Al Kazeem may not have been owner-breeder John Deer’s first Group One winner, but there is little doubt he is the finest to graduate from his Oakgrove Stud.
He won 10 times during an intermittent 23-race career, but it is 10 years since the strapping son of Dubawi was arguably at his peak and went on an imperious winning run, collecting a trio of Group One prizes.
This Saturday marks a decade since the final act of that successful streak as having downed Camelot in the Tattersalls Gold Cup and then bravely landed the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot, Al Kazeem was sent off the 15-8 favourite to bring up a big-race hat-trick in the Coral-Eclipse – a mission he completed in fine style.
It was a victory that was not without the odd moment of worry as Al Kazeem hung right-handed just as a dominant charge to the line seemed inevitable. But despite the protestation he badly hampered eventual third Mukhadram, there was no denying the clear-cut nature of the two-length triumph.
“It was a brilliant year, fantastic really,” said Deer. “It was one of those times where you just can’t believe it. You breed a lot of horses and they are good, but nothing like what it takes to win a Group One. So when it happens it is very special.
“I had already won Group Ones with Patavellian and Avonbridge, so I had a flavour of it, but Al Kazeem was different, he was very special.
“He was a gorgeous looking horse who was very strong. I was pleased with the way he got on with Roger Charlton and we had some very exciting days with him.”
It is not just Deer who holds fond memories of Al Kazeem, but also Roger Charlton who trained the bay both before and after his brief interlude at stud.
The Beckhampton handler, who now trains in conjunction with his son Harry, has great memories of that 2013 season and was delighted that Al Kazeem could provide him with the Eclipse victory he always craved adding to his CV.
“He was on a roll that year wasn’t he,” said Charlton.
“It was a very rewarding effort to beat Camelot in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, then his performance at Royal Ascot in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes was good. There was a little bit of controversy in the Eclipse as to whether he interfered with Mukhadram but he battled on up the hill there.
“It was very pleasing and like most people the Eclipse was a race I always wanted to win. It’s a special race and it is normally at the time of the year where the best horses can go there if they want.”
He went on: “If I remember rightly it was always the plan to go there as long as he was OK after Ascot. He was a very tough and very sound horse and he was very suited to going right-handed rather than left-handed.
“As I remember it, he was well on top at the end and he was a pretty classy horse in those days.
“He came back from a broken pelvis to do what he did and as we all know he then went off to stud and then came back to win another Group One so he was a pretty special horse and he would rate pretty highly on my list anyway.”
A third key component of the Al Kazeem story is his big-race pilot James Doyle who partnered the son of Dubawi for all of his major moments on course.
Now one of the leading riders in the weighing room, Doyle was stable jockey to Charlton at the time and had only the one really recognisable success to his name when winning the Dubai Duty Free aboard Cityscape.
However, Al Kazeem would soon change that and helped put Doyle firmly in the spotlight.
“Cityscape was the catalyst when he won the Dubai Duty Free in a course-record time and then it moved on to Al Kazeem,” said Charlton.
“I do slightly remember going to the Curragh with James for the Tattersalls Gold Cup where we were taking on Camelot who was nearly a Triple Crown winner.
“James ran round the course and then won on Al Kazeem and then on the way home I asked him ‘how many times have you ridden at the Curragh?’ and he said only once, as an apprentice over five furlongs. So he had never actually ridden over the trip there at that stage and it just shows how young and inexperienced he was in those days.”
Deer added: “I felt very lucky because he was such a young jockey, but lucky because he was such a good jockey. He was brilliant on the horse really and it kind of shows how lucky I was now doesn’t it, with the way he has developed and his career has progressed.”
After an unsuccessful first attempt at stud duties following the 2013 season, Al Kazeem would return to the track to add a second Tattersalls Gold Cup during his swansong season of 2015.
He now stands at Deer’s Oakgrove Stud in Wales where he is very much part of the family and his legacy lives on having provided the owner-breeder with another Royal Ascot champion in the form of Wokingham hero Saint Lawrence.
Deer said: “He was special in as much as in he coped with being a stallion and when he came back into training you got the impression he had forgotten all about it. He knew his job of racing and settled in and did beautifully.
“It’s lovely to have him back, that is really special. I sold him to the Queen and he wasn’t exactly out of my life because I did have some nominations to him, but to have him back at the stud is really special and everybody loves the horse, it’s amazing. He is a bit of a star and I watch him sometimes being taken out to his paddock and he is full of himself.”
An Animal Rising activist has been spared jail after running on to the track at the Betfred Derby a minute before the horses galloped past.
Ben Newman, 32, was filmed running on to the course at Epsom as the premier Classic began on June 3.
After pleading guilty at Guildford Crown Court on Thursday to causing public nuisance, he was criticised by the judge for “endangering” the lives of police
and security guards who managed to drag him off the track just before the horses ran past.
Newman was sentenced to 18 weeks imprisonment suspended for two years and fined a total of £1,356.
The protest happened after the Jockey Club, which owns Epsom Downs, was granted an injunction banning the Animal Rising group, which Newman was a part of, from intervening in the event.
He was produced from custody and appeared in court dressed in a grey sweatshirt.
He was one of 31 people arrested on the day of the race, including 12 on the racecourse grounds.
Footage played at court showed Newman running on to the track as police and security guards darted after him before wrestling him to the ground and dragging
him to one side.
About a minute later, the horses sprinted past, prosecutor Wendy Cottee told the court.
She said: “The Derby was due to start at 3.30pm. Horses were let out just after that.
“This defendant then ran across the track. The horses were around a minute away.
“He was apprehended and taken off the track.
“The defendant admits that the public were angry with him – several were jeering at him.”
On Wednesday, Home Secretary Suella Braverman held a summit at Downing Street with police and sports bodies including the Lawn Tennis Association, the Premier
League and the England and Wales Cricket Board to discuss plans to step up security at summer sporting events.
That afternoon, Just Stop Oil protesters threw orange confetti and jigsaw pieces on to court 18 at Wimbledon, stopping play twice.
It came after members of the group invaded the pitch at Lord’s last week during the second Ashes test.
Emily Upjohn and Paddington remain on course for a mouthwatering clash at Sandown on Saturday with the pair among just four runners declared for the Coral-Eclipse.
Following a dominant success in last month’s Coronation Cup, John and Thady Gosden’s Emily Upjohn will drop back in trip under William Buick, who takes over in the saddle from the suspended Frankie Dettori.
She has already won over Sandown’s 10 furlongs, but faces a far from straightforward task on her return as she must concede 7lb to a top-class three-year-old colt in Paddington.
Aidan O’Brien’s charge is four from four this season, including a Classic triumph in the Irish 2,000 Guineas, and confirmed himself the best of his generation over a mile with a brilliant victory over Newmarket Guineas winner Chaldean in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.
The son of Siyouni now tests the water over a mile and a quarter for the first time in a race his trainer has already won on six occasions.
With Anmaat a significant absentee, the small but select field is completed by the William Haggas-trained Dubai Honour and West Wind Blows from Simon and Ed Crisford’s yard.
Dubai Honour has enjoyed a profitable year on foreign soil, winning back-to-back Group Ones in Australia before finishing third in the QEII Cup in Hong Kong.
West Wind Blows is a dual Group Three winner and was runner-up to Hukum in the Hardwicke Stakes at the Royal meeting last month, but will be the outsider of the quartet.
Anmaat has been ruled out of Saturday’s Coral-Eclipse at Sandown due to a foot abscess.
Winner of the John Smith’s Cup last summer, the Owen Burrows-trained five-year-old went on to land the Group Three Rose of Lancaster Stakes and the Group Two Prix Dollar before being given a winter break.
He chased home Adayar on his reappearance in the Gordon Richards Stakes at Newmarket before returning to France to break his Group One duck in last month’s Prix d’Ispahan.
Connections had been looking forward to seeing him test his powers at the highest level on home soil this weekend, but he will not line up at the Esher venue.
Angus Gold, racing manager for owners Shadwell, said: “It looks like a foot abscess and we sort of hoped it was going to burst overnight, but it hasn’t and he’s just not 100 per cent sound this morning.
“It’s just a matter of timing, he’ll be fine next week hopefully. Like all of these things you can’t fight them, that’s nature’s way and he just isn’t right to run on Saturday.
“It’s a big blow to Owen and the team there and obviously Sheikha Hissa and all at Shadwell. It was going to be interesting to see him against the best mile and a quarter horses in this country and Ireland, but there’s no point making a fuss about it – those are the cards we’ve been dealt.”
Anmaat holds an entry in next month’s Juddmonte International, but Shadwell are targeting that race with Prince of Wales’s Stakes hero Mostahdaf and it seems unlikely both will head for York.
Gold added: “That (Juddmonte International) is the obvious one, except for the fact that if we’re lucky and get there in one piece we have Mostahdaf lined up for that.
“Off the top of my head we could look at something like the Irish Champion Stakes (for Anmaat), but that is obviously a while away yet (September 9).
“The Eclipse was his prime summer target, but there we go. We’re just digesting it, so we haven’t sat down with the programme book yet, but the Irish Champion would certainly be an option.”
As Jamaica's national championships approach, all eyes are on Ackera Nugent, the reigning NCAA 100m hurdles champion, who is expected to shine in the absence of the injured Britany Anderson, the 2022 World Championships silver medalist.
However, the University of Arkansas junior remains unfazed by the pressure of expectations, emphasizing that she focuses solely on her own goals and well-being as an athlete. Nugent will be going up against Danielle Williams, the 2015 World Champion, Olympic bronze medallist Megan Tapper, and World U20 Champion Kerrica Hill among others battling for a place on Jamaica's team to the championships in Budapest next month. She remains unfazed by the unofficial 'favourite' tag that she now bears.
"For me, I don't live up to the expectations of what people have for me," Nugent expressed during a recent Zoom call. "At the end of the day, they (the fans) don't know what I am going through as an athlete, the whole background plan that me and my coach have, and expectations from each other. I can only live up to my own expectations and, as I always say, to finish healthy."
Nugent's mindset revolves around her readiness and confidence. With one of the best coaches in Chris Johnson, guiding her, she prioritizes following his instructions and ensuring she completes each hurdle event without injury.
"The most important thing for me is that I know that I'm ready,” she declared.
“I have one of the best coaches there is, and the most important thing for me is to follow the instruction that he gives me and also finish the hurdles healthy.
"I'm not afraid to compete. I don't care what you have accomplished, what you have done. I know how good I am, and I have to remain confident in myself and just go out there to compete to the best of my ability."
Nugent's victory in the NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas, where she ran a wind-aided 12.25, the fastest time ever run under all conditions on the American collegiate circuit, provided her with a significant confidence boost.
It came after a second-place finish at the SEC Championships, fueling her determination to prove herself in a highly competitive field.
In the women's sprint hurdles final, Nugent faced formidable opponents Alia Armstrong of Louisiana State, who beat her at SECs and Masai Russell of the University of Kentucky.
However, Nugent's unwavering focus and belief in her abilities propelled her to victory.
"What I would have known since I've been hurdling, it just takes, no matter what lane you are in, no matter who you are up against, it just takes the person who's more focused on their lane," Nugent revealed.
"Going down that track, I was like, 'They will not beat me today. I'm the best in the field, and I'm going to prove that I am the best in the field.'"
Embracing the underdog role further fueled Nugent's motivation.
"I feel for me, going into the event as the least favorite to win was a little motivation... because I was like, 'I have accomplished so much.' I was like, 'I am better than these ladies.' And because I know, and because coach always tells me that it's good to have somebody behind you, and I'm like, 'I have people that are counting on me,' and it was just me against these hurdles."
Throughout the race, Nugent remained focused on her lane and executed her coach's instructions flawlessly. Her disciplined approach paid off, leading to a memorable victory.
As she prepares for Jamaica's national championships, Nugent's confidence remains unwavering, driven by her dedication, talent, and the support of her coach.
For most of his illustrious career, Yohan Blake ran as an Adidas athlete. With them as his shoe sponsor, Blake won the 100m world title in Daegu, South Korea to become the youngest man ever to do so.
That year, he ran a 200m time of 19.26 to become the second fastest man over the distance behind his then training partner Usain Bolt. The following year, he ran 9.69 becoming the second-fastest ever in the 100m. Only Usain Bolt’s 9.58 is faster.
However, this weekend when he takes to the track at Jamaica’s National Athletics Championships in Kingston, Blake will be competing in Puma gear.
The announcement was made on Puma’s Instagram page on Wednesday.
“A new chapter begins. Welcome, @yohanblake to the PUMA family” was the simple post under a picture of the man once known as ‘The Beast’, who this weekend will be attempting to win a spot on Jamaica’s team to the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
The 33-year-old ‘Beast’ a veteran of three Olympiads and four World Championships will face a brigade of rising stars of Oblique Seville, Ackeem Blake, De’Andre Daley and Bouwahjgie Nkrumie and hungry lions like Julian Forte, Nigel Ellis and Michael Campbell, who are among the 25 entrants vying for a spot on the Jamaican team.
So far this season, Blake has run a season-best time of 10.05 set at the FBK Games in Hengelo. The time makes him the fifth-fastest Jamaica this year behind Ackeem Blake (9.89), Seville (9.95), Nkrumie (9.99) and Forte (10.03).
Son Of Corballis defied odds of 25-1 to land the Coolmore Ten Sovereigns Tipperary Stakes.
The two-year-old won on his debut over course and distance in April, but he was well beaten when seventh of 10 starters in the National Stakes at Sandown last time.
That performance clearly was not a fair reflection of his ability, and under Declan McDonogh he broke quickly from the stalls and made all of the running back on home turf.
He was challenged in the closing stages of the five-furlong affair by Aidan O’Brien’s Alabama, the 11-10 favourite, and Diego Dias’ 28-1 shot Gaenari.
Those two horses finished second in a dead heat, with the winner a neck ahead on the line.
Trainer Kieran Cotter said: “If he hadn’t run in Sandown he’d have been second-favourite today.
“He didn’t travel over well to Sandown, got interfered at the start and dropped back to last.
“He was a bit sick when he came home, but we gave him plenty time to recover and knew we had him 100% today.
“He is in the Weatherbys Super Sprint with just 8st 10lb, so that is a nice pot to be heading for after here, if he isn’t sold.
“He is a good, tough horse and should have a good career ahead of him.”
It is said that the words coaches say to their athletes, and the words athletes say to themselves, greatly influence their performance. If that is anything to go by, then rising sprint star Ackeem Blake is set for another big showing at the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) National Junior and Senior Championships –barring any mishaps.
The four-day Championships which is being used to select Jamaica's senior team to the World Athletics Championships, as well as teams to a few youth events, get is set to start on Thursday at the National Stadium.
Blake, has been the pacesetter in terms of his steady display of form so far this season, having dipped below 10 seconds in four of seven 100-metre races to date, which just about signals his readiness to challenge for a spot on the team to the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, next month.
The 21-year-old, who opened his season with times of 10.05s, 9.93s and 9.99s in April, gradually upped the ante on May 21, when he clocked a wind-aided 9.87s in Bermuda, which may not have counted where achievements are concerned, but would have done his confidence a world of good.
And, so it did. He returned a week later and produced another impressive run, clocking a new personal best 9.89s at the USATF LA Grand Prix, in California. That time bettered his previous best of 9.93s that came at last year's National Championship.
However, his most recent performances at the backend of June, a 10.07s-clocking at the Budapest Quest meet inside the National Stadium, followed by 9.93s at the USATF New York Grand Prix, Blake said fell below his coach's expectations where execution is concerned.
"I never executed those races how my coach wanted, so we just have to go back to the drawing board and put in the work," Blake said in a recent interview during the National Championships launch.
A statement like that speaks volumes of the high standard both Blake and his Titans Track Club coach have set for themselves and, understandably so, as the quality of Jamaica's male sprinting took a nosedive since the retirement of the incomparable Usain Bolt in 2017.
But Blake, a former Merlene Ottey High standout is among those leading the revival having made it to the semi-finals at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon in his first full season in the senior professional ranks.
With that experience under his belt, there is no limit to what Blake could possibly achieve this year and beyond, provided he stays fit and healthy.
"I gained a lot of experience last year which was good for me so now I am just using that experience to be the best that I can be. So, I'm good, I am more relaxed and just having fun," Blake declared.
Given the fact that he placed third at last year's National Championship behind 2011 World Champion and the second fastest man alive, Yohan Blake, who is also his training partner, the Titans young star knows that taking the national title won't be easy.
Yohan Blake the reigning national champion, as well as Oblique Seville, who has been a bit low-key with a season's best 9.95 seconds and other top contenders –possibly Julian Forte, Bouwahjgie Nkrumie and DeAndre Daley –are expected to face the starter for Friday's final, and it is anybody's guess who will reign supreme.
Young Blake, being a man of few words, is intent on letting his performance do the talking on the track, which is when his true personality comes to light.
"Coach is just working on my start so I can go out there to have fun and do what I have to do that's it. So, I'm not talking (about expectations) right now, I am just going out there and time will tell," he ended.
Ajero could head for the John Smith’s Cup at York following his fine run when fourth in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes.
Kim Bailey’s eight-year-old performed with credit at Royal Ascot for a second successive year, having finished second in the 12-furlong handicap in 2022 before being beaten by just shy of three lengths by Okita Soushi off a 7lb higher rating.
Raised a further 1lb to a figure of 97 following that run, he is now unlikely to contest the Charlton Handicap he won at Goodwood last year, opening the door for Ajero to line-up on the Knavesmire on July 15 in the fiercely-competitive £200,000 contest.
“He could be going to York for his next run in the John Smith’s Cup,” said Bailey.
“We’ve had an enormous amount of fun with him. His run at Ascot this year was off 7lb higher than last year, which for an eight-year-old is quite something really.
“Sadly we can’t get to Goodwood this year which is disappointing. He’s now 97 and it’s a 0-95. That would have been the perfect race for him which is annoying. He won it last year and it would have been nice to go back there, but we can’t take the chance he will get in because I’m sure he won’t.
“The John Smith’s Cup is a tough race and a slightly different ball game, but we love the horse, he’s a real character and just great.”
Paddy Twomey’s high-class filly Rosscarbery will not make a swift return to action in the bet365 Lancashire Oaks at Haydock on Saturday.
Having made a successful start to her campaign in the Munster Oaks at Cork, the four-year-old stepped up to Group One level for last weekend’s Pretty Polly Stakes.
The daughter of Sea The Stars was beaten five lengths into fourth place and Twomey believes she would have picked up valuable black type but for being hampered by eventual winner Via Sistina.
The Irish trainer has, though, decided against bidding for swift compensation on Merseyside, instead electing to keep his powder dry for major targets later in the summer.
“I made the entry (at Haydock) just to keep my options open. She’s entered in pretty much everything across the board,” said Twomey.
“She’s come out of the Curragh in good form. It was a pity what happened in the race as I think she’d have been in the first three with a clear passage.
“A mile and a quarter is her minimum trip – she stays a mile and a half and a mile and six. She needs everything to go right at 10 furlongs, so to get stopped in her tracks like that wasn’t ideal, but it is what it is and we move on to the next day.”
Considering future plans, he added: “We’ll see what we do, but a race like the Yorkshire Oaks would be very suitable for her – a mile and a half with a long straight.
“I think a mile and a half sees her to best effect, as she showed in Cork in the Munster Oaks.
“We’ll talk with the owners and make a plan, but the aim is to try to win a Group One if we can.”
Twomey also entered Final Gesture for the Lancashire Oaks, but confirmed she will instead be readied for next week’s Stanerra Stakes at Leopardstown.
Player of the Match Brandon King scored his second ODI century as the West Indies defeated Oman by seven wickets with 62 balls to spare in the 2023 Cricket World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe on Wednesday.
Chasing 222 for victory the West Indies reached their target in the 40th over. King scored an even 100 and Captain Shai Hope, an unbeaten 63 to secure their first win in the Super Six stage of the tournament.
With both teams already eliminated from contention from qualifying for the ICC World Cup in India later this year, the match was of academic interest.
However, the West Indies were looking to save face after losing to the Netherlands and Scotland in consecutive matches. After winning the toss, Hope asked Oman to take first strike.
The bulk of the scoring came from Suraj Kumar, whose unbeaten 53 and Shaoib Khan, an even 50, helped Oman to 221-9. Opener Kashyap Prajapati got 31 and Aayan Khan, 30, in the face of accurate bowling from Romario Shepherd who took 3-44 and Kyle Mayers 2-31 from seven overs.
Kevin Sinclair, who replaced the injured Yannic Cariah in the West Indies squad finished with 1-42.
With the West Indies looking for their first points of the Super Six stage, they Caribbean side lost Johnson Charles for four with only seven runs on the board.
However, Keacy Carty and King settled nerves with an 80-run second wicket partnership before the latter was run out for 29. From there the West Indies were cruising as King and Hope steered the West Indies to the brink of victory with a third-wicket partnership of 96 that was broken when King feathered a catch through to wicketkeeper Kumar off the bowling of Bilal Khan for 100.
His second ODI century came off 104 deliveries and included 15 sublime boundaries.
Hope and Nicholas Pooran scored the remaining runs without much bother with Hope scoring his 23rd ODI 50 along the way. Pooran was unbeaten on 19 at the end.
The West Indies will play their final match of their failed campaign against Sri Lanka on Friday. Sri Lanka has already qualified for the ICC World Cup.
A strong all-round performance from Captain Hayley Matthews helped the West Indies Women pull off a thrilling two-wicket victory over Ireland in the first T20 International at the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia on Tuesday.
The win means the Caribbean women take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Batting first, Ireland were restricted to 112-7 in their 20 overs, thanks to economical and accurate bowling by Matthews, who took 3-22 from her four overs and Cherry-Ann Fraser, who returned figures of 2-22. Debutant Ashmini Munisar took 1-16.
Ireland captain Laura Delany top-scored with 34 and got support from Eimear Richardson with 22.
In pursuit of 113, the West Indies lost wickets regularly which slowed their scoring and forced it down to the last ball for a result.
Matthews led from the front with a top score of 37. Afy Fletcher added a valuable 19 when the game looked like it was slipping away from the home team but Vice-Captain Shemaine Campbelle guided the team to a final ball single and take victory.A
Speaking after the match, Matthews said, "A lot of nerves coming down to the end but still a lot of positives we can take from today’s game. We did a good job restricting Ireland to 112 on a really good batting wicket. Personally, I was happy to contribute to the win. Ashmini Munisar, making her debut, how economical she bowled and taking her first wicket was one of the positives and it’s a good sign for the future.”
The West Indies Women will be looking to go 2-0 up in the series when the teams meet again at the same venue on Thursday, July 6.
Michael Tabor, co-owner of dual Derby winner Auguste Rodin, feels a drop down to 10 furlongs for the Juddmonte International will feature “high on the agenda” for the colt, with the Breeders’ Cup Classic also a possibility at the end of the season.
A rare son of late Japanese champion Deep Impact, Auguste Rodin gave trainer Aidan O’Brien his 100th European Classic win when Ryan Moore’s mount downed stablemate Adelaide River in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh on Sunday.
Owned in partnership with John and Susan Magnier, Derrick Smith and Georg von Opel’s Westerberg racing operation, Tabor’s famous royal blue and orange disk silks had previously been carried to victory at Epsom.
To some observers, his latest length-and-a-half success was unconvincing, a view Tabor agrees with.
He said: “I do think it is fair that people say he was only workmanlike. It wasn’t the fastest pace in the world, which didn’t suit him and when he hits the front, he only just does enough.
“I think and hope you’ll see a lot better horse when he runs next, let’s put it that way.
“Only time will tell, but people are right when they look at it, they were not impressed and that was the way it was.”
Having been the first horse since Harzand in 2016 to follow up victory in the Epsom blue riband, Auguste Rodin is a general 9-4 favourite to win the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on July 29.
While the prospect of a second clash with Epsom runner-up and subsequent King Edward VII Stakes winner King Of Steel and last year’s Derby hero Desert Crown looks a mouthwatering prospect, Tabor feels the three-year-old has the speed to drop back in trip.
He added: “He could go down in trip if it presents itself, but at the moment, if you go forward, what is he going to run in? If you do go down in trip, what race would he run in?
“The Juddmonte International would obviously be on the agenda. The Breeders’ Cup Classic is a shot to nothing – that’s a tough one – but certainly the Juddmonte is high on the agenda.
“It’s a difficult call, but how long is it between the King George and the Juddmonte? It is about three and a half weeks (25 days). It’s enough time (for both races), I should think.
“Aidan knows what to do with the horses, but I would think that is a distinct possibility.
“He’s fast enough for 10 furlongs and the Breeders’ Cup is a possibility, for sure.”
The last member of Jamaica’s nine-member team departed the island on Monday for the World English Sporting Clay Championship set to commence at the E.J. Churchill Shooting Ground in England on Wednesday, July 5 and end on Saturday, July 8.
Jamaica had its best results in 2022 when the women’s team finished third and the men’s came fourth, marking the first time that a team from the island took a spot on the podium.
The women’s team is comprised of national shotgun champion Wendy McMaster, Aliana McMaster and Abigail McMaster, who are hoping to at least equal their third-place finish.
Craig Simpson (captain), Ryan Chen (vice-captain), Ray McMaster, Robert Yap-Foo, Gordon Bucknor and Lennin Thompson, make up the men’s team.
The team is a mixture of experience and new members with Simpson, who has been competing in the championship since the early 2000s, being the most experienced.
“We are enthusiastic to be attending this prestigious event. My job as captain is to motivate my teammates while keeping them composed,” Simpson said.
“This trip is about gaining international exposure and knowledge of where the sport is at on the European continent and how we can get Jamaica to a higher level of competitiveness. The fraternity is excited to have us in attendance and our participation alone is a win for Jamaica."
Sponsors Proven, Hawkeye, Coldwell Bankers, National Bakery, Ammar's and BarePelt are backing the Jamaicans, who will be going up against teams from the USA, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Mexico, Italy and Sweden.
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