Slate Lane appears to have avoided infection to the injury which has likely ended his career.
The Emmet Mullins-trained five-year-old had improved at a rate of knots and won his fourth race in succession since joining his new stable when successful at Haydock last weekend in a valuable event.
However, on returning to the paddock it was clear that Slate Lane had picked up an injury and unfortunately it emerged he had severed a tendon by striking into himself.
“He’s staved off the infection. We had a bit of a fright on Tuesday night but he’s OK,” said Mullins.
“We’ve had one surgery, we didn’t need to do a second flushing of the joint. It’s as good as can be hoped for at this time.
“There is 50 per cent damage done to the tendon, but in terms of life-threatening we’ve had good news that there is no infection in the joint.
“It’s a case of saving the horse and that is all that is on our mind at the moment.”
The Dominican Republic took a step forward in its efforts to finish atop Group C in League B of the Concacaf Women's Gold Cup qualifiers, with a 7-1 victory over Barbados at the Wildey Astro Turf Stadium in Bridgetown on Friday.
With the win, Dominican Republic moved up to 12 points, one behind leaders Bermuda, who were awarded a 3-0 win over St Vincent and the Grenadines by the disciplinary committee. The top two are scheduled to meet on Tuesday's final matchday to decide group honours.
On Friday, Mia Asenjo opened the scoring in the 21st minute when she connected with a pass over the top to beat Barbados goalkeeper Rhea Holder.
Acacia Small pilled Barbados level in the 32nd after she dispossessed a defender and later finished a lobbed attempt from outside the 18-yard box.
However, their celebrations were short-lived, as Dominican Republic regained the advantage in a minute later through Asenjo, who connected with another ball over the top and expertly headed past Holder.
Lucia Marte added a third for the visitors in the 48th with a strike at the left post from a Kathrynn Gonzalez cross.
Alyssa Oviedo notched a fourth for Dominican Republic in the 68th with a right-footed shot inside the box.
Gonzalez then got on the board in the 77th on a free kick hit with enough force that gave Holder no chance at a save.
Winibian Peralta extended the gap in the 82nd when she applied the finishing touch to a tidy build-up orchestrated by Jazmin Jackson.
Marte completed her brace in the 87th with a curling free kick to add the exclamation point and keep the Dominican Republic in the race for first place.
Krysan St. Louis notched a hat-trick and Arnicka Louis bagged a brace, as St Lucia hammered Guadeloupe 5-1 in their Concacaf Women's Gold Cup Qualifying Group B, League C encounter at Darren Sammy Cricket Ground in Gros Islet on Friday.
The victory puts St Lucia within three points of group honours, which they can secure with victory away to leaders Cuba in their finale on Tuesday.
Just like she did in their first meeting when she scored four goals, Louis picked up where she left off and gave St Lucia an early seventh-minute lead when she converted from a goalmouth melee, after an initial effort was deflected on the post.
St Lucia doubled the lead in the 22nd minute when a counter-press opened up the defence for Louis to fire home her brace.
From there, it became the St. Louis show, as the Texas A&M forward notched her first with a deft chip over the keeper in the 39th, after her initial effort was blocked.
St. Louis looked poised to bag her second of the game shortly before half-time after a Guadeloupe handball resulted in a penalty. However, Guadeloupe's goalkeeper Maina Mornal denied her from the 12-yard spot, and in the process registered a third penalty save in three matches.
But St. Louis was not to be stopped and she eventually got a second in the 57th. She split a pair of defenders and later fired past Mornal.
Guadeloupe never threw in the towel, and they got their reward with a late goal in the 89th, when Sydjalhia Garriba fired in a right-footed shot.
Still, it was too little too late, as St Louis and St Lucia had the final say when she completed her hat trick with another tidy finish in time added.
Nicky Henderson is considering running Shishkin in the rearranged Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Sandown next Saturday.
The Seven Barrows handler is eager to get a King George VI Chase prep run into his multiple Grade One scorer, after refusing to race at Ascot in the 1965 Chase and also seeing a planned run in the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle lost to the weather.
A lack of options over fences has now seen Henderson toy with the idea of reverting Shishkin to the smaller obstacles, as well as dropping back to two miles, for the rearranged Grade One that reopens on Monday.
That would of course pave the way for Constitution Hill – who also missed out on an outing at Newcastle – to head straight to Kempton on Boxing Day for the Christmas Hurdle, although the trainer is yet to finalise plans with the unbeaten superstar’s owner Michael Buckley.
“Michael is coming down here and we will talk and we have to consider the timing,” said Henderson, speaking at Newbury.
“Shishkin was the horse I really wanted to run, I cannot believe he would win a King George first time out.
“He’s got to try to have a run and I have a little idea. He might have to come and have a run over hurdles because there are no chases to run in. Three miles would be too far in what might be hard work ground and I’m thinking of coming back into the Fighting Fifth because that reopens on Monday.
“I wouldn’t worry about Constitution Hill first time out.”
Both Constitution Hill and Shishkin were left with the prospect of nowhere to lay their head having abandoned their trip to Gosforth Park just south of the north east on Friday.
However, Henderson revealed he was inundated with offers after his appeal on television, with the high-class duo eventually bunkering down on Town Moor overnight.
“They had a stay in Doncaster last night, but I don’t think they went down to the hotel for a few pints,” quipped Henderson.
“The camaraderie of racing was at its best as soon as I said on television I was looking for a stable and had two horses with no bed, the people who came forward were unbelievable.
“Ann Duffield rang me from Barbados, Doncaster rang me, Hexham rang me, Karl Burke rang me. It was unbelievable and I could have gone Malton, Middleham, anywhere.
“The one condition was I got the horses back in the morning!”
Corbetts Cross won what seems sure to prove an informative Jim Ryan Racecourse Services Beginners Chase at Fairyhouse.
Trained by Emmet Mullins, he was sent off the 9-4 favourite for last season’s Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle before crashing through the wing of the final flight when still holding every chance.
The six-year-old faced some stern opposition for this second start over fences, with Gordon Elliot’s Three Card Brag, Willie Mullins’ Nick Rockett and Henry de Bromhead’s Monty’s Star all highly thought of.
Corbetts Cross (2-1) ultimately won with a bit in hand for Mark Walsh as, jumping the last with a length to find on Three Card Brag who set the pace, he only had to be given a flick to quicken up smartly.
He won by three-quarters of a length from Three Card Brag with two and a half lengths back to Monty’s Star.
The winner was cut to 8-1 from 16s for the Turners at Cheltenham by Betfair and is 10s from 20s for the Brown Advisory.
“I suppose the run under his belt was a big advantage there. It’s tough going out there and that was probably the difference in it,” said Mullins.
“Getting a win in these beginners chases in Ireland is very difficult and they are all top-class races. I won’t necessarily be that confident the next day once they have a run under their belt.
“It’s great to get today out of the way and we can go on to bigger races hopefully.”
Exciting prospect Letsbeclearaboutit could hand Gavin Cromwell a first Grade One win over fences in the Bar One Racing Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse.
The County Meath handler has Champion Hurdle and Stayers’ Hurdle triumphs on his ever-growing CV, but a top-level victory over the larger obstacles has eluded him so far.
However, he may have found the ideal candidate to land a telling chasing blow in the form of his scopey eight-year-old, who is unbeaten in two starts at the beginning of his fledgling career over the bigger obstacles, barely putting a foot wrong so far.
A taking fencing bow at Gowran was followed up by a facile 10-length victory in a Cork Grade Three and the handler holds the gelding in the highest regard, having always operated at a demanding level.
“He was a good bumper horse and a good hurdler and since he’s gone chasing, he’s taken his form to a new level, so hopefully we can maintain the upwards curve,” said Cromwell.
“He looks like a chaser and he’s scopey and he enjoys jumping fences. When they enjoy it, that can bring about some huge improvement.
“He’s right up there (with the best) and we will no more on Sunday, but he’s clearly been a good horse since the get-go and hopefully will run a big race on Sunday.”
Cromwell will also saddle Perceval Legallois, who was producing a fine display of jumping before falling three out in the Cork contest won by stablemate Letsbeclearaboutit and is now backed to outrun his odds in the colours of JP McManus.
“He was running a great race and for a horse that fell in a race, he jumps well,” continued Cromwell.
“They had just increased the pace in the race and it was just a novicey fall, but touch wood, he came home fine and was running a lovely race, so we’ll see how he goes on Sunday.”
Gordon Elliott has farmed this race in recent times, winning it a record seven times and using it as a stopping point for many of Cullentra House’s greatest alumni.
The likes of Don Cossack, Delta Work and Envoi Allen all have their names on the roll of honour and hoping to join them is Found A Fifty, who appeared to relish the switch to fences when an eight-length winner at Down Royal.
“Found A Fifty is a good horse,” Elliott told Racing TV. “I probably made a mistake last year by going to the well a couple of times too much with him – I put myself under pressure and made the wrong decisions.
“He was very good the last day over fences and we’re very happy with him, chasing is his game and he’s a lot more settled this year.
“Last year, he got very revved up and I should never have gone to Aintree with him, that was my fault.”
The final two runners belong to Willie Mullins, who saddles the 10-year-old veteran Grade One-winning hurdler Sharjah and Irish Grand National hero I Am Maximus.
Stable jockey Paul Townend will link up with the former, who has won both outings over fences to date and was a 12-length scorer in a Tipperary Grade Three in October.
He told Ladbrokes: “He’s two from two over fences so far and has shown a lovely attitude for it.
“My Irish Grand National winner, I Am Maximus, also runs here and he just qualifies for a novice as well, having not won a chase until the National last Easter. He probably wants a step up in trip.
“On what they have all achieved over hurdles though, Sharjah sets the standard and wouldn’t it be brilliant if he could win a Grade One over fences on top of all the Grade Ones he won over hurdles.”
Michael O’Sullivan will have a great chance of back-to-back victories in the Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle when he partners Fascile Mode for Tom Mullins at Fairyhouse on Sunday.
The young starlet of the weighing room picked up his first Grade One when coolly steering Marine Nationale to win this event 12 months ago, before establishing himself as a leading rider when following up on Barry Connell’s stable star at the Cheltenham Festival.
O’Sullivan successfully linked up with Fascile Mode on the five-year-old’s hurdling bow at Punchestown and the exciting prospect’s experienced handler is delighted to have retained his services as he now steps up in grade.
“All the big yards have their big jockeys and one thing and another, but Michael is a very talented man and a talented jockey,” said Mullins.
“When he has the horse, he will win with it. He was very good on Marine Nationale last year and he’s a really good jockey – we’re very happy to have him.”
That 12-length Punchestown success was a welcome return to form for Fascile Mode, who impressed on his rules debut at Leopardstown last Christmas before failing to land a telling blow in some stiff assignments during the rest of his bumper season.
“We’re happy here and everything has gone very well since he won at Punchestown,” said Mullins.
“He has a season under his belt now and is stronger and has definitely improved as much as I hoped he would. He did it nicely at Punchestown and won well in the end.
“It was great to get back on track you know, he went to Cheltenham (for the Champion Bumper) and he got a kick at the start from another horse and it kind of stopped our season then and there.
“We got him back at Punchestown and we were thrilled and we have been thrilled ever since. We just hope we get a nice clean run on Sunday and see what happens.”
Encanto Bruno made a winning start to life in the care of Gavin Cromwell at Cheltenham in October and will seek to continue his progress, dropping back to the minimum two miles.
“We’re going back to two miles from two-and-a-half-miles at Cheltenham the last day, but he travelled very well at Cheltenham, so hopefully that won’t be a problem to him,” said Cromwell.
“The soft ground is probably as soft as he would want it, but he will hopefully cope with it fine and he seems in good nick.
“He’s like a lot of good horses and he doesn’t really show you much at home, he’s a really likeable, simple and straightforward horse. He clearly produces it on the track and they are the ones that you want.”
Disputing matters at the top of the market is Henry de Bromhead’s An Tobar, who was a taking course-and-distance scorer on debut, while Gordon Elliott and Willie Mullins have traded blows in this race in recent history and between them are responsible for five of the eight declared runners.
Cullentra House stable jockey Jack Kennedy links up with Clonmel winner Farren Glory, with Elliott also saddling Gigginstown pair King Of Kingsfield and What’s Up Darling.
Hurricane Fly features among Mullins’ nine Royal Bond heroes and this time the Closutton master relies on the Rich Ricci-owned duo Bialystok and Horantzau D’airy.
Jamaican International Ravel Morrison has been convicted of fraud after he was caught using a deceased person’s blue badge to park.
According to a report in The Guardian, Morrison, during his interview under caution, claimed he bought the badge from “someone in Old Trafford” for £50. The former Manchester United representative was subsequently charged with one count of fraud.
Morrison, 30, who currently represents DC United in Major League Soccer (MLS) appeared before Manchester magistrates court to plead guilty to the offence on Thursday. He was fined £1,000 and was ordered to pay costs of £508.32 and a victim surcharge of £400.
Manchester city council enforcement officers began their investigation in May into a white Audi S3 parked in Bridgewater Street which was displaying a blue badge.
Blue badge permits are given to people with disabilities or health issues, whose mobility is limited. It entitles those individuals to park free of charge in spaces that are often closer to shops and destinations.
The police discovered that the badge’s holder died in February 2022, and was no longer valid. The vehicle was issued with a penalty charge notice and was removed to the Manchester vehicle pound. Morrison reclaimed his vehicle later the same day.
“This ruling shows that the law is applicable to everyone, with no exceptions. I am grateful for the diligent work of our investigating officers, as well as legal counsel, who were able to successfully prosecute this case,” a spokesperson for Manchester city council said.
“Our officers patrol the streets daily to ensure that blue badges are used legitimately, and we will not hesitate to take action if we discover people trying to circumvent the law,” they added.
Morrison’s topsy-turvy career, playing for 13 clubs around the world after leaving Manchester United in 2012. He has so far made 18 appearances for Jamaica with three goals to his credit.
This afternoon’s Coral Gold Cup card at Newbury will go ahead as planned following a precautionary inspection.
The entire track was covered again after racing on Friday and was reported to be frost free underneath at inspection time.
Officials will, however, continue to monitor conditions with a further drop in temperatures expected before day break.
It was positive news too from Fairyhouse, too, where day one of the track’s Winter Festival also passed an inspection.
Fans of the mighty Constitution Hill might have to wait until Boxing Day to catch a sight of National Hunt racing’s pre-eminent superstar, with trainer Nicky Henderson revealing he is far from certain to line up in a rescheduled Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Sandown next weekend.
The six-year-old was all set to bid for back-to-back victories in the Grade One contest at Newcastle on Saturday, but the abandonment of racing has forced his trainer back to the drawing board.
The powers that be have moved swiftly to save the Fighting Fifth, switching it to next Saturday’s Tingle Creek card, with existing entries cancelled and new entries to be made by noon on Monday.
But the week’s delay means there will now only be 17 days between the Fighting Fifth and Constitution Hill’s next target – a defence of the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton.
“We’ve discussed it and discussed it and we’ll continue to discuss it,” Henderson told the PA news agency on Friday afternoon.
“What I couldn’t give Ian Renton (regional director for the Jockey Club) was a guarantee that if they put it on at Sandown that we would run, so I think what they will do is reopen it, and therefore we are not holding it to ransom.
“I don’t know, I’m nervous about it – the time schedule – and I fear one race will have to be sacrificed for the other.”
Constitution Hill was due to be joined on the trip to Newcastle by stablemate Shishkin, who would have been on a recovery mission under a big weight in the Rehearsal Chase, having refused to start in last weekend’s 1965 Chase at Ascot.
As that premier handicap will not be restaged, the Seven Barrows handler must now face preparing his charge for a tilt at the King George VI Chase at Kempton without the aid of a prep run.
He added: “What I really want is a race for Shishkin – that is miles more important.
“I do not like the idea of going into the King George with no run, I don’t like that at all, but there is nowhere for him to go. If you could put on a Rehearsal Chase or something like that I would be there like a bullet!
“He’s going to have to do a lot of work in a short space of time. A lot of racecourses are very helpful to us and I’m going to have to rely on them for their help.”
Jamaica College and St Andrew Technical (STATHS) will meet in the 2023 Walker Cup final after scoring 3-0 victories over Excelsior High and Wolmer’s Boys respectively in the semi-finals played at stadium east on Thursday.
Coming into the season, both teams who had met in the Manning Cup final in 2017, 2019 and 2022, would have been tipped to meet at that stage once again.
Jayd Johnson scored a double for Jamaica College who led 1-0 at half time as Excelsior High finished the game with 10 players after Renaldino Medwinter was sent off for striking a Jamaica College player.
Johnson gave Jamaica College the lead in the 27th minute, Jamoy Denis made the scores 2-0 in the 51st minute before Johnson completed his brace in the 58th minute.
Earlier in the first game, Nickoy Gayle scored for STATHS in the 10th minute, Richard Livingston doubled the lead in the 19th minute before Ajetai Marshall who was celebrating his 17th birthday and came off the bench in the second half, completed the scoring in the 77th minute.
The final will be a precursor to the Manning Cup final between Hydel High and Mona High at the National Stadium on December 8.
Nicky Henderson will make alternative plans for Constitution Hill and Shishkin following the abandonment of Saturday’s high-profile fixture at Newcastle.
Constitution Hill was due to bid for back-to-back victories in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Gosforth Park, with Shishkin set to join his esteemed stablemate on the trip to the north east for a redemption mission in the Rehearsal Chase, having refused to start in last weekend’s 1965 Chase at Ascot.
But with course officials calling off the meeting on Friday after significant snow fell on the covered track, Henderson is now contemplating his next move.
While raising the possibility of the Fighting Fifth being rescheduled, the Seven Barrows handler would be happy to head straight to the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day with Constitution Hill.
What is causing him a bigger headache is how best to prepare Shishkin for an intended tilt at the King George VI Chase on the same Kempton card.
“The one I’m more concerned about is Shishkin,” Henderson told Racing TV at Newbury on Friday. “From Constitution Hill’s point of view, if he had to go to Kempton without a run, that would not worry me at all, whereas Shishkin going to the King George without a run does not sit comfortably.
“We have no option with Shishkin, there might be an option with Constitution Hill, as I know the powers that be are working like beavers to try and reconstruct a Fighting Fifth.
“But on the other hand, we wouldn’t want to go too far away from today, because you’re getting terribly close to Christmas itself and 16 or 17 days (between runs) doesn’t appeal to me enormously.
“I don’t think Shishkin is necessarily a doubt (for the King George), but he needs to go and have a good gallop somewhere. He’ll have to do some work in the meantime.”
Dashel Drasher produced a gutsy display to hold off the fast-finishing Paisley Park in a thrilling conclusion to the Coral Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury.
Jeremy Scott’s Stayers’ Hurdle runner-up was sent off the 2-1 second favourite in the hands of Rex Dingle and showed huge improvement on his Wetherby reappearance, when only third in the West Yorkshire Hurdle.
It was Patrick Neville’s Mahons Glory who wasted no time in building up a hefty lead in the early stages, as the other five runners were well-grouped, content to bide their time.
With the business end of the Grade Two event approaching, 20-1 shot Flight Deck led the field into the straight but Dashel Drasher was snapping at his heels and had taken over by the time the final flight approached.
The 10-year-old jumped the last with a narrow advantage, with Dingle soon in full flow searching for the line, as Tom Bellamy in his wing mirrors conjured up the customary end-of-race flourish from Paisley Park.
However, despite the petrol tank flashing red and Dashel Drasher’s lead narrowing with every stride, he was never headed by Paisley Park and showed plenty of heart to pull out extra and score by a head.
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