During his time challenging for the League title at Newcastle United then
Posted in General on 24. Sep, 2010
During his time challenging for the League title at Newcastle United, then as the national manager, Keegan worked with the cream of England strikers such as Michael Owen and also both players above Fowler in that all-time scoring list – Alan Shearer and Andy Cole.The City manager is in no doubt the 29-year-old, who burst on to the scene as a teenager with Liverpool, deserves his ranking among the Premier League’s ?te marksmen.”I have managed some great strikers, and would put him right up there with the best,” said Keegan, who took Fowler to Manchester City in January 2003 following the striker’s disappointing spell with Leeds.”Alan Shearer was terrific, Les Ferdinand, Andy Cole – they were terrific players and Robbie is in there with them I don’t have a one, two, three, four. The additional seats will take the ground’s capacity for the match, which starts on 3 June, to 8,000.The Kent president and former England Test player Brian Luckhurst died yesterday at the age of 66 He had been suffering from cancer of the oesophagus. Luckhurst’s career included 389 first-class matches between 1958 and 1985. He played 21 Tests.Australia beat New Zealand by seven wickets with nearly 16 overs to spare in their fourth one-day international in Wellington yesterday.The world champions cruised to victory in the 35th over after dismissing the Kiwis for 233 to take a 4-0 lead in the five-match series. Damien Martyn was the top scorer for Australia with an innings of 65 not out while the tourists cantered to 236 for 3..
Kevin Keegan knows a thing or two about English strikers – and would put Robbie Fowler “right up there with the best”. “But what else can you do? How do you stop yourself getting a cold? You can be sneezed at in the supermarket.”Best Mate was scoped last week and was absolutely fine. But to be honest, sometimes you don’t really find out if they’re carrying something until you run them. But the good thing about Matey is that when he got back from Leopardstown after Christmas he was pretty low and had a pile of antibiotics, so I hope that has give him an immunity from anything floating about.”At Straffan in Co Kildare yesterday the veterinary evidence belied Kicking King’s healthy looks. “Nothing has been apparent,” said a disappointed Taaffe, “but he didn’t scope well.
The horse always tells you when to run and unfortunately he’s saying not to.” With Cheltenham off the agenda, the seven-year-old’s target will now be the Punchestown festival late next month.Best Mate has two more serious grass gallops scheduled before his date with destiny 16 days hence. They will not take place at West Lockinge but up and across the Ridgeway at Mick Channon’s East Ilsley. “He goes only seven furlongs,” added Knight, “but it’s a very stiff test uphill; we haven’t got anything to equal it here. We know exactly how fit they are up that gallop.”Best Mate also has a schooling session on his agenda, only two days before the Gold Cup. “I know other trainers think me unwise schooling so close to the race,” said Knight, “and I know there’s a risk, but I think it’s important for a horse to get his eye in.” As this particular one has one of the best techniques in training, the words pudding and proof spring to mind.Unusually, Best Mate goes to the Gold Cup off a defeat, but his season is always geared for just the one day. And, faced with the difficult task of preparing an athlete of delicate physical, and potentially mental, constitution, Knight has come up with the goods three times. “The public still adore Matey,” she said, “but some of the so-called experts have been critical.
But one thing that gets forgotten is that he’s actually not a very robust horse. Those by his sire, Un Desperado, tend not to take a lot of racing. And if you overdo them, they’re inclined to jack it in, to get sour about it.”I think it’s important for Best Mate to keep his aggressiveness for the big occasion. And I think he’s physically stronger this time; certainly Jackie is finding him increasingly difficult to hold in his work.”Best Mate’s conqueror at Leopardstown in December, Beef Or Salmon, was himself under the weather afterwards but has recovered from the illness that contributed to his defeat by Rule Supreme last month, and will have a gallop at Limerick racecourse on Friday.But Knight nominates Kingscliff, now second market choice on his own, and Celestial Gold, as the pair she fears most, on the horses-for-courses basis. “Once a horse has proved he likes Cheltenham he will go well there again,” she said.Yesterday, even the farmyard ducks seemed subdued by the dank cold, but Hen was not. This time round, the pressure is rolling off her normally nervous back.”It’s the strongest field he’s faced this time,” she said “And he’s almost become the forgotten horse But we haven’t lost faith. We’ve had three victories, and that may be all we’re allowed If we get a fourth one, it will just be a bonus.”.