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Ballydoyle horses may compete at Australia’s Spring Racing Carnival

Coolmore is hoping that its top-class European horses will be able to compete in this year’s Spring Racing Carnival in Australia.

Coolmore Australia’s Tom Magnier said Ballydoyle Aidan O’Brien was weighing up Melbourne campaigns for several horses despite uncertainty as to how Covid-19 will affect the international movement of horses, their grooms and riders.

Speaking to RSN927 Radio in Australia this week, Tom Magnier said:

“I was talking to Aidan and we’re mad keen to get the horses down here for the Spring Carnival so hopefully that’s going to happen. We’ve never won a Melbourne Cup so we’re very keen to get one of those.”

Magnier, who oversees the Coolmore operation in Australia, continued:

“We have a very good team at Ballydoyle and Coolmore and we’d love to bring all the staff out but logistically, we’re not sure what is going on at the moment and we’re in talks with the various bodies. If we can get the people and the horses and the jockeys out here, then we will but it’s an unknown at this stage.”

It is believed horses such as the well-travelled Magic Wand, a winner of the McKinnon Stakes in Australia last year, Tattersalls Gold Cup runner-up Sir Dragonet, as well as three-year-old Nobel Prize are possible travellers Down Under, if allowed, with a single shipment of horses from Europe currently booked to arrive in Melbourne in early October.

Galway Plate: A look at the 22 runners

With the Galway Plate set to get underway let’s take a brief look at the 22 runners in the race. Gordon Elliott and Willie Mullins  dominate the field. Let’s take a look below.

1. Galvin – The 4/1 favourite is the selection of Davy Russell for Gordon Elliott. Galvin finished 2nd at Cheltenham Festival in March. Has since won at Killarney.

2. Royal Rendezvous – Is 5/1 to land the Galway Plate for team Mullins. Paul Townend is booked for the ride and is obviously the stables first string based on that. Won a Grade 3 at Naas 4 months ago. Makes handicap chase debut here.

3. Early Doors – The pick of Mark Walsh for Joseph O’Brien and JP McManus. Defied top weight in the Martin Pipe at Cheltenham in 2019. Will wear headgear here at odds of 8/1.

4. Easy Game – Another of Willie Mullins’ this time Patrick will take the ride. Has an each way shout at 10/1 for sure. Makes handicap chase debut.

5. Spyglass Hill – The selection for Rachel Blackmore for Henry De Bromhead. At 10/1 is again worth an each way bet. Won at Gowran in February over 2m 4f.

6. Three Musketeers – Another from the Elliott Yard with CP McNamara taking the ride. Is a Grade 3 winner over Aintree and could go close if repeating last performance at Kilbeggan at the beginning OF July. Currently 12/1.

7. Peregrine Run – I really like this horse. Impressive record with 17 wins from 40 NH races. Won a Grade 3 at Killarney 3 weeks ago. In good form and expect a good run at 14/1.

8. The Storyteller – Another from the Elliott yard. This time Sean O’Keeffe takes the ride. Finished 2nd at Cheltenham in the Pertemps in March. Each way chances at 16/1.

9. Robin Des Foret – Mikey Fogarty is on board here for Willie Mullins. Finished behind Peregrine Run on latest start at Killarney. Paul Townend prefers Royal Rendezvous though.

10. US and Them – JJ Slevin takes the ride here for his cousin Joseph O’Brien. Horse finished 3rd in the Grand Annual at Cheltenham. Will like the test of stamina. Current odds of 16/1.

11. Snuggsborough Benny – Liam Cusack’s horse here was poor last time out at Kilbeggan finishing last over 3m. Has won over this course and distance though. 18/1 are current odds.

12. Livelovelaugh – DJ Mullins gets aboard Livelovelaugh for Willie Mullins and Rich Ricci. Has a poor strike rate over fences. Not one I would consider.

13. Blazer – Jody McGarvey is on board for Willie Mullins here. For me this horse has poor strike with just 1 win from 12 races. Again, not for me.

14. The Big Lense – Luke Dempsey gets the ride on The Big Lense for Gordon Elliott. This horse has unseated the rider twice in the last three races. Finished 5th of 14 in latest race at Kilbeggan on July 10th.

15. Jett – Robbie Power and Jessie Harrington team up here. Jett is 28/1 and is top weight here so that will be difficult.

The remaining runners in the race include Mortal for Joseph O’Brien and Higgins Town. Oakley Brown takes the ride. Mark will not help here though. Sub Lieutenant, Dinons, Cabaret Queen, Cap York and Winter Escape complete the field at odds ranging up to 50/1.

Whatever you plan on doing, bet responsibly and enjoy the race.

GPA turns over €7.5 million in revenue in 2019

The Gaelic Players Association (GPA) has turned over €7.5 million and the average salary for the 10 employees is €65,000 according to their 2019 annual report.

RTE state that the Gaelic Players Association programmes and player welfare programmes accounted for 81% of that total. This coming in at just over €2.6 million. However, the accounts show that comphrensive income dropped significantly from €306,300 in 2018 to just €87,674 in 2019. Employment costs came in at €647,127, meaning an average salary of just short of €65,000 as reported above.

In terms of player development 1448 players engaged in programes. This represents a 31% increase on that of 2018. When this was broken it was found that  on average 121 players per month or six every day of the week.

Grants of €3m from the government accounted for 40% of revenue. Commercial income brought in around €1m, while the Gaelic Players Association own fundraising activities accounted for 8% of overall revenue. €611,994 was also raised through different activities such as New York and Boston GAA dinners. Former Dublin player and GPA CEO Paul Flynn said, player welfare will continue to be the focus of everything the GPA does.

He said, “My priority is keeping you at the centre of all our actions and to reinforce our three core pillars of pPlayer representation, player development and player welfare. These pillars, with the player at the centre of everything we do, will continue to be our focus”. Mr Flynn continued, “We believe that we need to work towards building a modern form of sustainable amateurism where you have balance between your playing, personal and professional lives.”

The full report can be viewed on the Gaelic Players Association official website. 

Russia bid for 2027 Rugby World Cup

Russian president Vladimir Putin has backed a bid to host the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

Russia Rugby federation have confirmed the news that they will bid to stage the worldwide event. The Russian bid comes after Argentina dropped out of the running. Pichot, former player was quoted saying in April, “We discussed it with Australia and we thought it was not good for us to compete against our partner,” Argentine Pichot was quoted as saying”. “So we decided to just let Australia run because they also had a stronger project.”

The official host bidding officially gets underway in February 2021. The decision on who will host the tournament is expected in May 2022. The Russian Rugby Federation said in a statement,” On July 24, the supreme council of the Russian Rugby Federation established a committee to prepare an application to host the Rugby World Cup in Russia in 2027,”.

Anticipating the creation of the committee, chairman of the supreme council of the Russian Rugby Federation Igor Artemyev recalled that the initiative to prepare an application to host the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Russia was supported by the president of Russia at the council for the development of physical culture and sports.

The statement continued ,”The necessary consultations were held with the participation of the ministry of sports. By the end of this year detailed information and criteria for the application are expected.”

The 2023 tournament is to be held in France. After the French held off competition from Ireland and South Africa. Japan hosted the 2019 equivalent in which South Africa claimed the title beating England in the final 32-12.

Top local football clubs in the Republic Of Ireland

There are currently more than 4 million people living in the Republic of Ireland and it has a football system with 12 levels and three classifications, including “senior,” “intermediate,” and “junior.”

Each football is also rated by location – county, provincial,  and national.” Most of the information is not important to Irish football fans, but it plays a major role in keeping Ireland’s association football fair and square. A list of the top Republic of Ireland Association Football Clubs is provided in the article below.

 

Ayrfield United F.C.

Aryfield United is based in Coolock. The football club is part of the Athletic Union League (AUL), which oversees 13 divisions in the Republic of Ireland. Aryfield United was established in 1977. Now, the football has about 100 players split between three senior teams – U8, U9, and U16.

Locals living in and around Coolock support Aryfield United. The support goes much deeper than the location. The football club provides support for its community in many ways. It is difficult to ignore how Aryfield United has helped its local community and its many wonderful citizens.

St. Kevin’s Boys F.C.

St Kevin’s Boys football club is based in Santry, a Dublin suburb bordering Glasnevin, Ballymun, Coolock, and Kilmore. The football is about 22 years older than Ayrfield United, being established in 1959 by Father Desmond Williams. After establishing the football, Williams earned the title “Bishop.”

When Irish association football fans are not watching their favorite football clubs in action, they spend their time playing games online at websites like Kasyno. Sites like this not only offer hours of entertainment, but also plenty of opportunities to earn extra cash that can be utilized for road trips, personal expenses, college, and shopping adventures.

St. Kevin’s Boys oversees several Saturday Mini Coaching Leagues – Annual Road and Little Saint Coaching Academy. Members of the team also conduct “Coaching” seminars for locals interested in becoming involved in association football. 

The football club has expanded greatly over the year. So much so, it finally outgrew its former facilities. Today, St. Kevin’s Boys has a large club complex that consists of a large lecture room, several meeting rooms, all-weather indoor/outdoor training surfaces, and eight dressing rooms. 

The football club has so far invested more than €540,000 into its new club facilities, which is great for year-round practices and training camps.

Killumney United F.C.

Killumney United is based in the village of Killumney in County Cork. While Killumney United is but a small football club, it has fans all throughout the Republic of Ireland. The football club is only 32 years old, as it was established in 1988. Over the years, Killumney United has undergone many changes and overcome a broad range of struggles. 

The players and coaching staff now describe Killumney United as a “thriving, vibrant club.” In 2012, the football club won the AOH Cup. It repeated the win in 2020, defeating Park United 1-0. David Kenny was the player responsible for the big win.

Athenry F.C.

Athenry is a small football club based in the town of Athenry in County Galway. While the football club is small, it continues to grow stronger and draw in more fans with every game. The football biggest achievement was in 2006 when it reached the final round of the FAI Junior Cup. In 2007, Athenry won the Galway & District League championship, which was its first such win.

The football club repeated the win in three other seasons – 2007-08, 2009-10, and 2014-15. Athenry is about 49 years old, as it was established in 1971. While the football club is not as old as some of the other Republic of Ireland association football clubs, it has accomplished a lot in 49 years. The players and coaching staff do not plan on giving up any time soon. In fact, everyone involved with the football club continues pushing to win more and more cups.

Athenry gives back to its local community in many ways. Many players help out in the community as often as possible. But, they spend most of their time training and practicing. 

Conclusion

Other popular association football clubs in Ireland include the Bohemians, Derry City, Dundalk, Shelbourne, Wexford, Cork United, Dublin United, Greystones United, Wayside Celtic, and TED United. If you are not a football fan yet, it is guaranteed that you will be after watching on five minutes of these teams in action.

 

Battleground wins Group 2 Vintage Stakes at Goodwood

Battleground (13/8f) won the Group 2 Veuve Clicquot Vintage Stakes over seven furlongs at Goodwood for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore.

The two-year-old, a son of war Front, out of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Found, was a comfortable winner, having been held up early on in the contest behind front runner King Zain.

The Coolmore partners-owned colt took up the running a furlong from home and had two lengths to spare at the end over the runner-up Devious Company (4/1), with Youth Spirit (13/2) a further length and a quarter back in third.

Winning trainer Aidan O’Brien, speaking to the media via Zoom, said of the winner:

“This was his second run after Ascot – we were very happy with him at home. The ground was lovely and safe. He’s a horse we’ve always loved. He’s very genuine (like his mother), a big powerful horse.”

The Chesham Stakes winner at Royal Ascot is now likely go for the Group 1 National Stakes at The Curragh on Longines Irish Champions Weekend.

The victory gave the Ballydoyle handler his third win in the Vintage Stakes, having taken the race previously with Highland Reel in 2014 and War Decree in 2016.

Ireland announce squad for ODI match against England

Ireland have announced a 14 player squad ahead of the ODI opener against England. Thursday will be the first of three one game internationals against the English.

Given the circumstances a 14 man squad can be selected to face the world champions. The 14 man squad allows for substitutions to be made at any stage. Ireland also have a travelling squad of 22 players in Southampton, while any of the eight reserve players can be brought in to subsequent matches.

Boyd Rankin is named in the squad despite having conceded 47 runs in 5 overs last weekend. However, Mark Adair has not been named in squad as he conceded 74 runs in 8 overs in a comeback from injury against England Lions on Sunday last. Chair of the National men’s selectors, Andrew White said, “As fans are aware, Mark underwent surgery earlier this year, and while that was successful, it has unfortunately meant that he is not yet back to the level that we need him at for international cricket”.

The team will likely seem some debutant for the game. Curtis Campher has been called up to the squad. He turned in a fantastic performance against Namibia for the Ireland Wolves in February. Harry Tector could also make his debut for Ireland. He has played in T20 internationals for Ireland and shown the qualities needed for international cricket. White said, “These ODIs are not only a great opportunity for our squad to test themselves against the world champions, but are extremely important in the context of qualification for the 2023 Cricket World Cup”.

Games

30 July: 1st ODI v England (day/night, starts 2pm)

1 August: 2nd ODI v England (day/night, starts 2pm)

4 August: 3rd ODI v England (day/night, starts 2pm)

Updated Athletics Timetable for Tokyo Olympics

Both the women’s and men’s marathon victory ceremonies will both be held during the Closing Ceremony at the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the updated athletics timetable for next year’s Olympics has confirmed.

Inclusion of the marathon medal presentations in the Closing Ceremony will cap the 10-day athletics programme unveiled today, which follows the timetable previously announced for the 32nd Summer Olympic Games prior to their postponement in March.

The programme commences on Friday 30 July, 2021 with the opening round of the men’s 3000m steeplechase and concludes on the final day of the Games, Sunday 8 August, with the men’s marathon in Sapporo, capital of the mountainous northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. In between, competition will be spread over 16 sessions at Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium.

Athletics figures prominently in both of the Games’ ‘Super Saturdays’, with three finals – the men’s discus throw, women’s 100m and the inaugural mixed 4x400m relay – scheduled for 31 August.

Another seven athletics titles will be decided on Saturday 7 August, among 34 event finals scheduled for that day, the highest single day number during the Games. ‘Golden Sunday’ on 31 July, will include 25 medal events in all, capped by the men’s 100m final.

As announced in October, Sapporo will host the marathons and race walks as part of a wide range of measures taken by Tokyo 2020 organisers in consultation with the IOC and international federations to mitigate the effects of the high temperatures which may occur in Tokyo.

The qualification principles remain unchanged with athletes able to qualify through entry standards and then the World Athletics World Rankings.

Athletes who have already met the entry standard since the start of the qualification period in 2019 remain qualified and will be eligible for selection by their respective Member Federations and National Olympic Committees, together with the other athletes who will qualify within the extended qualification period.

Due to the uneven training and competition opportunities around the world during the coronavirus pandemic, World Athletics announced on 7 April that the qualification period (for all events) was suspended from 6 April to 30 November 2020.

Northern Ireland Open added to European Challenge Tour Schedule

The Northern Ireland Open supported by The R&A will be added to the European Challenge Tour’s 2020 Road to Mallorca schedule from September 3-6.

The event at Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort, which is an established venue on the Challenge Tour, having hosted events every season since 2013, most recently the ISPS Handa World Invitational Men | Women presented by Modest! Golf Management in 2019, will have a €200,000 prize fund and will be the first of two back to back events on the island of Ireland, with the Irish Challenge following on September 10-13 at a venue to be confirmed. This follows the overall Challenge Tour strategy for the reshaped 2020 season of playing events in regional clusters where possible.

The tournament will be supported by The R&A Covid-19 Support Fund, a £7million package to help golf deal with the impact of the global pandemic. The R&A’s Fund is providing an additional £300,000 in support of the Challenge Tour in 2020 on top of its existing annual grant.

Five-time European Tour and three-time Challenge Tour winner Michael Hoey competing in the Northern Ireland Open at Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort. Credit: PressEye.

Jamie Hodges, Head of the Challenge Tour, said: “We are delighted to be able to add the Northern Ireland Open supported by The R&A to the 2020 schedule as we continue to reshape the season due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The R&A is dedicated to supporting golf and its additional support this year has been crucial in helping us to stage this event.

Following the suspension of the season in February, the Challenge Tour re-started with the first of two dual ranking events in Austria last week – the Austrian Open, won by Scotland’s Marc Warren, followed by the Euram Bank Open.

The Northern Ireland Open supported by The R&A is the next scheduled event from September 3-6, with details of further events from September through to the end of the season to be confirmed in due course.

Co-Op Superstores to sponsor Cork County Hurling Championships

Cork GAA has announced Dairygold Co-Op Superstores as the title sponsor of the Cork County Hurling Championships 2020.

The Co-Op Superstores Cork County Hurling Championships will commence this Friday, 31st July with a busy weekend of games. The Championships will include three weekends of group games, with close to thirty games each weekend, followed by the knock-out stages which will culminate in the county finals in Páirc Uí Chaoimh later this autumn.

Tracey Kennedy, Chairperson Cork County Board and Liam O’Flaherty, Dairygold, at the launch of the Co-Op Superstores Cork County Hurling Championships. Credit: Jim Coughlan.

Speaking at the launch in Midleton, Tracey Kennedy, Chairperson of Cork GAA, said:

“This is a very exciting partnership, and particularly welcome this year as we launch our new county championship structure. The Co-Op Superstores brand has roots in almost every community across our county and is a particularly fitting sponsor for our County Hurling Championships. I look forward to a hugely exciting and attractive programme of games ahead and it is fantastic to have Co-op Superstores on board with us. My thanks to everyone involved in making this happen.”

This weekend’s fixtures details for the Co-Op Superstores Cork County Senior A Hurling Championship can be found here.

 

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