Keane eyes up title after Dundalk double

RACING COLIN KEANE looks to be on course for a first Flat jockeys’ championship title this term after a Dundalk double last night.

The Trim native moved on to the 94 winner mark, seven ahead of Pat Smullen, when Prunella Dobbs’ Carried won by two-and-a-half lengths in split two of the Irish injured jockeys. com Handicap.

Smullen has been fighting an uphill battle as Keane had earlier further tightened his grip on the title race with a win on Noel Meade’s Art Of Unity in the 6.00. Smullen is suspended for tomorrow’s action at Leopardstown whilst Keane has seven rides.

BOXING

GALWAY’S Gabriel Dossen and Sligo’s Jordan Myers had to settle for bronze after losing their European Youth semi-finals in the Russian city of Antalya yesterday.

Dossen was beaten on a 3-2 split – 29-28, 29-28, 29-28, 2829, 27-30 – by England’s Mark Dickenson, and Myers lost 30-27, 30-27, 30-27, 29-29, 29-28 to Russia’s Danil Teterev.

Yesterday’s defeats bring Ireland’s competitive interest in the tournament to a close as Dossen and Myers will be presented with their bronze medals after today’s welter and middle finals.

CANOEING

JENNY EGAN claimed her third canoe marathon World Cup medal in China yesterday when taking bronze in the K1 event in Shanghai.

The Kildare woman was beaten over the 26.2km contest to gold by Lize Broekx of Belgium and to silver by Spain’s Eva Barrios. In claiming bronze, Egan added to the medal haul at the competition which saw her take bronze on Thursday and follow up on Monday’s silver in Shaoxing.

RUGBY LEAGUE

ENGLAND suffered 18-4 defeat to holders Australia at Melbourne’s AAMI Park in the opening match of the World Cup yesterday.

Australia got their first try on 22 minutes through Matt Gillett cancelling out Jermaine McGillvary’s earlier try. Billy Slater followed that up for their second and Josh Dugan swooped on an attacking kick to sprint over the line for Australia’s third and final try in the second half.

Meanwhile, Ireland get their campaign in the competition under way in Cairns against Italy tomorrow.

TENNIS

CAROLINE GARCIA produced a stunning comeback to overcome Caroline Wozniacki 0-6, 6-3, 7-5 and advance to the last four at WTA Finals yesterday, the Frenchwoman topping the Red Group after top seed Simona Halep lost later in the day.

Elina Svitolina knew she was out of the running for a semifinal berth after Garcia’s win in the day’s opening round-robin match but that did not stop her blasting her way to a 6-3 6-4 victory over Halep, ending both their campaigns. That result meant Garcia progressed along with Denmark’s Wozniacki.

Garcia’s dream debut will continue today with a semifinal against Venus Williams, while Woznaicki takes Karolina Pliskova, who can replace Halep as world No 1 if she wins the tournament tomorrow.