logo
Jel Pepper among strong British contingent in Ballyhane Stakes

Jel Pepper among strong British contingent in Ballyhane Stakes

An impressive winner on his Goodwood debut in early June, Paul and Oliver Cole's charge then finished a promising third behind Zavateri in Newmarket's Group Two July Stakes.
The winner gave that form a significant boost by following up in the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood on Tuesday and connections of Jel Pepper are expecting a bold showing from their charge in Monday's €200,000 feature in County Kildare.
'Jel Pepper is a good horse who ran very well in the July Stakes and we have missed Goodwood with him to go to Naas,' said Oliver Cole.
'It is great prize money and I believe the ground will be on the easy side of good which will play to his strengths as he likes a bit of a cut in the ground.
'It is quite daunting coming to Ireland because there are so many good horses but these races are fantastic and it is brilliant to have a horse good enough to take part.'
Jel Pepper is one of five British-trained contenders along with Richard Fahey's Cosmic Clarets, the George Scott-trained Front Line Fury and Kevin Ryan's pair of Tropical Dreamer and There's A Chance.
Scott's contender missed out on a hat-trick when denied by a head at Ascot last time, but the Newmarket handler has plenty of belief in his solid operator ahead of this raiding mission.
He said: 'He's a really dependable two-year-old who just turns up runs his race and always seems to be improving.
'I'm really pleased with him and he's taken another step forward since Ascot where he was very much a sitting duck.
'We think we are well drawn but you never quite know and I guess it will depend on where the pace and quality in the race is. I think he will go and run his usual solid race and will be there and thereabouts at the finish.
'He arguably has to come forward again from what he's shown but he's a tough horse and really cool and I'm very fond of him.'
The home team is headed by Joseph O'Brien's Prix Robert Papin winner Green Sense.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Tonight's rugby news as 'superhuman' Lions star faces surgery and teammate 'terrorised' by Wallabies giant
Tonight's rugby news as 'superhuman' Lions star faces surgery and teammate 'terrorised' by Wallabies giant

Wales Online

timean hour ago

  • Wales Online

Tonight's rugby news as 'superhuman' Lions star faces surgery and teammate 'terrorised' by Wallabies giant

Tonight's rugby news as 'superhuman' Lions star faces surgery and teammate 'terrorised' by Wallabies giant The latest headlines from Wales and around the world James Ryan of the British and Irish Lions clashes with Will Skelton of the Wallabies (Image:) These are your evening rugby headlines on Tuesday, August 5. ‌ Lions star faces surgery British & Irish Lions star Tom Curry is set to go under the knife on a wrist ligament injury, having put off surgery until after the tour of Australia. The England flanker was one of the standout performers in Andy Farrell's squad Down Under, with the head coach describing him as a "machine" as he capped stunning performances in the opening two Tests with tries in each, before ending the third and final clash as the game's top tackler. ‌ Curry put his body on the line throughout the series, something which is made all the more remarkable by the Sale Sharks man's eventful injury history and the long-standing issue he has with his wrist. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. ‌ Ahead of the tour, Sale boss Alex Sanderson revealed that the back rower would need to go under the knife, but admitted that the 'superhuman' England star was happy to play through the pain to be involved with the Lions. However, now that the tour is done and dusted, the operating table awaits for Curry. "He will need an operation at some point, but he's clearly able to manage it and play through whatever pain he's experiencing currently," Sanderson said back in May. "It's not something that is stopping his game minutes or something that's managing his training minutes either. Article continues below "He had to play and play through to see if he could, and if the risk was minimised, which the specialist was happy with, and the pain was manageable, which it clearly is for the superhuman that he is, then he'd put himself up for Lions selection. "The alternative is he could have an operation now and he'd probably miss the last run of games and he might miss the first two games of the Lions," the Premiership side's director of rugby added. "That wasn't a solution, because the level of competition for his position was so high, he had to see if he could manage it." Ryan 'terrorised' by Wallabies giant Australia legend David Campese has issued a scathing assessment of this year's British & Irish Lions Test series, claiming the tourists only delivered a "microwave meal version" of themselves compared to the "banquet feasts" that came before them. ‌ Andy Farrell's squad are returning home as series champions, having won the first two Tests before falling to defeat against the Wallabies in their final showdown in Sydney. However, Campese has been left feeling underwhelmed by what he saw from the Lions, instead hailing the "remarkable effort" of Joe Schmidt's team and "singing the praises" of individual Wallabies players. In a damning column piece for Planet Rugby, the 62-year-old also hit out at Farrell for treating the series as "an Irish development tour," even singling out one Ireland star for criticism and claiming he was "terrorised" by Wallabies giant Will Skelton. ‌ "It's hard to know how this Lions tour will be judged," Campese wrote. "At times, I feel that the hype was far greater than the reality. It was all a little manufactured, perhaps a little twee. "There was no real moments that came from within from the tourists. It seemed as if there was a need to force the narrative of legacy, of the history, rather than making the history itself through moments and performances." Turning his attention to the host's standout players, and indeed their opposition, the Wallabies legend continued: "Australia with Will Skelton, Taniela Tupou, Tom Hooper and Bobby Valetini are a completely different proposition than without them. ‌ "[Skelton] has a limited shelf life and the conditions played into his hand in terms of stamina, but every time he plays against James Ryan he absolutely terrorises the bloke and that happened once again," he added. "I also feel that Andy Farrell at times treated this as an Irish development tour. There's no way that the likes of Bundee Aki, James Lowe, Andrew Porter, James Ryan and Jack Conan were the best players in their position during the build-up and series. "Never forget, whilst these guys have had some success in friendly Tests and so on, they've achieved absolutely nothing in terms of the big silverware in Test rugby – the World Cup – and there's a reason for that – they're average players. ‌ "I go back to my point about Ryan – Skelton owns him every time he faces him." Get daily rugby updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here . We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice New role for Cole Leicester Tigers legend Dan Cole has joined the club's staff after hanging up his boots at the end of last season. ‌ The England prop - who made 388 appearances for the Premiership side - has been appointed as the Tigers' new recruitment & retention manager, and will work closely with incoming head coach Geoff Parling to align the club's senior squad and academy and pathway programmes. Cole, who also won a total of 121 Test caps for England and the British & Irish Lions, has already started in his new role, the club confirmed, with Parling also back in the UK after finishing his duties with Australia. The club's CEO Andrea Pinchen said: 'We are delighted to be able to keep someone of Dan's experience and knowledge at Leicester Tigers. ‌ 'He has always shown a keen interest in this area and, as anyone who knows him will attest, his attention to detail and professionalism are second to none. "His playing career was as successful as it was because of his work ethic, but also his commitment to learning and evolving every step of the way," Pinchen continued. "Add to that that he is a Leicester Tigers man through and through; he wants to see this club be successful and, pleasingly, wants to contribute and be a part of this exciting new chapter. Article continues below 'Dan will be a great fit, there's no doubt about that, and with the appointment of the new head of rugby operations to oversee the process and refreshed staffing structure, I am confident in what is being put in place."

Argentine Tango booked for Lowther Stakes bid
Argentine Tango booked for Lowther Stakes bid

Glasgow Times

timean hour ago

  • Glasgow Times

Argentine Tango booked for Lowther Stakes bid

The Mattmu filly has kept on improving all season, winning a Listed race at Newmarket before finishing third to Venetian Sun in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes. Last week at Goodwood she found only the Ger Lyons-trained Lady Iman too good in the Molecomb Stakes over five furlongs and will step back up to six at York for the Great Habton trainer. 'She's come out of Goodwood really well. She's tough, she must be because she's had seven races now and keeps coming back for more,' said Easterby. 'You get racehorses every now and again who just want to gallop and she is one of them. 'She'll go back up to six furlongs now, she definitely runs in the Lowther next and she won't be without a chance. 'She's been a bit of a star for us already this season.'

Dundee Utd tax accusations explained: HMRC allegedly scammed out £1m
Dundee Utd tax accusations explained: HMRC allegedly scammed out £1m

The Herald Scotland

timean hour ago

  • The Herald Scotland

Dundee Utd tax accusations explained: HMRC allegedly scammed out £1m

R&D tax relief was created in 2000. The aim was to fund and facilitate advances in science and technology such as a new drug or a form of artificial intelligence. ZLX, a firm established by former Hamilton Academical director Stephen McCallion, advised the wholesaler that installing a cold room could attract £30,000 in R&D tax relief. Robbie Patterson's accountant took a different view. And when James Mackie Wholesalers changed their minds over making an R&D relief claim ZLX pursued legal action in pursuit of the £8000 fee they believed they would have received if the the transaction had gone ahead. In Glasgow Sheriff Court, Sheriff Stuart Reid was critical of ZLX and rejected the claim. The subsequent publicity concerning a tax row over a fridge attracted the the interest of Dan Neidle, a former lawyer with one of the world's largest law firms. Niedle advised corporates, governments, regulators and central banks now runs Tax Policy Associates, a not-for-profit company found to improve tax and legal policy and public understanding of the complex issues involved. As he tells Herald Sport now: 'Not only did ZLX think that they could make a claim for a fridge but then they got the poor guy, the greengrocer, in to court to try and force him to do it. And they were humiliated.' The case prompted Neidle – a thorn in the side of former chancellor Nadhim Zahawi and Baroness Michelle Mone - to pay closer attention to some of the other R&D tax relief claims submitted by ZLX and he found that Dundee United were one of a number of British football clubs to have benefitted from the scheme. Hibernian, Chelsea and Nottingham Forest were others and it's now believed that 33 clubs in the UK are under investigation by HMRC. United face a £600,000 bill after the club was order to repay a portion of its successful £1.28m claim for research and development tax relief. The tax relief claim covered 24 per cent of staff and player wages from July 1 2021, to June 30 2022. The Tannadice club also claimed for 80% of the club nutritionist's salary, 90% of the player analyst's salary and 21 % of the Tannadice heating and lighting bill. 'R&D relief is designed for people who are being completely innovative and in sport the first people who did data analytics in football could have claimed R&D tax credits for that,' explains Neidle. 'That's a legitimate innovation. 'It's possible that clubs might be doing innovative scientific work, you don't want to say it never happens. 'But not in this Dundee United case. Not based on the description given. 'And you certainly can't claim in court for staff wages as if your players are out there doing scientific research. 'Some people have said that maybe Dundee United didn't know what they were doing, that maybe they were just misled by ZLX. Whatever the reason it's difficult to see how they could have thought that this was legitimate.' Dundee United's tax relief claim centred around The United Lab. Launched in April 2020 the project was set up by former Sporting Director Tony Ashgar, recruitment coordinator Sean McGee, performance consultant Ryland Morgans and head of football research Dan Parnell to broker 'new channels for ideas and innovation.' All four men have now left the club with a Dundee United statement to the Courier confirming that the lab had ceased to exist in 2023. A spokesperson said: 'Dundee United Football Club can confirm we remain in constructive dialogue with HMRC regarding a Research and Development (R&D) tax claim submitted in 2021. 'As this is an ongoing process, we are unable to comment further on the details of the matter at this time. However, the club is fully engaged in the discussions and remains confident in a satisfactory outcome of the process for both parties. 'The R&D initiative known as 'The Dundee United Lab' ceased operations in March 2023 and no longer exists in any form, with all personnel previously involved in the project no longer employed or affiliated with the club in any capacity.' The plot thickened further when United's former finance director denied signing the document made public by Neidle last week. Employed at Tannadice between December 2018 and April 2023 Derek Bond – now a partner with Edinburgh firm Bond Accountants - is seeking legal advice after claiming the signature on the document was not his. The co-signatory on the document was ZLX Business Solutions consultant David Purvis. 'The document I've seen that purports to have my signature on it, isn't my signature,' he told The Courier. 'You can see on the document that someone has just typed 'Derek Bond'. 'That's not my signature on that document. 'I've spoken with a solicitor about that document. I've not signed that document.' Distancing himself from the HMRC investigation he added: 'It's galling, I don't want to be attached. 'There's a document with my name on it. I'm not saying it's forged. But somebody's typed my name and made it look like my signature but it is definitely not my signature.' While ZLX has yet to comment, Dundee United has assured fans the 'historical matter has no impact on the club's current or future operations'. 'HMRC won't say anything on the record,' adds Neidle. 'But I think they woke up rather late to the ways in which this R&D scheme was being abused. But it is an abuse. 'HMRC are pretty sure they will be able to get the cash back on this one. And it wouldn't surprise me if they try to charge penalties as well. Whether Dundee United can pay those as well is an interesting question. 'This is money which is being taken from the pockets of taxpayers at a time when we are all paying more tax because of the lack of tax revenue going into the government this is making it worse for everybody else. 'So, yes, it's an example of football taking money from the rest of us and it's not on. 'There is also a question, I think, for the Scottish League on the grounds of financial fairness. Generating free money by making fake tax claims doesn't seem very fair. 'It may need to go a little further but, really, the football rules should say that clubs are not allowed to do anything improper when it comes to tax.' While SPFL rules on HMRC obligations allow for punishment of tax arrears any disputed claim against a member club by the tax authorities can't be actioned 'until such time as a final determination is made on HMRC's claim.' In 2024 Hibernian also banked £1.2million in tax relief earmarked for research and development and Niedle believes the issue extends well beyond the boundaries of the SPFL Premiership. 'Across the UK we think 33 clubs are being investigated by HMRC across the UK over sums totally £13million. 'It's possible that some of them are not as crap as Dundee United's claim. It's equally possible that some of them are worse.' Earlier this year Neidle was invited to speak on a radio programme about the impact of Employee Benefits Trusts on football clubs in Britain. The financial impact on Rangers on the scheme proved catastrophic in 2012, posing an obvious question. When will football clubs actually learn their lesson when it comes to iffy tax schemes? 'You will know the answer to that better than me. 'The problem is that when you put that money into the pockets of well paid footballers public sympathy is likely to be thin on the ground. 'But I suspect that people who are desperate for money are not as critical as they should be when they are faced with free bags of cash…'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store