Giant Sequoia produced an eye-catching performance to win the William Hill Futurity Trophy at Doncaster on Saturday and in the process virtually guarantee the English trainers’ championship for Aidan O’Brien. The Tipperary-based trainer had four runners in the race and it was stablemate Sergei Diaghilev who set a brisk pace at the head of the Group One field, before the race began to take shape as they hit the two-furlong pole. Ryan Moore on board favorite Noble Exhibit, another of O’Brien’s horses, put down their challenge a furlong and a half out, but Giant Sequoia (11-1) was travelling strongly upsides and really picked up when asked by jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle. It was a record-extending 13th success in the race for the Tipperary-based trainer.
DUBLIN MARATHON
On Sunday, Ethiopian runner Abay Alemu Lesa won the 45th Dublin Marathon, in time of 2 hours 10:29 minutes. He is the 5 th Ethiopian runner to win the Dublin race since 2009. There was late drama when Kenya’s Enock Kipkemboi, apparently cruising towards the €15,000 first prize, fell near the RDS in Ballsbridge after feeling unwell. Abay Alemu Lesa and Sweden’s Ebba Chala were closing in with three kilometres remaining and it was Lesa who powered home over the final 500 metres to win in 2:10:29, while Kipkemboi recovered to finish fourth. The first Irish man across the line was Hugh Armstrong from Knockmore in Mayo in a time of 2 hours 14 minutes. He was followed by Killian Mooney and Stephen McCauley.
And Ethiopia also won the women’s race with Zenebu Fikdau Jebesa first home in 2 hours 24 minutes. The first Irish runner to cross the line was Judith Storm from City of Derry Spartans, with a time of 2 hours 35 minutes. The 39 year-old was born in Scotland, but has lived in Northern Ireland for 15 years and holds an Irish passport. Although entries exceeded 22,500, a record 19,190 runners started the race, including elite athletes, wheelchair participants and charity fundraisers, with €5.6m raised for charity.
