A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Abbey obliterates Ormonde rivals
The Aidan O’Brien-trained St Nicholas Abbey provided a belated but thunderous reminder of his capabilities by streaking nine lengths clear in the Boodles Diamond Ormonde Stakes at Chester.
He was a perplexing sixth when a hot favourite for last year’s 2,000 Guineas and hardly back to form when only third on his recent comeback at the Curragh, meaning punters elected to send him off at 11 to 8 as many sided with the even-money favourite Harris Tweed.
And it was Harris Tweed who cut out the running until Ryan Moore gave St Nicholas Abbey the go-ahead turning into the straight.
Perhaps revealingly, he was still sprinting further away as they crossed the line. “He was very impressive in what was a very messy race,” explained Moore.
Paul Smith, son of part-owner Derrick, added: “All options are open to him now, and I guess you’d look at something like the Coronation Cup.”
Totesport offer 16 to 1 for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, with Stan James quoting 12 to 1 for the King George.
O'Shea expects tough challenge
WOMEN'S FOOTBALL:Cork captain Amy O'Shea is anticipating a massive challenge from Laois in Saturday's Bord Gáis Energy Ladies National Football League Division One final at Parnell Park.
The Leesiders, chasing a fourth successive League title, put their crown on the line against Laois in the first final meeting between the two counties since 1993.
Laois squeezed into fourth place in the Division One standings to book their place in the semi-finals and then shocked Monaghan, who had collected seven wins from seven outings in the group stages, to reach the final for the first time since winning it in 2003.
Cork and Laois met at O’Moore Park in March, with the Rebelettes running out 3-7 to 0-12 winners.
And O’Shea reflected: “It’s been a pretty open league and Laois have been doing very well. They certainly put it up to us and hit the target more times than we did in the league stages. Against Monaghan, they worked very hard and picked off their scores.”
Tipp's English inducted into GWA Hall of fame
GAELIC GAMES: Some of the greatest players ever to grace the games of hurling and football, as well as some of those who reported on their careers, were acknowledged at the Cadbury's Gaelic Writers' Association (GWA) Awards at Dublin's Louis Fitzgerald Hotel last night, writes Ian O'Riordan.
Among the hurlers inducted into the GWA Hall of Fame were two-time All-Ireland-winning player and All-Ireland-winning manager Nicky English of Tipperary, Wexford’s 1996 All-Ireland-winning captain Martin Storey, and Richie Bennis, who was a member of the last Limerick team to win Liam MacCarthy back in 1973 before going on to manage the county.
Matt Connor, a two-time Sam Maguire winner with Offaly, was recognised for his legendary achievements in Gaelic football, as was Martin McHugh. The Donegal man won a Celtic Cross, an All Star and the Footballer of the Year Award in 1992.
Tipperary enjoyed hurling All-Ireland success in 2010 leading to a busy year for their county board’s public relations officer Ger Ryan. Ryan’s extensive press packs, updates and accessibility saw him acknowledged by GWA members as the PRO of the Year.
Two of the country’s leading Gaelic games journalists also had their work recognised as they received Lifetime Achievement Awards – Jim Carney, widely known as one of the voices, and faces, of RTÉ’s GAA coverage, and retired Irish Examiner man Johnny Murphy.
Ireland crash out 3-0 to Tunisia
TENNIS: Ireland wound up their Federation Cup campaign on a dismal note when they crashed to a 3-0 defeat by Tunisia in the Europe-Africa Zone Group Three event in Cairo yesterday.
Ireland boss Pat Crowe gave Tramore’s 16-year-old Sinéad Lohan her first taste of action in the outdoor clay court competition and she performed creditably in the first set of the opening singles rubber, eventually falling to a 7-5 6-0 defeat by Abbes Nour. And the Tunisians, who had won all their previous three ties, set up an unbeatable lead when 16-year-old Ons Jabeur coasted to a 6-2 6-2 win over Amy Bowtell. Jabeur and Sonja Dagou wrapped up the win with a 6-2 6-2 success over Bowtell and Lynsey McCullough.
Contador bids for double
CYCLING:Alberto Contador will be making a highly unusual bid to win both the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France in one season but if any rider can manage the enormous feat, the Spaniard can.
The Saxo Bank rider said yesterday: “It will be very difficult to do, but I want to try it. Maybe the Giro isn’t the best preparation for the Tour because the Giro has such a difficult route this year but to try to do both gives me an extra level of motivation and to win them will be something very important.”
Nadal through to Madrid semi-finals
TENNIS: Rafa Nadal cleared the latest hurdle on his quest for a third claycourt title in under a month when he overpowered Frenchman Michael Llodra 6-2 6-2 yesterday to reach the Madrid Masters semi-finals.
The Spaniard was joined in the last four by unseeded Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci, who caused another upset following Thursday’s third-round victory over fourth seed Andy Murray when he knocked out Czech Tomas Berdych 7-6 6-3.
Bellucci, a stylish left-hander, will play second seed Novak Djokovic or sixth-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer for a place in Sunday’s final.
Nadal’s victory against the unseeded Llodra was his 36th consecutive victory on the red dirt since falling to Robin Soderling in the fourth round of the 2009 French Open.
