Owen Farrell will make his first appearance since his decision to step away from Test rugby was announced when Saracens launch their Investec Champions Cup campaign on Saturday.
England captain Farrell will be unavailable for the Six Nations later this season after choosing to take a break from the international game to prioritise his and his family’s mental well-being.
He then missed Saracens’ Gallagher Premiership defeat against Northampton due to a knee problem.
But Saracens rugby director Mark McCall has confirmed the 32-year-old fly-half will face leading South African challengers the Bulls in Pretoria.
“He’s available and he is going to play this weekend,” McCall said. “He has trained fully over the last two days.
“He has enjoyed being with his team-mates, and it is a great opportunity for us all to spend a bit of time together away from the British winter.
“I don’t know how many European Cup games he has played – him and Alex Goode have probably played in more than anybody at the club.
“He is our captain, he is our leader, someone who is respected by everyone at the club. To have him on the field, of course, is an enormous benefit.
“Not just to have him on the field, but have him in the team-room, in the meetings… His contribution is so enormous and it is great to have him here with us.”
Three-time European champions Saracens have won the tournament more than any other English club, although they made a quarter-final exit last term to eventual winners La Rochelle.
And they will tackle a Bulls side currently third in the United Rugby Championship, having won five out of seven league fixtures this season.
McCall added: “We have been really impressed with what we have seen, especially in their last couple of home games. They are strong in all areas.
“Games don’t get much tougher in round one than coming to the Bulls, especially with the run of form they are on, but it is a challenge which usually brings the best out of the group we have got.
“We’ve had a good relationship with this competition for a very long period of time. It has felt really good on the training field from the moment we touched down here.”
Brendan Powell is backing JPR One to make amends for a final-fence blunder last time out when he returns for the Betfair Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown Park on Saturday.
The Joe Tizzard-trained gelding looked to be en route to Grade Two success in the Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham last month but made an error at the last and unseated his rider.
Connections will regroup at the weekend for the Henry VIII, success in which would be a first at the Grade One level for Powell after multiple placings throughout his career.
“I’m really looking forward to riding JPR One again as he looked like he was going to be an impressive winner at Cheltenham before making a mistake and getting rid of me at the last fence,” he said.
“This is a race that will take a bit of winning, but I wouldn’t want to be on any other horse and hopefully I can make up for what happened at Cheltenham on Saturday.
“I think I’ve been second in seven or eight Grade Ones, but I don’t think I’ve ridden in a Grade One where I’ve had a proper live chance, but this weekend I do and that makes it even more exciting.
“It is something I want to get on my CV, and it is something I want to achieve before I finish my career.
“To win a Grade One for Joe would mean just as much to me as winning a Grade One for myself. I think Joe was a big influence on me riding for the Tizzard team again.
“I’ll always be grateful to him for that and to repay him with a Grade One win would be amazing.”
Though the Cheltenham mishap was costly, the six-year-old otherwise ran a pleasing race and has taken to chasing well after a successful hurdling career.
“That was the frustrating thing as he didn’t put a foot wrong the whole way around at Cheltenham,” Powell said.
“He jumped and travelled and quickened well turning in. He has got all the attributes to be a good horse.
“He gave me a good spin at Newton Abbot on his debut over fences and I was quite surprised the price he was that day as well. He was seriously well handicapped that day if he came back to form over fences.
“The most important thing for our novice chasers is that they have a nice time and a good experience first time over fences. He did that and managed to win as well, which was a bonus.
“Hopefully on Saturday he should be good enough to be there, or thereabouts, at the back end of the race, then I suppose it will be then when we find out if he is good enough.”
Golf’s governing bodies insist a new rule change to reduce the distance balls travel is “proportionate” and will have “minimal” impact on recreational players.
The R&A and USGA had previously proposed a Model Local Rule (MLR) to give elite tournaments the option to require the use of balls which would travel around 15 yards less.
R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers and USGA counterpart Mike Whan confirmed that the MLR would apply in their own events, most notably the Open Championship and US Open, respectively.
Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods supported the proposal but it was opposed by the PGA Tour and PGA of America and strongly criticised by top equipment manufacturing company Acushnet and the likes of Justin Thomas, who plays their market-leading Titleist balls.
In response to what Slumbers termed “pretty much no support” for the MLR, the R&A and USGA are now revising the speed at which balls are tested, which will effectively make current versions non-conforming.
The change will apply at the elite level from 2028, but also for recreational players from 2030.
Keegan Bradley said during last week’s Hero World Challenge that he had already tested a potential version of the new ball and claimed it was 40 to 50 yards shorter with his driver, labelling it “monstrous” that amateur players would be impacted by the new rule.
However, Slumbers told the PA news agency that such “emotional numbers” were completely inaccurate as he outlined the rationale behind the change.
“Having had pretty much no support for an MLR, we thought how can we best achieve our objectives, which is bringing back a little bit more skill in the game, slowing down hitting distance and our environmental sustainability concerns, without a tremendous impact on the recreational game,” Slumbers said.
“We can do nothing, we can bifurcate the game – which was the MLR – or change the game for everybody. We always said that doing nothing was not an option.”
The clubhead speed at which balls are tested will rise from 120mph, which was implemented in 2004, to 125mph, while the distance limit remains at 317 yards, plus three yards of tolerance.
“Over the last six months we’ve had quite a lot of golf balls sent to us that could have conformed with the MLR so we’ve been able to test and understand how a ball at the fastest clubhead speeds would perform with the different rule,” Slumbers added.
“The impact on the game is as follows: For the fastest swing speeds it will be 13-15 yards, for the average Tour speed nine to 11 yards and for the average recreational player less than five yards.
“We also know that as the clubs get shorter, the impact will tend towards zero because the clubhead speed drops.
“We do think it is proportionate and it is targeted and the impact to the recreational game is minimal and certainly not the emotional numbers that have been discussed in recent days.”
Reaction to the change is certain to be mixed, but Slumbers gave short shrift to any suggestion of further “notice and comment” periods.
“This is a rule change, a change to the rules of golf equipment standards,” added Slumbers, who conceded that the PGA Tour and PGA of America would have preferred the status quo.
“There is a process that we agreed with all the industry and we followed that diligently.
“It’s taken five years to get to this point and we have listened, but we feel we’ve got to the end of that process and the reality is that the rule change doesn’t come into effect into January 2028.
“This is a significant period of time and we have given more, as we were previously talking about 2026.
“Governance is not easy, but our responsibility is to look to the future and make sure the game is appropriately structured for the long term and we believe this rule change is part of that.
“I think it’s an important moment for the game and it’s a positive moment for the game.”
In addition, the governing bodies will monitor how drivers can become non-confirming through regular use and research how the clubs perform with off-centre hits.
The PGA Tour and PGA of America both gave a qualified welcome to the news while also expressing opposition to the increase in test clubhead speed.
“Throughout the process we have provided feedback to the USGA and The R&A and are pleased to see a number of our recommendations reflected in this most recent announcement,” the PGA Tour said in a statement.
“However, we believe the proposed increase in test clubhead speed to 125mph is disproportional to the rate of increase we see when analysing PGA Tour radar data.
“In conjunction with guidance from the Player Advisory Council, Player Directors and Policy Board, we will continue to share our feedback with the USGA and The R&A.”
Golf’s governing bodies have announced a change to the way golf balls are tested in order to reduce the distance they travel.
The revision to the Rules of Golf will apply at the elite level from 2028 and for recreational players in 2030, resulting in a 14-15 yard reduction for the former and less than five yards for the latter.
Here, the PA news agency looks at how advancements in equipment have led to this point.
Early daysThe earliest clubs were often carved by the players themselves and made of wood, while King James IV of Scotland is recorded as buying clubs from a bow-maker in Perth in 1502. Balls were initially also made of wood before the “featherie” – made of cow or horsehide and stuffed with feathers – was introduced early in the 17th century. Around 1750, the first club heads made of iron began to emerge, while hickory and persimmon imported from America became the standard wood of choice for club makers.
The early 1900sImprovements in forging techniques late in the 19th century had allowed iron club heads to be mass produced, with steel shafts becoming more popular around 1925 and eventually legalised in 1929. With no limit in place, some players carried large numbers of both steel-shafted and hickory clubs until the 14-club rule was introduced in 1939.
1960s and 70sThe first shaft made from fibreglass was released in 1954 and, although it never truly caught on, graphite shafts – which were stronger and lighter than steel – soon followed. The introduction of cavity-backed irons, rather than traditional “blades”, also had a major impact, as Ping founder Karsten Solheim predicted: “The thought I had was if you put perimeter weighting around the club it would give you a chance to mishit it and still make a good shot.”
1979-present dayThe launch of the first metal TaylorMade driver in 1979 kickstarted the next stage in club development, although it took more than a decade before persimmon clubs became fully obsolete. TaylorMade later offered the first driver with easily adjustable weights to help promote a fade or draw, while the use of lightweight titanium allows manufacturers to create much larger club heads with thinner walls to maximise the sweet spot for greater forgiveness. The ball also developed with the advent of a Surlyn resin cover, and later Urethane, while Nike’s solid construction ball was hugely popular after Tiger Woods used it to win the 2000 Open at St Andrews. Three months later, the launch of Titleist’s ProV1 in Las Vegas prompted numerous players to switch to the new three-piece multilayer ball.
Connections of Impaire Et Passe insist there were “a lot of positives” to take from his comeback defeat in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse.
The Willie Mullins-trained five-year-old was one of the star novices of last season, carrying the ‘double green’ colours of owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede to four victories, including Grade One triumphs at the Cheltenham and Punchestown festivals.
With some bookmakers rating him as the biggest threat to Constitution Hill for the Champion Hurdle this term, Impaire Et Passe was odds-on to pick up where he left off on Sunday, but after travelling strongly in the hands of Paul Townend, he was mowed down by the defending champion Teahupoo.
While disappointed to suffer defeat, the owners’ racing manager Anthony Bromley is keeping the faith.
“I was perfectly happy with Impaire’s return, he took a good blow and just got done close home. I think he showed plenty and we’ll look forward to the season ahead,” he said.
“It was his first step outside of novice company and I think he performed with a lot of credit. He’s such a lovely horse and there were a lot of positives to take from the run.”
What route Impaire Et Passe takes to the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham remains undecided, with Mullins also responsible for another major player in the form of State Man.
The latter won the Morgiana Hurdle, the Matheson Hurdle, the Irish Champion Hurdle and the Punchestown Champion Hurdle last term, with his only defeat coming at the hands of Constitution Hill when runner-up at Prestbury Park.
State Man made a successful reappearance when registering back-to-back wins in the Morgiana last month, and Bromley believes there is every chance Impaire Et Passe will meet his stablemate at some stage before Cheltenham in March.
He added: “Whether he comes out again at Christmas or waits for the Dublin Racing Festival (Irish Champion Hurdle), we’ll just wait and see what Willie wants to do.
“I’d imagine he’s going to come back to two miles now because there’s isn’t a two-and-a-half-mile race at Christmas in Ireland – it’s either two miles or three miles.
“Whether or not he does run in the Matheson Hurdle will be Willie’s decision as he’d obviously be taking on State Man, but if he doesn’t take him on at Christmas he’d be taking him on at the Dublin Festival and that will tell us more as to where we are with the horse.
“There aren’t the races in Ireland to split them up, the only time you could was for their reappearance runs as one could go Morgiana and one could go Hatton’s Grace.
“From now on they’ll have to meet and then, come March, there’s another one for us to meet (Constitution Hill)!”
A possible alternative to locking horns with State Man over the festive period would be to make the trip to Britain for an early clash with Constitution Hill in the Christmas Hurdle on Boxing Day, but that appears highly unlikely, with Bromley saying a trip to Kempton was of “no interest at all”.
Sunday’s Peterborough Chase meeting at Huntingdon is under threat due to waterlogging.
While conditions at the Cambridgeshire track have improved since Tuesday, when parts of the home straight were submerged in water, another band of heavy rain is due on Thursday.
As a result clerk of the course Roderick Duncan and his team will inspect the track at 2pm on Thursday to assess conditions.
“It’s a lot better than it was, there is still standing water in a few places, including the start of the Peterborough Chase,” said Duncan.
“The water levels are starting to drop now, but unfortunately looking at the forecast they are just going to get topped up again tomorrow.
“It is not just the rain we’ll get that is the issue, the rain they get in the Northampton area will put us in trouble.
“As we’ve only just called the inspection no discussions have yet taken place about the possibility of rescheduling the Peterborough Chase.”
Prospects for the rest of the week are difficult to gauge at this stage with almost everywhere forecast heavy rain on Thursday.
Market Rasen on Thursday is currently described as soft, heavy in places with some standing water but not on the racing line.
On the same day Wincanton are inspecting at 8am and while the course is currently raceable, a yellow weather warning for rain is in place putting the meeting in grave danger.
Leicester on Thursday had already been abandoned.
Exeter’s meeting on Friday is subject to a 7.30am precautionary inspection on raceday due to the same weather warning affecting Wincanton.
At Sedgefield ahead of Friday the going is already heavy with rain forecast all day Thursday.
Wetherby are scheduled to race on Saturday but the course was waterlogged in places on the back straight on Tuesday. Wednesday is due to be dry but 15mm is forecast on Thursday.
There are currently no reported problems at Sandown, Chepstow or Aintree for their weekend meetings.
Wednesday’s meeting at Haydock was cancelled due to frost but Ludlow staged the first British jumps action since Sunday after passing a 7.30am inspection.
Saturday’s high-profile Tingle Creek meeting at Sandown will see Racing With Pride given a welcome platform to champion inclusion within the sport for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
In celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the Rainbow Laces campaign, a wide range of activities aimed at encouraging the LGBT+ community’s involvement in racing will be on show at the Esher track.
There will also be a race specifically sponsored with this initiative in mind; the Betfair Supports Racing With Pride Mares’ Handicap Hurdle.
RWP committee member and British Horseracing Authority diversity and inclusion project manager Di Farrell-Thomas said: “There’s lots of activities going on there, which Great British Racing have led on setting up specifically for the Rainbow Laces campaign and celebrations.
“That campaign has been going now for 10 years and in racing, we want to mark that as well and keep up the progress towards LGBT+ inclusion.
“There’ll be plenty going on; in the fan zone, there will be the exerciser with Racing With Pride silks to wear, so people can come along and learn about the organisation.
“From Racing to School, there will be some jockey masterclasses as well. Racing With Pride members have been invited along to enjoy the day, ask questions and talk about LGBT+ inclusion.
“We’ve been very lucky with Betfair allowing the sponsorship races to have rainbow-coloured numbers and also the BHA staff on course will be wearing our badge as well, in support of inclusion.
“So, there will be plenty of stuff going on – with branding across the course, plus merchandise and prizes and so on, with people able to get involved in competitions.”
The Stonewall Rainbow Laces campaign began in 2013 and has been embraced by a number of sporting bodies, notably the Premier League, and Farrell-Thomas is determined to put racing at the forefront as well.
She added: “Other sports have done this for 10 years, particularly people see it in football, but I think it’s become recognisable across other sports as well. It’s pride, it’s inclusion, it’s celebrating diversity and who people are.
“I think we’ve made a lot of progress, for sure. Initially, Sir David Letts, who is the chair of Racing With Pride, did some research to fully understand that picture of how inclusive racing is in terms of LGBT+.
“We’ve definitely made a lot of progress, many organisations certainly engage with the network, which helps it grow.
“We’ve held educational events as well, so people are willing to learn and actually having that experience that our members can now go and feel that confidence, with thanks to all the partners who have been so helpful in welcoming us. Having visible signs of support as well makes a huge difference.”
Farrell-Thomas has welcomed the support given to Racing With Pride from those working within the sport.
She said: “Jockeys have been wearing the Racing With Pride silks and we have had trainers speak explicitly about the wider support and diversity, so attitudes are definitely changing.
“People within the sport are more used to gaining different experiences and I do feel we have made progress within that space.”
Receiving the backing of Betfair this weekend and other organisations within the industry is another big plus – and racing is also feeling the benefit.
“We’re very grateful to them, it’s really supportive to have wider partners looking to link in and see the importance of diversity,” stated Farrell-Thomas.
“It also helps bring new people into racing, in terms of filling the workforce, people buying horses and just getting involved in the breeding of horses, which is an area we need to expand to help grow the sport of racing.
“Any help from wider partners is always grateful.
“There are people who come racing who have never been racing before, so just to have that confidence to come along and experience something that is different is fantastic.
“Some people who have attended have actually become owners on the back of that, so it’s that kind of experience that breeds the next stage of involvement in racing. That side of things is really important to highlight.”
St Patrick’s were crowned INSPORTS Primary Schools Netball champion of the Kingston and St Andrew division, as they defeated Mona Heights Primary 13-5 in the final at the Stadium Courts on Tuesday.
In the third-placed playoff, Half-Way-Tree got the better of Clan Carthy Primary 5-2 as the top two teams advanced to the all-island tournament. Earlier, St Patrick’s defeated Half-Way-Tree 13-5 and Mona Heights beat Clan Carthy 12-7 in the semi-finals.
St Patrick’s are the defending all-island champion and winning coach Lecia Walters, said it was a difficult game despite the scoreline.
“The girls really had to dig in. The game was a bit challenging, but we pulled through,” said Walters.
“Well onto the all-island finals and we will just go back to training, fix the things that need fixing and prepare ourselves. Every year the girls look forward to this INSPORTS competition as it gives them a chance to showcase their talents,” she added.
Meanwhile, Mona’s coach Maureen Murray said she believed her girls were a little bit nervous.
“You know experience goes a long way so we will just come back for the next one -- the all-island,” Murray noted.
“We didn’t settle until the last quarter and shooting wins games and the girls weren’t getting the ball into the circle so we will have to go and work on that,” she added.
Meanwhile, in St Catherine, played at the Ministry of Education in Old Harbour, Bridgeport and Naggo Head advanced to the final set to be played on Friday. Bridgeport defeated McAuley 13-6 while Naggo Head had a hard-fought 7-5 win over Spring Gardens.
Over in Trelawny, First Hill All-Age beat Kinloss Primary 10-0 and Clark’s Town beat Brampton Primary 11-3. In Portland, Buff Bay Primary whipped Port Antonio Primary 14-1.
There were two games in Manchester as McIntosh Primary beat Hatfield Primary 8-4 and Ramble Primary defeated McIntosh Primary who were playing a rescheduled game 3-1.
In St Elizabeth, Santa Cruz beat Holland 7-4; Carisbrook defeated Barbary Hall 16-11, Black River beat Middle Quarters 10-1 and Brompton whipped Burnt Savannah 19-0. While over in Westmoreland, Savanna-La-Mar Primary trounced Little London 13-0. In Hanover, Pell River edged Kendal Primary 2-1, while Green Island whipped Maryland Primary 25-0.
Aidan O’Brien is looking forward to taking on home favourite Romantic Warrior in Sunday’s Hong Kong Cup.
Luxembourg has not been seen since almost upsetting stablemate Auguste Rodin in the Irish Champion Stakes.
That form looks red-hot, with Auguste Rodin having won the Derby at Epsom and the Irish equivalent before subsequently triumphing in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
However, in Romantic Warrior, who travelled to Australia to win the Cox Plate recently, he faces a stern rival.
“He was second in the Irish Champion Stakes and then he had a foot bruise, this was a race we had our eye on with him,” said O’Brien.
“It’s going to be great, hopefully we have him right and well and hopefully we’ll be able to gauge those mile-and-a-quarter races all over the world. We’re looking forward to it.
Asked about taking on last year’s winner Romantic Warrior, O’Brien said: “He’s obviously a very good horse, Romantic Warrior, we totally respect every horse and he is very good.
“It’ll be interesting. I think it’ll be a nice race to watch and it’ll be an even-run mile and a quarter I’d imagine. Hopefully he’ll run well.”
The Ballydoyle handler will have four runners on the card with Aesop’s Fables in the Sprint and Cairo in the Mile, while Warm Heart holds very strong claims in the Vase.
She did not win her maiden until May 7 but went on to land the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot, the Yorkshire Oaks, the Prix Vermeille and went down narrowly at the Breeders’ Cup to Inspiral over 10 furlongs.
Due to the sex allowance, Ryan Moore will get down to 117lb (less than 8st 4lb) to ride her.
“He always got on very well with her and I think he’s looking forward to it,” said O’Brien.
“She has a nice weight pull, she’s well in and is a very consistent filly. It looks like she’s a little bit better maybe at a mile and a half, Rachel (Richardson) rides her out and she’s very happy with her. She looks very well.”
Former champion Caroline Wozniacki has been awarded a wild card for the Australian Open but Emma Raducanu has missed out on the initial batch.
Raducanu has a protected ranking of 103 due to her lengthy absence from the tour following operations on both wrists and one ankle but that is not currently high enough to secure entry to next month’s grand slam tournament.
The 21-year-old’s status as a former slam champion and one of the most high-profile female players in the sport counts in her favour but most wild cards usually go to home players.
If Raducanu is not given a wild card, and there are not sufficient withdrawals among higher-ranked players to secure her place, she will have to go through qualifying – the avenue by which she sensationally triumphed at the US Open in 2021.
The good news is, after doubts about the pace of her recovery, she has stepped up training in recent weeks and appears on track to return at the start of next season.
Raducanu has not played a tournament since the WTA event in Stuttgart in April and her actual ranking has fallen to 296.
That is 54 places lower than former world number one Wozniacki, who came out of retirement last summer following a three-and-a-half-year hiatus in which she had two children.
View this post on InstagramThe Dane impressed, reaching the fourth round of the US Open, and she told The AO Show: “I have so many wonderful memories of Melbourne, and of course winning the Australian Open is an all-time career highlight.
“Melbourne’s one of my most favourite cities in the world, and I can’t wait to share it with my family and my kids.”
Wozniacki won her only slam title at Melbourne Park in 2018 before retiring at the same venue two years later.
The other initial wild cards for the tournament, which begins on January 14, have gone to Australian trio Kimberly Birrell, Olivia Gadecki and Taylah Preston.
Kevin Durant did not look to use a contentious timeout call as an excuse after the Phoenix Suns slipped to a 106-103 defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Suns were left furious after the referee elected to call a timeout following LeBron James' call, when the ball appeared to be loose, late in the fourth quarter of Tuesday's in-season tournament quarter-final.
With 15 seconds remaining, Davin Booker dispossessed Austin Reaves, with James swiftly requesting a timeout, which was granted.
Suns coach Frank Vogel fumed: "It's a loose ball, and you can't call a timeout on a loose ball.
"The whistle blows. I don't know why. Everything in the league is reviewable. I don't know why that can't be reviewable.
"We've got the trap, we've got the turnover, [and the] damn whistle blows. It's just frustrating."
Durant, though, did not share his coach's anger.
"That's not the ballgame," said Durant, who led the Suns with 31 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
"That's one play. It's a 48-minute game. I don't like to complain about calls.
"Sometimes the ref isn't going to get it right all the time. Sometimes it's on us to play through all that stuff and not worry about putting the game in the ref's hands."
Reaves added: "There was no call, and LeBron made a high-IQ play he's made a million times.
Vogel did, however, echo Durant's sentiment that the Suns did not do enough to win the tie and progress to Las Vegas.
"We didn't do enough early in the game," Vogel said. "The turnovers and on the glass, if we do a better job, we're not talking about a close game like that."
The Lakers will now face the New Orleans Pelicans for a place in the final of the inaugural in-season tournament, with the winner taking home the NBA Cup.
"You've got some of the most alpha male competitors in the world, and if you give us an opportunity to play for something meaningful or an incentive, then you get what you're getting," said James, who finished with 31 points and 11 assists.
"The in-season tournament is what it is, and we have an opportunity to play on a big stage, be on national television, represent our families, our communities, where we come from."
The Milwaukee Bucks will not always hit the height of their potential, but Damian Lillard suggested Tuesday's big win over the New York Knicks can be a sign of what is to come.
The Bucks ran out 146-122 winners over the Knicks in their NBA in-season tournament quarter-final.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 35 points and 10 rebounds, while Lillard contributed 28 points, as the Bucks, who are second in the Eastern Conference, teed up a semi-final against the Indiana Pacers in Las Vegas.
Lillard warned it was too much to expect the Bucks to perform like that in every game, but he said the team have laid down a marker.
"I thought this was probably our best offensive game," said Lillard.
"That doesn't mean we're going to turn into a team that does that every night, but I do think we have that type of explosiveness.
"We can't depend on having these types of nights every time, but it's definitely a look at the kind of nights we can have offensively.
"It's been some bumps in that process where we don't play so great some nights but we're still able to win those games.
"I think now is just starting to get a little smoother, knowing where we should be on the floor, knowing how to give each other outlets, knowing how to help each other be who we are.
"It's not perfect, but I just like that we're showing improvement and it's carrying over and you can see it on the floor."
Lillard added that winning the in-season tournament would be a statement of intent.
"You come out of this thing on top, the last team standing, I think it's a pretty strong statement," he said. "It's something that everybody around the league has to respect."
"Tonight was a huge step. We wanted to get to Vegas," Bucks coach Adrian Griffin said.
"But when we get to Vegas, we've got to take care of business. We still got two games to win there."
Peter Wright admits he “created a monster” by allowing Luke Humphries to claim his first major in October, but does not think the hottest player on tour will win the World Championship.
Wright missed three match darts to beat Humphries in the quarter-finals in Leicester, allowing the 28-year-old to take victory and go on to win the tournament.
He quickly followed that up by lifting the Grand Slam of Darts and the Players Championship last month, which means he will head to Alexandra Palace for the season-ending spectacular as favourite.
‘Snakebite’, who ended a near two-year major trophy drought by winning the European Championship recently, thinks it could be too soon for Humphries this year.
“He is favourite because he has won three out of the last four majors, and I won the other one,” two-time world champion Wright told the PA news agency.
“I was the only other person to get close to him. It’s my fault, I created a monster because I had three darts at the Grand Prix to beat him and that was his first major. If I’d done that things would have been different.
“He’s a great darts player but I think it is a little bit too soon. Yes, I think he will win the worlds but just not yet.”
Wright’s second world title won at the start of 2022 must seem like a long time ago for the 53-year-old, who has struggled for consistent form.
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He still remains confident he can become just the third person to win more than two world crowns and says his winning know-how gives him an advantage.
“I believe I can win it, I am not playing until December 20 so it gives me three weeks tinkering with my darts to make them 95 or 98 per cent perfect, that’ll do.
“There is potential to become a third-time world champion. That is in my sights and I am looking forward to it.
“It puts a lot of pressure off my shoulders to know I have won it twice. I think I have got a lot of advantage over a lot of the field.
“I am nowhere near my best at the moment, but I know what it takes to win. I decided to go and put the practice in and I went and won the European. I have put my focus on the Worlds, to be prepared for winning it one more time.”
Tournament sponsor Paddy Power have teamed up with Prostate UK and will donate £1,000 for every 180 thrown.
Wright believes there will be more maximums than ever before as a result and urged men to answer three simple questions to check their risk for a disease which affects one in eight men.
“It’s a great cause, the sponsor putting up £1,000 for every 180 hit, there was 901 last year and I think there will be more this year,” Wright added.
“I think players won’t switch down to 19, they will stay up there and try and get another 180 for Prostate Cancer UK. It affects one in eight men. I’m 53 so I need to be getting checked.”
:: It takes 30 seconds to answer three questions to check your prostate cancer risk. Do it now by clicking on the following link: prostatecanceruk.org/180-risk.
The Los Angeles Kings rallied from a three-goal deficit in the third period for a 4-3 overtime victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday to match the NHL record with their 10th straight road win.
Drew Doughty scored 33 seconds into overtime after Phillip Danault scored twice in the third period. Arthur Kaliyev scored the equalizer just 90 seconds after Danault drew the Kings within one.
Los Angeles has won seven of eight and matched the road win record of the 2006-07 Buffalo Sabres.
Kirill Marchenko, Johnny Gaudreau and Mathieu Olivier scored for the Blue Jackets, who have lost eight games this season after holding a lead in the final 20 minutes.
Bratt’s late goal rescues Devils in Hughes brothers’ reunion
Jesper Bratt scored his second goal of the night with 34 seconds remaining and the New Jersey Devils recovered for a wild 6-5 win over the Vancouver Canucks in a game featuring three Hughes brothers.
Jack Hughes had a goal and two assists, while younger brother and teammate Luke Hughes added a power-play goal for the Devils.
Vancouver defenseman Quinn Hughes had an assist on Sam Lafferty’s third-period goal and Nils Hoglander’s tally with 3:26 remaining forged a 5-5 tie.
Hertl, Sharks stun Islanders with OT win
William Eklund completed the San Jose Sharks’ comeback from a three-goal deficit in the third period with a late overtime goal in a stunning 5-4 win over the New York Islanders.
Tomas Hertl had a hat trick, scoring twice in the final 3 ½ minutes after Kevin Labanc’s goal ignited San Jose’s rally.
Julien Gauthier, Brock Nelson, Mike Reilly and Ryan Pulock scored for the Islanders, who have at least a point in nine of 10 (5-1-4).
The Los Angeles Lakers secured a spot in the In-Season Tournament semifinals on Tuesday with a 106-103 win over the Phoenix Suns, as LeBron James scored 15 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter.
James had 15 of the Lakers’ first 19 points in the final quarter and got the assists on his teammates’ other two baskets as Los Angeles pulled ahead.
Anthony Davis tallied 27 points and 15 rebounds and Austin Reaves added 20 points, including a key 3-pointer with 15 seconds left to extend the Lakers’ lead to 105-101.
Los Angeles advances to face New Orleans on Thursday in Las Vegas.
Kevin Durant scored 31 points for the Suns but came up short on a potential tying 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Bucks handle Knicks to reach semifinals
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 35 points and 10 assists to help the Milwaukee Bucks book a spot in the semifinals of the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament with a 146-122 victory over the New York Knicks.
Damian Lillard added 28 points and Malik Beasley had 18 for the Bucks, who improved to 5-0 in tournament play with their ninth consecutive home win.
They set a season high in scoring, shooting 60.5 percent (23 of 38) from 3-point range and 60.4 percent overall to set up a matchup with Indiana in Las Vegas on Thursday.
Julius Randle scored a season-high 41 points on 14-of-19 shooting, and Jalen Brunson had 24 points, but the Knicks had a three-game win streak stopped.
F1 Academy managing director Susie Wolff has rejected allegations that she and her husband, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, have shared confidential information.
A report in Business F1 magazine said there is concern among other Formula One team principals that Toto Wolff has had access to information, via his wife, which is not being shared with them that he is using to his benefit.
In her role at the all-female F1 academy, to which she was appointed in March, Susie Wolff reports directly to F1 president and chief executive Stefano Domenicali.
The FIA announced on Tuesday that its compliance department was “looking in to the matter”.
Susie Wolff said in a post on social media: “I am deeply insulted but sadly unsurprised by the public allegations that have been made this evening.
“It is disheartening that my integrity is being called into question in such a manner, especially when it seems to be rooted in intimidatory and misogynistic behaviour, and focused on my marital status rather than my abilities.
“Throughout my career in motorsport, I have encountered and overcome numerous obstacles and I refuse to let these baseless allegations overshadow my dedication and passion for F1 Academy.”
She continued: “As a woman in this sport, I have faced my fair share of challenges but my commitment to breaking down barriers and paving the way for future generations to succeed remains unwavering.
“In the strongest possible terms, I reject these allegations.”
The FIA’s statement said: “The FIA is aware of media speculation centred on the allegation of information of a confidential nature being passed to an F1 team principal from a member of FOM (Formula One Management) personnel. The FIA compliance department is looking in to the matter.”
Mercedes released a statement which said it “wholly rejected” what had been alleged.
“We note the generic statement from the FIA this evening, which responds to unsubstantiated allegations from a single media outlet, and the off-record briefing which has linked it to the team principal of Mercedes-AMG F1,” it said.
“The team has received no communication from the FIA compliance department on this topic and it was highly surprising to learn of the investigation through a media statement.
“We wholly reject the allegation in the statement and associated media coverage, which wrongly impinges on the integrity and compliance of our team principal.
“As a matter of course, we invite full, prompt, and transparent correspondence from the FIA compliance department regarding this investigation and its contents.”
A statement from Formula One said: “We note the public statement made by the FIA this evening that was not shared with us in advance.
“We have complete confidence that the allegations are wrong, and we have robust processes and procedures that ensure the segregation of information and responsibilities in the event of any potential conflict of interest.
“We are confident that no member of our team has made any unauthorised disclosure to a team principal and would caution anyone against making imprudent and serious allegations without substance.”
Fraser McConnell’s team X44 Vida Carbon Racing finished fourth overall as this season’s Extreme E championship ended with the final two rounds taking place at the Copper X Prix in Antofagasta, Chile on Saturday and Sunday.
“I can’t put into words how much this year with team X44 has meant to me. First of all, thank you to Lewis Hamilton for allowing me this opportunity to race amongst some of the best and most experienced drivers and teams in the world!” McConnell said in an Instagram post on Tuesday.
Saturday’s round nine saw McConnell and his teammate Cristina Gutierrez of Spain advance to the final as qualifying heat winners before finishing third in the final, more than three seconds behind winners Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinski and Johan Kristoffersson of Rosberg X Racing and runners up Laia Sanz and Mattias Ekstrom of Acciona I Sainz XE Team.
Sunday’s tenth and final round also saw X44 Vida Carbon Racing also securing a podium finish in third despite failing to finish the final which was won by Molly Taylor and Kevin Hansen of Veloce Racing with Ahlin-Kottulinski and Kristoffersson finishing second.
Overall, McConnell’s team finished with 121 points to place fourth on the final Extreme E Championship season three table.
Rosberg X Racing finished with 182 points for their second Extreme E title while Acciona I Sainz XE Team (171 points) and Veloce Racing (155 points) rounded out the top three.
In addition to last weekend, team X44 also secured podium finishes at the Hydro Prix in Scotland in May, the Island Prix in Italy in September
“This year definitely had its ups and downs but I can say for certainty that the entire team were always giving our absolute everything to get the car on top. We were good enough to get it on top a couple times along with some podium finishes but the cool part was that even when it didn’t go to plan, everyone was still able to keep their spirits up and make the most of every situation that presented itself with a smile on their face,” he said.
“For everyone back home, thank you for always supporting me through this journey! Being able to fly the Jamaican flag is something that I will always be proud to represent and that will never change,” McConnell concluded.
The 25-year-old was recently chosen as a nominee for the RJR Gleaner Sports Foundation National Sportsman of the Year award.
Trevor Lawrence sustained a right high-ankle sprain in Monday's night's 34-31 overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Jaguars coach Doug Person revealed the diagnosis while talking to reporters Tuesday.
"Everything is stable," Pederson said. "Everything looks good and we'll see where he is in a couple of days."
Jacksonville visits the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, and Pederson didn't rule out Lawrence from playing.
"I'm not going to put that timetable on Trevor, not going to put him in a box like that," Pederson said.
Lawrence was injured with about five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter when his his right leg bent awkwardly after being stepped on by teammate Walker Little as he was sacked. He went to the ground in obvious pain and needed to be helped off the field. X-rays taken at Jacksonville's stadium were negative.
"The one last night looked worse than what it really was - very fortunate there," Pederson said. "But he seems to have a little bit of a knack (for avoiding serious injury)."
If he can't play, it would be the first game the durable Lawrence would miss since the Jaguars selected him No. 1 overall in the 2021 NFL draft.
Backup C.J. Beathard would then make his 13th career start - and first since Week 17 of the 2020 season for the San Francisco 49ers. He is 2-10 as a starter in the NFL.
Replacing Lawrence on Monday, Beathard completed 9-of-10 passes for 63 yards.
"It's good to get C.J. a full week of preparation," Pederson said. "Trevor will stay mentally sharp and obviously see where he's at."
Lawrence was enjoying another showing before the injury, completing 22-of-29 passes for 258 yards with a pair of touchdowns.
In 12 games this season, he has 3,004 passing yards with 14 passing touchdowns and seven interceptions.
While Lawrence's status is uncertain, Pederson announced that top wide receiver Christian Kirk will be sidelined for "some time" due to a core muscle injury that will likely require surgery.
Kirk, who was injured on the first play from scrimmage against the Bengals, leads Jacksonville with 787 receiving yards on 57 receptions with three touchdown catches.
With Monday's loss, the Jaguars dropped to 8-4 and their lead atop the AFC South shrunk to one game over the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans.
Teona, Via Sistina and 1000 Guineas heroine Cachet were among the star attractions as several top-class racing and broodmare prospects were sold for seven figures on day two of the December Mares Sale in Newmarket.
The sales ring was unsurprisingly buzzing as the second round of the ‘Sceptre Sessions’ got under way at Tattersalls, with Cheveley Park Stakes winner Lezoo and Qipco Champions Day victor Poptronic also going under the hammer in front of a packed crowd.
Teona won the Prix Vermeille in 2021 and rounded off her career by finishing third behind Yibir in that year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf.
Not only does the five-year-old possess a blue-blooded pedigree, being a daughter of Sea The Stars out of another Group One-winning mare for trainer Roger Varian in Ambivalent, but she is also in foal to the great Frankel, so it was no surprise she attracted huge interest in the auction.
Following a protracted battle, Teona eventually secured top lot status as she was knocked down to Frankel’s owner-breeders Juddmonte for 4.5million guineas.
“She is the best mare in the sale, she is a Group One winner out of a Group One winner, and they are very difficult to find,” said Juddmonte’s Simon Mockridge.
“She is a beautiful addition for us, she has a great pedigree. She is by Sea The Stars, who has made a fantastic start as a broodmare sire and has had five Group One winners – she will fit in very well.
“She is an outcross to Frankel, which is ideal and what we are looking for. And, yes, she will be going back to Frankel!”
When asked if the final price was expected, he told Tattersalls: “You always have to stretch when you want to buy the best, it is competitive. It was very strong bidding for her, I did think that around about 3.5 to 4million (might get her).
“You have to make that extra stretch – that is something we have learnt, it is all very well trying to value them before but when you come to the moment you have to be a little stronger.”
Having claimed Group One honours in the Pretty Polly Stakes in Ireland earlier this year, Via Sistina looked set to strike gold in the Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot in October, only to be mowed down late by King Of Steel under an inspired Frankie Dettori.
The four-year-old, who cost owner Stephen Hillen just 5,000 guineas as a yearling, was sold for 2.7million guineas to Evergreen Equine.
Hillen said: “It was amazing to watch! It has been tremendous from the day one. She was with Jamie Magee to be broken her in and he has a lot of good stock through his hands, he rang me in February and said she is the biggest, but she gets up the gallop better than all anything else!
“It has been a dream! I thought that she’d bring in 2million guineas plus, that cross is sensational. She was Group One winner, but arguably she ran great in the Champion Stakes and she was still improving all the time. It is nice now to see her almost certainly be retired sound and go to stud.
“I was fine watching her sell – I thought that if we don’t get what we want for her, we can still race her so it was a celebration either way.”
Zoustar filly Lezoo, trained by Ralph Beckett, was bought for 2.2million guineas after an online bid from Narvick International, who out-battled two separate parties from Japan.
Poptronic, last seen springing a surprise in the Qipco British Champions Fillies And Mares Stakes for Karl Burke, made 1.4million, while Tom Clover’s Matron Stakes runner-up Rogue Millennium made 1.65million and Ed Walker’s talented mare Primo Bacio, in foal to Frankel, went for 1.1million.
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