Brian Meehan has his eye on the Breeders’ Cup for Inishfallen after his brave second in the Solaria Stakes at Sandown.
The son of Exceed and Excel had won just one of his previous four starts and was sent off at 22-1 for the seven-furlong Group Three event.
However, he took his form to another level under a fine ride from Sean Levey, with the colt enjoying himself on the front-end and then knuckling down to force Charlie Appleby’s Aablan to pull out all the stops when prevailing by a neck.
Encouraged by the career-best performance, his handler is keen to take the youngster to Santa Anita for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf in early November, but before that he could appear at Newmarket in the Tattersalls Stakes (September 28) won by Modern Games and Nostrum in the past two seasons.
“I was delighted with him and I thought Sean gave him a great, intelligent ride,” said Meehan.
“He reported after that the ground was dead and that was the beating of him – if the ground had been faster he would have won.
“We might look at the Somerville or ultimately I would say the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. That’s the thoughts at the moment.
“He’s looking good after not too many runs and has a nice profile.”
Christopher Head was left feeling frustrated having seen Big Rock collect another big-race silver medal in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp.
The talented son of Rock Of Gibralter strung together a four-race winning sequence earlier in the campaign that included a five-length defeat of Champion Stakes-bound Horizon Dore at Chantilly in May.
However, the colt’s successful run came to an end when second to Arc favourite Ace Impact in the Prix du Jockey Club.
He has since dropped back down to a mile, but has again had to settle for the runner-up spot, firstly when bumping into an in-form Inspiral in the Jacques le Marois and then when passed late on by the fast-finishing Sauterne at ParisLongchamp on Sunday.
“He’s very consistent with his performance and is always improving a little bit,” said Head.
“But we have a hard time of course against a horse with a certain turn of foot being on our back and we are always vulnerable to that kind of strategy.
“It is a bit frustrating because he is really worthy of getting a Group One win but he is just missing out for now.”
If connections continue to persevere at the mile distance, Big Rock could be seen at Ascot on Qipco British Champions Day where he holds an entry for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.
However, Head stressed the team are in no rush to make their next move, with the colt’s versatility meaning all options remain on the table.
“I need to speak with Yeguada Centurion (owners) and we will go wherever they want me to go,” continued Head.
“I think he’s pretty versatile and can do pretty much whatever we want and we can adjust strategy accordingly.
“It’s still an option (Ascot) of course and we are considering all options, but it is a bit early to say right now. We would be more than honoured to go there as they are really important races for not just horses but also trainers and owners, it’s a pretty impressive place.”
There is another big weekend on the horizon for both Head and owners Yeguada Centurion as Blue Rose Cen heads to the Prix Vermeille to put her Arc aspirations to the test.
The three-year-old has been the star of Head’s rise up the training ranks, while he also has another high-class proposition waiting in the wings in Ramatuelle.
The daughter of Justify, whose owners include former NBA star Tony Parker, has won three of her five career starts and having been narrowly denied by Vandeek in the Prix Morny has options in both England and America for her next outing.
Head continued: “She is doing fine and everything is OK. We still have both options available for the end of the season – there is the Cheveley Park Stakes and the Breeders’ Cup too – and we are just waiting a little bit to be sure what the owner is wanting to do.”
A trip to Newmarket on September 30 would see Ramatuelle continue to ply her trade over six furlongs.
However, a tilt at the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in Santa Anita would see the precocious youngster step up to a mile, with her handler intrigued to see how she gets on when they stretch the elastic of her stamina.
He added: “There is always the possibility that the filly will stay at three so at some point there will be probably be progression to the distances she is likely to encounter.
“It is very interesting and we can’t wait to try this and see what her limits are.”
Believing and Mill Stream have been supplemented to take on Shaquille in the Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock on Saturday.
A total of 23 speedsters are in contention for the six-furlong Group One, with the Julie Camacho-trained Shaquille very much the star attraction as he looks to add to his previous top-level wins this summer in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot and the July Cup at Newmarket.
The George Boughey-trained Believing and Jane Chapple-Hyam’s Mill Stream are two interesting contenders after their respective connections paid the £20,000 required to add them to the field.
Believing has won two Listed races and a Group Three this season and is one of two potential runners for the Highclere Thoroughbred Racing team along with Karl Burke’s Spycatcher, who was beaten a short head by King Gold in the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville last month.
Mill Stream won a Listed race and a Group Three at the French track in August and fully merits his place in Group One company.
“Mill Stream has come out of his Deauville race in good order, so we have decided to take the opportunity to run him again while he is good form as there are no other options for him until Champions Day,” said Chapple-Hyam.
Ralph Beckett has left in both Kinross and Lezoo after on Sunday suggesting he is likely to rely upon the latter, while Aidan O’Brien could saddle one or both of Aesop’s Fables and The Antarctic.
Other hopefuls include Ed Bethell’s Regional, the William Haggas-trained Sacred and July Cup runner-up Run To Freedom from Henry Candy’s yard.
Patrick Neville is considering options at Down Royal and Newbury for stable star The Real Whacker’s seasonal reappearance.
The seven-year-old enjoyed an excellent novice campaign over fences last term, winning each of his three starts at Cheltenham including a popular Festival success in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.
North Yorkshire-based Neville is confident his pride and joy has returned from a summer break better than ever and is looking forward to seeing him return to competitive action in the autumn.
“He’s done really well over the summer. He came back in around mid-July and he’s back cantering away now and is in great form,” he said.
“He looks well and has developed into a nice horse over the summer. He’s only really a horse now to be honest. He was always lightly-framed but he’s filled into his frame now and is looking fierce well.
“I’ve had Sam Twiston-Davies ringing me up to see how he is and he is looking forward to riding him for the season, all going well.”
Neville is planning to give The Real Whacker just two runs before a return to the Cotswolds in March for a tilt at Cheltenham Gold Cup glory.
He added: “There’s Coral Gold Cup at Newbury (December 2) or Down Royal on early November is another option. There’s a second-season novice chase there that we’ll have a look at.
“You’ve got the King George at Christmas and Cheltenham in January, so we’ll see. We’d be thinking two runs and then the Gold Cup – that’s the plan.”
Rahkeem Cornwall bludgeoned his way to the first CPL ton this season as the Barbados Royals successfully chased 221 runs to complete a remarkable eight-wicket win over the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) on Sunday.
St Kitts and Nevis Patriots won the toss and chose to bat first, and they reaped the rewards as Andre Fletcher and Will Smeed put together the highest opening partnership of this year’s tournament so far, 115 runs, to galvanize their team. A rapid half-century from captain Sherfane Rutherford, from just 24 balls, would then propel the total to 220-4 after 20 overs.
However, Barbados Royals would produce a sensational chase in response, Rahkeem Cornwall leading the way with a 45-ball century to ensure they achieved a stunning eight-wicket victory in front of a home crowd.
It was a sublime batting performance from the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, with Andre Fletcher and Will Smeed guiding their team to 70-0 in the PowerPlay. Their partnership would reach 115 before Rahkeem Cornwall would dismiss them both with his off-spin.
The Patriots continued to try to accelerate the score, and in a tactical move, batter Jyd Goolie was retired out in the 17th over, having scored 22 off 16 balls. Captain Sherfane Rutherford would showcase his destructive abilities, scoring 65 runs in just 27 balls, his innings including five sixes, to allow the Patriots to reach a formidable 220-4 after 20 overs.
Barbados Royals would themselves have an effective PowerPlay; despite losing the wicket of Kyle Mayers, they scored 67 runs in the first six overs of their chase.
Rahkeem Cornwall would launch his way to a 23-ball half century, as the Royals continued to find the boundary after the fielding restrictions were lifted.
Cornwall continued to unleash the big shots as he reached a century in just 45 balls, his first CPL century. Cornwall would retire hurt after reaching 102 runs, but Rovman Powell and Alick Athanaze would see the Royals home, ensuring they won by eight wickets, as they finished on 223-2.
The next leg of the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) will continue on Tuesday evening as the action reaches Trinidad & Tobago.
Scores: Barbados Royals 223-2 (Cornwall 102, Powell 49*; Bosch 1-29, Drakes 1-34) beat St Kitts and Nevis Patriots 220-4 (Rutherford 65, Smeed 63, Cornwall 2-27, Brathwaite 1-66) by eight wickets.
The Barbados Royals kept their unbeaten record thanks to Erin Burns producing a great half-century in the 2023 Massy Caribbean Premier League (WCPL).
In the WCPL’s final match in Barbados for 2023, the Amazon Warriors won the toss and batted first as they did in their last fixture, ending in a similar fashion to the opener between these same teams last Thursday.
In much similarity to their opener, a strong Powerplay of 51-0 set the visitors on their way before a rebuild led by some big hitting from Natasha McLean got them to a competitive total.
Run rate was never an issue in reply to 146 for the Royals but with wickets falling frequently Burns’ resistance was required to win the game; late partnerships with the lower-order flipped the match in their favour, finishing the chase in the final over.
In a near-carbon copy of the opening match of the 2023 WCPL with Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates leading off the first innings in a similar fashion to that of Thursday night. Hayley Matthews used seven different bowlers inside the opening eight overs, searching for the all-important breakthrough.
The Kiwi pair put on 74 for an opening stand before Amanda-Jade Wellington produced the perfect leg-spinner's delivery to dismiss Bates for 30 in a pick-of-the-bowlers spell of 1-21.
With Devine looking set for another half-century, the Amazon Warriors’ innings was setback to a restart when Devine fell to a good catch in the deep by Aaliyah Alleyne with the score at just 78.
After persisting against a long list of spinners from the Royals, the visitors were able to rebuild with McLean leading the way with three sixes in her 26-ball 38, helping the Warriors to 146-4.
In reply, Matthews and Laura Harris got starts once again for the Royals; the latter scoring all 18 of her runs from sixes before being dismissed by the experience of Shakera Selman featuring for the first time with the ball in the 2023 edition.
With wickets falling frequently through Selman and Patil, the Royals were 75-5 from 10 overs and the match was in the balance. Burns’ timely knock when wickets fell around her continued the Australian’s remarkable form in the WCPL, knocking off the final 30 runs in 14 balls, winning the match with four balls to spare in an unbeaten 42-run partnership with Wellington.
Guyana Amazon Warriors face up to Trinbago Knight Riders next as the tournament moves on to Trinidad.
Scores: Barbados Royals 147-7 (Burns 53*, Matthews 22; Patil 4-34, Selman 2-15) beat Guyana Amazon Warriors 146-4 (Devine 42, McLean 38; Burns 2-32, Wellington 1-21) by three wickets.
World Championship sprint-relay silver medallist Natasha Morrison and sprint hurdler Amoi Brown emerged victorious in their respective events at Sunday’s Meeting Citta' Di Padova 2023 in Italy.
Morrison, who ran the lead off leg for Jamaica who won the 4x100m relay silver medal at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary last month, stormed to victory in the 100m clocking a time of 11.15.
The USA’s Twanisha Terry, who incidentally, was on the USA’s gold-medal winning team, was close behind in 10.21. Briana Williams, who was also a member of the Jamaican relay squad, took third place in a time of 11.39.
Brown, meanwhile, who just missed out on a place on Jamaica’s team to the world championships when she finished fourth at her country’s national championships in July, had better fortunes on Sunday when she dominated the 100m hurdles.
Running into a headwind of -0.8m/s, Brown’s time was 12.83. She had daylight between herself and second-place finisher Hanna Toth of Hungary, who clocked a pedestrian 13.20 with Japan’s Mako Fukube close behind in third in 13.25.
Meanwhile, in the men’s 100m dash, Michael Campbell of Jamaica, finished second in 10.28 after he was pipped at the line by the USA’s Kyree King, who ran a winning time of 10.27. They raced into a headwind of -0.7m/s.
Canada’s Aaron Brown finished third in 10.31.
In the long jump, World Championship bronze medallist Tajay Gayle had to settle for second place after his jump of 8.00m was bettered by France’s Tom Campagne’s effort of 8.09m. Reece Ademola of Ireland jumped 7.97m to secure the other podium spot.
Connections of Mansa Musa are dreaming of a trip to the Breeders’ Cup for their speedy youngster having just missed out on big-race success at the Curragh last month.
Trained by Irish-based Brazilian Diego Dias, the son of Ten Sovereigns has shown plenty of talent in his three outings to date and announced himself at the Qatar Goodwood Festival when repelling the well-regarded 4-6 favourite Array to shed his maiden tag.
It looked likely that Mansa Musa would be headed to Hong Kong following that success, but having earnt a reprieve after instead being purchased by Team Valor International LLC and Gary Barber, he has continued to be trained by Dias and was immediately upped in class for the Group Three Round Tower Stakes, where he finished an honourable second to Paddy Twomey’s Letsbefrankaboutit.
All three of the colt’s runs so far have come over six furlongs and he will continue to ply his trade over that distance for his next start in the Ballyhane Blenheim Stakes at Fairyhouse on September 18.
However, a strong showing in that Listed event could signal a trip to Santa Anita in early November for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, where connections feel Mansa Musa’ pace could prove a real asset dropping back to five furlongs and racing around a bend.
“We got lucky there and I originally tried to buy him but someone in Hong Kong made a much, much bigger offer,” explained Barry Irwin, CEO of Team Valor.
“The horse was vetted and for some reason, even though the vetting for me was fine, they decided not to go, so we were able to get him for our original offer. We’re into him at a very good figure.
“I think six furlongs for him at this moment is just a little too far against the really good horses. The horse that beat him the other day looks pretty smart.
“We’re going to run him back one more time going six furlongs at Fairyhouse on September 18 because that is the most suitable race and if he performs well enough we will send him over to America for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (Turf) Sprint.
“That is five furlongs around a turn and it is one of those races where if you get the right draw, then he is a very speedy horse and I think he could do something in a race like that.
“In his first race he showed a ton of speed and it just caught up with him in the last furlong, he went from first to last in a heartbeat. But he has a tremendous amount of early speed for a horse of his size.”
Trinbago Knight Riders recorded a dramatic two-run win over defending champions Jamaica Tallawahs in the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) on Sunday.
Jamaica Tallawahs won the toss and chose to field first, producing a disciplined bowling performance to restrict Trinbago Knight Riders to 142-8 after 20 overs. Kelvin Pitman, making his CPL debut, had an outstanding game as he took three wickets, including that of the opposing captain, Kieron Pollard.
The Tallawahs would have a bright start to their chase but would lose four wickets in the first 10 overs to find themselves in trouble. Waqar Salamkheil and Andre Russell, would prove decisive, taking five wickets between them and restricting runs as the Tallawahs faltered to 140-7, losing by just 2 runs.
The Jamaican franchise got off to an ideal start to the game with experienced seamer Mohammad Amir delivering an opening maiden over.
Openers Martin Guptil and Mark Deyal would however bat through the Powerplay and build a solid foundation to the Knight Riders innings with a 58-run partnership. The complexion of the tie would then completely change as the Knight Riders lost three wickets, including that of Nicholas Pooran, for just five runs. Kelvin Pitman, on debut for the Tallawahs, took two of those wickets within the same over in a brilliant display. The Knight Riders attempts to accelerate the scoring were derailed as they would lose five wickets in the last five overs to finish on 142-8.
Jamaica Tallawahs opened their chase with captain Brandon King and Alex Hales, the duo also batting through the powerplay as they put on a 57-run partnership.
Brandon King lost his wicket to the leg spin of Salamkheil; Jermaine Blackwood was also dismissed four balls later to a super Nicholas Pooran catch, and when Shamarh Brooks departed the very next ball, the Tallawahs looked in trouble at 58-3. More wickets would tumble and despite a late flurry of runs from Chris Green and Imad Wasim, they would ultimately lose by two runs in a nail-biting finish.
Trinbago Knight Riders will look to continue their winning form as they play their next four games in front of a home crowd.
Scores: Trinbago Knight Riders 142-8 (Pollard 33, Tucker 30, Deyal 30; Amir 3-20, Pitman 3-27) beat Jamaica Tallawahs 140-7 (King 36, Green 32; Russell 3-34, Salamkheil 2-21) by two runs
The Prix de l’Abbaye is likely to be the next stop for Go Athletico as connections target optimum conditions for their sprinting star at ParisLongchamp.
The five-year-old is yet to finish outside of the first two in three starts for Adrian McGuinness, claiming Listed honours on stable debut at Cork before finishing second in two high-class Curragh sprint events most recently.
Go Athletico does have the option of returning to the Kildare venue for the Group One Flying Five Stakes during the Irish Champions Festival, but it would be somewhat fitting if he were to head to France in search of big-race success on October 1 having raced 26 times there, winning on six occasions, before transferring to Ireland for €165,000 in the spring.
“We have him in the Flying Five but I don’t think the ground will come up soft enough for him,” said Barry Irwin, CEO of Team Valor, who own the horse in partnership with Shamrock Thoroughbreds.
“He’s a very honest horse and he’s going to try every time, but he can’t go unless there is some moisture in the ground and it was just against him last time.
“I don’t think you will see him again until the Abbaye. That’s where we are pointing and depending on what kind of draw he gets and how the ground turns up, he has a tremendous turn of foot and under the right circumstances he can run with the top horses.
“I think five or five and a half furlongs is what he is made for really.”
Twilight Jet turned on the afterburners to fly home and secure Irish Stallion Farms EBF Abergwaun Stakes honours at Tipperary.
Michael O’Callaghan’s four-year-old has always been held in high-regard and had previously struck twice at Group Three level.
However, he has been out of luck in two starts this season as connections have strived to get the colt back to his very best and he was dropped to the minimum distance and Listed level when sent off the 15-8 favourite on Sunday.
Victory looked out of range with a furlong to run as Kieran Cotter’s Dun Na Sead blazed a trail on the front end.
But Twilight Jet found top gear when it mattered most to surge his way to a neck victory over stablemate Lokada, who also did her best work late in the day from a position at the rear of the field.
“It was great, I’m delighted to get Twilight Jet’s head back in front because he hadn’t the most straightforward path to this as he had two surgeries over the winter,” said O’Callaghan.
“He had one for colic and had to have another surgery having slipped, so it has been a long time coming back.
“Last year he blitzed them in the Lacken (Stakes) but went to Royal Ascot and was sick for quite a while. This year was about getting him back slowly, race to race.
“He’ll go for something like the World Trophy (at Newbury) or I might step him up to six (furlongs) but there are a few options for him in the UK. Leigh (Roche, jockey) couldn’t pull him up today and a stiff five or stepping back up to six will suit.”
On the runner up, he added: “Lokada had a lot of headgear on her to try to get her to relax – we have been tricking around with her and always thought she had the ability to get black type.
“They went so hard in front that Colin (Keane, Jockey) was able to get cover to help her relax and she came home well. Today was huge for her and she might be able to win one of these now.”
Aidan O’Brien’s Los Angeles (13-2) kicked the card off in style with an impressive debut performance in the Camas Park Stud Irish EBF Maiden.
The son of Camelot was an ever-lengthening two-and-a-quarter-length victor and having been handed quotes of 33-1 by Paddy Power for next year’s Derby, he is set for a rise in grade for his next start.
Ballydoyle stable representative Chris Armstrong said: “He is a lovely horse and will come on an awful lot. It was a lovely introduction to bring him here and he will be a lovely middle-distance horse for next year.
“He’ll improve a ton for the run and something like the Beresford or the Criterium de Saint-Cloud could be next, but he is a horse to look forward to next year.
“Seamus (Heffernan, jockey) gave him a lovely introduction and what he does at two will be a bonus. It’s grand to get him out now and see where he fits into the pecking order.”
Also making a taking debut was Jessica Harrington’s Sea The Boss (5-1), who pulled well clear of 15-8 favourite Quickstepping in the Irish EBF Auction Series Maiden to book her ticket to the valuable series finale later in the autumn.
Harrington said: “We have always liked her, we liked her in the spring and she grew a lot. She is a fine looker and is only a frame filly, so is next year’s model.
“We’ll see what we do and there is the final of this series at Naas (on October 15) for her.”
In an afternoon where debutants came to the fore, Caracal made the perfect stable bow for Joseph O’Brien in the Meadowview Stables Race.
The Al Shaqab Racing-owned gelding made three starts for Jean-Claude Rouget in France before switching to the Owning Hill handler and having successfully returned from over 500 days off the track, could now be set sterner tests moving forwards.
O’Brien said: “It’s great to get our first winner for Al Shaqab (Racing) – we haven’t had many runners for them and it’s great to get the first win.
“He had been working smartly at home but had been off the track for a long time, so today was very much about getting him started. I thought it was a good performance against some good, solid horses.
“He obviously had a hold-up in France, was off the track for an extended period of time with an injury and we have had him for the last few months. We’ve liked him since he arrived, he will head for stakes level and is a nice horse going forward.
“He was a little keen and fresh in the race, I think he’ll stay further and there is a Listed race in Cork over a mile which he could potentially go to, but we’ll see how he pulls up first.”
On Friday night, September 1, 2023, the University of Iowa celebrated the induction of Jamaican field-event athlete Peaches Roach Findlay into their prestigious Hall of Fame. The honor comes as a testament to her outstanding achievements during her collegiate career at the university, where she left an indelible mark on the track and field program.
During her time at the University of Iowa from 2003 to 2007, Peaches Roach Findlay emerged as a standout athlete. She was a four-time All-American, a 10-time regional qualifier, and a five-time Big 10 Conference Champion. In 2004, she earned the coveted title of Big 10 Freshman of the Year, setting the stage for a remarkable journey in the world of athletics.
Her athletic journey began at Alpha Academy in Kingston, Jamaica, before she embarked on a life-changing scholarship opportunity at the University of Iowa. Her dedication and talent led to numerous accolades, including a gold medal for Jamaica in the heptathlon at the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games in Puerto Rico.
Beyond her success in the heptathlon, Roach Findlay was a three-time Jamaican high jump champion. She also proudly represented Jamaica at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India, where she secured a commendable fourth-place finish in the heptathlon.
Today, Peaches Roach Findlay has transitioned from her days as a star athlete to become a high school science teacher in North Carolina. She shares her life with her husband, Adrian Findlay, who himself represented Jamaica as a 400m runner and won a silver medal as a member of Jamaica's 4x400m relay team at the 2008 World Indoor Championships in Valencia, Spain. Together, they are proud parents of two beautiful children.
Upon receiving this prestigious induction into the University of Iowa Hall of Fame, Peaches Roach Findlay shared her heartfelt sentiments in an exclusive chat with Sportsmax.TV.
"It means the world to me. This is a result of me making the right decision despite many questioning my choice to go to The University of Iowa. There were only 221 student athletes inducted in the last 34 years. So as a Jamaican field-event athlete, this puts me in the top one percent of all UI student athletes. That is an honor I don't take lightly,” she remarked.
“I'm grateful to have achieved four All-American titles, five Big 10 Championship titles, and a standing school record for indoor and outdoor track and field in the high jump. It is exactly 20 years since I was just a freshman coming from Alpha, coached by the great Kavon Lewis of Kingston College, so to be here today with my husband and children after years of sacrifice, it's a blessing and I'm proud."
Reflecting on her favorite memory from her college years in competition, she reminisced, "My sophomore year, we had an intra-squad meet where I high jumped 6ft (1.83m). That was a moment I remember because it was the first time I got back to jumping at this height since leaving Jamaica. Freshman year was quite a transition, and even though I had a stellar first year earning Freshman of the Year, this jump was a personal milestone for me."
As an experienced international student athlete, the now retired athlete offered valuable advice to others embarking on a similar journey, saying, "Because things are different here, you have to seek out and utilize all of the resources - financial, educational, and mental - that are available to you. People will help you when you ask and position yourself to receive."
The induction of Peaches Roach Findlay into the University of Iowa Hall of Fame serves as a testament to her dedication, talent, and the remarkable journey she has undertaken since her days as a student-athlete. Her story is a source of inspiration for aspiring athletes from her home country of Jamaica.
Sauterne finished with a flourish to deny the front-running Big Rock a top-level success in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp.
Having picked up the silver medal behind Ace Impact in the the French Derby and Inspiral in the Prix Jacques le Marois, the Christopher Head-trained Big Rock sent off favourite to make it third time lucky in Group One company and went straight to the front in the hands of Aurelien Lemaitre.
After setting a sound gallop before easing off the pace, Lemaitre kicked again on the home bend and soon had the majority of his rivals in trouble in behind.
However, it became clear in the final furlong that Big Rock’s exertions were beginning to take their toll and he was unable to resist the late charge of Sauterne and Tony Piccone.
The winner, who placed in the French 1000 Guineas, the Prix Jean Prat and the Prix Rothschild earlier this season, was completing a big-race double on the card for trainer Patrice Cottier following the victory of the Champion Stakes-bound Horizon Dore in the Prix du Prince d’Orange.
Adam Senior, Tisshorna Robinson and Jovaughn McFarlane were the stars of the night at the second staging of the Jamaica Amateur Bodybuilding and Fitness Association (JABBFA) National Senior Championships held at the AC Hotel in Kingston, Jamaica on Saturday.
Senior first claimed the prize as Mr. Jamaica in the heavyweight bodybuilding division before later taking the overall prize as Mr. Jamaica, defending the title he won in 2022.
Robinson also took home multiple awards on the night, claiming honors in the Bikini Fitness Tall Class before taking the title as Ms. Jamaica Bikini Fitness Overall.
McFarlane was the winner in the Men’s Physique Tall Class before being named as the overall winner as Mr. Jamaica for Men’s Physique Overall.
Rayon Jones, who finished as runner-up to Senior in the heavyweight division, took top spot in the classic bodybuilding category.
The Mr. Jamaica Muscular Physique category was won by Alex Mullings who also took top spot in the Men’s Physique Medium Class.
Andrew Chisolm came out on top in the Mr. Jamaica Master’s Bodybuilding category. He also finished third in the heavyweight category.
The Mr. Jamaica Bodybuilding Middleweight tile was won by Nicholas Campbell who was also runner-up in Classic Bodybuilding.
Nicholas Wilson took the Light heavyweight crown before finishing as runner-up in the Men’s Physique Medium Class.
The Men’s Physique Short Class was won by Wayne McCollough while Aldane Taylor took top spot in the Men’s Classic Physique category.
On the women’s side, Ashane Gordon-Morrison won the Miss Jamaica Body Fitness and Women’s Physique awards while Deana Wheatle took the Bikini Fitness Short Class.
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