Latest from Glasgow Times
Glasgow Times
19 minutes ago
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
Plate smasher Cobden delivers with Ballysax Hank
The Gavin Cromwell-trained six-year-old was one of a handful of Irish horses to travel over for the valuable summer feature, with Cobden taking the ride in his quest for a third successive triumph in the big handicap. The duo started as the 9-4 favourite, though Ballysax Hank may have given his backers a few tense moments when making his rider's job rather difficult with some fractious behaviour at the start. The chestnut travelled at the rear and had plenty of horses to pass when he turned for home, but with plenty up his sleeve he was well able to pick them all off and score by an easy five lengths from Mickey Bowen's Courtland and Nicky Henderson's Bhaloo in third. Explaining how the ride came about, Cobden said: 'I was buying cattle and Keith Donoghue called me while I was in the ring at Salisbury. 'He said, 'do you want to ride Ballysax Hank on Saturday?', and I said, 'yes, put me down on him'. Keith and Gavin were talking and they said I can ride the horse and it has worked out great. 'I was only hacking away for much of the race, but I knew as soon as I turned in it was all over. I just didn't want to hit the front too soon. 'Gavin is brilliant. There was no real instructions and he doesn't tie you down to anything. The horse was playing up at the start, and I didn't want to get among the other horses. 'I was a bit further back than I should have been, but sometimes you have got to do what is right. 'He was very fit and ready for the day, although there was a second I thought I was coming off him (at the start), but he jumped well and was always in a nice rhythm. 'All us professional lads are paid to do a job and when you are on the horse's back you have got to do what you think is right as opposed to what you are told to do. 'He crept into it really well and when asked he picked up. It is great how it has worked out and I'm delighted.'
Glasgow Times
19 minutes ago
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
Arizona Blaze sparkles in Sapphire Stakes at the Curragh
Adrian Murray's charge has run a number of excellent races in top-class company, finishing on the podium in the Norfolk Stakes, Railway Stakes, Phoenix Stakes and at the Breeders' Cup last season, while just last month he finished a neck second to Time For Sandals in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. Also a dual Group Three winner, the Amo Racing-owned Arizona Blaze was a 9-4 joint-favourite for this Group Two assignment and having been positioned on the front end from the start David Egan, he finished off strongly to deny Ed Walker's hat-trick-seeking British raider Mgheera by two lengths. Arizona Blaze bolts up in the Group Two Barberstown Castle Sapphire Stakes, with David Egan giving the @AMurrayRacing colt a bold front-running ride 👏 — The Curragh Racecourse (@curraghrace) July 19, 2025 Amo Racing supremo Kia Joorabchian said: 'We've had a tough time at the Curragh. This guy deserved a big win, to be honest. 'He's been second in a Breeders' Cup and second in a Group One at Royal Ascot, this was a well-placed race for him. 'The ground was going a little bit softer than he'd like it because he likes really quick ground, but he just handled it very well. 'He's never run a bad race really. Adrian and Robson (Aguiar) have done an amazing job with him in the past two years. 'I probably have to thank Aidan (O'Brien) for not running a horse in this race!' Arizona Blaze (left) was a clear-cut winner (Niall Carson/PA) He added: 'The entire team at Amo, whether it's in the UK or here, needed this little boost. We've had a little bit of a tough start to the season, but it's been good. 'You're in sport and I've been in sport all my life. Unfortunately in football it happens as well. You're going up for a big Champions League game and you get a hamstring, a knock or something goes wrong. You have to cope with those kind of moments and suck it in. 'This year we've had a very big investment in Freemason Lodge and a very big investment across the globe. That investment has to still show itself. 'We've had so many injuries this year – one after the other. We had a massive setback just recently with Ghostwriter, who unfortunately had an injury.' Coral cut Arizona Blaze to 8-1 from 12-1 for the Nunthorpe at York, with Paddy Power 10-1 from 20-1 about the Sprint Cup at Haydock. Joorabchian said: 'We haven't made any plans, this is a good moment for us. 'Everyone always said every time I came to the Curragh we always seemed to not get a winner, so I'm happy he's actually broken my duck. 'I think we'll aim for the Breeders' Cup. I think he'll get a Group One somewhere.'
Glasgow Times
37 minutes ago
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
London's 'most patriotic estate' has England flags cut down
Residents at the Kirby Estate in Bermondsey, southeast London, have rallied together during international football tournaments in recent years, adorning it with the red and white of the St George's Cross. But this year, a "bitter" mystery vandal has gone around at night to cut the flags down. Chris Dowse, who organises the decorations during international tournaments, spoke of his shock at the estate's flags being removed. England flags in Kirby estate. (Image: SWNS) "They did a portion on Saturday night and another one on Sunday night," the 46-year-old said. "But we've got them back up now. "We know who it was. We have evidence of them doing it. He's going around at night with a knife, cutting the flags down. "It's quite hurtful. For all of the hours of time and effort we all took to put them up, it takes seconds to cut them down. "It's just disheartening. I'm not quite sure what his motives are, but we're hoping that's the end of it now." Mr Dowse added that though police had attended the estate, he wants to keep it in-house and resolve the situation "amicably" before taking any further steps. Chris Dowse, who organises the decorations. (Image: SWNS) "If he does it again, it's a different kettle of fish," he said. "We get so much attention for the good things we do, so for someone to destroy it... "People have commented online saying they want to go and spray paint a St George's Cross on his front door." Though he couldn't estimate how many flags he'd cut down, Mr Dowse said the vandal had cut around 100ft of bunting and even tried to cut down the big 'Kirby Estate' flag. "Basically, everything that goes across the estate had been cut down - 21 pieces of bunting," Mr Dowse said. Recommended Reading "We've become a tight-knit community. Someone brought us a massive roll of rope to put up if we want." Confident the Lionesses will beat Sweden in Zurich tomorrow (Thurs) night, Mr Dowse says the estate hopes to be flying all their flags again by the time the semi-final rolls round. "It's just bitterness, I think," he said of the vandal.
Glasgow Times
38 minutes ago
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
Minnie Hauk makes it a Classic double with battling Curragh victory
The Frankel filly got the better of stablemate and subsequent Pretty Polly Stakes winner Whirl when landing the Oaks at Epsom in early June and was a prohibitively-priced 2-11 favourite to follow up against six rivals in the Irish equivalent. Settled in third for much of the mile-and-a-half contest, with fellow Aidan O'Brien-trained runner Island Hopping deployed in a pacesetting role and Oaks and Pretty Polly fourth Wemightakedlongway splitting the pair in second, Minnie Hauk was under pressure to close the gap with two furlongs to go. MINNIE HAUK WINS THE JUDDMONTE IRISH OAKS! 🏆 An English and Irish Oaks double!#ITVRacing |@curraghrace — ITV Racing (@itvracing) July 19, 2025 Joseph O'Brien's Wemightakedlongway proved a willing adversary, but the red-hot favourite eventually took her measure and passed the post a length and a quarter in front under Ryan Moore to give O'Brien his eighth Irish Oaks success. 'We thought we'd be sitting second and Dylan (Browne McMonagle, on Wemightakedlongway) got the second position, so Ryan had to make a decision, he was either going to sit second on Dylan's inside, in behind Wayne (Lordan, on Island Hopping), or pull back out of it in a way that he wouldn't have been boxed in,' said the Ballydoyle handler. 'Obviously that's a decision Ryan had to make quickly and it was the right decision. It wasn't over-fast. We knew Joseph's filly was a good filly and Dylan gave her a very good ride. 'She (Minnie Hauk) is one of those fillies that you're probably never going to see the best of until the tempo is very strong and very high. She cruises through her races.' Minnie Hauk with jockey Ryan Moore after winning the Irish Oaks (Niall Carson/PA) Minnie Hauk is the 2-1 market leader for next month's Yorkshire Oaks with Paddy Power, who also make her the 10-1 joint-favourite for the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. O'Brien added: 'The boss (John Magnier) asked Ryan where to go with her and he said to go to the Yorkshire Oaks. The boss said, 'what about if we give her a break and train her for the Vermeille and give her a French Arc prep?'. 'All those things are open and we'll see how she is. I think she can do either of those things, but if she's going to the French trial she'd have to have a couple of easy weeks. Obviously if she's going to York, she wouldn't have those couple of easy weeks. 'She had a very easy race today, I'd say. The tempo wasn't very strong so she should come out of it well. I'd imagine in the next week or so we'll have a fair idea, but they are her two options. 'Looking at her she'd probably love York. She has a big stride and it's a Flat track, too. Obviously the boss will decide with Derrick (Smith) and Michael (Tabor).'
Glasgow Times
an hour ago
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
Brendan Rodgers tips Shin Yamada to add power up front after signing for Celtic
The 25-year-old arrives from Kawasaki Frontale, where he scored 32 goals in 121 appearances. Yamada recently won his first international cap and joins compatriots Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda and fellow summer signing Hyato Inamura at Celtic Park. Rodgers told Celtic's website: 'I am really pleased that we have brought Shin to the club. He is a strong player who can score goals and create goals for others and I think he is someone who can definitely add an important dimension to our forward line. 'I know he is really keen to make his mark here in European football and deliver for Celtic, and I think he is someone who has the power, athleticism and intensity in his play to do really well for us. I look forward to working with him.' Yamada added: 'It is a huge honour for me to be here as a Celtic player and I can't wait to begin my time at this amazing club. 'Celtic is one of the top names in world football. I have already watched my countrymen like Daizen, Reo and Kyogo do so well at Celtic and I will aim to have the same impact. 'I am my own player, though, and I am ready to face all my own challenges directly. 'I want to do so well at Celtic. I know that Celtic Park is one of the best places in the world to play football with the best supporters around and I will do everything I can to make my new fans proud of me.' Yamada added: 'First of all I am a striker, so I need to do my job and will try to score goals. My other strengths will be power and speed, so using these strengths I will try to score lots of goals.'
