Royale decision left late on Cup
BIG ASK
CONNECTIONS of Royale Pagaille “will leave it until as late as we can” before deciding the Venetia Williams, below, trainee’s Cheltenham Festival target.
The seven-year-old announced himself as a potential player in the Cheltenham Gold Cup with a 16-length victory in the Peter Marsh Handicap Chase at Haydock Park in January.
But the National Hunt Chase is also an option for Royale Pagaille, earlier successful over fences at Haydock and Kempton Park in December.
“We will make a decision next weekend, either Friday or Saturday,” Joe Chambers, racing manager to Royale Pagaille’s owner, Rich
Ricci, said yesterday.
“We want to see what the ground is like and leave it until as late as we can, and gather as much information as we can.”
Royale Pagaille, 13-8 favourite for the National Hunt Chase and an 8-1 shot for the Gold Cup, owes his novice status to eight defeats over the larger obstacles in France and Britain prior to this winter.
“He’s done brilliantly,” added Chambers. “Last year was a bit disappointing but this year more time has allowed him to strengthen up.
“He’s done it well, but he’s never been in graded class.”
Q
WHAT IMPACT HAS COVID HAD
ON YOUR PREPARATIONS FOR
THESE CHAMPIONSHIPS?
A
Being in Italy and living away from the UK it has been tough.
Trying to plan anything at the moment is almost impossible. For example, I couldn’t get home at
Christmas and new year when flights were cancelled after the new Covid variant was announced and I have not been back since.
We are constantly making plans. It’s difficult with regards to preparing for an Olympic Games. Staying out in Italy means I can train full time. It’s the other part of my life that is sacrificed.
Q
IS IT ALL WORTH IT, BEING AWAY FROM FAMILY AND KATARINA JOHNSON-THOMPSON, YOUR GIRLFRIEND, WHO IS BASED IN FRANCE?
Aimpossible but for the support of my training partners. One of my biggest rivals for this competition is Paolo Dal Molin, whose name my internet is in. I then pay for it on the Italian credit card of my other training partner as it is impossible for me to do so as a non-citizen.
I didn’t realise how much I would rely on the help of my training group when I moved here. My Italian is now OK and I also speak Spanish as that is the language of my coach. Q
YOU WERE CROWNED WORLD CHAMPION IN 2018 IN BIRMINGHAM, BUT IT WAS AT THESE CHAMPIONSHIPS IN BELGRADE 12 MONTHS EARLIER WHERE YOU MADE It is a tough one to answer objectively because YOUR BREAKTHROUGH, WASN’T IT? ultimately the sacrifices are perceivably worse than A
what it is I am trying to achieve here. Winning that first one was the hardest so for me
It is a lonely experience as you spend a lot of time Belgrade was a wonderful championship. I went by yourself and I am able to offer less to family and into those in great shape and winning gave me such friends. It helps that Kat is in a similar position whereby confidence. we are both trying to achieve the same thing largely To some extent it validated all the faith I had had and this is the best route to doing so. She is incredibly through all the years of injuries. That medal gave me a focused and hard working with whatever she is doing lot of belief that my thinking had been right and I was in Montpellier. That understanding goes an awfully long on the right path. way. This is a once-in-a-lifetime aim, it is very timesensitive and these are the years I have to achieve it. HOW DOES YOUR FORM FROM THEN COMPARE WITH
HOW IT IS NOW?
Q A
YOUR TRAINING ARRANGEMENT HAS DELIVERED YOU
TO THESE CHAMPIONSHIPS RANKED SECOND BUT I think I am in good shape. I was doing really, really MIGHT YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES CHANGE AS A RESULT OF well around December time but, unfortunately, we BREXIT? had a couple of issues that meant training was a little
bit compromised and I missed a couple of races. Now
A
Getting information about how best to continue in I am back in really good shape and I am much happier Italy has been very difficult. The current rule is that going into this. It’s very possible you can only be in Europe for 90 days out of every 180. if things go well that I will be back Obviously for an athlete that is not sustainable, so we at my best and looking to run a are working on that at the moment. personal best.
It is tricky but it looks like I will try to take full-time residency in order to continue training there fully.
Q
HOW MUCH RED TAPE DO YOU HAVE TO
DEAL WITH LIVING AND TRAINING
ABROAD?
A
Without a doubt my life in Italy would be
Q
The world indoor champion, who is bidding to reclaim the 60m hurdles title at the European Indoors in Poland this weekend, tells ALEX SPINK of the challenges he has faced in the past year
ENGLAND’S chickens came home to roost as their heroic attempts to snatch victory in the final Test were left in tatters by their own mistakes and the brilliance of Rishabh Pant.
Even though Ben Stokes ran through a metaphorical brick wall for the side in a new role as an opening bowler.
Even though James Anderson claimed three scalps, including his 900th international wicket, in another masterful display.
And even though Virat Kohli was dismissed for an eight-ball duck and India were reduced to 146-6, England found themselves way behind for the third game in a row. They trailed by 89 runs after day two as India reached 294-7.
Spooked by the pitch in the third Test, their team selection here has left them horribly exposed.
With Dom Bess struggling and Joe Root showing why he is a part-time spin bowler, they are effectively trying to take 20 wickets with a three-man attack. And they didn’t put enough runs on the board in their own first innings. At least this game will go into a third day, but as it does England will have had time to sleep on a second day in which they threw their very best at India, only to have something even better come back at them in the shape of Pant.
The wicketkeeper’s third Test hundred was crafted in a not-too-dissimilar way to Stokes’ Ashes Headingley opus.
Patient and cautious to begin trying to dig his side out of a bit of bother at 80-4, before expanding his attacking game as the opposition grew weary and finishing with a flurry of outrageous strokeplay.
His reverse-sweep over the slips off Anderson with the second new ball was bravado of the best kind.
Stokes the batsman could surely have with, appreciated the skill and entertainment provided by the 23-year-old, even if Stokes the bowler was sick of it.
Of course Stokes had actually been sick over the previous few days so England couldn’t be sure he would be able to bowl the 20 overs he managed in the searing heat that topped 41 degrees.
The vice-captain loves a challenge though, and after two quiet games, he roared into life by getting Kohli to edge a short ball behind. Rohit Sharma was trapped lbw by Stokes for 49 and the all-rounder just kept on coming, prompting former team-mate Graeme Swann to say: “Stokes has put in a gargantuan effort for his side. “He’s been up against it with illness and yet he keeps going. He’s been pushed to his limits and he’s playing the superman role once again.”
CLASS: Pant on way to century