A few athletes will be aiming to complete the middle distance double in their respective classes after they easily navigated the 800m semi-finals on day four of the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships at the National Stadium on Friday.

Among them are Jamaica College’s Samuel Creary, Alikay Reynolds of Alphansus Davis and Abigail Campbell of Hydel High.

Campbell, who won the girls’ Class one 400m title, clocked an easy 2:18.60 to book her spot in the 800m final, along with the Edwin Allen pair of Monique Stewart (2:17.70) and Rickeisha Simms (2:16.18). Carlene Temple (2:16.26) and Allecia Johnson (2:19.07) of Alphansus Davis; Holmwood Technical’s Cindy Rose (2:16.64); Kitania Headley (2:17.05) of St Catherine and St Andrew’s Rihanna Gayle (2:19.31), also progressed.

The boys’ Class one finalists include Maggotty’s Yoshane Bowen (1:57.88); Jaquan Coke (1:59.82) of Kingston College; Kemario Bygrave (2:00.41) of Jamaica College; Port Antonio’s Ainsley Brown (1:57.91) and Joaqueem Miller (1:59.86) of St Elizabeth Technical.

Holmwood Technical’s Jovi Rose headlines the girls’ Class two qualifiers with a time of 2:16.33, and she will be joined by Horecia Love (2:18.12) of Edwin Allen High; Shavanecia Griffiths (2:18.22) and Chennai Jarrett (2:17.29) of St Elizabeth Technical; St Mary’s College’s Latanya Dixon (2:18.33); St Jago’s Kededra Coombs (2:18.80); Andrene Peart (2:18.47) of Holmwood Technical and Sydney Pagon’s Denae Hodges (2:23.27).

Creary, who won the 1,500m title and Nahashon Ruto of Kingston College are expected to battle it out for the boys’ Class two title after both easily progressed to the medal event. Creary clocked 1:58.38 in semi-final two and Ruto stopped the clock in 2:00.32 in the other semi-final.

They will be joined by Delano Brown (2:00.85) of St Elizabeth Technical, Rushanne James (2:00.69) of Clarendon College, St Mary High’s (2:00.75), Jayden Brown (2:01.42) of Maggotty High, Shemar Green (2:00.92) of Jamaica College and Albert Town’s Clevaughn Genius (2:01.41).

Alphansus Davis’ Reynolds, the girls’ 1,500m Class three champion, easily booked her spot in the 800m showpiece with a time of 2:16.51. The Edwin Allen pair of Denique Palmer (2:18.29) and Kevongaye Fowler (2:19.91); Shameika Dennis (2:21.24) of St Elizabeth Technical; Tabbrel Williams (2:20.67) of Alphansus Davis; St Mary High’s Dallia Fairweather (2:18.81); Hydel’s Sackeela Whilby (2:21.59) and Manchester High’s Vennesha Pommels (2:22.44), will seek to upstage Reynolds in the finals.

Meanwhile, Jamaica College’s Cavel Nooks, the boys’ Class three 1,500m champion, will start as a favourite in the final 800 metres, as he won his semi-final in 2:02.65.

Also securing a lane in the final are Camron Williams (2:05.97), also of Jamaica College Titchfield High’s Ratieo Walters (2:07.08); Sydney Pagon’s Luke Plummer (2:06.55); Calabar’s Obrian Clarke (2:09.79); Excelsior’s Keniel Daniels (2:10.06); St Elizabeth Technical’s Renento Alexander (2:07.57) and Nathaniel Thomas of Denbigh High (2:11.43).

The finals are scheduled for Saturday afternoon.

Dan and Harry Skelton’s memorable March continued at Newbury on Friday as Doyen Quest rediscovered winning ways in the Daily Racing Specials At BetVictor Handicap Hurdle.

The Alcester-based team claimed four winners at the Cheltenham Festival last week, a run of results which saw older brother Dan Skelton go ahead of his former boss and mentor Paul Nicholls in the race to be crowned this season’s champion trainer.

Subsequent victories at Kempton, Uttoxeter, Chepstow and Market Rasen have kept the Skelton ball rolling in the past week and Doyen Quest did his bit for the team with a narrow verdict in Berkshire.

The six-year-old was the 100-30 favourite to notch a second career win, having had to make do with the runner-up spot on his latest appearance at Taunton, and got on top close home to score by a neck from the Sam Thomas-trained Steel Ally.

Dan Skelton said: “I’m delighted with that, we were able to turn him out quickly before the penalty kicked in and he finished really well. Hopefully there’s a bit more to come from him.”

On the title race, he added: “The horses are obviously in good form, but we’ve got to keep it going.

“We’re in front at the moment, but there’s still some major meetings to come – it’s going to be a long five weeks!

“I won’t be coming back here (Newbury) tomorrow (Saturday) thinking we’ll definitely have a winner, but hopefully we have a few chances.”

The Skeltons were denied a double by the narrowest of margins in the following Steve Jobar MND Handicap Hurdle, with Take No Chances coming off second best in a pulsating three-way finish.

Lucy Wadham’s Zain Nights (5-1) was called the winner by a nose in the hands of Tom Cannon, with Take No Chances second and Hermino AA only a short head further away in third.

The Bet In-Play On Racing At BetVictor Novices’ Hurdle was a similarly close-run affair, with Harry Derham’s newcomer Huffin A Puffin (10-1) lunging late under Paul O’Brien to pip the more experienced favourite 6-4 favourite Ballybentragh by a short head.

Derham, another successful graduate of the Nicholls academy at Ditcheat, said: “He’s a lovely big horse and I wasn’t really sure he’d be ready enough to win today, so that was a nice surprise.

“He’s learning on the job and I’m not in a rush to do anything mad with him. He could have another run this season, but we’ll see.

“Hopefully he’s a horse to look forward to. He doesn’t have enough experience to go novice chasing next season so we’ll probably stick to hurdles.”

Nicholls himself got on the scoresheet with the Natalie Parker-ridden Secret Investor (3-1) in the Lengthen The Odds At BetVictor Open Hunters’ Chase, while David Pipe and Jack Tudor combined for a double on the card with Neon Moon a 12-1 winner of the Get Best Odds Guaranteed At BetVictor Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase and Bumpy Johnson scoring at 11-1 in the Download The BetVictor App Handicap Hurdle.

Richard Bandey’s Maclaine (3-1) impressed in the Get A Run For Your Money At BetVictor Handicap Chase, with Harry Bannister the winning pilot.

Harry Cobden’s hopes of winning the 2023-24 champion jump jockey title were boosted after he successfully appealed a three-day suspension imposed at the Cheltenham Festival.

The ban was initially handed out by the raceday stewards at the meeting when they deemed Cobden to have ridden carelessly aboard Handstands in the Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle.

The horse finished sixth and was judged to have interfered with the progress of Ile Atlantique and Predators Gold, both trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Patrick and Danny Mullins respectively.

That finding was contested at the appeal and the panel, chaired by James O’Mahony, found in Cobden’s favour and overturned the suspension.

Those three days he is now free to ride could prove pivotal for the jockey, who is locked in a title race with Sean Bowen and was 12 winners ahead at the end of the action on Friday.

Porta Fortuna is pencilled in to make her seasonal bow in the Ballylinch Stud ‘Priory Belle’ 1,000 Guineas Trial Stakes at Leopardstown in early April.

The Caravaggio filly landed the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot last year before going on to place in both the Phoenix and Moyglare, before striking Group One gold in the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket.

Trainer Donnacha O’Brien then headed to America where Porta Fortuna was only narrowly denied in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, beaten just half a length by Hard To Justify.

O’Brien admits her juvenile brilliance raises some doubts ahead of her Classic campaign, with a trial run dependent on conditions suiting at Leopardstown.

In a stable tour for Attheraces.com, he said: “She was brilliant for us last season. When they are so good as two-year-olds, you can never be sure how well they’ll train on, but she seems to have wintered particularly well and her recent work has been very good.

“I’d like to run her in the 1,000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown on April 7, but if the ground is bad, I’ll be happy enough to give her a racecourse gallop instead and go straight to the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket.”

Porta Fortuna is a best-priced 25-1 with Paddy Power for the 1000 Guineas on May 5.

Flooring Porter will attempt to finally get his hands on the Jrl Group Liverpool Hurdle following his brave second in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

The dual Prestbury Park champion had been plying his trade over fences prior to reverting to timber at the Festival, where he showed plenty of his old zest to chase home Teahupoo in the day three feature.

He will now continue to operate over the smaller obstacles, with trainer Gavin Cromwell pointing the nine-year-old towards Aintree next month and the three-mile Grade One in which he has finished second and third to Gordon Elliott’s Sire Du Berlais.

“He’s come out of Cheltenham really well and the plan is to go back to Aintree, we’re really happy with him and looking forward to it,” said Cromwell.

“He was good over fences, but is probably better over hurdles, they certainly lit him up again.

“He acts round Aintree and we’re looking forward to it. A similar performance at Aintree should put him very much in the mix.”

Meanwhile, it appears handicaps are off the agenda for highly impressive Kim Muir winner Inothewayurthinkin, who received a significant rise for his easy eight-length Cheltenham Festival success.

Owned by JP McManus, the exciting six-year-old will be forced into trying his hand in graded company if he runs again this season, with top-table targets both at home and in England possible options.

“He’s a nice horse to have going forward, he’s a young horse with hopefully a bright future,” continued Cromwell.

“He’s gone up considerably in the handicap so we will probably just have to look at the graded novice route (if he is to run again). The obvious options are Aintree or Punchestown and there is a race at Limerick as well. He’s not certain to run again before the end of the season, but if he does he will probably go for one of them.

“Hopefully the handicapper is right, and if so, he will be an exciting horse to have.”

Chazzesmee is out to complete an historic double in the William Hill Lincoln at Doncaster on Saturday.

Just five days after plundering the €100,000 Irish Lincolnshire at the Curragh, the six-year-old is sent back into battle by trainer Fozzy Stack for the British Flat season’s traditional curtain-raiser.

Sweet Lightning is the only horse to have won both races, scoring at Doncaster in 2011 when trained by Michael Dods before striking gold the Irish equivalent in 2013 for Tommy Carmody.

Not only is Chazzesmee looking to become the first to win the two prestigious handicaps in the same season, but he also bids to become the first Irish-trained winner of the Lincoln on Town Moor since Dermot Weld’s Saving Mercy 40 years ago.

“It’s kind of a shot to nothing, he’ll either be there or thereabouts or they’ll be sending out a search party for him,” said Stack.

“It’s hard to know with the short turnaround, but it’s a good pot, so it’s worth a chance.

“He’s always been a horse that has had plenty of talent, he’s just been a bit unfortunate through his life.

“He handles soft ground, obviously, so we’ll see what happens.”

One of the chief hopes for the home team is Karl Burke’s Liberty Lane, a narrow winner over the course and distance in September before failing to fire in the Cambridgeshire at Newmarket a fortnight later.

Burke is looking forward to stepping the four-year-old up in trip later in the year, but is happy to start off over the straight mile on testing conditions.

“A mile is the minimum trip for him, he should be staying a mile and a quarter, but you need that (stamina) for that type of race,” said the Spigot Lodge handler.

“If he can keep tabs on the leaders, he loves that soft ground and fingers crossed he can run a big race, but we’re going there hopeful rather than confident.

“I think I’d rather be drawn high (stall 20) than low and I think they’ll probably arrowhead up the middle. Most of the fancied horses are drawn low, so it will be interesting.”

Charlie Johnston fields two contenders, with Qipco Champions Day winner The Gatekeeper joined by stablemate Dutch Decoy.

The Gatekeeper has not been seen in competitive action since his lucrative Balmoral Handicap victory at Ascot in October, while Dutch Decoy makes his first appearance since finishing a close-up sixth in the Cambridgeshire.

Johnston said: “The Gatekeeper is in very, very good shape, I couldn’t be happier with him in that regard. He’s proven with some cut in the ground and goes well fresh, so he’s got lots in his favour.

“Life’s going to be a bit tougher for him as he’s rated 100 now. The handicapper rightly didn’t miss him for his Balmoral win, but that’s the only negative I think. Other than that he’s got all conditions in his favour. He’s a solid contender and this has been the target for a long time.

“If there’s any ambition for this season, one is that Dutch Decoy gets his day in the sunshine because he’s often been the bridesmaid and he’s been a real stalwart with us in the top handicaps, but generally running well in defeat.

“He was just behind The Gatekeeper in the Golden Mile at Goodwood last summer on soft ground, so he has got some soft ground form, but generally I don’t think he would want the extremes and I think he’s a little bit better on slightly better ground.

“That would be a slight concern with him, but he’s fit and well and there’s not a lot else for him for a while, so we thought we’d take our chance.”

Simon and Ed Crisford’s Awaal, the Julie Camacho-trained Lattam and Jack Channon’s 2022 Lincoln hero Johan also feature in a fiercely-competitive field.

Channon said: “He’s just a very good horse and 100 per cent a great servant. He’s not got any black type but he’s a black-type horse. Those big-field mile races just seem to really suit his running style.

“He’s won two big ones already and hopefully he can add another to that.”

Amidst the fallout from Jamaica's defeat to the United States in the CONCACAF Nations League semi-final, the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) found itself thrust into the spotlight, not for the on-field performance, but rather for the controversy sparked by one of its own players, Leon Bailey.

Bailey, the talented Aston Villa winger, had recently taken to the "Let's Be Honest" podcast to air his grievances against the JFF, leveling accusations of unprofessionalism and neglect against the governing body. His claims ranged from issues with flight arrangements to delays in payment, painting a picture of dissatisfaction that led to his hiatus from national team duties.

Bailey was suspended and not invited to be part of the team for the Nations League semi-final after he broke curfew during a previous team camp and as a consequence was not considered for selection by Coach Heimer Hallgrimsson. The player has since said he will make himself unavailable for national duties for the foreseeable future.

In response to Bailey’s disparaging statements, the JFF has wasted no time in responding to the player’s allegations. In a detailed statement released on Friday morning, the federation sought to debunk the assertions made by the disaffected Reggae Boyz winger.

The statement led with the acknowledgment of Bailey's comments on the podcast, swiftly moving to address the inaccuracies and misconceptions contained therein. Notably, the JFF emphasized that while Bailey's criticism of the coaching staff would be addressed separately, the focus would be on clarifying the factual inaccuracies regarding the federation's operations.

One of the primary points of contention was Bailey's claim that he had to personally book his airline tickets and often endured subpar travel conditions, such as economy class with multiple stops. The JFF countered this assertion by presenting evidence of recent flight bookings for Bailey, all of which showed premium economy or business class accommodations with standard one-stop routes, effectively refuting Bailey's narrative.

“Firstly, the charges made that Leon has to book his own airline tickets, is always contending with multiple stops, and is always booked in economy are inaccurate and contradictory,” the JFF said in its statement.

“Contradictory because if he says he books his own ticket but then says that he is always booked in economy, with multiple stops, and always receives the tickets late, then it would suggest that he is the reason why he has those issues, as he is the one, he asserts, who books the tickets. The fact though is that these statements are untrue.

“In order to verify these statements, we researched the last three bookings for Leon, and the following were the results:

A ticket booked for a travel date of 4 September 2023, shows a booking on AA 6958 leaving London Heathrow at 10:25AM, with a stop in Miami and then a flight on AA 0850, departing at 5:57PM to Jamaica. This is a typical one stop for flights out of the UK to Jamaica, and the seat type for both flights were Business.

“A ticket booked for travel date 13 November 2023, shows a booking on VS 0103 leaving London Heathrow at 10:50AM, with a stop in Atlanta and then a flight on VS 3832, departing at 6:10PM to Jamaica. This is a typical one stop flight out of the UK to Jamaica, and the seat types were Business and Economy, respectively.

“A ticket booked for travel date 19 November 2023, shows a booking on AC 0983 leaving Montego Bay at 1:45PM, with a stop in Toronto and then a flight on AC 0854, departing at 6:20PM to London Heathrow. This is a typical one stop flight out of Jamaica to the UK, and the seat types were Business for both.

The JFF continued: “We could, of course, show additional similar tickets booked for Leon (which he travelled on) and so we are at a loss about the statements that he books his own tickets, that they were sent to him late (when all itineraries are sent days before to the players for confirmation), and that the bookings were primarily economy.

“The JFF does have a policy that all players are booked on premium economy, which is similar to what is done in other sporting organizations, as the cost of booking all players on Business would make the programme unaffordable. This is communicated to all players, and they advise in many cases (including Leon) that we should use any monies owed to them to purchase Business class tickets on occasions, when they advise. The option is available to all players to upgrade their tickets themselves or by setting off against funds owed to them.”

Furthermore, the JFF refuted Bailey's allegations of non-payment, stating that while outstanding funds from 2022 were being addressed, players received consistent per diem payments and had their camp and game expenses covered by the federation.

“The charge made that he has received no monies from the JFF, is untrue. The JFF has stated that funds are outstanding to the Boyz, from as far back as 2022, and we have made inroads in paying it down, and has advised that we will pay them off in second quarter 2024.

“We can confidently say though that we have been paying per diem consistently, and we also cover all costs relating to the camps or games. So, saying that no funds have been received from JFF is misleading, and unfortunate. We would like to add that the JFF, like many national federations, is not able to match what is paid by the professional clubs.

“We would think though that the honour of playing for your country is something that all patriotic Jamaicans would want to do, as we realize that we will never be able to match the financial rewards of the professional clubs. We never realized that playing for Jamaica was primarily about financial rewards, and that this would be a main consideration”.

In addition to addressing Bailey's specific grievances, the JFF clarified the division of responsibilities between the federation's secretariat and the coaching staff, reiterating that team selections were solely within the coach's purview. This distinction aimed to underscore the federation's commitment to fairness and equality among players while respecting the autonomy of the coaching staff.

“The JFF secretariat would also like to say that the decision about team dynamics, and who is selected or not, remains the sole decision of the coach and his staff. The secretariat merely receives the requirements from the team technical staff, and determines if we have the funding support or not.

“So, the implication that it is the JFF secretariat that determines who is selected to the team is false. The accountability of the coach to the JFF secretariat is whether he is a success or not, and our job is merely to hire or terminate the coach but not interfere in the coaching decisions.

“One thing we will not encourage is for any player to be treated differently from any other. However, what happens within the team is a matter for the coaching staff.

 “The JFF wants to say again that it is unfortunate that we have to be addressing these public comments, as we believe that the professional thing to do is for differences to be addressed with each other and not through social, or other media.”

 Despite the disappointment expressed by the JFF at having to address such public comments, the federation remained steadfast in its dedication to professionalism and integrity within Jamaican football. Moving forward, the JFF hoped that internal dialogue and resolution would prevail over public discord, reaffirming its unwavering support for the national team and the sport as a whole.

 

George Boughey’s Baradar bids to start his season on the right note when he lines up at his favourite track for the William Hill Cammidge Trophy Stakes.

The six-year-old was twice a winner last term, taking a Doncaster handicap over a slightly longer trip at the peak of his form in the autumn.

His Town Moor form in general is impressive, and he was a good third on heavy ground in the Lincoln at this meeting last year.

Now dropping back in trip to six furlongs, Boughey is hopeful he will relish a return to his favoured course at Listed level.

“Baradar was good back at six and a half furlongs at Doncaster in the autumn, before probably just finding it one too many runs at Ascot at the end of last year,” he said.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing him at six (furlongs) for the first time. He loves it at Doncaster, he’s done lots of work and is very straight. He’s in a super shape, he’s an absolute legend.

“In four runs at Doncaster he’s won twice, been 1-3 in the Lincoln in-running and placed in the Futurity Trophy.

“It’s his first run in stakes company for a long time and he goes there with a good chance.”

Nick Bradley Racing have three chances in the race, chief among them being the Karl Burke-trained Marshman.

Second in the Gimcrack as a two-year-old, the bay started his season well when winning the Prix Sigy on debut last year and was then fifth in the Duke of York when beaten three lengths.

He was subsequently a close third in the Prix du Gros-Chene, before finishing unplaced in both the King’s Stand and the Coral Charge.

The latter three runs were over five furlongs, and the talented colt will now step back up to six as he wears a tongue tie for the first time.

Burke said: “He’s a nice horse, I’m not sure he wants the ground as testing as it’s going to be but he’s in good form.

“It’s his first run of the year obviously and he’ll come on for it, but hopefully he’ll run very well.”

Bradley added: “He came back from Sandown with a pelvic injury last year but he’d started the season off well when winning the Prix Sigy.

“If we were selecting what ground we’d want we’d choose good ground, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he were a little bit fresh.

“As a two-year-old he wasn’t a tearaway but he wasn’t far off, we’re excited to get him back on the track.

“We’ve got three in the race and we hope to come home in the first three.”

Bradley’s other two chances are both trained by Grant Tuer, the four-year-old fillies Sophia’s Starlight and Glorious Angel.

William Haggas will saddle Montassib, a six-year-old who was fifth in the Ayr Gold Cup last term before winning the Coral Sprint Trophy at York.

“He was a bit unfortunate at Ayr, he had been running over seven furlongs for a while and I dropped him back in trip for the Ayr Gold Cup and they went fast and he came home well,” said the trainer.

“He finished well at York when he won as well.

“I think this is his trip and I think he likes the cut in the ground and he will be as fit as we can have him.

“Most of the Exceed And Excels we have had have wanted fast ground, but we think he definitely doesn’t. Maybe it’s because he has got hold and prefers a bit of dig in the ground, but he definitely wants cut.

“He always runs a good race, but he has never run off 108 before. Handicaps are now a bit out for him and it’s races like this and the Abernant Stakes and see where we are.”

Charlie Hills’ Orazio and Rod Millman’s Adaay In Devon complete the field of seven.

In a thrilling showdown that left fans on the edge of their seats, the West Coast Fever defeated the  New South Wales Swifts 52-50 in the opening match of the 2024 Team Girls Cup. With her remarkable accuracy and undeniable skill, Fowler-Nembhard netted an impressive 40 goals from just 43 attempts, to spur the Fever to victory.

Trinidad and Tobago's Samantha Wallace led the charge for the Swifts scoring 17 goals for the losers.

From the first whistle, it was evident that this match would be nothing short of intense. The Swifts and the Fever traded goals relentlessly, each determined to gain an early advantage. But it was the towering presence of Jamaica's own Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard that truly shone in the opening quarter.

As the game progressed into the second quarter, the Fever began to assert their dominance. Led by their captain, Jess Anstiss, and the dynamic duo of Fowler-Nembhard and newcomer Olivia Wilkinson, the Fever surged ahead, much to the delight of their supporters. Despite the Swifts' best efforts to narrow the gap, the Fever maintained their momentum, heading into halftime with a commanding lead of 27-21.

However, the Swifts were not about to go down without a fight. With determination etched on their faces, they launched a fierce comeback in the third quarter, closing the deficit with a flurry of super shots. But the Fever defense, anchored by the likes of Fran Williams and Kadie-Ann Dehaney, stood firm, refusing to buckle under pressure. Meanwhile, Shanice Beckford provided a taste of her lightning-fast reflexes, expertly maneuvering the ball to her teammates and contributing two crucial goals from two attempts.

As the final quarter unfolded, the tension reached its peak. With the score-line neck and neck, every possession became crucial. But it was the Fever who held their nerve when it mattered most. With Alice Teague-Neale orchestrating the midfield and Sunday Aryang showcasing her unwavering determination, the Fever managed to fend off the Swifts' relentless onslaught. And when the final buzzer sounded, it was the Fever who emerged victorious, securing a hard-fought win.

There will be no Paddington standing in Charyn’s way when he returns to action in the William Hill Doncaster Mile on Saturday.

Roger Varian’s four-year-old proved the most consistent of performers during his Classic season but had the misfortune of bumping into Aidan O’Brien’s now retired leading miler on three occasions at Group One level last term.

The son of Dark Angel is the top-rated for his seasonal reappearance in slower ground than his handler would prefer, but nevertheless the Carlburg Stables handler is excited to see how the colt performs now with plenty of big-race experience under his belt.

“He had a good year last year and it was a shame he drew a blank in terms of wins, but he put up some fine performances,” said Varian.

“The Irish 2,000 Guineas, St James’s Palace Stakes and Sussex Stakes spring to mind as pretty solid performances against top company.

“We’re looking forward to him this year and he’s training nicely. He looks like he’s matured a bit more and we’re going to get his season started on Saturday.

“He’s top-rated and closely matched to Knight on a couple of his runs last year, but it will be tough ground on Saturday, it’s going to be heavy and not ideal ground. I think he’s better on better ground, but he’s ready to get started and it has been the plan to come here, so we can’t do anything about the ground on this occasion.”

Charyn was last seen finishing third in the Celebration Mile at Goodwood, a race where chief market rival Knight was a place ahead in second.

Simon and Ed Crisford’s four-year-old would go on to be beaten a head at Sandown in the Fortune Stakes before finishing well held on his final outing of the year, but the gelding now returns with a first-time visor fitted and with hopes of rediscovering his best form.

Karl Burke’s Holloway Boy has been off the track since finishing a length and a half fourth in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot and was an honourable third behind Auguste Rodin in his only previous visit to Town Moor as a two-year-old.

Burke said: “He’s ready for a run, he’s got very lazy since he’s been gelded and there’s very few races for him until we get into May and June, so I’d say he’ll need a run to be honest.

“He’s well in himself, but his work is very lazy at home.”

Meanwhile, Pam Sly is hoping to put weather woes behind her as Astral Beau defends the title she claimed in good style last season.

The wet winter has restricted use of the gallops at Sly’s Cambridgeshire base, but the handler feels she has managed to get just enough work into her five-year-old to seek another spot on the podium.

“It should be wet, which will be ideal for her,” said Sly.

“We’re just having a job getting them fit because we’ve been waterlogged for so long. I think we’re nearly there and hopefully she will run all right and if she gets in the first three I will be pleased.

“We’ve had a few offers for her, but we thought we would keep her for another year for a bit of fun.

“There aren’t really any other races for her until May. Last year we went from Doncaster to the Dahlia Stakes and I think we may end up doing the same this season.

“You never know until you run them whether they have trained on or not do you really, but she seems good – there’s nothing wrong with her.”

Ralph Beckett’s Heron Stakes runner-up Grey’s Monument produced arguably a career best to scoop Listed honours at Kempton in December, while David O’Meara’s new recruit Padishakh and William Stone’s Dashing Roger complete the field of seven.

Jamaican athletes Wayne Pinnock and Romaine Beckford, alongside Bahamian Terrence Jones, made their mark on the March 21 Bowerman Watch List, showcasing their exceptional talent on the collegiate track and field stage.

Pinnock, a Kingston native, concluded an impressive indoor season by remaining undefeated in the long jump. Representing the University of Arkansas, he clinched victory at the NCAA Championships with a remarkable leap of 8.40m, equaling the Jamaican national record set by former teammate Carey McLeod. Pinnock's performance not only secured him the NCAA title but also positioned him at No. 5 on the all-time collegiate chart, tying with McLeod.

Meanwhile, Romaine Beckford, hailing from Portland, Jamaica, demonstrated his prowess in the high jump. Competing for the University of Arkansas, Beckford enjoyed an undefeated indoor season and successfully defended his indoor high jump title. He cleared a height of 2.27m to secure victory at the NCAA Championships in Boston, matching his personal record set earlier in the season.

Bahamian sprinter Terrence Jones, representing Texas Tech University, showcased his speed and versatility on the track. Jones emerged as a double sprint champion at the NCAA Championships in Boston, clinching victory in both the 60m and 200m events. His impressive performances included a winning time of 20.23 seconds in the 200m, just shy of his personal record of 20.21 seconds set at the Big 12 Indoor Championships.

The next Bowerman Watch List will be released on April 11, providing further insight into the standout performers in collegiate track and field.

On Thursday's Day 3 of the ISSA GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston, the Class 1 Girls 400m race took centre stage as Abigail Campbell of Hydel High School secured her first title for her new school after previously winning two gold medals for Ferncourt High School.

Campbell displayed her class, crossing the finish line in 52.27 seconds to claim the gold medal. It was a remarkable achievement for Campbell, who ran a strategic race to emerge victorious in the highly competitive event. Tonyan Beckford of Edwin Allen secured the silver medal with a time of 53.22 seconds, while Natasha Fox, also from Edwin Allen, clinched the bronze in 54.48 seconds.

Meanwhile, in the Class 2 Girls 400m, Shanoya Douglas of Muschett High School produced a dominant performance to emerge victorious with a time of 53.03 seconds, securing the gold medal. Kellyann Carr of Edwin Allen claimed the silver with a time of 53.58 seconds, followed by Nastassia Fletcher of Hydel High School, who secured the bronze in 53.98 seconds.

In the Boys' division, Marcinho Rose of Kingston College dominated the Class 1 Boys 400m race, crossing the finish line in 45.93 seconds to secure the gold medal. Amal Glasgow, also representing Kingston College, took the silver with a time of 46.85 seconds, while Omary Robinson of Jamaica College secured the bronze in 46.92 seconds.

The Class 2 Boys 400m saw Demarco Bennett of Excelsior High School emerge victorious with a time of 46.91 seconds. Nickecoy Bramwell of Calabar High School claimed the silver with a time of 47.39 seconds, closely followed by Jabari Matheson of William Knibb, who secured the bronze in 47.40 seconds.

In the Class 3 Girls 400m, Sashana Johnson of Hydel High School clinched the gold medal with a time of 54.59 seconds. Tracey-Ann Evans of Holmwood Technical secured the silver with a time of 55.28 seconds, while Kevina Bourne of Port Antonio High School claimed the bronze in 56.78 seconds.

Finally, in the Class 3 Boys 400m, Rushaine Richards of St. Jago High School emerged victorious with a time of 49.54 seconds. Oneil Lawrence of Jamaica College took the silver with a time of 50.11 seconds, followed by Kyle Thompson, also from Jamaica College, who secured the bronze in 51.07 seconds.

Earlier, in the Class I Boys discus event, Shaiquan Dunn of Jamaica College emerged as the standout athlete, delivering a dominant performance to claim the gold medal. Dunn showcased his immense strength and skill with a massive throw of 65.48m, setting a new standard for excellence in the event. His remarkable feat earned him nine valuable points for Jamaica College.

Chad Hendricks of Munro College demonstrated his prowess in the discus, securing the silver medal with a throw of 56.90ms. Despite facing tough competition, Hendricks delivered a commendable performance, showcasing his talent and determination on the championship stage.

Delano Lawrence of Calabar High School rounded off the podium with a bronze medal-winning throw of 56.77m. Lawrence's impressive display of skill and technique added crucial points to Calabar High School's overall tally, underscoring his importance as a top competitor in the event.

 

Jamaica’s senior Reggae Boyz were denied what would have been an historic run to the Concacaf Nations League final, as they suffered a heartbreaking 3-1 loss to United States in extra-time of a lively semi-final encounter at the AT&T Stadium in Texas on Thursday.

After taking the lead through Greg Leigh’s first international goal in the first minute, the Reggae Boyz defended stoutly to keep United States at bay, until an unfortunate Corey Burke own-goal in the last minute of stoppage time changed the shape of the game.

Burke’s 90+5 goal not only brought the United States back into the contest, but also sent the game into extra time where Coventry forward Haji Wright, who was a second half substitute, scored a brace in the 97th and 110th minutes.

The result means United States remain on course to retain their title, while Heimir Hallgrimsson’s Reggae Boyz will contest a third-place match with the loser of the Panama versus Mexico encounter. The final and third-placed games are scheduled for Sunday.

It was a dream start for the Boyz as, with just over 50 seconds on the clock, Bobby Reid provided a weighted cross that caught United States defence napping and Leigh arrived at the far post to expertly head home.

United States settled into their game and forced the Jamaicans into a defensive posture, which allowed them space to pick their passes in the attacking third, but they failed to produce anything meaningful to bother Andre Blake.

In fact, the combination of Dexter Lembikisa, Dishon Bernard and Joel Latibeaudiere made that possible, as they consistently got in the way of the marauding United States attackers to thwart a few efforts that were going goalward.

The Jamaicans could have doubled the lead in the 20th, but Cephas, who dismissed two defenders on his way into the 18-yard box, belatedly fired his effort straight to Matt Turner, in goal for United States.

United States had an opportunity to pull level two minutes later when Kasey Palmer foolishly gave up possession in a dangerous position and it took a desperate sprint from Latibeaudiere to chase down and deny Christian Pulisic.

The hosts continued to boss possession and again went close to the equaliser, Bernard put his body on the line to deny Malik Tillman and ensured Jamaica remained 1-0 up at the break.

United States maintained their momentum on the resumption and again breached Jamaica’s defence when substitute Gio Reyna squeezed a pass through for Tillman, and it took a timely check from Michael Hector to avert the danger.

From there the United States enjoyed a decent passage of play in which they camped out in the Jamaicans half but were unable to find the equaliser due to faulty shooting for the most parts.

Cephas should have doubled Jamaica’s lead against the run of play in the 63rd, as he got to a loose ball ahead of a defender and got through on goal, but he hit a tame effort straight at Turner.

The Boyz would pay for that missed opportunity when United States with literally the last kick of the game, forced an own-goal when Burke deflected in from Reyna’s corner kick.

From there, one could sense that the writing was on the wall for the Jamaicans, especially given the fact that they were absorbing a whole lot of pressure.

United States inevitably found the lead when Reyna supplied a decent pass through to Wright, who fired past Blake.

Jamaica had an opportunity to get back on level terms in the second half of extra time, but Romario Williams, who got through on goal, couldn’t bring ball under control to get a shot off.

However, Wright had no such issues, as he got on the end of another weighted Reyna pass and made no mistakes from deep inside the 18-yard box.

Despite being down, the Reggae Boyz fought on and created another opening, but Williams, who had space deep inside the 18-yard box, fired over the crossbar and that basically summed up the Jamaicans night in the final third.

The Leeward Islands Hurricanes are firmly in control of their fifth round 2024 West Indies Championship fixture against the Jamaica Scorpions at Sabina Park after a dominant display with the ball on Thursday’s day two.

The Scorpions, who began day two 173-6, were eventually bowled out for 221 off 68.2 overs.

Carlos Brown added 12 runs to his overnight 68 before becoming one of Rakheem Cornwall’s three wickets.

Brown’s knock came off 178 balls and included 12 fours.

Jeremiah Louis took 3-34 from his 11 overs while Cornwall took 3-69 from his 22 overs.

Collin Archibald and Daniel Doram also took a pair of wickets, each.

The Hurricanes then replied with 213 all out off 58.3 overs thanks to 62 from Justin Greaves and 53 from Keacy Carty.

Greaves faced 113 deliveries and hit two fours and two sixes while Carty hit eight boundaries in his 80-ball knock.

Peat Salmon starred with the ball for the hosts with 5-50 from 23 overs while Ramaal Lewis took 4-80 from 17.3 overs.

Batting a second time, the Scorpions struggled to 59-4 at stumps, a lead of just 49 runs.

Kirk McKenzie (24*) and Peat Salmon (2*) are the batsmen at the crease.

Jeremiah Louis has taken 2-11 from six overs so far.

Full Scores: Jamaica Scorpions 221 all out off 68.2 overs (Carlos Brown 80, Romaine Morris 42, Jeremiah Louis 3-34, Rakheem Cornwall 3-69, Collin Archibald 2-23, Daniel Doram 2-27) & 59-4 off 18 overs (Kirk McKenzie 24*, Brandon King 19, Jeremiah Louis 2-11)

Leeward Islands Hurricanes 231 all out off 58.3 overs (Justin Greaves 62, Keacy Carty 53, Kieran Powell 41, Jewel Andrew 32, Peat Salmon 5-50, Ramaal Lewis 4-80)

At Coolidge, leaders Windward Islands Volcanoes trail the Guyana Harpy Eagles by 363 runs at stumps on day two.

Full Scores: Guyana Harpy Eagles 308 off 80.5 overs (Kevin Sinclair 74, Kevlon Anderson 48, Gudakesh Motie 46, Veerasammy Permaul 30, Darel Cyrus 5-67) & 168-1 off 57 overs (Tevin Imlach 88*, Tagenarine Chanderpaul 78*)

Windward Islands Volcanoes 113 all out off 31.5 overs (Tevyn Walcott 41, Isai Thorne 4-38, Ronaldo Alimohamed 3-30, Gudakesh Motie 2-12)

At the Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad & Tobago Red Force trail the Barbados Pride by seven runs at stumps on day two.

Full Scores: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force 172 off 53.5 overs (Amir Jangoo 93*, Jason Holder 4-47, Chemar Holder 3-28, Shaquille Cumberbatch 3-50) & 100-3 off 36 overs (Kjorn Ottley 39, Amir Jangoo 30*, Jomel Warrican 2-19)

Barbados Pride 279 all out off 87.3 overs (Jonathan Drakes 72, Zachary McCaskie 46, Shane Dowrich 40, Jason Holder 34, Kevin Wickham 34, Kraigg Brathwaite 30, Khary Pierre 3-54, Jayden Seales 2-33, Bryan Charles 2-57)

At the Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground, Combined Campuses and Colleges trail West Indies Academy by 113 runs at stumps on day two.

Full Scores: West Indies Academy 300 all out off 78.3 overs (Carlon Bowen-Tuckett 76*, Johan Layne 63, Joshua Dorne 36, Joshua Bishop 32, Yannic Ottley 5-47, Jediah Blades 3-59) & 44-1 off 11.5 overs (Kadeem Alleyne 32)

Combined Campuses and Colleges 231 all out off 80.2 overs (Demario Richards 59, Zishan Motara 56, Ashmead Nedd 4-51, Joshua Bishop 2-44, Johan Layne 2-60).

 

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