The Rob Burrow Racing Club celebrated its first winner on Thursday when the Craig Lidster-trained Macarone came home clear at Beverley.
The club was set up to raise money for several charities, but principally the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA), the illness which former Rugby League star Burrow was diagnosed with in 2019.
Macarone, a two-year-old by Havana Grey, was having his first run for the club after finishing second at Bath last time out and the well-backed 7-2 winner was roared home.
Former champion jockey Paul Hanagan, a keen Rugby League fan, punched the air on crossing the line and admitted the result meant a lot to him.
Hanagan said: “I’ve been blessed to ride a lot of winners in my career and I can safely say today is bang up there with the best of them. It was definitely emotional with Rob and his family being here too. It really doesn’t get much better.
“The reception we got coming back in was something I’ll never forget, and I can’t tell you how chuffed I am. You always know it’s something special when the other jockeys start applauding you when you come back in the weighing room.
“It was a very special day and hopefully this will be onwards and upwards for the Rob Burrow Racing Club.”
Burrow said: “Well done Macarone! You’ve given the Rob Burrow Racing Club our first win, and I couldn’t be prouder!
“Racing can be tough at times, and just like rugby, it has its ups and downs. Macarone has given us a perfect result today though. It’s been worth the wait.”
Burrow’s wife, Lindsey, added: “I was screaming so loudly I might have lost my voice!”
Barrie McDermott, a former colleague of Burrow’s at the Leeds Rhinos, and an ambassador of the club, told Racing TV: “We’ve had a few scripts that haven’t gone to plan, but today did.
“Paul is such an experienced rider, he talked us through his plan and he executed it to perfection.
“We’re delighted, delighted for Rob and Lindsey (Burrow) and all the members.
“The club is evolving all the time, we’re trying to turn it into a 12-month membership while raising money for charity. MND is an awful disease and Rob’s desire is to make people understand how it affects everybody and what they can do to help.
“He’s such an inspirational man. He’s not been burdened by the inevitability of what is in front of him, he’s been campaigning so those that follow him can have a bit of an easier path and for that we all love him.”
Aidan O’Brien has stated his intention to run River Tiber in the Prix Morny on Sunday – but warned the exciting colt suffered a setback in the lead-up to the race.
Last seen winning the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, his third win from three outings, he is currently favourite for the Deauville Group One.
However, he missed a piece of work two weeks ago and O’Brien said it will be difficult to know how much fitness he lost as a result.
“The plan is to run River Tiber. He had a setback a couple of weeks ago so there will be a cloud over him when we do run him as we’re a bit worried about his fitness, but the plan at the moment is to run,” O’Brien told Sky Sports Racing.
“He had a hold-up and missed his second-last piece of work so he had that week off, but he did a piece of work this week so that gave him a chance to go.
“He seems to be in good form since, but the ground that we lost you couldn’t make back up with him.”
O’Brien also provided news of another of his stable stars who has been sidelined, last year’s Gold Cup winner Kyprios.
“Kyprios was at the Curragh for a canter last weekend after racing and that went well. He seems to have come out of that well,” said O’Brien.
“We’re looking at maybe starting at the (Irish) Leger, but that’s a tough enough race to come back in so we’d be hoping he could run a good race, come out of it OK and then have a look at something on Arc weekend, something like that, because you couldn’t expect him to perform at his best after such a traumatic year. If it all went well we could look at next year with him.”
Saffie Osborne is set to continue her association with Scampi when he bids for Sky Bet Ebor glory at York on Saturday week.
The 21-year-old was in the saddle aboard Andrew Balding’s charge when he registered his second victory of the season on the Shergar Cup card at Ascot last Saturday, and connections are delighted to have retained her services when Scampi heads to the Knavesmire for the prestigious handicap.
Owned by the RaceShare syndicate, the five-year-old is as short as 14-1 for the £500,000 contest, having secured his spot in the race by winning the Jorvik Handicap at the track earlier in the season, and plenty of his supporters will be making the trip to cheer him on in his quest for further glory.
“We’re all on an absolute high at the moment,” said Lucy Delaney, managing director of RaceShare.
“We have confirmed that Saffie Osborne keeps the ride in the Ebor, which we are really thrilled about because she gave him an absolute cracking ride at Ascot on Saturday.
“York have been fantastic in supporting us and we hope to have a really big group of owners there cheering him on and he’s obviously reached new heights really.
“Scampi’s name and his style of running just really connects with people and he has a bit of a following now. I think not just his RaceShare owners, but the wider racing public have latched onto him because he has become a really consistent Saturday horse.
“We’re just hoping everything goes well in the Ebor and he is able to put up one of his always consistent runs.”
A bold showing in the Ebor could help fulfil ambitious plans from the owners to race in Australia later in the season, with Scampi holding nominations for both the Caulfield Cup on October 21 and the Melbourne Cup at Flemington.
The Ebor also serves as an automatic qualifier for the ‘race that stops the nation’ on November 7, so there is plenty on the line when the Kingsclere inmate heads north on August 26.
“He went up 6lb for his win and obviously it is still a dream, but if he did run well in the Ebor and goes up a bit more, Australia is a possibility,” continued Delaney.
“Andrew entered him in the Caulfield Cup and the Melbourne Cup with the feeling being he was going so well at home and if he did come out and win the Ebor and he wasn’t entered in those races, we might regret it.
“He confirmed how he is flying at the moment with his win at Ascot on Saturday and we’re trying not to get too excited, but his community of owners are all counting down the days to the Ebor.
“We are massively keen on Australia. He would need a further jump in the ratings, so he would need to do well in the Ebor or even a race soon after to get into the Australian races. But if he does continue on his upward curve, we would be really keen to take on the Australians.”
Although Scampi’s legion of syndicate members may still be holding fire on booking their tickets to Australia, he has easily become the standard-bearer for the fledgling RaceShare operation since being purchased for 85,000 guineas last October.
He has secured over £100,000 in prize-money for his owners and his importance is not lost on Delaney, who via RaceShare attempts to enhance the ownership experience through interactive means, such as live shows on racedays, broadcasting not only the Raceshare horses in action but also showing behind the scenes footage from the track with key participants.
She said: “We only launched in November last year with the five horses and we’ve grown from there and in fairness they have all done all right.
“There is still probably a lot to come from Treasure Time and Red Mirage will find his form, and I think Jolly Nellerie is going to be a typical Venetia Williams long-term project.
“But Scampi really couldn’t have done much more for us than he has, he’s an absolute hero. There’s over 1,000 people involved with Scampi and all our horses are divided into 4,000 shares.
“You can buy from one to 250 shares and the aim is, while we want to make the raceday experience on course brilliant, we want to do a really good job of creating a really good experience off course as well, because the majority of owners are never going to actually get to the course most of the time.
“We’ve built up a lovely community of owners in a really short space of time and the form of Scampi is just the icing on the cake.”
While his administration has had its fair share of negative highlights over the years, Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president Michael Ricketts believes they have done enough to retain power, as he welcomes the challenge from current vice-president Raymond Anderson for the top job.
In fact, Ricketts, who has been in power since 2017, promised to not only build on the Reggae Girlz tremendous success at the FIFA Women’s World Cup and, by extension, their legacy, but also sustained growth going forward, if re-elected.
Still, the strained relationship between his administration and various coaches and players of both the senior Reggae Boyz and Reggae Girlz team, in particular, cannot escape them and Ricketts knows he will have to convince more delegates than is customary, to vote in his favour.
Last year's changes to the JFF's constitutional reform will result in an increase in delegates from 13 –previously consisted solely of parish confederation presidents –to 56, comprising more stakeholders.
“The challenge from vice-president Anderson comes at a time when the JFF is doing so very well to the point where for the first time it has its own Tax Compliance Certificate which is among a number of significant strides that we have made over the years. We are very well current with our tax payments and that's something we haven't been able to do or say for so many years,” Ricketts told Sportsmax.tv.
“I would also refer to the success from the technical component of the programmes and the success from a financial standpoint. So, we really are on a track for greatness, especially having had Adidas, arguably one of the finest apparel manufacturers on board as our main sponsor. This is no ordinary feat to achieve this,” he added.
With elections due by November, Ricketts pledged to make inroads in areas where there have been shortfalls, namely a proper grassroots programme to ensure sustained development, as well as to iron out payment issues with the history-making Reggae Girlz, until then.
“So things are progressing, we've been getting a number of sponsors in recent times which shows that the JFF is doing something right. So for vice-president Anderson to contest for the position of President, I am not sure the timing is right.
“But I welcome whatever challenges there are. I know that the work has been done and I want to assure every single stakeholder that this is just the start of a number of initiatives that will impact the total well-being of every single boy or girl in this country,” Ricketts declared.
Anderson, who has served in previous administrations has the likes of former Cricket West Indies President Dave Cameron, Marketing Strategist Cecile Dennis, Kingston and St Andrew Football Association President Mark Bennett and St Thomas Football Association President Wayne Thompson, on his campaign team.
“Let's see what the outcome will be, I have the greatest respect for him [Anderson], I just hope that the people around him will maintain a level of professionalism and respect and not make derogatory comments. But there are no ill-feelings, just that the political battle lines have been drawn. So again, let's see what will happen from here on,” Ricketts stated.
That said, Ricketts heaped praises on the Lorne Donaldson-coached Reggae Girlz, who became the first Caribbean team –male or female –to make the knockout round of a World Cup since Cuba’s feat in 1938.
The Girlz held powerhouses France and Brazil to goalless stalemates and defeated Panama on their way to the Round of 16.
“This year certainly must go down as one of the most significant years in the history of football in this country. The achievements were absolutely wonderful and we must credit or technical staff or technical committees for the positive results that we got. The Girlz and more recently the Under-15 boys, really have done so very well,” the president noted.
“We are just very, very delighted and we must now put things in place to ensure that the legacy continues. I know this must provide some kind of a catalyst for every little girl or boy, who now really wants to play the sport of football. Congratulations and a big thank you again to all the stakeholders and all the sponsors, who contributed in so many ways to make the Reggae Girlz campaign the success that it was,” he ended.
An integral part of the Frankel story, Ian Mongan enjoyed a day in the sun he will never forget when winning the 2011 Juddmonte International.
The Glasgow-born jockey was a 32-year-old whose riding career was nearer its end than its start when teaming up with the late great Sir Henry Cecil in the mid-noughties, but became a vital cog in the Warren Place wheel.
While opportunities to showcase his talent at the top level were relatively infrequent, Mongan proved he was more than capable of getting the job done on the Knavesmire when breaking his Group One duck aboard the popular Twice Over.
“I’ve always thought a lot of him,” Cecil said in the immediate aftermath.
“He’s my second jockey and is very underrated. If he got better rides he’d be right in the top flight.”
Twice Over was already dual Champion Stakes hero and a Coral-Eclipse winner when returning to York 12 years ago, having been narrowly denied by Rip Van Winkle in the 2010 International – and yet he lined up as the apparent second string.
The stable’s chief hope was the brilliant racemare Midday, a six-time Group One winner and the pick of Cecil’s number one rider Tom Queally.
Both horses carried the colours of Khalid Abdullah, who at that stage was still chasing an elusive first victory in a race he had sponsored since 1988.
Mongan, keen to grasp the moment with both hands, was optimistic. He said: “Obviously Tom was on Midday because he’d done very well on her, but going into the race I felt I actually had the best chance.
“Twice Over was such a lovely horse, such a gentleman and such an easy ride as well, so I was full of confidence beforehand.”
Only five runners went to post, with Midday and Twice Over second and third in the betting behind Aidan O’Brien’s dominant Hardwicke Stakes scorer Await The Dawn.
Midday and Await The Dawn locked horns inside the final quarter-mile, but it was Twice Over who finished best to beat his stablemate to top spot by three-quarters of a length.
“Things went to plan,” Mongan recalled.
“I was getting there almost too easily actually and I remember as I passed Daryll Holland (riding Zafisio, finished fourth) he shouted ‘Go Mongy go’!
“I went for Twice Over, then I waited and then I went for him again. Midday had maybe gone a bit soon, but he stayed on really well.
“He was probably one of the easiest winners I’ve ridden and for it to be in a Group One was fantastic.”
Mongan remembders the return to the winner’s enclosure with great fondness, adding: “It was a great day, especially for Henry to finish first and second. I’ll always remember Aidan O’Brien coming over to congratulate him and Henry gave him a pat on the backside!
“I’ve never ridden a horse like Twice Over as he not only needed a lead horse on the gallops, but he also needed one to get him there as he was so lazy. It was quite funny actually.
“But as soon as he turned onto the gallops and went, he covered so much ground it was amazing.”
Another Cecil inmate Mongan remembers fondly, albeit for different reasons, is Bullet Train, who was perhaps the most famous pacemaker of modern times.
While well fancied for the Derby in 2010 and a smart horse in his own right, the son of Sadler’s Wells is best known as the galloping and racing companion for his illustrious half-brother Frankel.
In all Bullet Train made the running for his unbeaten sibling in six Group One races, with Mongan the man on his back on five of those occasions.
“It was an easy job because Bullet Train was brilliant – he knew his job, he’d ping the gates and lead Frankel, as he did at home as well,” said Mongan.
“Myself and Henry and Tom had a chat about it and it was all about treating the races almost like a piece of work.
“I think Frankel’s most devastating performance was when he won the Queen Anne (in 2012) and I just went a good gallop without going silly and I tried to pick up from the four pole to the two to get the race going. Frankel would normally take over two out and go and do his thing.
“It worked for us because Bullet Train was such a good horse. I think he could have won a Group One at one point, but he had a job to do and he did it great.
“With him being Frankel’s half-brother it was such a great story and I was really lucky to be part of it all. They were such good times and I miss it.”
Frankel, of course, retired unbeaten at the end of 2012, with that year’s Juddmonte International one of the standout performances in his remarkable 14-race career.
The following year the sport mourned the lost of his legendary trainer and Mongan retired from the saddle at the end of that season.
He said: “When Henry passed I think I rode the first winner for Jane (widow) at Yarmouth and at the end of that season I handed my licence in.
“Henry got me going as I was struggling for a long time to get good rides and struggling with my weight, but getting out of bed each morning to ride Henry’s horses was so enjoyable.
“After Henry passed I was going to go back to riding at Wolverhampton and Brighton, but I didn’t have the hunger for it so I called it a day and personally felt I ended on a high.”
These days Mongan acts as assistant trainer to his wife Laura, who memorably secured Classic glory with Harbour Law in the 2016 St Leger at Doncaster.
Mongan admits times are tougher seven years on, but the appetite for success remains fervent.
He said: “Laura is the only lady to ever train the Leger winner, so that was fantastic.
“We’re still training now. We haven’t got the calibre of horses we did, but we’ll keep trying.”
Miaharris is looking to build on an impressive debut success when she steps up to Listed company for Owen Burrows in the Highclere Thoroughbred Racing St Hugh’s Stakes at Newbury on Friday.
Having cost €60,000 as a yearling, her sales price rose sharply after an impressive breeze and was purchased for 210,000 guineas by Ted Durcan on behalf of owner Olly Harris.
The Zoustar filly could not have made a much more impressive start to life than the one she had at Sandown, winning by over three lengths, but Burrows is well aware this will be a much tougher ask.
“It was a very professional performance at Sandown, but obviously we are jumping up a little bit,” he said.
“We felt she put in such a nice performance that we weren’t afraid to try it. She obviously lacks experience but she’s a breeze-up filly so she does have that under her belt as such, so we’re looking forward to running her.
“She wasn’t stopping at Sandown so she could step up to six furlongs at some stage, but I just felt that timing-wise this was a nice race. The nice thing is I’m sure she will get six, so that obviously gives you more options whether this year or next year.
“We’ll see how she gets on in this and make a bit of a plan after that.”
The only other unbeaten filly in the race is the Alice Haynes-trained Majestic Beauty, who won at Catterick in May and returned following 88 days off to win at Hamilton last week.
“She’s obviously come out of the race last week well and it was a nice performance up there under a penalty,” said Tom Pennington, racing manager for owners Amo Racing.
“She’s a tough, straightforward filly and that is why we are going to Newbury, in the hope that she can pick up some black type.
“She had a break after her debut but it was just to give her time – we were in no real rush with her, just to help her mature and develop and it paid off at Musselburgh. Hopefully our patience will be rewarded with some black type.
“It is a quick five furlongs at Musselburgh, but I think she’d get six in time.”
Other notable runners include Eve Johnson Houghton’s Juniper Berries, William Haggas’ Indispensable and the Karl Burke-trained duo of Lady Pink Rose and Dorothy Lawrence.
Odds-on favourite Paddington is all set to bid for a fifth successive Group One win this season in Wednesday’s Juddmonte International at York.
Aidan O’Brien’s new superstar will step back up in trip to an extended 10 furlongs having won the Eclipse at Sandown over a similar distance.
He proved his versatility last time out by dropping down to a mile for the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood where he made all the running.
From a humble beginning this season in a Naas handicap, he is now the best of his generation by some distance.
“He’s an amazing horse really and is progressing from run to run, that’s all he has done all year,” O’Brien told Sky Sports Racing.
“We thought he was a very good two-year-old, he went to Ascot first time out but he got stage fright and just never performed so we gave him a good break. He went to the Curragh after that and won very easily.
“Because of that we left him alone. He was trained for the Classics in the spring but we started as low as we could because we had a lot of horses to get out.
“Ryan (Moore) was very impressed with him, as you know Ryan doesn’t say much but he was very impressed with him in the Sussex. He would have preferred a lead but there was nobody else prepared to so that was why he went on.
“John (Magnier) always felt on pedigree he would get a mile and a half. He went to the Eclipse for his first run over a mile and a quarter so this is a little bit further on a flatter track. It will be interesting to see and we’ll take it race by race with him at the moment.”
Paddington, Mostahdaf and Desert Crown all feature among eight confirmations for what promises to be a blockbuster contest.
Prince of Wales’s Stakes hero Mostahdaf heads the opposition for John and Thady Gosden.
The five-year-old was a four-length winner at Royal Ascot and he is set to be partnered for the first time by Frankie Dettori, as regular rider Jim Crowley serves a 20-day whip suspension.
Last year’s Derby hero Desert Crown was forced to sidestep the Prince of Wales’s due to a late setback, but he is in the mix following a satisfactory piece on work on Wednesday morning.
He could be joined by fellow Sir Michael Stoute-trained runner Bay Bridge, who finished fifth behind Mostahdaf at Ascot.
The Gosden have a second contender in Nashwa, winner of the Falmouth Stakes and third in the Nassau last time out, while the Mostahdaf colours of Shadwell are also represented by Alflaila, although it is unlikely both their horses will run.
O’Brien also has Point Lonsdale in contention while the prospective field is completed by The Foxes, who finished second in the Belmont Derby for Andrew Balding last time out.
St Leger hopes will be on the line in the Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes, with the Gosden-trained Gregory the key name following his Queen’s Vase verdict at Royal Ascot.
“We’re all looking forward to seeing him back,” said Richard Brown, racing adviser for owners Wathnan Racing.
“He did it the hard way at Ascot – he was very game. The big aim for him has always been the St Leger, so the Voltigeur is an obvious stepping stone, but it’s a very prestigious race in its own right and it’s exciting to have a colt going there who we think will have a good chance.”
Godolphin rely on the Charlie Appleby-trained Castle Way after his narrow Bahrain Trophy success over Tower Of London.
That colt again features for O’Brien, who has five potential runners out of a list of 10, with Adelaide River and Continuous also confirmed.
Derby fourth Sprewell could represent Jessica Harrington, with Gordon Stakes third and fourth, Canberra Legend and Artistic Star, possibly crossing swords again.
St. James U15 Cricket team etched their name into history on Monday when they stormed into the quarter-finals of the 32nd Kingston Wharves U15 Cricket Competition. In a remarkable twist, it was the prowess of female bowler Samoya Samuels that proved pivotal, as she secured a hat-trick to clinch victory against many-time national champion St. Elizabeth.
Despite a modest batting performance that saw them score 61 all out, with Ryan Parris leading the way with 17 runs and Sanjany Samuels contributing 14, St James’ efforts were bolstered by a notable 20 extras. St. Elizabeth's Eckoney Robinson emerged as a formidable force, claiming 5-15 in 10.4 overs, while Jayden Shaw captured 2-7 in nine overs.
However, it was in the field that St. James truly dazzled. St. Elizabeth, historically a dominant force, faced an unprecedented collapse, being dismissed for a mere 25 runs in 14.3 overs.
The team's reliance on 11 extras highlighted their struggle against St. James' impressive bowling attack. Jaheim Bennett's contribution of five runs emerged as the sole spark amidst the challenge. The star of the show, Samoya Samuels, exhibited her finesse with the ball, taking the last three wickets with three consecutive deliveries. Her remarkable feat concluded St. Elizabeth's inning in just 1.3 overs. Jaden Williams and Desron Dunn also showcased their prowess, each taking three wickets for six and seven runs, respectively.
Cecil Fletcher, President of the St. James Cricket Association, beamed with pride as he hailed his team's exceptional performance. Eagerly anticipating the upcoming quarter-final match against multiple-time national champion Manchester, Fletcher's optimism was palpable.
Richard Walters, manager of the St. Elizabeth team, acknowledged the challenging year they faced, winning only two of their four preliminary round matches. Despite the setbacks, he expressed confidence in the team's resilience, citing their historical success in the quarter-final round.
Results from other completed matches on the day revealed a dynamic array of outcomes. The Portland vs. Kingston match was rained out, while Kensington triumphed over Lucas and Trelawny emerged victorious against Hanover. St. Catherine Cricket Club secured a win against KSACA (Kingston & St. Andrew Cricket Association), while Manchester triumphed over St. Catherine Cricket Association, the only other team to suffer defeat in all their matches. The Portmore vs. Boys Town match ended in a draw, and the rescheduled Clarendon vs. St. Ann match similarly resulted in a tie.
Looking ahead, all eyes are on the forthcoming quarter-final matches scheduled for the 21st of the month. With the pursuit of victory as their driving force, teams from across the island will converge at four venues, ready to make their mark in this exhilarating cricket competition.
King Of Steel will head to the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes next with connections deciding to stick to their original plan.
The Derby second and King George third, who has also won the King Edward VII Stakes this season, had been given the option of taking on Paddington and Mostahdaf in the Juddmonte International at York next week.
However, the Roger Varian-trained colt was not confirmed for the York highlight and he will drop down to 10 furlongs at Leopardstown on September 9.
“We didn’t confirm him today for York,” said Tom Pennington, racing manager for owners, Amo Racing.
“I know when you look at the prize money and think it could be quite a small field, you might get a bit carried away, but we are going back to what was always Plan A and go to Ireland.
“We’ve been patient with him all the way along and I don’t think another couple of weeks is going to do us any harm.
“He’s in good form and he’s on the right track, we’re very happy with him.
“He is a particularly big horse but he’s beautifully proportioned and he’s very well balanced, not many horses that size can go round Tattenham Corner but he floated round there.
“When you look at his size, touch wood, he should be even better again next year and we’re playing the long game with him.”
Bucanero Fuerte has further Group One riches and a crack at the Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes in his sights following his impressive success in the Phoenix Stakes.
The Adrian Murray-trained youngster started off his racing career at the Curragh and following a fine effort in defeat when making the podium at Royal Ascot, he has dominated proceedings in two outings at the Kildare track of late.
A game winner of the Group Two Railway Stakes on his penultimate start, he took his form to the next level when tried in Group One company for the first time, storming clear of the opposition to register a commanding four-length success in the hands of Kevin Stott.
The son of Wootton Bassett is now set for a step up to seven furlongs back at the Curragh on September 10.
“He progressed well from the Railway thankfully and he still seems to be on an upward curve,” said Murray.
“It looks like it will be the National Stakes next, that will be our target at the minute. We think he could improve for stepping up an extra furlong. He hit the line very well the other day. You would be expecting improvement again.
“He’s made great progress right through the year. He’s improving physically and to look at him, he’s a bigger and stronger horse and has muscled up well. We are very happy with him.”
Bucanero Fuerte became the first horse since Siskin to win both the Railway and Phoenix Stakes and a bold showing up in trip on his next start will have connections beginning to dream of Classic success in 2024.
Murray added: “We will be thinking he should get a mile. For us it’s been a rollercoaster, because you start off winning your maiden and you are not expecting to go as well as we are going.
“If he keeps on improving, you have to be thinking next year he is going to be a nice horse and he should be a miler.
“He’s not your typical two-year-old and he’s a big, big horse. He’s a big, scopey horse and you would think he’s a three-year-old to look at him.
“It looks good moving forward and we are very happy with him. If he keeps on improving the way he is, he’ll definitely be stepping into the big races.”
Captain Brandon King led from the front with a commanding half-century to lead defending champions Jamaica Tallawahs to an 11-run victory over the St Lucia Kings as the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League got underway at the Darren Sammy Stadium in St Lucia on Wednesday.
King, the Player of the Match, scored a match-high 81 from 53 balls to lead the Tallawahs to 187 from their 20 overs. Roston Chase scored a quick-fire 50 but the Kings came up short scoring 176-8.
King and Kirk McKenzie opened with a stand of 44 that was broken when Chase removed McKenzie for 20. It would be the first of three wickets that the Tallawahs would lose in quick succession as Chase also dismissed Shamarh Brooks for 12 and Alzarri Joseph removed Amir Jangoo for a duck to leave the defending champions tottering at 62-3, having lost three wickets for 19 runs.
King found a useful partner in Raymon Reifer, who together put on a fourth-wicket stand of 77 that put the Tallawahs on track to a score of over 200 runs. Chase broke the stand when he dismissed Reifer for 16 and triggered a middle-order slide.
Fabian Allen smashed two fours and a six before he was run out for 15 and then King was finally dismissed for 81 that included nine fours and three sixes. Imad Wasim was the last man out for crucial 19 as the Tallawahs lost three wickets off the final three balls of the innings, Mohammad Amir and Nicholson Gordon both run out without scoring.
Chase finished with 3-39 and Joseph 2-21.
Chase also shone with the bat with 53 from 31 balls and got support from Roshon Primus who smashed 37 from just 20 balls as the pair put on a sixth-wicket stand of 61 that threatened to turn the match in favour the Kings.
However, once Primus was run out by Amir for 37, the innings quickly fell away as Chase was then bowled by Salman Irshad who also bowled Matthew Forde for four.
Earlier Johnson Charles rode his luck after being dropped twice to make 24 and Sean Williams contributed 26. Chris Green removed both as the Kings began to fall behind the required run rate. Meanwhile, Imad Wasim dismissed the dangerous Faf de Plessis for nine and then took the wickets of Sikandar Raza for four and Kimani Melius for a duck in consecutive deliveries that had the Kings struggling at 104-5 and needing to score at 14 runs an over in the final six.
Chase and Primus did their best but it proved to be a bridge too far.
Wasim finished with 3-27 while Irshad took 2-39. Chris Green’s two wickets came at a cost of 28 runs.
In a bid to get back to her best, double Olympic sprint champion Elaine Thompson-Herah is now taking coaching orders from former MVP coach Shanikie Osbourne.
According to a Radio Jamaica report, Thompson-Herah, who has been a shadow of her usual competitive self in recent times, engaged the temporary arrangement with Osbourne, after the National Senior Championships in July, where she missed an individual lane for the upcoming World Athletic Championships.
However, she finished well enough to make the team to Budapest, Hungary, as part of the relay pool.
While the move may come as a surprise to many, Osbourne, who previously coached Papine High, explained that it is basically a continuation of what transpired during Thompson-Herah’s time at MVP.
“I have been working with her since we have been at MVP, so it’s similar stuff; so, I’m just working with her for now. Not sure if it is going to be permanent, but just working with her for now,” said Osbourne during the Radio Jamaica interview.
The coach pointed out that where the relationship goes after the World Championships is left solely up to Thompson-Herah, 31, who previously took orders from world renowned coach Stephen Francis before switching coaching duties to her husband Derron Herah in 2021.
“It’s according to her, probably she’s trying to see how things work out to the end of the season and then she’ll make a decision, but it’s up to her,” Osbourne shared.
Charlie Appleby sent out the winner of the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Stonehenge Stakes at Salisbury for a third successive year as Arabian Crown registered a decisive triumph.
Beaten less than a length by the exciting Starlore when sent off favourite at Sandown on debut, the son of Dubawi served notice of his potential with an easy victory back at the Esher track on his second start.
Upped both to Listed Level and a mile, the 85-40 second favourite highlighted his quality in fine style, tracking the pace set by Richard Hannon’s Son before coming forward to take the lead after two furlongs out and galloping on strongly for a two-and-a-quarter-length success over 13-8 favourite Arabic Legend.
Last year’s winner for the stable went on to contest the Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket later in the season, while both Paddy Power and Betfair shortened the colt to 20-1 from 33s for next year’s 2000 Guineas.
“It was a lovely performance,” winning rider William Buick told Racing TV.
“It was a nice, even gallop which suited him and suited everyone else, so it was a very fair race and Arabian Crown has gone from strength to strength.
“He is very professional and he has really learned from his last two runs. He had to stand in the gates for quite a long time with some of the others, but he took that well and still broke well and just settled outside of the leader. He dropped his head and was progressive all the way to the line and was strong at the finish.
“I think this is a nice trip for him now as a two-year-old and I’m sure next year he will go further. You would hope that (with) the progress he had made in two runs in novices, he has every reason to improve again.”
Ralph Beckett was on the scoresheet in the other Listed heat as State Occasion ran out an impressive winner of the British EBF 40th Anniversary Upavon Fillies’ Stakes.
The daughter of Iffraaj, who was sent off a 6-1 chance, hit the front a furlong from home in the hands of Rossa Ryan and was not for catching in the closing stages as 6-4 favourite Running Lion gave chase in vain.
Beckett said. “She kept winning valuable fillies’ handicaps last year and then we went to Dundalk and she got drawn wide and missed the break. You run quickly into the bend there over 10 furlongs, so that didn’t work and then I probably ran her one run too many at the back-end.
“She ran well in the Middleton and then she was off colour for a little while after that.
“Then it has just rained and she wants fast ground, it is as simple as that. She hasn’t had any major issues, it has just been wet. We’ve probably only missed one race which was the Lyric at York but it doesn’t matter now.
“She could go anywhere and I haven’t really thought about it long and hard yet. But luckily there is plenty for her and she will be in everything and we will see how it pans out.”
Porta Fortuna could be set for a step up in trip for the Moyglare Stud Stakes following her second in the Phoenix Stakes.
Donnacha O’Brien’s youngster was unbeaten in her first three starts, landing a Curragh maiden before scooping Group Three honours at Naas and moving on to Royal Ascot, where she provided her handler with his first winner at the big meeting when finding the target under Frankie Dettori in the Albany Stakes.
Tasked with both taking on the colts and moving up to Group One company at the Curragh, she may have lost her unbeaten record, but her reputation remained unblemished having chased home impressive winner Bucanero Fuerte for the silver medal.
The daughter of Caravaggio is now set to return to competing against her own sex as connections contemplate a move up to seven furlongs for the Moyglare on September 10, with Newmarket’s Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes (September 30) another Group One contest for which Porta Fortuna holds an entry.
“She ran really well and we were delighted with her,” said O’Brien.
“We’re still not 100 per cent sure, but there’s a good chance we will take a look at the Moyglare and we will train her towards that and see. She will have the option of the Cheveley Park after that also.
“I think she has plenty of speed, so I think six or seven furlongs won’t be a problem either way and she’s open to either.
“The winner looked a good horse and to go against the colts isn’t easy but she ran really well.”
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
