Latest news with #CountyKildare
BBC News
06-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
English amateur Woad, 21, romps to Women's Irish Open win
Women's Irish Open final-round leaderboard-21 L Woad (Eng*); -15 M Sagstrom (Swe); -14 A Garvey (NZ); -12 C Hull (Eng); -10 H Screen (Eng), F Fernandez (Spa), C Tamburlini (Swi), K Rudgeley (Aus)Selected others: -8 A Foster (Ire), A Hewson (Eng); -7 L Beveridge (Sco), D Harry (Wal); -6 M MacLaren (Eng) E Hamilton (Eng); -3 C Williams (Wal), M Rhodes (Eng); -2 G Hall (Eng), C Screene; -1 L McClymont (Sco*); Level L Maguire (Ire); +3 E Fleming (Ire*)* denotes amateurFull leaderboard English amateur Lottie Woad carded a four-under final-round 69 to claim her first Ladies European Tour title in dominant fashion with a six-shot victory at the Women's Irish the world number one amateur, hit the front in windy conditions on Friday, extended her lead to seven strokes in Saturday's third round and made six birdies and two bogeys on Sunday to cruise home at Carton 21-year-old - who broke 70 in all four rounds - becomes the first non-professional to win on the Ladies European Tour since Czech player Jana Melichova at the 2022 Czech Ladies who won the 2024 Augusta National Women's Amateur title and finished tied 10th in last year's Women's Open, carded just three bogeys all week in a hugely impressive performance in County four-time Solheim Cup player Madelene Sagstrom (68) finished second with England's world number 19 Charley Hull (69) in fourth. Because Load is an amateur, she will not receive any prize money, with the 67,500 euro (£58,000) winner's cheque going to Sagstrom. Anna Foster (72) was the leading Irish player in a share of 12th on eight under, while her fellow countrywoman Canice Screene carded a bogey-free seven-under 66 - the joint-lowest round of the day - to finish inside the top 40. Having established a comfortable 54-hole cushion, Woad picked up two birdies in her first four holes on Sunday before dropping a shot at the par-four fifth. Surrey's Woad regained that shot with a birdie three at the eighth and picked up another at the 13th. The Florida State University player dropped a shot at the par-five 15th, but bounced back with birdies on her next two holes, a four at the par-five 17th coming after she nearly holed her approach. While Woad nearly produced a grandstand finish by holing a long birdie putt at the last, a par secured a winning score of 271. England's Hannah Screen hit a 67 to share fifth place, but home favourite Leona Maguire closed with a disappointing 75 to finish in a tie for 48th.
The Sun
20-06-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Legendary Classic-winning trainer Kevin Prendergast has died aged 92
LEGENDARY flat trainer Kevin Prendergast, who won multiple Classics in Britain and Ireland, has died aged 92. He took out his licence in 1963 and saddled his final runner at Cork last week, when Glory To Be finished second. 1 Tributes have poured in for Prendergast, who spent his career in County Kildare and died two weeks short of his 93rd birthday. Among them was top Irish jockey Chris Hayes, who was stable jockey to Prendergast and rode most of his big winners in recent years including Awtaad, who won the Irish 2,000 Guineas in 2016. He said: "La Collina was my first Group 1 winner for Kevin, but Awtaad was the first horse that was mine - I inherited La Collina from Declan McDonogh. "Obviously there were also some great days with Madhmoon who came after Awtaad. But Awtaad's Guineas was phenomenal. "It was the old Curragh and the cheer we got on the way in, I haven't heard one like it since. "I've been around a while and I never heard a cheer like that before that either and that cheer was all for Kevin and solely Kevin. People say it was for us, but it wasn't, it was for Kevin. "He's a legend around Kildare and a legend in the racing game and people were 10 deep around the winner's enclosure desperate to congratulate him. "When I got the news this morning I couldn't help but look back through some pictures from that day in the car. We had some phenomenal times together and today is a sad day." Another legendary trainer Dermot Weld, who was great friends with Prendergast, said: "He was a wonderful trainer. His horses were always turned out in supreme condition - you could always identify one of his by the way they were turned out and, even in the early days, they always won the best-turned-out award. "He was an exceptional trainer of a two-year-old and had great longevity - and he trained a much smaller team of horses than is fashionable nowadays. "He was a very, very talented trainer and naturally my sympathy goes out to his family." Born in Australia on July 5, 1932, Prendergast was educated in Ireland but kicked off his racing career back in the southern hemisphere, where he was head lad to top trainer Frank Dalton. He held that position for three years before returning home to establish himself as a leading amateur rider while serving as assistant trainer to his father. After five years, Prendergast decided to strike out on his own in 1963 - and he did not have to wait long for his inaugural success, saddling Zara to win at Phoenix Park in May that year. Pidget was the first to claim Classic gold for him in the 1972 Irish 1,000 Guineas, before going on to add the Irish St Leger to her tally later on that year. After that Prendergast sent out the likes of Conor Pass (1973) and Oscar Schindler (1996 and 1997) to win two more Irish Legers, while Arctique Royal gave him another 1,000 win and Northern Treasure gave him a first Irish 2,000 Guineas in 1976. Add into the mix top-drawer juveniles La Collina, Miss Beatrix, Termagant and Kingsfort and you get a feel for the kind of longevity Prendergast enjoyed. One of the most consistent trainers in the Irish ranks, Prendergast sent out his 2,000th career winner in 2010. As well as Hayes, the likes of Gary Halpin and Declan McDonogh also rode for Prendergast, demonstrating that he was not just an exceptional instructor of horses. The great Kieren Fallon began his riding career with Prendergast, serving as apprentice from 1982 to 1987 before moving on and eventually becoming a six-times champion jockey. Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who:
The 42
01-05-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Teahupoo delivers again for Gordon Elliott, defending crown at Punchestown
TEAHUPOO SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDED his Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle crown with a comprehensive victory on day three of the Punchestown Festival. Gordon Elliott's charge returned to County Kildare off the back of successive defeats this season, including when bidding for back-to-back wins in the Stayers' Hurdle at Cheltenham in March. The eight-year-old filled the runner-up spot in the Cotswolds, having previously found star mare Lossiemouth too strong in the Hatton's Grace at Fairyhouse, and was a 5-4 favourite to get himself back in the winner's circle under Sam Ewing. Advertisement After being settled in midfield for the majority of the three-mile journey, Teahupoo travelled strongly before being nudged to lead rounding the home turn and the further he went the better he looked, with four and a quarter lengths the margin over Asterion Forlonge. Elliott said: 'This horse has got me out of trouble a few times and he's done it again. He's a star of a horse. Sam Ewing celebrates winning The Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle (Grade 1) with Teahupoo. Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO 'I was panicking turning in to be honest. If we had a couple of winners, I'd have had my chest out. 'He's so laid-back at home and you nearly start questioning yourself 'is he a bit heavy going around the ring'. 'Sam gave him a no-nonsense ride and kept it very straightforward. I'm very lucky to have the riders I have, the staff I have and the owners. 'I was dreaming last night if Teahupoo could win today and Meath could win the Leinster final it would finish off what has been a rough season to be a great season.'
Irish Independent
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Punchestown Day 3: Teahupoo goes back-to-back for Gordon Elliott with defence of Champion Stayers Hurdle
Gordon Elliott's charge returned to County Kildare off the back of successive defeats this season, including when bidding for back-to-back wins in the Stayers' Hurdle at Cheltenham in March. The eight-year-old filled the runner-up spot in the Cotswolds, having previously found star mare Lossiemouth too strong in the Hatton's Grace at Fairyhouse, and was a 5-4 favourite to get himself back in the winner's circle under Sam Ewing. After being settled in midfield for the majority of the three-mile journey, Teahupoo travelled strongly before being nudged to lead rounding the home turn and the further he went the better he looked, with four and a quarter lengths the margin over Asterion Forlonge. Elliott said: 'This horse has got me out of trouble a few times and he's done it again. He's a star of a horse. 'I was panicking turning in to be honest. If we had a couple of winners, I'd have had my chest out. 'He's so laid-back at home and you nearly start questioning yourself 'is he a bit heavy going around the ring'. 'Sam gave him a no-nonsense ride and kept it very straightforward. I'm very lucky to have the riders I have, the staff I have and the owners. 'I was dreaming last night if Teahupoo could win today and Meath could win the Leinster final it would finish off what has been a rough season to be a great season.' Earlier, Britain's newly-crowned champion jockey Sean Bowen was at his brilliant best as he steered Putapoundinthejar to victory in the opening race on day three of the Festival. Taking to the saddle for the first time sine celebrating his title triumph with a big-race success aboard Resplendent Grey in Saturday's bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown, the 27-year-old produced another power-packed ride on Tony Martin's 17-2 shot in the Specialist Group Handicap Hurdle. Battle Of Ridgeway (50-1) was clear of the chasing pack on the run to the final flight, but Bowen conjured a late charge out of Putapoundinthejar, who got up to score by half a length. Bowen, who since Saturday has enjoyed his stag party in Tenerife, said: 'He did well to win as he didn't jump well at all. He got into a rhythm from halfway and did well to pick up the leader. 'I had a good clear run down to the last. He winged the last and picked up well from the back of it. 'It's good ground and he enjoyed that. He will have learned loads today.' Sean's brother James Bowen got his name on the winner's board after Jeriko Du Reponet (13-2 joint-favourite) led home a one-two for Nicky Henderson in the Conway Piling Handicap Hurdle. Doddiethegreat beat Jeriko Du Reponet in the Pertemps Final at the Cheltenham Festival and the Seven Barrows pair again came to the fore, but this time it was the latter who came out on top to give his rider a timely boost ahead of partnering Constitution Hill in Friday's Champion Hurdle. Henderson said: 'I felt sorry for one horse at Cheltenham and I now I feel sorry for the other one! There was no alternative route other than to come here and take each other on again. 'You've got to be delighted with both of them – two divisions would have helped! 'It all went wrong for Jeriko at the start of the season when he was meant to go chasing and we thought he was going to be the star. It all went wrong at Sandown on his first start, it was terrible and we had to come back over hurdles. 'The Pertemps became the objective, he didn't quite win that but he's got his consolation and we must go back over fences next year and get the job done properly.' There was further success for the raiding party in the Frontline Security Handicap Chase, with 16-1 shot Petit Tonnerre finishing with a flourish under Richie McLernon to strike gold for the father-son training partnership of Jonjo and AJ O'Neill. The latter said: 'We were hitting the crossbar earlier in the week but Richie gave that lad a really lovely ride, very patient, and it was lovely to see it coming off for all the team. 'JP (McManus, owner) is a massive supporter of the game and a massive supporter of ours, so it's amazing to have a winner on a day like today.' Joseph O'Brien and J J Slevin teamed up to land the Mongey Communications La Touche Cup Cross Country Chase with 7-1 shot Busselton. 'It's a special race, historic. It was really exciting for us as it was our first runner in it and even to have a horse for the banks this year was special,' said O'Brien. 'J J has done a great job schooling this horse and gave him a fantastic ride today. He's won under all codes and hopefully will win again.' O'Brien and Slevin completed a surprise double in the Close Brothers Irish EBF Mares Novice Hurdle, with Cottesloe Sunshine (33-1) beating the Cheltenham Festival runner-up and 8-13 favourite Sixandahalf into third place. O'Brien added: 'It was a great ride by J J and a very tough filly. She jumped well today and I'm delighted for Nick (Fahy, owner) and his family who are here today. 'We were coming here fresh and a lot of the competitors had been to all the Festivals over the last few months. I'd be lying if I said I expected her to win but we thought we might run well.' Finally, Majborough bounced back from his Cheltenham Festival defeat with a facile victory in the Barberstown Castle Novice Chase. Last season's Triumph Hurdle hero had looked every inch a top-class chaser in the making after winning his first two starts over the larger obstacles, but a juddering error two fences from home ultimately led to him suffering a surprise reverse in the Arkle at Prestbury Park in mid-March. The Willie Mullins-trained five-year-old was sent off at 4-11 to reward those who kept the faith back on home soil and while he pulled his way to the front on the second circuit and raced keenly throughout under Mark Walsh, he stamped his class from the home turn, pulling 14 lengths clear of the Arkle runner-up Only By Night. Mullins, saddling his 200th winner of the season in Ireland, said "He jumped today like we know he can jump. For some reason things didn't go right for him in Cheltenham, but he's redeemed himself today. "He's a huge, big horse but he's very light framed and is an athlete every time you look at him. Looking at him in the parade ring today, there wasn't one ounce of spare flesh on him, and I couldn't have galloped him one more time. "He's only five and hopefully he'll mature this summer. I'm looking forward to what he could mature into over the next 18 months or two years.
