The Star Online: Sports
The Star Online: Sports |
- Racing: Style Vendome looks to give Clement first Guineas
- Cricket: Kirsten to quit as South Africa coach
- Cycling: UCI to appeal Puerto blood bags decision
| Racing: Style Vendome looks to give Clement first Guineas Posted: 10 May 2013 06:33 PM PDT PARIS: Classy French colt Style Vendome can confirm his connections' high opinion of him and land the French 2000 Guineas at Longchamp on Sunday and give trainer Nicolas Clement his first win in the classic. Style Vendome - winner of four of his five starts - won the influential Guineas trial the Prix Djebel last time out and has importantly got a low draw of three in the 18 runner field. In contrast his likely main rival, Olympic Glory, is drawn 12. The English raider is trained by veteran Richard Hannon who is looking to add the French 2000 Guineas to the English 1000 Guineas he won with Sky Lantern last Sunday. Clement, who won Europe's most prestigious race the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe with Saumarez in 1990 also at Longchamp, believes that Style Vendome has matured nicely for what will be a major test of his temperament and class. "I fear it might be a real cat and mouse race," he told AFP earlier in the week. "However, Style Vendome is an ideal horse to train for a race with a big field as he can settle and he can also race up with the pace. "He has five runs under his belt and he showed he was a real man in his last race. He grew some hair on his chest," added the 49-year-old. Olympic Glory's Qatari owner Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al Thani will be hoping he fares better here than the disappointing fourth place that his highly-fancied Toronado took in the English 2000 Guineas last Saturday. The colt warmed up for his French trip by winning his prep race, the Greenham Stakes, at Newbury. Despite winning that in rather laboured style he is returning to the course where he recorded his greatest success last October, the Group One Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, and his jockey Richard Hughes believes he can repeat his victory. "Olympic Glory is a lovely horse, and we are lucky in that he has the same owner as Toronado, so that we can keep them apart," said the 40-year-old Irishman, whose win on Sky Lantern was his first in a British classic. "Longchamp will suit Olympic Glory so much better than Newmarket - he has already won a Group 1 there - and he might also get softer ground which would be a plus. "He was still a bit big at Newbury. He will be a big player in France and he looks to be crying out for that mile now." Irish training great Aidan O'Brien runs Flying the Flag and Gale Force Ten, ridden by former British champion jockey Ryan Moore in the saddle. He will have to show a huge amount of improvement from a win in a mediocre race at Dundalk last time if he is to give his handler his first classic win of the campaign. Longchamp racegoers will be spoilt on Sunday as they also get the French 1000 Guineas on the same card and here too home hopes are high of retaining the fillies mile prize with last year's Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Flotilla. Trainer Mikel Delzangles, no stranger to winning big races abroad having won the 2011 Melbourne Cup with Dunaden, has admitted she has taken time to show she was ready for the Guineas. "Flotilla has just had a harder winter than I would have liked, she's just taken time to come to herself," said the 42-year-old. "Little by little she is getting there, though, and she is coming back to herself now, I think. "It was always the plan to aim her at the French Guineas but we hoped she would have wintered better." Delzangles will have been relieved she got a low draw in what is a maximum 20 runner field. Her main opposition could well come from the sole Godolphin runner in either race, the Andre Fabre-trained Tasaday, winner of three of her four starts. - AFP |
| Cricket: Kirsten to quit as South Africa coach Posted: 10 May 2013 06:25 PM PDT JOHANNESBURG: Gary Kirsten will not renew his contract as South Africa coach when it expires at the end of July because he wants to spend more time with his family, the national cricket body said Friday. Kirsten, who guided hosts India to the 2011 World Cup title, signed a two-year contract with the Proteas the same year, and had the option of a two-year renewal. However, the coach told Cricket South Africa (CSA) officials he would quit his post at the end of July having established the Proteas as the top-ranked cricket Test nation. "Gary has a young family and it is understandable that he wishes to spend more time at home," CSA president and board chairman Chris Nenzani said in a statement. "It is obvious to all of us - whether we have been close to the Proteas or simply fans watching from the stands - the standard of excellence he has brought to our national team. "We will certainly endeavour to retain his services in some capacity as his experience as a player, coach and mentor is not something we want to lose in its entirety." Kirsten thanked CSA for giving him the responsibility of growing the team and for allowing him the flexibility to combine his coaching role with his family life. "From the outset of my contract it was a concern how I was going to manage spending a lot of time apart from my family," said the coach, who was away from home for more than 200 days last year. "My wife was quite surprised by it (the decision to quit), but that is how strongly I feel about the institution of family," added the Cape Town-born coach. "There have been many highlights over the past two years which have been well documented and I have every confidence that the Proteas will continue to go from strength to strength. "I like to think that the senior player base is very strong in South African cricket. I will miss the team and players - we became very close - and the camaraderie." Kirsten will lead South Africa at the Champions Trophy during June in England and Wales, where the AB de Villiers-skippered side hope to ditch the long-held tag of 'chokers' after numerous tournament flops. "It will be wonderful if Gary can complete his tenure by bringing home the Champions Trophy next month," said Nenzani of the one-day international event staged every four years between World Cup tournaments. South Africa lost only two of 19 Tests under Kirsten, who led them to series victories against Sri Lanka, New Zealand, England, arch-rivals Australia, and Pakistan. The 45-year-old former Test opening batsman was less successful with the limited-over teams, winning 13 of 24 one-day internationals and nine of 18 Twenty20 matches. South Africa are away to Sri Lanka during July and August and Pakistan during November before hosting India - who draw the biggest crowds among teams touring the republic - and Australia next season. - AFP |
| Cycling: UCI to appeal Puerto blood bags decision Posted: 10 May 2013 06:22 PM PDT MADRID: The International Cycling Union (UCI) confirmed on Friday they will appeal against the decision by a Spanish court to refuse access to more than 200 sachets of blood that were seized in the Operation Puerto case against disgraced Dr Eufemiano Fuentes. "The UCI can confirm that it will appeal the decision of the Madrid court of 29 April not to release to the UCI and other anti-doping organisations the more than 200 bags of blood and other evidence gathered in police raids in 2006, which were presented in the trial of Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes," read a statement published by the UCI. In appealing, cycling's world governing body are following in the footsteps of the Spanish anti-doping agency (AEA), who had already announced their intention to appeal against judge Julia Patricia Santamaria's decision to ring fence the evidence. "I have to ask the judge to give me whatever documentary or natural evidence there is, along with the blood bags, so that the proven facts that she herself considers as administrative infractions can be judged by the competent authorities," said the then-head of the AEA, Ana Munoz. A Madrid court last month handed Fuentes a one year suspended sentence for endangering public health in the way he performed blood extractions and transfusions on a number of high-profile cyclists before the doping ring was dismantled in 2006. In addition, trainer Ignacio Labarta was condemned to four months in prison, while three other co-accused - Eufemiano's sister Yolanda Fuentes, Vicente Belda and Manolo Saiz - were cleared. However, judge Santamaria refused access to the 211 blood and plasma bags that were found in Fuentes' apartments in 2006. Instead, she ruled that they should be destroyed. - AFP |
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