Trained by Andrew Balding for the sponsors, Juddmonte Farms, the Colin Keane-ridden son of Frankel outstayed the opposition inside the final furlong to gain a head success over Almaqam (14/1).

While it had been billed as a clash of the generations, namely Constitution River representing the classic generation, and Ombudsman, the older generation, it turned out to be a generational clash alright, but with different protagonists.

The three-year-old Item, winner of the Group 2 Sky Bet York Stakes over course and distance last time, kept on well at the death to get the better of the five-year son of Lope De Vega, Almaqam, the mount of Kieran Shoemark.

Plans for the entire race were quickly dispensed with shortly after horses exited the stalls as the pacemakers for Godolphin, Devil’s Advocate (200/1), and for Coolmore, Action (200/1), both failed to get to the head of the field.

As a result, Hawk Mountain (20/1) and Wayne Lordan, the perceived Ballydoyle second string, had to make the pace for his stablemate, French Derby and Coral-Eclipse winner, Constitution River.

Though the latter claimed the lead at the two-furlong pole, his market rival, Ombudsman (5/6f), who had been in a poor position, found space along the rail to make his run, but he would ultimately only manage fourth place.

Almaqam, the eventual runner-up, and Item, came on Constitution River and Ryan Moore’s outside, with first, the Ed Walker-trained 122-rated Almaqam leading, before Item and Colin Keane outstayed them to the line.

Constitution River took third, three-and-a-half lengths behind the Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum-owned runner-up, with the race favourite, Ombudsman and William Buick, next to pass the post, a length behind the Aidan O’Brien-handled son of Wootton Bassett.

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Trained by William Haggas, Maltese Cross was second to Christmas Day in the Betfred Derby at Epsom in June, on ground that did not suit him.

This afternoon, with underfoot conditions more to his liking, the Sea The Stars colt beat Pierre Bonnard (100/30), third in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby in June, and his conqueror at Epsom, Christmas Day (6/4 favourite), by two lengths and two-and-a-quarter lengths respectively.

The winner, ridden by Tom Marquand, made smooth progress three furlongs from home, and then challenged the race leader, Christmas Day, the mount of Ryan Moore.

Pierre Bonnard was soon pushed to lead at the two-furlong pole by Wayne Lordan, as the race favourite, Christmas Day, began to weaken.

The George Waud-owned Maltese Cross was staying on best of the field inside the final furlong to run out a decisive winner, to add to his Group 1 Cygames Grand Prix de Paris success of last month.

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This will be the first time since 2001 that Ireland will host a World Championship for an Olympic sailing class.

The event will be hosted jointly by the Royal St George Yacht Club and the National Yacht Club. The Championship will bring the world’s leading ILCA 7 sailors (athletes who compete in the men’s single-handed dinghy at the Olympic Games) to Irish waters.

Irish Sailors

Ireland will be represented by Olympian Finn Lynch (National Yacht Club), Ewan McMahon (Howth Yacht Club), Fiachra McDonnell (Royal Irish Yacht Club), Tom Coulter (East Antrim Boat Club), Bobby Driscoll (Ballyholme Yacht Club) and Roger Craig (Royal St George Yacht Club).

With the new Olympic cycle well under way, the championship will provide an important early benchmark on the road to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. It offers Irish sailors the chance to test themselves against the world’s best on home waters.

Training camps

Several international teams have already held training camps in Dún Laoghaire. June’s Coaches Invitational Regatta provided an early opportunity for competitors to test the venue with Britain’s Elliot Hanson taking the ILCA 7 title, with Finn Lynch finishing level on points for third place. Ireland’s Eve McMahon won the women’s ILCA 6 event.

Six days of competition

The event, which promises six days of world-class competition, will be a significant milestone for Irish sailing as the sport builds towards LA 2028. Racing begins Tuesday next, 25 August.

The event will be followed by the Women’s ILCA 6 World Championship which takes place on Dublin Bay 5 – 12 September 2026.

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From international football fixtures and the return of club rugby to major horse racing events and Formula 1 action, the month features several competitions worth following. This practical guide highlights the key fixtures, dates, and events to track throughout September 2026.

Football Highlights

September is an important month for international football and European club competitions. The Republic of Ireland begins its UEFA Nations League campaign late in the month, while the Champions League and Europa League return earlier in September. Irish fans can therefore follow both national-team fixtures and major club competitions throughout the month.

International Football

The Republic of Ireland returns to competitive action in the UEFA Nations League league phase with two away fixtures. Ireland faces Kosovo vs. Republic of Ireland on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at Stadiumi Fadil Vokrri in Pristina, before playing Israel vs. Republic of Ireland on Sunday, September 27, 2026, at Nagyerdei Stadion in Debrecen, Hungary. These opening matches will begin to shape the group standings and provide an early test for Ireland during the autumn international schedule.

Club Football

The English Premier League continues its 2026–27 season throughout September following the summer transfer window. Irish players competing in England will also continue their domestic campaigns.

European competitions return during the month as well. The Champions League league phase Matchday 1 takes place from 8–10 September 2026, while the Europa League league phase Matchday 1 is scheduled for 16–17 September 2026.

Rugby Fixtures to Watch

Rugby union returns to the spotlight in late September with the start of the 2026–27 United Rugby Championship (URC) season. The competition officially begins on Friday, September 25, 2026, bringing Leinster, Munster, Ulster, and Connacht back into league action.

The opening weekend runs across September 25–26, with the Irish provinces beginning their campaigns and early interprovincial fixtures adding important points before European competitions start later in the autumn. These first rounds also offer an early indication of how each province is shaping up for the new season.

Sports schedules are not the only thing fans may check online between fixtures. Some also follow online casino promotions during their downtime. Those interested in no-deposit offers can view information about 40 free spins, including how no-deposit free spins work and the conditions that may apply. For some fans, this can be a simple way to relax between fixtures before turning their attention to the next major sporting event.

Horse Racing Events

September hosts some of the leading Flat racing fixtures in Ireland, with the country taking centre stage during the middle of the month.

Irish Champions Festival

The Irish Champions Festival is one of the biggest events in the Irish autumn Flat racing calendar, taking place across two days at two major racecourses. The festival begins on Saturday, September 12, 2026 at Leopardstown Racecourse, where the programme includes the Group 1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes.

Racing continues on Sunday, September 13, 2026 at The Curragh, with the Group 1 Comer Group (International) Irish St. Leger among the headline races. Across the two days, the festival brings together leading thoroughbreds, jockeys, and trainers, with the dates and main races confirmed by the Irish Champions Festival.

Listowel Harvest Festival

Later in the month, the historic Listowel Harvest Festival in County Kerry runs from September 20 to September 26, 2026, featuring Flat and National Hunt racing alongside its long-running festival programme.

Other Major Sporting Events

Beyond football, rugby, and racing, September 2026 also features major international motorsport events and Gaelic Games competitions.

Formula 1 & Gaelic Games

For motorsport fans, September brings three Formula 1 races. Irish supporters can follow the action from home or attend events abroad during a busy part of the season.

Formula 1 Grand Prix Racing: September features the Italian Grand Prix at Monza from 4–6 September, the Spanish Grand Prix at Madrid from 11–13 September, and the Azerbaijan Grand Prix at Baku from 24–26 September. These dates match the current official Formula 1 calendar.

Gaelic Games (Club Championships): The GAA club championship season also continues across different counties during September, with teams competing through their respective county and provincial competitions before the later All-Ireland stages.

With the inter-county season completed, attention shifts back to club competition as local teams compete for county and provincial honours and places in the later stages of the All-Ireland club championships.

Practical September 2026 Sports Calendar

To help you quickly scan the month ahead, here is a chronological snapshot of the top sporting fixtures for Irish supporters:

The current official F1 calendar confirms the September dates for Monza, Madrid and Baku.

How to Keep Track of the September Sports Calendar

Keeping up with broadcast schedules, fixture changes, and team announcements is simple with official digital channels:

• Official Governing Bodies: Follow updates directly from the FAI, Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), and Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) websites.
• Broadcast Schedules: Check local television listings on RTÉ Sport, Virgin Media Sport, Premier Sports, and Sky Sports for live coverage and kickoff details.
• Live Score Apps: Use sports tracking apps to receive notifications, last-minute venue updates, and team news.

Official sources are usually the best place to confirm any late changes to match times, broadcast details, or competition schedules. September 2026 offers Irish fans a busy mix of international football, club rugby, horse racing, motorsport, and Gaelic Games. From Ireland’s UEFA Nations League fixtures and the return of the URC season to the Irish Champions Festival and Formula 1 races across Europe, the month provides plenty of major sporting dates to follow. Checking official schedules before each event is recommended, as kickoff times, race schedules, and broadcasting details can change closer to the date.

The post The Biggest Sporting Events Irish Fans Shouldn’t Miss This September appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Whatever was wrong at the City Ground last season was wrong at Selhurst Park at the same time, and one of those two teams was being coached by the man Forest have hired to fix it.

Glasner picks his first Forest team at 3pm on Saturday 22 August, at home to Leeds United, and the Forest vs Leeds odds at Betfair are for that game.

Glasner took charge of Palace in February 2024. In his first full season they finished 12th on 53 points and won the FA Cup, the first major trophy in the club’s history. They opened the next season by beating Liverpool on penalties for the Community Shield, and finished it 15th on 45 points, having won the Conference League.

Three trophies, two of them major, and a league finish that fell from 12th to 15th.

That is one shape a good season can have, and Glasner has produced it before. He won the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2021-22, with Frankfurt finishing 11th in the Bundesliga that year.

What he did in England, across two full seasons, was fill a cabinet while the league finish slipped.

Forest have already bought that trade once

Vitor Pereira took them to the Europa League semi-finals last season. The same squad finished 16th in the league under four managers in one season.

There are no European nights to split this season. That is the strongest reason to expect a better finish, and it has nothing to do with the new head coach. It also means a better finish will not tell anyone whether Glasner is working.

Forest’s other record

The BBC calls Forest’s four permanent managers in a single season a Premier League record. Nuno Espirito Santo started last season and was gone three games in, after 21 months in the job. Ange Postecoglou lasted 39 days, Sean Dyche 114, Pereira 133.

It took Glasner two full seasons and part of a third to build the Palace side that won those trophies. The first of those seasons produced 12th place and an FA Cup.

Leeds arrive as the counter-example

Daniel Farke has managed Leeds United since July 2023. He won the Championship with 100 points, took Leeds up, and kept them up in their first season back. Forest have had five head coaches in the past year. Farke has had three seasons at Elland Road.

This is not a claim about which is the better coach. Leeds have had bad months under Farke, and their supporters have argued about him throughout. It is a claim about what a board will sit through: Leeds found out what they had by leaving him in place long enough. That is the one thing Forest have not tried in a year, and Farke brings it to the City Ground on Saturday.

Why Saturday settles nothing

Morgan Gibbs-White scored 15 of Forest’s 48 league goals last season, too much for one player. Elliot Anderson has gone to Manchester City for a record fee, all factors that could impact betting offers ahead of the fixture.

What he does know is that his first home game is against a side who almost never won away. Leeds won two of their nineteen away matches last season, and each club won this fixture 3-1 on its own ground. Saturday will be read as a verdict on the new man. Beating that record at home would not tell anyone very much.

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European football is getting more and more comfortable at full speed. The 2024/25 season of the Premier League saw 1,115 goals scored, the second-highest in any 38-match season, and the Bundesliga in Germany averaged 3.1 goals per match for the seventh consecutive time, the highest on record in a 38-match season. Those figures don’t necessarily indicate that every contest is getting increasingly formalized, but they do confirm the extent to which high-quality games are creating a consistent attacking environment, transitions and recovery opportunities.

The big question is why? A lot of goals are not spontaneous but are set-up in a system that is built to high-fly the ball up, attack with numbers and pressure unsettled defenses. It can give bettors a little more context about the mechanisms behind this week’s both teams to score tips, making football tactical analysis a more useful tool for making a smart bet instead of following a “must make a right decision” type tip.

The high press revolution: forcing errors and creating space

High press means not playing too deep a block but being aggressive towards the opponent’s goal. The action of retrieving possession of the ball quickly after it is lost is known as Gegenpressing (counter-pressing). Both concepts focus on hitting before the opposition sets up.

A turnover 25 metres from goal can be a shot in seconds. The other risk with BTTS is when the first pressure line is beaten the attackers are suddenly caught with runners in large gaps behind midfield. Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City have long relied on a forensic approach to seizing possession and, for Luis Enrique’s Paris Saint-Germain, pressing centrally was the secret to their Champions League success this season. PSG had a relentless pressing in the last quarter, according to UEFA’s technical analysis.

The January 2025 clash with City, in which they won 4-2 was evidenced by the unpredictability. PSG broke the match, as their movement and intensity forced the visitors back and repeatedly forced them to scramble for the ball. PSG had the better of the game as they forced the visitors further into the half, and repeatedly challenged their grasp of the ball. It was an outcome that BTTS produced by two technically creative sides that kept the ball moving.

Wing-backs and full-backs: the new playmakers

The attacking full-back is not a support any longer. They can be in the winger position in a 4-3-3, inverted in midfield or can be in the box in a 3-5-2 or 3-4-3.

That other attacker causes overloads but someone has to cover the space behind them. If you lose the ball with both your wide men forward, opposition will be able to counter in positions that the centre-backs are unable to cope with.

A recent example was provided by Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen. Jeremie Frimpong was a Bundesliga goal machine and a six-time assist provider in 2024/25 and Alejandro Grimaldo were the inverse, looking to provide width and playmaking from the opposite end. Achraf Hakimi’s licence to attack was as important at PSG, with UEFA singling him out for his movement and positioning to cause problems for Arsenal in the 2024/25 Champions League semi-final.

So, don’t just look for well-known full-backs for BTTS tips. It’s asking if they regularly go away from the ball as a team, if midfield cover is good enough and if the opposition have the pace to move into the empty areas.

Mastering transitions: why speed is decisive

Transitions are the periods directly following the possession change. These are now treated as distinct stages; regain the ball, find the forward pass/attack before the defensive lines reset; lose the ball/counter-press or retreat immediately.

That focus often means games are hit and miss affairs. There were 2.04 fast breaks in every 90 minutes last season in the Premier League compared with 1.58 the year before, with direct attacks at 3.50 per 90 minutes. UEFA concluded in their analysis of the 2025 quarter-final against Aston Villa that the situation was the same in terms of risk and reward: Villa played higher but PSG’s counterattacks took advantage of space and the contest finished 3-2 to Villa.

How formations fuel fast-paced football

A formation is merely a starting map and can show potential transition paths. This 4-3-3 naturally also offers high and wide outlets on both sides. A 4-2-3-1 can be used to defend counters with a double pivot but still allow 4 counter breakers to be available. A 3-4-3 is frequently employed to drive wing-backs and wingers deeper and to force them to move further and further from their bases.

The pivot is nearly as important. A player who can pick up play when the ball is under pressure and switch it from a defending to an attacking position, before the opposition can get in tight and take it away, can prove decisive in the midfield. There is a strong possibility of end-to-end sequences if both teams have the ability.

From tactics to tips: how to spot a BTTS opportunity

Matchup mechanisms are key to a good football betting strategy and don’t just focus on the league reputation. The Bundesliga is a natural place to explore as the 2024/25 season saw a total of 959 goals scored in 306 games. The Dutch Eredivisie also has an attack-first spirit: the competition is described by the KNVB as being famous for their beautiful and high scoring football.

Ensure both teams press high, both defence are not adverse to advanced full backs and both can exploit transitions prior to backing BTTS. Include recent goals scored, injuries to central defenders/holding midfielders, likely starting and home-away formations. This strong attack coupled with a weak defending team can be particularly significant, but should not be the sole criterion for the wager.

The last step is price and selection. Patterns may reduce competition but they don’t ensure that opportunities will be realised. A second layer of assessment can be achieved with expert curated BTTS tips provided on a daily basis. The aim is not to be precise in predicting goals, but to know why a match might be open, to have an argument based on evidence, then to make a more informed decision.

The post How modern football tactics are creating more two-way scoring matches across European leagues? appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

The afternoon’s highlight will be the Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes at 3.35pm when the generations will clash over a mile 2 furlongs and 56 yards.

Constitution River, winner of the French Derby and representing the classic generation, will put his 2026 unbeaten record on the line when he meets the five-year-old Ombudsman, winner of this race last year.

The John and Thady Gosden-trained Godolphin owned is unbeaten in his three runs this season and will be the mount of William Buick.

Ryan Moore will be aboard the Coral-Eclipse-winning son of Wootton Bassett, Constitution River, and he will represent the Coolmore partners.

Item, in the colours of the race sponsors, comes from the Andrew Balding yard and will be the mount of Colin Keane, as he bids to step up in grade from his win in the Group 2 Sky Bet York Stakes here last month.

The Wayne Lordan-ridden Hawk Mountain, who was third and runner-up respectively to Constitution River in his two most recent starts, is likely to be involved in the business end of the nine-runner contest.

With the main protagonists, Ombudsman and Constitution River, having their own respective pacemakers in Devil’s Advocate (Rab Havlin) and Action (Ronan Whelan), the pace is likely to be strong. Though the three-year-old Constitution River will receive seven pounds from his main rival, Ombudsman, the latter has an official rating of 132, which is well ahead of the rest of the field, and the previous course and distance winner is likely to be very difficult to beat.

Haffner to get back to winning ways?

Elsewhere on the card, both Aidan O’Brien and Paddy Twomey will be represented in the Group 3 Tattersalls Acomb Stakes at 2.25pm. Haffner, the choice of Ryan Moore, was beaten in the Group 2 Coral Vintage Stakes at Goodwood last time, and connections will be hopeful of getting back to winning ways.

Paddy Twomey’s Tréan won his maiden at Galway’s Summer Festival and takes the leap into group company for the Red Lily Racing Syndicate.

Derby horses to clash again in Great Voltigeur

The 2026 Betfred Derby winner at Epsom, Christmas Day, runs in the Group 3 Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes at 3.00pm.

Beaten since in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at The Curragh, when runner-up, he will clash with Maltese Falcon again, the William Haggas-trained son of Sea The Stars, who was two-and-three-quarter lengths behind Christmas Day and Ronan Whelan at Epsom. Pierre Bonnard, who finished only a neck behind Christmas Day at The Curragh, should help make this another intriguing race.

Irish-trained runners at York Racecourse on Wednesday, 19 August 2026:

2.25 Tattersalls Acomb Stakes (Group 3)

Confucius (IRE) A P O’Brien
Haffner (USA) A P O’Brien
Tréan (IRE) P Twomey

3.00 Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes (Group 2)

Christmas Day (IRE) A P O’Brien
Antigua (IRE) A P O’Brien
Pierre Bonnard (IRE) A P O’Brien

3.35 Juddmonte International Stakes (Group 1)

Action (IRE) A P O’Brien
Constitution River (FR) A P O’Brien
Hawk Mountain (IRE) A P O’Brien

4.10 Sky Bet Stayers Handicap (Heritage Handicap) (GBBPlus Race)

Small Fry (IRE) Joseph O’Brien 
Mordor (FR) Gordon Elliott 
Westminster Moon (IRE) A J Martin

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Four Medals

Irish athletes won four medal – two gold, one silver and one bronze.

Finn Valley AC’s Mark English got the ball rolling when he produced a tactically astute performance to win gold in the Men’s 800m Final in a time of 1:45.26. In the process, the Letterkenny man became the first Irish male athlete to win an individual European outdoor title. His 800m Final win was his sixth European medal across indoor and outdoor championships, and he is now the country’s most decorated European track championship athlete. It should not be forgotten that English also set a new Championship Record in his semi-final when clocking 1:43.49.

Kate O’Connor added another medal to an ever-increasing haul with her victory in the heptathlon. The Dundalk St Gerard’s AC athlete set a new Irish record as she achieved the highest heptathlon score of her career to date, with 6,751 points.

Rhasidat Adeleke, who only a few short weeks ago hadn’t even qualified for these championships, won a silver medal in the Women’s 200m Final. The Tallaght AC member also set a new National Record for the distance with a time of 22.28 seconds.

Andrew Coscoran’s medal was, arguably, the surprise medal of the four for Ireland. The Star of the Sea AC man’s bronze in the Men’s 1500m was his first senior major outdoor championship medal.

Close to medals

Sarah Healy was fourth in the 5000m and fifth in the 1500m.

Nicola Tuthill (UCD AC) secured a career-best senior major championship finish of fifth in the hammer.

David Kenny (Farranfore-Maine Valley AC) was sixth in the half marathon race walk on his debut over the distance.

Finals and Records

The Women’s and Men’s 4 x 100m teams qualified for their respective European finals, finishing seventh.

Sophie O’Sullivan was eighth in the 1500m and Nick Griggs (Candour Track Club) took the same position in the Men’s 5000m Final.

Eric Favors of Raheny Shamrock AC finished secured 10th in the shot put, as did Jack O’Leary (Mullingar Harriers) in the 10,000m Final.

The Men’s 4 x 400m team finished 10th overall with the third-fastest performance in Irish athletics history.

The Women’s 4 x 100m team of Lucy-May Sleeman, Ciara Neville, Sarah Leahy and Lauren Roy produced a National Record of 43.13 seconds.

Team Ireland Results

CR = Championship Record; NR = National Record; SF = Semi-Final, DNF = Did Not Finish; DNS = Did Not Start

1st – Mark English – Men’s 800m Final – 1:45.26 (1:43.49 CR in semi-final) GOLD

1st – Kate O’Connor – Heptathlon – 6,751 Points NR GOLD

2nd – Rhasidat Adeleke – Women’s 200m Final – 22.28 NR (22.43 SB in semi-final) SILVER

3rd – Andrew Coscoran – Men’s 1500m Final – 3:36.24 BRONZE

4th – Sarah Healy – Women’s 5000m Final – 15:40.95

5th – Sarah Healy – Women’s 1500m Final – 4:10.76

5th – Nicola Tuthill – Women’s Hammer Throw Final – 70.33m

6th – David Kenny – Half Marathon Race Walk – 1:24:49 PB

7th – Men’s 4 x 100m – Final – 40.26 (39.13 SB in R1)

7th – Women’s 4 x 100m Final – 44.18 (43.13 NR in R1)

8th – Sophie O’Sullivan – Women’s 1500m Final – 4:11.72

8th – Nick Griggs – Men’s 5000m Final – 13:21.07

10th – Eric Favors – Men’s Shot Put Final – 19.59m

10th – Men’s 4 x400m Relay R1 – 3:01.76 SB

10th – Jack O’Leary – Men’s 10,000m Final – 28:24.89 SB

11th – Oisín Lane – Half Marathon Race Walk – 1:27:09 PB

12th – Lauren Roy – Women’s 200m SF – 23.16 seconds

12th – Seán Aigboboh – Men’s 200m SF – 20.46 seconds

14th – Brian Fay – Men’s 5000m Final – 13:31.15

15th – Women’s 4 x 400m R1 – 3:32.70

16th – Bori Akinola – Men’s 100m SF – 10.38 seconds

18th – Cian McPhillips – Men’s 800m R1 – 1:46.84

18th – Darragh McElhinney – Men’s 5000m Final – 13:37.62

20th – Fiona Everard – Women’s 10,000m Final – 33:08.60

20th – Israel Olatunde – Men’s 100m SF – 10.49 seconds

21st – Jack Raftery – Men’s 400m SF – 45.81 seconds

24th – Ciara Neville – Women’s 100m SF – 11.57 seconds

24th – Sophie Becker – Women’s 400m SF – 52.47 seconds (52.28 SB in R1)

24th – Marcus Lawler – Men’s 200m SF – 21.11 seconds

26th – Jodie McCann – Women’s 1500m R1 – 4:14.63

27th – Lauren Roy – Women’s 100m R1 – 11.32 seconds

27th – Sarah Lavin – 100m Hurdles R1 – 13.07 seconds SB

29th – Abbie Sheridan – Women’s 3000m SC R1 – 9:57.50

31st – Cathal Doyle – Men’s 1500m R1 – 4:36.28

43rd – Paul O’Donnell – Men’s Marathon – Final – 2:20.41

DNF – Niamh Allen – Women’s 10,000m Final

DNF – Fionnuala McCormack – Women’s Marathon – Final

DNF – David McGlynn – Men’s Marathon – Final

DNS – Ryan Creech – Men’s Marathon – Final

The post Ireland’s Results from European Athletics Championships 2026 appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

The Derry rider had the advantage of going last in the jump-off. As the final entry in the opening round, Coyle stayed at the ingate to watch the first jump-off challenger, Canada’s Gavin Moylan, execute his plan with Lordy-P.

By the time four others had jumped, Moylan still held the lead with a clear round in a time of 39.94 seconds. Only Coyle remained with Nord Face VDL, and though he looked to be behind Moylan’s pace at the beginning, Coyle turned on the speed half-way through the short course, leaving out strides to cross through the timers in 38.55 seconds and claim victory.

“I knew I had to catch up”

“I was last to go so that’s always a huge advantage,” said Coyle, who represented Ireland at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. “I knew Gavin was winning and, having watched his round, I knew what I had to do to beat it. I knew half-way around the course that I wasn’t fast enough. My horse was jumping very high at the beginning of the course, but you don’t need to be that high over the jumps; it’s not fast to do it that way. I knew I had to catch up, and he’s got to learn to go fast!”

By turning on the afterburners, the pair were able to better Moylan’s time by over one full second. Moylan finished as runner-up riding Lordy-P, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion.

Four-time Olympic medallist for the United States, Beezie Madden, was also double clear in a time of 41.30 seconds to take third riding Nairobi, an 11-year-old Oldenburg mare, while Canada’s Seán Jobin riding Qourtois and Blyth Marano of the United States aboard Theo Duc T&L Z were also double-clear to finish fourth and fifth respectively.

“This horse is special”

Nord Face VDL, who is new to the international show jumping scene, is quickly forming a successful partnership with Coyle, who admitted:

“From the moment we tried him, we thought, ‘this horse is special’ (but) it was just a matter of whether we could contain it. He has so much blood, so much scope, and so much power. It seems strange to say but don’t need all that; you need to be clever and handy.

“He’s so talented but he’s a dinosaur,” continued Coyle. “I don’t know if I’ve ridden a bigger horse and I don’t know if I’ve ever ridden a more talented horse. Next year will be very telling.”

Swail wins three CSI4* Classes

Coyle wasn’t the only Irish rider to have a good week at the Ottawa International. Conor Swail scored a hat-trick by winning three of the four CSI4* classes on offer, all aboard Casturano, a 13-year-old Holsteiner geldin.

Swail also won Friday’s $31,000 USD CSI2* Qualifier after topping an 11-horse jump-off riding Nadal Hero & DB, a 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding.

$35,000 USD CSI2* Canada Gold Grand Prix

1. 1. Daniel Coyle / Ireland / Nord Face VDL / 0:0 / 38.55
   2. Gavin Moylan / Canada / Lordy-P / 0:0 / 39.94
   3. Beezie Madden / United States / Nairobi / 0:0 / 41.30

11. Conor Swail / Ireland / Nadal Hero & DB / 4

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Unfortunately neither medalled, with Healy coming home best in fifth place in 4:10.76, with O’Sullivan eighth in a time of 4:11.72.

The gold medal went to Britain’s Georgia Hunter Bell in 4:07.78, Poland’s Klaudia Kazimierska took silver in 4:08.80, with Patricia Silva (POR) taking the bronze in 4:09.22.

Records for Hunt & Asher-Smith

Britain’s Amy Hunt became the first athlete in European Athletics Championships history to win four gold medals at a single edition. On Sunday night she anchored the British 4 x 100 Mixed Relay gold medal winning team that set a new European Record of 39.97 seconds, having already taken gold in the 100m, 200, and 4 x 100m Relay earlier this week.

Her compatriot Dina Asher-Smith became the most decorated athlete in European Athletics Championships history when winning gold as part of the 4 x 100m Mixed Relay team.

Women’s Javelin gold went to Croatia’s Sara Kolak with 62.43m, Frederik Ruppert of Germany won the Men’s 3000m Steeplechase in a time of 8:25.33, with Luxembourg taking a silver medal via Ruben Querinjean (8:25.61).

In a tight an exciting Women’s Long Jump Final, only 2cm separated the three medallists. Gold went to Italian Larissa Iapichino with a best jump of 7.00m, Briton Jazmin Sawyers got silver with 6.99m, a season’s best for her, while French athlete Hilary Kpatcha took bronze with 6.98m.

Sweden’s Armand Duplantis set a new Championship Record of 6.15m in winning a fourth straight European title, while Italy topped the medals table.

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