The prospect of soft underfoot conditions at the Cheltenham Festival has Sophie Leech leaning towards a shot at the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Challenge Cup with her Dublin Racing Festival hero Madara.
The ever-improving five-year-old holds entries for both Wednesday’s two-mile event and the TrustATrader Plate over half a mile further the following day.
However, with Madara’s wins at both Cheltenham itself in December and on his successful raiding mission to Ireland coming over an extended two miles, Leech is inclined to stick to what is known for the gelding’s hat-trick bid.
Madara was partnered by former French champion jockey James Reveley when winning in the Irish capital and Leech is hopeful he will be aboard once again at Prestbury Park, with the progressive performer a best price of 10-1 to taste Grand Annual glory.
Leech said: “We’re definitely leaning towards the Grand Annual and I think the ground will potentially be on the softer side, so I think as long as the ground stays that way – which I think it will – that is the most likely option.
“He seems to be just thriving and really enjoying his racing and gaining confidence all the time which is great.
“Touching all available wood, everything has gone to plan since Ireland and he seems to be in great form, so I’m delighted with him.”
“I’m pretty sure James will ride, I’m pretty sure that is the plan. He’s top-class and we would be very happy to have him”
The air at the National Stadium in Kingston was thick with anticipation as the 2024 ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships approaches. However, there was a sombre note underlying the excitement—the absence of the revered journalist, analyst, and author, Hubert Lawrence, whose insights and analyses had become synonymous with the prestigious high school track and field meet.
Lawrence, who had spent decades unraveling the intricacies of track and field, providing context and depth to the exhilarating performances witnessed at the championships, passed away at his St. Catherine home on the evening of February 23, 2024. As the sporting community mourns the loss of this Jamaican legend, the organizers of the event are planning a fitting tribute to honour Lawrence's indelible contributions.
The announcement of this pending tribute was made by Don Webhy, CEO of the GraceKennedy Group, during the launch of the 2024 ISSA GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships. Addressing the gathering on Wednesday night, Webhy spoke of the void left by Lawrence's recent passing and the unique presence he brought to the world of athletics.
"This morning (Wednesday) I had a discussion with the ISSA (Inter-Secondary School Sports Association) President Keith Wellington, and I (told) Keith that GraceKennedy would like to honour Hubert at Champs. He assured me that he would engage Hubert’s family and my GraceKennedy team to develop a fitting tribute to Hubert Lawrence. I am confident Keith and my colleagues that an announcement will be made very shortly in terms of how we can honour his memory," expressed Webby.
The sentiment of honouring Lawrence's legacy echoed throughout the evening, with ISSA President Wellington and Olympian Vilma Charlton, speaking on behalf of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) president Garth Gayle all paying tribute to the late journalist.
The most poignant tribute came from Dr. Claire Clarke-Grant, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Broadcast and Content Services at the RJR Group. For the past decade, the RJR Group had been broadcasting the Championships across all their platforms, with Lawrence's analyses enriching their coverage.
“Lawrence’s analysis and unique perspective enriched our broadcasts and touched the lives of countless viewers and listeners. It’s probably not measurable, but I would like us all to think about the broadcasts that we have watched and listened to Hubert, how much he has taught the Jamaican audience what track and field is about, what track and field means to schools, to communities, to families,” shared Dr. Clarke-Grant, who had also been Lawrence's schoolmate at St Jago High School.
As the specter of Lawrence's absence looms over the upcoming Championships, Dr. Clarke-Grant emphasized the significant impact he had made, leaving an everlasting legacy that would guide and illuminate the world of track and field for years to come.
“We will miss his presence dearly, and his legacy will forever remain a guiding light for all of us at Television Jamaica, but for all of us who are connoisseurs of track and field who love the sport, who will remember the experiences that we had as we heard his voice doing commentary and analysis,” she concluded, reflecting the collective sentiment of a community mourning the loss of a true icon.
Owner Andrew Megson is excited to see if ante-post favourite Jipcot can continue trainer Ben Pauling’s blistering run of form in Saturday’s Betfair Imperial Cup.
The Naunton Downs handler has enjoyed a stellar campaign with his thriving string and Yorkshireman Megson, as one of Pauling’s biggest benefactors, is one of the owners who has reaped the rewards.
Both Pauling and Megson possess strong chances at next week’s Cheltenham Festival – including Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle hope Tellherthename.
However, before attentions turn to Prestbury Park, the owner and trainer will team up in search of Sandown’s £100,000 feature at the weekend with a French recruit finally beginning to find his feet on UK shores and Jipcot will attempt to rapidly back up an impressive success at Huntingdon last Sunday.
“The minute we got him to the winner’s enclosure at Huntingdon Ben said ‘right, if he’s OK tomorrow we will go for the Imperial Cup’,” said Megson.
“He absolutely bolted up and the way he accelerated on dead ground was astonishing.
“Ben told us he will go up 10lb for that so will be well in under a 7lb penalty, but also it doesn’t matter anyway and he will be well in simply because he is a talented horse.
“He’s bounced out of Huntingdon like he didn’t have a race and we are hopeful of a big run. He goes on any ground and now Ben has managed to calm him down and settle we would hope he runs very well, we’re very excited.
“I don’t want to jinx him and I haven’t backed him because I don’t want to put pressure on him, but we are hopeful of a big run.”
Twice a winner at Pau – including at Listed level – before switching to Pauling, Jipcot has always been held in the highest regard by connections and began life for the Cotswolds-based training team in the Triumph Hurdle at last season’s Cheltenham Festival.
That ultimately proved too stiff an assignment for the precocious import, who after struggling over fences at the beginning of the current season, finally broke his UK duck when reverting to timber last weekend.
Megson is full of praise for Pauling’s perseverance with the talented five-year-old, who now finds himself as short as 7-2 with Sky Bet and 4-1 with sponsors Betfair ahead of his next assignment – where he will bid to send both trainer and owner on to Cheltenham on a high.
“We think he is really smart he has just taken a while to settle in the UK, we bought him out of France,” continued Megson.
“He had an entry in the Triumph when we brought him over and he appeared to settle well, so when we had a chat with Ben we decided we would run him.
“He had won a Listed race at Pau, but as it turned out, 70,000 people on Gold Cup day at Cheltenham was a bit much for him and what happened next was we tried him over fences but he just didn’t settle.
“Ben said why don’t we go back over hurdles, just to settle him down and go back to what he’s used to – lets not force him. He’s a nice horse and lets give him a few months off.
“He did that and rather than train him with the other horses on the gallops at home he was doing things on his own on the round gallop with the intention of just calming everything down.
“We put a tongue-tie and a hood on him and it all just clicked and the horse we thought we had bought was the one that turned up at Huntingdon. There was only five horses in the race, but it was quite hot and he was carrying 12st 2lb – that was 11lb more than the second.”
In an unexpected twist at the Slingerz FC training ground this week, popular Jamaican dancehall entertainer Jahshii took to the football field to engage in a spirited training session with the club's players, leaving an indelible mark on both the team and coaching staff.
The collaboration took place on Monday as part of Jashii's extended stay in Guyana to support the football team during their KFC Elite League match against Fruta Conquerors on Tuesday night. Slingerz defeated Fruta Conquerors 4-1 in another dominant performance under Coach Alex Thomas with Jahshii looking on from the sidelines.
Jahshii, who had previously performed alongside fellow entertainers Masicka and Guyana's Bnick at the Slingerz Westside Mashramani Weekend Celebration at the Leonora Stadium on Saturday, decided to prolong his stay to witness the football team in action.
Under the watchful eye of their newly appointed head coach, the dancehall artist actively participated in the training session and engaged the players in conversation, leaving a lasting impression on everyone involved.
Javed Ali, the President of Slingerz FC, expressed his elation at having Jahshii join their training session, highlighting the positive impact on the players and the club's connection to the reggae and dancehall culture.
"We were elated to have Jahshii train with our club. The intensity of the training session showed that the players enjoyed him being there and they were impressed by his footballing abilities," said Ali. "Having such a popular and trending artiste visit the club helps motivate the players, so they understand that they can make it to the very top if they believe in themselves and show the required commitment to their craft."
Ali emphasized the importance of Jahshii's presence in inspiring the players and fostering a connection between music and football within the Slingerz FC community. "Jahshii helped us tremendously in this regard since his music is popular in our dressing room. He was willing to come train and speak to the players, and it was important for us," Ali added.
Coach Alex Thomas echoed Ali's sentiments, describing Jahshii's involvement as a significant boost for both himself and the players. "To see this icon from Jamaica helps a lot. It was a big boost in the little time he was there, and we encourage more of this," remarked Thomas. He emphasized the positive impact on the mental aspects of the players' game, boosting their confidence by witnessing Jahshii up close and personal during the training session.
"For me, when Jahshii joined the practice, that was a big boost, not only for me but also the players and the club. The players accepted him with a warm welcome," Thomas added. "Jahshii training with the club helps boost the mental aspects of their game, their confidence. To see this person, close up and personal training with us; someone they only see on stage or on TV, was a great boost for us."
A furious Kieran O’Neill was given the all-clear to resume riding on Wednesday, having been prevented from taking his rides at Southwell on Tuesday in an incident which has put the British Horseracing Authority’s trial of saliva and sweat testing in the spotlight.
O’Neill had three mounts booked at the Nottinghamshire track’s evening meeting, but was unable to take part after being stood down by the BHA following a failed saliva test.
And while a subsequent urine test returned a negative result, O’Neill – who swiftly took to social media to speak of his anger, saying he was “fuming” – was not permitted to ride before passing another test ahead of racing at Kempton and feels his reputation has been unfairly tarnished.
He told Sky Sports Racing: “I was the one to comment, to put my tweet out that I have done nothing wrong and have nothing to hide. I wanted to be the one when I got home to write a tweet and let everyone know. I have nothing to hide, I have not done anything wrong here and something needs to be done very quickly.
“It is very embarrassing for me to have to leave the racecourse yesterday and everyone is there looking at you. The first person I bumped into was Scott Dixon and I have to go and explain myself why I can’t ride for him.
“I was so embarrassed speaking to my partner on the phone last night, speaking to my mum, this has now happened and even when I’m cleared from this urine sample and things are back to normal, my name is still out there, I have failed this swab test twice yesterday.
“It’s something that for a young kid coming into the game of 17 or 18, he could fail a swab test and his career is over straight away before it starts.
“My urine test will come back clear, I have no doubts about that in my mind. I rarely drink, never mind take drugs. Everyone who knows me and knows my character knows I’m the first person to be anti-drugs.
“I really cannot see how this has happened. Is there something wrong with the salivas again? For me yes, because I have done nothing wrong, I have never taken a drug in my life and I am clear.”
A saliva test pilot was paused by the BHA in September 2022 after Sean Levey returned a false positive that saw him sidelined for eight days and miss out on a potential £20,000 bonus as leading rider during the Racing League.
O’Neill added: “Sean said if this doesn’t go then someone else is going to get done, but never in a million years did I think it would be me. Sean Levey got it right, it’s come back and it’s me. Have the BHA got it wrong again? I don’t know.
“But I agree with Sean Levey and for me something has gone amiss. I have no problem doing any test, they can take hair, another urine from me, that is no problem. I have been tested in France and probably 20 times last year and nothing has ever been found, but now all of a sudden since the swab tests have come back, something was found.”
Posting an update on X, he said: “Just been to Kempton to have another swab test after last night’s embarrassment. Given the all-clear as expected. Thankfully the current testing system has now been paused until they get to the bottom of this.”
Professional Jockeys Association chief executive Paul Struthers said the body was “unaware” a new trial had been introduced until Tuesday evening and immediately requested the procedure be put on hold pending further investigation.
He said: “We have been discussing with the BHA a pilot of trialling a new saliva and sweat testing kit since January, following the two previous trials of different testing kits. However, no dates for the pilot had been agreed and we were told what the protocol would be in the event of a non-negative test, which is very different to agreeing it.
“Issues that arose during the previous two pilot schemes meant that the PJA and its members had legitimate concerns about the testing kits and the process.
“At our last meeting with the BHA on February 23, we stressed these concerns and explained how important communications would be in advance of any pilot. What was agreed at that meeting was that the BHA would draft some initial communications materials which would be shared with the PJA for further comment.
“This never happened and we were therefore unaware until last night that the pilot had even commenced.
“Following events of last night, this morning we wrote to the BHA requesting an immediate suspension of the pilot scheme. The BHA has subsequently confirmed that no further testing with the swab and saliva kits will take place until the situation with Kieran O’Neill has been resolved and understood.
“This is a sensible decision in the best interests of fair regulation, a decision we obviously support and welcome. The rest of the testing regime will continue as normal.”
The BHA insists the procedure is sound, with rider safety “a priority” for racing’s regulator, and that the process for handling non-negative samples had been agreed with the PJA.
A statement said: “The process for handling non-negative samples on raceday as part of the ongoing pilot of sweat/saliva sampling was agreed between the BHA and PJA.
“As part of the agreed process, which utilises a Home Office-approved testing kit used by police forces globally, should a rider return a non-negative sample then they will be tested a second time.
“Should the second sample also return non-negative then, in the interests of safety for horses and riders, the jockey should be stood down for the day.
“Mr O’Neill was stood down on the day having provided two non-negative samples. Sixteen jockeys were tested yesterday and 16 on Monday with only Mr O’Neill returning these two non-negative samples.
“As part of the process a urine sample screening is also be taken on the day. This is for indicative processes only as part of the trial. It operates to different thresholds, and does not form part of the immediate regulatory process. Mr O’Neill’s urine sample returned a negative result on-course but is not relevant to his being able to ride today and beyond.
“This same urine sample is also sent away for analysis at the official testing laboratory. Mr O’Neill will be permitted to ride today and beyond, pending the return of this urine result, provided he returns a negative sweat/saliva sample prior to weighing out. A hair sample will also be taken.
“Ensuring the safety of jockeys competing in our sport is a priority for the BHA. We appreciate the strength of feeling from Mr O’Neill but this alone is not enough to make judgement about the testing process, or its ability to detect the intentional or sometimes inadvertent presence of substances in a rider’s system. The proper process must be allowed to take its course.”
British Horseracing Authority chief executive Julie Harrington will not be pushing the panic button just yet should Ireland once again dominate at next week’s Cheltenham Festival.
Following a nightmare Festival for the home side in 2021 which saw just five winners for British trainers, the BHA set up the Quality Jump Racing Review Group, with a stated aim “to strengthen the performance of British jump racing at the top end of the pyramid”.
A series of recommendations was then unveiled at the start of 2022, with further tweaks to the fixture list this term in an attempt to improve the upper tier of British National Hunt racing.
Harrington says it is too early to really see those initiatives come to fruition, but with Triumph Hurdle favourite Sir Gino the only British-trained ante-post Grade One market leader throughout next week, with Willie Mullins holding a tremendously strong hand on all four days, the issue remains a high-profile one.
She said: “We’re well aware of the number of Irish favourites across all the days. It is early days and there’s interventions all the way through breeding in terms of incentives for British-bred, retaining your horse here in training, but we’re not naive.
“We know the decision of many owners to place their horses with what they would consider in-form trainers. When you speak to the top British-based trainers, they do understand it is often cyclical which is why the fact it’s early days, you do need to let some of the interventions play out a bit more.
“Is it something we continue to be concerned about and continue to have a watching brief on? Of course. It’s been well debated some of the interventions or potential interventions that we’ve consulted on, but we will continue to do so.”
Talks are currently ongoing between the BHA and bookmakers on levy reform and Greg Swift, director of communications and corporate affairs, believes the issue of competitiveness is ultimately linked to the levy.
“It’s a valid point. It brings us back to the need for levy reform,” he said.
“One of the cases that we have made to DCMS throughout the entire process around the need for levy reform is around the competitive issue and making sure that we have enough money flowing into the sport to maintain Britain’s competitiveness and our position at the top table.
“That is one of the things we will continue to press.”
Leading point-to-point handler Tom Ellis has decided to take out a full licence to enable him to saddle Latenightpass in the Randox Grand National at Aintree next month.
Owned and bred by the trainer’s mother Pippa Ellis, the 11-year-old has been a prolific winner between the flags and has also proved his worth in the hunter chase sphere, most notably winning the 2022 Foxhunters’ Chase over the Grand National fences under Ellis’ wife, Gina Andrews.
This season Latenightpass has switched to the care of Dan Skelton, the brother-in-law of Andrews’ sister Bridget, and has enjoyed a fine campaign – but Ellis views the prospect of running a horse so close to his heart in the world’s most famous steeplechase as a once in a lifetime opportunity.
“I suppose taking out a full licence is something we’ve been considering for some time and when the opportunity arose to potentially have a Grand National runner, we thought we probably should try and get that done,” he said.
“I felt that however long I trained for, we will never have a Grand National runner bred by mother and ridden by my wife, so it made sense to try and get it done in time if we could.”
Latenightpass made a highly encouraging first start for Skelton when second on his cross-country debut at Cheltenham in November and returned to the Cotswolds to go one better the following month.
Ellis revealed it was after that success in the Cotswolds that his Grand National dream came into sharper focus.
He added: “We sent him to Dan because Gina has been desperate to have a ride in that cross-country race at Cheltenham for years and we just felt like the course would suit the horse, so he went to Dan to do that as we weren’t able to run him in it.
“It wasn’t until that he won at the second Cheltenham meeting that we had a realistic opportunity to go for a National and once he had gone up in the weights to hopefully get in, we thought we should give it a go really.”
Since his Cheltenham win pre-Christmas, the veteran has finished down the field in the Grade Two Prestige Novices’ Hurdle at Haydock, but Ellis is not overly concerned.
“The weather Gods were against us at Haydock, he has won in heavy ground before but it was biblical up there and it was definitely a stepping-stone towards Aintree as opposed to being a big target,” he said.
“He is the gift that keeps on giving – he’s been a phenomenal little horse for us. He’s been placed three times from three runs over the National fences, albeit in the Foxhunters’, and he was fourth in the hunter chase at the Cheltenham Festival when ridden by Bridget in the Covid year because amateurs couldn’t ride.
“He’s been fairly lightly raced, which is why I think he’s still running right up to the best of his ability at the age of 11.”
Talented batsman Adrian Hetmyer has been appointed Guyana’s captain for the upcoming Cricket West Indies Rising Stars Under-15 tournament in Antigua later this month.
Hetmyer, the nephew of Guyana and West Indies batsman Shimron Hetmyer, will have prolific opener Emmanuel Lewis as his deputy in the 14-man squad.
SQUAD: Parmeshwar Ram, Justin Dowlin, Danvir Seegobin, Emmanuel Lewis, Adrian Hetmyer, Rovaldo Pereira, Richard Ramdehol, Khush Seegobin, Sohail Mohammed (WK), Shamar Apple, Brandon Henry, Gilbert Griffith, Jathniel Nurse and Arif Khan.
RESERVES: Trilok Nanan, Reyaz Latif, Bhomesh Lall, Feeaz Baksh, Kumulchan Ramnarace, Eron Benjamin and Mickle Sharma.
The squad was selected following the Inter-County 50-over competition, which Demerara won in early February.
The team is being sponsored by OES Guyana Inc., whose sponsorship will assist in preparing and outfitting the players for the regional tournament, set to bowl off on March 24.
Course experience is backed to be Broadway Boy’s key asset after connections elected to take their chance in a red-hot Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
Willie Mullins’ impressive Dublin Racing Festival scorer Fact To File is the odds-on favourite for the Grade One event which could also feature previous Festival winner Stay Away Fay and highly-regarded Irish novice Montys Star.
However, the Broadway Boy team feel their top-notch staying prospect has the class to make his mark in a race that trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies has won twice in the past and in which big-race jockey Sam Twiston-Davies won 12 months ago aboard The Real Whacker.
“He will be going for the Brown Advisory,” said Willy Twiston-Davies, who in his role as assistant to his father, plays a key part in readying the David Proos-owned six-year-old.
“The owner came down yesterday and we had a good chat, we both said what we thought and he was very keen for Sam to ride him so that’s the way we decided to go.
“Blaklion and Young Hustler have both won it and of course Sam won the race last year on The Real Whacker, so lets hope we can do it again.”
Despite the stiff opposition, the Twiston-Davies team have never shirked a challenge and Broadway Boy has already advertised his liking of Prestbury Park by winning three of his four outings at the track.
His sole defeat came at the hands of Flooring Porter early in his fencing career, but since then he has downed quality opposition – firstly in a Listed event at the November meeting before returning to see off Grand National hopeful Threeunderthrufive and one-time Gold Cup third Protektorat in December.
Twiston-Davies added: “We believe in our horse and although it looks a good renewal of the Brown Advisory and Fact To File has looked very good, we’ve got very decent course form, he tries very hard and he has a bit of class. Hopefully he will run really well.
“He loves it round Cheltenham and he’s in very good order. His piece of form at Cheltenham at the December meeting sticks out and a lot of novices haven’t reached that level that he has, so we’re very much looking forward to running him.”
Emma Lavelle is ready to let Paisley Park go out in a blaze of glory if he can win a second Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival next week.
It is five years since the veteran claimed the Grade One contest and while he disappointed when bidding for back-to-back wins 12 months later, he finished third in both 2021 and 2022.
It looked as though his best days were behind him when only seventh in last year’s renewal, but he has defied his advancing years with three excellent runs this winter, finishing second in the Long Distance Hurdle, the Long Walk and the Cleeve Hurdle, beaten a head, a short head and a head respectively.
There would be few more popular winners at this year’s Festival than Paisley Park if he can take back his crown on Thursday week and Lavelle could not be happier with his condition.
“Touch wood he’s in very good form, everything has gone to plan with him. He’s in really good order and it’s all systems go for Cheltenham,” she told talkSPORT.
“It’s a massive ask for a 12-year-old, but he’s not your everyday 12-year-old, so who knows?
“I look through the race and I think there’s a lot of horses in there that we’ve met, that we’ve beaten or have just beaten us. There are a couple of new Irish pretenders, (but) I just kind of feel in that race anything can happen.
“It has leant itself over the years to the hardened professional, rather than it being the upcoming young gun that’s done it.
“It puts him there with chance and fingers crossed – he knows his way round there!”
While Lavelle feels Paisley Park is still loving life at a racehorse, she admits it would be a fitting way for him retire if he was to strike gold on return to Prestbury Park.
She added: “If he won it there’d be no question you’d say ‘that’s it’, because I think it would be an extraordinary beginning and end to his career that way having won it five years previous, to come back and do it again would be an extraordinary achievement.
“It seems funny to say you’d retire a horse if it won but you wouldn’t necessarily retire it if it didn’t, but the reality is you’re a long time retired in this game for a horse – he’s 12, but loving what he’s doing
“If it’s the right thing to stop we will and if it’s not and he’s still loving it and seems happy back in work at the start of next season then I’ll probably bring him back for another run, because no horse keeps going for the number of years that he has if it’s not something he enjoys doing.
“He writes his own script, he doesn’t let anyone else do it for him. We’ll let the horse make the decision, he’s the one out there doing it and we’re all just bowing to his greatness.”
Willie Mullins is responsible for nine of the 15 horses confirmed for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival on Tuesday.
The most successful trainer in Festival history has won the traditional curtain-raiser on seven occasions and again holds a very strong hand, with his potential squad headed by ante-post favourite Ballyburn.
Tullyhill and Mystical Power are also prominent in the market and it will be interesting to see how Mullins shuffles his pack, with both Ballyburn and Mystical Power having the option of running in the newly-named Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle the following afternoon.
Anotherway, Asian Master, Gold Dancer, Ile Atlantique, Mistergif and Supersundae are the other Mullins inmates who have stood their ground for the Supreme, with the majority holding alternative engagements.
Gordon Elliott’s Firefox, who beat Ballyburn earlier in the season, is another leading contender from Ireland, with Henry de Bromhead’s Slade Steel and Paul Gilligan’s Kings Hill other possible raiders.
The three British-trained hopefuls are Alan King’s Favour And Fortune, Nicky Henderson’s Jeriko Du Reponet and Tellherthename from Ben Pauling’s yard.
The My Pension Expert Arkle Challenge Trophy has a distinctly more open look to it, despite the fact five of the 15 remaining contenders are based at Closutton.
That quintet includes Irish Arkle hero Il Etait Temps, Hunters Yarn, Gaelic Warrior and Facile Vega, while Found A Fifty (Elliott) and Quilixios (De Bromhead) are also well fancied. The pick of the home team looks to be Joe Tizzard’s JPR One.
The Tizzard-trained Eldorado Allen heads the weights for the Ultima Handicap Chase, for which 43 are still in the mix, with Meetingofthewaters a likely favourite to give Mullins a first ever handicap chase win at the Festival.
Ireland’s perennial champion trainer also appears to hold all the aces in the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle, with odds-on shot Lossiemouth the star attraction in a 13-strong field that also includes her stablemates Ashroe Diamond, Echoes In Rain, Gala Marceau and Zenta. Marie’s Rock (Nicky Henderson) and Love Envoi (Harry Fry) look the two most likely to give the Mullins battalion something to think about.
Leading fancies Lark In The Mornin (Joseph O’Brien), Batman Girac (Mullins) and French challenger Milan Tino (Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm) are among 43 going forward for the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, while just 10 are in contention for the Maureen Mullins National Hunt Chase.
The two at the top of the betting are fittingly trained by two members of the Mullins family, with Maureen’s son Willie set to saddle Embassy Gardens and grandson Emmet responsible for Corbetts Cross.
Nicky Henderson may be without Constitution Hill in the Unibet Champion Hurdle but is still set to be double-handed after deciding to supplement Iberico Lord for the Cheltenham Festival showpiece.
The reigning champion was ruled out on Monday due to a respiratory infection, which has prompted a rethink from Henderson and owner JP McManus on the Cotswolds target for Iberico Lord.
Winner of the Greatwood and Betfair Hurdles, the six-year-old had been among the leading lights for Friday’s County Hurdle – but Constitution Hill’s absence combined with the possibility of testing ground on the opening day will see him switched to the main event.
McManus has paid the £18,000 supplementary fee and Iberico Lord will now join stablemate Luccia, winner of Ascot’s Betfair Exchange Trophy when last seen, in the Champion Hurdle line-up.
In a statement on X, Henderson said: “We have decided to supplement Iberico Lord this morning for the Unibet Champion Hurdle.
“He is obviously a very progressive young hurdler that keeps improving having won both the Greatwood and the Betfair handicaps. He loves soft ground which it seems that it might well be on Tuesday and therefore possibly not so soft on Friday when he was originally intended to run in the County.
“Obviously with the unfortunate defection of Constitution Hill, the race has a different complexion and so he is due to join Luccia in the line-up.”
(NB: The Nations League semi-finals will be broadcast live on Sportsmax)
Reggae Boyz head coach Heimer Halgrimsson has openly expressed his keen interest in inviting Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood to join Jamaica's national football team. Greenwood, currently on loan at Getafe, faces limited prospects for an England call-up ahead of Euro 2024, paving the way for potential international representation elsewhere.
The 22-year-old, who earned a single cap for England against Iceland in September 2020, found himself on loan at Getafe after Manchester United deemed it necessary for him to continue his career away from the club.
The decision followed the dropping of charges, including attempted rape, engaging in controlling and coercive behavior, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, all of which Greenwood denied, by the Crown Prosecution Service in February 2023.
Eligible to play for Jamaica through his father, Andrew, Greenwood's potential representation for the Caribbean nation has been a topic of discussion, with reports suggesting the Jamaican Football Federation (JFF) is open to the idea. According to current FIFA rules, the Manchester United academy graduate would be within his rights to change his international allegiance.
Speaking at a CONCACAF Nations League press conference in Dallas on Tuesday, Hallgrimsson confirmed the ongoing discussions about Greenwood's potential inclusion in the Reggae Boyz squad. "I really don't like to talk about 'what if,' but this, of course, has come to our mind," the coach said.
"I would love to have him in my team. Like all coaches, I would like to have the best players in our team, but it's always up to the player himself if he wants to do it," added Hallgrimsson, highlighting the player's autonomy in making such a significant decision regarding his international career.
Jamaica plays the USA on March 21, 2024.
The Betfair Imperial Cup Handicap Hurdle could prove a more than suitable alternative to the Cheltenham Festival for connections of Go Dante, who are weighing up a shot at the valuable Sandown prize.
As well as his ticket to Saturday’s Sandown feature, Olly Murphy’s Betfair Hurdle third holds entries in both the Country Hurdle and Martin Pipe races at Prestbury Park the following week.
However, with the eight-year-old not certain to make the final line-up for those events in the Cotswolds, the Warren Chase handler is seriously considering a trip to Esher for the prestigious £100,000 contest, with Go Dante a 7-1 chance with the sponsors.
Murphy said: “It’s certainly something we are looking at. Ideally, we would have liked to have got into a Cheltenham handicap but that doesn’t look like happening, so the Imperial Cup looks the most likely race we will take our chance in.
“He’s in good form and had a very good run in the Betfair. I think soft ground and a stiff two miles at Sandown should suit him well.
“He’s got two entries at Cheltenham next week and it’s a case of looking at where he’s most likely to get in and making the right decision, but we’re certainly looking at Sandown on Saturday.”
Similar sentiments apply to Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero’s Making Headway, who also has a couple of options at the Cheltenham Festival but has connections leaning towards a crack at the Imperial Cup.
An impressive winner from the front in heavy ground at Newbury last month, it could be ground conditions once again that ultimately decide if the six-year-old’s team roll the dice or hold fire in case they make the cut in either the Coral Cup or Martin Pipe at Prestbury Park.
“I think he will (go to the Imperial Cup), as long as it doesn’t dry out too much,” said Greenall. “He will definitely want it no quicker than good to soft or soft – it looks a nice opportunity for him.
“He’s not guaranteed to get in at Cheltenham and we were going to go for the good novice race at Kelso (Premier Novices’ Hurdle) but that looked quite hot and there was a couple we didn’t want to take on.”
Ben Pauling’s recent Huntingdon scorer Jipcot currently heads the market, with the in-form handler also responsible for narrow Ascot runner-up Bad amongst the 23 in the mix for Saturday’s contest.
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