Latest news with #DuchessOfKent
Otago Daily Times
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Pearson confident talented filly Duchess Of Kent can stay too
There is more to Duchess Of Kent than the brilliance she has shown in her recent winning hat-trick. The 3yr-old made it three from three this time in when speeding up the Ascot Park passing lane to win the Diamond Creek Farm & SBSR Silk Road Final yesterday. Speed has been the key ingredient in Duchess Of Kent's hat-trick of victories, with the filly settling handy in each before zipping home to score for driver Brent Barclay. As fast as she is, trainer Lauren Pearson thinks there is more to Duchess Of Kent's game. "I think she'd stay — I think she'll follow pace all the time, but she has got that speed as well, which is a major help." Putting three wins to her name has helped Duchess Of Kent add to the already impressive record of her dam, Galleons Honour. The outstanding producer has a 100% record at stud and has produced a string of smart types including Duke Of Wellington and Duke Of Cornwall. Each has been bred by the late Lester Smith, whose estate races Duchess Of Kent. Smith had a lifelong passion for harness racing and enjoyed excellent success in the sport, most recently with Pearson and Barclay. "This one ended up being Lester's favourite horse after he sold Duke Of Cornwall, because she was a keeper," Pearson said. Her victory in Sunday's Silk Road Series final has now earned Duchess Of Kent the opportunity to take on better fillies in her age bracket at Addington. "She's paid up for the Nevele R Fillies Series, so we will have a smack at that," Pearson said. "She can have a week or so off now while we go on holiday." "We will get her up to Bob Butt — Bob doesn't know it yet but we are going to ask whether he can take her and keep her up there for two Nevele R heats and find out if she's good enough." Though the Duchess Of Kent's campaign could not have gone any better, behind the scenes there have been plenty of challenges. "We've had a lot of ups and downs with it, but hopefully we're on top of them now. "They put her first campaign down to soreness, so we turned her out and then an abscess burst out, so we're hoping it was that. "We got her back and then we had a tie-up issue again after the first workout, but we seem to be on top of it at the moment." After reining home Duchess Of Kent with a pinpoint steer, Barclay notched a late double with Haley Jaccka taking out a hectic running of the final race for trainer Brett Gray.
The Sun
05-07-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Wimbledon champion has blood pressure taken during medical delay in worrying scenes before crashing out
WIMBLEDON champion Barbora Krejcikova was reduced to tears as her title defence was ended. The Czech champ, 29, needed her blood pressure taken during a dramatic final set. 2 2 Krejcikova was in tears at the back of the court before serving to stay in the match, won by American Emma Navarro in three sets. The two-time Grand Slam champion held serve despite being in tears, but was soon defeated 2-6 6-3 6-4 by the No10 seed. Krejcikova struggled throughout the third set and was regularly hunched over between points. It brought back memories of compatriot Jana Novotna crying on the shoulder of the Duchess of Kent during the 1993 final, won by Steffi Graf. The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The community-loved Erith pub that keeps regulars coming back for decades
The Duchess of Kent in Erith has long been a familiar spot in the community, but few know it as well as its current landlady, Toni Stevenson, who has been part of the pub's story for over a decade. Toni took over the pub on Brook Street in November 2023, taking on the lease with a business partner after the previous landlady decided to leave. The pub is community focused with plenty of events held at the venue, bringing together locals at a family-friendly and personable venue. Toni told the News Shopper: 'I've worked here since I was 19 when I was at uni and just needed some extra money, so I started working behind the bar. I just stayed. I've never left. 'I was born in the flats at the top of the road and we lived a few doors down until I moved into the pub itself.' The pub's regulars are loyal, with many visiting multiple times a week, but she describes her clientele as a real mix. She said: 'There's a good core group of regulars that come in every day but Sunday's are our busiest. 'Some been drinking here for 10, 20 years. Some of them even longer than that, longer than I've even been alive.' She describes the pub's customer base as a mix of older locals, younger drinkers, dog walkers and families. She explained: 'We're right next to the park so we get a lot of dog walkers. We've been putting posters up that we're dog-friendly. 'We've got complimentary dog treats and we've just started selling dog ice cream.' READ MORE: The beer garden at The Duchess is one of its biggest draws, especially in the warmer months. It's a large outdoor space with plenty of seating, including new benches that were recently added. Plans for a children's play area are currently on hold but Toni still hopes to make it happen before the end of the year. Though The Duchess doesn't serve food day-to-day, Toni likes to offer something complimentary on busier days. She explained: 'We don't do food, but on Sundays I'll always do roast potatoes and if there's football on I might do a slow cooker of chilli and rice or some chicken wings. 'I'll just put it out and say, 'help yourself.'' The Duchess is a Star Pubs site, serving big-name beers like Fosters, Carling, Cruzcampo, Moretti, Guinness and Neck Oil. ' She added: 'We've got two cask ales on rotation. We try to change them every week.' Inside, the pub was given a light refurbishment by the brewery last year. The Duchess has Sky Sports and TNT and shows all major Premier League games. Toni recently organised an annual charity day in partnership with the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans. Charity day in partnership with the Taxi Charity (Image: Toni S) She said: 'This year we had a military truck in the garden and a 100-year-old veteran called Dorothea came down. 'We had veterans here speaking to children, letting them play on the truck. It was amazing.' In the coming weeks, Toni Stevenson will take on the 54-mile London to Brighton Bike Ride on Sunday, June15 2025, to raise funds for the Institute of Cancer Research, a cause very close to her heart. Toni lost her dad to liver cancer in 2016, and since 2023, her mum has been bravely battling small cell lung cancer, a form of the disease that currently has no cure. Alongside the bike ride, Toni, with help from family and friends, has organised a series of fundraising events at The Duchess of Kent in Erith. These include drag bingo, bake offs, a chilli challenge, street parties, cocktail nights, medium demonstrations, and fun days. Toni hopes these events will bring the community together to support life-saving cancer research and honour those affected by the disease. You can find out more about these events on the pub's website.
