William Buick has conceded that despite retaining his champion jockey title, this season has been “different”.
Having claimed his first championship last year with a plethora of Group One victories, his main Charlie Appleby stable had a much quieter time of things this summer.
That did not stop Buick storming to another title, but it meant he spread his net far and wide in the search of winners as he cruised to victory over Oisin Murphy, with a strike-rate of over 20 per cent.
Buick said: “Retaining the championship has been a real highlight, but it has been a very different season, no season is the same, when you set the bar high the expectations are there. Even though the season has been different, my ambition was to retain the championship and work hard for it, which I have done.
“Last year I had lot of good winners including Classics and this year has been slightly different, but none the less this season has been a success.
“I have had lot of domestic and international rides, which are never an easy thing to balance when going for a championship, but like last year I have managed to get that right, and already we are looking forward to next year.”
In an interview with Great British Racing, Buick was asked what motivates him and he replied: “Being champion jockey drives me, no question about it.
“I also think that I am at a point in my career where I think why not keep doing it. I enjoy going racing, the winners, the support, and I enjoy being champion jockey.
“The big races, the Classics, the Derbys, the big Group Ones, the festivals and Royal Ascot are the pinnacle of the sport and that is how we showcase ourselves and the best horses.
“Being champion jockey is great and it should be on everyone’s list, but I have been privileged to race in the big meetings for a while as well and those are the moments that sell our sport.”
Buick was one of four jockeys to ride over a century of winners in the title race, which runs from May 6 to October 21, with Murphy, Rossa Ryan and Tom Marquand the others.
Art Power did it the hard way as he bravely denied Frankie Dettori and Kinross back-to-back victories in the Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot.
Making his fifth appearance in this contest, Tim Easterby’s gallant grey was away quickly in the hands of David Allan and soon blazing a trail on the front-end.
Having tracked the pace aboard Kinross, Dettori was nudging his mount into contention two furlongs from home, with a repeat of last year’s race victory looking likely as the stamina of Ralph Beckett’s six-year-old took him to the front inside the final furlong.
However, Art Power refused to lie down and he showed supreme guts to fight back and land a British Champions Day shock at 40-1 and also provide his pilot with a first Group One on British soil.
England conceded their highest ever score in ODI cricket as Heinrich Klaasen’s devastating century saw South Africa smash 399 for seven in their crunch World Cup clash in Mumbai.
The defending champions will need to bat brilliantly to avoid a third defeat in four games after watching a powerful Proteas line-up run riot after being put in by Jos Buttler at the Wankhede Stadium.
A revamped England side looked devoid of ideas in stifling humidity as their opponents brutalised them in the closing stages, taking 143 from a punishing last 10 overs.
Klaasen was in brutal mood, hammering a 61-ball ton and finishing with 109 in 67, while Marco Jansen made an unbeaten 75 from 42.
In all there were 13 sixes and 38 fours across the innings, which should have ended with England shipping 400 for the first time in their history only for South Africa to decline a second run off the final ball.
England’s previous worst day in the field came eight years ago at the Oval, where New Zealand hit 398 for five, and their have only ever been five bigger totals on the World Cup stage.
To win, and keep their ailing title defence alive, England will need to produce the third highest chase ever seen in one-day cricket.
Hayley Turner made it safely to Ascot for Qipco British Champions Day after requiring a dramatic rescue from her flooded car on Friday.
The record-breaking rider is currently hunting down her 1,000th career victory and was hoping to arrive in Berkshire on 999 winners with a fancied ride on Docklands in the closing Balmoral Handicap.
Turner was expecting to ride Run Zarak Run at Redcar on Friday – but never made it to the north-east track after having to place an emergency call when her car was swamped in the midst of Storm Babet.
While Turner emerged unscathed, Run Zarak Run duly romped home under replacement PJ McDonald to add to her woes.
She told ITV Racing: “My dream was nearly in place, but I had a bit of an incident yesterday. Basically my car is floating down the Great North Road somewhere on my way to Redcar.
“I had to call 999 and get the fireman to come and rescue me – I actually got a fireman’s lift out of my car window!
“The horse then won about 15 lengths so a very frustrating day. I’m car-less and win-less as well.”
Frankie Dettori kicked off British Champions Day with a bang by steering Trawlerman to a thrilling victory in the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup.
On the day billed as his final day riding in Europe before heading overseas, the Italian rolled back the years to not only dazzle at Ascot once more, but also register yet another big-race victory in the royal blue silks of Godolphin.
The 52-year-old was eager throughout to not let the outsider Maxident have too much rope on the front end and was the only one to chase Dominic Ffrench Davis’ charge aboard the 9-1 chance, as Owen Lewis pushed the tempo heading downhill.
Having pursued Maxident and hit the front four furlongs from home, Trawlerman was passed by Aidan O’Brien’s staying star Kyprios rounding the home bend with Ryan Moore soon searching for the winning post.
However, Dettori switched his mount and asked for extra and he bravely battled back to haul in Kyprios and prevail by a neck.
It was a third straight victory for John and Thady Gosden’s stayer, who was third in this race 12 months ago, and for Dettori it was the perfect start to his goodbye to British racing.
Dettori said: “I heard the roar of the crowd – oh my god it was special – especially when I was cutting him back, I couldn’t believe it.
“I’ve beaten one of my greatest rivals who I have tremendous respect for in Ryan Moore, on my final day. Sensational.
“He passed me comfortably and I thought he was going to go and win by 20 lengths, but once he didn’t get away from me I thought I maybe had a little bit left. In fairness to the horse he kept going.”
Frankie Dettori’s farewell to Britain got off to a perfect start, as Trawlerman battled back gamely for victory in the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot.
The Italian is enjoying his final afternoon in European action before moving to America – and the first of his five rides ensured racegoers could enjoy a famous flying dismount.
Trawlerman (9-1) was left in front around half a mile from home in the two-mile affair, as pacesetting Maxident dropped away sharply.
Dettori looked a sitting duck as 11-10 favourite Kyprios reeled him in down the straight, passing him with two furlongs to run, but Dettori had saved something and showed all his skill in mounting another challenge.
Reining his mount back in, he switched to Kyprios’ outside and Trawlerman stuck his head out on the line to grab victory.
Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri will allow Nicolo Fagioli to spend the seven months of his suspension for betting breaches seeking treatment for his addiction while keeping himself fit for potential involvement in the run-in.
Bianconeri midfielder Fagioli, 22, had five months of a one-year ban suspended this week and was fined 12,500 euros (£10,848), while he agreed to a therapy plan of at least six months to tackle his gambling problem.
The ban means Fagioli – who has the Turin club’s official support – will miss almost the entirety of the Serie A campaign that remains but he will be eligible for the final two games, against Bologna and Monza, in May.
Allegri hopes Juve will then be in a position to challenge for the Scudetto, if they have not already claimed their first championship since 2020, and Fagioli will be enthusiastically welcomed back into the fold to get the Old Lady over the line.
Before Sunday evening’s trip to title rivals AC Milan, the boss told a press conference: “We have said everything regarding Fagioli, the club have expressed their opinion and I agree.
“Now a journey begins for Nicolo that will bring him back to the field in May – these seven months will help him maintain his athletic condition while he engages in social work.”
Going into the weekend Juve were four points behind leaders Milan, with Inter wedged in between the pair, and Allegri plans to extend their three-match unbeaten run with a positive result that would certainly turn up the heat in the title race.
“We’re expecting a good and challenging match tomorrow, with first against third in the standings,” he said. “We know the difficulties this match brings, playing at San Siro is both beautiful and difficult.”
On their hopes of reclaiming their status as top dogs in Italy, he added: “Are we favourites? Our goal is to earn as many points as possible to reach the end of May in the top four.
“In the meantime, let’s enjoy tomorrow’s match against Milan and then we’ll see what we’ve been able to do.”
Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba is suspended alongside Fagioli, with the defensive trio of Mattia De Sciglio, Alex Sandro and Danilo out injured.
Milan, who have won four straight league games, are without the banned duo of goalkeeper Mike Maignan and defender Theo Hernandez, while English midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek is among the high-profile names still on the treatment table.
With Maignan unavailable, Rossoneri boss Stefano Pioli is planning to throw veteran stopper Antonio Mirante, 40, into action for the first time this campaign and has no concerns whatsoever about his ability to cope with the Juve attack.
He told reporters: “Will we change the way we play with Mirante in goal? No.
“Antonio knows how to read plays and watch the gaps, so it will be down to the outfield guys to better understand how Juve move and therefore how to deal with them.”
Storm Babet disrupted football in England and Scotland on Saturday as adverse weather conditions swept the UK.
Ross County’s home match against St Mirren in the cinch Premiership was the latest fixture to be postponed north of the border.
And in England, Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold was involved in an accident after a 40ft electricity pylon smashed onto a car in front of the England international, according to The Sun.
The high voltage power line was pulled up by 70mph winds and landed in front of Alexander-Arnold’s black Range Rover near Knutsford, Cheshire, the newspaper reported.
Alexander-Arnold reportedly slammed on the brakes before colliding with a BMW X5. Cheshire police said nobody was injured in the incident.
The footballer’s agent was contacted by the PA news agency, but declined to comment on the story.
The storm showed no signs of abating as downpours continued to batter the UK on Saturday, with three people dead and another red “danger to life” warning in place.
After conversations with the SPFL and Police Scotland, the decision was taken to call the St Mirren game off on Saturday morning with supporters’ safety in mind.
A club statement said a new date and kick-off time would be rearranged in due course.
County’s match at the Global Energy Stadium became the first fixture to be called off on Saturday but several others were already postponed on Friday, including Aberdeen’s home game against Dundee and Motherwell’s trip to St Johnstone.
Other Saturday fixtures to have fallen include Mansfield’s home clash with Forest Green in Sky Bet League Two, and Altrincham’s match against Dorking in the Vanarama National League.
Chesterfield’s home fixture against Gateshead has also been called off “on the recommendation of various external partner agencies”.
The Scottish Championship game between Arbroath and Raith Rovers – in the worst-hit area of Angus – was called off, as was Greenock’s match against Inverness.
Cove Rangers against Montrose in League One was also postponed along with two games in League Two – Elgin versus Forfar and Stenhousemuir against Peterhead.
Saturday’s race card at Market Rasen was also postponed due to standing water on areas of the track.
An inspection was held on Friday but the race course confirmed after 50mm of rainfall in the area that the decision was made to abandon the meeting.
Rotherham’s Championship game with Ipswich, scheduled to be played on Friday night, was also postponed due to the stormy conditions.
The area was hit with torrential rain which caused the River Don, which runs behind the AESSEAL New York Stadium, to burst its banks which left areas around the stadium flooded.
Xavi has urged Barcelona to “recover our ideology” before beginning a critical week of their season.
Barcelona have three home games in the space of six days, starting against Athletic Bilbao in LaLiga on Sunday.
Shakhtar Donetsk provide Champions League opposition on Wednesday and Real Madrid make the trip to the Nou Camp next Saturday for the first El Clasico of the season.
As LaLiga returns following the international break, leaders Real held a three-point advantage over Barcelona.
“At the start of the season, we’ve had some great moments of playing well,” said Xavi, whose side have dropped points in two of their last three league games with 2-2 draws against Mallorca and Granada.
“We must recover our ideology and get the three points by playing well.
“We are in a situation with a lot of absentees, but it won’t be an excuse for the game and to be able to play well.”
Alejandro Balde and Lamine Yamal have both been declared fit for the Bilbao clash.
But Frenkie de Jong, Jules Kounde, Pedri, Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski and Sergi Roberto remain unavailable.
Lewandowski, Barca’s top scorer with six this season, is closing in on a return after ankle trouble and Xavi said the Poland forward “has a very good feeling” of returning against Real Madrid.
Xavi said: “He’s a great leader and always goes forward, he wants to be there and he’s hurting less and less every day.
“He has a very good feeling. He always pulls himself forward.
“But there is a lot of variety (in attack) and people with confidence in front of goal. That is great. Last year, we depended a lot on Lewandowski.”
On the potential return of other individuals, Xavi added: “The player’s feelings will tell when he will arrive. We won’t force anyone.
“Feelings are the key and they will mark the return of all of them.”
Bilbao began the weekend in fifth place, four points behind Barcelona after beating Almeria 3-0 before the international break.
The Basques side are managed by Ernesto Valverde, who won two LaLa titles and a Copa Del Rey during his time in charge of Barcelona between May 2017 and January 2020.
Xavi said: “Athletic are very strong physically and technically gifted. Valverde is a great coach and likes to press high.
“I’m expecting a difficult opponent, we have some injuries but that’s no excuse and we need our fans.
“We’re three points behind the leaders. But we have to keep working hard, to keep fighting, and to keep improving, because there is a long way to go in LaLiga.”
After delivering a stinging response to his critics by leading Wigan to Grand Final glory last week, Harry Smith is relishing the prospect of winning his second England cap in the first match of a three-test series against Tonga on Sunday.
The 23-year-old Wigan stand-off played an increasingly pivotal role in his club’s surge to the Super League title, culminating in kicking six points in their 10-2 win over Catalans at Old Trafford last weekend in the Betfred Grand Final.
It marked a glittering end to the season for Smith, who missed out on the prestigious Harry Sunderland man-of-the-match trophy by a single vote, and was all the more impressive given early season concerns over his inconsistency with the boot.
Ahead of the clash at St Helens’ Totally Wicked Stadium, Smith told the PA news agency: “I’m very happy with how the season went in terms of leadership and game management, and winning the confidence of my team-mates and (Wigan head coach) Matt Peet.
“I got a bit of stick due to my kicking, and some of it was probably a bit unfair. I thought my overall performance, creating stuff for the team, was really good.
“I never really over-thought it. I knew the work I was putting in would pay off, and I just had to keep looking forward and not backwards. I feel like I’ve really managed to make those improvements in the last few months.”
Smith made his only previous England appearance in a one-sided 64-0 thrashing of France earlier this year and knows his side face a different proposition against a Tonga squad stacked with talent from Australia’s NRL.
In the absence through suspension of regular captain George Williams, Smith is set to form a new half-back partnership with Hull KR’s Mikey Lewis, one of two potential debutants in coach Shaun Wane’s 19-man matchday squad alongside Leeds’ Harry Newman.
For more experienced members of the squad, the series represents the chance to finally shrug off any lingering disappointment from last year’s dramatic golden point World Cup semi-final defeat to Samoa at the Emirates Stadium.
Smith added: “The Samoa game has not been mentioned much, because there’s obviously quite a lot of players in the squad who were not involved, but there are definitely some who still have that bitter feeling.
“It’s more about how we can move on with the aim of getting to a World Cup final in the future. It’s why we take up the sport, to play in the biggest games, and the difference between this and the France game is obvious.
“You can feel it in training, the intensity is much bigger than before the France game, because not only are you surrounded with really good players, but you know how good those are who you are coming up against.”
St Helens full-back Jack Welsby has been handed the honour of becoming England’s youngest ever captain on his home ground and will come face-to-face with domestic team-mate Will Hopoate in the opposite position.
Saints team-mate Tommy Makinson is another survivor from the Samoa nightmare and he believes Welsby’s ascent to the captaincy, in place of the now-retired Sam Tomkins, has been an inevitability for some time.
“I’m really proud first and foremost,” said Makinson. “It’s been coming and in his performances over the past two or three years, we’ve all seen what Jack can do.
“He’s a back-to-back Man of Steel candidate and all the accolades have come his way. He’s not really very vocal, but he’s honest, hard-working and more than anything he’s a good bloke, and that’s why everyone respects him.”
Ross County’s home match against St Mirren in the cinch Premiership is the latest fixture to be postponed due to the adverse weather conditions caused by Storm Babet.
The storm shows no signs of abating as downpours continued to batter the UK on Saturday, with three people dead and another red “danger to life” warning in place.
After conversations with the SPFL and Police Scotland, the decision was taken to call the St Mirren game off on Saturday morning with supporters’ safety in mind.
A club statement said a new date and kick-off time will be rearranged in due course.
County’s match at the Global Energy Stadium became the first fixture to be called off on Saturday but several others were already postponed on Friday, including Aberdeen’s home game against Dundee and Motherwell’s trip to St Johnstone.
Other Saturday fixtures to have fallen include Mansfield’s home clash with Forest Green in Sky Bet League Two, and Altrincham’s match against Dorking in the Vanarama National League.
The Scottish Championship game between Arbroath and Raith Rovers, in the worst-hit area of Angus, has been called off as has Greenock’s match against Inverness.
Cove Rangers against Montrose in League One has also been postponed along with two games in League Two – Elgin versus Forfar and Stenhousemuir against Peterhead.
Rotherham’s Championship game with Ipswich, scheduled to be played on Friday night, was also postponed due to the conditions.
The area was hit with torrential rain which caused the River Don, which runs behind the AESSEAL New York Stadium, to burst its banks which left areas around the stadium flooded.
Ancient Wisdom, impressive winner of the Autumn Stakes at Newmarket last week, is to be supplemented for next Saturday’s Kameko Futurity Trophy at Doncaster.
Trained by Charlie Appleby, the Dubawi colt improved his record to three wins from four outings with a dominant display on the Rowley Mile.
His sole defeat came at the hands of Richard Hannon’s subsequent Prix Jean- Luc Lagadere winner Rosallion in an Ascot Listed race in July.
Following a workout on Saturday morning, he impressed Appleby sufficiently enough to book a ticket to the final Group One of the UK season.
A post on X, formerly known as Twitter, from Godolphin, read: “Ancient Wisdom, brilliant winner of the Group Three Autumn Stakes on Future Champions Day @NewmarketRace, worked well this morning and the intention is to supplement him for next weekends Group One Futurity Stakes @DoncasterRaces.”
Ange Postecoglou has hinted opportunities for his fringe players could be on the horizon ahead of a busy week for Tottenham.
Spurs return to action after the international break with a Monday night clash at home to Fulham and face a quick turnaround with a trip to Crystal Palace four days later.
Yves Bissouma is suspended for the visit of Fulham, which should see Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg earn a first Premier League start this season, and Postecoglou has also urged fit-again Giovani Lo Celso, Bryan Gil and Brennan Johnson to be ready if called upon.
“We’ve got a Monday night game and then we back it up with a Friday night game, so we’ll probably need a good deal of the squad to do those two games,” the Spurs boss explained.
“As good as we’ve been, there are still a few players like Brennan, (Rodrigo) Bentancur, Gil and Lo Celso who haven’t really played at all for us yet.
“Having them back, even in terms of training and raising the level, they are the things that will give us the focus to maintain and keep improving the performances.
“When there is competitiveness around the squad in training and playing, that guards against any complacency or anyone feeling comfortable about things.”
Bentancur is still “weeks” away from returning to first-team action after his anterior cruciate ligament injury in February, but Lo Celso will aim to make an impact over the next week.
Lo Celso was linked with a move away from Tottenham at the start of the summer before Postecoglou made clear his desire to keep the Argentinian, who then sustained a muscle issue in his only start of the campaign at Fulham in the Carabao Cup in August.
The midfielder is fit again now and made substitute appearances for Argentina against Paraguay and Peru during the international break.
Postecoglou said: “He is obviously very highly regarded within the Argentinian set-up because they always call him up and he played in both games.
“He didn’t play significant minutes but he played in both and played 15 to 20 in the second game. It is great for him and his confidence.
“Unfortunately he had a disrupted early part of the season but again another player we haven’t had a contribution from and that’s a pleasing thing for us.”
Postecoglou will hope to see Gil begin to contribute too following his return to full fitness after surgery on his groin in August.
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The Australian admitted Gil’s influence is even more critical with Ivan Perisic (ACL) and Manor Solomon (knee) out until 2024.
“Bryan can be really important for us,” Postecoglou insisted.
“It has been great to have him just working really hard at training. He’s missed all of this season so far and it’s well chronicled that we lost Ivan and Manor, who play in that left-wing position.
“Having Bryan fit and available again is great for us. He’s, I guess, in the same boat as everyone else because at some point he’ll be afforded an opportunity and then it’s up to him.
“He certainly has all the criteria and credentials to play in that position for us and, like I said, his training is getting stronger now, he’s part of the group and I’m sure he’ll get an opportunity.”
Middlesbrough announced they had sacked Gareth Southgate as manager on this day in 2009.
Southgate was appointed as Steve McClaren’s successor just weeks after captaining Boro in their UEFA Cup final defeat to Sevilla in 2006, his final match as a player.
The former England defender kept the club in the Premier League with 12th and 13th-placed finishes but Boro slipped into the second tier in 2009.
Southgate’s dismissal came just hours after the Teessiders ended a run of three successive home defeats with a 2-0 victory against Derby, which left them one point off the top of the Championship table.
In a statement released on the club website, chairman Steve Gibson said: “This has been the most difficult decision I have had to make in all the time I have been in football.
“Gareth has given Middlesbrough magnificent service as a skipper and, in very difficult circumstances, as manager.
“I appointed Gareth in a situation that was greatly unfavourable to him. He is a good man and has all the qualities and integrity that we wanted in a manager. However, the time is right for change and that change has had to be made.
“Gareth will always be welcome at our football club. English football needs people of his stature and we feel certain that this experience will serve him well.
“Gareth deserves another opportunity once he has had the chance to rest and refresh himself.”
Southgate then moved to the England set-up, managing the Under-21s before taking charge of the senior team in 2016.
He led England to a fourth-placed finish in the 2018 World Cup and reached the final of Euro 2020 where they were beaten by Italy in a penalty shootout at Wembley.
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