A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Dancing Rain to bid for Hong Kong Vase
RACING:A dozen years after winning the Hong Kong Vase on Daliapour, Johnny Murtagh is on course to try to repeat the feat in December aboard the classic heroine Dancing Rain.
Last year’s English and German Oaks winner returned to action with a fine third behind Sapphire in Saturday’s Fillies Mares Race at Ascot and will be pointed next towards the mile and a half Vase at Sha Tin in a couple of months time.
Maureen Haggas, wife of Newmarket trainer William Haggas, said yesterday: “She’s come out of the race well and we were thrilled with her performance. It’s been a struggle getting her back but she ran a really good race and the plan now is to go to Hong Kong for the Vase.”
A decision on whether the Hong Kong Vase will be Dancing Rain’s swansong has not yet been made.
That will be up to the owner.
“Obviously we’d love her to carry on and come back next season, but the owner will obviously make the final decision,” said Maureen Haggas.
– BRIAN O’CONNOR
Meredith appointed Ireland manager
HOCKEY:Double Olympic gold medal winner Andrew Meredith has been appointed as the new Irish senior men's hockey coach for the next Olympic cycle, building toward Rio de Janeiro.
The Australian was the German assistant coach in both Beijing and London and Ireland skipper Ronan Gormley has described his appointment as “world class”.
“He is a coach of a very high calibre,” Gormley said. “I am confident that his expertise will push the Irish senior men’s squad further along its path of continual improvement.”
Meredith will meet a selection of players in the Netherlands in early November for a five-day training camp ahead of Ireland’s controversial trip to the Champions Challenge in Argentina in four week’s time.
The Irish Hockey Association originally pulled the side out of the competition before a fundraising drive got together €60,000 from donations from the public and businesses.
The search for a new head coach for the women’s national team is ongoing.
– STEPHEN FINDLATER
Taylor eyeing a return to action before end of the year
BOXING:Katie Taylor could have her first bout since her historic Olympic gold medal win last August before the end of the year in Ireland. When asked if Katie would fight again before Christmas, her dad and coach, Pete Taylor, poured cold water on the prospect.
However, Taylor senior did indicate they were was a possibility of a date between Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
The Irish coach and ex-Irish champion acknowledged that given his daughter’s high profile since winning Olympic gold they would need a “big venue”. Taylor announced last week she wouldn’t be turning professional and would be targeting a second gold medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics.
En route to Rio she will be aiming for her sixth European gold in-a-row in 2013 and her fifth World title on-the-trot in Canada in 2014. Taylor will travel to Armenia in December to accept her third AIBA World Female Boxing of the Year Award. Tyrone’s Michael Gallagher will also receive the AIBA World Referee and Judge Award in Armenia.
– BERNARD O’NEILL
Callanan to replace Horgan for home Test against Scots
SHINTY:Patrick Horgan has been forced to pull out of this Saturday's Shinty-Hurling International against Scotland at Cusack Park, Ennis. The Cork All-Star nominee was impressive in the opening Test at Bught Park, Inverness last weekend top-scoring with 3-8, in Ireland's 3-10 (25) to 2-9 (19) win.
The Glen Rovers clubman is unavailable due to a previously booked holiday to Puerto Rico.
His place will be taken by Séamus Callanan who joins his Tipperary colleague Patrick “Bonnar” Maher on the 18-man squad. Callanan is thrilled to earn a call-up. “I was absolutely delighted when I got the phone call. . . Any day you get to represent your country no matter what it is, it’s a great achievement . . .”
– CÓILÍN DUFFY
Williams returns to action in impressive style in Istanbul
TENNIS:Serena Williams impressed in her opening match of the WTA Championships in Istanbul yesterday with a comprehensive 6-4, 6-1 victory over Angelique Kerber of Germany.
Williams, playing in her first match after a five-week lay-off following her US Open win, found top gear towards the end of the first set and from there piled the pressure on the German.
Kerber had game point in the 10th game of the set but double-faulted for the third time and Williams pounced on the error by winning the game, and the set after 45 minutes. In the second set Williams broke her rival in the fourth and sixth games, going on to finish off the contest in 75 minutes.
The Wimbledon and Olympic champion will now face Victoria Azarenka and Li Na in the rest of her round-robin matches
Agnieszka Radwanska got her campaign off to a great start with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over defending champion Petra Kvitova. The title-holder came into the match on a 25-match winning streak indoors but lost to Radwanska for the first time in four matches.
