Jack Kennedy registered his first victory since returning from a lengthy injury lay-off aboard I A Connect in the equuip – A Leg Up For Thoroughbred People Beginners Chase at Tipperary.
Kennedy broke his leg for a fifth time in a fall at Naas back in January, with the 24-year-old only returning to action at Cartmel on Sunday.
With Davy Russell’s retirement, Kennedy had not long assumed the role as clear number one for Gordon Elliott before sustaining the injury, which forced him to miss the Dublin Racing Festival in February as well as Cheltenham, Aintree, Fairyhouse and Punchestown in the spring.
Teaming up with the Elliott-trained I A Connect (4-1), Kennedy and his mount survived a bit of a sticky jump at the penultimate obstacle before eventually fending off Walnut Beach by a head in a thrilling finish.
Kennedy said: “That was brilliant and I’m delighted. He pecked a bit at the back of second-last, but he stays and probably wants further than that.
“I sent him on early as all he does is stay and to be fair to him he stuck his head out and battled.”
Kennedy admitted he had been unsure how he would feel on his second day back, but is now eagerly awaiting the Galway Festival at the end of the month.
He added: “I’m better today than I thought and had a good blowout at Cartmel on Sunday.
“I started back riding out six weeks ago, had three rides at Cartmel and have three today. Touch wood, the leg feels good.
“I didn’t put myself under any pressure to be back for the spring festivals, gave it more time then and I’m looking forward to Galway now.”
Jamaican triple jump World Junior record holder, Jaydon Hibbert, has signed a NIL deal with Puma.
Short for Name, Image, and Likeness, an “NIL” refers to the way college athletes can receive compensation. “Using” an athlete’s NIL would involve a brand leveraging their name, image, and/or likeness through marketing and/or promotional endeavors.
The NCAA officially made it legal for athletes to profit off of their NILs on July 1, 2021. Since this initial passing, states have begun to pass their own laws detailing the rules for athletes that attend colleges in their state. Universities have also begun to produce rules and programs for their student-athletes.
Hibbert, still only 18-years-old, is currently a finalist for the 2023 Bowerman Award after a spectacular freshman season for the Arkansas Razorbacks.
He won the SEC Indoor and Outdoor titles as well as the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor crowns. To take the SEC Outdoor title, Hibbert produced a personal best, world leading and world Under-20 record 17.87m.
Triple Time looks set to bypass the Qipco Sussex Stakes and head to France for the Prix Jacques le Marois after his impressive success in the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot.
A son of Frankel, the Kevin Ryan-trained colt won two of his four starts as a juvenile but was limited to two outings last year, winning the Group Three Superior Stakes in September before finishing seventh in the Prix Daniel Wildenstein on Arc weekend.
Having been a late withdrawal from the Lockinge Stakes with a stomach cramp and having his first run since October, the 33-1 shot overcame a 262-day break to beat a strong field at Ascot, which included top-class winners Inspiral, Modern Games, Angel Bleu and Native Trail.
Under Neil Callan, the Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum-owned colt had a neck to spare over Inspiral, whose connections are similarly eyeing a trip to Deauville, where the filly could bid to win the race for a second year in succession.
Adam Ryan, son and assistant to the Hambleton trainer, said: “Triple Time has come out of the race absolutely fine and done very well.
“It was his first run of the year and so he’d be entitled to come on for that as well. It was impressive what he did.
“To do that after such a long time off, not only to do that against Group One horses, but horses who’d had a run under their belt, was great.”
Though Triple Time holds an entry in the Sussex Stakes and is currently the general third-favourite behind Paddington and Inspiral, connections are keen on the August 12 Group One contest over a mile at Deauville instead.
“I think we are probably leaning towards the France and the Prix Jacques le Marois,” said Ryan. “It’s nice timing between races and it will be more of a conventional track as well. He is obviously in the Sussex, as it was an early-closing race.
“It is tough because you have to make the entries, but at the same time it is never firmed up, because of ground etc. Horses map their own way out. Group One horses, we all know the races for them.”
The North Yorkshire yard is no stranger to heading abroad and Triple Time’s success earned him an expenses-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita in November, courtesy of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series.
The Ryans finished second in the Juvenile Fillies Turf with East in 2018 and gained a first success at the meeting two years later when Glass Slippers struck in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
Asked of the prospect of sending Triple Time Stateside at the end of the season, Ryan added: “Through all the years we’ve sent a few runners and obviously have had some success. The thing is with Triple Time, he’ll be a stallion for the future now and it is something you have to discuss with connections.
“You have races like the QEII around the same time and is it better to go there (Ascot) on a track you know, without all the travel. Those sort of decisions are for the people above my pay grade.
“It is nice to have those sort of options to talk about. The good thing is he has that Group One win under his belt and everything is a bonus.
“You want to see him as an absolute star, but we’ve got the most important hurdle out of the way now. He’s proved he’s up to that calibre.”
Ryan also confirmed last season’s Group One Sun Chariot winner Fonteyn has been retired.
The daughter of Farhh won the Listed Michael Seely Memorial at York and ended her career in style when beating Laurel at Newmarket in October.
Ryan said: “Fonteyn retired after her last run. Going into this year there were only a couple of fillies-only Group Ones for her here and she wasn’t the best of travellers, so that scuppers any chance of going to France or Ireland.
“We were very limited, so we discussed with Sheikh Obaid and the best option was to retire her and go out on a high.”
Connections of Stay Alert have lodged an appeal against the decision of the Curragh stewards not to reverse the placings in Saturday’s Group One Pretty Polly Stakes.
The Hughie Morrison-trained four-year-old was beaten two lengths by George Boughey’s Via Sistina in the 10-furlong contest, but the Jamie Spencer-ridden winner hampered a number of rivals in the closing stages.
The interference occurred as the field approached the final furlong when Via Sistina hung right into the path of eventual fourth Rosscarbery, with jockey Billy Lee forced to check his mount, while the Ronan Whelan-ridden Stay Alert was also tightened up by the winner.
While the Irish Horseracing Authority Regulatory Board confirmed Spencer has appealed the severity of the six-day ban for careless riding he received following the race, Morrison felt the incident had proved crucial to the result.
He said: “The connections have appealed. As he (Spencer) pulled that horse out, it was hanging right.
“He then continued to ride it for possibly a furlong and he didn’t make any correction until he’d seriously endangered two horses and two jockeys.
“If they can tell me they didn’t feel endangered, then end of story. It was hanging all the way and should have been corrected at least 100 metres before the incidents took place.
“When you get stopped in your run when you are quickening up and you have 100 yards to make up three lengths, you are lucky to make up one.
“Any other sport and you’d be thrown out, more so because the fourth horse (Rosscarbery) was prevented from coming third, which was quite significant when you are talking about a Group One.”
Stay Alert had won the Group Three Legacy Cup at Newbury in September and had dropped back in trip on her seasonal bow when fifth to Free Wind in the Middleton at York in May.
Equipped with a first-time tongue strap, she travelled well and showed marked improvement at the Curragh, and Morrison added: “It helped her, made her concentrate and did everything we expected it to do. I don’t think she has a wind issue, it just helped her concentrate on the job.
“She showed how good she is. She is in the Yorkshire Oaks and there are a couple of races in France. Those are in the middle of August – there is nothing else for her.
“She could go for a colts’ race somewhere, that might be tempting, but you never know what the ground will be like in Germany, and you’d like to win a big race before you go to France.
“This was the target for her all year, so it was frustrating. We got everything right, but hit the crossbar. We’d like to win a good one and we’d like a clean fight as well.”
Highfield Princess will head for the King George Qatar Stakes at Goodwood after her two valiant efforts in defeat at Royal Ascot.
While the Goodwood race is only a Group Two, it is worth £170,000 to the winner and she will not have to carry a Group One penalty.
Quinn had considered the July Cup, but decided to keep her to five furlongs for the rest of the season, which means she will not be defending her Prix Maurice de Gheest title in Deauville which she won last season.
“We decided against the July Cup and she’s going to go to Goodwood,” said Quinn.
“That’s a slight change in plan, but we’re going down the sprinting five-furlong route, that’s our thinking.
“We thought, like last year, we’d give her a bit of a break now, a bit of a midsummer break and then head to Goodwood.
“She doesn’t have a Group One penalty which is handy.
“After Goodwood, we’ll then look at two of the races she won last year (Nunthorpe Stakes at York and Flying Five at the Curragh).”
Michael Dods is planning a return trip to Ireland with Commanche Falls following his comfortable win at the Curragh on Sunday.
The dual Stewards’ Cup winner notched his first victory at Listed level by a length and a half under Connor Beasley.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, sprint king Dods is eyeing another trip over the Irish Sea for the six-year-old, for the Rathasker Stud Phoenix Sprint back at the Curragh next month.
“He’s won the Stewards’ Cup twice and he’s in it again, but he’s now rated 112 so he’d have a lot of weight this year,” said Dods.
“He ran really well at York against proper Group One horses (third in Duke of York Stakes). He’s Dakota Gold’s half-brother, but they are totally different because with Commanche if he is travelling well at halfway they are going too slow.
“When we saw him off the bridle on Sunday we knew he’d finish strong and he did, he grinds it out rather than quickens. He also doesn’t mind faster ground, whereas Dakota needs a bit of cut.
“He might have an entry in the Hackwood (at Newbury), but there’s the Group Three Rathasker Stud race in early August at the Curragh I think he’ll end up going for. There’s also a race at Baden-Baden we could look at.”
Classic-winning jockey Eddie Ahern, whose 10-year ban for passing on inside information and failing to ride a horse on its merits came to an end in May, is exploring all options for the future as he begins riding out for William Haggas.
The 45-year-old rode work on Saturday morning for the first time and was in situ at Somerville Lodge on Monday morning, although a serious leg injury could put paid to any thoughts of a return to race-riding for the time being.
“Ten years is a long time and it has felt like forever,” said Ahern. “I think I’m a long way from a comeback, because I had such a bad leg injury in May last year.”
A badly-broken leg twice rejected a nail incision, causing severe infections, and Ahern required a lengthy stay in hospital, diminishing hope that he could return to race-riding.
“I was in a lot of pain. I’m not in any pain now and the bone has completely healed. I have a bit of a limp and I’m still not running yet.
“I put myself on a strict diet when I was in hospital, but I weighed myself the other day and I was 10 stone.
“The leg is good and strong, but I can’t go out and put the sweatsuit on and run three miles, all the time I’m limping.
“However, I am blessed with a physique which adapts easily to the weight demands of riding on the Flat so, with the right diet and routine, making the weight would be no problem to me.”
A former Irish champion apprentice, Ahern was found guilty by a British Horseracing Authority disciplinary panel of conspiring to commit a corrupt or fraudulent practice in relation to the laying of five horses between September 2010 and February 2011.
He was also found to have intentionally failed to ensure Judgethemoment was ridden on its merits at Lingfield in January 2011, and of passing information for reward.
Ahern, who won the Irish St Leger in 2011 for John Gosden when Duncan dead-heated with Jukebox Jury, was subsequently banned for 10 years in 2013.
“Obviously, I felt the punishment was harsh, but I have served my ban and I need to move on,” he said.
“I am allowed to ride out for trainers, and while I still haven’t fully recovered from a broken leg, I wanted to get my leg stronger, get myself fit and get back into riding racehorses.
“I have been riding showjumpers, it has really helped get me back riding and strong again, but I wanted to get back on the racehorse again. It is where my passion lies and I have really missed it. It is really nice to get on a nice three-year-old or four-year-old.”
Ahern and his partner, top showjumper Holly Smith, rent a yard in Leicestershire, where she is rebuilding her string. Ahern plans to break-in yearlings, pre-train and prepare breeze-up horses for trainers over the winter.
Though keen to build the business further, Ahern is not ruling out a return to the saddle, but admits it will be tough to do.
He said: “I am really thankful for the opportunity to ride out for Mr Haggas.
“I rode a lot of winners, including one at Royal Ascot, for him. I want to see if the bug still there, whether the fire is still in my stomach.
“I haven’t ridden racehorses in a while and when you are a work rider, it is all about educating the horses and getting the pace right, and feeding back as much information to the trainer as possible. I wanted to get back doing all that, especially with such high-class horses.
“William and (wife) Maureen know how much I admire them as people and as trainers.
“I love them, the lads in the yard, the yard itself and love the routine and the set-up. I missed seeing everyone’s faces. It is nice to see the riding-out boots and breeches.
“I know all the tracks and the gallops, I know how Mr Haggas wants his horses ridden and know how they should be ridden. I just want to get back doing all that again.
“I don’t know if I will make a comeback. What I do know is I want to get fit and get strong, and go down to ride work.
“I know the weight will fall off. I’m using all the old muscles I used to use before. My legs need to get stronger and my body to get stronger, but I’m 45. I’m under no illusions – I have a ‘Dad-bod’ at the moment!
“I feel I’m a lot older, I have other ideas in my head, breaking, pre-training, breeze-ups. Race-riding is a young man’s game. With one meeting a day and no saunas, it just makes life hard for jockeys, but I certainly wouldn’t rule it out.
“I’m happy to work hard for Mr Haggas and do as much as I can – and learn from him because, who knows, someday I might want to be a trainer.
“I’m just delighted to be given the opportunity to ride out and we’ll take things one step at a time.”
Cricket West Indies (CWI) selection panel today announced the 14-member squad for the upcoming T20 International (T20I) Series against Ireland Women at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground.
The squad includes three Rising Stars Women's Under 19 players – Zaida James, Ashmini Munisar, and Djenaba Joseph. West Indies will enter the T20I Series on a high having clinched the CG United ODI Series 2-0, with one match being a no result due to rain.
CWI Lead selector Mrs. Ann Browne-John said
“The selection panel decided to retain the players who completed the ODI series. These players have shown form and performance which enabled the team to secure a series win, which the team has been striving for in recent times. As we continue the rebuilding, we believe we have found a competent balance in mix of senior players and the younger players selected. It is in keeping with our ethos of preparing the next batch of West Indies women’s players, by combining the experienced and the newly capped players.”
Match tickets are available online from the Windies Tickets service, presented by Mastercard - Tickets.windiescricket.com - at a discounted price of US$6/EC$16 (USS3/EC$7.50 children and seniors) with tickets available on the day at the box office at a price of US$7.50/EC$20 (US$3.75/EC$10 for children and seniors).
For fans unable to get to the games in St. Lucia, the CG United ODI Series will be exclusively live on RUSH Sports in the Caribbean and on BT Sport in the UK & Ireland. The matches will also be shown around the world on FanCode (India), ESPN+ (USA), Sky NZ (NZ), SuperSport (sub-Saharan Africa) and in all other countries on the Windies Cricket YouTube channel.
FULL SQUAD
T20 International Series:
All matches start at 5pm Eastern Caribbean Time (4pm Jamaica Time)
Tuesday 4 July: 1st T20I
Thursday 6 July: 2nd T20I
Saturday 8 July: 3rd T20I
Frankie Dettori is to sell a selection of his trophies and racing silks, putting 126 items up for auction ahead of his retirement from the sport.
The 52-year-old jockey, who will bow out at end of the current campaign, has been clearing out items from his home near Newmarket as he and his wife Catherine prepare to move house, as he said their children have all “branched out”.
His scales, a saddle, boots and photographs are among the 126 pieces to be sold in an online auction by Cheffins in Cambridge from July 5.
The sale has been described by auctioneers as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own prizes and memorabilia from one of the greatest sports personalities worldwide”.
Among the lots is Dettori’s trophy from last month’s Oaks win aboard Soul Sister, which would be his last success in a British Classic should he not win the St Leger in September.
Dettori said: “We’re going to move away from Newmarket.
“Newmarket’s been my life.
“We’re scaling down and I’ve got so much stuff, we thought we might as well just auction it.
“I didn’t realise because they end up in drawers, in cupboards, in the cellar, I mean they’re all over the place.
“Now we’re clearing up a lot of stuff, we didn’t realise how much accumulated in so many years.”
He said it had been difficult to decide what to sell and what to keep.
“Yes, of course, you know, but then you’ve got to put everything in context,” he said.
“You need a mansion to put the trophies up.
“I tried to keep something what means something to me, some of the important stuff like the Derby and things like that, but the rest is going to go up in auction.”
He continued: “All my kids have branched out, so it’s only myself and Catherine my wife left so we’re planning to rent the house, scale down and move towards London a bit.
“And I’d like to travel the world a bit.”
Dettori said he felt it was the “right time” to retire, and “wanted to stop at the top”.
“I’m going to be 53 and I wanted to stop at the top. I still feel that I’m riding well enough to finish at the top.
“I think it’s the right time.
“My heart doesn’t want to stop but my brain is telling me to stop.
“It’s not going to be easy.”
He said some of the proceeds of the auction will go to the charity Direct Aid For Africa (DAFA), and some will go to his children, adding: “My daughter’s getting married next year but she hasn’t fixed a date yet.”
He said that in his retirement he is “not going to be too far away from racing”.
“Working on TV is an option,” he said.
“I’m in talks at the moment with a few different channels and I think that’s the way that I’m going to head.”
Asked if he would consider an appearance on the reality show I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here, Dettori said: “I haven’t been asked yet but if I do get asked, I’ll have a good think about that.”
He said the reception he has been getting for winners has surprised him.
“The warmth of the people has been amazing,” said Dettori.
“Wherever I go, I was taking a lot of selfies last year but quadrupled the amount of selfies that I’m taking every day.
“People have been so good. I’m enjoying it.
“It’s going to be sad when I get to the end of the season, but at the moment I’m not thinking about it.
“I’m trying to do good and trying to go through my last year in a happy fashion.”
Harriet Lusty, deputy saleroom manager at Cheffins, said: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own prizes and memorabilia from one of the greatest sports personalities worldwide.
“This one-off sale will take place solely online over a two-week period, and will include some of the most significant prizes Frankie has won to date, such as the trophy for his win in the Epsom Oaks in June 2023.
“This is an incredible opportunity for fans of horseracing, and we expect interest from buyers not only from the UK but also from across Europe, the Middle East and also the US as Frankie Dettori is consistently the most famous name in the sport worldwide.”
Head coach of Trinidad & Tobago’s Soca Warriors, Angus Eve, has described his team as “going through a rebuilding stage” after bowing out of the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup in the USA on Sunday.
The Trinidadians secured a comfortable 4-0 win over St. Kitts and Nevis in their first game of the group stage before suffering a crushing 1-4 defeat to Jamaica then ending their campaign with a 0-6 hammering at the hands of the defending champions and hosts.
Eve, in a post-match press conference, acknowledged a gap in skill between his players and those on the teams they lost to before explaining how that gap can be closed.
“We need to have our players being exposed at the highest level and consistently play football at a high level,” he said.
“Most of the guys don’t get the exposure on the outside and consistently play at a high level, because you have to remember that our league just returned after three years. The CFU used to have competitions. You can see that St. Kitts are in the same boat as us receiving a number of goals,” he added.
Eve also criticized the fitness level of his players, noting that getting the players fit is a job for their clubs rather than the national team.
“A national team coach can’t get the players fit when they come here. They have to come from their clubs with that fitness so your job is now to put them in a formation that will get them to play well.”
“A lot of times, as you can see, we were lacking fitness,” Eve added.
Despite all this, Eve did say he sees progress in some areas, specifically in the standard of the tournament.
“The tournament is improving all the time. We were here in 2021 and we are progressing. When you look at the French-Caribbean teams, they can bring in players who are playing in France and plug those holes,” he said.
We Never Stop broke his maiden in the British Stallion Studs EBF Spindrifter Novice Stakes at Pontefract to highlight a double for Shane Gray.
Placed at York twice previously, the Cotai Glory colt had finished almost three lengths behind John Quinn’s reopposing Twilight Romance most recently but did have a 4lb pull.
Perhaps more in his favour, though, was his draw in stall four of the five runners, which on most days at Pontefract would be a disadvantage but at this meeting the usually favoured inside rail was almost shunned throughout.
Gray was able to get Kevin Ryan’s youngster over to the stands’ rail first and he held off his old foe by half a length to win at 10-1.
Gray said: “We’ve always thought a lot of him but he grew a lot between his last run and this one.
“He’s a fine stamp of a horse and I think he’ll make a fine three-year-old. He’s so big, whatever he does at two he’s only going to improve on it next year.
“He showed some pace at York and travelled very strong. I’d almost say you could come back to five furlongs but he’s only going to get quicker with age, so six is fine for now.
“They came over in the first race, I’d walked the track and you can see by the colour of the grass there’s a difference in the ground, it’s a good advantage today.”
Gray was also on Mick and David Easterby’s So Grateful (15-2) who was winning for the first time on turf in the Napoleons Casino Bradford Handicap and another to take the favoured rail early.
That came after Serena Brotherton had charted an almost solo run up the stands’ side on the Easterbys’ Unplugged (13-8 favourite) in the 21st Wilfred Underwood Memorial Handicap.
It appeared a bold move by the veteran amateur rider, but it proved inspired, especially as only one other followed her, and she revealed a pre-race course walk made the decision much easier.
“I walked the track and I thought the fastest bit of ground was either right on the inside rail, which I didn’t think I could get to because of my draw (10), or the outside rail,” said Brotherton.
“I did have a moment of doubt when we turned in and I could feel him thinking ‘what are you making me do?’ but he was fine.
“He wants top of the ground so it worked out.”
David Easterby, speaking after the win of So Grateful, said of the ploy: “It’s OK having these plans but you’ve got to be able to carry them out and he (Gray) didn’t go too fast. It’s easy to get the fractions wrong but he didn’t do that.
“Unfortunately for me, Serena likes to get to the track nice and early so I walked the track with her. I think the only reason we won today was because of the tactics, so the handicapper should drop him!
“They are running well this summer, so long may it continue.”
The Royal Ascot-winning duo of Tom Clover and Danny Tudhope teamed up to win the Wayne Conway Memorial Handicap with Rogue Tornado, a first success at the track for Clover.
Sent off the 4-5 favourite, he briefly looked in a bit of bother before his stamina kicked in and he went on to win by two and a half lengths.
Simon and Ed Crisford’s Laser Guided (4-1) clearly thrives in the Yorkshire air as having dead-heated at Ripon earlier this season, he won the “89 And Reunited” Memorial Handicap off bottom weight under Oisin Orr.
Orr then doubled up himself on Gannon Glory (13-2) in the Northern Commercials Service, Sales And Parts Handicap, making all for his boss, Richard Fahey.
The region’s best young cricketers will assemble in Trinidad and St Vincent for Cricket West Indies (CWI) Rising Stars Women's Under-19 Championship and the Rising Stars Men’s Under-19 Championship.
The women’s event will be 30-over matches played from 4 to 12 July at the National Cricket Centre (NCC), UWI Sports & Physical Education Centre (UWI SPEC), and Gilbert Park Cricket Ground (GPCG) in Trinidad. This is the second year of the tournament and players will be identified with a view developing talent and participating in international events such as the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2025 to be played in Malaysia and Thailand.
The men’s event will be played in St Vincent from 4 July to 1 August. It will feature five rounds of 50-over white ball matches and four rounds of three-day red ball matches. These will be played at Arnos Vales, Sion Hill, Park Hill and Cumberland.
Following the tournaments, West Indies Rising Stars Under 19 team will be selected for a tour of Sri Lanka where they are due to play a four-day match as well as 50-over matches. This will be part of preparations for the ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup scheduled to be played in Sri Lanka early next year.
These tournaments serve as a pivotal platform for showcasing and identifying talent and facilitating their progression. CWI’s strategic plan has committed resources into developing the game at every level and these tournaments therefore play a vital role in the strategy to develop the talent pool and produce the next generation of West Indies players.
During the tournaments LIVE ball-by-ball scoring of matches will be available on the www.windiescricket.com match centre.
MATCH SCHEDULE
Women’s 30-over in Trinidad
Tuesday 4 July
Windward Islands vs Guyana at GPCG
Leeward Islands vs Jamaica at UWI SPEC
Trinidad and Tobago vs Barbados at NCC
Thursday 6 July
Jamaica vs Trinidad and Tobago – GPCG
Guyana vs Barbados – UWI SPEC
Windward Islands vs Leeward Islands – NCC
Sunday 9 July
Trinidad and Tobago vs Windward Islands at GPCG
Jamaica vs Barbados at UWI SPEC
Guyana vs Leeward Islands at NCC
Tuesday 11 July
Jamaica vs Guyana at GPCG
Leeward Islands vs Trinidad and Tobago at UWI SPEC
Barbados vs Windward Islands at NCC
Thursday 13 July
Leeward Islands vs Barbados at GPCG
Trinidad and Tobago vs Guyana at UWI SPEC
Jamaica vs Windward Islands at NCC
Saturday 15 July
5th and 6th play-off at GPCG
3rd and 4th play-off at NCC
FINAL at UWI SPEC
Men’s Under 19 50-over in St Vincent
Tuesday 4 July
Windward Islands v Leeward Islands at Arnos Vale
Trinidad and Tobago v Barbados at Sion Hill
Jamaica v Guyana at Cumberland
Thursday 6 July
Jamaica v Trinidad and Tobago at Arnos Vale
Leeward Islands v Guyana at Cumberland
Windward Islands v Barbados at Sion Hill
Saturday 8 July
Guyana v Barbados at Arnos Vale
Windwards v Trinidad and Tobago at Park Hill
Leeward Islands v Jamaica at Sion Hill
Monday 10 July
Leeward Islands v Barbados at Park Hill
Windward Islands vs Jamaica at Sion Hill
Trinidad and Tobago v Guyana at Arnos Vale
Wednesday 12 July
Windward Islands v Guyana at Park Hill
Leeward Islands v Trinidad and Tobago at Sion Hill
Barbados v Jamaica at Arnos Vale
Men’s Under 19 three-day in St Vincent
15-17 July
Windward Islands v Leeward Islands at Arnos Vale
Barbados v Guyana at Park Hill
Jamaica v Trinidad and Tobago at Sion Hill
20-22 July
Barbados v Trinidad and Tobago at Park Hill
Leeward Islands v Jamaica at Cumberland
Windward Islands v Guyana at Arnos Vale
25-27 July
Trinidad and Tobago v Guyana at Sion Hill
Windward Islands v Jamaica at Arnos Vale
Leeward Islands v Barbados at Park Hill
30 July to 1 August
FINAL at Arnos Vale
3rd and 4th play-off at Park Hill
5th and 6th play-off at Cumberland
When the athletes for the 110m hurdles line up at Jamaica’s National Athletics Championships this coming weekend, noticeably absent will be the 2016 Olympic champion Omar McLeod.
McLeod, the 2017 world champion, is not among the 19 men who will contend for one of three spots up for grabs as the hurdlers vie for places at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary in August.
There has been no official word from the athlete or his representatives over his absence. He has raced sparingly this season, running twice indoors and once outdoors. On April 29, he ran 13.67 for a second place finish at the LSU Invitational in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
The 29-year-old McLeod has not had the best of fortune at Jamaica’s national championships in recent years. In 2021, he finished at eighth in the final at Kingston’s National Stadium and then infamously blamed the Jamaican authorities for mistreating him.
“I don’t think I was given or granted a fair opportunity to make the team with this ridiculous schedule that I have never seen in my years in track and field where they have semi-finals late in the evening and then, without recovery and the country was in complete lockdown so we were unable to go back to the hotel and get food,” he told media at a press conference in the United Kingdom days later.
“So, my team and I, we did the best we could and we went to a little lounge at the hotel and drank some soup and had a salad because that was all they had, trying to go back to the track and five in the morning for a final at eight, I mean, that’s stupid."
Then in 2022, he finished at the back of the pack once again after hitting a hurdle early into the race and failed in his effort to qualify for an attempt to win a shot at another world title.
Meanwhile, the event which is expected to be keenly contested, will feature a stacked that includes reigning Olympic champion Hansle Parchment, Olympic bronze medalist Ronald Levy and Commonwealth Games champion Rasheed Broadbell, who are expected to be in the running for places on the Jamaican team to Budapest.
However, the battle for places will have to be earned as the likes of Phillip Lemonious the 2023 NCAA Outdoor champion and a resurgent Tyler Mason will also be targeting breakthroughs to the international scene.
Tokyo Olympic semi-finalist Damion Thomas and the talented LaFranz Campbell are also down to compete for spots.
Orlando Bennett, the 2022 NACAC bronze medallist, is also among the 19 as well as collegiate standouts Jaheem Hayles, Sharvis Simmonds, Michael Buchannan, Jordani Woodley, and Andre Douglas.
The multi-talented Dejour Russell will also be keen to get a look in on a team to a major senior championship.
Co-trainers Martyn and Freddie Meade will drop Dubai Mile back in distance and wait for soft ground in the autumn as they bid to secure his future as a stallion.
Having purchased a half-share in last year’s Criterium de Saint-Cloud winner from owner Ahmad Al Shaikh, the horse has left Charlie Johnston’s care to join the Meades’ Manton Park roster.
“He is here and the idea is clearly he has to do a bit more to be a stallion yet,” Martyn Meade confirmed.
Bought for €20,000 as a yearling by the Johnston team, he made swift progress as a juvenile and finished second in the Group Two Royal Lodge Stakes before taking a top-level victory in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud.
Fifth in the 2000 Guineas on his three-year-old bow, he did not appear to stay a mile and a half in the Derby, finishing ninth of 14 to Auguste Rodin.
He again flattered to deceive over the same trip in the King Edward VII at Royal Ascot, when beaten eight lengths by King Of Steel.
Meade said: “The idea is we will campaign him for the rest of the season and maybe even next season if we need to, because he preferably needs to win a couple more, at least one and maybe two Group Ones.
“That’s what we will be targeting him for, but at the moment we will be giving him a break.
“He’s had quite a tough sort of campaign, with three races at the top level and inevitably that takes it out of them. You can’t race in those Group Ones all the way through.”
Meade feels autumn targets may be ideal for Dubai Mile, who won his Group One on deep ground.
“The little I know about him, he will be pretty good on soft ground, as he showed in France,” he said.
“If we can campaign him towards the back end of the season, I think that would be our preference.
“It is all to do with distance. I don’t think he proved himself as well as he might have done over a mile and a half and our thoughts will be to drop him back.
“On the face of it, while we have to assess him, we are thinking of changing his trip, shortening it up. A mile and a quarter will be his trip.
“Hopefully we can get a bit of soft ground at the end of the year and find a suitable race for him.”
Manton Park Stud currently stands Aclaim and Advertise, both of whom were Group One winners for Meade, with the trainer well aware Dubai Mile needs to enhance his page before embarking on a breeding career.
“It is lovely to have him, we’re very pleased,” added Meade. “He looks a nice horse.
“It is a strategic move as far as we are concerned and let’s see how we go, but he needs to put a bit more on his CV before we can stamp him.”
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