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Horse racing: Precise the favourite for 1,000 Guineas as O’Brien chases record – live | Sport
Key events
Silvestre de Sousa did not see another rival there, and Jennifer Jane stayed on like a filly who will get the extra two furlongs in the Oaks. However, at present she does not have an entry in the Epsom Classic, so it will take a supplementary to get her into the race if Charlie Johnston, her trainer, can persuade her owner it is worth the punt.
1.45 NEWMARKET RESULT: Emphatic win for Jennifer Jane
1. JENNIFER JANE 11-2, 2. Sacred Ground. 6 ran.
Off and running in the Pretty Polly Stakes … !
Jennifer Jane leads, from Brigid’s Well, Sacred Ground and Esna held up …
Order unchanged with half a mile to run, Jennifer Jane building a lead in fact … Brigid’s Well under a drive but not making much impression … Jennifer Jane three clear two furlongs out, she powers in and out of the Dip and then goes further clear all the way to the line, an impressive winner.
Plenty of late money for Brigid’s Well, down to 7-2, while Esna is out to 4-1 and Sacred Ground has also eased to 15-8.
The runners are going to post for the Pretty Polly Stakes, and Sacred Ground is a solid 6-4 favourite with Esna next in on 100-30 and Brigid’s Well, the mount of Oisin Murphy, at 9-2.
1,000 Guineas contender: Precise
Aidan O’Brien’s first-string has been the favourite for today’s Classic since winning the Fillies’ Mile here in October, when she finished three-and-a-quarter lengths clear of the field.
It looks like rock-solid form, but her preparation for today’s race has not been smooth and she “missed a bit of time” a few weeks ago according to O’Brien after a minor setback. That is clearly not ideal but her proven form at track and trip, and a career record with just a sole defeat, on her racecourse debut, will be more than enough to persuade many punters to swing behind her.
1.45 Newmarket, Pretty Polly Stakes, Listed, 1m 2f
Just six runners now for the opener on 1,000 Guineas day after the well-fancied Lilt was taken out this morning, and three – Esna, Brigid’s Well and Sacred Ground – have an entry in the Oaks at Epsom next month. The best piece of form coming into the race is Esna’s close fourth in the Group One Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp last October, but Sacred Ground ran a fine race too on her final start as a juvenile – and showed that she acts at this track – as she finished second in a well-run Listed race over a mile. Brigid’s Well also has a pedigree that suggests she will build significantly on her two-year-old form this season but the money has been for Sacred Ground so far today and I’m going with John & Thady Gosden’s filly to improve past her main market rival.
SELECTION: SACRED GROUND.
Preamble
Good afternoon from the historic Rowley Mile on Newmarket heath, where the 1,000 Guineas, the fillies’ equivalent of yesterday’s 2,000 Guineas, is due off at 3.35. Nineteen runners and riders will go to post, aiming to add their names to a roll of honour that dates back to 1814.
Precise, the winner of the Fillies’ Mile here over the Guineas trip last autumn, will set off as a warm favourite to give Aidan O’Brien an eighth win in the Classic, one short of the all-time record of nine set by Robert Robson in the early years of the race. Robson, remarkably, won all but one of the runnings between 1818 and 1827 – something of a contrast with O’Brien, who has hit a fallow spell in both Newmarket Classics since Mother Earth won the 1,000 Guineas in 2021.
Venetian Sun, in the colours of Brighton & Hove Albion chairman Tony Bloom, is also prominent in the betting, while a whole host of lightly-raced opponents have the pedigree and potential to make a race of it now that they have another winter behind them.
There is also plenty of untapped potential in the Pretty Polly Stakes, a trial for the Oaks at Epsom next month,which opens proceedings at 1.45, while Royal Ascot is the likely next stop for the winner of the Group Two Dahlia Stakes, for older fillies and mares, at 2.20
Man-of-the-moment Billy Loughnane has six booked rides on the card, including Esna in the Pretty Polly and 33-1 shot Rose Ghaiyyath in the 1,000 Guineas, and you can follow his progress and all the other news, betting moves and more at Newmarket right here on the blog as the afternoon unfolds.
Police said the youngster was pronounced dead at the scene in Stafford.
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The Green Party leader previously apologised for “sharing a tweet in haste” about the knife attack on Wednesday.
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Key events
Manchester City head coach Andrée Jeglertz urged his players to keep a level head in their penultimate game of the season today. He said: “There’s quite a lot of teams in the world that emotions affect performances and we talked a lot that no matter what emotions or pressure you have, you can still follow the gameplan and do the things you are good at.
“That has to be the thing that you’re also coming back to. That is my job to spread the calmness and not push the players in the wrong direction. We all have a big role in that.
“The key thing for us is to be able to do all the things we are good at no matter the pressure. We can always do the things we agreed beforehand. All the games here have been amazing with spectators and atmosphere.
“We have the confidence that we are very good at this stadium but also enjoy the moment a little bit. How this league ends is up to us. We shouldn’t have any regrets when we leave the field to look in the mirror and know we have done everything we can to win this game.
“Regardless of the pressure, we need to stick to what we have agreed on.”
Lea Schüller scored a late equaliser to snatch a point for Manchester United against Brighton yesterday. The visitors had been leading the game from the 39th minute, when Jelena Čanković capitalised on an error from Phallon Tullis-Joyce to break the deadlock.
However, a late push from United saw Schüller level things up in added time.
Elsewhere in the WSL today
Team news
Manchester City starting line-up: Ayaka Yamashita; Jade Rose, Rebecca Knaak, Alex Greenwood, Kerstin Casparij; Sam Coffey, Yui Hasegawa; Lauren Hemp, Aoba Fujino, Kerolin; Khadija Shaw.
Subs: Khiara Keating, Grace Clinton, Laura Coombs, Mary Fowler, Leila Ouahabi, Laura Blindkilde Brown, Iman Beney, Gracie Prior, Lily Murphy.
Liverpool starting line-up: Jennifer Falk; Risa Shimizu, Grace Fisk, Jenna Clark, Alejandra Bernabé; Denise O’Sullivan, Fūka Nagano; Mia Enderby, Beata Olsson, Ceri Holland; Aurélie Csillag.
Subs: Faye Kirby, Gemma Evans, Lily Woodham, Kirsty Maclean, Anna Jøsendal, Alice Bergström, Zara Shaw, Maizie Trueman.
Preamble
Hello, good morning and welcome to coverage of the WSL meeting between Manchester City and Liverpool. A win for City today will keep them in complete control of the WSL title race, but anything less could allow Arsenal – who will have three games in hand by this evening – to swoop in and take the crown on the final day.
The hosts need to bounce back from their shock 3-2 loss to Brighton, but Liverpool will not be easy opponents. Gareth Taylor comes up against his former side in the hopes of derailing their title charge. The Reds have improved significantly since the start of the year and are capable of causing a huge upset.
However, City have the quality to get over the line in their penultimate game.
Kick-off is at 12pm BST – join me!
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