An epic showdown awaits in Group A of the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Cup, as Trinidad and Tobago's Defence Force hosts Moca of the Dominican Republic in a winner-takes-all affair on at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, on Wednesday.
Moca go into the contest with the slight advantage, as they sit second in the group with six points, a single point ahead of Defence Force. The visitors from the Dominican Republic only require a draw to secure a semifinals berth, but a full three points could be enough to see them leap into first place, should currently leaders Cavalier falter in their visit to Golden Lion.
For Defence Force, the mission is straightforward; win and they are in. A full three points would guarantee a semifinals spot and could possibly be enough to win the group as well.
Moca have wins over Port of Spain (1-0) and Golden Lion (3-0) to put themselves in this position to advance, while Defence Force played to draws with Cavalier (1-1) and Port of Spain (1-1) and earned a victory over Golden Lion (1-0).
Defence Force will be turning to the likes of Reon Moore, Jamali Garcia and Christopher Biggette to get the job done. In the tournament, Moore has a pair of goals and an assist, while Garcia has been a tireless worker in midfield with 152 passes completed and eight ball recoveries.
Biggette has been solid in net, making 13 saves, 10 clearances and recording a clean sheet.
Moca will be out to have a strong start to nail down a positive result and the duo of Gustavo Ascona and Victor Sanchez can help get them there. Ascona has a goal from six shots taken, while Sanchez is coming off a brace against Golden Lion.
No doubt an exciting contest awaits between two sides with everything on the line.
Jamaica's Cavalier will have their sights set on a first-place finish in Group A of the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Cup when they pay a visit to Martinique to take on Golden Lion at the Stade Pierre-Aliker in Fort-de-France, on Wednesday.
Cavalier, who currently occupies pole position in the group on seven points, one ahead of second-placed Moca of the Dominican Republic, and two in front of third-placed Defence Force from Trinidad and Tobago.
With Moca and Defence Force squaring off as well on Wednesday, Cavalier are assured of a top-two finish in the group and a place in the semifinals, but the Jamaican side will be keen to collect all three points and win the group.
After opening with a 1-1 draw at Defence Force, Cavalier rolled to victories in their next two games against Port of Spain (2-1) and Moca (3-0).
Leading the way has been Shaniel Thomas, who has four goals in the tournament, including a hat-trick against Moca, to lead the competition in scoring. Thomas has also drawn the most fouls for his side, with seven.
Jalmaro Calvin and Nicholas Hamilton have contributed to Cavalier’s attacking prowess as well, with Calvin scoring a goal and adding an assist and Hamilton with two assists.
Golden Lion will be trying to end their Caribbean Cup on a positive note, as they sit in fourth place in the group with three points, the lone win coming in a 3-2 final with Port of Spain.
As always, legendary Martinique striker Kevin Parsemain will be one for the Cavalier defense to watch. Parsemain has a goal and an assist in the tournament and has totaled 13 shots.
Marvin Bellance has enjoyed a good tournament with seven ball recoveries and Jordy Boriel is a striker also capable of finding the back of the net, having done so against Port of Spain.
Shaquille’s participation on Qipco British Champions Day at Ascot may rest on how he comes through a racecourse gallop next week.
Julie Camacho’s Commonwealth and July Cup winner ran no sort of a race when last seen in the Sprint Cup at Haydock, a performance which still has connections scratching their heads.
Having missed the break badly in both his Group One wins, he broke on terms on Merseyside only to be beaten by halfway.
Nothing has subsequently come to light, but should he continue to please on the gallops, then October 21 is likely to have a ring around it on the calendar.
“He’s fine, we’re just taking it one step at a time,” said Steve Brown, Camacho’s husband and assistant.
“He worked on Saturday and we were pleased with him, he’ll work again this week and the following week we’ll go away and have a racecourse gallop somewhere.
“Nothing is decided yet, that will be just to take him to a different environment and see how he handles it and to get him back on a racecourse, get the blood flowing a little bit and then we’ll see from there.”
Reflecting on Haydock, Brown added: “It’s disappointing that we haven’t found an absolute reason that he was so below form at Haydock but as I always say, sometimes you just don’t have an answer. We might like to think we do, but sometimes we just don’t.
“I’ve slightly taken the view that it was just too bad to be true unfortunately. Whilst we were all devastated on the day, the only thing we can do is regroup and look forward.”
Shaquille is one of 23 remaining in contention for the British Champions Sprint, for which last year’s winner Kinross is ante-post favourite following his near-miss in France on Sunday.
In the Champion Stakes, the progressive Horizon Dore heads the market with Coral with Bay Bridge, King Of Steel and Mostahdaf among the 16 contenders.
Paddington and Tahiyra headline 18 in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes with Free Wind, Time Lock and Via Sistina among 26 possibles in the Fillies & Mares.
Trueshan, Kyprios, Courage Mon Ami and Coltrane are all still among 17 in the Long Distance Cup.
Shouldvebeenaring’s owners were delighted after they saw their late entry for the Prix de la Foret pay off with a gallant run at ParisLongchamp, but they could now face a similar conundrum with regards to Qipco British Champions Day.
The Richard Hannon-trained grey was supplemented for the French Group One after the ground, which is usually soft in Paris in autumn, turned out to be rather quicker than expected.
Ridden by Sean Levey, the colt held his own at the level once again, finishing third behind Kelina and Kinross in a field of 14 to justify the decision to add him to the line-up.
“Vindicated and relief are the two words that spring to mind! Spending €25,000 to go in comes with a little bit of pressure, so to see him run so well, we were absolutely thrilled,” said Tim Palin of owners Middleham Park Racing.
“Every day as the week went on it was drying up and then they were breaking track records, we knew it would play into his hands because he is best on the top of the ground.
“It was a great ride from Sean and there was a thrilling moment there when you thought he was coming to win, but of course the two class acts were just a length or two in front of him.
“For all that we got there, we couldn’t quite go past but to even finish in the same postcode as Kinross is a real feather in our horse’s cap, a real testament to his tenacity and his durability.
“He’s danced pretty much every dance this year, there’s only one month that he’s not run in this year.
“I think one of the beauties of him is the way that he switches off in his races and the way that Sean rides, it just means that he only ever has to sprint for two furlongs in his races. He’s not a make-all, eyeballs-out horse who is on the speed and in the thick of it from start to finish.”
The gamble also paid off financially as his prize-money well exceeded his supplementary fee, and similar calculations could now justify another late entry – this time for the British Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot.
Again the ground will prove pivotal with quick going preferred, meaning connections will keep a keen eye on the weather forecast as they weigh-up the Ascot race with the Challenge Stakes at Newmarket just over a week beforehand.
Palin said: “There’s a couple of options – he is in the Challenge Stakes, a week on Friday, the Group Two, that’s seven furlongs at Newmarket and he’d probably go there with a favourite’s chance. We’ll have to talk to Richard and Sean and give him a breeze next week to see if he’s over his exertions.
“That would be on the agenda, but that’s only about eight days before the Champions Sprint at Ascot. We’d need to look at the weather forecast to see whether we’d dare wait another week for the rain not to arrive or the heavens not to open.
“He’s not in there, realistically because at the time of entry you’re assuming it’s going to be soft or heavy ground. A bit like the Foret, he was never in that, we took the decision to wait and supplement and of course it paid off.
“Being second at Haydock in the Sprint Cup meant that he earned £91,000, so that gave us a little bit of financial wiggle room to be able to play the supplementary game. It cost €25,000 to go in the other day and he earned €40,000, so there’s plenty of money in the kitty if we need to supplement for that.
“The weather gods might shine on us, literally, in that week coming up to it but we’ll have to make a decision before we truly know – declarations for the Challenge Stakes will be on the Wednesday and it’s another 10 days to the Champions Sprint.
“It’s going to be a precarious weather watch to see which way we go.”
Luca Cumani, the man credited with launching the career of Frankie Dettori, has pinpointed a defining moment for his fellow Italian which he believes was key in helping him reach the top of the tree.
Dettori was just beginning to make a name for himself in the UK having replaced Ray Cochrane as Cumani’s stable jockey.
However, the young rider had decided to accept an offer to ride in Hong Kong at the start of 1993, without consulting Cumani, sending his boss into a tailspin.
“That was a major turning point in my life, in his life and it still causes me great sadness what happened then,” Cumani told OLBG.
“He had been riding for a year or two as my number one jockey and in those days, there was no all-weather in the winter and then after the November Handicap, jockeys would disappear off the face of the earth.
“They would go on holiday, go and ride in America, Australia, Hong Kong, wherever. I remember about January or February I was getting calls from the press asking if it was true that Frankie had signed to race in Hong Kong.
“It took me totally by surprise, I said I couldn’t believe it and said he wouldn’t be doing something like that at all. But it carried on, the press ringing up all the time and I kept saying it wasn’t true but I couldn’t get hold of him. We didn’t have mobile phones, I didn’t know where he was.
“Come the middle of February, there is a knock on my door and Frankie walks in with a big grin, we hug, we go and sit down and he says ‘I am going to ride in Hong Kong’. I felt the blood just drain from my body, completely. I couldn’t believe it.”
Cumani went on: “Here was this great talent, who had everything in front of him, being a big-name jockey in Europe and throughout the world in time, was going off to go and ride in what – at the time – was a bit of a backwater racing nation, Hong Kong.
“I tried to dissuade him, we spoke for hours and hours and he was determined and said he was going, and then I lost my cool. I said to him ‘If you don’t change your mind then I will never speak to you again’. I was so angry. So we left on very bad terms.”
However, Dettori never did get to Hong Kong as he had planned, after receiving a caution for possession of a small amount of cocaine.
Cumani believes that course of events was a major turning point in Dettori becoming one of the most famed riders of all time.
He explained: “But then, Frankie has always been a very lucky person. He was lucky to come to England and then he went to an Arsenal game, because he was an Arsenal fan, with some friends and luck – or bad luck – would have it his car got stopped by the police and they found a minute amount of cocaine in the car.
“It hit the news and that got to Hong Kong, and they cancelled his contract straight away. That was the biggest stroke of luck for Frankie. If he had gone to Hong Kong then we would never have known Frankie as we do now.
“Unfortunately, by then we had burned our bridges and so he had to start from scratch again. He got lucky that John Gosden hadn’t been in the country long and didn’t have a jockey at the time, they started linking up and it took off from there and then on to Godolphin and the rest of the story.”
He added: “He and I probably didn’t talk for possibly a year or two and then, one day, he came to see me. He knocked on my door, it was pouring with rain, with a grin he said ‘Can I come in?’ and I said ‘No, you can stay out there and get soaking wet’. It broke the ice and then we started talking again, riding for me on occasions when he was available and we won some big races together, not enough, but big races like the Breeders’ Cup and Japan Cup.”
Dettori will bring his career to a close at the end of this year, although his former mentor believes he could have carried for a few years yet at the very top.
Cumani said: “I was very disappointed when he announced that he was retiring this year because he has been riding so well. In the spring whenever he was winning a big race I would always text him saying ‘What the hell are you doing retiring? You’re better than ever’ and he would come back and say it was decided. It just made me wonder why? He could have two or three more years. Look at Mike Smith in America, he is 56 and is still riding and is at the top of his game.
“I have tried to persuade him not to retire but I can see why, it comes to all of us and we move on to greener pastures. His last year has been fantastic, I am so glad for him and now I am resigned to the fact he is retiring, so he tells me, so all that is left is to applaud his career.
“Everybody can change their mind, Frankie could, but I think there isn’t a cut-off point where he stops riding altogether. I think when he goes to the States for the Breeders’ Cup, he could stay there for the winter and see how far he goes.”
Live In The Dream has been making himself at home in America as he prepares to take on the Woodford Stakes en route to his Breeders’ Cup target.
The chestnut gave connections an unforgettable day when landing the Nunthorpe Stakes at York, a victory that earned him a ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita in November.
In preparation West has flown the four-year-old out to the States to contest the Woodford at Keeneland on Saturday, a five-and-a-half-furlong event worth the equivalent for £175,000 to the winner.
West reports Live In The Dream to have fared well following the journey, as he prepares to do his first piece of work on the turf ahead of the weekend.
“He’s very well, he’s out of quarantine and he took the travelling very well,” he said on Tuesday.
“You can’t do too much in quarantine, he had a little canter on the track for the first time yesterday and he’s breezing on the grass today, then it’ll be a light blow with Sean Kirrane on Thursday.
“We got the draw last night and we’re very excited to be drawn in stall two, which I think will be helpful. There are some good horses in it but Caravel hasn’t declared which is a bit of a relief.
“We should know what our sectionals are and how our form holds up in real life against the Americans on Saturday.”
Though the Woodford is clearly a prize worth winning, the bigger picture is the Breeders’ Cup, and West has been focusing on the meeting since the horse crossed the line on the Knavesmire.
“He was pretty much ready and raring to go before he went out there, as much as I want to win this race I also want to see him bang on for the Breeders’ Cup,” said West.
“I’ll be flying out with the jockey tomorrow and the owners and my assistant trainer, so it will be good to get a picture of it for ourselves.”
Ante-post Club Godolphin Cesarewitch favourite Pied Piper is on course for Newmarket on October 14.
Gordon Elliott’s dual-purpose performer had a spin on the Flat at Killarney in August, where he looked the likely winner only to fade into third close home.
A classy hurdler who was second in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham in March, connections are hoping there is still some wriggle room from his Flat mark earned during his days with John and Thady Gosden.
“He’s in good nick and he’s on course to run in the big race later this month,” said Joey Logan, racing manager for owners Caldwell Construction.
“Killarney was his first run back, Gordon wanted to give him a run and he ran great, he just blew up and hopefully he’ll improve a lot from it.
“There seems to be a lot of jumpers, mainly dual-purpose horses, in there this year and I think the ground will suit him.
“The big thing this year is that he’s had a break. When we bought him the year before we just kept him going, he ran at Cheltenham, Aintree and then Royal Ascot – we did an awful lot with him.
“We decided to give him a good break this year through the summer and hopefully he’ll have got stronger and will be a fresher horse.”
Logan went on: “He’s not massively exposed on the Flat and his run at Royal Ascot was very good when you look back. He had traffic problems and wasn’t beaten all that far by Coltrane who is one of the best stayers around.
“We’d be hoping he should have a very nice run there before he goes back jumping.
“We’ll leave the jockey to Gordon, but he won’t be short of offers I wouldn’t have thought. He’s in good form and we’re really looking forward to it.”
Vandeek is to skip the Dewhurst Stakes and be put away with a sprinting campaign in mind next season.
Trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, the son of Havana Grey maintained his unbeaten record with a scintillating display in the Middle Park at Newmarket at the weekend.
Connections had left the door ajar for him to possibly step up to seven furlongs in the Native Trail’s Dewhurst Stakes on October 14, but after lengthy discussions the decision has been made to end his season and resist the urge to stretch his stamina.
Chris Wall, racing manager for owners KHK Racing, said: “Sheikh Khalid has decided to stick to sprinting.
“We had long discussions last night and that was the way he wanted to go and that is fine, we’re all supportive of it.
“There’s nothing else for Vandeek to run in now so we hope he winters well and he’ll come back with a view to the Commonwealth Cup as his principal early-season target.
“I think he’s all about speed so I think we should play to his strengths rather than ask him to do something out of his comfort zone.”
Sense Of Duty is still on course for her Qipco British Champions Day assignment, as long as trainer William Haggas is happy with both the filly and conditions nearer the time.
The daughter of Showcasing followed a debut defeat by skyrocketing up the sprinting ranks, with a four-race winning run culminating in an impressive Group Three success in Newcastle’s Chipchase Stakes.
She spent the following 455 days on the sidelines, but was seen returning over five furlongs at Newbury last month, finishing an honourable third to race-fit rivals.
That return was always seen as a stepping stone towards her end of season target – the Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes – and connections are hopeful of making the Ascot Group One on October 21, where the four-year-old would be returning to the more suitable distance of six furlongs.
“We’re just giving her a chance to come out of the race and then we’ll discuss things nearer the time, but certainly she was always going to need that first race,” said Richard Brown, racing manager for owners St Albans Bloodstock.
“It was the wrong trip, we knew that, but we got the race into her. She was a bit ring rusty and I thought she actually ran OK under the circumstances and as long as she is fit and well, I don’t see any reason why she wouldn’t be taking her chance (at Ascot) as long as there is some give in the ground – I think that is quite important to her.
“Six furlongs up the hill at Ascot is a completely different day’s work and that will be much more to her liking. I think as long as William and his team are happy with her and she’s in good form, then I would hope that we will get there.”
The Jamaica Football Federation has reportedly identified potential candidates to fill the head coaching vacancy with the Senior Women’s National Team.
The position was opened after the JFF decided not to renew the contract of former head coach, Lorne Donaldson, after the team lost a pair of Olympic Qualifying fixtures to Canada in September.
“The interviewing process will begin this week, as we have received a number of applications from experienced and qualified individuals. Soon, a short list will be selected for final interviews. Importantly, this also includes the reengagement of members of the coaching and technical staff,” a post on the federation’s Instagram page stated on Monday.
“The JFF is committed to ensuring that the women’s program is given the best opportunity to succeed and continue the significant accomplishments that have brought much pride to Jamaica,” the statement continued.
Donaldson was appointed Reggae Girlz head coach in June 2022 and led the national women’s team to their second consecutive qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup. At the World Cup, he took Jamaica to a historic round of 16 after drawing with France and Brazil and defeating Panama in the group stage.
In yet another example of why Hansle Parchment continues to be a fan favourite who continues to perform at the highest level, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics champion has dedicated the silver medal he won at the 2023 World Athletics Championships to his long-time coach Fitz Coleman.
Parchment, 33, who won his first Diamond League trophy last month in a lifetime best and world-leading 12.93s run, was the runner-up to the now three-time world champion Grant Holloway of the USA, in Budapest in August. On Monday, he shared on social media that that silver medal holds special meaning.
“This year’s world championship in Budapest was special as I received a second medal for my coach,” he said. “Mr. Fitz Coleman has been my coach for 14 years and counting. He has been a friend and a mentor. He’s been a guiding force in all my achievements and I want to send a heartfelt thanks as he deserves this medal as much as I do.”
Parchment will attempt to defending his Olympic title in Paris next summer. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Parchment stunned the world by upstaging Holloway, the gold medal favorite, winning his first Olympic title in 13.04.
St. Elizabeth Technical High (STETHS), Browns Town, and Wycliffe Martin High were all big winners in their ISSA/Wata DaCosta Cup games on Saturday.
STETHS, the five-time DaCosta Cup champions, had the biggest win of the season so far when they crushed Roger Clarke High 20-0 in their Zone E game played in Santa Cruz.
DeAndre Barnett scored six times to lead STETHS while Justin McPherson also had a hat trick and D’Andre Hibbert scored in his sixth consecutive game.
BB Coke High moved into second place on 13 points after their 2-1 win over Munro College, who were losing for the first time. Lacovia High beat Sydney Pagon 5-1 and Maggotty High beat Newell High 3-1 in the days other Zone clashes.
Browns Town High were 12-1 winners over Discovery Bay High in Zone C, where Cedric Titus High’s winning streak also ended, coming from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw against York Castle High in a top-of-the-zone clash.
William Knibb Memorial beat Aabuthnott Gallimore 5-0 with two goals each from Theonjae Bennett and Koran Henriques as Ocho Rios High were 6-0 winners over Ferncourt High.
Wycliffe Martin whipped Iona High 8-1 but Tacky High just managed to stay on top in Zone I despite being held 2-2 by St Mary High, Horace Clarke High moved up to second place after beating Annotto Bay High 2-0.
Other results from Saturday:
Cornwall College 1 Maldon 0
St. James 2 Green Pond 1
Spot Valley 0 Irwin 1
Cambridge 0-Merlene Ottey 1
Green Island 0 Frome 6
Carron Hall 2 St. Mary Tech 3
May Day 1 Manchester 3
Belair 12 Cross Keys 0
Mt. St. Joseph 0 DeCarteret College 6
Courage Mon Ami is not certain to line up in the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup after a minor setback ruled the Ascot Gold Cup winner out of the Prix du Cadran.
Trained by John and Thady Gosden, the son of Frankel was bought by Wathnan Racing prior to Royal Ascot, providing the Qatari-based operation with their biggest success to date when storming to big-race glory in the hands of Frankie Dettori.
Having somewhat bounced back from a first defeat in the Goodwood Cup when an honourable second to Coltrane in York’s Lonsdale Cup, connections had their eye on finishing the season at ParisLongchamp on Arc weekend.
However, he missed his intended trip to France due to a minor setback and although holding an entry for the staying event on Ascot’s British Champions Day card, he will not be rushed for what would be a fitting return to the scene of his finest hour on October 21.
“He obviously missed France which was annoying because it was niggly, nothing major,” Said Richard Brown, racing advisor to the owners.
“We’re just going to take him along and see if we can make Ascot.
“He’s been the flag-bearer for Wathnan in their first season and is obviously a firm favourite, so he won’t be asked to do anything he doesn’t want to do.
“He will tell us if he’s ready to run or not and if he’s not, we’ll put him away and come back next year.
“He’s been amazing for us and we’re never going to risk him. We owe him a lot.”
Options remain open for Simon and Ed Crisford’s Vandeek after his superb Middle Park success.
The Havana Grey colt maintained his flawless record at Newmarket on Saturday, securing an impressive two-and-a-quarter-length victory under James Doyle in the six-furlong Group One.
That triumph is stacked on top of a winning debut, a Group Two win in the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood and further Group One glory in the Prix Morny at Deauville, meaning he is unbeaten in four starts so far.
On his first three outings he had encountered soft ground, particularly at Goodwood, but at Newmarket the going was good to firm and in quick conditions he looked even more talented when hitting top gear to leave a smart field in his wake.
“He was very impressive on Saturday, he showed a really classy turn of foot to put the race to bed going into the dip,” said Chris Wall, racing manager to owners KHK Racing.
“Up to that point he’d only ever run on soft ground and it had to be seen if he could handle the quicker conditions as well, but actually I think he handled them better.
“It was a really classy performance and a credit to the Crisfords to have him teed up and ready to go on the day having not run since the middle of August.
“They hadn’t gone particularly quickly by halfway, visually they didn’t look to be going as strong a gallop as you might expect in a Group One race.
“The field then quickened in front of him and he’s just shot away from them, it goes to show the raw natural speed that he possesses.”
Vandeek clearly has ample ability and his performances are further aided by his rock steady temperament as he does little to burn through vital energy ahead of his races.
“He has the most remarkable temperament, most two-year-old sprinting colts would tend to be a bit buzzy and electric but he’s the very opposite of that,” Wall said.
“He walks around half asleep most of the time, Andrea Atzeni rode him in Deauville and he warned James Doyle about him. He said ‘the only thing you have to worry about is that you don’t let him fall asleep and fall on his head cantering to the start’.”
The colt holds an entry for the Dewhurst in mid-October and whilst firm plans have not been made, a return to the Rowley Mile is not ruled out for a late-season step up to seven furlongs.
“He has an engagement in the Dewhurst but I think nobody is going to commit to that until nearer the time when we can see how the horse is, what the opposition will be, all the usual things. We’re not ruling anything out at this stage.”
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