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Brian Hughes is Champion Jockey in Britain for a third time

Thirty-seven-year-old Irishman Brian Hughes was crowned Champion N.H. Jump Jockey in Britain for a third time today at Sandown Park.

He rode 165 winners this season from 875 rides, and ends the season 40 winners clear of nearest pursuer Sean Bowen.

He is already focusing on a fourth career championship next term and eclipsing his tally of 204 in 2021-2022, when he became only the fourth Jump jockey in history to hit a double century – alongside legendary riders Peter Scudamore, Tony McCoy and Richard Johnson.

Describing his season, he said:

“I thought the summer was quite good and I got to 100 winners quicker, but then I’ve just felt very frustrated from October time. I just never felt as though I’d got rolling the way I’d have liked to.

“It was just things like the weather and other factors, it definitely meant I had a slower time. I suppose I’m getting a bit greedy, but when you’re setting that sort of pace you kind of just want to maintain it.

“Donald’s (McCain, trainer) horses were running out of their skin last year and they’ve been running well this year but I suppose they’re just that bit higher in the handicap. We’ve got plenty of horses for next year and hopefully we have another good year.

“The plan is to become a four-time champion jockey if I’m lucky. You never know in this game, so I’ll just keep my head down and keep working away.

“To hit 160 winners is great, but when I got to 100 by the end of October I did think that 200 was definitely on the cards. It didn’t happen but there’s always next year.

“Donald and I have a fantastic partnership and we just keep rolling. He bought a couple at the Cheltenham sales and he’s got his eye on more – so onwards and upwards.

Darren Clarke will defend Senior Open in Royal Portcawl

Darren Clarke will defend The Senior Open in July. Credit: Getty Images. Photo provided by The Senior Open.

Darren Clarke will launch the defence of his first Senior Major Championship when he tees it up in The 2023 Senior Open at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club from July 27-30.

The Irish golfer added the Senior Open trophy to his Claret Jug, which he won at Royal St George’s in 2011, with a superb performance on a rain-soaked afternoon at Gleneagles in 2022, seeing off Pádraig Harrington by a single stroke.

Clarke, a 14-time DP World Tour winner, became only the fourth man in the history of the game to complete The Open and Senior Open double, joining the illustrious company of Bob Charles, Gary Player and Tom Watson.

Europe’s only Senior Major Championship will this year make a third visit to Royal Porthcawl following memorable events in 2014 and 2017 in which Germany’s Bernhard Langer triumphed on both occasions.

Clarke’s maiden Senior Major triumph was his fourth victory since turning 50 and the 54-year-old is both relishing the opportunity to defend his title and hungry for more success.

“The feeling of winning The Senior Open last year is something I will never forget and I am incredibly excited to visit Royal Porthcawl later this year to try and defend my title.

“I made no secret of the fact that I wanted to win The Senior Open more than anything, so I could sit it beside my Claret Jug, and to be able to do that is a privilege.

“I feel so honoured to be able to put my name alongside some of the greats of the game and now I want to keep playing well and keep contending in some of the biggest events on our schedule.

“Royal Porthcawl is a magnificent golf course and is one that will test every facet of your game. I’m looking forward to the challenge and can’t wait to see everybody in Wales later this year.”

Impaire Et Passe wins Champion Novice Hurdle

Impaire Et Passe wins Grade 1 Champion Novice Hurdle.

Impaire Et Passe (1/3f) won the Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle this evening at Punchestown.

It was a Grade 1 double on the day for trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Paul Townend.

The French-bred Impaire Et Passe had a seven and a half lengths victory over High Definition as he added to his Grade 1 tally.

Townend’s body language was not one of ultra confidence as pace-setting stablemate Champ Kiely and High Definition opened up a three-length gap turning into the straight but the Cork jockey didn’t panic.

He came alongside the Joseph O’Brien-trained former Derby favourite High Definition jumping the last, and went on to claim a fifth consecutive win.

State Man wins Paddy Power Champion Hurdle at Punchestown

State Man wins Paddy Power Champion Hurdle at Punchestown.

State Man won his fourth Grade 1 of the campaign with a pillar-to-post victory in the Paddy Power Champion Hurdle on the penultimate day of Punchestown 2023.

The Willie Mullins-handler horse bounced back from his first defeat of the year behind Constitution Hill at Cheltenham to score by three lengths from his younger stablemate Vauban.

The Marie Donnelly-owned six-year-old jumped well until the last but had more than enough in the tank to pick up once more under jockey Paul Townend.

Winning rider Paul Townend said:

“He’s been beating these horses all year and thankfully he was able to do it again today. As I said when I made it in Leopardstown (in the Irish Champion Hurdle in February), I thought he’d be better with a lead and it was probably the same here but he just looks to be the best of that bunch.”

€500,000 Qualimita shatters Goffs Punchestown Sale Record

Qualimita shattered the Goffs Punchestown Sale record when selling for €500,000. Credit: Goffs.

A €500,000 top lot smashed the record for the Goffs Punchestown Sale on Thursday night.

The sale that boasts Honeysuckle as its most famous graduate saw another potential future star take her turn in the ring as Colin Bowe’s Qualimita (Lot 14), a four-year-old daughter of Muhtathir sell to Mags O’Toole for €500,000. The mare put up one of the performances of the season when winning on her debut at Fairyhouse last Friday.

Histrionic (Lot 19), a son of Walk In The Park, from Denis Murphy’s Ballyboy Stables, fresh from an impressive 4YO maiden win at Tralee last weekend, sold to Tom Malone and Paul Nicholls for €450,000, also surpassing the previous record Punchestown price of €370,000 by some margin.

Almost half the catalogue sold for €200,000 or more, and among the other highlights were Lough Owel (Lot 5), another maiden winner from Fairyhouse last weekend that sold to Aidan O’Ryan and Gordon Elliott for €255,000.

Elliott also went to €235,000 for Bleu De Vassy (Lot 20) from Patrick Turley’s Kingsfield Stables who finished a close runner up at Necarne on Saturday nine lengths clear of the rest of the field, and paid €200,000 for Baltimore House Stables’ The Enabler (Lot 4), a son of Walk In The Park from the family of Denman who impressed when runner up at Curraghmore.

Top class breeding prospect Dolcita (Lot 1) by Saint des Saints was first into the ring and set the tone for an evening of spectacular trade, as the Willie Mullins-trained black type performer and Irish Grand National fourth sold to Cyril Crowe for €240,000.

Sam Curling’s Boston Boy (Lot 15) was runner up to Histrionic at Tralee last Friday and caught the eye of Stroud Coleman and Jonjo O’Neill who went to €230,000 for the son of Black Sam Belamy, and O’Neill also signed for Dromahane 4YO maiden winner Fortunate Man (Lot 6) from Moate Stables for €210,000.

Goffs Punchestown Sale 2023:

Offered: 22
Sold: 20 (91%)
Aggregate: €3,940,000 (+37%)
Average: €197,000 (+23%)
Median: €170,000 (+26%)
Top price: €500,000

Third Punchestown Champion Stayers Hurdle for Klassical Dream

Klassical Dream won his third Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle at Punchestown. Credit: David Betts.

Klassical Dream won the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle at Punchestown this afternoon for the third year in-a-row.

Ridden by Paul Townend, the nine-year-old held off the challenge of Sire Du Berlais and Mark Walsh by a half length.

It was another Grade 1 winner of the Festival for successful trainer Willie Mullins thanks to the gelded son of Dream Well.

It was a fourth Punchestown Festival success in total for the Joanne Coleman-owned bay, and his three triumphs in this race put him alongside Derrymoyle, who won it three times in four seasons.

Sire Du Berlais was bidding to create history by completing the Cheltenham-Aintree-Punchestown treble in the staying division.

Winning rider Paul Townend said of Klassical Dream:

“He loves it here. His record here is very good. We just held on. I was trying to leave it late and I still managed to get there too soon. He hasn’t had the most straightforward of season and all credit to Dave (Casey) and the gang at home for getting him back here in such good form on that bit of nice ground.”

List of remaining fixtures for Man City and Arsenal

Manchester City’s Path to Third League Trophy in a Row, Arsenal’s Last-Ditch Efforts

After a decisive victory against Arsenal, Manchester City is inching closer to their third league trophy in a row. However, Arsenal is still in the running with a chance to turn things around in their remaining fixtures.

Remaining fixtures:

Arsenal:

  • Chelsea (a) – 2 May
  • Newcastle (a) – 7 May
  • Brighton (h) – 14 May
  • Nottingham Forest (a) – 20 May
  • Wolves (h) – 28 May

Man City:

  • Fulham (a) 30 April
  • West Ham (h) 3 May
  • Leeds (h) 7 May
  • Everton (a) 14 May
  • Chelsea (h) 20 May
  • Brighton (a) 24 May
  • Brentford (a) 28 May

Manchester City has a relatively easier schedule with games against mid to lower-level teams like Fulham, Leeds, and Brighton. However, they will face some tough opponents in West Ham, Everton, and Chelsea, which could be crucial in determining the outcome of the title race.

Arsenal’s fixtures are very challenging compared to Manchester City’s, with games against Newcastle, Wolves, and Brighton & Chelsea.

Conclusion: Manchester City has the advantage with two extra games to play and a stronger squad, but Arsenal still has a chance to turn things around if they can perform well in their remaining fixtures. It will be an exciting end to the Premier League season, and football fans worldwide are eagerly waiting to see who will come out on top.

Dublin v Kildare – Preview, Stats & Team News

Dublin and Kildare are set to face off for the third consecutive year in the Leinster championship.

Both teams emerged victorious in their respective quarter-final fixtures, with Dublin defeating Laois and Kildare beating Wicklow.

Recent Championship Meetings

Dublin and Kildare have faced each other in the championship five times in the last decade. The most recent encounter was in the 2022 Leinster final, where Dublin secured a comprehensive victory with a scoreline of 5-17 to 1-15. In the previous year’s final, Dublin emerged victorious with a score of 0-21 to 1-9.

Kildare’s last championship win over Dublin dates back to the 2000 Leinster final replay. Since then, Dublin has won all six encounters by an average of 13.7 points, with the aggregate score being Dublin 16-121 Kildare 4-75.

Dublin’s Dominance

Dublin is the dominant force in Leinster football, and their statistics over the past two decades reflect this. They have met Kildare 57 times in the championship, with Dublin winning 39, Kildare winning 13, and five matches ending in a draw. Dublin has reached the Leinster final for 18 out of 19 seasons, and they are aiming for their 13th consecutive final appearance this year.

Key Players

Dublin displayed their attacking prowess in the quarter-final against Laois, scoring an impressive 4-30. Con O’Callaghan, Colm Basquel, and Ciaran Kilkenny were the standout performers, with a combined score of 3-16 between them. Kildare will need to be wary of Dublin’s attacking threat if they hope to cause an upset. Bookies expect Dublin to win by 11pts

The Road Ahead

The winner of this semi-final will go on to face either Louth or Offaly in the Leinster final. While Dublin is the overwhelming favorite to progress, Kildare will be hoping to cause an upset and end their losing streak against the reigning champions

Team News 

We will have the starting teams on Friday afternoon

Kildare and Dublin into Leinster Minor Football Semi-Finals

Kildare advances to provincial semi-final after beating Laois

Kildare’s minor football team came back strong in the second half to beat Laois 0-18 to 0-10 and secure a place in the provincial semi-finals. After trailing by a point at halftime, Kildare dominated the second half, scoring four points immediately after the restart to take the lead. They put themselves in a winning position with five unanswered points and secured their third consecutive win in the Electric Ireland Leinster Minor Football Championship, topping Group 1. Laois finished third and will move on to a preliminary quarter-final.

Dublin secures top spot in Group 2

Dublin’s minor football team secured top spot in Group 2 after a 4-19 to 2-12 victory over Westmeath. Paddy Curry and Lenny Cahill both scored two goals each to help and another strong display from Noah Byrne helped maintain Dublin’s perfect record ahead of the semi-finals.

Meath finished in second place after beating Louth 2-9 to 1-7, securing a place in the quarter-finals.

Wicklow claims top spot in Group 3

In Group 3, Wicklow’s minor football team claimed top spot with a 3-11 to 2-6 victory over Carlow. Conor Broderick and Thomas Kelly scored two late goals while Patrick Small hit the team’s opening goal in the first half. Wicklow, along with second-placed Wexford, advanced to the preliminary quarter-finals.

Fastorslow wins Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup

Fastorslow leads Galopin Des Champs in the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup. Credit: David Betts.

Fastorslow created a major upset in the Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup this evening when claiming the week’s feature race at the Co Kildare track.

Going to post a 20/1 chance, the Martin Brassil-trained seven-year-old had the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, Galopin Des Champs, the runner-up, Bravemansgame, and the winner of the Ryanair, Envoi Allen among his opponents, along with the Gordon Elliott-handled Fury Road making up the five-runner field.

The English challenger made most the running throughout the race, before being challenged out his outside by Galopin Des Champs on entering the Punchestown home straight. With Fasterslow in third position at this stage, it looked as thought the ‘big-two’ would fight out the finish. As Harry Cobden on Bravemansgame and Paul Townend on the odd-on race favourite went for victory, J.J. Slevin continued to coax the eventual winner back into contention.

In the final furlong, Fasterslow was the strongest as he held off the top two in the betting marker to record a two-and-a-quarter length win to the surprise of the silent stands.

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