Charlie Fellowes is thrilled to have secured the services of Frankie Dettori to ride both of his two runners on the opening night of the 2023 Racing League at Yarmouth.
Having played a key role in Wales and The West’s victory last year, Dettori has switched sides for the third instalment of the team competition to become player-manager for the East.
Among the trainers able to call upon the Italian is Newmarket-based Fellowes, who is keen to make the most of a rare opportunity.
He said: “Frankie doesn’t ride for me very much, not through choice because I’m a huge fan.
“I think he’ll really suit both horses. They’re two nice, kind individuals who are not going to give Frankie a heart attack in his old age!”
The trainer and rider first team up on Thursday with Shahbaz, who is fitted with a visor for the first time in race three over a mile.
“Shahbaz, I felt, ran very lethargically when third at Ayr last time. He was slow out of the gates and I just didn’t like the way he raced,” Fellowes added.
“A few people commented that he wants further, but I really don’t believe he does. Every time we’ve tried him over 10 furlongs, in my opinion, he’s not got home.
“I really wanted to give him another try over a mile on a straight track, which is why we’ve gone to Yarmouth and any rain is a plus.
“I’ve put a set of visors on him, just to sharpen him up and hopefully help him travel a little bit kinder.
“I’m sure he’s ahead of his mark of 87 and I would just like to see a little more enthusiasm than we saw last time.”
The Bedford House handler has high hopes for Cumulonimbus, who bids to continue his profitable campaign in the seventh and most valuable race on the card, with a total prize fund of £100,000 up for grabs.
The four-year-old has already won at Newmarket and Haydock this season and was last seen finishing third in the Old Newton Cup at the latter venue just under three weeks ago.
Fellowes said: “The other horse is having a fantastic year and is a real pleasure to train.
“He enjoys his racing and I have no problem with a drop to 10 furlongs on a big, galloping track like Yarmouth and with him I don’t really mind what happens weather-wise as he goes on any ground.
“I suppose a bit of rain would make it more of a stamina test, but he’s very versatile, he’s got a fantastic way of going and I think he’ll run a big race on a track where he’s won before.
“It’s an unbelievable pot and I hope he can go and put in a big performance.”
J.P. France pitched seven strong innings, Kyle Tucker and Martin Maldonado hit solo home runs and the Houston Astros held off the Texas Rangers for a 4-3 win Tuesday, pulling to within a game of the AL West lead.
France gave up five hits and one unearned run while getting through seven innings in just 84 pitches. The 28-year-old rookie improved to 4-0 with a 1.72 ERA over his last five starts.
The Astros, who won Monday’s series opener 10-9, led 4-1 heading into the ninth inning, but closer Ryan Pressly gave up a two-run homer to Mitch Garver with two outs before recording his 24th save.
Houston has won four straight and improved to 6-3 this season against its in-state rival, and the Rangers now lead the AL West by just one game.
Texas has lost four of its last five games and – after a torrid opening to expectation-filled season – has gone 19-23 since June 7.
Abbott sharp as Reds hold off Brewers
Rookie Andrew Abbott scattered seven hits over six scoreless innings and the Cincinnati Reds withstood a frantic ninth-inning comeback attempt to edge the Milwaukee Brewers, 4-3.
Abbott struck out nine and walked one to outduel Corbin Burnes and avenge a pair of losses earlier this month to the Brewers.
Ian Gibault and Lucas Sims each worked one scoreless inning before Daniel Duarte surrendered a walk, a single and Christian Yelich’s opposite-field three-run homer in the ninth to get Milwaukee within 4-3.
Alexis Diaz gave up an infield single to William Contreras and hit Willy Adames in the helmet with a pitch before retiring Andruw Monasterio on a flyout for his 30th save.
Jonathan India and Joey Votto had RBI singles in the fourth inning and Will Benson provided some needed insurance in the ninth with a two-run homer.
The win moved the Reds within one-half game of the NL Central-leading Brewers.
Mariners score 7 runs late to rally past Twins
Julio Rodriguez’s second home run of the game came in a four-run eighth and helped the Seattle Mariners rally for a 9-7 victory over the Minnesota Twins.
Seattle trailed 4-0 after the first inning and 6-2 entering eighth before score four in the eighth and two more in the ninth.
Cal Raleigh doubled home a run and Teoscar Hernandez had a run-scoring groundout before Rodriguez’s two-run shot – his 16th of the season - made it 6-6.
Rookie Cade Marlowe, who hit his first major league homer in the fifth, opened the ninth with a walk, stole second, moved to third on an infield single and scored with Kolten Wong on Eugenio Suarez’s double.
Minnesota began the day with an MLB-best nine wins since the All-Star break but had a four-game winning streak snapped.
Adam Peaty made history on this day in 2021 by becoming the first British swimmer to defend an Olympic title.
Peaty, then 26, maintained his world dominance in the 100 metre breaststroke as he powered his way to Britain’s first gold medal at Tokyo 2020.
He had not been beaten in the event for more than seven years – he celebrated gold at the Rio 2016 Olympics – and had broken the world record five times.
At the Tokyo Games, which was delayed a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, Peaty once again left his rivals trailing as he finished in 57.37 seconds, six tenths clear of second-placed Arno Kamminga from the Netherlands.
Peaty told BBC Sport following his triumph: “It means the world to me. It is not about who is the best all year round, it is who is the best on the day.
“It is about who is adaptable and who wants it more. When it comes down to it, I am not racing for a time, I am racing myself.”
Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Kamminga and China’s Qin Haiyang remain the only other men to have swum the event in under 58 seconds.
Peaty’s current world record stands at 56.88 and when he won gold in Tokyo, he had recorded the 20 fastest times.
He went on to win a second gold medal in Tokyo, in the mixed 100m medley relay, helping to set a world record time of 3mins 37.58secs together with Kathleen Dawson, James Guy and Anna Hopkin.
Peaty, who missed the 2022 world championships in Budapest due to a foot injury, withdrew from the British Championships in April this year and revealed he was struggling with his mental health.
The eight-time world champion has since confirmed his intention to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The Paris Olympics will be a “knock it out of the park spectacular” experience for Team GB athletes, their chef de mission has said.
Wednesday marks one year to go until the Games opening ceremony, and Mark England is confident the building blocks for success are being put in place for what is set to be the closest thing to a home Games for a generation.
“This will feel like a home Games and I think we need to talk about it as being a home Games,” England said.
“We won’t have all the home advantages that the French team will have but we’re very, very confident in what we’ve got in place.
“I think (the athletes) will find it the most inspirational and exciting Games they have ever been in. There’ll be a smattering of London 2012 Olympians there, but this will be knock it out of the park spectacular for those in their first or second Games, which is the lion’s share of them.
“They are in Europe, in their own time zone give or take, and with an opportunity to move quite freely between Paris and the rest of Britain.”
England said marginally under 50 athletes were qualified so far for the Games, and was confident ultimately 350 to 375 athletes would compete for medals.
Asked whether the ‘home’ environment might be the catalyst for a bigger medal haul than Tokyo, where the team finished fourth, England said: “I think we’ve got a great opportunity to be the top European nation again, despite the fact that the home nation is very, very strong and getting stronger for a whole variety of reasons.
“So top European nation, top five are our aspirations. I know that we are medal-competitive in a significant number of sports. I think we’ve got all of those building blocks, notwithstanding we’ve got another 12 months to build on that.”
England has already “kicked the tyres” on Team GB’s training bases in St Germain-en-Laye and Reims, plus the Performance Lodge in Clichy.
As well as being a training facility, England said the Lodge will serve as a place where athletes who wish to will have the opportunity to spend time with loved ones to boost preparations, something denied to them in Tokyo due to the strict Covid-19 protocols in place.
Concerns have been raised about security for the Games in Paris, amid riots in the French capital this summer and the terrorism threat level for the city still rated as severe.
Team GB athletes will be equipped with an emergency response app, but England said: “We’re in good shape. (The app) is absolutely nothing that we haven’t done before, and we used it extensively in Rio (in 2016).
“Our security footprint is no greater, no less than any other previous Games.”
The Dallas Cowboys checked off one major task on their offseason to-do list, while another looms large as the team opens training camp.
The Cowboys signed star cornerback Trevon Diggs to a five-year, $97million contract extension Tuesday, multiple media outlets reported, while six-time All-Pro guard Zack Martin officially began his holdout for a new deal.
Diggs, who led the NFL and tied a franchise record with 11 interceptions in 2021, is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is now signed through the 2028 season.
Martin has been one of the league’s top offensive linemen since the Cowboys drafted him in the first round in 2014 but was absent when players reported for training camp Tuesday.
Martin, 32, has two seasons remaining on a six-year, $84million deal that represents the ninth-highest average annual value among interior offensive linemen in the NFL.
Dallas owner and general manager Jerry Jones declined to give much detail about Martin’s contract situation.
“I don’t want to get into what we are doing here or not doing,” Jones told reporters Tuesday. “I just want to say that he is in our plans.”
Diggs was a second-round draft pick in 2020 and has 17 interceptions in 45 career games.
Diggs, who said in May that he “loves” Dallas and hoped to remain with the Cowboys long-term, will reportedly receive half of the deal’s $42.3million in guaranteed money up-front as a signing bonus.
The contract extension reportedly contains an additional $7million in incentives, pushing its maximum possible value to $104million.
With Diggs’ money on the books, the Cowboys could struggle to reach a new long-term deal with Martin, especially with massive extensions for wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and pass-rusher Micah Parsons looming in the coming years.
“We've got everything, as we start camp today where we are, there [is] nothing to concern me about anything to do with what we're doing with contractual situations,” Jones said.
Martin will be fined $50,000 for each day of training camp missed.
Star quarterback Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers have reached agreement on a massive five-year, $262.5 million contract extension, according to multiple sources.
The deal makes Herbert the highest paid quarterback in the league by average salary per year and total money, just slightly surpassing the extension Lamar Jackson signed with the Baltimore Ravens in April.
Herbert, 25, will be entering his fourth NFL season since the Chargers selected him sixth overall in the 2020 draft out of Oregon. He had two years remaining on his rookie contract, which was to pay him roughly $8.5 million this season and $29.5 million on his fifth-year option contract in 2024.
The new deal locks Herbert in with the Chargers through the 2029 season.
He passed for 4,739 yards and 25 touchdowns with 10 interceptions last season while helping Los Angeles to a 10-7 record and their first playoff appearance since 2018.
Herbert had his best season in 2021, when he threw for 5,014 yards with 38 touchdowns and 15 picks.
His 1,316 completions are the most through a player’s first three seasons and his 64 Total QBR is ranked fourth best in the NFL since his 2020 rookie season.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has been medically cleared to participate in training camp after undergoing offseason surgery on his throwing elbow, general manager John Lynch said Tuesday.
“Brock’s cleared and ready to go,” Lynch said. “He’s been cleared. He’s going to be without restrictions. Having said that, we’re sticking to and adhering to a plan. He got after it the last couple days and we upped his pitch count. We believe in that plan.”
Lynch said the club will continue to work Purdy back in gradually, not allowing the second-year quarterback to throw more than two days in a row.
After throwing Monday and Tuesday, Purdy will not participate when the 49ers hold their first practice Wednesday.
After going 5-0 as the starter down the stretch last season, Purdy projects to open this year under center for the 49ers. Trey Lance – who has recovered from two surgeries to repair a broken right ankle – and Sam Darnold will also take snaps at quarterback.
Purdy was a seventh-round draft pick in 2022 out of Iowa State and was unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight last season after injuries to Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo.
Purdy took the reins in the first quarter of a Week 13 game against the Miami Dolphins, guiding the 49ers to a 33-17 win before ending the regular season with five straight wins as a starter.
After playoff victories over the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys, Purdy threw just four pass attempts in the NFC Championship game against the Philadelphia Eagles before being knocked out of the game with a right elbow injury.
With journeyman Josh Johnson and running back Christian McCaffrey taking snaps, the 49ers’ 2022 season ended a game short of the Super Bowl.
Purdy completed 67.1 percent of his passes in his rookie campaign, finishing with 1,374 yards, 13 touchdowns and four interceptions. He added three touchdown passes and no interceptions during the postseason.
Two-time major winner Justin Thomas insists great things are coming despite his recent poor form as he prepares for the 3M Open this week.
Thomas made a miserable exit from the Open last week at Hoylake after not making the cut, shooting a score of 11 over par, and questions over his form have been asked recently.
The American is also fighting for his place in the Ryder Cup which gets underway at the end of September.
Thomas has been a key member for Team USA for the last two editions but has missed four cuts in his last six tournaments and is currently 13th in the qualification standings.
But Thomas thinks good things are around the corner and told a press conference: “I really feel like great things are coming.
“Obviously I’ve had not very many results or not much positives to show. I’ve played a lot better golf than I feel like the scores and finishes have shown. I mean, it was just a couple events ago in the Travelers I finished in the top 10.
“I’m doing a lot of things pretty well. I’ve got to kind of just get over that hurdle. Feel like I’m very, very close, I am. Hopefully this is the week that it all clicks and comes together.”
Thomas requires a late push to qualify for the FedEx Cup play-offs as he sits five places outside the top 70, alongside fellow big name Shane Lowry who is also pushing for a position.
Thomas continued: “I feel like I’m just right there to kind of break it through – a little inner confidence or mojo, if you will.
“I’m not going to get that at home sitting on the couch, so I just kind of need to play my way through it a little bit.
“First off, this is an unbelievable opportunity for me, kind of behind the eight-ball, and my end goal is to make the Tour Championship like it is every year.
“It’s not like I’m just playing to try to get into the first play-offs event. I want to be in Atlanta and I’m going to have to get there somehow.”
Longtime Boston Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron is retiring from the NHL after a Hall of Fame career.
A day after turning 38 years old, Bergeron announced he was retiring on Tuesday after 19 seasons in the NHL - all with the Bruins.
In a letter posted to the Bruins' official website, the team's captain wrote that he steps away with no regrets.
"For the last 20 years I have been able to live my dream every day," Bergeron said. "I have had the honour of playing in front of the best fans in the world wearing the Bruins uniform and representing my country at the highest levels of international play. I have given the game everything that I have physically and emotionally, and the game has given me back more than I could have ever imagined.
"It is with a full heart and a lot of gratitude that today I am announcing my retirement as a professional hockey player."
The 38-year-old Bergeron was still playing at a high level last season, registering 27 goals and 31 assists in 78 games to win the Selke Trophy for a record sixth time as the league's best two-way forward.
Bergeron helped the Bruins win the 2011 Stanley Cup and led them to the Cup Final on two other occasions.
Selected by Boston in the second round of the 2003 draft, Bergeron ends his career with 427 goals and 613 assists in 1,294 games.
He ranks third in Bruins franchise history in goals scored, fourth in assists and third in games played.
"As I step away today, I have no regrets," he said. "I have only gratitude that I lived my dream, and excitement for what is next for my family and I. I left everything out there and I'm humbled and honored it was representing this incredible city and for the Boston Bruins fans."
Bronny James, the 18-year-old son of LeBron James, was hospitalised after going into cardiac arrest during a basketball practice at the University of Southern California, according to a family spokesperson.
The spokesperson said in a statement Tuesday he is now in stable condition and out of the intensive care unit.
The incident occurred Monday morning, when he collapsed on the basketball court, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.
Bronny, whose name is LeBron James Jr., was reportedly unconscious when the ambulance arrived at USC's Galen Center, and rushed to the hospital where he was treated by the medical staff.
"We ask for respect and privacy for the James family and we will update media when there is more information," the statement said.
Considered one of the top high school recruits in the United States, the younger James made the decision in May to play college basketball at USC over Ohio State and Oregon.
The 38-year-old LeBron has said previously that he would like to play in the NBA along with his oldest son Bronny, and announced two weeks ago that he will return for his 21st pro season and sixth with the Lakers.
The NBA's all-time leading scorer and four-time league MVP is coming off another stellar season in 2022-23, averaging 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists in 55 games.
Jamaican Formula Woman driver Sara Misir locked eyes with a competitor that looked too familiar. Among the thirteen karters, who participated in the third Caribbean Junior Karting Academy Trophy (CJKAT) was a lone female, Trinidad and Tobago's Naomi Jade Garcia.
After three days of competition between July 21 and 23, at the Palisadoes International Raceway, the 14-year-old finished ahead of the pack. Garcia emerged as the new Caribbean Junior Karting Champion, with Jamaica's Zander Williams and Matthew Warmington, finishing second and third, respectively.
When asked how pleased she was to see Garcia atop the podium, Misir, the Caribbean's only Formula Woman driver, Misir, welcomed the fearless personality of a young female in what is deemed, a male-dominated sport.
"She has been incredible all weekend. So focused, fearless and full of personality on the track. It was great seeing her outclass the competition and hoisting the trophy,” Misir said.
Misir also had a one-on-one with Garcia after the victory, as she imparted knowledge to the promising female prospect.
"I urged her to stay focused as we need more women and girls in motorsports. The level of physicality required to get to the very top of the sport is a pretty steep curve. Still, with her level of will and determination, and of course, given more opportunities to compete at a high level, anything is possible,” she reasoned.
CJKAT is the Caribbean's version of the CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy, the first rung on the ladder of the FIA's single-seater path to Formula One. CJKAT allows more opportunities for Caribbean hopefuls to race. The regional series caters for a more comprehensive age range than in Europe, where the limits are 12 to 14 years.
Misir, 25, is the Caribbean's only competitive female race car driver. She competed as part of the Formula Woman Team for McLaren Customer Racing in the British GT Cup Championship in races at Snetterton, Oulton Park and Silverstone.
Ben Earl insists England’s players appreciate Steve Borthwick’s personal touch having previously endured the experience of learning about World Cup selection on a WhatsApp group.
Borthwick’s predecessor, Eddie Jones, used the messaging app to inform the 31 who would be taken to Japan four years ago if they had been chosen, with their names appearing in a newly-created group revealing the good news.
It was seen by some as a brutal way to discover whether a player’s World Cup dream had been made or broken, while WhatsApp was regularly employed during the Jones era to communicate team selection.
Since replacing Jones in December, Borthwick has adopted a more tactful approach to interacting with his squad and that will be needed on August 7 when he names the 33 who will be involved in this autumn’s global showpiece.
“With Steve it has been very much personal and that’s been great,” said Earl, the Saracens flanker hoping to be a part of England’s World Cup campaign.
“I know a lot of players have enjoyed that side of it and not having to stay up late at night waiting to be added to a WhatsApp group, which I know a few people have experienced. That has been a really nice change.
“Obviously we are all dying to be involved. But if it’s not your day, it’s not your day. And then you’ve got to crack on.”
Earl is competing for a World Cup spot within an ultra-competitive back row contingent, England’s most recent 40-man training squad featuring eight specialists across the three positions.
Additionally, Courtney Lawes, Maro Itoje and George Martin are options at blindside flanker as well as second row, increasing the rivalry for a ticket to France.
To underline the challenge facing the players is the decision made a week ago to leave out Sam Underhill, one of the stars of the 2019 World Cup and one half of the ‘Kamikaze Kid’ combination that took Japan by storm.
“Within our structured gameplan, there is still massive scope to be the player you want to be. That’s the magic of our back-row make-up,” Earl said.
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“There’s not one player who is the same as another. Every player has a strength and we’re all window-shopping, picking each little bit from each other and picking one another’s brains.
“The amount of experiences that the back-rowers have had this year is unbelievable. Jack Willis won the Top 14, Lewis Ludlam captained his club, Tom Pearson could have been player of the season in the Premiership and then you have Billy Vunipola and Alex Dombrandt, who have unbelievable international experience.
“Everyone is offering their little bit as best they can. There is obviously an elephant in the room with the competition, but it’s the healthiest and best environment I’ve been in.
“I guess not many nations will have our competition. In 2019 Sam Underhill was probably one of the players of the tournament, so that just goes to show how competitive it is.
“Sam trained brilliantly and it was a shock to us all that he was no longer involved. That really struck home with us.”
Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from July 25.
FootballFootball mourned Chris Bart-Williams.
Becks has still got it.
Cristiano Ronaldo enjoyed Japan.
Anthony Elanga was on the move.
Man City went dark.
Burnley went bright.
Cheltenham went….mint
Wilfried Zaha was ready for the next chapter.
Roy Hodgson looked cool.
CricketRicky Ponting addressed talk of his uncanny resemblance with Open champion Brian Harman.
View this post on InstagramStuart Broad loved the celebappeals.
Barmy Army were not happy with the Manchester weather.
Something to celebrate.
Kevin Pietersen played I spy.
A lovely moment.
Rugby UnionJason Robinson was in the gym.
Formula OneMercedes poked fun at Red Bull’s broken Hungarian Grand Prix trophy with a pic of their own from 2013.
George Russell was raring to go.
DartsAdrian Lewis reeled in the big fish.
Jaylen Brown may not even be considered the best player on his own team, but he is now the highest-paid player in NBA history.
Brown agreed to terms on a five-year supermax contract worth up to $304million with the Boston Celtics on Tuesday.
The deal, which is fully guaranteed and includes a trade kicker that would further increase Brown's salary if he's traded, surpasses the $264million contract signed by two-time league MVP and NBA champion Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets last summer.
Brown is a two-time All-Star and was named to the All-NBA second team this past season - his first such honour.
He averaged career highs of 26.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists - ranking second on the Celtics in all of those categories to Jayson Tatum, who was named to his second consecutive All-NBA first team following this past season.
The Celtics have reached the conference finals in five of Brown's seven pro seasons - including a trip to the 2022 NBA Finals in which they lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games.
Brown averaged 24.6 points on 54.1 per cent shooting and 47.1 per cent from 3-point range in Boston's first two playoff series this past season, but struggled with his shot in the Eastern Conference finals against the Miami Heat and the Celtics were eliminated in seven games.
Against the Heat, he averaged 19 points on 41.8 per cent shooting and connected on just 16.3 per cent of 43 3-point attempts. He misfired on 8 of 9 3-pointers in Game 7.
The third overall pick by Boston in the 2016 NBA Draft, Brown has career averages of 17.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists.
The bar was raised for Bermuda’s team to the Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) Junior Championships and Head coach Micah Franklin believes they not only cleared it, but more importantly, exceeded all expectations.
For Franklin, who has ambitions to expand squash in Bermuda, the performance of the team, which was the largest ever fielded by the British Overseas Territory, augurs well for the future of the sport, provided they remain consistent.
Barbados reclaimed the overall team title, they last won in 2021, as they outclassed and dethroned Guyana in both boys and girls team finals at the just concluded tournament in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Franklin admits that his 17-member team of nine boys and eight girls, lacked the experience and calibre of the top two nations, which is why their third and fourth place finishes in the respective categories were even more rewarding.
“I think that the team performed well beyond what I expected from them and when you take into account the fact that the top two nations Barbados and Guyana are way above us at the moment, it makes our coming third place in the boys’ category and fourth place on the girls’ side, a really great accomplishment,” Franklin told Sportsmax.tv.
“So, I’m very pleased with all of my players’ performances. They fought hard in difficult conditions and gave me everything. As a coach that’s all I can ask for. I was pleased with the manner in which they represented themselves and their country with pride and honour,” he added.
Franklin, a former player, who was Bermuda’s flagbearer at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, is excited about the prospects, particularly where the players’ continued development and progress is concerned.
This, as Mason Smith won Bermuda’s first Under-11 medal, while Benjamin Sherratt, Somers Stevenson, and Owen Rosorea, were all runners-up in their respective categories, fulfilling their own personal goals.
“Every player went in with separate aspirations and some of them were able to achieve those objectives which is a huge step in the right direction and for sure we expect Mason, Benjamin, Somers, Owen and others to keep progressing over time, as they continue to transition from one each group to the next,” Franklin shared.
On that note, he declared an unwavering desire to steer Bermuda Squash onto a new path, and the outstanding display by the team at CASA, has solidified the platform on which to do that.
“Based off of the results I see a bright future for Bermuda squash. Our younger age groups have given me a lot of hope in the next generation because like I said before, the overall goal and ambition for Bermuda Squash is to achieve full inclusion from all ages, races and genders. We want to prioritize squash first and let everything else fall into place,” Franklin noted.
While he continues to do the groundwork, the coach said the players can get some much-needed rest and recovery before their next assignment.
“After the much-deserved break, we will kick things back in the fall. We will be looking to send a group of players to the United States and Canadian Junior opens, where we hope to continue building on the momentum, we have achieved so far this year,” Franklin ended.
An upbeat Jamaica senior team of mostly junior golfers departed the island on Sunday for the 66th Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship in the Trinidad & Tobago between July 27 to 29.
The four female members of the team are Jodi Munn-Barrow, juniors Emily Mayne, Mattea Issa and the only new comer Anoushka Katri, who played in the U15 category this year on the junior team.
Many-time national representative Jodi Munn-Barrow, president of the Jamaica Golf Association (JGA) and the secretary of the Caribbean Golf Association, expects Jamaica to do well in this year.
"I expect the team to perform well. They know each other. Most of them played last year together. The camaraderie is high. Everybody really wants go out there and make Jamaica proud and that's all we can ask of them. It's very good to see that six of the ten players are juniors so that's very good for our programme," said Munn-Barrow.
In terms of her own game she said, "well from my side, I am hoping to bring some experience to help the girls as best as I can, of course to go out there and try my best."
Mayne who captained the team that carried home George Teale Trophy last year said "I am hoping to play well. I am hoping to bring home a trophy again as last year the women's team won the trophy. So, I am just hoping that we can really build some team spirit and help everyone play well so we can bring home the trophy."
The male members of the team are Justin Burrowes - captain, Zandre Roye who returns to the team after a number of years; juniors Rocco Lopez, Aman Dhiman and Ryan Lue. The sixth player, William Knibbs is already in Trinidad & Tobago and will participate in the two practice rounds prior to the start of the championship. The male team placed fourth in 2022.
"I think I am pretty prepared. The last four five months I have not been in Jamaica. I changed my base to the States. I have been playing golf every single day, practicing every single day. I have been really working on my short game which always need a bit of work. I am looking forward to this week. I am always honoured to represent my country," said Burrowes.
Junior golfer, Lopez, will be following his coach's instruction "to not expect anything, just go out there and try my best and whatever happens, happens but I expect to play well because I have been practicing very hard and I am excited to play."
Dr. Mark Newnham, the team manager was upbeat about the team's chances to do well this year.
"This year I think we have the perfect team, perfect of young enthusiastic hungry talent with the right mix of experience. I am not going to call anybody older but let's say wiser, so we have that perfect mix. We are looking forward to building on the success of last year. Our women's division took home the top prize so we are just looking forward this year to representing and doing better than last year."
He also said that the men are motivated to put on a special performance this year, led by Burrowes who plans to go pro next year and wants to go out with a bang as an amateur.
The team received sponsorship support from the Jamaica Olympic Association.
Charlie Fellowes is convinced Marbaan will put up a bold show in his bid for back-to-back wins at the Qatar Goodwood Festival next week following a frustrating run at Royal Ascot.
The Oasis Dream colt shone in the Group Two Vintage Stakes on the Sussex Downs last summer before failing to land a blow in successive Group Ones before the end of his juvenile year.
He made a promising start to his three-year-old campaign by finishing fourth in the Commonwealth Cup Trial at Ascot and second to subsequent July Cup runner-up Run To Freedom at Salisbury, but beat only one home in the Commonwealth Cup itself at the Royal meeting last month.
Fellowes is adamant the three-year-old is better than he showed in Berkshire, though, and is targeting redemption in the Group Two Lennox Stakes on Tuesday.
“I was disappointed with Ascot because I don’t think we saw the real Marbaan. Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong,” said the Newmarket handler.
“Ascot is a horrible place to try to make the running and I don’t think Marbaan is the sort of horse you want to make the running with – all of his best performances have come when he’s been ridden with a little bit of cover.
“He was my one real frustration after Ascot, all my other horses ran well, and I’m just convinced it was because of the way the race panned out.
“The plan is to go back to Goodwood for the Lennox. I’m convinced he’s got the speed for six furlongs, but we’re going to go back up to seven and he has won over course and distance.
“He worked on Tuesday morning, he’s in great order and I know there’s a big performance in him this year.”
Clive Cox looks poised to send Diligent Harry to the Jenningsbet Hopeful Stakes at Newmarket next month on the back of his fine run at Newbury on Saturday.
The five-year-old was beaten a head by Commanche Falls in the Group Three Hackwood Stakes and was subsequently raised 2lb to a mark of 109 by the handicapper.
Though he came with a well-timed run under Richard Kingscote and had his head in front inside the final 110 yards, he was pipped on the line in the six-furlong contest.
Diligent Harry beat Royal Ascot’s subsequent Buckingham Palace Stakes scorer Witch Hunter in the All-Weather Sprint Championships Conditions Stakes at Newcastle in April, and was beaten just over three lengths by Equality in the Group Three Coral Charge at Sandown when dropped to five furlongs on his penultimate run.
“It was a very pleasing run on Saturday and I’m pleased that he has come out of it well as well,” said Cox.
“I think that run at Sandown, trying five furlongs on a stiffer track, the rain came pretty much the last half hour before racing which made the going a little bit different still. I was much happier with the run on Saturday.
“With a bit of luck, the Hopeful might be a possibility. He seems to have come out of the race well and if he continues to give that impression, we will be looking at that.”
Five times a winner and twice runner-up from his nine all-weather starts, Diligent Harry is 0-10 on turf, although Cox feels a good prize deserves to fall his way.
The Lambourn handler added: “He is proven over six furlongs, even though he is lacking that success on the turf, and he has run some mighty races in defeat.
“It would be nice to see him win a decent race. He is back up to 109 this morning, so the handicapper thought it was a good run as well.
“Listed and Group races are certainly within his compass and after winning the All-Weather Final earlier in the year, he has continued to produce top-end results.”
Mark Foster believes new 200m freestyle world champion Matt Richards is “fearless” and could thrive under the pressure of having a “target on his back”.
Richards ensured his status as a marked man after clinching glory at the World Aquatics Championships in Japan by edging out Olympic champion Tom Dean.
The 20-year-old produced an outstanding finish on Tuesday to pip fellow Briton Dean to gold in a time of one minute and 44.30 seconds, while previous title holder David Popovici – the race favourite – had to settle for fourth.
Former world, European and Commonwealth champion Foster is excited by the depth of British swimming talent and Richards’ potential for further development.
“He’s got a lot of speed,” the 53-year-old told the PA news agency. “I think we’re going to see a lot more out of him on the 100m (freestyle).
“Tom’s a fast swimmer but Matt’s faster and got a little bit more easy speed to go out (from the start).
“He’s a bit fearless. He’s improving a lot, he’s improving very fast, which is really exciting. How much more can he improve?
“But the interesting thing is going from being ‘Dave’ who is a relay swimmer to suddenly beating the Olympic champion and becoming world champion himself – now he’s got a bit of target on his back.
“That’s going to be the interesting thing to see how he copes with that. It might even push him to go faster.
“I’m really excited to see what he can do, not just on the 100 freestyle but the 200 freestyle and also those relay events, which are just key for us.”
Richards’ stunning performance in Fukuoka came a year and a day before the start of Paris 2024.
Alongside Dean, he was part of the triumphant men’s 4×200m freestyle relay at the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics in 2021, where Britain enjoyed their most successful Games in the pool by winning eight medals, including four golds.
Foster has tipped Team GB’s swimmers to surpass that record-breaking total next year in the French capital.
“From what I’ve seen at the moment, we’ll do better,” he said.
“There’s no guarantees in sport but if I were to list medals that I think we will get, I’d give us more than leading in to Tokyo.
“Eight is a good figure to start from but how much we get above that, I don’t know. I think it will be beaten. If we get there or thereabouts that’s a great result but I think we’ll go a couple more.
“For me, it’s really exciting that it’s not just one or two events that we’re good at.
“Even if we come fifth or sixth in an event, we’ve got someone in there, whereas historically – I’m going back to when I swam – we had a handful of swimmers that could do something. Now we’ve got three handfuls.”
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