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Good efforts from Ennistymon, Passion & Arthur’s Kingdom as Derby hope Mogul flops

Despite the success of Circus Maximus in the Queen Anne Stakes, it was a day of mixed fortunes for Aidan O’Brien-trained horses, as the much-hyped Mogul flopped in the King Edward VII Stakes.

Pyledriver saw off all comers to record an 18/1 success in the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes over a mile and a half, making him a live contender for the Group 1 Investec Derby at Epsom on 4th July.

The winner never looked in any danger as he saw off 9/2 Ballydoyle chance Arthur’s Kingdom (Frankie Dettori) by two lengths, while Aidan O’Brien’s perceived best Epsom Derby hope Mogul (Ryan Moore), a brother of Japan, who won this race last year, was well beaten back in fourth place.

3.00pm King Edward VII Stakes (Group 2)

1 Pyledriver William Muir 3-9-00 Martin Dwyer 18/1

2 Arthur’s Kingdom Aidan O’Brien 3-9-00 Frankie Dettori 9/2

3 Mohican Heights David Simcock 3-9-00 Andrea Atzeni 4/1

Winner owned by Knox & Wells Limited And R W Devlin

6 ran

10/11 Fav Mogul (4th)
Time: 2m 32.21s
Distances: 2, 2

Elsewhere on the card, James Doyle’s mount Ennistymon (11/1) and Passion (13/2) both ran promising races in finishing second and third respectively in the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes, behind the comfortable winner, Frankly Darling.

Frankly Darling’s win in the mile and a half race gave a 50th Royal Ascot success to trainer John Gosden and a 68th to jockey Frankie Dettori.

The Anthony Oppenheimer-owned daughter of Frankel, had a length a three-quarters to spare over Irish raider Ennistymon (11/1), with the latter’s more fancied stable companion back in third.

 2.25pm Ribblesdale Stakes (Group 2)

1 Frankly Darling John Gosden 3-9-00 Frankie Dettori 11/8 Fav

2 Ennistymon Aidan O’Brien 3-9-00 James Doyle 11/1

3 Passion Aidan O’Brien 3-9-00 Ryan Moore 13/2

Winner owned by Anthony Oppenheimer

11 ran

Non-Runner: 3 Born With Pride (Going)
Time: 2m 33.29s
Distances: 1¾, 2½

Super Rugby Aotearoa – Week 1 Video Highlights

Last weekend saw New Zealand become the first country in the world to host a rugby match with a full crowd in attendance since the Covid-19 pandemic struck in March.

The new Super Rugby competition, named Investec Super Rugby Aotearoa, is a 10-week competition involving New Zealand’s five Investec Super Rugby clubs – the Blues, Chiefs, Hurricanes, Crusaders and Highlanders – playing each other home and away.

The competition kicked off on Saturday as the Highlanders hosted the Chiefs at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin, while the following day, the Blues hosted the Hurricanes at Eden Park in Auckland.

Here are the highlights from both games.

Highlanders v Chiefs

Blues v Hurricanes

Crowley lands treble on Day One of Ascot

Jim Crowley has landed a treble on Day of Royal Ascot in England. The Ascot born jockey came up trumps landing 14/1, 5/6. And 10/3 winners at the Berkshire venue on Tuesday. 

The opening race went in the way of Crowley who beat of W.R Muir and Jack’s Point a 66/1 to claim the honours. Crowley’s chances of winning appeared to be slipping away before the off as his mount Motakhayyel drifted out to 14/1 before the off. However, the Richard Hannon trained horse held on to win in the 23 runner contest. Speaking to Racing TV after the race, trainer Hannon said, “I’m going to be famous for being the first trainer to train a Royal Ascot winner behind closed doors”. Mr Hannon continued, The fact there isn’t 60,000 people here is a massive difference. Maybe there are more at home watching on television than there has been before. Maybe there is more people paying attention than if they were here having a lovely time.

“It is fantastic. What has been a gloomy few months it looks like sport is coming back in the right way and racing is adapting and we are showing we can adapt to new regulations and it is great.Crowley’s second win of the day came aboard Battaash at odds of 5/6. It was the Charles Hills trained horse third time running in this race and it was a case of third time lucky. Jim Crowley put space between the rivals in the contest and when he pushed Battaash he responded. Equilateral managed to pick up second place, with Liberty Beach back in third.

Crowley speaking after the race said to Racing TV said, Crowley said: “I had to hold him for two furlongs as he was on a bit of a going day today and wanting to charge off – my only concern was trying to get the fractions right on him as there was nothing quick enough to lead him. When the gates opened today, he was gone”.  He continued, “He’s won the big three now – the King’s Stand, the Abbaye and the Nunthorpe. Hopefully he’s not finished yet – I’m very grateful to be riding him.”

Trainer Charles Hills was over the moon with the win and said,  “He broke out of the stalls fantastic and Jim didn’t have much choice but to go forward. He always looked in command and it is a real shame Sheikh Hamdan was not here to witness it, but it is great to finally win a King’s Stand with him”. “You get slightly tense, obviously, but I’ve lived every emotion with him. We’ve been beaten in this race twice before, so three times I don’t think I could have dealt with that. His ace card is pretty much from the two to the one and he gets horses off the bridle. He gets them all going while he is still cruising”. 

Asked on future plans for where Battaash will go Hills said Goodwood looks on the cards, stating “he would be extremely proud if he won the King George Stakes (four times)”. Mr Hills said, “At the moment I would say Goodwood would be where we go next and then York. After that we’ll have to speak to Sheikh Hamdan and decide (where we go). “Whether he goes there (Breeders’ Cup) will be Sheikh Hamdan’s decision. We’ll have to see how he gets on in his next couple of races and I’m sure there’ll be a discussion about it”

Jim’s final win of the day came aboard Nazeef for John Gosden at odds of 10/3 completing a fantastic first day and a three timer for Crowley. The Duke of Cambridge stakes placing were Nazeef 1st at 10/3, followed by David O’Meara’s Agincourt at 28/1 in second place and third place going the way of Sir Michael Stoute’s Queen Power with former flat champion Silvestre De Sousa on board at 3/1. 

Action continues on Wednesday with the Hampton Court Stakes, King George V Stakes and Prince of Wales Stakes. A superb day of action ahead for sure. 

Royal Ascot timetable and Irish-trained runners on Tuesday, 16th June

Today is the opening day of Royal Ascot 2020, with the five-day festival of flat racing being held behind closed doors. There will be live coverage of all races on Sky Sports Racing, with Virgin Media One showing the key races, with its coverage starting at 1.30pm. Here is the Royal Ascot Day 1 timetable with Irish-trained entries shown.

1.15 The Buckingham Palace Stakes (Handicap) (Class 2) (0-105) 3+ £35,000 Seven furlongs

 

1.50 The Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1) 4+ £35,000 One mile

Circus Maximus (Ryan Moore) for Aidan O’Brien

 

2.25 The Ribblesdale Stakes (Group 2) 3 fillies £35,000 One mile, four furlongs

Ennistymon (James Doyle) for Aidan O’Brien

Passion (Ryan Moore) for Aidan O’Brien

 

3.00 The King Edward VII Stakes (Group 2) 3 colts & geldings £35,000 One mile, four furlongs

Arthur’s Kingdom (Frankie Dettori) for Aidan O’Brien

Mogul (Ryan Moore) for Aidan O’Brien

 

3.35 The King’s Stand Stakes (Group 1) 3+ £35,000 Five furlongs

Hit The Bid (Oisín Murphy) for Darren Bunyan

Sergei Prokofiev (Ryan Moore) for Aidan O’Brien

 

4.10 The Duke of Cambridge Stakes (Group 2) 4+ fillies & mares £35,000 One mile

 

4.40 The Ascot Stakes (Handicap) (Class 2) (0-100) 4+ £35,000 Two miles, four furlongs

 

Fairyhouse & Roscommon Racing Reports

Today was the first day two meetings were scheduled in Ireland since the resumption of racing last Monday. The afternoon’s action was at Fairyhouse, with the evening meeting going ahead at Roscommon. Incredibly the 15 races today were won by 14 trainers and 13 jockeys.

Fairyhouse

Johnny Murtagh and Gary Halpin won the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden for three-year-old colts and geldings with Koolasice (13/8f) as the son of Kodiac had seven and a half lengths to spare over Ecclesiastical. The trainer went on to complete a double when Pearl Warrior (10/1) took the Ratoath Handicap with Shane Kelly in the plate.

Trainer Tom McCourt had his third win since the resumption of racing courtesy of De Mazarro in the first division of the Meath Handicap under Niall McCullagh. Top National Hunt jockey Rachael Blackmore claimed the second division of the race on Oromo (28/1) for Karl Thornton.

Joseph O’Brien and Declan McDonogh teamed up for the opening Irish EBF Median Sires Maiden with State Of Rest (6/1), while Colin Keane’s hot spell continued as he rode a winner for Noel Meade in Powerful Ted.

Acquiescent (9/2) was a winner for John Murphy and Killian Leonard in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF (Fillies) Maiden over 6 furlongs, while Mogwli (4/1) came home in front for Willie McCreery and Nathan Crosse in the Fairyhouse Handicap.

Roscommon

The Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas-winning trainer Ger Lyons was on the score sheet again as Indicative Vote (4/1) made every yard a winning one in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction for colts and geldings under jockey Gary Carroll.

Carroll notched up a double when the Gavin Cromwell-trained Tashman (11/1) took the Ivan Connaughton Auctioneers No Sale No Fee Handicap (Division 1). Shane Foley had his 11th winner in eight days when winning the second division of the race, with Ger O’Leary’s Will Be King (14/1) providing him with another visit to the No. 1 spot.

Paddy Twomey, who had a winner at Leopardstown yesterday, had another this evening as odds-on favourite Strongbowe (5/6f), bought at the Craven Breeze-Up Sale in 2018, took the Roscommon Maiden in the hands of Billy Lee, another rider who is enjoying plenty winners at the moment.

Lee claimed at double at the Connacht track when getting handicap debutant Alexei Vronsky (3/1f) up by a nose in the Global Rossie Day On 21st June Handicap for Michael O’Callaghan.

Ronan Whelan delivered the Michael Halford-trained Slieve Bearnagh (8/1) late to edge out Golden Days by a neck in the www.roscommonracecourse.ie Handicap, while Dermot Weld saddled Zenya (7/1) to win the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden for three-year-old fillies under Oisín Orr.

Keane and Lyons win Listed races at Leopardstown

The excellent form of Colin Keane and Ger Lyons continued as the combination won both Listed prizes at Leopardstown on Sunday, with the rider ending the day with a treble.

Nickajack Cave (12/1) registered the first win of the day for Keane and Lyons in the Listed Saval Beg Levmoss Stakes as the grey Kendargent gelding made his move three furlongs out, before catching Twilight Payment (15/8f) a furlong and a half from the winning line. The winner had a length and a half to spare at the line.

Heliac (5/2f), in the Siskin colours of Prince Khalid Abdullah, won the Listed Noblesse Stakes, edging ahead of the brave Fresnel at the two furlong pole, eventually winning by a neck, with Loveisthehigherlaw a half-length back in third.

Keane rounded off his weekend in style, when winning aboard Athlumney Hall (12/1) for his father, Gerry, in the Leopardstown Handicap.

Dermot Weld had his first winner since the resumption of racing as he took the opening Leopardstown Fillies Maiden with the daughter of Siyouni, Eldama (2/1f), under Oisín Orr.

Aidan O’Brien produced a smart-looking colt in Napa Valley (11/8f) in the Leopardstown (C&G) Maiden for three-year-olds. A half-brother to former champion two-year-old filly Tiggy Wiggy, the son of Galileo was a three and a quarter lengths victor from Aztec Parade.

Dollar Value (18/1) was brave in winning the Holden Plant Rental Handicap under Niall McCullagh, with the five-year-old making all in the 12-furlong contest for trainer Tom McCourt.

Moll (9/4f) was a winning favourite on her handicap debut and first appearance for trainer Paddy Twomey in the Leopardstown Handicap for three-year-olds. Billy Lee won on the daughter of Camelot, with the rider completing a double when Andy Oliver’s Confidence High (11/8f) won for the second time in five days in the concluding seven-furlong Leopardstown Handicap.

Peaceful part of O’Brien/Heffernan four-timer at The Curragh

Last weekend, Aidan O’Brien enjoyed Qipco 1000 Guineas success with Love, this weekend he claimed the Group 1 Tattersalls 1000 Guineas with another impressive winner, Peaceful (3/1).

Peaceful, a maiden winner at Thurles last October had 14 pounds to find on the 6/5 favourite and Group 1 winning juvenile Albigna according to the ratings.

The daughter of Galileo, however, was an impressive winner on Saturday evening, providing her trainer with a ninth success in the race, and her rider, Séamie Heffernan, with his fourth.

With Valeria Messalina making the early running, the eventual winner chased her throughout before Heffernan took Peaceful to the head of the field with a furlong to race. Despite a challenge from Fancy Blue, So Wonderful and New York Girl, Heffernan’s mount stayed on well to claim a two-length victory, with the disappointing favourite Albigna never looking comfortable in the fillies’ Classic and finishing unplaced.

In what turned out to be an O’Brien family clean sweep of the first four places, the runner-up Fancy Blue (12/1) is trained by Donnacha, Aidan’s son, third-placed So Wonderful (13/2), who was a further head back, is trained at Ballydoyle by O’Brien Senior, while fourth placed filly New York Girl (14/1), another head further behind, is trained by Joseph O’Brien.

Following the race, Aidan O’Brien said:

“Donnacha (O’Brien) loved her when he won on her in Thurles last year and then she went to Newmarket and couldn’t walk a yard in the heavy ground but still kept fighting and wasn’t beaten far at the line. That’s the sign of a really good filly, she just wouldn’t lie down. She’s obviously very good.”

Peaceful’s win made her sire, Galileo, the winning-most sire of Group 1 horses since the introduction of the European pattern in 1971, as the Coolmore-based stallion claimed his 85th winner at the highest level, moving him ahead of the deceased Danehill.

Lancaster House claimed an all-the-way success in the Coolmore Calyx Gladness Stakes, providing Aidan O’Brien and Séamie Heffernan with the second leg of their Curragh four-timer. Winner of his first three outings last year, Heffernan bounced him into an early lead. With his market rival, the Joseph O’Brien-trained Speak In Colours, appearing to be travelling better a furlong out, Lancaster House (6/4) found plenty for his rider’s urgings to give O’Brien a first win in the race since Excelebration in 2012.

Snow (5/1), a sister to 2018 Doncaster St Leger winner Kew Gardens, was the Ballydoyle combination first winner of the day, as she beat her stable companion Salsa by three-quarters of a length in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden.

The much-travelled Magic Wand (4/5f) brought up the O’Brien/Heffernan four-timer when winning the final race on the card, the Lanwades Stud Stakes (Group 2) over a mile. The mare had four and a half lengths in hand on Hamariyna (11/2) with Silk Forest (11/4) another two and a quarter lengths back.

Magic Wand and Séamie Heffernan.

Jessica Harrington, whose Albigna disappointed in the Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas, won the Tally-Ho Stud Irish EBF Fillies Maiden with 30,000 guineas purchase Dickiedoods (5/2f), under Shane Foley.

Gavin Cromwell’s Mutadaffeq (16/1) won the EquiNectar Handicap when edging out Jerandme by a nose, while Edification (14/1) came home late to snatch the Irish Stallion Farms EBF “Ragusa” Handicap for Mark Fahey and jockey Gavin Ryan. .

Colin Keane, winning rider in Friday’s Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas, partnered Kieran Cotter’s Strong Johnson (7/2f) to victory in the Platinum Bloodstock & Eyrefield House Stud Handicap.

Bundesliga has set the path for football and sports to return

The German top flight resumed on May 16 and it has set the precedents for sports to return to television screens across the globe. As much of Europe’s elite clubs watched in earnest, not ot mention the millions of sport starved fans hastily finding out how to watch Bundesliga football.

Football clubs are in dire financial straits. This has been an underlying fact for quite some time and the coronavirus pandemic has now brought to the forefront. But it is now. 

Domestic leagues in Belgium, France and Netherlands were decided as is. But Germany took the more headstrong approach. They decided to resume Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga. Adjusting to the conditions and tackling whatever problems that came their way. 

Unique approaches to training have been adopted. Training in small groups is the way forward. So, are video links for team meetings. German clubs are at the forefront of global sports and they have paved the way for their resumption. 

All eyes were glued to reports from Prussia in the days leading up to May 16. Premier League bosses were interested. So, were NBA and NFL chiefs across the Atlantic. 

Three weeks in their return, Bundesliga was under scrutiny from sporting big wigs and they have come out with flying numbers. There has been little to suggest otherwise. 

As Bayern Munich continue their march to yet another domestic title, despite Borussia Dortmund’s best efforts to catch them, there is more attention to what is going behind the scenes. Prior to the restart, a lot of questions were raised. 

There was news of players and backroom staff testing positive of the deadly virus. Out of the 1,724 individuals tested, results of 10 came back positive. The good news was that none of the 10 individuals showed symptoms. The gambit paid off. Stricter measures were adopted and no such news has appeared again. With greater scrutiny, Bundesliga has set the roadmap for others to follow. 

Portugal’s Liga NOS is the first to follow suit. On June 3, Portimonense hosted Gil Vicente FC to mark the resumption of Portuguese top flight football. Games will be played over the next five days, with Rio Ave and Pacos de Ferreira playing the final fixture late on June 7. With an incident to report and only sporting action grabbing highlights, the experiment has seemed to work.

Similarly, football leagues resumed in Austria, Denmark and Greece. The doors to sporting action have been opened. But as it stands, all eyes are set on England and Spain. The two biggest leagues in club football. 

There is more revenue at stake there. Not to mention the fate of the championship winners. Liverpool have all but wrapped up the title to end their 30-year title wait. However, they still need two more wins from their remaining nine league outings. Elsewhere in the Iberian Peninsula, Barcelona and Real Madrid are locked in a battle for domestic supremacy. 

Football had to return. If it hadn’t, a lot of clubs would have gone in administration. Thousands of jobs would have come under contention. Solvency and furloughing are options that clubs have not accepted at the moment but they would have to consider it.

The beautiful game has returned but not in its entirety. You will be hard pressed to find fans in stadiums for quite some time. The risk factor is too huge. This is why social gatherings have been limited to ten or less people across the world. Bundesliga might take the lead at that too and have them in the stands sooner rather than later. Germany is returning to work in mid-June and the blanket travel ban comes off at the same time.

However, one thing is for certain. Sports as we know has changed. For better or for worse, only time will tell. 

Siskin wins Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas for Keane and Lyons

Last year’s Phoenix Stakes winner, Siskin, gave trainer Ger Lyons his first Classic when running out an impressive winner of the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh under Colin Keane.

The unbeaten colt, in the colours of Prince Khalid Abdullah, overcame trouble in running as he found himself behind the leaders, on the rail, as the race was about to unfold.

Siskin and Colin Keane win the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas.

Jockey Colin Keane kept his cool and showed great patience as he manoeuvred the eventual winner to the outside of the 11-runner field, allowing the son of First Defence show a blistering turn of foot in the closing stages.

Siskin, who had never run over the mile distance of the Guineas before, dispelled all doubts about his ability to stay eight-furlongs, as the 2-1 favourite powered on in the final half-furlong to win with a little in hand.

Vatican City, winner of a Dundalk maiden, was best of the Aidan O’Brien runners in the first Irish Classic of the season, coming home late to clinch the runner-up spot, a length and three-quarters behind the now dual Group 1 winner. Lope Y Fernandez, the more fancied of the Ballydoyle runners was third, another three-quarters of a length behind his stablemate, with another Coolmore-owned colt, Armory, in fourth.

The winning trainer said of today’s success:

“This means everything, it means 30 years’ hard graft for everybody – to win a Guineas was always my number one and hopefully it’s the first of many. That was hard work and full credit to Colin Keane. He was out there on his own today against a football team and him and the horse got it right. The horse is a legend and bailed him out.”

Ger Lyons, pictured with his first Classic winner, Siskin.

Colin Keane, who like Lyons was winning his first Classic, said of Siskin:

“He is a very straightforward horse. He got me out of trouble when I needed to quicken up, and put the race to bed. He’s a horse of dreams.”

Ger Lyons confirmed that the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas victor will not travel to Royal Ascot next week and suggested the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood as a possible next target.

Tallaght Stadium to get 7.7 million upgrade

Tallaght Stadium will become a four stand stadium with capacity now set to be 10,000. South Dublin County Council confirmed that the venue will receive a 7.7 million upgrade.

RTE Sport report that a new 2,000 seat North Stand will be built. It will include a Shamrock Rovers club shop and offices. The West Stand of the stadium is set to also be developed. This will include a corporate area. As we know Tallaght Stadium is owned by the South Dublin County Council. Shamrock Rovers play their home games here and according to RTE allowed a maximum of 40 games during the season.

The new plan was voted on and agreed on by elected members on Monday last. Tallaght Stadium has also music events in the past and they are now looking at promoting this a bit more. The stadium will now be classed as a UEFA Category 4 venue and it will be allowed to host any European competition games, including the Champions League. These would be  great matches for people to use their bonus code for new customers at bet365

South Dublin County Council released a statement saying, ‘South Dublin County Council has announced a €7.7m upgrade of Tallaght Stadium that includes the building of a new North Stand and development of the West Stand to a high-quality corporate area. The plans were agreed by elected members of the Council at the recent June Council meeting”.

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