Roaring Lion pips Saxon Warrior to win Eclipse Stakes

Two-time Derby winning trainer Dunlop dies

LONDON, July 7, (AFP): Roaring Lion provided England football fans with a good omen ahead of the ‘Three Lions’ World Cup quarter-final with Sweden by landing the Eclipse Stakes on Saturday at Sandown Park.

The John Gosden-trained winner – giving Irish jockey Oisin Murphy his first English Group One success – survived a steward’s enquiry to become the first horse since Elmaamul in 1990 to finish third in the Epsom Derby and go on to win the Eclipse.

The duel between Roaring Lion and Saxon Warrior more than made up for the withdrawal of Epsom Derby winner Masar, who was found to have a leg problem on the eve of the race, the richest ever to be staged at the course near London worth £448,000 ($595,000) to the winner.

Murphy had been called in by the stewards over his horse coming in and bumping Irish raider Saxon Warrior, the beaten favourite in both the Epsom and Irish Derbies.

The stewards accepted Murphy’s explanation that his horse is still raw and has a habit of running round when in front but he didn’t impede Saxon Warrior enough to alter the result, which saw him prevail by a neck.

Saxon Warrior’s jockey Donnacha O’Brien – son of the horse’s trainer Aidan – claimed he had suffered three bumps knocking his mount sideways just as he was due to come back at the winner.

Murphy, though, was able to enjoy his moment of glory and pay tribute to the people who had made it possible.

“This is for my parents and my family, who have made it possible in putting me in this position,” said Murphy. “This is their reward.” Gosden, winning his third Eclipse Stakes, praised Murphy for a very calm and calculating ride.

“He rode him beautifully and very coolly,” Gosden told ITV Racing.

“He got too far back, he knew that, and he didn’t hurry to get back. It was a very good ride and I’m thrilled.

“I thought Saxon Warrior was magnificent, so all credit to Aidan O’Brien.

“He (Murphy) deserves it (a first British Group One win). He did very well to stay as cool as he did.”

Meanwhile, English training great

Dunlop

John Dunlop who numbered two Epsom Derby victories among his 10 British classic successes has died aged 78 his son Ed announced on Saturday.

The always dapper and urbane Dunlop won the blue riband of flat racing with Shirley Heights (1978) and Erhaab (1994) with the former going on to land the Irish Derby later that season.

Dunlop – who along with the late Dick Hern, Peter Walwyn and Henry Cecil as well as Michael Stoute formed a formidable quintet of English trainers against their powerful Irish and French rivals – also won the 1000 Guineas three times, the Oaks twice and the oldest classic of them all, the St Leger, on three occasions.

The only English classic to elude Dunlop – who was fortunate to survive when his aorta burst in 2001 – was the colt’s mile (1600 metres) the 2000 Guineas.

McKenzie finished the half by electing to run when the Chiefs won turnover ball on their own line and was on hand to finish off the end-to-end move with a try.

Henry Speight scored in the corner to get the Brumbies on the board only for the Chiefs to reply with a McKenzie intercept that started another length of the field move for Johnny Faauli to score.

Tom Banks and Speight scored the late tries for the Brumbies who were heading towards the tryline again, with time on the clock, when a penalty allowed the Chiefs to put the ball out and claim the win.

In Pretoria, Winger Jamba Ulengo scored a brace of tries as the Bulls denied the visiting Jaguares top spot in the South African conference with a 43-34 Super Rugby victory at Loftus Stadium on Saturday.

With top spot guaranteeing a home quarter-final, the Jaguares remain three points behind the Lions with a single game remaining in the round-robin competition.

The loss ended a seven-match winning streak for the Argentines, who face a difficult clash away to the Sharks in Durban next weekend as they look to earn a place in the playoffs for the first time.

The South Americans raced into a 19-point lead by the end of the first quarter but the three-time champion Bulls suddenly sparked into life and ultimately claimed a comfortable victory, outscoring the visitors six tries to five.