The Magic Weekend will be back at Murrayfield next year, almost certainly with a resumption of the derby fixtures that comprised the first two years of the event in Cardiff, to build on the success of taking a full round of engage Super League fixtures to Edinburgh.
There is an acceptance by the RFL that some of the fixtures this time — the product of a draw — were uninspiring and that the biggest draw card was the only derby of the weekend, between Wigan Warriors and St Helens. Rather than building to a climax, the aggregate 59,749 crowd for the two days was at its most sparse for the last of the four matches on Sunday night.
It is likely to mean a revival of the local rivalries, between Hull and Hull Kingston Rovers, Leeds Rhinos and Bradford Bulls, and Castleford Tigers and Wakefield Wildcats, although there is an argument to stagger the derbies over two years and mix and match the fixtures.
Whatever the misgivings about the concept expressed by a handful of leading players, the Magic event has established its place in the calendar, and given the economic climate, a marginally lower attendance than last year for the first time in Scotland was a satisfactory outcome for the RFL and Scottish Rugby Union (SRU), which had courted the event and was delighted by the response.
The Edinburgh economy received a £10 million boost and the SRU has an option for a third year in 2011, although the impetus for a possible “Geordie Magic” bid at St James’ Park would grow were Newcastle United to be relegated from the Barclays Premier League.
Wigan’s first win over St Helens in two years has not yet secured Brian Noble a new contract for 2010, but he is anxious to extend his tenure as coach. “I absolutely want to stay,” he said. “We’ve made some massive strides the last three years. We’ve a team that, if it applies itself, can go on to win trophies for years to come.”
Source:The times
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Epsom celebrates new Derby sponsorship
Barely a month before the race, and against considerable odds, Epsom has acquired a new Derby sponsor. Not just any old short-term sponsor, either, but a blue-chip private bank prepared to back the two-day Derby meeting for five years. It must feel like a cup-winning goal in injury-time.
With the marketplace so depressed and the timescale so tight, even senior figures at Epsom and its parent group, Jockey Club Racecourses, had been publicly preparing the ground for a year without sponsorship of the greatest classic. Then, within days, a late deal was done with the specialist banking group Investec, whose most prominent sporting identity has been the autumn rugby internationals at Twickenham.
It may not have been struck at the financial level Epsom had originally pitched but it is nevertheless a triumph to recruit an international brand, new to the sport, for a long-term partnership. Nick Blofeld, the managing director at Epsom, said: “It's a good deal for us in the current market, one that should enable us to uphold prize money levels and take the meeting forward.”
Blofeld has worked tirelessly through the frustrations of trying to sell such a high-profile sponsorship in a discouraging financial climate. However, the conduit for the deal was Sir David Prosser, a non-executive director of both Investec and Epsom.
“Investec were one of the companies we'd spoken with some time ago and it was Sir David who suggested we went back to them,” Blofeld said. “We had a detailed meeting with their marketing team at the racecourse and they were impressed by our new facilities. This has all happened within the last fortnight and although we recognise it's very close to this year's meeting, the five-year term allows us to plan ahead.”
Blofeld speaks of the partnership being “a good fit”, explaining: “They have a good feeling for the history of the race but they are also quite quirky and creative on the marketing side and keen to take racing to a wider audience.” There is also a racing link, as Bernard Kantor, Investec's managing director, has horses trained by William Haggas and Mike de Kock.
This will be an informative week of Derby rehearsals, notably for Aidan O'Brien. Fame And Glory is to run at Leopardstown on Sunday and O'Brien has entered Age Of Aquarius and Masterofthehorse in Lingfield's Derby Trial the previous day.
Luca Cumani went to Epsom with a live Derby hope last year but Curtain Call could finish only tenth. The colt won for the first time since at the Curragh yesterday, confirming the health of a stable that fields Fantasia in the French 1,000 Guineas on Sunday.
Source:The times
With the marketplace so depressed and the timescale so tight, even senior figures at Epsom and its parent group, Jockey Club Racecourses, had been publicly preparing the ground for a year without sponsorship of the greatest classic. Then, within days, a late deal was done with the specialist banking group Investec, whose most prominent sporting identity has been the autumn rugby internationals at Twickenham.
It may not have been struck at the financial level Epsom had originally pitched but it is nevertheless a triumph to recruit an international brand, new to the sport, for a long-term partnership. Nick Blofeld, the managing director at Epsom, said: “It's a good deal for us in the current market, one that should enable us to uphold prize money levels and take the meeting forward.”
Blofeld has worked tirelessly through the frustrations of trying to sell such a high-profile sponsorship in a discouraging financial climate. However, the conduit for the deal was Sir David Prosser, a non-executive director of both Investec and Epsom.
“Investec were one of the companies we'd spoken with some time ago and it was Sir David who suggested we went back to them,” Blofeld said. “We had a detailed meeting with their marketing team at the racecourse and they were impressed by our new facilities. This has all happened within the last fortnight and although we recognise it's very close to this year's meeting, the five-year term allows us to plan ahead.”
Blofeld speaks of the partnership being “a good fit”, explaining: “They have a good feeling for the history of the race but they are also quite quirky and creative on the marketing side and keen to take racing to a wider audience.” There is also a racing link, as Bernard Kantor, Investec's managing director, has horses trained by William Haggas and Mike de Kock.
This will be an informative week of Derby rehearsals, notably for Aidan O'Brien. Fame And Glory is to run at Leopardstown on Sunday and O'Brien has entered Age Of Aquarius and Masterofthehorse in Lingfield's Derby Trial the previous day.
Luca Cumani went to Epsom with a live Derby hope last year but Curtain Call could finish only tenth. The colt won for the first time since at the Curragh yesterday, confirming the health of a stable that fields Fantasia in the French 1,000 Guineas on Sunday.
Source:The times
Max Mosley's son found dead from suspected overdose
The elder son of F1 chief Max Mosley has been found dead from a suspected drugs overdose.
Alexander Mosley, 39, was confirmed dead after police were called to his home in Notting Hill, West London, yesterday afternoon.
A police spokesman said that the body of a male in his late thirties had been discovered by officers. Police were called by a relative who discovered Dr Mosley, a respected economist, collapsed in a room. Paramedics were called but could not revive him and he was declared dead at the scene.
Steve Abrams, 70, a retired psychologist who lives opposite the house, told thelondonpaper: “I saw two men go into the flat and about an hour later there were rows of police outside and an ambulance. They stayed for a couple of hours and I wasn’t sure what was going on.”
Mr Mosley, a former pupil at Westminster School and an Oxford graduate, co-founded the Hereford Road restaurant in Westbourne Grove two years ago with school friend and chef Tom Pemberton.
Friend Alexia Collen said: “He was a beautiful person and that’s all I can say.”
Others described him as a “maths genius” but said he had previously battled drug problems.
The death is not being treated as suspicious but police are not formally identifying the victim as not all next of kin have been informed.
Scotland Yard said: "We were called at 16.20pm on Tuesday to reports of a male found dead at a property in W11. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The man is in his late thirties.
"We believe we know the identity of the deceased. The Coroner's office has been informed."
As the president of the world governing body of motorsport, the Fédération Internationale de l’Auto-mobile (FIA), Max Mosley is one of the most powerful men in world motor racing.
He faced a stream of lurid headlines last year when The News of the World reported how the 69-year-old spent five hours with five prostitutes in an underground “torture chamber” in Chelsea indulging in sado-masochistic sex.
The son of the Fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley he married a policeman's daughter Joan Taylor at the age of 20 and was called to the bar in 1964. A career in law did not appeal and a life in politics proved impossible because of his ancestry.
His wife introduced him to motor racing by taking him to see the British driver Stirling Moss and and he worked his way up the hierarchy throughout the 1970s and 80s. The couple had two sons - Alexander and Patrick, who was born in 1972. His wife and sons were said to have been devastated by the revelations about Mr Mosley's sexual activities.
He was elected president of FIA in 1993 and, after four successive terms in office, he resisted calls to resign after the and has vowed to stay until October 2009.
A spokesman for London Ambulance confirmed they were called just after 4pm to a domestic address and sent an ambulance and a fast response car "but sadly the patient was dead".
Source:The times
Alexander Mosley, 39, was confirmed dead after police were called to his home in Notting Hill, West London, yesterday afternoon.
A police spokesman said that the body of a male in his late thirties had been discovered by officers. Police were called by a relative who discovered Dr Mosley, a respected economist, collapsed in a room. Paramedics were called but could not revive him and he was declared dead at the scene.
Steve Abrams, 70, a retired psychologist who lives opposite the house, told thelondonpaper: “I saw two men go into the flat and about an hour later there were rows of police outside and an ambulance. They stayed for a couple of hours and I wasn’t sure what was going on.”
Mr Mosley, a former pupil at Westminster School and an Oxford graduate, co-founded the Hereford Road restaurant in Westbourne Grove two years ago with school friend and chef Tom Pemberton.
Friend Alexia Collen said: “He was a beautiful person and that’s all I can say.”
Others described him as a “maths genius” but said he had previously battled drug problems.
The death is not being treated as suspicious but police are not formally identifying the victim as not all next of kin have been informed.
Scotland Yard said: "We were called at 16.20pm on Tuesday to reports of a male found dead at a property in W11. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The man is in his late thirties.
"We believe we know the identity of the deceased. The Coroner's office has been informed."
As the president of the world governing body of motorsport, the Fédération Internationale de l’Auto-mobile (FIA), Max Mosley is one of the most powerful men in world motor racing.
He faced a stream of lurid headlines last year when The News of the World reported how the 69-year-old spent five hours with five prostitutes in an underground “torture chamber” in Chelsea indulging in sado-masochistic sex.
The son of the Fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley he married a policeman's daughter Joan Taylor at the age of 20 and was called to the bar in 1964. A career in law did not appeal and a life in politics proved impossible because of his ancestry.
His wife introduced him to motor racing by taking him to see the British driver Stirling Moss and and he worked his way up the hierarchy throughout the 1970s and 80s. The couple had two sons - Alexander and Patrick, who was born in 1972. His wife and sons were said to have been devastated by the revelations about Mr Mosley's sexual activities.
He was elected president of FIA in 1993 and, after four successive terms in office, he resisted calls to resign after the and has vowed to stay until October 2009.
A spokesman for London Ambulance confirmed they were called just after 4pm to a domestic address and sent an ambulance and a fast response car "but sadly the patient was dead".
Source:The times
Ravi Bopara leads England recovery at Lord's
Ravi Bopara helped England recover from the loss of three quick wickets to reach 182-4 at tea on day one of first Test against West Indies.
Fidel Edwards had earlier taken three quick wickets, removing Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen in successive balls and dismissing Paul Collingwood soon after. Cook, who was out for 35, and Pietersen fell to deliveries that moved off the seam before Collingwood (8) edged another delightful delivery from Edwards to slip.
Bopara remained the driving force behind England's innings, the Essex batsmen reaching his 50 in his first match as England's No 3. Cook and Bopara had guided England to 92-1 after the early loss of captain Andrew Strauss.
Strauss was dismissed in the seventh over of the morning after he had lost the toss and been put into bat by West Indies. Strauss, having struck two early boundaries, was dismissed when he nicked a Taylor delivery outside off-stump and Denesh Ramdin, the West Indies wicketkeeper, held a low catch.
England, who have not won the first Test of a series in 14 attempts, handed debuts to seam bowlers Tim Bresnan and Graham Onions in what will be a new-look five-man attack after Monty Panesar was left out of the 12-man squad.
West Indies, who beat England 1-0 in their Test series in the Caribbean earlier this year, included Fidel Edwards, another IPL player, and fit-again Jerome Taylor in their bowling attack. Devon Smith will open alongside Gayle after several top-order batsmen had struggled in warm-up matches.
The last six Tests at Lord's have all ended in draws.
England: A J Strauss (Capt), A N Cook, R S Bopara, K P Pietersen, P D Collingwood, M J Prior (Wkt), T T Bresnan, S C J Broad, G P Swann, J M Anderson, G Onions.
West Indies: C H Gayle (Capt), D S Smith, L M P Simmons, R R Sarwan, S Chanderpaul, B P Nash, D Ramdin (Wkt), S J Benn, J E Taylor, F H Edwards, L S Baker.
Umpires: S J Davis (Australia) and E A R de Silva (Sri Lanka).
Third umpire: I J Gould.
Match referee: A J Pycroft (Zimbabwe).
Television: Live coverage on Sky Sports 1; highlights on Five, 7.15pm-8pm.
Series detail: Second Test: May 14 (Riverside).
Source:The times
Fidel Edwards had earlier taken three quick wickets, removing Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen in successive balls and dismissing Paul Collingwood soon after. Cook, who was out for 35, and Pietersen fell to deliveries that moved off the seam before Collingwood (8) edged another delightful delivery from Edwards to slip.
Bopara remained the driving force behind England's innings, the Essex batsmen reaching his 50 in his first match as England's No 3. Cook and Bopara had guided England to 92-1 after the early loss of captain Andrew Strauss.
Strauss was dismissed in the seventh over of the morning after he had lost the toss and been put into bat by West Indies. Strauss, having struck two early boundaries, was dismissed when he nicked a Taylor delivery outside off-stump and Denesh Ramdin, the West Indies wicketkeeper, held a low catch.
England, who have not won the first Test of a series in 14 attempts, handed debuts to seam bowlers Tim Bresnan and Graham Onions in what will be a new-look five-man attack after Monty Panesar was left out of the 12-man squad.
West Indies, who beat England 1-0 in their Test series in the Caribbean earlier this year, included Fidel Edwards, another IPL player, and fit-again Jerome Taylor in their bowling attack. Devon Smith will open alongside Gayle after several top-order batsmen had struggled in warm-up matches.
The last six Tests at Lord's have all ended in draws.
England: A J Strauss (Capt), A N Cook, R S Bopara, K P Pietersen, P D Collingwood, M J Prior (Wkt), T T Bresnan, S C J Broad, G P Swann, J M Anderson, G Onions.
West Indies: C H Gayle (Capt), D S Smith, L M P Simmons, R R Sarwan, S Chanderpaul, B P Nash, D Ramdin (Wkt), S J Benn, J E Taylor, F H Edwards, L S Baker.
Umpires: S J Davis (Australia) and E A R de Silva (Sri Lanka).
Third umpire: I J Gould.
Match referee: A J Pycroft (Zimbabwe).
Television: Live coverage on Sky Sports 1; highlights on Five, 7.15pm-8pm.
Series detail: Second Test: May 14 (Riverside).
Source:The times
Guus Hiddink warns time is running out
As Guus Hiddink sidled out of the Chelsea Museum to the sound of whistling and jeering from the visiting Catalan press - presumably for having the temerity to send out his side to compete, rather than roll over in the manner of Juande Ramos's Real Madrid - he could have been forgiven for pointing two fingers at his detractors.
Instead, the Chelsea interim manager aimed a subtle barb at his players, warning them that this season could represent their last chance of winning the Champions League.
Hiddink arrived at Stamford Bridge to win trophies rather than friends, a marked contrast to his predecessor, Luiz Felipe Scolari, who seemed to take the opposite approach.
The Dutchman had only four months to make an impact and has been determined to take advantage of every second, driving his side on to levels that could not have been envisaged when he was appointed in February.
Hiddink will have only one opportunity to win the Champions League for Chelsea, given the combustible state of Russian politics, with Roman Abramovich, the club's owner, unwilling to muddy the waters further with the Dutchman's paymasters in his role as Russia coach in World Cup year. It is a situation that Hiddink believes applies to some of his players, too. The 62-year-old's logic is based on the collective age of a squad that is growing old together, as well as the fact that the competition has treated them well in recent years, which the law of averages dictates cannot last. The squad will be overhauled by his replacement in the summer and Didier Drogba, Michael Ballack, Florent Malouda and Nicolas Anelka face uncertain futures.
“I don't think of getting older every year, but that is the reality for you, for me and for the squad,” Hiddink said. “It's obvious that this team is good. The players have a lot of desire and they've proved that in previous Champions League campaigns, but these players don't have five, six or seven years more to have the same chances they've had in recent years.
“It's very respectable that Chelsea have made it into five semi-finals in the last six years. That's a sign that the club have big ambitions. But this is one of the last occasions for these players to get where they want to be.”
For the moment, however, Chelsea appear the best equipped of all the semi-finalists to disrupt what some in Barcelona view as their God-given right to the European title.
Hiddink offers no apology for the tenacity Chelsea displayed at the Nou Camp last week - earning a goalless draw to take into the semi-final, second leg - and his players will be similarly resolute this evening, but he does expect them to demonstrate more composure in possession.
Certainly the presence of Anelka wide on the right should give the home side more penetration, with Michael Essien moved in from the right of midfield alongside Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack.
“I've analysed the game in Barcelona where we did not concede a goal, where they had one or two options to score, where we had one,” Hiddink said. “Tactically, we did very well, but during the game there were some periods where I would have liked more initiative. That was caused by the way Barcelona played, but we also have to show a little bit more when we are on the ball. We've spoken about that.”
Hiddink resisted the temptation to hit back at Barcelona's relentless complaining, which he attributed to their failure to score at home for the first time this season. However, he did choose to damn them with faint praise, describing their stunning 6-2 win over Real last weekend as simply respectable. “I think it's very human when you're used to scoring every week and then you don't,” he said. “You get frustrated and you get hot comments after the game, when the emotion is still there. But we have the full right to compete ourselves.
“I have seen, rather clinically, the supposed toughness of our team in the first game. I think it was actually rather normal in terms of the challenges that were made, and they were made by both sides.
“We should not try to create something which isn't a reality. If you see some of the challenges from Barcelona in their last game against Real, they were similar to last week and it was rather normal in what is a man's game.
“It was a respectable performance, what they did in the Bernabéu. That was a record for [Real] to concede six, but every game is different. There will be different circumstances in tomorrow's game. This is a team that is able to score. They have done it almost without exception in the games until last week. Having scored six, that gives them a tremendous boost, but every game is different. I think it will be different tomorrow as well.”
Source:The times
Instead, the Chelsea interim manager aimed a subtle barb at his players, warning them that this season could represent their last chance of winning the Champions League.
Hiddink arrived at Stamford Bridge to win trophies rather than friends, a marked contrast to his predecessor, Luiz Felipe Scolari, who seemed to take the opposite approach.
The Dutchman had only four months to make an impact and has been determined to take advantage of every second, driving his side on to levels that could not have been envisaged when he was appointed in February.
Hiddink will have only one opportunity to win the Champions League for Chelsea, given the combustible state of Russian politics, with Roman Abramovich, the club's owner, unwilling to muddy the waters further with the Dutchman's paymasters in his role as Russia coach in World Cup year. It is a situation that Hiddink believes applies to some of his players, too. The 62-year-old's logic is based on the collective age of a squad that is growing old together, as well as the fact that the competition has treated them well in recent years, which the law of averages dictates cannot last. The squad will be overhauled by his replacement in the summer and Didier Drogba, Michael Ballack, Florent Malouda and Nicolas Anelka face uncertain futures.
“I don't think of getting older every year, but that is the reality for you, for me and for the squad,” Hiddink said. “It's obvious that this team is good. The players have a lot of desire and they've proved that in previous Champions League campaigns, but these players don't have five, six or seven years more to have the same chances they've had in recent years.
“It's very respectable that Chelsea have made it into five semi-finals in the last six years. That's a sign that the club have big ambitions. But this is one of the last occasions for these players to get where they want to be.”
For the moment, however, Chelsea appear the best equipped of all the semi-finalists to disrupt what some in Barcelona view as their God-given right to the European title.
Hiddink offers no apology for the tenacity Chelsea displayed at the Nou Camp last week - earning a goalless draw to take into the semi-final, second leg - and his players will be similarly resolute this evening, but he does expect them to demonstrate more composure in possession.
Certainly the presence of Anelka wide on the right should give the home side more penetration, with Michael Essien moved in from the right of midfield alongside Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack.
“I've analysed the game in Barcelona where we did not concede a goal, where they had one or two options to score, where we had one,” Hiddink said. “Tactically, we did very well, but during the game there were some periods where I would have liked more initiative. That was caused by the way Barcelona played, but we also have to show a little bit more when we are on the ball. We've spoken about that.”
Hiddink resisted the temptation to hit back at Barcelona's relentless complaining, which he attributed to their failure to score at home for the first time this season. However, he did choose to damn them with faint praise, describing their stunning 6-2 win over Real last weekend as simply respectable. “I think it's very human when you're used to scoring every week and then you don't,” he said. “You get frustrated and you get hot comments after the game, when the emotion is still there. But we have the full right to compete ourselves.
“I have seen, rather clinically, the supposed toughness of our team in the first game. I think it was actually rather normal in terms of the challenges that were made, and they were made by both sides.
“We should not try to create something which isn't a reality. If you see some of the challenges from Barcelona in their last game against Real, they were similar to last week and it was rather normal in what is a man's game.
“It was a respectable performance, what they did in the Bernabéu. That was a record for [Real] to concede six, but every game is different. There will be different circumstances in tomorrow's game. This is a team that is able to score. They have done it almost without exception in the games until last week. Having scored six, that gives them a tremendous boost, but every game is different. I think it will be different tomorrow as well.”
Source:The times
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Bradford weave magic spell
Bradford Bulls and Harlequins hit the high notes when Super League’s annual roadshow visited Scotland for the first time for a seven-match festival at Murrayfield.
Nine years after their Challenge Cup final defeat of Leeds at the same venue, Bradford completed a stirring 32-16 victory over Wakefield Trinity after Harlequins had beaten Salford City Reds 24-16 on the opening day of Magic Weekend.
After two years at the Millennium stadium in Cardiff, the event was switched to Edinburgh once the Scotland RU and the Scottish tourist board made the Rugby Football League a financial offer they couldn’t refuse. The 55,000 fans who headed north were expected to generate £10m for the local economy and created a carnival atmosphere in and around Murrayfield.
The 67,800-capacity stadium was almost half full for the West Yorkshire derby between Wakefield Trinity and Bradford. The Bulls have made their worst start to a Super League season, losing six of their opening 10 matches. However two of their wins came against Leeds and St Helens, victories which suggest it would be unwise to write them off.
Bradford dominated the opening period but were forced into a desperate rearguard action following the resumption when Wakefield staged a spirited fightback from being 20-6 down.
The Bulls made a flying start with the first of two tries scored before the interval by Paul Sykes, who breezed through on the right from a sweet pass by Ben Jeffries. Jeffries, the former Wakefield stand-off, also worked the move that led to Sykes claiming his second after Terry Newton had extended Bradford’s advantage and featured in the sequence that brought the try of the match on 35 minutes.
The try was scored by Steve Menzies, who tumbled over the line between the posts after Jeffries acted as the link man in a surging 50m break by winger Rikki Sheriffe.
Wakefield, who had kept in touch with a converted try by their captain Jason Demetriou, rallied in the second half to close to within four points with further tries from Steve Snitch and Matt Blaymire only for replacement Mike Worrincy to make the game safe for Bradford with a late try before Sykes completed hs hat-trick in the closing stages.
Earlier, Harlequins emerged victorious in a dour match against Salford who were unable to capitalise on the creative efforts of Richard Myler, the 18-year-old who is expected to become the next England scrum-half.
Myler scored one try in the first half and set up another for his half-back partner Stefan Ratchford but the City Reds were ground down by opponents who made the most of the chances they created.
Quins’ most potent threat came from Luke Dorn, the former Salford stand-off who wielded an even greater influence than Myler by scoring a try and playing a role in two of his side’s three other touchdowns. Dorn’s try on 72 minutes effectively secured the two points for Harlequins, who had led 12-10 at the interval with tries from second row Luke Williamson and Tony Clubb, the exciting Londoner who cut a swathe through the heart of the Salford defence to reach the line with a surging run.
A slick passing move on the hour ended with Dorn putting centre David Howell through for a fine try and though Salford closed the gap with a try by Stefan Ratchford, the 20-year-old stand-off’s second, Quins held out to win.
Source:The times
Nine years after their Challenge Cup final defeat of Leeds at the same venue, Bradford completed a stirring 32-16 victory over Wakefield Trinity after Harlequins had beaten Salford City Reds 24-16 on the opening day of Magic Weekend.
After two years at the Millennium stadium in Cardiff, the event was switched to Edinburgh once the Scotland RU and the Scottish tourist board made the Rugby Football League a financial offer they couldn’t refuse. The 55,000 fans who headed north were expected to generate £10m for the local economy and created a carnival atmosphere in and around Murrayfield.
The 67,800-capacity stadium was almost half full for the West Yorkshire derby between Wakefield Trinity and Bradford. The Bulls have made their worst start to a Super League season, losing six of their opening 10 matches. However two of their wins came against Leeds and St Helens, victories which suggest it would be unwise to write them off.
Bradford dominated the opening period but were forced into a desperate rearguard action following the resumption when Wakefield staged a spirited fightback from being 20-6 down.
The Bulls made a flying start with the first of two tries scored before the interval by Paul Sykes, who breezed through on the right from a sweet pass by Ben Jeffries. Jeffries, the former Wakefield stand-off, also worked the move that led to Sykes claiming his second after Terry Newton had extended Bradford’s advantage and featured in the sequence that brought the try of the match on 35 minutes.
The try was scored by Steve Menzies, who tumbled over the line between the posts after Jeffries acted as the link man in a surging 50m break by winger Rikki Sheriffe.
Wakefield, who had kept in touch with a converted try by their captain Jason Demetriou, rallied in the second half to close to within four points with further tries from Steve Snitch and Matt Blaymire only for replacement Mike Worrincy to make the game safe for Bradford with a late try before Sykes completed hs hat-trick in the closing stages.
Earlier, Harlequins emerged victorious in a dour match against Salford who were unable to capitalise on the creative efforts of Richard Myler, the 18-year-old who is expected to become the next England scrum-half.
Myler scored one try in the first half and set up another for his half-back partner Stefan Ratchford but the City Reds were ground down by opponents who made the most of the chances they created.
Quins’ most potent threat came from Luke Dorn, the former Salford stand-off who wielded an even greater influence than Myler by scoring a try and playing a role in two of his side’s three other touchdowns. Dorn’s try on 72 minutes effectively secured the two points for Harlequins, who had led 12-10 at the interval with tries from second row Luke Williamson and Tony Clubb, the exciting Londoner who cut a swathe through the heart of the Salford defence to reach the line with a surging run.
A slick passing move on the hour ended with Dorn putting centre David Howell through for a fine try and though Salford closed the gap with a try by Stefan Ratchford, the 20-year-old stand-off’s second, Quins held out to win.
Source:The times
Oxx shows skill with Sea The Stars
A quietly spoken and studious Irishman trained the winner of the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket yesterday. But, for once in recent years, it was not Aidan O’Brien who took home the spoils but the grey-haired John Oxx and his bay colt Sea The Stars, only his second runner in the race.
Oxx has long been the understated genius of the training ranks, a man of courtesy and integrity who will tell it as it is, in the gentlest of tones. In the aftermath of Sea The Star’s comfortable victory over the Rowley Mile, Oxx was categoric about his plans. “The Derby will be his next race,” said the trainer. Thankfully, then, there will be none of the controversy that accompanied New Approach’s journey from certain non-runner to Derby winner a year ago.
Remarkably, Oxx has had only one previous runner in the English 2,000 Guineas. His first was Azamour, who finished third here in 2004 and went on to win twice at Royal Ascot (once when the meeting was held at York), the Irish Champion Stakes and the King George. If Sea The Stars can have a career even half as successful as Azamour’s, he will be worth his weight in gold, not least for his jockey, Mick Kinane, who won the first of his four colts’ Classics 19 years ago on Tirol and will turn 50 in June.
“The older you get, the more people are waiting for you to stumble and fall,” said Kinane. “But I’m not ready for that yet.”
No wonder. Kinane’s smile in the winners’ enclosure said it all. Jockeys wait a lifetime for horses with the class and speed of Sea The Stars to enter their dreams and, though he is not the kind of man to hold a grudge, the fact that he has won the 2,000 Guineas on a half-brother to Galileo, on whom he won the Derby for his old employers at Ballydoyle, will only add to the sense of achievement.
Kinane was replaced at Ballydoyle by Jamie Spencer and, by an irony, it was Spencer, on the 3-1 favourite, Delegator, who had to be second best to Kinane yesterday. Kinane was still wondering how Oxx had managed to snatch Sea The Stars, a handsome son of Cape Cross, from under the noses of the shrewd men from Ballydoyle.
While the eyes of many on the Rowley Mile were drawn to Delegator, who had shown such a devastating turn of foot last month to land the Craven Stakes, Kinane tucked Sea The Stars into the pack on the stands side. When Delegator, who had not been confirmed as a certain runner until after his trainer Brian Meehan had walked the course yesterday morning, was pulled out to challenge on the far side as the race began to get serious, the crowd started to roar home their champion. Only Kinane and Oxx knew the truth.
“I was always going to win from a long way out,” said Kinane. “It was just a matter of getting there in my own time. He was a bit babyish going down the hill.”
Though sent off at 8-1, behind Delegator and the two Ballydoyle challengers, Rip Van Winkle and Mastercraftsman, there had been some concern about Sea The Star’s fitness for such an early-season appointment. Suffering from a viral infection in March, the colt had also worked poorly on soft ground last week. Back on the good-to-firm at Newmarket, he never missed a beat.
The question that will occupy experts from now to Derby Day is whether the Guineas winner can extend his range to a mile and a half round Epsom.
“He’s going to be a good ride,” said Kinane. “He has all the qualities of a top-class horse. He’s good, maybe great, and he’s got a great temperament, so Epsom won’t faze him. He’s turned up and won the best Derby trial.” Kinane certainly needs no persuading and Stan James, yesterday’s sponsor, went 4-1 Sea The Stars for Epsom.
Besides the winner, Irish-trained horses filled four of the first five places, with Gan Amhras third for Jim Bolger and the Ballydoyle pair fourth (Rip Van Winkle) and fifth (Mastercraftsman).
Given that Ravens Pass finished fourth last year before winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic five months later and that Johnny Murtagh made eye-catching progress through the field to finish barely two and a half lengths behind the winner, Rip Van Winkle looks sure to enjoy a profitable season.
The same can be said of Delegator, who found the whole experience a bit too much and, according to Meehan, did not relish the ground. There will be other days. “It just got a bit quick for him from the two-furlong pole,” said Spencer. “He’s run a massive race and there are no excuses.”
Today, the fillies have their turn on the Rowley Mile in the 1,000 Guineas, also sponsored by Stan James, with Rainbow View, trained by John Gosden, a strong favourite. Followers of unsung heroes, though, will relish the prospect of victory for Rae Guest, who trains Serious Attitude, the 6-1 second favourite, and Alan Bailey, whose Aspen Darlin has better form than odds of 33-1 suggest. Bailey, a trainer for 35 years, has compared his filly to Posh Spice. “She’s skinny as a rake but with a touch of class,” he says. John Oxx could not have put it better.
Source:The times
Oxx has long been the understated genius of the training ranks, a man of courtesy and integrity who will tell it as it is, in the gentlest of tones. In the aftermath of Sea The Star’s comfortable victory over the Rowley Mile, Oxx was categoric about his plans. “The Derby will be his next race,” said the trainer. Thankfully, then, there will be none of the controversy that accompanied New Approach’s journey from certain non-runner to Derby winner a year ago.
Remarkably, Oxx has had only one previous runner in the English 2,000 Guineas. His first was Azamour, who finished third here in 2004 and went on to win twice at Royal Ascot (once when the meeting was held at York), the Irish Champion Stakes and the King George. If Sea The Stars can have a career even half as successful as Azamour’s, he will be worth his weight in gold, not least for his jockey, Mick Kinane, who won the first of his four colts’ Classics 19 years ago on Tirol and will turn 50 in June.
“The older you get, the more people are waiting for you to stumble and fall,” said Kinane. “But I’m not ready for that yet.”
No wonder. Kinane’s smile in the winners’ enclosure said it all. Jockeys wait a lifetime for horses with the class and speed of Sea The Stars to enter their dreams and, though he is not the kind of man to hold a grudge, the fact that he has won the 2,000 Guineas on a half-brother to Galileo, on whom he won the Derby for his old employers at Ballydoyle, will only add to the sense of achievement.
Kinane was replaced at Ballydoyle by Jamie Spencer and, by an irony, it was Spencer, on the 3-1 favourite, Delegator, who had to be second best to Kinane yesterday. Kinane was still wondering how Oxx had managed to snatch Sea The Stars, a handsome son of Cape Cross, from under the noses of the shrewd men from Ballydoyle.
While the eyes of many on the Rowley Mile were drawn to Delegator, who had shown such a devastating turn of foot last month to land the Craven Stakes, Kinane tucked Sea The Stars into the pack on the stands side. When Delegator, who had not been confirmed as a certain runner until after his trainer Brian Meehan had walked the course yesterday morning, was pulled out to challenge on the far side as the race began to get serious, the crowd started to roar home their champion. Only Kinane and Oxx knew the truth.
“I was always going to win from a long way out,” said Kinane. “It was just a matter of getting there in my own time. He was a bit babyish going down the hill.”
Though sent off at 8-1, behind Delegator and the two Ballydoyle challengers, Rip Van Winkle and Mastercraftsman, there had been some concern about Sea The Star’s fitness for such an early-season appointment. Suffering from a viral infection in March, the colt had also worked poorly on soft ground last week. Back on the good-to-firm at Newmarket, he never missed a beat.
The question that will occupy experts from now to Derby Day is whether the Guineas winner can extend his range to a mile and a half round Epsom.
“He’s going to be a good ride,” said Kinane. “He has all the qualities of a top-class horse. He’s good, maybe great, and he’s got a great temperament, so Epsom won’t faze him. He’s turned up and won the best Derby trial.” Kinane certainly needs no persuading and Stan James, yesterday’s sponsor, went 4-1 Sea The Stars for Epsom.
Besides the winner, Irish-trained horses filled four of the first five places, with Gan Amhras third for Jim Bolger and the Ballydoyle pair fourth (Rip Van Winkle) and fifth (Mastercraftsman).
Given that Ravens Pass finished fourth last year before winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic five months later and that Johnny Murtagh made eye-catching progress through the field to finish barely two and a half lengths behind the winner, Rip Van Winkle looks sure to enjoy a profitable season.
The same can be said of Delegator, who found the whole experience a bit too much and, according to Meehan, did not relish the ground. There will be other days. “It just got a bit quick for him from the two-furlong pole,” said Spencer. “He’s run a massive race and there are no excuses.”
Today, the fillies have their turn on the Rowley Mile in the 1,000 Guineas, also sponsored by Stan James, with Rainbow View, trained by John Gosden, a strong favourite. Followers of unsung heroes, though, will relish the prospect of victory for Rae Guest, who trains Serious Attitude, the 6-1 second favourite, and Alan Bailey, whose Aspen Darlin has better form than odds of 33-1 suggest. Bailey, a trainer for 35 years, has compared his filly to Posh Spice. “She’s skinny as a rake but with a touch of class,” he says. John Oxx could not have put it better.
Source:The times
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