Kerry National winner Desertmore House will look to tee up a potential crack at the Irish Grand National in the Finlay Ford At Naas Novice Chase on Sunday.
Martin Brassil’s nine-year-old has come of age this season, winning twice at Kilbeggan before landing the valuable prize at Listowel against far more experienced rivals over fences.
He needs one more run over the bigger obstacles to qualify for Fairyhouse at Easter and Brassil then has his eyes set on Aintree next season for a horse who runs in the same colours as Numbersixvalverde, Brassil’s past Irish National and Aintree hero.
“Desertmore House runs in Naas on Sunday in a Grade Three Chase,” he said.
“He’s a novice. He has no penalty because he won two handicaps. He’ll be nice enough in that race but I’m hoping the ground won’t be as soft as it is, he’s more of a spring ground horse.
“He needs to run six times over fences to make an entry for the National and I just have that in the back of my mind – the Irish National is the main aim this year and Aintree next year.”
Another nice horse in Brassil’s Dunmurray yard is bumper winner Goldinthemountains, who won what is traditionally a hot race at Leopardstown over Christmas
“We’ll probably keep him for the Punchestown Festival, the winners-of-one bumper there. The owners (Sean and Bernardine Mulryan) are local to the track and like runners at that meeting,” said Brassil.
“He’s a nice horse to look forward to. You could run him before that but he’s a lovely, big horse we are just going to mind – and he’ll be hurdling this time next year.”
Paul Nicholls views Saturday’s Paddy Power Cotswold Chase as the “perfect race” for his star novice Stay Away Fay.
The Ditcheat handler has saddled five previous winners of the recognised Cheltenham Gold Cup trial, with See More Business triumphing in 1998 and 2001 before the subsequent victories of Taranis in 2010, Neptune Collonges in 2011 and Frodon in 2019.
Stay Away Fay, a winner at last year’s Cheltenham Festival in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, has run just twice over fences, making a successful debut at Exeter before outstaying Giovinco in the Grade Two Esher Novices’ Chase at Sandown last month.
Nicholls is well aware his charge has plenty on his plate as he takes on more seasoned campaigners this weekend, but he is happy to roll the dice.
“He has got to go somewhere before the Cheltenham Festival and this gives him more time than if he goes to the Reynoldstown (Novices’ Chase) at Ascot and has a hard race. He has worked well and schooled well since Sandown and we are looking forward to it,” he said.
“This race has always been on my mind for him. For a horse like him it is the perfect race. He might have to take on some better ones, but apart from Royale Pagaille there are no real Gold Cup horses in there.
“This would do him good and it is all good experience and that is what you need. He has not been over fences around Cheltenham and that is why we are quite keen to do it.
“He is fit, stays well and he is in good order and we think he will run a nice race.”
While Nicholls has given Stay Away Fay an entry in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, he is currently planning to revert to novice company come the big meeting in March.
He added: “I’ve given him an entry in the National Hunt Chase and Gold Cup, but I would say he would be one for the Brown Advisory at the Festival after this.”
Stay Away Fay is set to face five rivals over an extended three miles and a furlong, with last year’s winner Ahoy Senor and Betfair Chase hero Royale Pagaille heading the field.
The Real Whacker won his first three starts over fences at Cheltenham last season, including a Festival win in the Brown Advisory, but has not troubled the judge in two starts so far this term.
Jamie Snowden’s Coral Gold Cup winner Datsalrightgino and the Willie Mullins-trained Irish raider Capodanno complete the line-up.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) has congratulated West Indies women’s captain Hayley Matthews on winning the prestigious title of ICC Women's T20I Cricketer of the Year 2023, a fitting accolade for a player of her calibre who has had enjoyed an outstanding year, consistently performing with bat and ball.
2023 was a year of dominance, nothing short of phenomenal. Her performances were not just about the numbers; they were about the impact she had in turning games around and stepping up when her team needed her the most.
Matthews' batting in 2023 was a testament to her technical prowess and mental strength. She accumulated a historical 700 runs at a strike rate 132.32, the first time a women’s player had reached this figure in a single calendar year.
The highlight innings of the year was the 132 runs she scored in the historical 213 run-chase against Australia in the second T20 International (T20I) at the North Sydney Oval, this followed 99 not out in the first match. In the third T20I she struck 79 to accumulate 310 runs, the most by any player in a women's T20I bilateral series. She took on the opposition's bowlers with a mix of traditional and innovative shots. Her ability to anchor the innings and accelerate when required makes her one of the most feared batters in the T20I circuit.
Bowling-wise, Matthews was equally impressive. Her right-arm off-spin deliveries, characterized by their flight and turn, baffled many top-order batters across various teams. She picked up 19 wickets with an economy rate of 6.84.
Matthews' recognition as the ICC Women's T20I Cricketer of the Year 2023 is not just a personal achievement but also a significant boost for West Indies women's cricket. It highlights the talent and potential within the team and the region, inspiring many young players in the Caribbean islands.
“It’s nice to see all the hard work paying off. It’s been a long two or three years to get to this point, it’s been really nice to have a good time with the bat and the ball in the last year to help the team as best as I can. I am very grateful for this award and it’s something that growing up I saw my role models achieving so to win one myself definitely means a lot,” said the West Indies Women’s captain.
Matthews was also named as a member of the ICC Women’s T20I Team of the Year 2023.
CWI’s Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe in offering his congratulations stated, “Hayley has been remarkable by any standard and has embodied leadership by example. Beyond her obvious talent, her professionalism and work ethic certainly underpin her performance and should be a source of inspiration to aspiring cricketers in the West Indies and the world over.“
As Hayley Matthews continues her journey in international cricket, her eyes are set on more victories and accolades. With the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh and other international fixtures on the horizon this year, Matthews is undoubtedly eager to continue her impressive form.
The 45th MILO Western Relays kicked off with a burst of excitement and anticipation, as co-founder and organizer Ray Harvey unveiled thrilling new events and surprises for the upcoming edition during the launch at the Holy Trinity Church Hall in Westgate, Montego Bay.
One of the most significant announcements was the introduction of discus and shot put throws for all classes of high school girls and boys. This marked a groundbreaking moment, bringing a new dimension to the competition and offering young athletes a chance to showcase their skills in these field events.
Ray Harvey further revealed that, due to popular demand from senior-level coaches, the invitational 60m dash for clubs and institutions would make a return to the schedule. This addition aimed to provide valuable experience for athletes preparing for overseas competitions, adding an extra layer of competitiveness to the event.
In another exciting development, prize money was reintroduced for high schools participating in specific relay events. The 4x100M Class 1, 4X400M Class 1, and the 4X800M Open categories would see athletes earning cash rewards ranging from JMD$5,000 to JMD$40,000 based on their placements. Edwin Allen emerged as the top-performing school in the previous year, securing JMD$140,000 for their outstanding performance.
The event, scheduled to start at 10:00 am, promised a packed day of activities, including relays for all classes, hurdles, field events such as long jump, triple jump, and high jump, as well as sprint races ranging from 100m to 800m. The day's schedule would culminate with the 3000m and the 1500m, the first event on the list.
Harvey also took the opportunity to announce the patron of the event and recognize outstanding junior male and female awardees. Chester McCarthy, the athletic director at GC Foster College, along with Deandre Daley of Herbert Morrison Technical High School and Alexis James, formerly of Petersfield High School, were named as this year's recipients. The awards presentation would take place during the opening ceremony at GC Foster College on Saturday, February 10.
Nekesha Bartholomew-Ramey, representing the title sponsor MILO, expressed their commitment with a generous cash sponsorship of four million dollars (JMD$4,000,000). She emphasized MILO's dedication to the event, highlighting its alignment with the product as the "food drink of champions" that provides energy to go further.
Mount Alvernia's coach Andrew Henry received special recognition for his exceptional work with MILO scholarship awardees since 2007. Bartholomew-Ramey praised his efforts, acknowledging the positive impact he had on athletes in the west.
Attendees to the February event were promised not only a fantastic athletic showcase but also the opportunity to sample hot and cold MILO, with product sales at discounted prices. The Jamaica Olympic Association's president, Chris Samuda, confirmed the organization's continued sponsorship for the third consecutive year, further solidifying the significance of the MILO Western Relays on the Jamaican sports calendar.
The launch event extended beyond the formalities, featuring a coach's clinic and an informative section on nutrition, exercises, and recovery for prep and primary schools, as well as high schools. Keilando Goburn, coach at St. Jago High School, delivered a well-timed presentation on 'Intensive Hurdling Technique,' earning praise from fellow coaches for its quality and relevance. Overall, the atmosphere was buzzing with excitement as the countdown to the MILO Western Relays began.
Nico de Boinville will miss Friday’s action at Sandown and the plum ride on Jonbon at Cheltenham on Saturday to give himself more time to fully recover from the broken collarbone he suffered in a fall at Doncaster last month.
The leading jockey returned from nearly a month on the sidelines at Lingfield last Sunday and has since taken up a total of 11 rides, including a winner at Warwick on Monday.
However, having suffered a narrow defeat aboard 11-8 favourite Ilfu Un Mome at Chepstow on Wednesday – his only ride on the card – De Boinville has made the difficult decision to withdraw from the upcoming action, meaning James Bowen will take over aboard Jonbon in Saturday’s Clarence House Chase.
“Nico was sore after yesterday, so he won’t be riding this weekend,” said De Boinville’s agent Sam Stronge.
“We’ll just take it day by day and see how it is next week. It’s unfortunate, we obviously tried to do our best as quickly as we could, and after riding for a couple of days he obviously wasn’t quite right.
“The sensible thing to do when you’ve got big rides like that (Jonbon) is to not let everybody down. It’s a very difficult decision, but we’ll take it day by day and hopefully he’ll be back next week.”
On this day in 2008 six-time champion jockey Kieren Fallon was banned from racing for 18 months after testing positive for a banned substance.
He initially failed a test following Myboycharlie’s success in the Group One Darley Prix Morny the previous August.
A B-test sample confirmed the original positive test for a banned substance and France Galop imposed the ban.
Fallon had previously served a six-month suspension imposed by France Galop for testing positive for a metabolite of cocaine in June 2006.
Speaking about the ban, he told the Racing Post: “It’s not a tragedy, you know. Far from it.
“There’s no doubt I’ll bounce back. It’s very silly of people to talk of retirement. I’m young at heart and have many years left.
“I’ll use the duration of the ban to get back on track, and when I do come back I’ll be stronger, both mentally and physically.”
He immediately launched an appeal against the ban which was heard the following month and subsequently upheld.
Fallon returned to the sport in September 2009 and made his return to action at Lingfield.
The World Athletics Continental Tour Silver event, Racers Grand Prix will host its 2024 staging on Saturday, June 1 at the National Stadium.
Known globally as Jamaica’s foremost track and field meet credited with showcasing many of Jamaica’s most decorated athletes, Racers Grand Prix promises an exhilarating three-hour demonstration of athletic excellence.
As the well-supported meet returns to its pride and place on the sporting calendar for the second year post-pandemic, Racers Grand Prix CEO Devon Blake is prepared to raise the engagement for fans of the sport.
“As usual we will have a star-studded lineup of international and Jamaican athletes. A major focus for this year's meet will be our fan engagement activities. We are working on new ways for attendees to immerse themselves in the Grand Prix experience. We are proud to announce that for the first time this year, fans of track and field will be able to sign up online for free tickets to the meet,” Blake shared
While deliberations continue to determine the meet lineup for 2024, Blake is keen to highlight the Racers Track Club members to watch at this year’s meet.
“It's too early to have any confirmed athletes who are not part of Racers Track Club. However, we are expecting exemplary things from Oblique Seville (who leads the new generation of 100m athletes), Antonio Watson (Jamaica's first World Championship gold medallist in over 40 years), and Zharnel Hughes (British 100m and 200m record holder),” Blake added.
Racers Grand Prix was conceived by Chairman Glen Mills and launched in 2016. Today it stands as a premier Track and Field Meet showcasing top talents from the Racers Track and Field Club, Jamaica and around the world. The event plays a pivotal role in developing Jamaica's athletics and the Racers Track and Field Club.
Racer’s Grand Prix Organizing Committee Chairman, Glen Mills is particularly excited to facilitate the development of local talent at this year’s meet as a precursor to the Olympics.
“This is an Olympic year and the Racers Grand Prix offers our Jamaican athletes the perfect opportunity to measure themselves against the best in the world in front of their home fans and also assess their progress in preparation for the Olympics,” Glen Mills commented.
In the realm of women's cricket, the year 2023 witnessed a parade of spectacular performances and breathtaking moments, with one player standing out prominently in the T20 International format – West Indies Women's captain, Hayley Matthews. Her outstanding consistency with both bat and ball has earned her the esteemed title of ICC Women's T20I Cricketer of the Year 2023, a well-deserved accolade for a player of her caliber.
The year unfolded as a saga of dominance for Matthews, marked by phenomenal performances that went beyond mere statistics. Her impact on turning games around and rising to the occasion when her team needed her most defined a remarkable year.
Matthews' batting prowess in 2023 showcased her technical brilliance and mental fortitude. Accumulating a historic 700 runs at a striking rate of 132.32, she became the first women's player to reach this figure in a single calendar year. The highlight of her innings was a staggering 132 runs in the historic 213-run chase against Australia in the second T20I at the North Sydney Oval, preceded by an unbeaten 99 in the first match. In the third T20I, she added 79 more to her tally, amassing 310 runs in the series. Employing a blend of traditional and innovative shots, she proved to be one of the most formidable batters in the T20I circuit, anchoring the innings and accelerating as needed.
Equally impressive in her bowling, Matthews, with her right-arm off-spin deliveries featuring flight and turn, perplexed top-order batters from various teams, claiming 19 wickets with an economy rate of 6.84.
Beyond being a personal achievement, Matthews' recognition as the ICC Women's T20I Cricketer of the Year 2023 is a significant boost for West Indies women's cricket. It underscores the talent and potential within the team and the region, serving as inspiration for aspiring young players in the Caribbean islands.
Expressing her gratitude, Matthews stated, “It’s nice to see all the hard work paying off. It’s been a long two or three years to get to this point, it’s been really nice to have a good time with the bat and the ball in the last year to help the team as best as I can. I am very grateful for this award, and it’s something that growing up I saw my role models achieving, so to win one myself definitely means a lot.”
As Hayley Matthews continues her journey in international cricket, her focus remains on securing more victories and accolades. With the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh and other international fixtures on the horizon this year, Matthews is undoubtedly poised to continue her impressive form and lead West Indies Women to greater heights.
Paul Townend hit back with a treble of his own at Fairyhouse in his effort to keep tabs on Jack Kennedy in the battle to be champion jockey.
Kennedy moved 19 clear with a four-timer at Down Royal on Tuesday but just 24 hours later that was back down to 16, as Townend partnered three of his boss Willie Mullins’ four winners at the rescheduled meeting.
Spread Boss Ted (2-5 favourite) had to be ridden right out to justify cramped odds in the Easter Festival March 30th – April 1st Novice Hurdle, in which Kennedy’s mount Binge Worthy was a bitter disappointment and finished a tailed off last of four.
“I went out to settle him and thought I was after doing too good of a job at halfway!” said Townend.
Spindleberry (5-2) looked the Mullins second string in the HAY “How Are Ya” Campaign Mares Maiden Hurdle behind the Mark Walsh-ridden Jolie Coeur Allen but she was an impressive winner, with the favourite only third.
“Coming off a break, that will knock the freshness out of her and she showed a very willing attitude to stay going after being as keen as she was for the first mile of the race,” said Townend.
“She’s lightly-raced too and only had one run in a bumper, so I think she’ll improve away.”
O’Moore Park (8-11 favourite) brought up Townend’s treble with a nine-length win in the Fairyhouse Supporting Treo Eile Maiden Hurdle.
Townend said: “He benefitted from the run the last day, which knocked the freshness out of him and brought him on.
“He’s a chaser – he’s no respect for a hurdle when he meets one wrong.
“On that ground, to pick up like he did when I gave him a squeeze at the back of the last was nice. He’s progressing away and is going to be a chaser.
“I think he can go further.”
Walsh did get on the scoresheet himself when Mirazur West (8-11 favourite), a full-brother to high-class-but-fragile stablemate Ferny Hollow, won the Easter Festival Early Bird Maiden Hurdle.
There was a sad postscript to the race, with Gordon Elliott’s D B Cooper, the winner’s main market rival, suffering a fatal injury.
Mirazur West was left unchanged at 14-1 for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle by Paddy Power and Betfair.
“He’s still learning and settled a lot better today than he did in Leopardstown,” said Walsh.
“He’s well able to jump, there is no issue with that anyway, it’s just keeping him relaxed.
“I only found out when I pulled up that Jack’s horse had gone wrong. It takes away from the race and is very unfortunate.”
French star Theleme has been ruled out of the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Trained by Arnaud Chaille-Chaille and owned by the Leeds-based Gordon family, the seven-year-old was being prepared for a crack at the Festival’s day three feature having dominated over the smaller obstacles in his homeland.
The seven-year-old has struck Grade One gold five times in France, including victory in last year’s French Champion Hurdle and successive wins in the Grand Prix d’Automne at Auteuil.
He was due to appear on the Flat next month to add the finishing touches to his Festival preparations, but will now not make the trip to the Cotswolds.
On having to sit out the action at Prestbury Park, Bertand Le Metayer, the owners’ racing manager, said: “It is disappointing, but that is what racing is all about, you have ups and downs.”
Kim Muir winner Angels Dawn is aiming to give her connections another famous victory before she is covered in the spring when she lines up in the Goffs Thyestes Handicap Chase on Thursday.
Trained by Sam Curling, the nine-year-old mare beat Gavin Cromwell’s Stumptown, a winner at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day, by a neck at the Festival last March.
She went on to finish sixth in the Irish National after that and has had just two runs over hurdles this season in order to protect her handicap mark for this valuable pot.
“This has been the plan for a good while,” said Curling.
“She’s had a couple of spins over hurdles and she’s come on for those, the ground should suit hopefully and she has a nice weight, so she has plenty in her favour.
“The testing ground helps, I don’t think she has to have it but she seems to handle it better than most. It will be very soft there.
“I think the Irish National was just a step too far for her, she’d had a long enough year, she probably just ran a bit flat but she still ran with plenty of credit. It was just a step too far in the end.”
Whatever happens at Gowran, this looks sure to be her last season racing, with a stallion date booked in.
“This is the aim this year and we’ll see how she gets on and then make a plan after that,” said Curling.
“She’ll be covered this spring either way, whatever happens. We’ll just see what happens after that, we won’t over race her anyway.
“She’s been a star for us and owes no one anything.”
Barry Connell’s Espanito Bello has a curious record that has seen him win five times in 19 races, all at Naas.
The owner-trainer admits he has no real idea what sort of performance to expect but hopes the fitting of a first-time visor will have the desired effect.
“If we could put a sign up that said ‘Naas’ I think that might help, all his wins have come there!” said Connell.
“He’s a bit quirky. We ran him in Navan the last day and he didn’t perform, I don’t know why, there’s no particular reason.
“All I can say is he’s well. We’ve put a visor on him so we’re hoping that might have the desired effect.
“He did run well in the race last year (fifth) off a long break. He has the ability, he’s well capable of winning a race like the Thyestes off the mark he’s on but he does come with a health warning. I’m going there hopeful, but I couldn’t be convinced how he’d run.
“At the end of the day, he’s won nearly every year we’ve raced him, he’s won over €100,000, so if every horse you had was capable of doing that it would be great.
“If the visor works he’s well capable. I will go through the programme at Naas after this and see what there is there for him.”
Martin Brassil runs Longhouse Poet, just 1lb below the top-weight Bronn. He has been well fancied for the Grand National at Aintree the last twice.
“I thought it wasn’t a standout Thyestes,” said Brassil.
“There’s a couple of horses well-in and he has loads of weight, so if he runs well and gets a bit of prize-money we’d be happy.
“He’s been an unlucky horse at Aintree. He did too much in his first outing there, he went too fast (when sixth), then he only got to the Canal Turn last year when it got a bit tight and J J (Slevin) was unseated.
“It’s a race that is made for him (Aintree), but there’s lots of horses like him with the same profile and you just need so much luck in that race.”
Gordon Elliot runs six but the red-hot Jack Kennedy has sided with Dunboyne, beaten a short head in the race 12 months ago.
“The weights went up which was good so I get to ride Dunboyne. He was just touched off in the race last year so he likes it around there,” said Kennedy.
“I won on him around there earlier in the year last year as well, so hopefully he’ll run well.”
Willie Mullins’ Monkfish is due to make his anticipated return to action in the Grade Two John Mulhern Galmoy Hurdle.
He was declared to run at Tramore on New Year’s Day but was a non-runner due to a temperature.
Martin Brassil is confident there is improvement to come from Fastorslow when he takes Galopin Des Champs on again in the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup at the Dublin Racing Festival.
The feature race of next weekend’s two-day meeting at Leopardstown looks set to feature the first two in the betting for the Gold Cup at Cheltenham just over a month later.
The pair have met three times in their careers to date. Galopin Des Champs finished a long way clear in the 2022 John Durkan Chase when Fastorslow was making his Irish debut over fences – but Brassil’s star came out on top at the Punchestown Festival and in this season’s John Durkan.
He does hold an alternative engagement in the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase, but that will only be needed if the ground comes up very soft – conditions which prevented him taking on Galopin Des Champs at Christmas.
“We only entered for the two-mile race in case the ground comes up heavy, but the preferred option is the Gold Cup,” said Brassil after watching his stable star on the Curragh gallops on Wednesday.
“I’m very happy with him, he’s in a good place, he was ready to run at Christmas. He’s a very easy horse to watch as he eats well, loves his work and thrives on what he does. It’s a case of maintaining that.
“He was beaten a short head when the ground was terrible at Cheltenham a couple of years ago (Coral Cup) and the ground was soft enough there last year (second in the Ultima). He won the John Durkan on soft, he’s versatile regards ground, we just felt that we didn’t really need to run him on heavy ground (at Christmas) when the (Irish) Gold Cup was another option.
“Galopin Des Champs is a top-class horse, a Gold Cup winner, so he’s always going to be hard enough to crack. Going back over three miles is a plus for him, we haven’t raced against him in those conditions.
“I’d say we could possibly be the main challenger. I’m not saying we’ll beat him every time we meet him, but I’m sure they’ve plenty of respect for my horse as I have for theirs.
“We were only hopeful he’d finish in the first three in the John Durkan, there was plenty of improvement to come from him, so hopefully there will be.”
Looking ahead to March, despite two agonising near-misses at the past two Cheltenham Festivals, Brassil can at least take heart from the fact he clearly likes the track.
“He’s been beaten a short head and a neck at Cheltenham and An Epic Song was just touched off in the Coral Cup (last year), I’m sure one will get their head on the right side of it soon,” said Brassil.
“We know he acts around there. The Ultima was only his fourth run over fences, his first handicap and he just came up a bit short, so there was always going to be improvement and thankfully he showed that in Punchestown.
“Because he’d won in France before we got him, some of the conditions of the races we’d liked to have run him in meant we couldn’t, they couldn’t have won a chase before May ’21 and he’d won in September ’19.
“There was no winners-of-one, not one chase on the programme, so we had to pitch him in the deep end, his second and third runs over fences were in Grade Ones.
“Doing that has helped him, he’s not afraid of much, he enjoys what he’s doing and is starting to think he’s special, he’d better keep performing like it!”
Regarding how the horse’s name came about, Grand National winner Brassil had an amusing tale.
“He was in training with Arnaud Chaille-Chaille in France and he doesn’t speak any English, so the man who acts as his agent rang Sean (Mulryan, owner) one night to say the horse was getting close to a run and needed a name,” explained Brassil.
“Sean asked him fairly sharply ‘is he fast or slow?’ and the agent just said thank you and hung up! I’m glad he’s a bit faster than slower, anyway.
“I never thought I’d have a Gold Cup horse, I always thought it was something everyone else had a horse for, but I probably felt the same before the National.”
The Sir Alex Ferguson-owned Spirit Dancer will search for further international riches on Friday when he attempts to supplement his Bahrain International Trophy success in Meydan’s Jebel Hatta.
Owned by Ferguson alongside Fred Done and Ged Mason, Spirit Dancer gave the former Manchester United manager one of the best days of his racing life when the £500,000 connections earned through victory in the Persian Gulf eclipsed any single winner’s cheque the Scotsman picked up with the legendary Rock Of Gibraltar.
Trained by Richard Fahey, the son of Frankel – who was bred by Ferguson and Niall McLoughlin – has taken his time to fulfil his potential but is now rapidly climbing through the ranks as he prepares to line up in Group One company for the very first time.
Victory in Bahrain was Spirit Dancer’s fourth from his last five runs and although his owners are not able to make the trip to the UAE to cheer the seven-year-old on, connections are hopeful of tasting more overseas success in his first outing of 2024.
Fahey said: “It’s his first Group One and a tough race, a proper Group One and we’re looking forward to seeing him run. Everything is going well and he’s in great order.
“I’m afraid his owners can’t make it this time which is a big shame because I know they were keen to come, but it’s just fallen on the wrong day sadly.
“Sir Alex is used to winning, but he gets a good kick out of it, so let’s hope he runs well again.
“It was a great day (in Bahrain), a very enjoyable day and it’s always great to be a part of these big international meetings and Dubai is exceptional as well, so we’re looking forward to it.”
The Jebel Hatta – which also features 1000 Guineas heroine Mawj – is the beginning of what could be a busy few months for Spirit Dancer in the Middle East, with a trip to the Saudi Cup meeting next month and a return to Meydan on Dubai World Cup night pencilled in on the gelding’s calendar.
His win in Bahrain secures him an automatic spot into the Neom Turf Cup in Riyadh on February 24, but he also has the option of switching to dirt for the fixture’s main event the $20,000,000 Saudi Cup.
“We’re certainly using this as a prep for Saudi and he will maybe just need the run,” continued Fahey.
“He will stay in the Middle East now for a few months and hopefully also get an invite for Dubai World Cup night.
“We haven’t decided yet (which race in Saudi Arabia) and we’re just keeping our options open. It’s very difficult to get away from a $20,000,000 race but the Neom Cup does look the easier race, so we will speak to the team and see what they think.”
Over the course of the last decade, football has grown substantially in the Dominican Republic. The founding of the professional Liga Dominicana de Futbol paved the way for a new era of the sport in the Caribbean country.
At the national team level, the fruits of that labour are apparent, evidenced by their runner-up finish in the 2022 Concacaf Men’s Under-20 Championship, which not only qualified Dominican Republic for a first World Cup in any age group, but also punched their ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The growth of football in the Dominican Republic is also taking shape in the international arena at the club level. Since 2018, there have been four instances in which a team from the Spanish-speaking Caribbean country have qualified for the Concacaf Champions Cup, the latest being Moca FC, who will participate in this year’s edition.
Moca are set to make their Champions Cup debut next month, when they lock horns with Major League Soccer (MLS) side Nashville SC in Round One. This, as a result of their third-place finish in last year’s Concacaf Caribbean Cup.
The history of Dominican teams in the Champions Cup actually stretches back to 1973 when Universidad Catolica became the first club from the country to compete in the tournament. Then, Universidad Catolica squared off in the First Round of the Caribbean Zone with eventual champions SV Transvaal of Suriname and lost 0-8 and 0-6.
Nearly two decades later in 1992, San Cristobal FC got their first crack at Champions Cup and defeated Unique FC of the US Virgin Islands 5-4 on aggregate in the Preliminary Round of the Caribbean Zone thanks to a 2-1 win and 3-3 stalemate.
San Cristobal FC’s run ended shortly after when they went down 3-4 on aggregate to Guadeloupe’s Solidarite Scolaire, based on a 3-3 stalemate and 1-0 loss.
San Cristobal returned to Champions Cup three years later in 1995, but suffered a 1-2 defeat on aggregate to Haiti’s FICA in the First Round of the Caribbean Zone.
After a lull, Dominican Republic teams returned to the Champions Cup arena, courtesy of Cibao FC, who won the 2017 Concacaf Caribbean Club Championship.
Despite a heavy 0-7 aggregate defeat to eventual champions and Mexican giants Chivas in the Round of 16 of the 2018 Champions Cup, Cibao FC’s qualification showed that Dominican Republic football was on the rise.
A year later, Atletico Pantoja followed suit in the 2019 edition of the Champions Cup and exited at the Round of 16 after a 0-5 aggregate loss to New York Red Bulls. Atletico Pantoja then made their second appearance in the tournament in 2021 and made history against five-time Concacaf champions Monterrey.
Even though they were eliminated 1-6 on aggregate Lisandro Cabrera scored the club’s first Champions Cup goal when he found the back of the net in the second half of the return leg.
Now in 2024, an opportunity exists for debutants Moca FC, to blaze a new trail and rewrite the history books with victory over Nashville SC, which would book them a Round of 16 date with Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami.
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