Kinross returns to his optimum trip with connections confident he can reclaim his World Pool Lennox Stakes crown at Goodwood on Tuesday.
Few trainers head to the Sussex Downs with their team in better form than Ralph Beckett, who has been operating at a 30 per cent strike-rate in recent weeks.
And Kinross lines up against seven rivals in the seven-furlong Group Two contest, a race he won two years ago and finished a neck second to Sandrine last year, with a favourite’s chance.
He has won his last three over the trip, including the Prix de la Foret, and is a dual top-level winner following last term’s British Champions Sprint success.
The consistent Kingman gelding, who will be ridden by Frankie Dettori, went close to making it a hat-trick of Group One victories with a close-up third to Shaquille in the July Cup at Newmarket last time.
“He is a year older now, but he was unlucky not to win it last year and he did win it the year before, so it looks a great spot to get back to winning ways,” said Jamie McCalmont, racing manager for owner Marc Chan.
“There is no doubt this is his best distance. He likes the course and he’s justifiably the favourite, even though that doesn’t mean he will win the race.”
This will be the first opportunity for three-year-old Isaac Shelby to take on his elders.
The Brian Meehan-trained Night Of Thunder colt, who is in receipt of 6lb from Kinross and 9lb from Al Suhail, won the Superlative last season and the Greenham on his first run this term over the same distance.
Upped to a mile, he was beaten a short neck in the French 2000 Guineas, before being a little too keen on quicker ground when a well-held fourth to Paddington in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.
“He’s back to seven (furlongs) and hopefully that will see him in his best light,” said Richard Brown, racing adviser for owners Wathnan Racing.
“It’s a tight, competitive race and Kinross will be tough to beat. But the horse is in great form and we’re looking forward to it.
“He got lit up and things didn’t really go to plan at Ascot. I’m not trying to use an excuse and saying he would have won there, but back in trip and back in grade here, he should be thereabouts.”
Connections of top weight Al Suhail will keep a close eye on the weather before deciding whether he will run.
A five-time winner over the trip, he was third in the Group One Al Quoz Sprint on Dubai World Cup night before a creditable sixth in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Charlie Appleby told www.godolphin.com: “Al Suhail has come out of Ascot well, although he has a penalty here for his win in the Al Fahidi Fort.
“I’m looking forward to seeing him back over seven, which is probably his best trip, and the course at Goodwood might suit.
“We will be keeping an eye on the weather as his participation would be in doubt if there was significant rain.”
Trained by John and Thady Gosden, Audience has won twice since being gelded and followed up a Leicester success in October with a two-length win in the Group Three Criterion Stakes over seven furlongs at Newmarket on his seasonal bow.
Chris Richardson, managing director of owner Cheveley Park Stud, said: “This race is the natural progression really and he came out of the Newmarket race well.
“He has not been straightforward, but gelding seems to have worked and we are now seeing what we were seeing on the gallops, but not on the racecourse.
“He was just not performing on the track as we thought he would and should have been. It was just one of those rather frustrating things, but it was lovely to see him bounce back and follow up the previous win with such an emphatic success.”
National Hunt racing is to return to Windsor, the venue’s owner Arena Racing Company has announced.
The track staged jump racing until as recently as 1998 and even stepped in to host a number of fixtures when Ascot was being redeveloped in 2005 and 2006.
It is hoped the first meetings will take place during the 2024-25 season with December 15, 2024 earmarked for the first action.
Windsor will not see an increase in its number of net fixtures, however, with the new jump cards switched from traditional Flat meetings in April and October.
To facilitate the return of National Hunt racing, the track will be reconfigured to utilise previous dormant areas of the site, with the jumps course a continuous left-handed circuit rather than the current figure of eight.
“We have long held a desire to bring jump racing back to Royal Windsor racecourse, and we are really pleased to confirm this plan well ahead of the planned first fixture in December 2024,” said Mark Spincer, managing director of ARC’s racing division.
“Whilst the racecourse hasn’t hosted regularly scheduled jumps fixtures since 1998, we believe that the plans that we have put together with the British Horseracing Authority will mean that the small number of fixtures that we would like to host will sit well alongside the long established, popular summer Flat programme.
“A significant amount of work has gone into considering the optimal layout for jump racing at Royal Windsor, which will see the course configured differently to how it was previously, but we believe that it is an excellent proposal to offer jump racing fans the chance to come back to Royal Windsor, whilst not impacting on the Flat programme, which is an important consideration.
“The proximity to the River Thames gives the track excellent drainage, and our records show that the racecourse very rarely ran jumps fixtures on heavy ground, with the majority of abandonments coming due to frost.
“Happily, turf management techniques have developed significantly since that time, so we are confident of providing excellent jumping ground for the fixtures that we would like to host in 2024 and 2025 and beyond.”
The Juddmonte International and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe remain on the agenda for Pyledriver after finishing fifth in defence of his King George crown at Ascot on Saturday.
Following a successful return from 11 months on the sidelines in the Hardwicke Stakes at the Royal meeting in June, hopes were high ahead of William Muir and Chris Grassick’s stable star’s bid for back-to-back wins in a spectacular renewal of the track’s midsummer highlight.
Pyledriver ultimately came up short, beaten just under nine lengths into fifth place as Hukum denied Westover in a thrilling finish, but Muir is far from downbeat.
“It was a great race and I’m not going to change my opinion, he’s going to go for the same races we had targeted for him before Saturday,” he said.
“Don’t take anything away from the winner and the second because they ran great races. PJ (McDonald, jockey) said if he had a perfect run he could have been a little bit closer, but that was all.
“I said before the race the worst thing that can happen is we get beat and we’ll go on and go forwards.
“The best sportsmen in the world have been beaten before now and they come back again. He’s fine, he’s in good shape and took his race lovely, so that is all we need.
“It’s the same plan as it was – he’ll go for the Juddmonte International or the September Stakes, but I would think probably the Juddmonte, then the Arc.”
In a breathtaking display of determination and skill, Navasky Anderson etched his name in the history books as he set a new national record and met the World Athletics Championships qualifying standard for the 800m event on deadline day, Sunday.
With mere hours remaining to secure a spot on Jamaica's team for the World Athletics Championships in Budapest next month, Anderson rose to the occasion and delivered a historic run at the DC Track Championships, held at the Thomas O. Berg Track in Washington DC.
Just a week after running a commendable season's best of 1:45.70 at the Under Armour Sunset Tour meeting in Los Angeles, Anderson shaved off a full second from his time. Crossing the finish line in a remarkable 1:44.70, he not only shattered his own national record of 1:45.02 set during the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships on June 10, 2022, but he also became the first Jamaican man to break the 1:45.00 barrier for the 800m.
The DC Track Championships proved to be a thrilling contest, with Anderson finishing second in the race behind Edose Ibadin, who clocked an impressive 1:44.65. Despite the intense competition, Anderson's remarkable performance secured him a coveted spot on Jamaica's team to Budapest.
Throughout the race, Anderson showcased his speed and endurance, running the first 400m in 50.43 before closing the final lap in 54.27.
The performance was the result of his unwavering dedication and perseverance which allowed him to overcome the challenges of battling through injuries for much of the season.
Just a week prior to this outstanding achievement, Anderson had expressed his struggles with injuries during the past collegiate season, which affected his performance at the NCAA Division Championships. However, his faith and determination never wavered, and he continued to work tirelessly towards his goals.
“All glory to God, 1:45.70,” he posted after his season best last week.
“I would be lying if I didn’t say it’s been a rough season, tempted with injuries I felt like I was just failing at everything but through it all I survived and still had faith.”
That faith paid off on Sunday.
Paddington will bid to register a fourth Group One in a row when he takes on Inspiral in Wednesday’s Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.
Aidan O’Brien’s Paddington began the season in handicap company but has progressed to win the Irish 2,000 Guineas, the St James’s Palace Stakes and the Coral-Eclipse.
His most recent victory came over 10 furlongs but he will drop back down to a mile this week to take on John and Thady Gosden’s three-time Group One winner.
Inspiral was beaten by Triple Time on her only outing to date this season in the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot, but will be looking to give Frankie Dettori another big win in his final season.
A field of six has been declared with William Haggas’ Aldaary, Richard Hannon’s Chindit, Roger Varian’s Charyn and the French challenger Facteur Cheval completing the line-up.
Royal Ascot winner Big Evs faces off against Karl Burke’s speedy Kylian in a fascinating clash in the Jaeger-LeCoultre Molecomb Stakes.
Big Evs, trained by Mick Appleby, was a surprise winner of the Windsor Castle Stakes but there did not appear to be any fluke about his three-length success, while Kylian has won his last two races by an aggregate of 10 lengths after two short priced defeats earlier in the season.
Hannon’s Baheer and Clive Cox’s Shagraan are also among a field of eight.
Sixteen fillies and mares have been declared for the Group Three Whispering Angel Oak Tree Stakes.
Leading contenders include the Karl Burke-trained Fast Response and Jumbly from Joseph O’Brien’s yard.
Northumberland Plate hero Calling The Wind will head to the Sussex Downs on Friday for the £75,000 Coral Goodwood Handicap ahead of a potential Ebor tilt.
Richard Hughes has identified Goodwood’s two-and-a-half-mile contest – which he won two years ago – as a springboard to York as he bids to follow up success in the Pitmen’s Derby.
Calling The Wind gained just reward at Newcastle following near-misses in the Cesarewitch, Queen Alexandra (twice) and the Ascot Stakes, handing the former jockey his biggest success to date as a trainer.
Hughes was not present at Gosforth Park to see Neil Callan produce a superbly-timed ride on the all-too-often luckless seven-year-old, but watched on from home with delight.
“Neil gave him a good ride. I was watching him on my phone and he got to the furlong pole and I thought, ‘he’s run great again, but he’s always placed and never wins’,” said the three-times champion jockey.
“You need to ride him to get beat – and he put it in at the death.”
Six wins and eight runner-up finishes in 35 races have contributed to earnings of £262,000 for owner Jo Wakefield, and Hughes is keen to target the £300,000 to the winner Sky Bet Ebor next month, where victory would earn automatic entry to the Melbourne Cup.
“He is going to end up in the Ebor, but we are going to go to Goodwood if the ground is good,” added Hughes.
“He has 9st 5lb in the Ebor and if he won at Goodwood, he’d get a small penalty. We can’t give up Goodwood then the ground be fast at York.
“There’s plenty of money up for grabs and the timing between Goodwood and York is great. It’s perfect.
“He is in great form and it looks like the ground will be in his favour.”
Trinidad and Tobago suffered a discouraging loss 34-74 to Uganda on Sunday at the Netball World Cup 2023 in Cape Town.
Despite a valiant effort from Afeisha Noel, who scored 29 goals, the Calypso Girls were no match for the She Cranes, who used their trademark physicality to dominate at both ends of the court.
Goalkeeper Muhameed Haniisha proved especially troublesome for the Trinidad & Tobago shooters for Noel and Joelisa Cooper, who only scored three times. After establishing a three goal lead at the end of the first quarter, Ugangda tightened their hold on game as Mary Cholhok and Irene Eyaru seemingly scored at will as their team extended their lead to 33-18 at the half-time break.
If the Trinidadians were hoping for a let-up from their opponents in the third quarter, those hopes were quickly dashed as Uganda upped the pressure even as the Calypso Girls tried to rally. The final quarter was a mere formality and Trinidad were unable to get a foothold in the game as they headed towards their second defeat in three games.
Meanwhile, Barbados suffered their third consecutive loss of the tournament when they went down 48-84 to Malawi.
The Gems were outplayed in every phase of the game but produced a sterling effort led by Kadeen Corbin, who scored 32 goals. Latonia Blackman scored 14.
However, their efforts were never going to be enough against the outstanding Suncorp Super League player Mwai Kumwenda who sunk 42 goals and Joyce Mvula, who scored 37.
Jamaica's Sunshine Girls continued their triumphant run at the 2023 Netball World Cup, securing their third consecutive win and handing South Africa's Proteas their first defeat in a thrilling showdown on Sunday.
With a resounding scoreline of 67-49, the Caribbean team displayed their dominance on the court, leaving a sold-out crowd at the Cape Town International Convention Centre in awe, even if disappointed at the outcome.
Led by star players Jhanielle Fowler, who scored 39 goals and Shanice Beckford, who had 19, Jamaica asserted their authority from the outset, taking the lead in all quarters and establishing a 32-26 advantage by half-time. Despite the spirited support of the home crowd, South Africa struggled to close the gap against the Commonwealth Games silver medalists.
Goal shooter Lenize Potgieter, who was making her first appearance at the World Cup after recovering from a mild niggle, put on an impressive performance, scoring flawlessly with 17 goals. However, the Sunshine Girls were unstoppable, maintaining possession and extending their lead in the third quarter with an impressive 18-3 scoreline, putting them ahead at 51-29.
As the game reached its climax, South Africa made a valiant effort to bounce back, but Jamaica's precision and determination were unmatched. The final score of 67-49 firmly established Jamaica's supremacy, signaling their dominance in Pool C.
While Nichole Taljaard and Ine-Marí Venter tried their best, making 11 out of 14 shots and 8 of 9 shots respectively, it wasn't enough to halt Jamaica's relentless assault.
The victory places Jamaica at the top of Pool C, securing their spot as the pool leaders, while South Africa takes the second position. The Sunshine Girls' impeccable performance and consecutive wins have boosted their confidence as they advance in the Netball World Cup, further fueling hopes of a first World Cup title.
Trinidad and Tobago's National Athletics Championships kicked off Saturday with intense competition as athletes vied for spots to represent their country in the upcoming World Athletics Championships in August. The opening day saw several standout performances, including a spectacular display by two-time Olympic medalist Keshorn Walcott.
In the men's javelin event, Walcott demonstrated his prowess and easily retained his crown with a throw of 80.41 meters. The accomplished athlete, who is no stranger to success on the international stage, threw 79.93 meters on his first attempt, followed by 79.76 meters on his second. However, it was his event-winning throw on the third attempt that truly impressed the crowd.
Point Fortin New Jets' Devin Augustine stole the spotlight in the men's 100m, proving his mettle against an experienced field of sprinters. Augustine's early intent was evident during the preliminaries, where he clocked the second-fastest qualifying time of 10.39 seconds. He further improved in the final, blazing to victory in an impressive 10.26 seconds. Abilene Wildcats' Jerod Elcock was a close silver medalist, finishing just behind Augustine in 10.27 seconds, having been the fastest qualifier with 10.35 seconds earlier on. Concorde's Revell Webster held on to third place in the speedy final with a time of 10.36 seconds.
Meanwhile, in the women's 100m, Michelle Lee Ahye displayed her dominance, making up for her absence from last year's event by clinching victory in 11.31 seconds. Abilene's Reyare Thomas secured the silver medal in 11.43 seconds, closely followed by Concorde's Akilah Lewis, who won the bronze in 11.52 seconds.
Excitement continued to build in the 400m events. In the men's final, Abilene Wildcats secured a 1-2 finish, with Asa Guevara taking the top spot in 46.52 seconds, followed by Shakeem McKay in 46.65 seconds.
Zenith Athletic's Renny Quow completed the top three with a time of 46.78 seconds. The women's 400 meters featured a triumph for Guyana, with Andrea Foster finishing first in 55.08 seconds. Phoenix Athletics' Camille Lewis secured silver in 56.63 seconds, while IG Fastlane's Jenna Thomas earned the bronze in 57.25 seconds.
Owen Burrows feels he has a lot to thank Hukum for as he prepares to send his King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes champion straight to the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
The six-year-old has won 11 of his 17 career starts and it was somewhat fitting that having provided the Lambourn-based handler with both his first Royal Ascot and Group One winner, Hukum was front and centre once again as Burrows enjoyed his finest hour in the training ranks.
Having downed last year’s Derby winner Desert Crown on his comeback from a career-threatening injury sustained when winning the 2022 Coronation Cup, Baaeed’s brother was at the peak of his powers in the hands of Jim Crowley in Ascot’s midsummer showpiece to tee up a trip to Paris on the first Sunday in October.
As short as 6-1 for the Arc, Burrows is determined to enjoy Hukum while he can as he begins to dream of victory in Europe’s richest middle-distance contest.
He said: “I owe him a lot. He’s been around for a while, he was my first Royal Ascot winner and my first Group One winner.
“We travelled him to Dubai after the sad passing of Sheikh Hamdan and that was a big thing for him to win over there on Super Saturday as well.
“He’s been a tremendous horse in my career and he’ll be very hard to replace, but we’ll enjoy him while we can.”
He went on: “He’s all well this morning. He ate up and he’s been out and had a lead out and a nice pick of grass and trotted up sound, so touch wood all good.
“The Arc is something like eight weeks today and that is the obvious plan now. The plan has always been King George in the summer and then trying to get him to France in the beginning of October and now we can start dreaming.”
All of Hukum’s victories have come on ground no quicker than good and having proven very effective with a little cut in the ground, there are plenty of positive signs ahead of Hukum’s autumn visit to the French capital for a race often run in testing conditions.
Burrows added: “He would go on faster ground and it was pretty quick in the Sheema Classic when he was only beaten a length and three-quarters.
“But he’s obviously had a hard enough race there yesterday and knowing we can get him cherry ripe following a layoff, I don’t think we need to be giving him a prep run.
“I would love to get him to the Arc and I think we would be talking about soft ground. Yesterday Jim (Crowley) felt it was a little bit dead ground, there wasn’t a lot of life in it. He handles most ground, but he obviously handles soft ground very well and we can dream.”
Hukum’s victory came just 25 minutes after another of Burrows’ Farncombe Down string, Aflaila, landed the Group Two York Stakes to give the handler a fantastic cross-card Group-race double.
He has been inundated with congratulatory messages since and admits it did take some time for the achievement to sink in.
“It’s been quite busy and I’m literally sitting down trying to work through all the messages, but it is going to take me a while,” said Burrows.
“I’ll admit yesterday I was a bit shellshocked, but now it is finally sinking in and what a day, what a great day.
“I’ve not been at it too long (training), but it was well documented this horse (Hukum) was injured at Epsom last year and to get him back to this level is a huge team effort. From the guys at Shadwell who rehabbed him, to my guys here at Farncombe, it’s a big big team effort.”
Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced their new West Indies Women’s Academy programme with the first High Performance camp scheduled to take place from 30 July to 13 August at the West Indies High Performance Centre at Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG) in Antigua.
The West Indies Women’s Academy will feature an intake of 16 Women’s Rising Stars.
According to a statement from CWI, this marks a pivotal moment in the development of West Indies Women’s cricket in the region and a key step in the professional journey of the 16 players aspiring to becoming part of the next generation of West Indies Women’s senior players.
The squad of 16 players includes Asabi Callender, Jahzara Claxton, NaiJanni Cumberbatch, Earnisha Fontaine, Jannillea Glasgow, Realeanna Grimmond, Trishan Holder, Zaida James, Djenaba Joseph, KDJazz Mitchell, Ashmini Munisar, Samara Ramnath, Shalini Samaroo, Steffi Soogrim, Abini St Jean, Kate Wilmott.
The West Indies Women's Academy programme will provide a long-term development and coaching plan for these emerging players with the opportunity to learn and train alongside some of the best coaches and mentors in women's cricket. This first West Indies Women’s Academy camp will focus on refining their skills, enhancing their tactical acumen, and nurturing their mental resilience to prepare them for the challenges of international cricket.
“I feel very proud that the inaugural West Indies Women’s Academy has been launched with this first two-week camp in place to start the programme. It’s taken a lot of planning over the last 18 months, so to see it coming to fruition is a major step forward for the development of the next generation of West Indies Women’s cricketers. This first Academy camp is going to be different to previous High Performance camps, as it will be more holistic in developing players all-round game,” said CWI’s Talent Pathway Manager Steve Liburd.
“Most of the Academy intake are continuing from the West Indies Rising Stars Under 19s team that participated in the inaugural ICC Women’s Under19 Cricket World Cup earlier this year. This is a major investment and development to support their careers with the aim of becoming senior international cricketers. Our mandate at the West Indies Women’s Academy is aid their progress into the senior West Indies Women’s team and to equip them to become top international cricketers.”
The West Indies Women’s Academy is part of CWI’s long term strategic plan to invest in and develop women’s cricket across the region and a key stage in the West Indies Player Pathway. By providing a nurturing environment and pathway in which these young players can grow and flourish, CWI aims to create a sustainable pipeline of talent for the West Indies Women’s team.
The West Indies Men’s Academy was launched in 2022 and will continue in 2023
Few jockeys will ever have as much success at Goodwood as Michael Hills.
The Derby-winning rider knew almost every idiosyncrasy the undulating South Downs track could offer.
Among his many British Group One winners, he secured victories in both the Sussex Stakes and Nassau, though he cherishes the two Goodwood Cups gained by the hugely-popular Further Flight, trained by his father Barry, above all others.
In a 10-year career from October 1988 to October 1998, the magnificent grey ran 70 times and won 24 races – 22 of them partnered by Hills.
“Further Flight used to come at that time of year,” said Hills. “He won two in a row in 1991 and 1992. He was just amazing.
“He used to come from way back and was not the easiest ride. He got there early and then he’d stop. He only just got the two miles. We tried him in the Gold Cup and he didn’t stay.
“The Goodwood Cup was his first Group race win in ’91, after he’d won the Ebor. I have got the pictures and he gets lighter and lighter each year. When I last rode him, he was nearly white.”
Further Flight got better with age, being voted European Champion Older Horse at the Cartier Racing Awards in 1995 and landing the Group Two Jockey Club Cup every season from 1991 to 1995.
“What was remarkable was his durability. After the Ebor, he was right at the top and had to compete at the top all the time,” Hills added.
“He was unbelievable, winning two Lonsdale Cups and the Doncaster Cup as well.
“He was aggressive. He used to pull really hard when he was young, and we got him to settle and that is when he got to stay. He was gelded as a three-year-old and then handicapped. He went up the handicap route and then just got better and better.”
Further Flight was even placed in the 1997 Jockey Club Cup as an 11-year-old and won his last race the following year.
He was retired after his final race in October 1998 and went to live with Hills, his wife Chris and daughter Sam in Newmarket. Not that the jockey’s affection for Further Flight was reciprocated.
“He was a funny character, because when he retired, they gave him to me and I had him at home – he wouldn’t go near me and didn’t like me at all,” said Hills.
“He used to love my daughter and my wife. He would only go to her. He wouldn’t let me catch him.
“I don’t know why. He didn’t like men and Chris will say he was a good judge of character! He was a funny old boy.
“The only time I’d go near him was when he was in his box. In the paddock, he wouldn’t go near me.”
Hills, whose big-race victories included the Derby with Shaamit and King George with Pentire in 1996, retired in 2009 after three decades in the saddle.
He has remained a fixture on racecourses and the 60-year-old imparts his riding knowledge, teaching young jockeys as a British Horseracing Authority coach at the British Racing School in Newmarket.
“I love working with the apprentices,” added Hills. “It’s really great, when they listen to you and you see them doing it on the track, it gives me a good kick.
“Telling them about the draws and the different tracks. Goodwood is so tricky, where the draw is, where the pace is, it is so, so important.
“As soon as those gates open, you can win and lose the race there and then. Goodwood is a very awkward track. They had a few suspensions at Royal Ascot, and I think we will see a few more at Goodwood.”
Longevity and consistency made Further Flight one of the more popular horses in training and Hills could invariably be relied upon more often than not to deliver on the biggest days at the West Sussex track.
“I have some lovely memories of riding there,” he added: “The Sussex Stakes on First Island (1996) was really great, coming back from a mile and a quarter when winning the Prince of Wales’s at Ascot, to a mile. It was a great training performance from Geoff Wragg.
“I think I won two Schweppes Miles with Prince Rupert and Distant Relative, too.
“I was lucky at Goodwood. Dad and Geoff (Wragg) pinged it. There was the Richmond with First Trump and Superstar Leo for William Haggas in the Molecomb, which I won a few times (Hoh Magic 1994, Majestic Missile 2003 and Enticing 2006), and winning the Nassau on Ryafan (1997) was great.
“That was a very, very good filly. I said to John Gosden that day, she was the best filly I’d ever ridden.”
Ryafan had won the Prix Marcel Boussac as a juvenile and then went on to score in the Falmouth and Nassau to be crowned European Champion Three-Year-Old Filly, before heading to the States to take three more top-level contests as a four-year-old, earning her an American Champion Female Turf Horse honour in 1997.
“She went to America and she was unbelievable out there,” added Hills. “She was up there with the best I’ve ridden.
“She never got any further than a mile and a quarter. I remember the one thing John asked me, ‘what do you think on the trip?’. I said in the last 50 yards I was on vapours. I was on the floor, but six (lengths) clear or something.
“I think she was possibly one of the best fillies John ever trained and she never got the credit she deserved over here.
“One of my great Goodwood days was Broadway Flyer, when he won the Gordon Stakes in 1994. That was for my brother John. That was great.
“Then there was First Island in the Sussex Stakes. He was a very good horse, but unfortunately he had to take on Bosra Sham a lot. I won the Hong Kong Cup on him, which was my first big international win. He was a terrific horse.”
Sadly, Further Flight died after suffering a paddock injury to his hind leg in July 2001. Though he won just two races at Nottingham, he is remembered there with a race named after him – the Barry Hills Further Flight Stakes – and will always be the horse Hills will be best associated with.
He was very much part of the family, so much so that they could not bare to part with his memory.
Chris Hills explained: “We had a headstone made for him when he was buried.
“When we sold the farm, we hoped the new owners would keep the grave in good order, but I went there one day and it was all overgrown.
“I was so upset and angry. I said to Michael, ‘I’m going to get his headstone’, so we basically spirited it away. It took a job to get it out of the ground.
“We had a wooden cross made as a replacement with his achievements on, so no-one is going to forget him.”
“He was by far my favourite horse,” Michael Hills added. “To win back-to-back Goodwood Cups and the same five Group races in as many years, no other horse as done that. He was fabulous.”
Nations Pride added a victory in Germany to his growing international CV when scoring emphatically in the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis – Bayerisches Zuchtrennen at Munich.
Although beaten on debut at two, four straight subsequent victories earned the son of Teofilo a shot at the Derby last year in which he finished eighth behind Desert Crown.
After Epsom, trainer Charlie Appleby turned the colt’s sights globally and Nations Pride followed up a narrow defeat in the Belmont Derby with wins in both the Saratoga and Aqueduct equivalents, before finishing an honourable fifth behind stablemate Rebel’s Romance in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
He spent the early part of 2023 in Meydan where he picked up the Dubai Millennium Stakes and finished third to Lord North in the Dubai Turf, but made a fantastic return to Europe in the Munich Group One.
Having seized the initiative early, William Buick was able to dictate terms from the front aboard the four-year-old and then put the race to bed in fine style when kicking for home entering the home straight, coming home unchallenged for a three-length success.
It was Appleby’s second win in the race following Barney Roy’s triumph in 2020 and the Moulton Paddocks handler suggested Nations Pride could be getting his passport stamped once again this autumn.
“I’m delighted he’s been able to get a Group One win to go alongside his Grade One win from Saratoga,” said Appleby.
“He’s a very solid mile and a quarter horse and William gave him a great ride.
“We were confident going into the race although we were having to concede a lot of weight to the German Derby winner (Fantastic Moon, second), but he’s done it well.
“Going forward he’s going to be a horse that we’ll campaign internationally as he’s got the experience of doing so. There’s no immediate targets but he’ll have an autumn campaign, internationally.
“I’m delighted for the team he’s put another Group One on the board.”
Paddy Power cut the winner to 9-1 from 12s for the Juddmonte International at York, while he is 10-1 for the Cox Plate.
Racing and equestrianism will come together at the Qatar Goodwood Festival with the aim of raising money for charity in the Magnolia Cup.
The five-and-a-half-furlong contest, for which 2024 applications are open, gives 12 women from a variety of backgrounds the chance to shine at the summer meeting.
The event is sponsored by Markel and in 2022 was run in aid of The Brilliant Breakfast, a British charity that supports disadvantaged young women and for whom the race raised over £300,000.
This year’s race is run in support of the Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, established in 2012 by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, with the aim of transforming lives through education.
In recent years the race has also exemplified the increased focus on diversity within the sport, with Khadijah Mellah becoming the first hijab-wearing jockey to win an organised horse race of any kind in this country when successful in 2019.
Mellah learned to ride at Ebony Horse Club, an inner-city riding school in Brixton, and in 2022 the momentum continued when Ashleigh Wicheard was the winning rider and used her moment in the limelight to highlight the Black Lives Matter cause.
Naturally both successes have to led both improvement in and increased discussion around diversity in racing, something that leads Cool Ridings founder Lydia Heywood to believe the sport is blazing a trail for other areas of equestrianism.
Heywood, a British-based event rider who represents Jamaica, created Cool Ridings in 2020 to give support to those not well represented within the world of equestrian sport.
Through the organisation Heywood met Olivia Kennedy, a fellow equestrian who will aim to do Cool Ridings proud when she takes her place in the 2023 Magnolia Cup.
Heywood said of the group: “Cool Ridings launched in 2020 following work I did with city riding schools, I felt there was a missing link when young people discover their passion for horses and want to find a pathway to continue into successful careers.
“I’ve been representing Jamaica in the sport (eventing) since 2017, I wanted to be the change I wanted to see in the industry and now I have a whole host of new friends and a community that really celebrate each other.
“It’s a huge step in the right direction, aligning with governing bodies on training days where we support each other regardless of our level or ability.
“The Magnolia Cup was been a wonderful opportunity to get deserving members into the limelight, Olivia has grabbed the opportunity and made some great connections in the racing world.
“Her position and fitness has come on so much in such a short space of time, I’m so impressed and we’re really looking forward to the race day.”
Riders will this year raise funds for Education Above All – a charity founded by Qatar’s Sheikha Moza bint Nasser that aims to ensure more underprivileged children receive an education.
The race’s diverse cast this year includes Maryam Al Jaber, state lawyer in Qatar and the first Qatari female trainer of Camels, and Roya Nikkhah, Royal Editor for The Sunday Times, continuing the event’s status as a leader in terms of diversity and inclusion within racing.
Heywood said: “I think the racing world is leading the way when it comes to opportunities for young people and people from all backgrounds.
“Khadijah Mellah is someone who started riding at Ebony Horse Club and the work I’ve done with Ebony Horse Club has inspired me a lot to get Cool Ridings members opportunities.
“I’m sure the members will be grabbing their tickets, getting dressed up and cheering on Olivia.”
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
