As the dust continues to settle on the Jamaica Football Federation’s (JFF) controversial non-renewal of Lorne Donaldson’s contract to head the Reggae Girlz programme, former JFF president Tony James believes the outcome could have been different had both parties tempered their egos.
James is of the view that neither the Michael Ricketts-led JFF, represented by general secretary Dennis Chung, nor Donaldson really considered the bigger picture, which was to place the Reggae Girlz and their progress at the forefront of the decision-making process to arrive at a more amicable settlement.
In fact, while noting that Donaldson’s outspoken personality may have led to his ousting, James was by no means reserved in his criticism of the JFF, especially given the Girlz overwhelming success under the outgoing coach’s leadership.
“No responsible organization is going to have its employees in the public making negative comments about the federation. The JFF has the authority to run football in Jamaica and there can be no questions about that and then there is the case of everybody having an ego which is not such a bad thing,” James remarked.
“The issue is that when you are excessive then you have a problem, so the ego has to be balanced. I am not approving one side; both sides needed to temper their ego and place the Girlz at the centre of their issues. Everybody is on a tangent and once you put the Girlz at the centre and they (JFF) apply good governance principles, I don’t think you would have had the same result,” he told Sportsmax.tv.
James argued that the national development of football should always be of utmost priority for the JFF hierarchy and its Technical Committee, despite personal feelings.
As such, he believes the decision to cut the country’s most successful coach, should have been discussed with certain stakeholders, to include women’s football ambassador Cedella Marley, who has significantly invested in the programme.
It was Marley, who first introduced Donaldson and former Head coach Hue Menzies to the Reggae Girlz programme in 2015, and the two led the country to an historic first FIFA Women’s World Cup appearance in France in 2019.
However, after Menzies departed the programme in late 2019, Donaldson followed suit a few months later, but was reappointed in June 2022, to replace Vinimore “Vin” Blaine, who was forced to resign a few months into his tenure after the players expressed their displeasure with his leadership in a scathing letter.
Like he did in 2019, Donaldson again led the Reggae Girlz to the World Cup, jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand, where they had an historic run to the round of 16, after drawing with France and Brazil and defeating Panama in the group stage.
The Reggae Girlz eventually bowed out following a 0-1 loss to Colombia.
In their most recent fixtures, the Reggae Girlz suffered back-to-back losses to Canada in a failed bid to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, but the progress the team has made under Donaldson’s leadership is without question.
“You can’t take sides, you have to look on every stakeholder and see what they are bringing to the table and if you have good governance principles then you should discuss it with at least the major stakeholders.
“Cedella Marley is a major stakeholder, have they discussed it with Cedella Marley?” James questioned.
“And in all this the Girlz should be the front of the equation, there are representatives of the Girlz who are very vocal and very focused, you should have called them in and say ‘listen, here is our position. What is your view because I am sure they are going to get a view that is not in agreement with that decision by the JFF,” James continued.
The former football boss also took issue with the JFF’s widely circulated release stating that the decision to part ways was with Donaldson was mutual, as the coach refuted the claims and revealed that the meeting with Chung and JFF’s Human Resource Manager Suzie George-Gayle, lasted a mere five minutes.
The JFF statement said, “after an extended discussion, both parties came to an agreement that the contract would not be renewed.”
James said this again called the JFF’s character into question.
“And again, that is against governance principles. Discussion and respect are a part of good governance principles, so a five-minute thing, I don’t know what you call that, it is just disrespectful,” he opined.
“If the context of what the man [Donaldson] said is true, the press release emanating from that is also false then, because it said that they were in agreement. So, once it says that, and you bring false into it, then it doesn’t put JFF in a good light because there are other things people are going to assume are false,” James noted.
Upon reflection, James recalled the fact that Donaldson was not the initial first choice for the JFF from the onset.
It was Englishman Jonathan Morgan, who found favour with the JFF Technical Committee. However, Morgan later received an offer from Burnley Women’s team and opted out of the race for the Girlz top job, which resulted in Donaldson taking the reins.
“I think that is what is ticking off the JFF, the fact that coach Lorne Donaldson was not selected by them. So, what is embarrassing to the Technical Committee is that they chose someone [Morgan] and Cedella Marley chose a different person [Donaldson] and that person has worked miracles,” James reasoned.
“So, people should be willing to eat humble pie in the context of national importance given the success and progress made in that (World Cup) campaign and say alright let us look at it (Donaldson’s contract) again.
“From there, they could then lay down the plan, not only to Lorne, but to everybody in the national programme that you have to seek permission to speak on certain matters and if you don’t follow the guideline, you will be severely sanctioned,” he explained.
“But the thing with the Girlz programme is that you don’t know who has the authority to speak because you don’t hear anything from anybody else. So, I am not sure who is making the decision for the JFF, if it is the Technical Committee or the Board of Directors, nobody really knows, so apparently all legislation is left to this fellow [Chung],” James ended.
The West Indies Academy players will assemble in Antigua from Monday, 9 October for a High-Performance camp ahead of their participation in the upcoming CG United Super50 Cup.
The 14 players will be under the guidance of Head Coach Andre Coley and Assistant Coach Rayon Griffith during the week-long camp at the Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG). Following the camp, they will travel to Trinidad to participate in the eight-team CG United Super50 Cup. Nyeem Young, the batting allrounder has been named captain.
Coley said: “We are really looking forward to competing in this year’s edition of the CG United Super50 Cup. The camp provides an excellent opportunity for us to prepare and focus on our white ball skills and certain match scenarios, as we build on the performances of the previous tournament and explore ways to execute the brand of cricket that we want to play as a West Indian team.”
The region’s premier List A 50-over tournament will bowl off on Tuesday 17 October and conclude on Saturday 11 November with a new eight-team league format followed by Semi-Finals and Finals to determine the 2023 CG United Super50 Cup Champions. The West Indies Academy’s first fixture is against Combined Colleges and Campuses (CCC) on the 19 October.
The event will feature 31 matches to be played at three venues: the Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA), the Queen’s Park Oval (QPO) and the Sir Frank Worrell Cricket Grounds of the University of the West Indies Sport and Physical Education Centre (UWI SPEC) at the St. Augustine Campus.
All 13 matches at the BLCA, including the Semi-Finals and Final, will be televised live on ESPN Caribbean, with 12 of those matches being day/night games.
FULL SQUAD
Nyeem Young (Captain)
Ackeem Auguste
Joshua Bishop
Teddy Bishop
Carlon Bowen-Tuckett
McKenny Clarke
Matthew Forde
Leonardo Julien
Johann Layne
Kimani Melius
Matthew Nandu
Ashmead Nedd
Kelvin Pitman
Kevin Wickham
CG United Super50 Match Schedule:
Venues: Queen’s Park Oval (QPO); Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA); UWI SPEC
Matches in bold are televised matches, exclusively live on ESPN Caribbean
All other matches are streamed live on the windiescricket YouTube channel
17 October: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs CCC at QPO – 9am
17 October: Guyana Harpy Eagles vs Windward Islands Volcanoes at BLCA – 1pm
18 October: Leeward Islands Hurricanes vs Jamaica Scorpions at BLCA – 1pm
19 October: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs Windward Islands Volcanoes at QPO – 9am
19 October: CCC vs West Indies Academy at BLCA – 1pm
20 October: Barbados Pride vs Jamaica Scorpions at UWI SPEC – 9am
21 October: Leeward Islands Hurricanes vs West Indies Academy at QPO – 9am
21 October: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs Guyana Harpy Eagles at BLCA – 1pm
22 October: Windward Islands Volcanoes vs CCC at UWI SPEC – 9am
23 October: Guyana Harpy Eagles vs Leeward Islands Hurricanes at QPO – 9am
23 October: Barbados Pride vs West Indies Academy at UWI SPEC – 9am
25 October: Windward Islands Volcanoes vs Barbados Pride at BLCA - 9am
25 October: West Indies Academy vs Jamaica Scorpions at QPO – 9am
25 October: Guyana Harpy Eagles vs CCC at UWI SPEC – 9am
26 October: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs Leeward Islands Hurricanes at BLCA – 1pm
27 October: Jamaica Scorpions vs CCC at UWI SPEC – 9am
28 October: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs West Indies Academy at QPO – 9am
29 October: Barbados Pride vs Guyana Harpy Eagles at UWI SPEC – 9am
29 October: Jamaica Scorpions vs Windward Islands Volcanoes at BLCA – 1pm
31 October: Windward Islands Volcanoes vs Leeward Islands Hurricanes at QPO – 9am
31 October: CCC vs Barbados Pride at UWI SPEC – 9am
1 November: West Indies Academy vs Guyana Harpy Eagles at UWI SPEC – 9am
2 November: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs Jamaica Scorpions at QPO – 9am
2 November: Leeward Islands Hurricanes vs Barbados Pride at BLCA – 1pm
3 November: West Indies Academy vs Windward Islands Volcanoes at UWI SPEC – 9am
4 November: CCC vs Leeward Islands Hurricanes at QPO – 9am
4 November: Jamaica Scorpions vs Guyana Harpy Eagles at BLCA – 1pm
5 November: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs Barbados Pride at BLCA – 1pm
8 November: Semi-Final 1 at BLCA – 1pm
9 November: Semi-Final 2 at BLCA – 1pm
11 November: Final at BLCA – 1pm
Jamaican quarter-miler Sean Bailey has signed a professional contract with Adidas. Bailey, a finalist in the 400m at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary in August, made the announcement on Instagram on Thursday, explaining that the development is a dream come true.
“Lost for words. These past two years out of college, I wanted to run track and field professionally. Two years later I am Adidas athlete,” Bailey said in his post.
The younger brother of Jamaican Olympian icon Veronica Campbell-Brown, Bailey enjoyed perhaps his most successful season. In May, he ran a personal best 44.43 to win at the Drake Relays defeating the 2012 Olympic champion Kirani James and then won his first national title at the Jamaica National Championships in July.
In winning the national title, Bailey defeated Antonio Watson, who would go on to win the 400m at the championships in Budapest. Bailey made it to the final where he finished fifth in 44.96. An injury prevented him from participating in the 4x400m relay. His presence was missed as Jamaica finished fourth.
However, he has had his fair share of injuries which have hampered his progress and at one point had him thinking about giving up.
“The journey has not been an easy one by any means. I wanted to give up so many times because I felt as if I was not good enough. I stuck with it and I’m here to tell anyone out there chasing a goal that it is possible. It’s not a cliché, work hard and dedicate yourself.”
He expressed gratitude to his management team, OntrackManagement, “for believing in me and working with me through all my rough patches. I am grateful to have you all by my side.” He also thanked his coaxh Mickael Hanany for believing in him and giving him the opportunity to lean every day. “We have a lot more work to get done,” he said.
Sheikha Hissa’s Shadwell operation went to 1,600,000 guineas to purchase a Frankel filly on the final day of the Book 1 sale at Tattersalls in Newmarket.
Consigned by Watership Down Stud, the chestnut is out of the Group One-winning Millisle, who took the Cheveley Park Stakes for Jessica Harrington in 2019.
It is the second-highest figure commanded by a yearling over the three-day sale and the buyers were delighted to get their hands on such regally-bred young stock.
“She is a lovely first foal, I saw her on the farm and loved her, I loved her every time we saw her here as did Sheikha Hissa,” long-standing Shadwell racing manager Angus Gold told Tattersalls.
“We knew she’d make a lot of money, but we need some fillies for the stud and a first foal out of Cheveley Park Stakes winner and by a great stallion, it was sort of fairly self-explanatory.
“She seems very athletic, very well-balanced and has a very good mind, so now she has got to be able to run!”
Shadwell have achieved notable on-track success this season with Hukum, Mostahdaf, Al Husn and Anmaat all registering Group One victories in the famous blue with white silks.
All four of those horses are aged five or six, showing a willingness of Shadwell’s Sheikha Hissa to extend a horse’s career beyond the typical three or four.
Their latest buy is part of the Shadwell rebuilding process and Gold added: “It is a period of rebuilding, it is a long-term project for Sheikha Hissa.
“We have been lucky this year with the older horses, and Sheikha Hissa is happy to take a different route to her father Sheikh Hamdan who did not like to keep the older horses and she is prepared to if we think there is more to come, and she has been rewarded with a Group One winner.
“It is exciting times for the stud, but you have to keep regenerating.”
He added of Sheikha Hissa’s ever-growing passion for the sport: “She has loved coming here, she can stand looking at the horses all day if someone did not come and move her!
“She loves coming to see the yearlings, we saw them all Monday and she has been back over the three days to see horses again. She is picking it up very quickly, like her father, and really enjoys the business.
Palmar Bay could have a bright future having shown a game attitude to claim the feature British EBF Radcliffe & Co Conditions Stakes at Salisbury.
The Ralph Beckett-trained colt claimed the scalp of subsequent July Stakes scorer Jasour when getting off the mark at the Wiltshire track in May, but missed out on an intended run in the Listed Rose Bowl Stakes at Newbury during the heart of summer when breaking out of the stalls prior to the off.
Sent off the 3-1 joint-favourite among a smart cast of juveniles, he produced a professional display in the hands of Hector Crouch to edge out fellow market principal Solar Aclaim by three-quarters of a length.
Palmar Bay was joined on the Salisbury scoresheet by stablemate La Pasionaria (8-1) who made a winning debut in division one of the Byerley Stud British EBF Novice Stakes, as the Kimpton Down handler enjoyed a double at a venue he enjoys both notable and regular success at.
Beckett said: “I like La Pasionaria, she has shown up well at home and really got her head down and toughed it out I thought. She will probably be put away for next year.
“Palmar Bay, ditto really. Off a break he did really well to overcome the pacesetter who is a nice horse as well and he could run in a stakes race before the end of the season.
“I don’t know where at this stage because he could go seven (furlongs) and I think he probably wants that.”
Elsewhere on the card there were maiden victories for Clive Cox’s Finbar Furey (9-2) and Ed Walker’s Ten Bob Tony (6-4 joint favourite), who both claimed divisions of the Radcliffe & Co British EBF Novice Stakes in eyecatching fashion, while the other juvenile contest went the way of David Menuisier’s debutant Goodwood Odyssey (20-1).
St. George’s College defeated Ardenne High 3-0 in ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup action on Wednesday.
The game started on Tuesday and the 22-time Manning Cup champions took the lead through Brian Burkett in the 13th minute before play was halted by weather in the 55th minute.
The game was then rescheduled and started at an earlier time on Wednesday and the light blues picked up where they left off.
It took them only two minutes into the restart to double their lead as Adrian Reid Jr. slotted home in the 57th.
Matthew Spence then later added a third in the 88th to put the tie to bed. STGC now extends their unbeaten run to five games and is comfortably atop Zone F on 15 points, six points ahead of second placed Jose Marti and eight ahead of Campion College in third.
The five other games scheduled to take place on Wednesday were postponed due to weather.
San Juan North leapfrogged Fatima College to the top of the Trinidad and Tobago Secondary School Football League (SSFL) table on Wednesday following a 2-1 victory over Trinity College East. The three points means San Juan North now have 18 points, two more that previous leaders, who were beaten 1-0 by Presentation College in Round-7 action.
Fatima College was suffering their first loss of the season.
Meanwhile, Naparima College lost their second match of the season when they went down 3-2 to St Benedict’s College, which leaves them three points behind San Juan North.
Elsewhere, Speyside High School notched their fourth win of the season edging East Mucurapo Secondary 2-1 to be fifth in the league standings with 13 points.
Three teams are locked on 12 points but St Anthony’s College is ahead on goal difference lying sixth following their 6-1 drubbing of Pleasantville Secondary. Arima North Secondary are next following a 2-1 victory over Malick Secondary.
St Mary’s College is the third team in the mid-table log jam following their 3-2 win over Bishop’s High School.
Queen’s Royal College enjoyed the biggest win on the day when they blanked Chaguanas North Secondary 6-0 and now have nine points from their seven games this season.
Dominican Republic's Moca FC secured their place in the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Cup semi-final with a 2-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago's Defence Force in their Group A showdown at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, on Wednesday.
Moca with nine points, finished as runners-up to Jamaican side Cavalier FC, which ended on 10 points.
It was one-way traffic in the first 45 minutes, with Moca content to sit back and guard the 0-0 result knowing that a draw was enough to seal their passage to the semifinals.
Meanwhile, Defence Force committed numbers forward, with their best chance being a Jamali Garcia shot in the 21st minute that forced a reaction save from Moca goalkeeper Odalis Baez. Defence Force certainly had the bulk of the chances, but not the breakthrough they sought.
All of the energy spent by Defence Force started to open up space for Moca as the second half wore on, and the visitors from the Dominican Republic made the most of it, scoring the crucial opening goal in the 64th.
A deep cross from Juan Angeles was initially deflected out by the Defence Force defense and Moca’s Gustavo Ascona was first to react to the loose ball, stabbing home the finish for a precious 1-0 lead.
Moca remained in control and put the three points and semi-final spot-on ice in second half stoppage time, when Ronaldo de Pena finished off a counterattack to complete the 2-0 scoreline.
Mill Stream is on course for one final outing of the season in the Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot later this month.
The Jane Chapple-Hyam-trained three-year-old gave a glimpse of his ability when fourth behind Chaldean in the Acomb Stakes as a juvenile, but has thrived over sprinting distances this term and compiled a Deauville double in the summer as he stepped out of the handicap ranks into Pattern company.
He was enterprisingly supplemented by connections for the Betfair Sprint Cup last month and the thriving speedster was not disgraced finishing sixth, beaten just three-and-a-quarter lengths by Regional in his first outing at Group One level.
The Peter Harris-owned son of Gleneagles is now set for another taste of top-table action on British Champions Day.
“He’s really good and is heading for Ascot on October 21, we’re going to give it a go,” said Chapple-Hyam.
“I know it is pretty late for a three-year-old, but he’s in a good place and we’ve had a mild start to October.
“He was just a bit gassy up on the front (at Haydock), but they all were and the times reflected that. But we’re pleased with how he has come out of the race.
“He’s young and he’s still got to mature. He will have a roll out in this race and then we’ve got a nice winter to look forward to him over. He’ll be more mature (next year).
“At three they are just learning to leave the gates and get involved. We’re looking forward to him.”
Young striker Shaniel Thomas registered a second hat-trick of the Concacaf Caribbean Cup, as he combined with Jalmaro Calvin to hand Jamaica's Cavalier FC a 5-2 win over host Golden Lion in their Group A curtain-call contest at the Stade Pierre-Aliker in Fort-de-France, Martinique, on Wednesday.
Thomas, who earlier in the tournament became the youngest and first player to score a hat-trick when he achieved the feat against Dominican Republic's Moca FC last month, again proved too good in the final third for his French-speaking rivals on this occasion, and now has a Caribbean Cup-leading seven goals in four games. His combination with Calvin also ensured the Rudolph Speid-coached side topped the group on their way to the semi-final.
Cavalier could not have asked for a better start, as they quickly grabbed a 1-0 lead in the sixth minute, when Calvin's cross from the right wing took a wicked deflection off the foot of Golden Lion's defender Marvin Bellance, leaving goalkeeper Alan Rose wrong-footed, as the ball rippled the net.
Calvin continued to be a nuisance on the right flank and made a big impact again in the 14th minute with a dashing run that ended with a strong right-footed finish for a 2-0 lead.
The nippy Calvin added another notch to his first half belt with an assist on a Thomas goal in the 34th. In that build up, Calvin shook markers on the right channel before cutting back to Thomas, who swept in a shot past Rose to put Cavalier 3-0 up.
Thomas was once again at the right place at the right time in the 37th when an under-hit back pass allowed him to swoop in and score for a 4-0 Cavalier lead.
The Calvin-Thomas combination continued to wreak havoc on Golden Lion, who had no response to their onslaught. Calvin again played provider for Thomas, who applied another powerful finish in first half stoppage time, to put the Jamaicans 5-0 up at the break.
Golden Lion came out with a renewed purpose on the resumption and pulled one back in the 51st minute, through a Thierry Catherine header.
They added another in the 71st, courtesy of Wilfrid Charloton’s finish inside the area, but in the end the spoils and first-place finish in the group belonged to Cavalier.
In celebration of her second global medal and consistent performances throughout the season, the government of Barbados on Wednesday unveiled two billboards bearing the image of the now two-time World Championships bronze medallist, Sada Williams.
The star athlete was also given a cash award of Bdos$150,000 in recognition of her milestone achievements. Williams, who trains with the MVP track club in Jamaica, is the first Barbadian athlete to win back-to-back medals at a global championship.
The 25-year-old Williams has been magnificent form over the last two seasons. In 2022, she won bronze at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon running what was then a national record of 49.75. She followed up two weeks later with a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.
That year, she also won a silver medal at the NACAC Senior Championships in the Bahamas.
Williams carried that momentum into 2023 when, despite a slow start to the season, peaked at the World Championships in Budapest to win another bronze medal in the final of the 400m. On route to the final, she set a new national record of 49.58.
Deservedly, her exemplary performances have been recognized and rewarded by her country, a gesture which Williams expressed her gratitude in a post on Instagram.
“Today, the Government of Barbados unveiled two billboards and a portrait of me and my achievements. I was also awarded $150,000 as a token of appreciation,” she said.
“Thank you to the government of Barbados, Ministry of Youth Sports and Community Empowerment, the National Sports Council, the Barbados Olympic Association, and the Athletic Association of Barbados for the support and continued support.
Special thanks to my entire team and management @the_real_MVPz for having brought me this far. And of course the love, appreciation and support from my fellow Bajans.”
The wafer-thin fragility of the West Indies Women’s batting was on full display during the third and final T20 International against Australia on Thursday that the West Indies lost by 47 runs in Brisbane.
Chasing 191 for victory, the West Indies Women failed to capitalize on another good start provided by Captain Hayley Matthews. The Windies skipper, who was named Player of the Series, scored 79 from 40balls in an opening partnership of 97 with Shabika Gajnabi.
However, once she got out, the rest of the batting failed to take advantage with the Caribbean women losing their last nine wickets for 46 runs. Following Matthews’ dismissal, the Windies Women lost their next four wickets for seven runs in 13 deliveries. The under-cooked Gajnabi struggled, making 16 off 27 balls before she needlessly ran herself out. As the batting crumbled, other than Aaliyah Alleyne, whose 26 came from 23 deliveries, no other batter got to double figures as Darcie Brown 3-20, Ashleigh Gardner, 3-32, and Kim Garth 2-24 scythed through the line-up.
Earlier, Australia posted another solid total on the board, scoring 190-9 thanks mainly to Tahlia McGrath, who returned to form with a well-played 65. Ellyse Perry added 40 and Phoebe Litchfield followed up her world-record half century in the second T20I with 36 from 17 balls.
Shamilia Connell was the best of the Windies bowlers with 3-25. Matthews took 1-34.
Matthews was named Player of the Match for the eighth consecutive match, said conditions for batting were more challenging than the previous two matches but hinted that her players need to improve.
"It was a bit tougher to start today, pitch was a bit slower. I want to be able to go out there and lead by example. Unfortunately, we couldn't get over the line today...but want to see the girls grow."
The Barbadian all-rounder, the number one batter in the world, had scores of 99 not out, 132 and 79 and five wickets during the series.
Connections will bide their time before deciding the next move for Highfield Princess following her triumphant return to the winner’s enclosure at ParisLongchamp.
The John Quinn-trained six-year-old was the standout sprinter of 2022, striking at the top level on three occasions as she enjoyed a stellar summer in the spotlight.
Despite again campaigning with the same consistency this term, victories have been harder to come by, and she headed to the French capital for the Prix de l’Abbaye with just the sole success in Goodwood’s King George Stakes to her name this season.
There she left an unfortuante run in the Curragh’s Flying Five Stakes in the past and also overcame a tricky-looking draw in the hands of Jason Hart, as she returned to the highest echelons of the sprinting ranks to the delight of connections.
Quinn would now like to wait just a little longer before deciding if his star sprinter will get her passport stamped for an overseas end-of-season assignment, with bettering last year’s brave fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita or a crack at the Longines Hong Kong Sprint on December 10 both on the radar.
“She seems fine, she had a canter this morning and touch wood she seems fine,” said Quinn.
“We will let the dust settle and then we’ll plan forward.
“I just want to see her again for another week or so and then speak to her owners. If there is another run in her this year she will tell us.
“We’re open minded, but as long as she is OK – and she seems OK – and she bounces back in a week or so it will either be America or Hong Kong.”
Ground conditions are likely to be the deciding factor in whether Onesto will contest the Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot.
Fabrice Chappet’s stable star struck Group One gold in the Grand Prix de Paris last year before being narrowly beaten in the Irish Champion Stakes and disappointing in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
This year he did not make his comeback until August and while he was well held on his return to Leopardstown for the Irish Champion under Frankie Dettori, he bounced back to his very best to finish third behind Ace Impact and Westover in the Arc on Sunday.
Connections have the option of sending Onesto to California for a tilt at the Breeders’ Cup Turf next month – but with the weather forecast looking favourable at this stage, a trip across the Channel for British Champions Day also remains on the table.
Chappet said: “It depends on the ground. We are keeping an eye on the British Champion in case the ground will be suitable, good or good to soft. He would not go if it’s softer than that, otherwise he will go to the Breeders’ Cup.
“For us it was not a big a surprise (how well he ran in the Arc). He has been running good for most of his life and last time in Ireland things just didn’t go his way, otherwise he has run very good races.”
Wherever Onesto runs next, he can look forward to beginning his future career as a stallion in 2024.
“At this moment we are going for one of the two (Ascot or Breeders’ Cup) and next year he is going to stud,” Chappet added.
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