Family affair for winners at Cary Park – and student beats coach

SPORT DIGEST

TENNIS

Mother and daughter Claire Palmer and Rosanna Castillo Palmer made it a double success at the Finals Day of Cary Park Tennis Club’s annual tournament.

Claire took the ladies doubles title for the second year running with her partner Gina Dockree, while Rosanna won back the ladies singles trophy she lost in last year’s final.

Rosanna, still just 15, gained her revenge on last year’s victor Nicki Scaife with a 6-2 6-2 win. She first won the Cary Park ladies singles title two years ago at the age of 13.

She said: “I was determined to try and win it back and put in lots of extra practice. Nicki is a very difficult opponent and I am thrilled to win the title again.”

Meanwhile, Mum Claire also scored a win over Nicki and her partner Sam Knapman in a very close ladies doubles final. The score was 6-3 6-4.

Claire said: “I’m very pleased to have retained the title, but I’m much prouder of Rosanna. She’s worked so hard at her game.”

The Finals Day, played in difficult windy conditions threw up a much bigger shock in the men’s singles when junior Zak Zaher beat his own coach Liam Murch 6-2 6-2. Liam left the club three weeks ago to take up a coaching post at Ivybridge, but he came back for the Finals Day with high hopes of a ‘leaving present’ in the shape of a trophy.

But Zak, who is also training to be a coach, had other ideas.

“It was a fantastic feeling to win – especially against Liam. We are great friends and he knows my game so well.

“But on the day I managed to get the better of him and I’m very proud.”

In the other matches, Dom Bryant and Mike Laukkanen won the men’s doubles beating club captain Chris Clarke and Colin Briggs, while Dom had another success in the mixed doubles with partner Gina Dockree, beating junior pairing Zak Zaher and Aleya Al Holo.

Organisers Katie York, Winston Barlow and Paula Hill, said: “It’s been a brilliant tournament and the Finals Day lived up to everything that went before it.

‘Despite the wind there was some fantastic tennis. Unlike many clubs our juniors and seniors play together and it shows what tremendous depth we have at the club.”

The day was well-supported by members, many of whom baked cakes for the occasion.

YOUTH FOOTBALL

Charles Darrow have secured a deal to become the new shirt sponsors of Saints South West .

The leading commercial property estate agents were keen to extend their sports sponsorship portfolio with a quality assured and developing coaching and education provider.

The deal will ensure Charles Darrow sponsor the shirts of all

Claire Palmer and Rosanna Castillo Palmer (above) and Zak Zaher (below) Saints South West Regional Squads (under-sevens through to under-16s) throughout the 2018-19 season.

Charles Darrow director Paul Heather said: “We are delighted to have agreed a sponsorship deal with Saints South West. We are all football fans at Charles Darrow and we jumped at the chance to support all of the fantastic work going on at Saints Southwest.

“This is a programme which invests in young people to be the best they can be, on and off the pitch, and we wanted to be part of that.

“Saints South West have been a pleasure to deal with and we look forward to working with them.”

Saints South West, an official partner of Southampton Foot- ball Club, supports the development of young people from the ages of two through to the age of 18.

Saints South West director Mark Tichard said: “We're delighted to be in partnership with Charles Darrow, who have been providing invaluable support with regards to securing facilities and providing advice in creating a Saints Southwest hub, which is a long term goal of ours.”

HORSE RACING

Progressive hurdler Highway One O One, ridden by Tom Cannon, made a winning debut over fences to land Newton Abbot Racecourse’s feature Devondale Electrical Novices' Chase on Friday, comfortably beating Cheltenham Festival

writes winner Flying Tiger,

David Hucker.

Although four lined up, the race looked to be between useful hurdler Flying Tiger, whose biggest success came in the 2017 Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, and three-time winner Highway One O One, who probably ran his best race in defeat when runner-up to Ballymoy in a valuable novice event at Sandown Park on the final day of last season.

The two rivals had cleared the penultimate fence together, but it was Highway One O One who asserted going to the last and, having put in the better jump, came away on the run-in to win by six lengths.

With three absentees, there were eight for the opening In- dependent Racecourses Limited IRL Novices' Hurdle over two and three-quarter miles, with Colin Tizzard’s Quite By Chance, five times a winner over fences, sent off the 6-5 favourite.

But, it was 5-2 shot Push The Tempo, who had landed a bumper at Worcester before beating Cotton Club over the course and distance in July, who came out on top, leading at the second-last flight to easily beat the other previous winner in the race No Hiding Place.

Tizzard’s Top Chief has become a bit of a standing dish at the course in recent weeks, having run five times in all, winning on his second appearance in July.

He hadn’t managed to score since but, with conditional jockey Angus Cheleda again in the saddle and reducing his weight by 10lb, Top Chief got back to winning form in the Devondale Electrical Handicap Chase, leading into the home straight to beat Scoop The Pot, who made mistakes at the last two fences, and Calin Du Brizais in a tight finish.

Shiroccan Roll, third behind Rhythm Is A Dancer in an Exeter bumper back in May, made a winning debut over jumps when landing the Happy 60th Birthday Chris Cross Novices' Hurdle for trainer Emma Lavelle, going past 66-1 outsider Buachaill Beag between the last two flights for a comfortable win.

Rocket Ronnie came into the meeting still waiting on his first win after 14 attempts, but was only caught on the line by Compatriot over the course last time and, although raised 3lb for that effort, was able to run from the same handicap mark in the Peter Edwards 80th Birthday Party Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle.

The weight made all the difference, as Rocket Ronnie put in a fine leap at the final flight and just held the persistent challenge of Slaying The Dragon by a neck, with top-weight Winter Spice back in third.

Noel Fehily had just two rides on the card, but went home with a winner when favourite Western Sunrise, trained by Johnny Farrelly, took the closing Sky Sports Racing Launching In 2019 Handicap Hurdle by one and three-quarter lengths from Tea Time Fred.

Paul Levie