Sports SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 2016

California Chrome favorite again at Dubai World Cup

DUBAI: California Chrome has prepared other horses are going to do out of the this year. “I have been in the game for 55 2,000 meters on dirt. Frosted, the four-year- well, the jockey feels good about their gates, and I can control the race a little bit. years and seen a lot of things, but old son of Tapit and home stable chances, and the trainer is confident. Both “I am very pleased with how he is shap- California Chrome is bigger and better Godolphin’s big hope, valiantly chased men believe the outside draw won’t hin- ing up. So far, so good. I have watched him than any of them,” Sherman said. American Pharaoh in the U.S. Triple Crown der the U.S. horse from winning the Dubai the last couple of days and he is looking “If you have the right horse, an outside races last year. He and Keen Ice, the only World Cup today, and thus finishing one good.” To enhance the chances of the draw is good, and we think we have the horse to beat Pharaoh last year, are expect- place better than last year in the world’s heavy favorite for the second straight year, right horse. He normally races prominently ed to be the main challengers for Chrome. richest horse race. Last year, California California Chrome and is pretty versatile.” Apart from the $10 million Dubai World Chrome started from Stall 9 and never has been in Dubai since January to Art’s son, Alan, the assistant trainer, Cup, there are eight other races on the card, threatened surprise winner Prince Bishop acclimate, and won a 2,000-meter handi- added: “He missed a lot of last year but he with two of them offering $6 million each - in finishing second. The Art Sherman- cap race by two lengths a month ago at returned to training a far bigger, stronger the 1,800-meter Dubai Turf, and the 2,410- trained stallion will start from an even the same Meydan Racecourse. horse. We could not be more happy with meter Dubai Sheema Classic. Another top- wider Stall 11 this weekend, but his con- After a bruised bone in his leg sidelined him. We just felt he would have longer to rated American horse, Postponed, starts as nections have no doubt his quality will Chrome for 10 months last year, the 2014 acclimatize and it would be to his benefit.” favorite in the Dubai Sheema Classic, and prevail. “In a way it is kind of good,” jockey Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes win- Chrome is one of five American horses in Godolphin’s Tryster is the preferred choice Victor Espinoza said. “I can see how all the ner has taken both of his comeback races the field of 12 for the feature race, over in the Dubai Turf. — AP

Italy name O’Shea as coach in ‘crucial turning point’

ROME: Former Ireland full-back Conor O’Shea was yester- day named as the new Italy coach, taking over from Frenchman Jacques Brunel in a move described as a “cru- cial turning point” for Italian rugby. Coach of Harlequins since 2010, the 45-year-old O’Shea will join up with Italy in June when his contract with the London club expires at the end of this season. “As I said when I announced that I would be leaving, I feel the end of this season is the right time for me to take on a new challenge and I am honoured, humbled and excited that I will be working with everyone in Italian Rugby to ensure they can achieve on the undoubted potential they have as a rugby nation,” said O’Shea. New Zealand’s fly-half , newly recruited player of Racing Metro 92 club takes part in a “I spent many years in the 1990s playing against a great training session at the club training centre . Italian side and I know there is the ability and will within this current group of players and the FIR to ensure that the current team can become the best Italian team in its histo- Toulon bid to bounce back ry, but that is for another time. “For me now there is a job to finish here at Harlequins and to ensure we finish this season as well as we can and against Racing in warm-up see if we can add some more silverware to the trophy cabi- net at this great club.” PARIS: recalled their big One to benefit from Bernard gameplan, but firstly for the number of O’Shea will be assisted by former England back Mike guns for a top billing match Laporte’s rotation policy will be young South African players in the team,” he Catt, who will oversee the backline, and Stephen Aboud, against Toulon today, two weeks before scrum-half Anthony Meric. “After the railed. “This concentration of players is former technical director at the Irish federation. the two teams meet again in the reverse last week against Montpellier, tied to the origin of the coach and the He faces a real challenge in Italy, with the team having European Champions Cup quarter-final. Toulon will be doing everything to get links he has created in his country. Racing, fielding a largely second XV, back on the right footing before the “We could consider 13 South Africans leaked 29 tries in the recently-finished Six Nations in which suffered a 60-7 hammering by European Cup quarter-final,” Meric said to be a lot, but the history of each one of they took home the wooden spoon after five straight Montpellier last weekend, and will be in reference to the April 10 at Racing’s them is different.” defeats. keen to get things back in order at Lille’s normal home ground of Stade Yves-du- Montpellier, who have racked up 51 Italy have won just 12 out of 85 matches since becom- Stade Pierre-Mauroy, with an almost Manoir),” said Meric. tries this season at an average of 2.88 ing the ‘sixth’ nation in 2000, finishing bottom for an 11th capacity 40,000 expected. per game - second only to Toulon’s 66, time in 17 seasons, and this year saw repeated talk of intro- “It’s up to us to bounce back,” said JEALOUS OR SCARED were once hailed as a model for the ducing relegation to the tournament, notably after the Racing’s ex-All Black No 8 Chris Masoe, With leaders Clermont playing fifth- players it churned out of its youth sys- showings of second-tier Georgia and Romania at last year’s the Parisian club sitting second and placed Bordeaux-Begles, Montpellier tem, but fears have been expressed that World Cup. Under Brunel’s four-year term, Italy won just Toulon third. stand the best chance of advancing fur- the South African domination of the four matches in the Six Nations and his reign finished with “Our performance last week wasn’t ther up the table, with an away match squad could offset that. a dispiriting 67-14 hammering at the hands of Wales. worthy of our level. But real champions against rock-bottom Agen, now looking According to L’Equipe, the club is Italian federation president Alfredo Gavazzi said: “The know how to bounce back. In a season consigned to relegation back to the currently the sole team in the Top 14 appointment of this new head coach, his assistant and the as long as thius one, you have to know ProD2. Montpellier president Mohed not to have respected league rules on head of training is a crucial turning point for the Italian how to digest losses, forget them and Altrad has spoken out against claims his the number of home-grown players Rugby Federation. move on to something else.” Racing will club are the least liked in France, saying (joueurs issus des filieres de formation - “We have identified three of the highest-profile figures, be boosted by the return of a number of his rivals were “perhaps jealous, or JIFF) to be listed on a teamsheet, set at three men who are in possession of what we believe are players from international duty includ- scared”. 12. A “JIFF” player must have been reg- the most suitable qualities that can contribute to the ing , , “We’ve been stigmatised, it’s true , istered with the French federation for at development of our team.” , , and I don’t know why,” Altrad was quot- least five years before turning 21 or Catt returns to rugby after leaving his post as an Martin Castrogiovanni and Luke ed by L’Equipe as saying. “I don’t under- have spent three seasons in a federa- England assistant coach in December following the host Charteris. stand the basis of this criticism.” tion-approved training centre if they are Toulon, however, have opted to rest Altrad, a self-made billionaire busi- currently under 21. nation’s spectacular 2015 World Cup flop when they failed their French internationals Guilhem nessman born into a bedouin family in “They’ve set up a South African arma- to progress beyond the pool stage. Guirado, Maxime Mermoz and Xavier the Syrian desert, also baulked at critics da but what happens when White Catt, and Graham Rowntree all departed Chiocci alog with a host of other regu- of Montpellier’s style of play under leaves in three years’ time? Will they the , with new England head coach lars, although Bryan Habana and Quade South African coach , who led stay?” asked scrum-half Julien Tomas, Eddie Jones recruiting Steve Borthwick and Paul Gustard Cooper return after stints on the inter- the Springboks to 2007 World Cup glo- formerly with Montpellier and now ply- to work with him. — AFP national sevens circuit. ry. “The club comes under attack for its ing his trade with Stade Francais.—AFP