Former jockey Carl Llewellyn has seen his training career stall but can enjoy a welcome fillip by saddling Hennessy to success in the bet365 Gold Cup Chase (3.10) at Sandown Park today.
The lightly raced eight-year-old developed into a useful staying hurdler last season and already looks just as good over fences. He jumped like an old hand when making a winning reappearance at Folkestone and, after flopping on heavy ground on his next start, returned to form with a good fifth to Tricky Trickster in the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. He faded in the closing stages there after making a rare mistake two out when in second.
Still unexposed given a test of stamina, at the right end of the handicap and with Tony McCoy taking over from an amateur in the saddle, Hennessy has plenty in his favour and looks a fair bet at the 11-1 offered by Ladbrokes.
Kalahari King has 8lb to find with Twist Magic on official ratings, but is progressing well over fences and should come out on top in the bet365.com Celebration Chase (2.35).
Beaten a short-head by Forpadydeplasterer in the Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham, Kalahari King went one better in tidy fashion when easily seeing off Tatenen at Aintree and, provided those efforts have not taken too much out of him, he will be tough to beat.
The best bet of the day is Tasheba in the bet365 Best Odds Guaranteed on Every Race Handicap Hurdle (2.05). He improved as his stamina was tested on the Flat last year and has taken really well to hurdles since joining Nicky Henderson, winning his past two starts in good style. He was particularly impressive when powering away for a five-length defeat of Mountaineer at Cheltenham last time and, with this return to farther much in his favour, Tasheba can make the most of a decent mark on his handicap debut.
On a cracking mixed card, Lovelace can land the featured Flat race, the bet365 Mile (3.45). He has been campaigned abroad since an unlucky head second to Little White Lie under top weight in the Bunbury Cup at Newmarket last July, winning in this grade at Baden Baden before losing his way a little at the end of the year. He shaped well on his reappearance when fourth on unsuitably soft ground at the Curragh and, with conditions back in his favour, looks a fair bet at the 11-1 offered by Ladbrokes.
Pipedreamer and Tartan Bearer will dominate the betting for the bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes (4.15), but with most of the field preferring to be held up, this could turn into a tactical affair and that could see Charlie Farnsbarns come out on top.
He signed off last season with a good defeat of Bankable in group three company at Newmarket and faced an impossible task from a poor draw when well beaten in the group one Dubai Duty Free on his reappearance at Nad Al Sheba. That should have put him spot-on for this test and he can make his fitness advantage tell.
Source:The times
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Absent fans insult Kenny Perry
THERE was a moment so sad in last Sunday’s final round of the Masters. Long after Kenny Perry’s over-hit chip on the 71st hole and his under-hit putt on the 72nd are forgotten, the scene as he raised his right arm after making a two on the 12th green will be in the memory. If you watched closely or were one of the few following the final pair at Augusta National, it was not Perry for whom you wanted to weep but the game.
Consider the context: Perry and Angel Cabrera were the final pairing, 17 of the previous 18 Masters winners had come from the last two to tee off and, four months short of his 49th birthday, Perry had his chance to become the oldest major champion.
Not interested? Well, consider, too, that when Perry accepted a $5,000 gift from his friend Ronnie Ferguson to get to Q-school about 232 years ago, he agreed to pay 5% of his career earnings to his church community. So far, that’s raised $1.4m and a lot of teenagers from poor backgrounds in Simpson County, Kentucky, have university scholarships.
Maybe these things don’t much matter but it’s hard not to warm to a professional golfer who borrows the money and builds a golf course that is affordable for ordinary people. Perry did that in Franklin, his home town. Green fees range from $20 to $30 at Kenny Perry’s Country Creek GC. Mostly when a top pro “designs” a golf course, his fee is part of the reason why you and I will never play it.
Then, as soon as the man speaks, the way he gently raises his right hand, open palm, after a birdie, you know you’re going to like him. Perry reminds us why some men deserve to be called gentlemen. Part of the reason he didn’t win much until his mid-40s was that he needed his three children to fly the nest before he could concentrate on golf.
Thirteen PGA Tour victories isn’t bad, he had a central role in the US’s Ryder Cup victory last year and for three days at the Masters, he played better golf than any other player. Rather than share the lead with Cabrera after 54 holes, he would have led by four or five shots had he holed a third of the birdie chances he created.
All the time it happens at Augusta, two caddies look at a putt and one says, “right edge”, the other, “an inch on the left” and both are wrong. On Augusta’s greens Perry was illiterate, a murderous handicap in an exam that lists putting as a compulsory subject.
He made plenty of good putts but sent them on errant lines. So how well did he do to be the last man to hit a tee shot on the first hole on Masters’ Sunday?
But even at that point, you could have foretold the disappointment one would feel at the 12th hole two and a half hours later. For the gallery that followed Perry and Cabrera was no more than a few hundred. You could, on the last day of the Masters, watch the leaders play their approach shots, amble up to the green and see them stroke their putts. It was like the gallery you might get for two decent players in the middle of the pack. Augusta’s patrons had eyes for only Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, even though the numbers watching meant you could barely see them.
Perry played beautifully for 11 holes. Could have made birdies at two, four, five, eight and 10, should have had birdie on seven but he made good putts on wrong lines.
Then, on the 12th, he holed a birdie putt tougher than the six he’d missed to get back into the tournament lead and the tide seemed to turn his way. He seemed to believe that and instead of the understated open-palm salute, he put his arm higher into the air and clenched his fist. As he did, he turned towards the crowd, except there was no crowd. The big stand behind the 12th tee that looks across on to the green holds maybe a thousand people. About 100 seats were occupied. It wasn’t a question of where they had all gone but why they hadn’t turned up.
At Augusta, there is a premium on good manners and old style southern civility that is charming; fans are called patrons, fans with tickets are accredited patrons, and it is routinely claimed that they are the best in the game. Nothing could be further from the reality. The empty spaces around Perry and Cabrera spoke of a tournament, however brilliant the final round, that had taken on something of the circus.
Would a vast majority of fans at the Open Championship abandon the tournament leaders to follow two players starting the day seven shots behind? Not a hope in hell.
Source:The times
Consider the context: Perry and Angel Cabrera were the final pairing, 17 of the previous 18 Masters winners had come from the last two to tee off and, four months short of his 49th birthday, Perry had his chance to become the oldest major champion.
Not interested? Well, consider, too, that when Perry accepted a $5,000 gift from his friend Ronnie Ferguson to get to Q-school about 232 years ago, he agreed to pay 5% of his career earnings to his church community. So far, that’s raised $1.4m and a lot of teenagers from poor backgrounds in Simpson County, Kentucky, have university scholarships.
Maybe these things don’t much matter but it’s hard not to warm to a professional golfer who borrows the money and builds a golf course that is affordable for ordinary people. Perry did that in Franklin, his home town. Green fees range from $20 to $30 at Kenny Perry’s Country Creek GC. Mostly when a top pro “designs” a golf course, his fee is part of the reason why you and I will never play it.
Then, as soon as the man speaks, the way he gently raises his right hand, open palm, after a birdie, you know you’re going to like him. Perry reminds us why some men deserve to be called gentlemen. Part of the reason he didn’t win much until his mid-40s was that he needed his three children to fly the nest before he could concentrate on golf.
Thirteen PGA Tour victories isn’t bad, he had a central role in the US’s Ryder Cup victory last year and for three days at the Masters, he played better golf than any other player. Rather than share the lead with Cabrera after 54 holes, he would have led by four or five shots had he holed a third of the birdie chances he created.
All the time it happens at Augusta, two caddies look at a putt and one says, “right edge”, the other, “an inch on the left” and both are wrong. On Augusta’s greens Perry was illiterate, a murderous handicap in an exam that lists putting as a compulsory subject.
He made plenty of good putts but sent them on errant lines. So how well did he do to be the last man to hit a tee shot on the first hole on Masters’ Sunday?
But even at that point, you could have foretold the disappointment one would feel at the 12th hole two and a half hours later. For the gallery that followed Perry and Cabrera was no more than a few hundred. You could, on the last day of the Masters, watch the leaders play their approach shots, amble up to the green and see them stroke their putts. It was like the gallery you might get for two decent players in the middle of the pack. Augusta’s patrons had eyes for only Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, even though the numbers watching meant you could barely see them.
Perry played beautifully for 11 holes. Could have made birdies at two, four, five, eight and 10, should have had birdie on seven but he made good putts on wrong lines.
Then, on the 12th, he holed a birdie putt tougher than the six he’d missed to get back into the tournament lead and the tide seemed to turn his way. He seemed to believe that and instead of the understated open-palm salute, he put his arm higher into the air and clenched his fist. As he did, he turned towards the crowd, except there was no crowd. The big stand behind the 12th tee that looks across on to the green holds maybe a thousand people. About 100 seats were occupied. It wasn’t a question of where they had all gone but why they hadn’t turned up.
At Augusta, there is a premium on good manners and old style southern civility that is charming; fans are called patrons, fans with tickets are accredited patrons, and it is routinely claimed that they are the best in the game. Nothing could be further from the reality. The empty spaces around Perry and Cabrera spoke of a tournament, however brilliant the final round, that had taken on something of the circus.
Would a vast majority of fans at the Open Championship abandon the tournament leaders to follow two players starting the day seven shots behind? Not a hope in hell.
Source:The times
Struggling Andrew Flintoff must have more surgery
Andrew Flintoff's humbling Indian Premier League (IPL) experience got a lot worse yesterday when he flew home for keyhole surgery on his right knee. Scans revealed a “slight medial meniscus tear” and the prognosis, given successful surgery, is a three to five-week layoff. He will miss the opening two npower Test matches of the summer against West Indies.
Already cast in an unfavourable light after a series of expensive bowling displays, Flintoff - jointly with Kevin Pietersen the IPL's highest-paid player with an auction fee of $1.55 million (about £1.05 million) - felt a niggle in his right knee at Wednesday's practice with Chennai Super Kings, but felt fit enough to play against Delhi Daredevils in Durban the next day.
It turned out to be a bad day for his pride and his body: the most expensive bowling analysis in IPL history on the pitch, nought for 50 in four overs, was inflamed by further knee trouble off it, resulting in scans analysed by Nick Pierce, the ECB's chief medical officer, who recommended surgery.
So, having played three of the six games to which he was contracted, his IPL adventure is over, although it is understood that he will keep his full £450,000 fee.
Flintoff's principal employer, the ECB, was quick to go into damage-limitation mode yesterday, no doubt expecting the flak that inevitably will come its way, given the widespread feeling that England's best players - like those of Australia - should be resting, or preparing for an Ashes summer with first-class cricket in England. Pierce emphasised that such a degenerative injury could have happened “any time, anywhere”.
Hugh Morris, the managing director of England cricket, found a way to put some positive spin on the situation by implying that the timing of the injury was almost fortuitous, given that Flintoff will be available for the Ashes and the World Twenty20. By doing so, Morris not only highlighted England's disregard for West Indies again, but also attempted to divert attention from his decision to allow England's players to compete in the IPL, which has been widely criticised.
Pierce may well be correct to imply that Flintoff could have been injured just as easily playing for Lancashire, but would he have been tearing around the outfield at Hove, sliding on his injured knee to save a boundary, as he was on Thursday? In any case, getting injured playing for the Super Kings, instead of Lancashire or England, somehow makes things worse.
Given the player's injury record and contractual situation, the ECB had every reason and right to prevent him from playing, but by cravenly capitulating to the demands of the players and the Professional Cricketers' Association, it immediately rendered worthless the central contracts - the point of which is to prevent exactly this type of thing happening. The ECB and Morris deserve all the criticism that will be thrown at them.
The players are under contract to England for a reason, and are well remunerated for a reason. The ECB ought to have asked a simple question of those who wanted to play in the IPL: do you want to be a centrally contracted player or a free agent? You cannot have it both ways.
Despite Morris's assurances, there is no guarantee that Flintoff will be fit for the start of the World Twenty20 in the first week of June. Surgery can go wrong and, being the type of bowler he is, Flintoff is always more prone to other injuries after a long layoff. Last summer, after recovering from an ankle injury, he immediately tore an intercostal muscle because his body had become soft from lack of bowling.
There is usually a high degree of sympathy when a player gets injured, particularly one as amiable and important as Flintoff, but in this instance any sympathy is tempered by the context. Flintoff is extremely wealthy and if, as he constantly assures us, England are his first priority, he did not need to take the rupee.
As for Morris and the ECB, they will wake up to a raft of people who would be well within their rights to scream: “We told you so.”
Source:The times
Already cast in an unfavourable light after a series of expensive bowling displays, Flintoff - jointly with Kevin Pietersen the IPL's highest-paid player with an auction fee of $1.55 million (about £1.05 million) - felt a niggle in his right knee at Wednesday's practice with Chennai Super Kings, but felt fit enough to play against Delhi Daredevils in Durban the next day.
It turned out to be a bad day for his pride and his body: the most expensive bowling analysis in IPL history on the pitch, nought for 50 in four overs, was inflamed by further knee trouble off it, resulting in scans analysed by Nick Pierce, the ECB's chief medical officer, who recommended surgery.
So, having played three of the six games to which he was contracted, his IPL adventure is over, although it is understood that he will keep his full £450,000 fee.
Flintoff's principal employer, the ECB, was quick to go into damage-limitation mode yesterday, no doubt expecting the flak that inevitably will come its way, given the widespread feeling that England's best players - like those of Australia - should be resting, or preparing for an Ashes summer with first-class cricket in England. Pierce emphasised that such a degenerative injury could have happened “any time, anywhere”.
Hugh Morris, the managing director of England cricket, found a way to put some positive spin on the situation by implying that the timing of the injury was almost fortuitous, given that Flintoff will be available for the Ashes and the World Twenty20. By doing so, Morris not only highlighted England's disregard for West Indies again, but also attempted to divert attention from his decision to allow England's players to compete in the IPL, which has been widely criticised.
Pierce may well be correct to imply that Flintoff could have been injured just as easily playing for Lancashire, but would he have been tearing around the outfield at Hove, sliding on his injured knee to save a boundary, as he was on Thursday? In any case, getting injured playing for the Super Kings, instead of Lancashire or England, somehow makes things worse.
Given the player's injury record and contractual situation, the ECB had every reason and right to prevent him from playing, but by cravenly capitulating to the demands of the players and the Professional Cricketers' Association, it immediately rendered worthless the central contracts - the point of which is to prevent exactly this type of thing happening. The ECB and Morris deserve all the criticism that will be thrown at them.
The players are under contract to England for a reason, and are well remunerated for a reason. The ECB ought to have asked a simple question of those who wanted to play in the IPL: do you want to be a centrally contracted player or a free agent? You cannot have it both ways.
Despite Morris's assurances, there is no guarantee that Flintoff will be fit for the start of the World Twenty20 in the first week of June. Surgery can go wrong and, being the type of bowler he is, Flintoff is always more prone to other injuries after a long layoff. Last summer, after recovering from an ankle injury, he immediately tore an intercostal muscle because his body had become soft from lack of bowling.
There is usually a high degree of sympathy when a player gets injured, particularly one as amiable and important as Flintoff, but in this instance any sympathy is tempered by the context. Flintoff is extremely wealthy and if, as he constantly assures us, England are his first priority, he did not need to take the rupee.
As for Morris and the ECB, they will wake up to a raft of people who would be well within their rights to scream: “We told you so.”
Source:The times
Dirk Kuyt's brace keeps pressure on United
Dirk Kuyt struck twice as title-chasing Liverpool ground out a crucial Barclays Premier League victory at Hull.
The away side were given a rigorous test by relegation-threatened Hull, who were reduced to 10 men, but held on to keep the pressure on Manchester United at the top of the table.
Kuyt put Liverpool 2-0 up after a controversial Xabi Alonso strike in the first half but Hull battled hard and pulled one back through Geovanni after Caleb Folan was sent off.
But Kuyt sealed the win in the closing minutes from close range.Liverpool, perhaps feeling the pace after Tuesday's pulsating 4-4 draw with Arsenal, were second best for large periods.
Hull sensed they had nothing to lose but their performance should at least offer encouragement for their remaining four games.
Yossi Benayoun created the first opening with a weaving run into the box but his shot was blocked and Fernando Torres lifted the rebound over the bar.
Benayoun, who has emerged as a strong creative force in the continued absence of the inspirational Steven Gerrard, then curled another shot over soon after.
Yet Hull, anxious for points after just one win in 17, showed an energy that belied their position and Folan spurned a chance when he failed to control in the area.
Jose Manuel Reina also needed to deal with a dipping cross from Craig Fagan and Dean Marney scuffed a 20-yard shot after being put clear by Geovanni on halfway.
Geovanni went closer himself with a ferocious shot after a clearance fell to him 30 yards out, his half-volley flashing just wide of target.
Hull also tested the Liverpool defence with a corner and a couple of long Sam Ricketts throws during a prolonged spell on the front foot but a final touch was lacking.
Geovanni then seized on a poor Reina throw only to slip as he looked to deliver a cross and Lucas almost caught the hosts on the counter-attack when he screwed a shot wide.
Kuyt then tried his luck with a fizzing a shot from the edge of the box but Boaz Myhill was not tested.
Liverpool finally made the breakthrough in the last minute of the first half, although Hull were far from happy when Javier Mascherano was ruled to have been fouled on the edge of the area.
Alonso fired the resulting free-kick into the wall but the rebound fell kindly and the Spaniard lashed home from 25 yards.
Hull continued their protests after the half-time whistle and Barmby was booked for dissent by referee Martin Atkinson.
The second half began tamely with Torres firing one half-chance too high and clipping another just over.
But the atmosphere changed markedly just before the hour as Folan was sent off for kicking out at the recalled Martin Skrtel and Atkinson threatened to lose control.
There could be no debate about the red card after Folan tussled with the defender trying to intercept a Jamie Carragher pass and then lashed out as the Slovakian went to ground.
Hull were furious at a perceived injustice and Fagan was booked moments later for clashing with Skrtel.
The hosts then switched off after Kamil Zayatte conceded a corner and a weak clearance allowed Skrtel to shoot and Kuyt to turn in the misdirected effort.
Hull still felt aggrieved and Atkinson was under intense pressure as the tackles flew in and the crowd scrutinised his every decision.
Hull manager Phil Brown had attempted to shake things up just before Kuyt's goal by introducing Daniel Cousin and Bernard Mendy and the pair combined for Geovanni to score after 73 minutes.
Mendy found Cousin with a long ball and the Gabon striker raced into the area before pulling back for an unmarked Geovanni to turn in.
It was the least Hull deserved but Torres almost finished them off on 80 minutes when he headed against the bar from a Kuyt cross.
Kuyt wrapped up the points two minutes from time from in front of goal after Alvaro Arbeloa's deflected shot was pushed out by Myhill.
Source:The times
The away side were given a rigorous test by relegation-threatened Hull, who were reduced to 10 men, but held on to keep the pressure on Manchester United at the top of the table.
Kuyt put Liverpool 2-0 up after a controversial Xabi Alonso strike in the first half but Hull battled hard and pulled one back through Geovanni after Caleb Folan was sent off.
But Kuyt sealed the win in the closing minutes from close range.Liverpool, perhaps feeling the pace after Tuesday's pulsating 4-4 draw with Arsenal, were second best for large periods.
Hull sensed they had nothing to lose but their performance should at least offer encouragement for their remaining four games.
Yossi Benayoun created the first opening with a weaving run into the box but his shot was blocked and Fernando Torres lifted the rebound over the bar.
Benayoun, who has emerged as a strong creative force in the continued absence of the inspirational Steven Gerrard, then curled another shot over soon after.
Yet Hull, anxious for points after just one win in 17, showed an energy that belied their position and Folan spurned a chance when he failed to control in the area.
Jose Manuel Reina also needed to deal with a dipping cross from Craig Fagan and Dean Marney scuffed a 20-yard shot after being put clear by Geovanni on halfway.
Geovanni went closer himself with a ferocious shot after a clearance fell to him 30 yards out, his half-volley flashing just wide of target.
Hull also tested the Liverpool defence with a corner and a couple of long Sam Ricketts throws during a prolonged spell on the front foot but a final touch was lacking.
Geovanni then seized on a poor Reina throw only to slip as he looked to deliver a cross and Lucas almost caught the hosts on the counter-attack when he screwed a shot wide.
Kuyt then tried his luck with a fizzing a shot from the edge of the box but Boaz Myhill was not tested.
Liverpool finally made the breakthrough in the last minute of the first half, although Hull were far from happy when Javier Mascherano was ruled to have been fouled on the edge of the area.
Alonso fired the resulting free-kick into the wall but the rebound fell kindly and the Spaniard lashed home from 25 yards.
Hull continued their protests after the half-time whistle and Barmby was booked for dissent by referee Martin Atkinson.
The second half began tamely with Torres firing one half-chance too high and clipping another just over.
But the atmosphere changed markedly just before the hour as Folan was sent off for kicking out at the recalled Martin Skrtel and Atkinson threatened to lose control.
There could be no debate about the red card after Folan tussled with the defender trying to intercept a Jamie Carragher pass and then lashed out as the Slovakian went to ground.
Hull were furious at a perceived injustice and Fagan was booked moments later for clashing with Skrtel.
The hosts then switched off after Kamil Zayatte conceded a corner and a weak clearance allowed Skrtel to shoot and Kuyt to turn in the misdirected effort.
Hull still felt aggrieved and Atkinson was under intense pressure as the tackles flew in and the crowd scrutinised his every decision.
Hull manager Phil Brown had attempted to shake things up just before Kuyt's goal by introducing Daniel Cousin and Bernard Mendy and the pair combined for Geovanni to score after 73 minutes.
Mendy found Cousin with a long ball and the Gabon striker raced into the area before pulling back for an unmarked Geovanni to turn in.
It was the least Hull deserved but Torres almost finished them off on 80 minutes when he headed against the bar from a Kuyt cross.
Kuyt wrapped up the points two minutes from time from in front of goal after Alvaro Arbeloa's deflected shot was pushed out by Myhill.
Source:The times
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