A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Workforce makes winning return
HORSE RACING: Derby hero Workforce made the perfect start to his four-year-old career with victory in the Piper Heidsieck Champagne Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown last night.
Racing on rain-softened ground, Ryan Moore was happy to sit off what looked a stiff pace set by the enterprisingly-ridden Poet, who was a long way clear of the pack at one stage.
Clive Cox’s Poet still held an advantage two out and while Workforce soon picked him up when asked, with Moore using his stick up just once, he had to battle fairly hard to finally get the better of the argument by a length at the line.
The pair finished 11 lengths clear of the Aidan O’Brien-trained Jan Vermeer in third.
Winning trainer Michael Stoute said: “I was very pleased, he took a bit of getting fit because he has done so well physically. I don’t know where he will go now, he has got multiple entries.”
Lewis questions Rosso tactics
MOTOR SPORT: Lewis Hamilton has accused Formula One team Toro Rosso of employing devious tactics and caled for penalties to be applied should they continue.
Hamilton claims Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi deliberately held him up as he pursued Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel over the closing stages of Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix. Toro Rosso, like Red Bull, are aided by energy drinks billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz.
Irish still on track for U-19 finals
SOCCER: The Republic of Ireland Under-19s moved to within 90 minutes of European Championship qualification yesterday by drawing 0-0 against Ukraine in their second elite stage qualifier in Koszalin, Poland.
The point, added to the three collected against mini-group hosts Poland, means victory over Italy on Sunday will end Ireland’s nine-year absence at the Under-19 finals.
Wolves defender Matt Doherty saw his header scooped off the line on 18 minutes while John O’Sullivan also went close to sealing it for the Irish six minutes from time only for Ukraine goalkeeper Maxym Koval to dive full-length to keep out the midfielder’s ferocious drive.
REP OF IRELAND: McCarey (Wolves); Doherty (Wolves), O’Connor (Blackburn Rvrs), Egan (Sunderland), Williams (Aston Villa); Walker (Wrexham), O’Sullivan (Blackburn Rvrs), Hendrick (Derby County), Wearen (West Ham United); Forde (Wolves), Murphy (Bray Wanderers). Subs: Murray (Watford) for Walker (Wrexham) (62 mins), Burke (Aston Villa) for Murphy (74 mins).
Capecchi's late break secures stage
CYCLING: Italian Eros Capecchi snatched a stage victory from a three-man break in the 18th stage of the Giro d’Italia yesterday.
Three days before the race ends, the Liquigas rider outpowered Italian Marco Pinotti and Belgium’s Kevin Seeldraeyers to claim Italy’s second victory in as many stages.
On a short, hilly, high-speed stage, the trio sheared off the front on the only classified climb of the day, the second-category Passo di Ganda.
Ireland’s Philip Deignan came home in 14th position on the stage and is placed 50th on general classification. Spain’s Alberto Contador finished safely in the main pack and remained the overall leader after a day he described as “perfect”.
Delay may allow Contador ride in Tour de France
CYCLING: Alberto Contador’s Court of Arbitration for Sport hearing over a failed dope test has been postponed, officials said yesterday.
The decision means the triple Tour de France champion may now be able to ride in this year’s race.
“Following the agreement between the appellants and the respondents, the CAS has accepted to postpone the hearing . . . in order to give to all parties concerned reasonable time to prepare for such hearing and to guarantee the participation in person of witnesses and experts,” the CAS said in a statement.
“Accordingly, the CAS Panel has decided to cancel the hearing initially scheduled for 6-7-8 of June 2011. New hearing dates will be fixed as soon as possible.” Organisers of the Tour de France, which runs from July 2nd to 24th, were not immediately available for comment.
Bolt back on track in Rome
ATHLETICS: Olympic champion and world record holder Usain Bolt won in his first race of the season but had to dip his muscular frame at the line to beat fellow Jamaican Asafa Powell in the 100 metres at a Diamond League meet in Rome last night.
Bolt, in his first competitive outing since losing to American Tyson Gay nine months ago, was slow off the blocks and had to come through most of the field before powering ahead in the last five metres to win in 9.91 seconds in humid conditions.
It was his ninth victory in 10 races against Powell, who ran 9.93 with Frenchman Christophe Lemaitre third in 10 seconds.
Bolt performed his trademark celebratory arrow pose before draping himself in the Jamaican flag and doing a lap of honour.
