Sports digest

A round-up of today's other stories in brief

Momentary set for Gowran feature

RACING:Gowran Park's Group Three feature this Sunday could see Queen Elizabeth's famous colours in action on board Momentary.

Today sees an important forfeit stage for the Cordell/Lavarack Lanwades Stakes and Newmarket trainer Michael Bell has already indicated he will send Momentary for the nine-furlong event. The royal runner has had just the four starts so far, the latest coming at York in July when she was fourth to Barefoot Lady. “She could go to Gowran. She’s had a break but she’s been hard to place as she’s got a Listed penalty,” Bell said yesterday. “She will probably go to Ireland at the weekend.”

Some Irish trainers have kept open the option of travelling the other way this weekend with Cristoforo Colombo one of three Irish entries remaining in Saturday’s Group Two Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes. Aidan O’Brien’s consistent colt is joined by Jim Bolger’s Wexford Opera and David Wachman’s Cougar Ridge.

– BRIAN O’CONNOR

Kennedy wins bronze at European Championships

ROWING:Enniskillen woman Leonora Kennedy won her first major senior medal at the European Rowing Championships at Varese in Italy on Sunday.

The 25-year-old London-based athlete was in the bow seat of the Britain eight which took bronze in a thrilling race where they came from down the field in the early stages to push into third in a race dominated by the hugely-experienced Romanian eight.

“It’s very, very pleasing” Kennedy said. Her father Iain twice represented Ireland at Olympic level, in 1976 and 1980, and Leonora Kennedy says her aim is compete in Rio in 2016. Ireland did not send a team to the European Championships, where 36 countries competed.

– LIAM GORMAN

Mullen gets Irish off to fine start

CYCLING:Ryan Mullen got the Irish squad's participation at the World Championships off to a fine start yesterday, clocking up a top-10 finish in the 26.6km junior time-trial.

He finished ninth in the solo race in Limburg, the Netherlands, covering the distance just 26.29 seconds behind the Norwegian winner Oskar Svendsen. Matej Mohoric (Slovenia) and Maximilian Schachmann earned silver and bronze, seven seconds and 12 seconds back respectively.

Seán Downey and Conor Dunne had quieter performances in the under-23 TT, which was dominated by Anton Vorobyev. The Russian beat second-placed rider Rohan Dennis (Australia) by 44 seconds over the 36km distance; Downey was slightly over three minutes back in 30th, while Dunne was 48th.

The world championships continue today with the time-trials for Elite and junior women. Caroline Ryan and Olivia Dillon go in the former.

– SHANE STOKES

Pietersen set to be overlooked with Root to get tour place

CRICKET:The headlines will undoubtedly be made by the continued absence – or otherwise – of Kevin Pietersen, but when England finally announce their squad for the tour of India today, the young Yorkshire opener Joe Root is expected to be confirmed as the man seen as the likeliest long-term successor to Andrew Strauss at the top of the order.

The 21-year-old Root was named as the 64th winner of the Young Cricketer of the Year award on Monday – and dropped a pleasingly naive hint in his speech that it will not be the last recognition he receives this week.

Michael Carberry, Nick Compton and Varun Chopra have all been proposed as contenders from county cricket, and England also had the option of promoting Jonathan Trott or Ian Bell. But Root has been regarded as the coming man for a while. The general expectation is that Pietersen will be omitted, which would represent a fourth snub in little more than a month.

Guardian Service