powder (Northern Colorado Hailstorm), Daniel Phillips (St Johnstone FC), Kevon Goddard (Defence Force), Neveal Hackshaw (Oakland Roots), Andre Rampersad (HFX Wanderers), Nathaniel James (Mount Pleasant FA), Kaïlé Auvray ( Mount Pleasant FA), Real Gill (Northern Colorado Hailstorm), Levi Garcia (AEK Athens) Judah Garcia (AEK Athens B), Reon Moore (Pacific FC), Ajani Fortune (Atlanta United).
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