Ascot has announced an increase in prize-money for 2024 when the King’s Stand sprint will also be run as the King Charles III Stakes for the first time.
Prize-money for 2024 will be worth £17.5million, an increase of 3.9 per cent on 2023, with Royal Ascot accounting for £10million on its own.
The figure excludes the industry-owned Qipco British Champions Day fixture in October.
Group One races at Royal Ascot will be run for a minimum of £650,000 (up from £600,000) while no race will be worth less than £110,000 at the big meeting.
Royal Ascot 2023 benefitted from the first royal winner since the King’s succession to the throne through William Haggas’ Desert Hero.
Nick Smith, director of racing and public affairs at Ascot, said: “We are pleased to be delivering these prize-money increases in 2024 against a backdrop of uncertainty and an unprecedented number of negative headwinds for the industry. The financial impact on all facets of the industry is already being acutely felt.
“It is, however, crucial for Royal Ascot to maintain its position on the global stage at a time when participants at home and abroad have so many alternative lucrative options away from Britain.
“Whist the main increases have been made to the Royal meeting to enable us to get to £10million for the first time, we have made increases in other areas of the programme as well.
“These include increases to fit with the new Premier fixture structure, including at the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup, where there is a particular focus on maintaining full fields.
“Importantly, no race at Ascot will be run for less than in 2023 including at our core (non-Premier) fixtures. This is in spite of a reduction in central funding to this element of the programme, which has therefore required further increases in executive contribution.”
Moca FC of the Dominican Republic qualified for the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup after playing to a 1-1 stalemate with Jamaican side Harbour View in the second leg of the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Cup Third-Place playoff at the Estadio Cibao in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic, on Tuesday night.
The result earned Moca a 3-2 victory on aggregate and passage to Round One of the 2024 Champions Cup. It is their first Champions Cup qualification.
There was not much in the way of chances in the first 45 minutes. It was not until toward the end of the half that the best looks at goal arrived, and they were both for Moca.
Victor Sanchez was in on goal, but saw his effort denied by Harbour View's goalkeeper Anthony Bennett. That was quickly followed by a swerving, dipping shot from Sebastian Valencia that sliced wide of net.
Harbour View started carving out some chances for themselves in the second half, and Andre Fagan could only shake his head in disbelief after he headed over the crossbar when left unmarked on a corner kick in the 56th.
The "Stars of the East" kept pressing and their efforts bore fruit in the 64th, when a free kick was played deep into the Moca FC area, and Ajuma Johnson arrived at the far post to finish on the volley.
Still requiring another goal due to Moca's away goal tiebreaker, Harbour View pushed for another, but Moca FC had other ideas and quickly evened the contest in the 68th, when a ball from Sebastian Valencia went through a sea of players.
Harbour View doubled down on attack and Moca FC's goalkeeper Odalis Baez was summoned to make a big save in 78th from an Ajeanie Talbott effort.
Harbour View’s last push came in the waning seconds, and a mad scramble in front of goal saw a shot ring off the crossbar, before eventually being cleared by Moca's defence, as they were resolute in holding on to their aggregate advantage.
William Haggas has raised the possibility of the King and Queen’s Desert Hero running in Australia in the new year.
A winner at Royal Ascot in June, he then chased Classic glory in the St Leger at Doncaster but with the King and Queen in attendance he could only finish an honourable third.
He was briefly under consideration for the Melbourne Cup which created a real buzz in Australia, but plans were shelved to give him time to recover from his Classic bid.
Now Haggas, who has enjoyed great success in Australia with the likes of Addeybb and Dubai Honour, has suggested the Tancred Stakes, a Group One over a mile and a half at Rosehill in Sydney, could be a viable option.
“We won’t decide until January. They won’t go into quarantine until February 20 and the first race is March 23, I think they would arrive in Australia on March 9,” Haggas told Sky Sports Racing.
“Dubai Honour is going to go and a staying horse called Post Impressionist will go who has been sold to Australian connections.
“We are umming and ahhing about Desert Hero maybe going for the Tancred Stakes, I’m not sure. He’s not thriving at the moment so I’m not sure. He’s just not enjoying the cold but there’s plenty of time, he’s come back in from his holiday so we’ll see.
“We won’t make any decision on him for ages. It’s a long way off.”
Vincent Ho saw off the challenge of some of the best riders around the world to win the International Jockeys’ Championship at Happy Valley in Hong Kong.
Ho, best known for his association with local superstar Golden Sixty, who will be back in action at the weekend attempting to win the Hong Kong Mile for a third time, needed victory in the last leg on Tomodachi Kokoroe to seal the title having finished third in the first two contests.
The likes of Ryan Moore, Tom Marquand, Hollie Doyle and Zac Purton were also in action, but Ho sealed victory with a half-length success aboard David Hayes’ charge.
“Of course I’m very happy, I didn’t know about the score so it’s great,” said Ho.
“I’m pleased to have a winner. When the horse changed legs today, he came home very well.
“I was lucky to get some good draws today and of course it is a privilege to join all the top jockeys here, I enjoy racing against them.
“It’s good to have a home-grown jockey win it to inspire more upcoming jockeys.”
Ho took the title with 20 points, with Purton second on 18 and Rachel King, once racing secretary for Clive Cox in the UK and now a multiple Group One-winning jockey in Australia, third on 16.
King won the first leg on Oversubscribed and said: “I had to pinch myself halfway up the straight as the horse just travelled into it and if anything, I thought I might have got there a little bit too soon.
“He was a beautiful ride, he showed me around the track and it was a perfect start.”
Moore, who won the second leg on M Unicorn, said: “It’s always a real pleasure to be asked to ride here, I love to ride at Happy Valley, it’s a fantastic week. It’s great to have a winner but I appreciate being here.”
Freshness has been cited as the reason for the below-par display from Marie’s Rock at Newbury, with owners Middleham Park Racing no closer to knowing if their star mare truly stays three miles.
The Nicky Henderson-trained eight-year-old was a Cheltenham Festival heroine for her syndicate members in 2022 before following up at the Punchestown Festival the following month.
She added to her haul of victories when successfully reappearing in the Relkeel Hurdle on New Year’s Day but failed to defend her Mares’ Hurdle crown when seventh behind Honeysuckle.
Having decided against a move up to three miles at the Festival, connections finally made the step up in distance at Aintree a month later, where she finished second to a thriving Sire Du Berlais.
Given another chance to prove herself over a staying trip, Marie’s Rock was sent off the 6-5 favourite to get her new campaign off to a winning start in Newbury’s Long Distance Hurdle.
However, over-exuberance both pre-race and in the early exchanges put paid to her chances and left connections willing to put a line through her disappointing fourth-placed finish under Nico de Boinville.
“I suspected we knew our fate when she was leaving the parade ring really, and she was as wound up as I’ve seen her in recent memory,” explained Tom Palin, racing manager for Middleham Park’s National Hunt string.
“She is Marie’s Rock, she does get sweaty and she does get buzzy, but she was very, very on it and Nico said she was on it at the start, just always on her nerves.
“She came there looking like she was going to be deadly and nothing was found and that was because she spent her energy at the start really, the damage was done before the tapes went up.
“There’s a fine line with horses like her and she’s so brilliant and so quick, but you just need to harness it and I think she was just too fresh and too free to do herself any form of justice.”
The defeat has left the Middleham Park team scratching their heads regarding Marie’s Rock’s next move, still lacking clarity over their eight-time winner’s staying potential.
Although eased in the Long Walk Hurdle market, connections are refusing to completely give up on three-mile ambitions, despite a crack at back-to-back Relkeel Hurdle victories followed by the Mares’ Hurdle back down in trip creeping onto the radar.
“We’ll regroup and go again and see whether we go again over three miles next time or drop back to two-and-a-half for the Relkeel,” added Palin.
“She’s the defending champion in that and is very good over two-and-a-half-miles at Cheltenham. That could be just the ticket, or we could stick to three miles in the Long Walk.
“We’ll have a bit of a discussion as a syndicate and with the trainer and see just where she is in the next 10 days or so.
“She was too free to accurately judge if she is going to be a three miler or not, but what I would say is that at this stage, the Mares'(Hurdle) is a bit more open to consideration than it was going into Friday.
“My comments (previously) have been it’s very much just the three-mile route, but when the facts change, your opinions are allowed to change as well and I’m not as all-in – nor is Nicky or the team – on the three-mile division being her sole campaign this year. We’ll know more as the season goes on.”
If abandoning the Long Walk in favour of the Relkeel, one possible route available to the Marie’s Rock team is a temporary drop in distance that allows the mare the chance to defend her crown, before a third attempt at three miles over the Stayers’ Hurdle track and trip in the Cleeve Hurdle on Festival Trials Day.
“You could go Relkeel and then onto the Cleeve at the end of the month and go back up to three miles that way,” continued Palin.
“Then she will be hard fit because she’s had two runs, burnt off any freshness and there would be no excuses.
“You would have a pretty good sighter and handle on whether she is right to line up in a Grade One staying race from there on in.”
Cian Collins could record a unique double in providing Oisin Murphy with his first ride over hurdles at Wincanton on Thursday.
Collins helped close friend Denis O’Regan complete the full set of a winner at all the Irish and UK National Hunt tracks recently when Fiveonefive won at Hereford. Not long after that, O’Regan retired from the saddle a happy man.
Now Collins is hoping to provide another of his friends with a noteworthy success as Murphy, a multiple champion Flat jockey in the UK and nephew of three-times Gold Cup winner Jim Culloty, switches codes briefly.
Murphy rides the Collins-trained Lets Do This in the Danny McNab Bookmakers “National Hunt” Novices’ Handicap Hurdle.
“It’s created a bit of a stir on the internet I’ve seen, so hopefully it all goes well,” said Collins.
“We had Denis ride the winner at Hereford for us so hopefully this works out just as well, it would be nice.
“I can’t imagine riding over hurdles will be an issue for Oisin, he’s a top-quality horseman, it shouldn’t be a problem at all.
“I think the horse has a very good chance, hopefully, and let’s hope the meeting is on. They’ve had a dry day today so hopefully it should be.”
Brendan Powell is backing JPR One to make amends for a final-fence blunder last time out when he returns for the Betfair Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown Park on Saturday.
The Joe Tizzard-trained gelding looked to be en route to Grade Two success in the Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham last month but made an error at the last and unseated his rider.
Connections will regroup at the weekend for the Henry VIII, success in which would be a first at the Grade One level for Powell after multiple placings throughout his career.
“I’m really looking forward to riding JPR One again as he looked like he was going to be an impressive winner at Cheltenham before making a mistake and getting rid of me at the last fence,” he said.
“This is a race that will take a bit of winning, but I wouldn’t want to be on any other horse and hopefully I can make up for what happened at Cheltenham on Saturday.
“I think I’ve been second in seven or eight Grade Ones, but I don’t think I’ve ridden in a Grade One where I’ve had a proper live chance, but this weekend I do and that makes it even more exciting.
“It is something I want to get on my CV, and it is something I want to achieve before I finish my career.
“To win a Grade One for Joe would mean just as much to me as winning a Grade One for myself. I think Joe was a big influence on me riding for the Tizzard team again.
“I’ll always be grateful to him for that and to repay him with a Grade One win would be amazing.”
Though the Cheltenham mishap was costly, the six-year-old otherwise ran a pleasing race and has taken to chasing well after a successful hurdling career.
“That was the frustrating thing as he didn’t put a foot wrong the whole way around at Cheltenham,” Powell said.
“He jumped and travelled and quickened well turning in. He has got all the attributes to be a good horse.
“He gave me a good spin at Newton Abbot on his debut over fences and I was quite surprised the price he was that day as well. He was seriously well handicapped that day if he came back to form over fences.
“The most important thing for our novice chasers is that they have a nice time and a good experience first time over fences. He did that and managed to win as well, which was a bonus.
“Hopefully on Saturday he should be good enough to be there, or thereabouts, at the back end of the race, then I suppose it will be then when we find out if he is good enough.”
Connections of Impaire Et Passe insist there were “a lot of positives” to take from his comeback defeat in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse.
The Willie Mullins-trained five-year-old was one of the star novices of last season, carrying the ‘double green’ colours of owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede to four victories, including Grade One triumphs at the Cheltenham and Punchestown festivals.
With some bookmakers rating him as the biggest threat to Constitution Hill for the Champion Hurdle this term, Impaire Et Passe was odds-on to pick up where he left off on Sunday, but after travelling strongly in the hands of Paul Townend, he was mowed down by the defending champion Teahupoo.
While disappointed to suffer defeat, the owners’ racing manager Anthony Bromley is keeping the faith.
“I was perfectly happy with Impaire’s return, he took a good blow and just got done close home. I think he showed plenty and we’ll look forward to the season ahead,” he said.
“It was his first step outside of novice company and I think he performed with a lot of credit. He’s such a lovely horse and there were a lot of positives to take from the run.”
What route Impaire Et Passe takes to the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham remains undecided, with Mullins also responsible for another major player in the form of State Man.
The latter won the Morgiana Hurdle, the Matheson Hurdle, the Irish Champion Hurdle and the Punchestown Champion Hurdle last term, with his only defeat coming at the hands of Constitution Hill when runner-up at Prestbury Park.
State Man made a successful reappearance when registering back-to-back wins in the Morgiana last month, and Bromley believes there is every chance Impaire Et Passe will meet his stablemate at some stage before Cheltenham in March.
He added: “Whether he comes out again at Christmas or waits for the Dublin Racing Festival (Irish Champion Hurdle), we’ll just wait and see what Willie wants to do.
“I’d imagine he’s going to come back to two miles now because there’s isn’t a two-and-a-half-mile race at Christmas in Ireland – it’s either two miles or three miles.
“Whether or not he does run in the Matheson Hurdle will be Willie’s decision as he’d obviously be taking on State Man, but if he doesn’t take him on at Christmas he’d be taking him on at the Dublin Festival and that will tell us more as to where we are with the horse.
“There aren’t the races in Ireland to split them up, the only time you could was for their reappearance runs as one could go Morgiana and one could go Hatton’s Grace.
“From now on they’ll have to meet and then, come March, there’s another one for us to meet (Constitution Hill)!”
A possible alternative to locking horns with State Man over the festive period would be to make the trip to Britain for an early clash with Constitution Hill in the Christmas Hurdle on Boxing Day, but that appears highly unlikely, with Bromley saying a trip to Kempton was of “no interest at all”.
Sunday’s Peterborough Chase meeting at Huntingdon is under threat due to waterlogging.
While conditions at the Cambridgeshire track have improved since Tuesday, when parts of the home straight were submerged in water, another band of heavy rain is due on Thursday.
As a result clerk of the course Roderick Duncan and his team will inspect the track at 2pm on Thursday to assess conditions.
“It’s a lot better than it was, there is still standing water in a few places, including the start of the Peterborough Chase,” said Duncan.
“The water levels are starting to drop now, but unfortunately looking at the forecast they are just going to get topped up again tomorrow.
“It is not just the rain we’ll get that is the issue, the rain they get in the Northampton area will put us in trouble.
“As we’ve only just called the inspection no discussions have yet taken place about the possibility of rescheduling the Peterborough Chase.”
Prospects for the rest of the week are difficult to gauge at this stage with almost everywhere forecast heavy rain on Thursday.
Market Rasen on Thursday is currently described as soft, heavy in places with some standing water but not on the racing line.
On the same day Wincanton are inspecting at 8am and while the course is currently raceable, a yellow weather warning for rain is in place putting the meeting in grave danger.
Leicester on Thursday had already been abandoned.
Exeter’s meeting on Friday is subject to a 7.30am precautionary inspection on raceday due to the same weather warning affecting Wincanton.
At Sedgefield ahead of Friday the going is already heavy with rain forecast all day Thursday.
Wetherby are scheduled to race on Saturday but the course was waterlogged in places on the back straight on Tuesday. Wednesday is due to be dry but 15mm is forecast on Thursday.
There are currently no reported problems at Sandown, Chepstow or Aintree for their weekend meetings.
Wednesday’s meeting at Haydock was cancelled due to frost but Ludlow staged the first British jumps action since Sunday after passing a 7.30am inspection.
Trinidad and Tobago missed out on a spot in next year's Concacaf Women's Gold preliminary stage, as they went down 0-1 to Mexico in their final Group A fixture in League A of the Gold Cup qualifiers at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, on Tuesday night.
Needing a win to secure second position in the group, the Soca Ladies fought gallantly, but couldn't take what would have been a famous three points off the Mexicans, who had the all-important strike through Cristina Ferral.
With the win, Mexico topped the group with maximum 12 points from four games and join Costa Rica, Panama, United States and Canada, among others in the Group stages of the inaugural Women's Gold Cup. Puerto Rico, with four points, secured a berth in the preliminary stage, while Trinidad and Tobago end with a solitary point in the three-team group.
Despite an expected dominant first half display, Mexico had to wait until the latter stages of the half to break the deadlock, and they did so in style.
Ferral collected a ball out outside the area and smashed a right-footed strike into the top right corner in the 40th minute.
The visitors tried desperately to add to their lead in the second stanza but found Trinidad and Tobago's defenders and goalkeeper Simone Eligon in a defiant mode.
In fact, Eligon produced a diving save to deny Jacqueline Ovalle's 63rd-minute effort, and she again came up big with another series of saves in the final quarter-hour to keep her side in it.
But her efforts were in vain as the twin island failed to get on target, and, as such, Mexico snared all three points.
Saturday’s high-profile Tingle Creek meeting at Sandown will see Racing With Pride given a welcome platform to champion inclusion within the sport for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
In celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the Rainbow Laces campaign, a wide range of activities aimed at encouraging the LGBT+ community’s involvement in racing will be on show at the Esher track.
There will also be a race specifically sponsored with this initiative in mind; the Betfair Supports Racing With Pride Mares’ Handicap Hurdle.
RWP committee member and British Horseracing Authority diversity and inclusion project manager Di Farrell-Thomas said: “There’s lots of activities going on there, which Great British Racing have led on setting up specifically for the Rainbow Laces campaign and celebrations.
“That campaign has been going now for 10 years and in racing, we want to mark that as well and keep up the progress towards LGBT+ inclusion.
“There’ll be plenty going on; in the fan zone, there will be the exerciser with Racing With Pride silks to wear, so people can come along and learn about the organisation.
“From Racing to School, there will be some jockey masterclasses as well. Racing With Pride members have been invited along to enjoy the day, ask questions and talk about LGBT+ inclusion.
“We’ve been very lucky with Betfair allowing the sponsorship races to have rainbow-coloured numbers and also the BHA staff on course will be wearing our badge as well, in support of inclusion.
“So, there will be plenty of stuff going on – with branding across the course, plus merchandise and prizes and so on, with people able to get involved in competitions.”
The Stonewall Rainbow Laces campaign began in 2013 and has been embraced by a number of sporting bodies, notably the Premier League, and Farrell-Thomas is determined to put racing at the forefront as well.
She added: “Other sports have done this for 10 years, particularly people see it in football, but I think it’s become recognisable across other sports as well. It’s pride, it’s inclusion, it’s celebrating diversity and who people are.
“I think we’ve made a lot of progress, for sure. Initially, Sir David Letts, who is the chair of Racing With Pride, did some research to fully understand that picture of how inclusive racing is in terms of LGBT+.
“We’ve definitely made a lot of progress, many organisations certainly engage with the network, which helps it grow.
“We’ve held educational events as well, so people are willing to learn and actually having that experience that our members can now go and feel that confidence, with thanks to all the partners who have been so helpful in welcoming us. Having visible signs of support as well makes a huge difference.”
Farrell-Thomas has welcomed the support given to Racing With Pride from those working within the sport.
She said: “Jockeys have been wearing the Racing With Pride silks and we have had trainers speak explicitly about the wider support and diversity, so attitudes are definitely changing.
“People within the sport are more used to gaining different experiences and I do feel we have made progress within that space.”
Receiving the backing of Betfair this weekend and other organisations within the industry is another big plus – and racing is also feeling the benefit.
“We’re very grateful to them, it’s really supportive to have wider partners looking to link in and see the importance of diversity,” stated Farrell-Thomas.
“It also helps bring new people into racing, in terms of filling the workforce, people buying horses and just getting involved in the breeding of horses, which is an area we need to expand to help grow the sport of racing.
“Any help from wider partners is always grateful.
“There are people who come racing who have never been racing before, so just to have that confidence to come along and experience something that is different is fantastic.
“Some people who have attended have actually become owners on the back of that, so it’s that kind of experience that breeds the next stage of involvement in racing. That side of things is really important to highlight.”
Dominican Republic defeated Bermuda 2-0 to not only end the Concacaf Women's Gold Cup qualifiers on a high, but also cop Group C honours in League B, on Tuesday.
Following the top-of-the-table clash, Dominican Republic ended with 15 points and secured a playoff berth ahead of their Bermudan counterparts, who ended on 13 points. Meanwhile, St Vincent and the Grenadines register a consolation victory of the campaign against Barbados.
St Vincent and the Grenadines vs. Barbados
St Vincent and the Grenadines topped Barbados 4-2 in a lively contest at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
Ashante Browne scored the first goal for the Lady Heat in the 12th when she pushed a pass over the top past goalkeeper Rhea Holder.
Shanice Stevenson equalized in the 74th when she pounced on a loose ball inside the box with a curling effort into the left netting.
St Vincent regained the lead through an 82nd-minute Samayaa Connell effort, as she rounded defenders and fired home from close range that left Holder flat-footed.
Jessicia Miller extended the advantage for the Lady Heat in the 84th when she connected with Asanteni Charles's weighted free kick.
Charles widened the gap with a goal of her own in the 89th by converting from the penalty spot.
Barbados eventually pulled another back courtesy of Altica Benn's own goal in the 90+3.
Dominican Republic vs. Bermuda
Dominican Republic proved too good for Bermuda on home soil at the Panamericano Stadium in San Cristobal.
Alyssa Oviedo broke free and opened the scoring in the 17th minute with a powerful shot that bounced off the left upright on its way in.
At the half-hour mark, Kathrynn Gonzalez had shot on frame, but her free kick attempt was denied by Bermuda's goalkeeper Zakhari Turner.
Lucia Marte was denied in the 44th, after she picked up the ball off a missed header and released a powerful attempt that was punched clear by Turner.
Mia Asenjo was also denied in the 47th, as Turner was alert for the save early in the second half.
But Asenjo broke through in the 86th with a powerful hit to the left netting to secure the three points.
St Patrick’s were crowned INSPORTS Primary Schools Netball champion of the Kingston and St Andrew division, as they defeated Mona Heights Primary 13-5 in the final at the Stadium Courts on Tuesday.
In the third-placed playoff, Half-Way-Tree got the better of Clan Carthy Primary 5-2 as the top two teams advanced to the all-island tournament. Earlier, St Patrick’s defeated Half-Way-Tree 13-5 and Mona Heights beat Clan Carthy 12-7 in the semi-finals.
St Patrick’s are the defending all-island champion and winning coach Lecia Walters, said it was a difficult game despite the scoreline.
“The girls really had to dig in. The game was a bit challenging, but we pulled through,” said Walters.
“Well onto the all-island finals and we will just go back to training, fix the things that need fixing and prepare ourselves. Every year the girls look forward to this INSPORTS competition as it gives them a chance to showcase their talents,” she added.
Meanwhile, Mona’s coach Maureen Murray said she believed her girls were a little bit nervous.
“You know experience goes a long way so we will just come back for the next one -- the all-island,” Murray noted.
“We didn’t settle until the last quarter and shooting wins games and the girls weren’t getting the ball into the circle so we will have to go and work on that,” she added.
Meanwhile, in St Catherine, played at the Ministry of Education in Old Harbour, Bridgeport and Naggo Head advanced to the final set to be played on Friday. Bridgeport defeated McAuley 13-6 while Naggo Head had a hard-fought 7-5 win over Spring Gardens.
Over in Trelawny, First Hill All-Age beat Kinloss Primary 10-0 and Clark’s Town beat Brampton Primary 11-3. In Portland, Buff Bay Primary whipped Port Antonio Primary 14-1.
There were two games in Manchester as McIntosh Primary beat Hatfield Primary 8-4 and Ramble Primary defeated McIntosh Primary who were playing a rescheduled game 3-1.
In St Elizabeth, Santa Cruz beat Holland 7-4; Carisbrook defeated Barbary Hall 16-11, Black River beat Middle Quarters 10-1 and Brompton whipped Burnt Savannah 19-0. While over in Westmoreland, Savanna-La-Mar Primary trounced Little London 13-0. In Hanover, Pell River edged Kendal Primary 2-1, while Green Island whipped Maryland Primary 25-0.
Aidan O’Brien is looking forward to taking on home favourite Romantic Warrior in Sunday’s Hong Kong Cup.
Luxembourg has not been seen since almost upsetting stablemate Auguste Rodin in the Irish Champion Stakes.
That form looks red-hot, with Auguste Rodin having won the Derby at Epsom and the Irish equivalent before subsequently triumphing in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
However, in Romantic Warrior, who travelled to Australia to win the Cox Plate recently, he faces a stern rival.
“He was second in the Irish Champion Stakes and then he had a foot bruise, this was a race we had our eye on with him,” said O’Brien.
“It’s going to be great, hopefully we have him right and well and hopefully we’ll be able to gauge those mile-and-a-quarter races all over the world. We’re looking forward to it.
Asked about taking on last year’s winner Romantic Warrior, O’Brien said: “He’s obviously a very good horse, Romantic Warrior, we totally respect every horse and he is very good.
“It’ll be interesting. I think it’ll be a nice race to watch and it’ll be an even-run mile and a quarter I’d imagine. Hopefully he’ll run well.”
The Ballydoyle handler will have four runners on the card with Aesop’s Fables in the Sprint and Cairo in the Mile, while Warm Heart holds very strong claims in the Vase.
She did not win her maiden until May 7 but went on to land the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot, the Yorkshire Oaks, the Prix Vermeille and went down narrowly at the Breeders’ Cup to Inspiral over 10 furlongs.
Due to the sex allowance, Ryan Moore will get down to 117lb (less than 8st 4lb) to ride her.
“He always got on very well with her and I think he’s looking forward to it,” said O’Brien.
“She has a nice weight pull, she’s well in and is a very consistent filly. It looks like she’s a little bit better maybe at a mile and a half, Rachel (Richardson) rides her out and she’s very happy with her. She looks very well.”
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
