As expected, Royal Ascot winner Khaadem has been supplemented for the Pertemps Network July Cup at Newmarket on Saturday where he will clash with another Ascot hero, Shaquille.
Charlie Hills stated last week the “obvious target” for his surprise Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes scorer was the midsummer highlight on the July course, and the £36,000 supplementary fee was paid on Monday.
Julie Camacho’s Shaquille put up a remarkable display to win the Commonwealth Cup during the same meeting having missed the break, but this time he will have to beat his elders – as well as confirm form with Aidan O’Brien’s Ascot runner-up Little Big Bear.
Another northern raider, the Michael Dods-trained Azure Blue, is also strongly fancied on the back of her win in the Duke of York Stakes over Highfield Princess.
Kinross is in there for Ralph Beckett, but he will have to do without his usual partner Frankie Dettori, who is currently on the sidelines suspended.
Cold Case, Art Power and Run To Freedom are also among the 14 possibles.
Aidan O’Brien’s exciting City Of Troy is one of 12 in the bet365 Superlative Stakes.
The Justify colt won easily on his debut, making even the usual reticent Ryan Moore reach for the superlatives.
Charlie Appleby’s Great Truth and the Richard Hannon-trained duo of Son and Haatem are among his possible rivals.
There are 42 left in the bet365 Bunbury Cup, with Saeed bin Suroor’s Shining Blue at the top of the weights.
Chaldean is set for a break while connections attempt to get to the bottom of his lacklustre performance in the Prix Jean Prat.
Andrew Balding’s 2000 Guineas hero was dropping back in trip for the Deauville Group One having suffered defeat at the hands of Paddington in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.
However, despite travelling with what appeared his usual zest close to the pace in the hands of Oisin Murphy, the Classic winner failed to pick up and his challenge faded tamely as Fabrice Chappet’s Good Guess ran out a convincing winner.
The Frankel colt will now be fully checked over to see if there is any physical reason for the below-par display or whether a busy early season has simply caught up with the Juddmonte-owned colt.
“It was obviously not the horse’s true running, but we’ll have to wait until the horse gets home to check him out fully to see if there is something there or whether it was he had a hard race in Ascot and was just flat,” said Barry Mahon, European racing manager for the owners.
“On all known form it was not his true running and we’ll just have to see if anything comes to light.
“I think he’ll have to have a break now. Whether there is something underlying or it just turns out he has run flat, we’ll have to wait and see, but I think he will need a break now to freshen up for the back-end of the year.”
There are still plenty of big-race options on the table for Chaldean when he does return, with a trip to the Breeders’ Cup a possibility for later in the season.
Mahon added: “There’s lots of races for him. There’s the Prix Jacques le Marois (August 13), the race at Ascot on Champions Day (Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, October 21) and the Breeders’ Cup Mile (November 4), so there will be plenty of opportunities for him.
“I always felt the Breeders’ Cup would suit him, especially this year at Santa Anita, but we’ll have to see. We’ll get him checked out first and we know that wasn’t his true running.”
However, there was some joy for the owners this weekend as Ralph Beckett’s Westover enjoyed a more successful venture to France to pick up his second Group One in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.
Last year’s Irish Derby winner had run fine races in defeat to finish second in both the Dubai Sheema Classic and Coronation Cup so far this term, but produced a brilliant display to open his four-year-old account.
“To start the season behind Equinox was a good run and he ran a great race in the Coronation and it’s now nice to get the Group One at Saint-Cloud and make him a dual Group One winner,” said Mahon.
“To break the track record was a special feat when you consider so many great champions have won that race over the years.”
Westover holds an entry for the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes at Ascot on July 29 and although that will remain high-up in connections’ thoughts, there is a chance that could come too soon following his heroic exertions in the Paris suburbs.
“I was talking to Ralph last night and we said we will definitely keep it (King George) under consideration,” continued Mahon.
“He’s had a hard race on Saturday – you don’t break the track record without having a hard race – and it’s not a huge amount of time between now and the King George. It will very much depend on the horse’s well-being and we’ll let the horse tell us.
“He is in everything and has options everywhere. He could go to an Irish Leger (September 10), he could go to an Arc (October 1), he could go to a Breeders’ Cup Turf (November 4). He could even go to Hong Kong and he’s in everything. He’s there to be enjoyed and we will see what Prince Khalid’s family would like to do and see as we go along.
“He’s mentally and physically more mature now and he’s a good traveller. In a race he’s adaptable which is great and we think he’s on an upwards curve.”
Chaldean is set for a break while connections attempt to get to the bottom of his lacklustre performance in the Prix Jean Prat.
Andrew Balding’s 2000 Guineas hero was dropping back in trip for the Deauville Group One having suffered defeat at the hands of Paddington in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.
However, despite travelling with what appeared his usual zest close to the pace in the hands of Oisin Murphy, the Classic winner failed to pick up and his challenge faded tamely as Fabrice Chappet’s Good Guess ran out a convincing winner.
The Frankel colt will now be fully checked over to see if there is any physical reason for the below-par display or whether a busy early season has simply caught up with the Juddmonte-owned colt.
“It was obviously not the horse’s true running, but we’ll have to wait until the horse gets home to check him out fully to see if there is something there or whether it was he had a hard race in Ascot and was just flat,” said Barry Mahon, European racing manager for the owners.
“On all known form it was not his true running and we’ll just have to see if anything comes to light.
“I think he’ll have to have a break now. Whether there is something underlying or it just turns out he has run flat, we’ll have to wait and see, but I think he will need a break now to freshen up for the back-end of the year.”
There are still plenty of big-race options on the table for Chaldean when he does return, with a trip to the Breeders’ Cup a possibility for later in the season.
Mahon added: “There’s lots of races for him. There’s the Prix Jacques le Marois (August 13), the race at Ascot on Champions Day (Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, October 21) and the Breeders’ Cup Mile (November 4), so there will be plenty of opportunities for him.
“I always felt the Breeders’ Cup would suit him, especially this year at Santa Anita, but we’ll have to see. We’ll get him checked out first and we know that wasn’t his true running.”
However, there was some joy for the owners this weekend as Ralph Beckett’s Westover enjoyed a more successful venture to France to pick up his second Group One in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.
Last year’s Irish Derby winner had run fine races in defeat to finish second in both the Dubai Sheema Classic and Coronation Cup so far this term, but produced a brilliant display to open his four-year-old account.
“To start the season behind Equinox was a good run and he ran a great race in the Coronation and it’s now nice to get the Group One at Saint-Cloud and make him a dual Group One winner,” said Mahon.
“To break the track record was a special feat when you consider so many great champions have won that race over the years.”
Westover holds an entry for the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes at Ascot on July 29 and although that will remain high-up in connections’ thoughts, there is a chance that could come too soon following his heroic exertions in the Paris suburbs.
“I was talking to Ralph last night and we said we will definitely keep it (King George) under consideration,” continued Mahon.
“He’s had a hard race on Saturday – you don’t break the track record without having a hard race – and it’s not a huge amount of time between now and the King George. It will very much depend on the horse’s well-being and we’ll let the horse tell us.
“He is in everything and has options everywhere. He could go to an Irish Leger (September 10), he could go to an Arc (October 1), he could go to a Breeders’ Cup Turf (November 4). He could even go to Hong Kong and he’s in everything. He’s there to be enjoyed and we will see what Prince Khalid’s family would like to do and see as we go along.
“He’s mentally and physically more mature now and he’s a good traveller. In a race he’s adaptable which is great and we think he’s on an upwards curve.”
Laurel will miss the rest of the season due to the injury which saw her ruled out of Royal Ascot.
John and Thady Gosden’s lightly-raced daughter of Kingman was due to line-up in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at the summer showcase, but was a late absentee having suffered setback the weekend before her intended engagement.
Connections did have their sights on a quick return in the Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket later this week.
But it appears the issue is more serious than first envisaged with the Group One-placed filly set to remain on the sidelines for the rest of the current campaign and a decision on her future still to be made.
“Unfortunately she is going to miss the rest of the season,” explained Barry Mahon, European racing manager for owners Juddmonte.
“Initially it looked like it was going to be an insignificant thing, but it turned out to be a bit more than we thought.
“She’s on her way back to the farm for a rest, she definitely won’t run again this season and it is to be decided whether she stays in training next year or not.
“She’s a very lightly-raced filly and John and Thady both said to me last week they would love to keep her in training next year.
“She’s a high-class filly who could win a Group One and she’s only run five times in her life so I can sort of understand their point and maybe that is the right thing to do. But we will speak with Prince Khalid’s family and see what they would like to do and unfortunately she won’t be running again this season.”
Royal Ascot runner-up Sacred will head to Deauville for her next appearance with the Prix Maurice de Gheest identified by William Haggas as the perfect destination for his versatile mare.
The Cheveley Park Stud-owned five-year-old has been a consistent performer for connections throughout her career and won on reappearance at Lingfield in the Chartwell Fillies’ Stakes in May.
However, she was narrowly denied when taking her chance in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes for the second season in a row, having victory snatched from her grasp when headed late in the day by the fast-finishing Khaadem.
The daughter of Exceed And Excel holds entries over a mile closer to home over the next month, but following her fine effort at Ascot, Haggas is keen to keep Sacred to sprinting distances and will send her across the Channel for the six-and-a-half-furlong Group One in early August.
“She’s fine and we’re aiming her at the Prix Maurice de Gheest on August 6 which is a Group One over six and a half furlongs,” said Haggas.
“She likes going to her races relatively fresh, so she will go there and there is nothing overly obvious for her in the meantime.
“She’s in the Sussex, but I think we felt she ran very well over six furlongs at Ascot and six and a half in Deauville, providing the ground isn’t soft, should be fine for her.”
Haggas also revealed that My Prospero will head to York for the Sky Bet York Stakes on July 29 as the four-year-old attempts to tee-up a Knavesmire return for the Juddmonte International Stakes during the Ebor Festival.
“He’ll go for the Sky Bet at York,” added Haggas.
“He didn’t run as well as I hoped at Ascot. He didn’t run badly, but it wasn’t as well as I hoped and he will go to York and if he wins and wins nicely he will go back there for the Juddmonte.”
Shericka Jackson and Andrew Hudson both defended their respective 200m titles as the JAAA/Puma National Senior and Junior Championships ended at the National Stadium in Kingston on Sunday.
Jackson, who ran a world leading 10.65 to take the 100m title on Friday, produced another world-leading effort, 21.71, to complete the sprint double for the second consecutive year.
Five-time World 100m champion, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce ran a season’s best 22.26 for second while Texas’ Lanae Tava-Thomas ran 22.55 for third.
On the men’s side, Hudson, the reigning NACAC champion, produced a season’s best 20.11 to take the title ahead of Rasheed Dwyer (20.26) and Tyquendo Tracey (20.48). Yohan Blake, the second fastest man of all time in both the 100m and 200m, was fourth in 20.51.
Olympic bronze medalist, Megan Tapper produced one of her customary big-hearted performances to claim her third national 100m hurdles title on day four of the JAAA/Puma National Senior and Junior Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston on Sunday.
Tapper got her usual bullet start and held off NCAA Champion and the fastest Jamaican in the world this year, Arkansas’ Ackera Nugent, to win in 12.64. Nugent’s time in second was 12.67 while 2015 World Champion, Danielle Williams, was third in 12.82.
On the men’s side, Commonwealth champion Rasheed Broadbell ran the second fastest time ever by a Jamaican to claim his maiden national title in the 110m hurdles.
Broadbell, Jamaica’s National Sportsman of the Year for 2022, fought off the fast-finishing Olympic champion, Hansle Parchment, to win in a personal best and world-leading 12.94.
Parchment ran a season’s best 13.12 for second while Orlando Bennett was third in a personal best 13.19.
A lone strike from left full-back Amari’i Bell proved enough to put Jamaica’s senior Reggae Boyz into their fourth Concacaf Gold Cup semi-finals, as they edged Guatemala 1-0 in lively quarterfinals encounter at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Sunday.
Bell’s strike which came in the 51st minute, was also the first international goal for the 29-year-old Luton Town defender, and it couldn’t have come at a better time, especially as the Reggae Boyz hunt their first Gold Cup triumph.
The Jamaicans, who were finalists in the 2015 and 2017 tournaments, and also 2019 semi-finalist, will be hoping to get by perennial rivals Mexico in Wednesday semi-final contest at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Having won all four of their previous Gold Cup meetings, the Heimir Hallgrimsson-coached Reggae Boyz went in with some degree of confidence to again stamp their authority over the Central Americans on this the fifth occasion, and that they did to some extent.
They dominated possession and camped out in Guatemala’s quarters for most of the first half, as they showed enterprise in their build ups, which should have resulted in at least two early goals. However, proper decision-making in the final third was woefully lacking on their part.
Aside from defiant defending from the Guatemalans, the Jamaican attackers seemed a bit overconfident at times and neglected a simple one-time pass or shot when they opportunity presented itself. That resulted in a goalless end to the first half as Guatemala had little opportunities to trouble Jamaica’s goalkeeper Andre Blake.
Things shaped up differently on the resumption with Guatemala being more purposeful in attack, but it was the Jamaicans that broke the deadlock when Demarai Gray sidewinded his way into space to play off a pass to an unmarked Bell, who used time and space allowed to set and drive past Guatemala’s goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen at his near post.
The Jamaicans continued to marshal proceedings and could have pulled further ahead in the 65th when Gray, set Leon Bailey free, but the Aston Villa winger’s effort off his right foot was blocked by Hagen.
Guatemala grew in confidence in the latter stages of the encounter and almost got back on level terms in the 79th minute when substitute Alejandro Galindo’s header from dead centre of the 18-yard box, was kept by Blake, who took flight to his left.
Both teams continued their press in attack and while the Boyz had the better chances, they again lacked conviction in front of goal and fortunately for them, their profligacy didn’t come back to haunt them.
Teams: Jamaica- Andre Blake, Damion Lowe, Javain Brown (Dexter Lembikisa 64th), Kevon Lambert (Daniel Johnson 46th), Bobby Reid, Amari'i Bell, Dishon Bernard, Latibeaudiere, Leon Bailey (Corey Burke 85th), Demarai Gray, Michail Antonio (Shamar Nicholson 78th)
Subs not used: Jahmali Waite, Coniah Boyce-Clarke, Adrian Mariappa, Kemar Lawrence, Jonathan Russell, Dujuan Richards, Kaheem Parris
Booked: Bernard (32nd), Lambert (45th)
Guatemala –Nicholas Hagen, Aaron Herrera, Jose Pinto, Nicolas Samayoa, Jose Ardon, Oscar Castellanos, Marlon Sequen (Jorge Aparicio 64th), Nathaniel Mendez (Darwin Lom 82nd), Pedro Altan (Alejandro Galindo 71st), Carlos Mejia (Antonio Lopez 82nd), Rubio Mendez
Subs not used: Ricardo Jerez, Fredy Perez, Cesar Archilla, Jose Morales, Esteban Garcia, Gerardo Gordillo, Stheven Robles
Booked: Ardon (77th)
Referee: Drew Fischer (Canada)
Assistant referees: Micheal Barwegen (Canada); Caleb Wales (Trinidad and Tobago)
Fourth official: Joseph Dickerson (USA)
Nickisha Price and Sean Bailey were crowned as Jamaica’s national 400m champions on day four of the JAAA/Puma National Senior and Junior Athletics Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston on Sunday.
Price, an NCAA Champion this year in the 4x400m for the University of Arkansas, produced a personal best 50.21 to claim her maiden national title.
400m hurdles champion, Janieve Russell, continued her excellent form at the championships with a personal best 50.76 for second while Candice McLeod, the defending champion, was third in 51.01.
On the men’s side, Bailey, who entered the championships as Jamaica’s season leader in the event with 44.43, ran slightly slower than that with 44.48 to claim his second national title.
Bailey fought off a very game Antonio Watson, who ran a personal best 44.54 for second while Jevaughn Powell, the defending champion, was third in 45.19.
Jaydon Hibbert successfully defended his men’s triple jump title on day four of the JAAA/Puma National Senior and Junior Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston on Sunday.
The 18-year-old Arkansas freshman, who already won the SEC and NCAA Indoor and Outdoor titles this season, produced a best effort of 17.68m, a stadium record, for the win. Jordan Scott was second with a best jump of 16.32m.
Hibbert will enter the Budapest World Championships in August as one of the favorites for gold. He is currently the world leader in the event courtesy of his personal best and world under-20 record 17.87m done to win the SEC outdoor title in May.
Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham has seemingly gone the extra mile to make new signing Lionel Messi feel welcome.
Beckham’s wife Victoria posted a short video clip on social media of what appears to be her husband – the former Manchester United and England midfielder – on a cherry picker applying the finishing touches to a giant mural of Messi in the Wynwood neighbourhood of the city.
Alongside the clip on Instagram the former Spice Girl wrote: “Is there nothing @davidbeckham can’t do??
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“Only been in town a few days, he got straight to it!! Yes that is him whitening the teeth as we watch!!! X kisses from Miami!!! X @leomessi”.
Argentinian Maximiliano Bagnasco is the artist behind the mural of his compatriot and World Cup winner, who announced his move to Major League Soccer last month as his contract with Paris St Germain came to an end.
The 36-year-old had been strongly linked with Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal, a move which would have seen him playing in the same league as Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.
Kingston's National Stadium witnessed a stunning performance by the relatively unknown sprinter, 21-year-old Kishane Thompson, as he blazed through the preliminary round of the 100m event at Jamaica's national track and field championships last Thursday. The crowd was left astounded by Thompson's remarkable time of 9.91 seconds, which not only surprised onlookers but also raised speculation about his absence from the semi-finals the following day.
Addressing the confusion surrounding Thompson's absence, Stephen Francis, the celebrated coach of MVP Track Club, shed light on a carefully crafted plan that accounted for the sprinter's limited participation at the national championships. Francis, renowned for nurturing the careers of track sensations such as Asafa Powell, Nesta Carter, and Michael Frater, unveiled a strategy designed to gradually shape Thompson into a formidable force on the world stage.
"He is fine. He trained this morning (Saturday.) It was always the plan for him to focus this year on running one-round races," Francis revealed in an exclusive interview with Sportsmax.TV. "In his previous two years with us, he struggled with injuries, running only four 100m races in that time and never participating in the national championships. Therefore, we decided that he should run one round here, deliver an impressive time, and then focus on competing in 'one' races in Europe. If he is required for relays, he will be available."
What made Thompson's performance even more intriguing was that Francis believed he could have achieved an even faster time during the preliminary round if not for the mismanagement of the event by the organizers.
According to Francis, athletes in the outer lanes of the 100m straight were unable to hear the starting gun due to a malfunctioning speaker, which disadvantaged runners from lanes six to eight throughout the heats. Thompson ran in lane eight. Despite presenting evidence of the issue, the organizers failed to rectify the situation.
While Thompson's time of 9.91 seconds was impressive, Francis emphasized that it fell short of their expectations, attributing it to the organizers' incompetence. However, he expressed confidence in Thompson's ability to run significantly faster in optimal conditions.
"He would have run significantly faster, but the most important thing is that he feels healthy and can look forward to the rest of the summer," Francis explained. "Our plan is to ensure that next year, in the Olympic year, he will have the necessary racing experience and a different attitude to tackle the full program."
Thompson's sensational performance has thrust him into the spotlight, leaving fans eagerly anticipating his future endeavors. As part of Francis' meticulously devised plan, Thompson will continue to compete in carefully selected races across Europe this summer, honing his skills and building his experience. The coach's expertise and guidance will undoubtedly shape Thompson into a potent contender in the sprinting world.
A trip to the Breeders’ Cup will come under consideration for 1000 Guineas heroine Mawj, but only if she recovers sufficiently from the issue that ruled her out of Royal Ascot.
Saeed bin Suroor’s charge scooped big-race honours when edging out Tahiyra at Newmarket in May and with Dermot Weld’s filly subsequently claiming the Irish equivalent on her next start the duo were poised for a clash of the Classic winners in the Coronation Stakes at the Royal meeting.
However, an unsatisfactory scope meant Mawj was missing from the final line-up for that contest, with Bin Suroor later revealing she had a bad infection in her chest.
The three-year-old is currently undergoing a quiet time as she continues her recovery, but could make a return later in the campaign ahead of a possible trip to Santa Anita in early November – providing she is showing positive signs she has returned to full health.
Bin Suroor said: “She’s still in treatment for coughing. She was coughing just before Ascot when she was ready to run.
“She had mucus and we scrubbed her and she didn’t look great so now we are giving her a break because we have scrubbed her a few times. We will allow her to get better slowly and we have no plan for her.
“Maybe the plan if she is doing well and is happy will be to have one more race here and then take her to the Breeders’ Cup. Maybe she will have one more race here, but only if she is ready.”
Bin Suroor was speaking after White Moonlight gave the Godolphin handler back-to-back victories in the Champagne Collet Queen Charlotte Fillies’ Stakes at Chelmsford.
The six-year-old was the beneficiary of a fine front-running ride from jockey Kieran Shoemark in the Listed seven-furlong event and will now step up to Group Three level at the Qatar Goodwood Festival, for the Whispering Angel Oak Tree Stakes on August 2.
“She’s done well and has been in good form,” said the trainer of the 9-2 winner.
“Seven furlongs suits her as we’ve tried before and I said to the jockey you have to be there in front, you have to lead. She was in front all the way and she won it well. Kieran is a good jockey and he did really well.
“In the morning when she works she’s very honest and always works well. She’s a tough filly and now we go to the Oak Tree at Goodwood early next month.”
Fozzy Stack’s Aspen Grove is set for a spell in the States after providing her trainer with a landmark success in the Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes.
The Justify filly was a Pattern-race winner at two, taking the Group Three Newtownanner Stud Stakes at the Curragh in August.
She returned to the same track for the second run of her three-year-old campaign when lining up in the Irish 1,000 Guineas in late May but came home last of the field of 10.
That performance was put down to the filly being in season, but a decision to head to New York for the Grade One Belmont Oaks proved inspired when she teamed up with Oisin Murphy on Saturday.
From a wide draw the bay was ridden patiently to challenge a furlong from home, where she came through to win by three-quarters of a length when relishing the extended 10-furlong trip.
“She was very good. She ran last time in the Guineas when she was in season and she’s hopeless when she’s in season,” Stack explained.
“She was hopeless in her work at home but you can’t run again in the Guineas next year so we thought we’d just roll the dice.
“She did it well last night and Oisin gave her a great ride.
“I was never worried about the trip, I always thought she’d get it. As a two-year-old I thought she was more a 10-furlong filly, she did it well.”
Aspen Grove will remain in America under the care of Mark Enright, who rode her to Newtownanner Stud Stakes victory and will help prepare her for her next outing.
“Either the Del Mar Oaks or the Saratoga Oaks (will be her next run),” said Stack.
“I’ll leave Mark Enright out with her, he’ll look after her. He’s won Group races on her a done a great job with her over the last few days.”
Of the significance of a Grade One win, Stack’s first at the level, he added: “You need everything to go right for these things to happen, all the parts needs to fall into place and they did.”
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