Americain Storms Home in 150th Melbourne Cup 2010

It was a nail biting finish with the American bred and French trained horse Americain storming home by two lengths to win the Emirates Melbourne Cup 2010.  It  was  a classic battle with local favourite So You Think to the delight of racegoers at the Flemington race track.

There was truly an international flavour to the win, with the horse owned by Australians, trained in France by Alain de Royer-Dupre and ridden by French Jockey Gerard Mosse who is based in Hong Kong.

So You Think winner of the Cox Plate was trained by veteran Australian Bart Cummings who attended the race from hospital.  He was hoping to add a win at the 150th event to his previous cup successes but had to be satisfied with second place.  Maluckyday came in third third.

Despite weather forecasts of heavy rain for Melbourne’s VRC Derby Day nothing could stop the annual turnout by more than 100,000 racegoers to see the famous Melbourne Cup.   Punters were relieved a heavy downpour stopped just 10 minutes before the race and for a moment forgot they were rain soaked in the excitement of the event.

This is the 150th occasion of the Melbourne Cup and Americain’s win will certainly increase international interest in the race which brings Australia and New Zealand almost to a standstill annually.   It is an event which engages even novice betters for a once a year flutter in office syndicates or at the local betting offices or on the track.  NZ Punters spent over $8 million on today’s race.

There will be celebrations and no doubt some champagne toasts in France with this historic win,  the first by a French trained horse and ridden by a French jockey.

The Australian Governor General, Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce, wearing a red polka dot outfit with matching hat, presented the much prized cup to the horse’s owners Gerry Ryan and Kevin Bamford.

Waka Taua Salute WRC 2010 Lake Karapiro NZ

The 2010 World Rowing Championships was officially declared open by FISA President Denis Oswald at the Opening Ceremony at Lake Karapiro New Zealand on 30 October 2010. The ceremony program had many features including a performance by the ‘popera’ group Lyrica, and Zach Washer an acrobatic Cyr wheeler showed off his prowess to the crowd.

Most impressive were the local iwi  Ngati Koroki Kahukura and Ngati Haua who performed a powhiri (welcome) which included a haka and wero  (traditional challenge) as well as a karanga (call of welcome) performed by women, waiata (song) and kapa haka (dances).  It concluded with an impressive presentation by 150 waka taua who arrived in four waka to offer their own salute to the officials and spectators.

The flags for the 49 countries represented at the championships were carried across the stage by local school children who were accompanied by representative athletes.  NZ the host country was represented by Mahe Drysdale and Eric Murray.

The New Zealand national anthem was sung by lead singer from OPSHOP Jason Kerrison as the flag was raised and the ceremony ended with  the release of over 2000 balloons and streamers across the lake.

The event has been years in the planning and is the first time NZ has hosted the event for 32 years, the last occasion being 1978.    Among the notable facilities was the construction of the largest temporary grandstand ever in the country.  It stretches 142 metres providing seating for  nearly 10,000 attendees.   There is covered seating for 6000 spectators and open seating for another 4000 with unobstructed views of the entire course and the podium for the medal ceremonies.

The event will run for eight days with more than 800 athletes from the attending countries – the New Zealand contingent numbers 55 athletes  competing in various races.   With a strong history in rowing NZ is hoping to take out a good tally of gold medals.

Lake Karapiro is 35km south-east of the city of of Hamilton. It was formed behind a dam built with the construction of a hydro-electric power  station built in 1940. It is on the Waikato River which starts at Lake Taupo.

Strong winds on yesterday caused the cancellation of some events on day one of racing and necessitated a new schedule to be released by the International Rowing Federation FISA for today and tomorrow.   While there was some disappointment at the need for this, the event is subject to  the whims of the weather gods Matt Smith, Executive Director for FISA said, “Rowing is an outdoor sport.  We have to be ready for all conditions.   When it’s possible to row, we will row.”

However the crowd were well pleased when the first race to open the 2010 Championships was won by the NZ duo lightweight men’s pair  Graham Oberlin-Brown and James Lassche before further events were suspended after another four races.  “We came out pretty steady and we  were happy with how we started,” said Oberlin-Brown.  “It’s good to start things off with a win and to be able to push past France who are the competition favourites.”

The venue is located on the Mighty River Domain, and includes giant screens, shops and live music and entertainment.   There is no significant  public parking space at the venue and park and ride facilities have been set up in the nearby picturesque town of Cambridge for spectators.

Free shuttle buses will run daily between the hours of 7am – 8.30pm.

Fantastico Matteo Wins the 2010 Castello Masters

Italian teenager Matteo Manassero aged 17 is on top of the world with his win at the Castello Masters making him the European Tour’s youngest  winner.   He replaces the previous youngest tour winner New Zealand’s Danny Lee who won the Johnnie Walker Classic in Perth, Australia when he was 18 in 2009.

Manassero started the final day two shots behind the leader Gary Boyd.  He beat second placed Ignacio Garrido at the Club de Campo de Mediterraneo  in Spain closing with a four-under 67 to give a 16-under total of 268.

England’s Gary Boyd slipped back into a tie for third place with Ireland’s Peter Lawrie, Joost Luiten from Holland and Swede Christian Nilsson.

In 2009 Manassero was the youngest ever winner of the British Amateur Championship and only turned professional on 3 in May 2010.    He  made his professional debut at the BMW Italian Open at the Royal Park I Roveri, Turin.

So far Manassero has amassed earnings of nearly €650,000 on the 2010 European Tour from 15 tournaments played.  With this win he has broken another record and become the youngest full European Tour Member beating the previous record holder Spain’s by  Seve Ballesteros.

Italian Golf is putting its mark on the game this year with Manassero joining fellow nationals Francesco Molinari who turned Pro in 2004 and his  older brother Edoardo joining him in the Pro ranks in 2006.

There are four more tournaments before the November 25-28 2010 Dubai World Championships at Jumeriah Golf Estates and this win will boost Manassero’s rankings and confidence in a fine start to his professional career.

Federer's win at Stockholm Open brings his 64th title

After losing out to Andy Murray in the Shanghai Masters last week Swiss legend Roger Federer was in fine form in Stockholm.  He beat Florian  Mayer in the Stockholm Open final yesterday.

The German Mayer ranked 47th played valiantly and broke the Swiss champion’s serve in the  seventh game of the opening set.

However Federer just powered back to take the first set and went on to finish the match in straight sets 6-4 6-3 in a little over an hour.

This is Federer’s third title of the year and he now equals Pete Sampras’ tally of 64 career titles.  He is ranked No. 2 by the ATP Tour and is the  fifth man to win 50 matches in at least nine straight years in the Open era.

“Early on, I think that feeling of wanting to prove yourself to the world and all the doubters is a very strong one, so you’re very aggressive in your  ways of winning and not enjoying them,” Federer said. “Today it’s much more of the enjoyment part because I don’t need to prove myself to  anyone anymore, except to myself.”

After the match Mayer said,  “I got tired while his game improved a lot, but I felt it was a closer match than the score showed.”  Federer  acknowledged his opponent who he said played a good match.

In his first appearance at the tournament in a decade Federer received a standing ovation from the crowd as Sweden’s Crown Princess Victoria  presented him with the trophy.

Lance Armstrong confirms SantosTour Down Under 2011

The Santos Tour Down Under heralds in the first race of the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) World Road Cycling calendar.  Lance  Armstrong the seven-time Tour de France champion is a confirmed entrant for the January 2011 event in South Australia.

Armstrong, returned to cycling in 2009 having quit in 2005 but he confirmed that 2010 would be his last appearance in the Tour de France.  He  finished that race placed 23rd overall, 40 minutes behind the 2010 winner Alberto Contador.

18 UCI pro teams are entered for the event with riders from Australia and around the world, Armstrong is part of the USA Radio Shack Team.

In a statement Armstrong said, “I’m excited to be competing in my last professional ride outside the U.S. at the Tour Down Under. It will be my  third time to the event and I’m sure I will enjoy it as much as I have the first two times.”

The Santos Tour Down Under was first held in 1999 and has grown to become the southern hemipshere’s biggest cycling event.  The event lasts  a week and this year is scheduled to run January 16-23 in the state of South Australia.

It includes circuits through the streets of the state capital Adelaide and other stages take place throughout regional South Australia.

Amateur cyclists can also get involved in the action with the Skoda Breakaway Series providing the opportunity to ride part of the ProTour race route.

In making the announcement yesterday South Australia State Premier Mike Rann said, “This is an amazing opportunity for cycling fans across the  globe to head to Adelaide and be part of history as Lance competes in his farewell ride as a professional on international soil.”   He went on to say,  “We are delighted he has chosen to compete again in South Australia and make his international farewell here.”

Wayne Rooney Wants to Quit Manchester United

Sir Alex Ferguson Manchester United’s Manager delivered the stunning announcement at a news conference on Tuesday that England International 24 year old Wayne Rooney wants to leave the the English Premier League club after six successful years there.

Rooney was signed to the club by Sir Alex and has developed under his and the club’s tutelage since that time.

At a press conference Sir Alex made a number of statements on the matter but declined to take questions from the attending journalists. He said “We’ve done nothing but help him since he’s been at this club,”

“We cannot quite understand why he would want to leave. No-one can deny this club is one of the most successful in British football.”

“We have won 40 major trophies, countless cup finals, have a fantastic history, a great stadium, great training arrangements.”

“We don’t understand it.  I can’t answer any questions about why he is doing it.  We can speculate.  We can have opinions.  It won’t matter a dickie-bird, simply because the player is adamant he wants to leave.”

Ferguson also said that there was an offer on the table for Rooney intimating he hopes the player will remain at Old Trafford.

There have been reports of a dispute between Rooney and Sir Alex over the status of the player’s injury. Sir Alex said there was no argument between them and gave some insight into the ankle injury which was sustained and received treatment.

In a statement responding to Sir Alex’s comments Rooney has confirmed he has asked to leave Old Trafford and has said he remains a big fan of the club manager and the club.

“I have never had anything but complete respect for MUFC.  How could I not have done given its fantastic history and especially the last six years in which I have been lucky to play a part.?”

FIFA Launches Corruption Inquiry

Following allegations by the London Sunday Times newspaper that a couple of undercover journalists had filmed evidence of corruption involving two of its executive members, The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has today launched a formal investigation. The incident occurred when the two journalists posing as lobbyists for an American consortium were seeking endorsement of the US bid for the 2022 World Cup final host rights.

The FIFA executives in question are Nigeria’s executive Committee member Amos Adamu and athe Oceania Football Confederation president Reynald Temarii from Tahiti. The latter is alleged to have sought $3 million to finance a sports academy while Adamu was allegedly seeking a million dollars to build artificial pitches. Both men have denied the allegations.

Sepp Blatter FIFA’s president in a letter to the executive committee on 17 October 2010 advised them of the issue and said, “I will keep you duly informed of any further developments. In the meantime, I would like to ask you to refrain from making any public comments on this matter.” If found guilty of taking bribes for votes the officials could face suspension or expulsion from FIFA.

The decision on who will be the 2018 and 2022 World Cup final hosts is expected to be announced at FIFA Headquarters in Zurich on 2 December. England and Russia are both bidding for the 2018 tournament and there are also joint bids from Netherlands/Belgium and Portugal/Spain for the rights.

The rights to host the 2022 World Cup tournament is being contested by Australia, Japan, Qatar, South Korea and the USA.

Velux 5 Oceans Challenge Farewells La Rochelle

The Velux 5 Oceans Challenge the longest and toughest race for individuals in any sport is a round-the-world single-handed yacht race across five oceans. Run every four years since 1982 the 2010/11 challenge departed from La Rochelle(France) today at 1.00pm cheered on by the crowds who lined the Bassin des Chalutiers.  In perfect conditions with sun shining and a fresh breeze the five 60ft Eco 60 yachts were accompanied out to the start area by a flotilla of 400 smaller craft carrying family and friends and the Tall Ship Belem which sounded the start of the race.

The contestants are Christophe Bullens (Belgium) skippering Five Oceans of Smiles named after a charity he is he is raising funds for, which supports children who are HIV positive.  He must sail a qualifying segment and return to La Rochell to complete his preparations with his final departure expected on Thursday next.  His first yacht was dismasted on the way to La Rochelle but a replacement was found and given the same name. Chris Stanmore-Major (UK) from the Isle of Wight the youngest contestant is a professional sailor and is at the helm of Spartan. He is being sponsored by Raymarine a global leader in marine electronics.

Zbigniew Gutkowski (Poland) in Operon Racing has already sailed around the world in Le Race but this time he is aiming to become Poland’s first solo round the world sailor. Derek Hatfield (Canada) is sailing for the second time in this challenge, his yacht is called Active House.  He won the class 3 in the Round Alone race in 2002/03 sailing Spirit of Canada. Brad Van Liew is the veteran of the race with this his third challenge.  He first raced it in 1998 in Balance Bar, he came back again in 2002 and was first in class 2 in Tommy Hilfiger. Le Pingouin will be his home for the next nine months as he seeks to make it a hat trick.

The first leg of the 30,000 nautical mile race, which will take an estimated nine months in total, saw the yachts head off into the Bay of Biscay on the first 7,000 nautical miles of their voyage to Cape Town in South Africa. The second leg will be from Cape Town through the Southern Ocean will take them to Wellington in New Zealand in the New Year. From Wellington the boats will head south to round Cape Horn and then up the coast of Argentina to Salvador in Brazil. From Brazil the yachts will sail to Charleston in South Carolina, USA, in the North Atlantic. The final leg will then be the race for home across the Atlantic to finish back in La Rochelle in May 2011.

The Velux 5 Oceans Challenge is named after its major sponsor, Velux a Danish manufacturer of windows and skylights and has been managed by Clipper Ventures Plc since 1995.   The total prize money for this challenge is €500,000 which will be shared among the overall winner and also with prizes for winners of each leg of the race.

Delhi Commonwealth Games Finish with an Extravaganza

Before a capacity crowd in the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium the XIX Commonwealth Games came to an end on 14 October, 2010 in a flawless extravaganza of song and dance and a magnificent fireworks display lighting up the Delhi skyline.

It is hard to credit that four weeks ago there were murmurings that the event might not even get underway. Crises seemed to abound with the facilities still to be completed, the Athletes Village a mess, security and health concerns and other issues delaying the arrival of athletes in Delhi.  Some were spooked by the reports and chose to withdraw and not travel to India.

But the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee and authorities battled on and the Opening Ceremony a spectacle of color, music, and a star child drummer preceded the march in of the athletes who received a rousing welcome from the spectators on time on 3 October. The Games were declared open by Prince Charles and President Patil of India.

There was no delay in getting the serious business of the Games underway and the 7,000 athletes from 71 countries got on with what they had been training for over the past four years, showing off their prowess and hauling in the gold, silver and bronze medals. Australia, the country with the largest contingent took the title for the most gold medals.  A couple of well timed performances delivered second place to India on the final day, with England taking third place.

There were a few spills, and upsets but no real controversy marked any of the events, though the poor audiences at some events did give them a slightly disengaged air. This did not diminish the caliber of the athletes nor their performances and the bar remained high for them all.

The closing ceremony included a cameo from the Scots who came with an enormous armadillo feature and bonnie dancers and singers heralding Glasgow giving notice that they will be host to the 20th Commonwealth Games in four years.

Dignitaries attending the ceremony included, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Vice President M Hamid Ansari, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi,CWG chief Michael Fennell and Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Prince Edward, patron of the Commonwealth Games Federation officially closed 19th Games after the CWG flag was handed to the Glasgow officials by the Delhi officials.

So the athletes will now depart for home with unanimous praise for the hospitality they have received and the success they enjoyed with happy memories of an event India can be truly proud of.

NZ 7s Lock Up Gold Medals at Delhi for Four More Years

There will be  a few bleary eyes at the office today in New Zealand after the heart stopping final at the Commonwealth Games Rugby 7s final between New Zealand and Australia at 3.00am this morning NZ time. But in the end it was haka for breakfast.

After a less than stellar year in the International Rugby Sevens losing the overall title to Samoa and winning only eight of the series tournaments, the 7s team signaled their intentions of taking out their fourth consecutive gold medal by brushing aside the competition in the run up matches to the final at the Commonwealth Games.

It was a good start to the game but all to soon it seemed to be slipping away from them.  The Australians looked to be in line to carry off yet another gold as they powered into the game going 10-7 up at half time with two tries.   It continued to be dispiriting in the second half with the score reaching 17-7 to Australia and only seven minutes left to go on the clock.  There are those who say there is magic in the number seven, and they might be right. The New Zealand team took charge and with growing support from the crowd which was getting ever more voluble they brought home the winning score 24-7 and will be the golden boys for another four years.

The New Zealand Sevens team performed an impromptu victory haka after the game for the delighted crowd and fans didn’t hesitate to get onto the pitch to mix with the players and the authorities seemed happy to be there as well.

But it is back to business for the players who will have little time to savor the victory in Delhi as they have to leave to meet other game commitments. They were feted with another haka for their victory at the Athletes Village by the New Zealand Games Team.

Coach Gordon Tietjens truly has a Midas touch as King of the Sevens.  He weaved his magic again and his crown princes did not disappoint and brought home the golden spoils of victory led by Captain DJ Forbes.