Clive Cox is “open-minded” as to whether to give his unbeaten colt Ghostwriter a prep run ahead of the Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.
The son of Invincible Spirit won each of his three starts as a juvenile, completing his hat-trick with a taking Group Two victory in the Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket in September.
Cox is delighted with how his charge has wintered and is now readying the Jeff Smith-owned three-year-old for a tilt at Classic glory on the first Saturday in May.
“Ghostwriter is really pleasing me, we’ve had a great winter with him and he’s trained well through the spring,” said the Lambourn-based trainer.
“I’m not sure about a trial, I think we’re open-minded. We definitely need to have him on fire for the Guineas in the first week of May and the going will play a part in whether we do have a trial or whether he has a racecourse gallop.”
Ghostwriter also holds an entry in the Derby at Epsom on June 1, with Cox optimistic he will stay further than the straight mile of the Guineas.
He added: “He won over a mile at two and being out of a Champs Elysees mare, I think he could stay a little bit further.
“He’s got an entry in the Dante as well, so we’ve got longer trips in mind, but obviously he’s got a bit of class to win like he did at two and we’ll feel our way as we go regarding that (trip).
“I think he’s quite versatile ground-wise, but he’s only run on a quicker surface.”
Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel has hinted he could be tempted to make a Formula One comeback after revealing he has been talking to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.
Mercedes are searching for a new driver for 2025 and beyond after Lewis Hamilton announced in February he was quitting for Ferrari after 11 years with the Silver Arrows.
Vettel, who won his four drivers’ titles with Red Bull between 2010 and 2013, left F1 at the end of the 2022 campaign after six years at Ferrari and two with Aston Martin.
Now, though, the 36-year-old has suggested he could return to the sport after speaking to a number of team bosses up and down the paddock.
“I am speaking to Toto. I don’t know if that qualifies as Mercedes, but about other things,” the German told Sky Sports News.
“I’m talking to a lot of people because I know them, but not very specific. I mean obviously it does cross my mind, I do think about it, but it’s not the main thought.
“I have three kids at home, it’s busy every day, so there’s a lot of other thoughts I have. There’s ideas that I have.
“Events that I’m planning going forwards, so I did speak to a lot of other team principals as well, and not only about racing. There’s thoughts, but nothing concrete at the minute.”
A seat at a top team could help Vettel make a decision to return to the grid and he admits he was caught out by Hamilton’s decision to swap Mercedes for Ferrari after winning six world championships with the team.
“I was surprised, like I guess most of us were,” he said.
“But it is exciting. Obviously he’s looking for a new challenge and it will be different to see him in red, in a different colour.”
Meanwhile, Vettel has been testing a different kind of race car having spent time in the Porsche contender for the Le Mans 24 Hours.
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“Maybe, I don’t know yet,” he replied when asked if he could make his first appearance in the famous endurance race this year.
“I’ve been testing. I was curious, so I wanted to see how it feels. It’s obviously a different discipline. It’s still racing, but it’s a different car, different discipline.
“I am (tempted) and I’m not. I am obviously also looking for lots of other things and there’s lots of other things that do interest me outside of racing.”
Marco Botti paid tribute to his compatriot Stefano Cherchi after the young jockey died as a result of injuries sustained in a fall in Australia last month.
The 23-year-old was riding at Canberra on March 20 when his mount, Hasime, fell in the Affinity Electrical Technologies Plate, with two other riders escaping serious injury after being unseated in the incident.
Cherchi received medical treatment at the track before being transferred to hospital and was found to have sustained a head injury and internal bleeding.
The New South Wales Jockeys Association posted on X, formerly twitter, on Wednesday: “With deep sadness, the Cherchi family have announced their beloved son Stefano passed away peacefully today.
“The family are very grateful for the love, prayers & messages sent by the racing community across the world.”
The majority of Cherchi’s success in Britain came aboard horses trained by fellow Italian Botti, the man who provided his most recent mount in Britain at Chelmsford in November.
Cherchi partnered 38 winners for Botti while in the UK, and the Newmarket handler was hugely saddened by the news of his death.
He told the PA news agency: “We were devastated this morning when we heard that Stefano had passed away. I think it was midday in Australia and we just heard an hour ago basically.
“It’s just devastating news for all of us. We knew it was a bad fall and we knew things didn’t look great, but you live in hope and hope for a miracle. Hopefully he’s going to a better place and we will never forget him – he will always be with us.”
Botti added: “His charm and his way of behaving with people, he was such a nice guy. For me, he was a little bit like a son to be honest.
“When he left for Australia, we had a chat and in a way I was happy he was going to try to have a career there. He had a couple of winners recently and things were just picking up and then this happened. Life is tough.
“For us he was always a good judge in the mornings. He rode some of our nice horses and his feedback was incredible. As a jockey he just needed to get on good horses and he would have proven himself.
“Away from the saddle he has always been a really good guy. We were texting each other through the winter and I was hoping he would come back in the spring.
“It’s very sad for the family and all his friends. It’s like we lost a member of the family to be honest.”
The Sardinian-born Cherchi made his British debut in 2018 and rode his first winner the following April aboard the Botti-trained Withoutdestination at Wolverhampton.
He teamed up with a wide variety of trainers, including Godolphin handler Saeed bin Suroor for whom he partnered eight winners, and Newmarket trainer Amy Murphy who provided 10 victories from 175 rides.
Cherchi struck gold four times for David Loughnane, who said on X: “We are all completely devastated with the loss of Stefano Cherchi.
“He was an absolute gentleman and a pleasure to have known and worked with. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.”
In a statement, the British Horseracing Authority said: “We are heartbroken to hear the news that Stefano Cherchi has died following a fall at Canberra racecourse last month.
“Stefano rode over 100 winners in Britain before moving to Australia, and the high esteem in which he was held around the world is clear to see.
“Our thoughts are with his friends, family, and everyone who has had the pleasure of working with him. The entire racing industry will be in mourning after the loss of such a talented young man.”
Stefano Cherchi, who rode over 100 winners in the UK, has died as the result of injuries sustained in a fall in Australia last month.
The 23-year-old was riding at Canberra on March 20 when his mount, Hasime, fell in the Affinity Electrical Technologies Plate, with two other riders escaping serious injury after being unseated in the incident.
Cherchi received medical treatment at the track before being transferred to hospital and was found to have sustained a head injury and internal bleeding.
The New South Wales Jockeys Association posted on X, formerly twitter, on Wednesday: “With deep sadness, the Cherchi family have announced their beloved son Stefano passed away peacefully today.
“The family are very grateful for the love, prayers & messages sent by the racing community across the world.”
Cherchi partnered 38 winners for trainer Marco Botti while in the UK before switching to Australia earlier in the year.
Adam Peaty said a new relaxed mindset can serve him well after securing passage to this summer’s Paris Olympics by finishing first in his signature 100m breaststroke event on the first day of the British Championships in London.
The 29-year-old touched the wall in 57.94 seconds in the evening’s final – the fastest men’s 100m breaststroke time in the world this year and an improvement on the 59.10 seconds it took him to win bronze at February’s World Championships in Doha.
Peaty, who still holds the world record of 56.88 seconds in the event, is now set to defend his back-to-back Olympic titles after securing a nomination in the British championships, one year after pulling out of the 2023 event to begin what became an extended mental health-motivated hiatus from the sport.
Peaty said afterwards: “I’m not fully back, I’ve still got a second!
“It’s always going to be my mindset, but I’ve got a healthy approach to it. A few years ago, I’d have come out of there disappointed.
“I’ve learned to appreciate the moments of greatness for myself. For me, that was a great swim, executed well – but the most promising thing is that I’m finding peace in the water now, instead of anger and just fighting it, and trying to win like that.
“I’m finding a new version of myself which I’m really liking, and I think that’s a version that can do really well at the Olympics.”
The most direct way of securing a Paris 2024 nomination this week is to finish first in the open finals of each individual event, provided athletes clock in at or under a specific time set by the newly-rebranded Aquatics GB, though nominations are still subject to an official rubber-stamp by the British Olympic Association.
Peaty emerged from his afternoon heat with a time of 58.53, the only man of 64 entrants in the event’s heats to touch the wall in under a minute, marking another significant step on a comeback journey for the five-time Olympic medallist.
He was sidelined from the 2022 World Championships due to a foot injury and last year withdrew from the British Championships, making his competitive return in Doha.
James Wilby, who finished second to Peaty, missed the 59.45sec nomination time by an agonising 0.02 seconds but could still be one of a maximum 30 swimmers nominated by Aquatics GB following the championships’ conclusion on Sunday.
Scotland’s Keanna MacInnes, 22, punched her ticket after overtaking Laura Stephens in the women’s 200m butterfly, though Stephens – the reigning world champion in the event – also finished below the required nomination time to put herself in contention for Team GB.
Freya Colbert, 20, who claimed women’s 400m individual medley gold in Doha, finished ahead of training partner Abbie Wood in the women’s 200m freestyle to secure her nomination, while Wood’s time was also under the nomination standard.
This is the first year the British Championships combined events for both para and non-disabled athletes, and it was Poppy Maskill who emerged with the top, sub-nomination standard time in the multi-classification women’s para 200m freestyle where five athletes finished under the standard.
Bath-based Kieran Bird came close in the men’s 400m freestyle, finishing in 3:45.63 – a hair off the required 3:45.43 – but might have also done enough do impress the selectors.
Jonathan Marchessault and Jack Eichel each had a goal and an assist in a four-goal first period and the Vegas Golden Knights extended their point streak to seven games with a 6-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday.
Anthony Mantha and Noah Hanifin also scored in the opening period and Brett Howden also tallied for Vegas, which has gone 6-0-1 in its last seven games to pull within three points of Edmonton for second place in the Pacific Division.
Logan Thompson made 27 saves to win his sixth straight start in his 99th career game.
Quinn Hughes scored twice for the Canucks, who have lost three of four but are five points up on the Oilers for first in the Pacific.
Ullmark perfect in Bruins’ win
Linus Ullmark turned away 32 shots and assisted on Charlie Coyle’s short-handed, game-winning goal in the third period to lead the Boston Bruins to a 3-0 victory over the Nashville Predators.
David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha had a goal and an assist apiece to help Boston win for the third time in four games and extend its Atlantic Division lead to four points over Florida.
Juuse Saros made 30 saves for the Predators, who dropped their third in a row following a franchise-record 18-game point streak.
Surging Penguins rally past Devils
Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby each scored twice during the Penguins’ five-goal third period and Pittsburgh remained in the playoff race with a 6-3 win over the New Jersey Devils.
The Devils took a 3-1 lead into the third period, but Crosby scored on a power play at 6:48 and Malkin’s first goal of the game just over a minute later tied it.
Rickard Rakell’s goal with 3:44 left put the Penguins ahead and Malkin made it 5-3 32 seconds later. Crosby’s empty-net goal closed the scoring.
Pittsburgh is 4-0-2 in its last six games and had moved within three points of Washington for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot.
Joel Embiid made his presence felt in his first game in nine weeks following knee surgery, sinking four free throws in the final 40 seconds and finishing with 24 points to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 109-105 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday.
Embiid – the reigning MVP - added seven assists and six rebounds in nearly 30 minutes in his first game since Jan. 30.
Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 25 points and Tobias Harris added 18 for the 76ers, who have won two straight following a 1-5 slide.
They are eighth in the Eastern Conference, 1 ½ games behind Miami.
Chet Holmgren scored 22 points and Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins added 15 apiece as the Thunder failed to win a third straight and dropped one-half game behind Denver for the Western Conference lead.
Oklahoma City squandered an 11-point lead midway through the fourth quarter and was without All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the third time in four games with a quad injury.
Jokic’s big night powers Nuggets
Nikola Jokić had 42 points and 16 rebounds and Michael Porter Jr. hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 28 seconds left to lift the Denver Nuggets to a 110-105 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
Jokic’s hook shot snapped a 103-all tie but Victor Wembanyma’s layup at the other end tied it again with 62 seconds left.
Porter, who had 15 points and a career-high 16 rebounds, then drilled a 3 to put Denver ahead to stay.
Wembanyama had 23 points, 15 boards, eight assists and nine blocks to nearly complete the NBA’s first quadruple-double since David Robinson in 1994.
Denver moved atop the Western Conference – a half-game ahead of Oklahoma City and Minnesota.
Warriors stay hot, cool Mavericks
Andrew Wiggins scored 23 points and the Golden State Warriors survived Luka Dončić’s 20th triple-double of the season in a 104-100 victory to end the Dallas Mavericks’ seven-game winning streak.
Doncic had 30 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists and trails only Domantas Sabonis (23) and Nikola Jokić (23) in triple-doubles. The Dallas superstar also notched his 48th 30-point game of the season, trailing only Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (50).
Klay Thompson and Chris Paul each scored 14 points and Stephen Curry had 13 on 5-of-18 shooting as the Warriors tied a season high with their fifth straight win.
Philadelphia 76ers center and reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid will return to the lineup Tuesday, completing his two-month rehabilitation from left meniscus surgery.
Embiid will suit up Tuesday to face the Western-Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder in his first game since Jan. 30.
Embiid’s return gives hope to a 76ers team that has struggled to tread water without the seven-time All-Star. Philadelphia are 26-8 with Embiid in the lineup and have gone 11-18 over the last two months.
The 76ers will face a delicate balancing act over the final seven games of the regular season as they gradually work Embiid back into his full load of minutes while also trying to avoid the East’s play-in tournament.
The Sixers enter Tuesday’s action in eighth place in the East, trailing the Indianapolis Pacers by 2.5 games for the No. 6 seed.
Embiid started this season on a historic pace, scoring more than a point per minute played over his first 34 games. He is averaging 35.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.76 blocks per game this season.
Even with Embiid’s return, the 76ers are still not full strength, as Tyrese Maxey will remain out Tuesday with a day-to-day left hip injury.
Four-time world champion Mark Selby threatened to quit snooker after losing in the Tour Championship to Gary Wilson, who also described his winning performance as “embarrassing”.
Wilson sealed a 10-8 victory with a clearance of 105, but both players were scathing about their performance in Manchester.
“I mean I was pathetic really, from start to finish,” Selby told ITV4. “Probably one of the worst games I’ve played as a professional. Definitely up there for sure.
“If I carry on playing like that, then yeah, I won’t be enjoying it and I will be choosing a different career for sure.
“Neither of us played great in the second session, Gary played well on Monday and deserved his 5-3 lead. Today neither of us played great. I was like that all match. I deserved to lose.
“I will give the World Championship a go, but if I keep playing like that, I’m not going to carry on.”
Wilson believes he will have to improve ahead of his quarter-final against Zhang Anda, telling ITV4: “I don’t know how I won to be honest. I’m just thankful Mark didn’t play very well because I was embarrassing.
“The cue action wasn’t even there yesterday – it may have looked a bit better but I just felt deep down all along, I was struggling. I was hitting everything really quick and snatchy and just tried to keep plugging away.”
Reminded that he had made breaks of 95, 98, 78 and 101 in taking a 5-3 lead from Monday’s opening session and must therefore have been cueing well, Wilson replied: “Incorrect.
“I was not cueing very well at all but I can score when I’m not cueing well. That was feeling really bad and it was feeling even worse today and that’s why I missed so many easy balls, gave him so many chances and lifelines.
“Really, if I’d been playing decent and Mark had played as bad as he did there, I should have won that 10-3, 10-4. It was that bad it became really close and I’m just thankful he didn’t play very well either.
“I’m not enjoying it but we go again on Thursday and I’m just hoping I can find something between now and then.”
Ali Carter will face bitter rival Ronnie O’Sullivan in the quarter-finals after holding off a spirited fightback from Barry Hawkins.
Carter raced into a 7-1 lead after Hawkins had won the opening frame, but the left-hander won seven of the first nine frames in the evening session, including taking the 17th frame on a respotted black after needing two snookers.
However, Carter held his nerve to win the next and seal a 10-8 victory which sets up a showdown with O’Sullivan, 11 weeks after the pair were involved in a war of words following the Masters final won by O’Sullivan.
“I relish the challenge now because he’s the best player ever to pick up a cue,” Carter told ITV4. “To play him in another quarter-final, I’ve played him in a final this year, I’m in the right place.”
Mark Williams produced a superb clearance of 66 in the deciding frame to edge out Tom Ford 10-9 and set up a quarter-final with Judd Trump.
“I was dead on my feet for the last hour and three quarters, I was absolutely shattered,” said Williams, who has just returned from a trip to China.
“I thought it was all over. Where that clearance in the last frame came from I do not know. It was probably one of the best clearances I’ve done.”
Trinidad and Tobago’s Suncorp Super Netball star Sam Wallace-Joseph has come under fire for her stance on the International Transgender Day of Visibility falling on the same day as Easter Sunday.
Held every March 31 since 2009, the day has been set up as a celebration of pride and awareness, while aiming to recognise trans and gender-diverse achievements. Wallace-Joseph, a two-time NSW Swifts champion, shared a clickbait headline from a Canadian outlet that insinuated United States President Joe Biden had "declared" Easter Sunday would be the recurring day for International Transgender Day of Visibility moving forward.
"The disrespect is crazy. Don't play with God," Wallace captioned an Instagram story.
The day's crossover with Easter this year was used by some to criticise the United States president and suggest he was co-opting a religious holiday to promote trans rights. Fans criticised Wallace-Joseph's post and pointed out the misleading nature of the headline, but the Trinidad and Tobago shooter doubled down.
"I'm not hating on people, if you know me you will understand … I have heaps of gay friends and am not judging anyone on their gender," she wrote in a X, formerly Twitter, post.
Wallace-Joseph also confirmed she still planned to play in the NSW Swifts Pride Match in May. The Instagram story and relevant tweets have since been deleted after intervention from the Super Netball club, which distanced itself from her comments.
"The NSW Swifts are aware of a social media post that has caused understandable hurt to members of the transgender community," a statement read.
"The views expressed in the post are not shared by the club. The club spoke with Samantha raising its concerns. It is important to note that Samantha listened and will meet us tomorrow," it added.
The Super Netball league also issued a similar release, reinstating its commitment to "embrace diversity and ensure the sport is welcoming and safe for everyone who wants to participate", while it works closely with the Swifts regarding the sport's code of conduct.
Rory McIlroy has been urged to block out all distractions to deal with the “baggage” associated with his attempts to win the Masters and complete a career grand slam.
The advice came from two-time US Open champion Curtis Strange as McIlroy prepares to contest this week’s Valero Texas Open before heading to Augusta National for the first major of the year.
Strange believes that will help McIlroy keep his mind off what he will be trying to achieve at Augusta and recounted a recent conversation with top psychologist Bob Rotella, who has worked with McIlroy on the mental side of the game.
“Bob said the main thing for Rory next week is to stay calm and cool,” Strange said in an ESPN teleconference.
“He had this phrase ‘the mind has to be stronger than the swing’ and I think in Rory’s case that is exactly right because he does have some baggage coming in here.
“He knows he could have won here a couple of times, but he knows he has the game as well.
“So do what you know how to do. Play your own game, play smart, play a little more conservative golf around Augusta and then on Sunday afternoon, if the chips fall, he’ll be in contention.
“One of the best stories I have ever heard is when Claude Harmon was the pro at Winged Foot when the US Open was there.
“They played a practice round with [Ben] Hogan, who said ‘Claude, you have a chance this week if you look at the grass all week long’. Meaning don’t make eye contact with friends, don’t speak to everybody.
“I think that relates to Rory next week. He’s been coming in here for so long with so much on his mind that it’s all about you next week, Rory. It’s all about what you can do, your game.”
Devin Booker was over the moon to share his historic NBA moment with numerous family and friends after scoring 52 points for the Phoenix Suns in Monday's victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Suns star Booker recorded his fifth-highest scoring game of his career after posting 50+ against the Pelicans, bringing Phoenix within a game of No.6 New Orleans in the Western Conference.
With that monumental haul, Booker became the first NBA player since Wilt Chamberlain to score 50 points in three straight games against a single opponent.
"It means a whole lot," said Booker, who registered 52 against the Pelicans in January and 58 in December 2022.
"My family was in attendance for two of them. Any time you get named for something Wilt did – it's happened very few times in my career – you know you did something special."
Phoenix coach Frank Vogel lauded Booker's showing, having watched him record 52 points against New Orleans for the second time this year.
"There's something about playing in this building against this opponent," Vogel said. "[He] just really has a comfort zone here.
"To go for 50 three straight times against a single opponent, it just shows what kind of special player he is. Three times in a row is just incredible."
Kevin Durant added another 20 points, along with 19 for Jusuf Nurkic, as the Suns ran rampant in a 124-111 victory.
"It was like deja vu," Durant said of teammate Booker's exploits. "As it was happening, I couldn't believe he was doing it again."
Having already suffered from Booker's dominance previously, Pelicans coach Willie Green credited the Suns man but left no excuses for his team.
"He hit some shots that we gave him, and he also hit some tough shots," Green said. "We have to do better.
"There's no excuse to get 50, put on you twice [in a season]. Quite frankly, we were soft-guarding him.
"We just had a soft mentality when it came to being physical with him, and he's a great player, and you can't allow him to be comfortable."
Nico de Boinville paid Constitution Hill a visit on Tuesday and said the former champion hurdler is feeling “a bit sorry for himself”.
Nicky Henderson’s stable star has had no end of health trouble this season, scoping dirty in January and then being laid low with an infection which ruled him out of the defence of his Champion Hurdle title.
Just when connections had hoped for some light at the end of the tunnel and a possible run at Punchestown, he was then struck down by suspected colic and spent a few nights at the vets.
It was a relieved Henderson that informed everyone on Monday he was now back at Seven Barrows and De Boinville was keen to check in on him.
“Everyone has been kept in the loop. I went to see him this morning and hopefully he picks up in the next couple of weeks,” he told Racing TV.
“He’s certainly feeling a bit sorry for himself and I can see why.”
Elegant Man has the Lockinge and Coronation Cup as options after his Good Friday triumph was followed by a boost from the Middle East.
The Amo Racing-owned four-year-old ran three times through the winter, winning twice at Dundalk and coming home second behind Rebel’s Romance in the Listed Wild Flower Stakes at Kempton.
The impression he made in those runs left him carrying top-weight at Newcastle, where he ran in the BetUK All-Weather Easter Classic Middle Distance from a wide draw in stall 14.
Neither factor was a hindrance to him in the 10-furlong contest, however, and under David Egan he was an impressive winner when crossing the line a length and a half ahead of Mick Appleby’s Penzance.
“It was a big run, but we were expecting a big run and he didn’t fail to deliver – he’s a right nice horse,” said trainer Adrian Murray.
A son of the late American superstar Arrogate, Elegant Man’s form was quickly boosted the following day when Rebel’s Romance struck at Group One level to take the Sheema Classic at the Dubai World Cup meeting, a two-length victory that reflects very well on Elegant Man after their meeting at Kempton.
“It’s huge, a huge boost. The day when we met that horse we were very, very green, it was only the second time he’d ever seen a racecourse,” Murray added.
Elegant Man is entered in the Alleged Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday but will not run, and is instead likely to be aimed at either the Coronation Cup or the Lockinge.
“I entered him this morning for the Coronation Cup and he’s entered at Newbury over a mile, too,” said his trainer.
“He’s entered in the Curragh on Saturday but he won’t go there, the race will come up a bit quick for him so we’ll freshen him up again.”
Murray also trains Bucanero Fuerte for Amo Racing, a Wootton Bassett colt who won the Railway and the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh last year and was third in both the Coventry and the National Stakes.
He holds an entry for the English and the Irish Guineas, but may head to Ascot for the Commonwealth Cup Trial in preparation for the Commonwealth Cup itself at the Royal meeting in June.
“He’s getting on great, we’re very happy with him,” Murray said.
“He’ll go for the Guineas or he’ll go for a race at Ascot, a prep race for Royal Ascot over six furlongs.”
Micky Hammond was grateful for Aiden Brookes’ claim after landing round one of the Pontefract Stayers’ Championship with Justus at the opening meeting of the season at the West Yorkshire track.
Justus looked beaten down the stretch of the two-and-a-quarter mile Jamaican Flight Handicap under 5lb claimer Brookes, with Maxident and Robert Johnson apparently fighting out the finish.
But Justus (9-2) responded to Brookes’ urgings and got up close home to land victory by three-quarters of a length.
Hammond felt Brookes’ claim proved vital on ground the horse loves as he took advantage of carrying nearly a stone less than all four of his rivals.
Hammond told Racing TV: “The horse has had a good winter with us. Obviously Aiden has been with us now for a good few years now since leaving school and he’s well worth his claim.
“(The ground is) very important for the horse. Lightest-weighted in the race which has suited. When they quickened up a little bit they actually left us a bit flat footed.
“All we’ve done is just stay which has won the day for us really. Absolutely delighted.”
Hammond has a smaller army of runners on the Flat but is hoping for a drying up of the ground for his jumpers.
He added: “Surely it’s going to dry up very soon. Maybe for the winter jumpers this festival weekend we have in the north might be the last time that we get the soft or heavy ground.
“And then hopefully we might get some sort of a spring, although having said that it’s actually quite spring like here today.
“Hopefully the racing will go ahead through the rest of the week because the forecast isn’t too promising.
“We haven’t got a lot of Flat horses, we’re not going to have a lot of summer jumpers but the jumpers we’ve got we’ll keep them going until Cartmel at the end of May. The winter jumpers have done really well.”
The Bell Conductor (10-1) made all to land the feature William Hill Extra Place Races Every Day Handicap for Craig Lidster and William Pyle.
The seven-year-old was pressured in the final furlong but held off Glorious Angel to triumph by one and a quarter lengths.
Favourite Wen Moon was a further length and a half back in third.
Spirit Dancer is set for a well-earned break after finishing lame in his bid for further international honours in Saturday’s Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan.
Richard Fahey’s charge has enjoyed a hugely productive winter on foreign soil, carrying the red and white silks of part-owner and breeder Sir Alex Ferguson to victory in the Bahrain International Trophy before claiming an even more lucrative success in the Neom Turf Cup in Riyadh.
The seven-year-old was unable to land a blow when stepped up in class on Dubai World Cup night, finishing 11th of 12 runners, but was subsequently found to have sustained an injury.
“He has a chip in his joint I’m afraid, so he did pull up lame,” Fahey said on Tuesday.
“It (injury) won’t have helped. It was a messy sort of race as he sort of dropped in and never got back into it, but that can’t have helped.
“He was due for a holiday anyway and he’ll get it now. He’s fit enough to travel and we’ll sort him out when we get him home.
“It’s been a fantastic winter with him and he’s got the money in the bank to prove it!”
While Fahey is keen to get his charge back to his North Yorkshire base before committing to future targets, there is every chance Spirit Dancer will be stamping his passport again later in the year.
The trainer added: “I’d be keen to go back there (Dubai) again next year, so all roads and plans will lead to go there.
“I’ve got Hong Kong in my mind as well, so we’ll see. He could have a couple of runs over here and then head back over there.”
The Bahamas ended day three of the 2024 Carifta Aquatics Championships at the Betty Kelly-Kenning Aquatic Centre in Nassau on Monday with a massive 309.50-point lead over their rivals in the battle for the team title.
The Bahamians currently have 804.50 points after 98 events. The top five is rounded out by the Cayman Islands (495 points), Trinidad & Tobago (466 points), Jamaica (405 points) and Barbados (362.5 points).
In terms of medals, the hosts have, so far, amassed an impressive 73 medals over three days of competition including 26 gold, 26 silver and 21 bronze.
Trinidad & Tobago are next with 17 gold, 10 silver and 14 bronze for 41 medals in total.
Cayman Islands are third with 14 gold, 10 silver and 15 bronze for 39 in total.
Barbados are fourth with 11 gold, 11 silver and six bronze for 28 in total with Jamaica fifth with 11 gold, eight silver and 12 bronze for 31 in total. Barbados are ahead of Jamaica because they have more silver medals.
Clive Cox can justifiably target all the major sprints on home soil this summer with Diligent Harry following a fine effort in defeat on Dubai World Cup night at Meydan on Saturday.
Following successive Listed wins on the all-weather in February, the six-year-old faced a step up to Group One level for the Al Quoz Sprint and emerged with plenty of credit after passing the post in third place behind Hong Kong speedster California Spangle and Charlie Appleby’s Star Of Mystery.
An appearance at Royal Ascot looks likely to be on Diligent Harry’s agenda, with next month’s 1895 Duke of York Stakes at the Dante meeting a potential port of call along the way.
“I was thrilled with how he ran on Saturday – very, very pleased,” said Cox.
“He’d always promised at home that we had a big performance in him and to justify that with that run, on the back of two Listed wins this year, was absolutely wonderful. I’m really proud that he’d produced what we always hoped and believed was there.
“He appears to have come out of the race well and travels back home later in the week. He’s effective at five and six (furlongs), which is great, and ground is more suitable drier than wetter for him.
“We’ll see how he comes back. He has got an entry in the Duke of York, but we’ll see how he comes home first and gather our thoughts.”
Oisin Murphy has announced he will miss the Craven Meeting after breaking the whip rules at Newcastle on Good Friday.
The rider said he was found to have used his whip once more than the permitted six strikes when beaten just over five lengths in fifth aboard Vaguely Royal in the BetUK All-Weather Championships Marathon Handicap.
Murphy’s initial penalty was four days, but the value of the race means it is doubled to eight days, although he had two days deducted in recognition of his previous good conduct.
In a post on X, Murphy said: “I’ve picked up a six-day suspension for one strike too many on Vaguely Royal on Good Friday when finishing fifth in the Marathon.
“This was a genuine mistake and I didn’t purposely use my whip once more than permitted. As the race was worth £150k total prize money, my suspension should’ve been eight days but the fact I’ve not been suspended for a whip breach in over 200 rides, it’s been reduced by two days.
“Had I committed the same breach in the Listed Burradon Stakes on the card when finishing a narrowly-beaten second, I would be facing a two-day ban. I will miss April 12,13,15,16,17,18. The entire Craven meeting.
“I will endeavour not to fall foul of these whip rules as the penalties are costly.”
The three-day fixture at Newmarket features the first Classic trials of the season in the Nell Gwyn and Craven Stakes.
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