Barry Connell’s Grade One winner Good Land has sustained a tendon injury and will miss the National Hunt season.
The seven-year-old was a bumper winner at beginning of last term and developed into a Grade One-winning hurdler, taking a Leopardstown maiden before returning to land the Nathaniel Lacy & Prtnrs Solicitors Novice Hurdle.
Subsequently the gelding lined up for the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and finished a respectable fourth and was later found to have abnormalities in a blood test.
The bay was being prepared for his chasing debut at Limerick next weekend when he sustained the injury that will see him miss the new season but hopefully will not prevent him from returning next term.
“We were planning to run him in the beginners’ chase there at Limerick on Munster National Day, we just did a piece of work with him at the Curragh on Tuesday and he seemed to be fine,” Connell explained.
“Then this morning we felt we were in a bit of difficulty, so we got the leg scanned and unfortunately he’s got a tendon injury.
“It’s treatable but he will be out for the season, we’re fairly hopeful we’ll have him back for next year.
“The treatment nowadays would entail controlled exercise, he’ll have his treatment then he’ll spend time on the walker and probably go out after a little while.
“It’s just one of these things, it usually tends to happen to the better horses rather than the lesser ones because of the nature of the competitions they’re running in – Grade One races at all the top meetings.
“It’s unfortunate, it’s the first one of these we’ve had in quite some time. He had some issues in the past and we got him back successfully last year and he had a very good season and won his Grade One.
“He probably was a little under the weather at Cheltenham but we were delighted to have the season we had last year and with a bit of luck we’ll have him back.
“He’s seven now, eight next year, but he’s only very lightly raced so hopefully the prognosis is good and he can make a full recovery for next year.”
Bob Baffert is excited to see Frankie Dettori’s famous flying dismount again when the Italian returns to California following his retirement U-turn.
The American handler was a big supporter of Dettori when he headed to America last winter and Baffert has indicated he will be keen to provide the 52-year-old with plenty of ammunition when he relocates to be based out of Santa Anita following his Qipco British Champions Day swansong.
Baffert and Dettori have linked up to great effect in the past, claiming Dubai World Cup honours with Country Grammer in 2022, while that horse also kickstarted the jockey’s spell in America last winter when winning the San Antonio Stakes.
Baffert is now relishing Dettori’s return to California and the opportunity to enjoy many more victories together.
“I think it is terrific news for the sport and the fans of racing in California,” Baffert told the PA news agency.
“In particular I can’t wait to see some more of his flying dismounts from my horses in the Santa Anita winner’s circle, because that is really entertaining and the fans really come out to see him.
“He’s an icon in the sport of racing and probably the most notable jockey I know around the world.
“We’ve got some horses here and I’ll definitely use him. I don’t have anything for him for the Breeders’ Cup – if he would have been here a month or so ago I probably would have – but I will definitely put him on some good ones.”
Baffert’s support will be a boost for Dettori who has the aim of adding the Kentucky Derby to his illustrious CV during his overseas career extension.
Some of the duo’s biggest triumphs together have come on dirt and the Hall of Fame handler – who oversaw the careers of Triple Crown winners American Pharoah and Justify – believes the Italian’s ability to ride effectively on all surfaces is something he has rarely seen during his career.
“Not only is he a great athlete but he is really intelligent, has great hands and rides the dirt really well,” explained Baffert.
“I thought he was going to come over here and be a turf specialist, but he’s great on either surface and that is very rare and there has only been a dozen or so jockeys who are that kind of rider.
“He knows how to place a horse and how to get a horse to relax and his input is really important – he will get off and tell you how he felt about a horse, what he needs, the style and everything.
“Dirt racing is a different animal and you are going fast the whole way. It is not sitting there in those mile-and-a-half races reading a book down the back side and then everybody goes for home and he’s just incredible.
“He’s reacts really well in a tough situation and he’s used to riding heavy favourites. When he’s got a target on his back, he’s used to it, and he can handle the pressure.
“Unfortunately as a trainer, you can’t blame the jockey when you use Frankie Dettori – that is the only downfall.”
Bob Baffert is excited to see Frankie Dettori’s famous flying dismount again when the Italian returns to California following his retirement U-turn.
The American handler was a big supporter of Dettori when he headed to America last winter and Baffert has indicated he will be keen to provide the 52-year-old with plenty of ammunition when he relocates to be based out of Santa Anita following his Qipco British Champions Day swansong.
Baffert and Dettori have linked up to great effect in the past, claiming Dubai World Cup honours with Country Grammer in 2022, while that horse also kickstarted the jockey’s spell in America last winter when winning the San Antonio Stakes.
Baffert is now relishing Dettori’s return to California and the opportunity to enjoy many more victories together.
“I think it is terrific news for the sport and the fans of racing in California,” Baffert told the PA news agency.
“In particular I can’t wait to see some more of his flying dismounts from my horses in the Santa Anita winner’s circle, because that is really entertaining and the fans really come out to see him.
“He’s an icon in the sport of racing and probably the most notable jockey I know around the world.
“We’ve got some horses here and I’ll definitely use him. I don’t have anything for him for the Breeders’ Cup – if he would have been here a month or so ago I probably would have – but I will definitely put him on some good ones.”
Baffert’s support will be a boost for Dettori who has the aim of adding the Kentucky Derby to his illustrious CV during his overseas career extension.
Some of the duo’s biggest triumphs together have come on dirt and the Hall of Fame handler – who oversaw the careers of Triple Crown winners American Pharoah and Justify – believes the Italian’s ability to ride effectively on all surfaces is something he has rarely seen during his career.
“Not only is he a great athlete but he is really intelligent, has great hands and rides the dirt really well,” explained Baffert.
“I thought he was going to come over here and be a turf specialist, but he’s great on either surface and that is very rare and there has only been a dozen or so jockeys who are that kind of rider.
“He knows how to place a horse and how to get a horse to relax and his input is really important – he will get off and tell you how he felt about a horse, what he needs, the style and everything.
“Dirt racing is a different animal and you are going fast the whole way. It is not sitting there in those mile-and-a-half races reading a book down the back side and then everybody goes for home and he’s just incredible.
“He’s reacts really well in a tough situation and he’s used to riding heavy favourites. When he’s got a target on his back, he’s used to it, and he can handle the pressure.
“Unfortunately as a trainer, you can’t blame the jockey when you use Frankie Dettori – that is the only downfall.”
American handler Wesley Ward has backed Frankie Dettori’s decision to postpone his retirement and hailed the Italian as “one of the best jockeys to ever sit on the back of a racehorse”.
Ward and Dettori have teamed up for plenty of big-race glory down the years, notably at Royal Ascot, and should Dettori find himself back at the Berkshire track in June, the trainer will be eager to secure his services.
Before that possibility, however, Ward is likely to call on Dettori in Keeneland as he puts his Ascot team together.
The American is fully supportive of the rider’s decision to reverse his retirement call, believing he still has plenty to offer at the age of 52.
“I don’t know why he was retiring anyway – why would you retire when you are at the top of your game? I asked him what was wrong with him!” Ward told the PA news agency.
“He doesn’t look like he’s lost a step to me. Sometimes you make a decision and things change. He seems like he still has the energy and the drive, while when others call it a day you can see they don’t have the motivation any longer, they lose interest in what they have been doing for 30-plus years but I don’t think he’s any of that.
“I think he wanted to retire right at the top of the game but at the end of the day, you only live once. When you sit back and think about it, you are not going to be happy commentating on it when you are at the top of your game.
“It’s a big decision to come to America but he’s probably done it because of the success he had last year and he’ll probably have even more this year. Last year a lot of the trainers at Santa Anita didn’t know him very well, they didn’t know his personality whereas now they are familiar with him – because of that I think he’ll do better this year.”
Ward went on: “He’s one of, if not the best jockey to ever sit on the back of a racehorse. To transfer your ability worldwide, to do it in different continents, nobody has done that other than Steve Cauthen I would say.
“He’s a unique rider, he can ride anywhere in the world over decades and ride with the best. Steve retired at a much younger age, so in my mind Frankie is the greatest.
“Last winter he won a race for me at Gulfstream Park, it was good to have him up. It wasn’t a big race, just an allowance horse, but the owner told me it was her greatest thrill in racing to have Frankie ride her a winner.
“Most of my Ascot two-year-olds are based at Keeneland, so I’ll be keen to reunite with him if he goes in that direction.
“If he rides at Ascot, he’ll be riding the best of my best, that’s for sure!”
The Football Association has been condemned for its “weak response” to the Israel and Palestine conflict by a Jewish communal organisation.
The FA had faced calls to illuminate the Wembley arch in the colours of the Israeli flag before Friday’s friendly between England and Australia, following attacks by Hamas militants on the country’s territory last weekend.
The FA announced in a statement on Thursday that players would wear black armbands and that a period of silence would be observed instead to remember the victims of the conflict.
The Hamas attacks have led to the Israeli government responding with airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, with a ground invasion also reported to be a possibility.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews criticised the FA statement, pointing out that it made “no mention of the mass terrorist murders of hundreds of innocent Israelis last Saturday”.
Marie van der Zyl, the Board of Deputies’ president, added: “After the Bataclan massacre in 2015, when 90 were murdered at a Paris nightclub, La Marseillaise was played at every Premier League stadium the following weekend.
“When hundreds of innocent Israelis were murdered, raped and kidnapped in a co-ordinated terrorist campaign, unequalled since 9/11, the FA’s response is ‘to remember the victims of the conflicts in Israel and Palestine’. This weak response brings no credit on the FA.”
The FA’s statement read: “On Friday evening, we will remember the innocent victims of the devastating events in Israel and Palestine. Our thoughts are with them, and their families and friends in England and Australia and with all the communities who are affected by this ongoing conflict. We stand for humanity and an end to the death, violence, fear and suffering.”
The FA said flags, replica kits and other representations of nationality beyond those related to England or Australia would not be allowed inside Wembley on Friday.
Teams in the EFL and Premier League will also pay tribute to the victims of the conflict in their next rounds of matches
The British Government had written to UK sports bodies encouraging them to mark events in Israel appropriately.
The England and Wales Cricket Board released a statement on Thursday which read: “We deplore the appalling loss of innocent life following recent events in Israel and Palestine.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of all the innocent victims, and those who are still missing, as well as the communities who are affected.
“While sport seems trivial compared to the harrowing scenes we have all watched, it is also an opportunity for people to come together and remind ourselves that there’s far more that brings us together, than divides us. We should now all unify in our hope for peace.”
View this post on InstagramEngland cricketer Moeen Ali has deleted an Instagram post featuring the Palestinian flag and a quote from Malcolm X.
Moeen then put up a new post, without the flag but containing the same Malcolm X quote: “If you’re not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.”
The International Olympic Committee said its executive board members had “expressed their very strong feelings over these tragic events in the recent days” at the start of Thursday’s meeting in Mumbai and “express their deepest sympathy with the innocent victims of this terrible violence”.
Ollie Sangster will saddle his first Group One runner when stable star Shuwari attempts to get back to winning ways in the bet365 Fillies’ Mile.
The daughter of New Bay created a taking impression in her early outings and got the better of subsequent Moyglare Stud Stakes scorer Fallen Angel to claim Listed honours at Sandown on just her second start.
That piece of form was key to the youngster being sent off the 13-8 favourite for the Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket two weeks ago, when she lost her unbeaten record at the hands of Carla’s Way.
However, the manner in which she made smooth headway to try to chase down the winner from a position in rear offers plenty of encouragement ahead of this step up to a mile.
Sangster said: “She ran a very good race and we were very happy in the circumstances. She has come out of the race well and I’m looking forward to Friday.
“She’s a straightforward horse who relaxes and settles well and I can’t see the step up in trip being a problem.
“It’s nice to have a chance in a race like this and hopefully she will run well for us.”
A place behind Shuwari in third in the Rockfel was Aidan O’Brien’s Ylang Ylang, who was installed as the early ante-post favourite for next year’s 1000 Guineas after winning her first two contests but has had her momentum checked the last twice.
She will once again be partnered by Ryan Moore, who told Betfair: “She was taken off her feet a bit on quick ground over seven furlongs here last time, so the step up to a mile will suit and she has form on soft if we get a lot of rain.
“I’d like to think she is the filly to beat if returning to the form of her Leopardstown win. We have always thought of her as a Group One filly.”
Ylang Ylang is one of two in the race for the master of Ballydoyle alongside stablemate Brilliant, while the Irish challenge is bolstered by Noel Meade’s Caught U Looking, who enhanced her reputation with a half-length success in the Weld Park Stakes last month.
The improving youngster needed every yard of seven furlongs on that occasion and her handler is now keen to test her over further.
Meade said: “She won at Leopardstown very well and she carried on and won a Group Three. She just about won it and didn’t win by any long way, but she is by Harzand and I think the step up to a mile will be a help.
“Her sire was a good mile-and-a-half horse and you would imagine that is where she will be going (next year). She certainly stayed on well at the Curragh and went through the line well and was only getting going at the end of the seven furlongs. I would say seven is as short as you would like to go, so you would be hoping she will run a nice race.
“I’m a little bit concerned by very fast ground but hopefully we get a bit of rain that would help.”
Frankie Dettori has won this a record seven times and fresh from announcing the extension of his riding career, he will team up with Michael Bell’s Ambiente Amigo, who has caught the eye when winning minor races at Lingfield and now takes a vast step up in grade.
Meanwhile, Ralph Beckett appears to have a strong hand saddling both impressive Sandown scorer Classical Song and Ascot victor Seaward and Rossa Ryan is relishing the chance to partner the former for the first time.
He said: “I know the Beckett team like her and Ryan (Moore) liked her the last day and she looks a very good, honest, genuine sort. The signs look right to have a pop at it.”
The field is completed by Andrew Balding’s May Hill Stakes runner-up See The Fire.
The daughter of Sea The Stars is out of her owner Jeff Smith’s Juddmonte International Stakes winner Arabian Queen and is held in high regard by connections.
“We’re looking forward to running in the Fillies’ Mile and we were very pleased with her second in the May Hill,” said David Bowe, Smith’s racing manager.
“She still ran a bit green and has come on since then mentally.
“We’re hoping that she will do us proud and she is obviously a really smart filly and we’ll see how she fares.
“She has a really stout pedigree and she has the looks to go with it. She’s a beautifully proportioned filly and just neat and tidy for a two-year-old.
“We’re very pleased with her all round. We’re very lucky that both her and Ghostwriter seem to be in good shape for the obvious next year. We don’t want to tempt fate and get too excited, but it’s nice to have a couple of nice horses on the books and we’re in good shape.”
Sebastian Korda won the battle of the young Americans to reach his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final.
Korda recovered from a set down to defeat Ben Shelton 6-7 (10) 6-2 7-6 (6) at the Shanghai Masters in a clash lasting two hours and 55 minutes.
It was the first all-American quarter-final at a Masters 1000 event for six years and it did not disappoint, with the explosive Shelton finally taking his fifth chance to win the opening-set tie-break having earlier failed to serve it out.
Korda, two years older at 23, hit back strongly and Shelton appeared to be flagging physically when he trailed by a break in the deciding set.
But he fought back to level and saved five match points from 1-6 in the deciding tie-break before Korda clinched his sixth opportunity.
“It’s super cool,” said Korda. “I played a really high level. Ben did as well. We had a lot of great points out there and hopefully it’s the first of many battles that we play against each other. He’s such an electric tennis player and it was a lot of fun to share the court with him today.”
In the last four, Korda will take on 16th seed Hubert Hurkacz, who ended the surprise run of Hungarian Fabian Marozsan with a 4-6 6-1 6-3 victory.
Trainer Ted Walsh has described the changes to the Randox Grand National as a “another step in the abolition of jump racing as we knew it”.
The Jockey Club announced on Thursday morning that the maximum field size will be reduced from 40 to 34 and that a standing start will be implemented, as well as the first fence being moved forward.
There are some minor changes to the course too, with fence 11 reduced in height and the railing adjusted to help round up loose horses.
Walsh trained Papillon to win the contest in 2000 with his son Ruby on board and although Ruby has shown his support for the amendments, his father has concerns about the future of the race.
He told Sky Sports Racing: “The Jockey Club is just slowly giving in, they’re on the back foot. They have to try and appease those people (who criticise the event) in order for a race like the National to continue, it is what it is. This is only another step in the abolition of jump racing as we knew it.
“I wasn’t surprised, I haven’t been surprised by what the English might do for the last 20 years, some of the strangest things of all kinds.
“They’ve backed themselves into a corner on a few occasions, there’s nothing you can do to try and appease the antis and the animal welfare. Nobody ever stood up for the what the majority believed in that were involved in racing, they just got on the back foot.
“If you get on the back foot, you seem to be on the back foot for the rest of your life.”
Of his son’s differing views, Walsh added: “I don’t know what anybody else thinks, that’s my opinion on it. Ruby’s of a different generation, he’s 30 years or more younger than me and he has his own opinions and I respect him for it.
“I’m 73 and I probably won’t live to see the next 20 years, but I’d say in 20 years time you might have no English National and you might have no jump racing in England.”
Sandy Thomson saddled Hill Sixteen for the race this year, but the horse suffered what was described as an “unrecoverable injury” at the first fence.
The adjustments to the start and its proximity to the first fence may not have changed the horse’s fate, but Thomson is largely in favour of the measures and believes they will prove helpful.
He said: “The race has changed so much, the figures show they are going a lot quicker to the first fence and the class of horses going into the race. Do the horses 35 to 40 have much of a chance in the race? Probably they don’t.
“The other thing that they were looking at is the start and it seems that they couldn’t bring the start closer to the first fence, with the way the start was the horses on the outside were actually having to trot or canter just to keep up with the horses on the inside.
“They’ve had to try and reduce the speed and moving the first fence was one way, and the standing start obviously reduces the speed again. They’re the main changes and the time of the race as well, I think 5pm was just getting far too late for everybody. It’s a very good thing that they’ve brought it forward.
“Society is changing and we have to change with it, but we mustn’t just say ‘it’s getting ridiculous and we can’t carry on’. A huge amount of people get a huge amount of enjoyment out of the race and a small minority who just jump on the bandwagon shouldn’t be allowed to influence the majority. Unfortunately with social media being the way it is, that can happen.”
Aidan O’Brien has been forced to rule Luxembourg out of the Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot on Saturday week.
The four-year-old has won a Group One in each of his three seasons on the track but will not get the chance to add to his tally on October 21.
Having beaten Bay Bridge in the Tattersalls Gold Cup in May, he was second to Mostahdaf in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes before failing to see out a mile and a half in the King George.
He was last seen giving stablemate Auguste Rodin a fright in the Irish Champion Stakes – a race he won last season – when going down by half a length.
Champions Day had been his aim but a foot problem will prevent him from lining up.
Speaking at the Curragh on Thursday, O’Brien said: “Luxembourg doesn’t run in the Champion Stakes as he has a little bit of a foot (injury).”
Warren Gatland says that Wales are not ready to go home and they will embrace the pressure surrounding Saturday’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final against Argentina.
Victory over the Pumas in Marseille would see Wales reach a third World Cup semi-final under Gatland.
And while the Wales head coach had short shrift for those complaining about the World Cup draw being conducted in late 2020 – two heavyweight contenders out of France, Ireland, New Zealand and South Africa will be eliminated this weekend – his sole focus is on events at Stade Velodrome.
“The quarter-final poses its own challenges and pressures because you are either here until the end of the tournament or you are going home on Monday,” Gatland said.
“Definitely as a squad, we are not ready to go home. It is pressure rugby now in the knockout stages, and that is what we have prepared for.
“You have just got to embrace it (pressure). You cannot hide away from it, and we know within the squad the preparation that has gone into this World Cup.
“We are not surprised where we are. We think we are in pretty good shape from a physical point of view, but also a mental point of view in terms of our preparation.
“If you read or listened to anyone a couple of months ago, there was speculation, people predicting we would not get out of the group.
“We haven’t spoken about underdogs or favourite tags. We are just going through our own processes and working as hard as we can to make sure the preparation is right for Saturday.”
Dan Biggar and Liam Williams have been passed fit to start against Argentina, while centre George North will become the first Welshman to feature in four World Cup quarter-finals.
Biggar had been battling to overcome a chest injury and Williams was a doubt because of a knee problem, but they have been given the all-clear and start at fly-half and full-back, respectively.
There is no place in the matchday 23 for Gareth Anscombe, however, after he was forced to withdraw 45 minutes before kick-off against Georgia last Saturday because of a groin issue.
Taulupe Faletau’s World Cup-ending broken arm sustained in the 43-19 victory over the Georgians has resulted in a reshuffle to the back-row.
Aaron Wainwright moves across from blindside flanker to fill the void at number eight created by Faletau’s injury, while skipper Jac Morgan takes the number six shirt.
Leicester flanker Tommy Reffell, meanwhile, comes in at openside to complete the back-row adjustments.
Asked for his verdict on the perceived lopsided draw – the bottom half features Wales, Argentina, England and Fiji and was based on world rankings in January 2020 – Gatland added: “I would just say to the other teams they should have done better in the last World Cup. That is where the draw came from.
“It is not our fault this happened. You didn’t hear us complaining in 2015 about Fiji, Australia, England and ourselves being in the same pool. We didn’t complain about that.
“You are dealt a hand and you have just got to deal with that.
“I agree with the sentiment that the draw may have been done too early. It has been done too early in the past, and whether the people in control of that next time can put the pools together a bit later, that is up to them.
“We can’t change what has been done. We can only play what’s in front of us. In saying that, I thought our group was the most even.”
Wales have lost only two of their last 11 Tests against Argentina, and while Gatland’s team made an unbeaten march through their group, collecting 19 points from a possible 20, the Pumas struggled.
They lost to 14-man England, found it hard going against Samoa and only secured a last-eight place with a final game victory over Japan.
Gatland said: “They bring that South American mentality, they are very passionate and that is why they have won big games against top teams in the past in the southern hemisphere.
“They don’t give up, they stay in the fight. They are a really tough team to break down and beat, and it is going to be a big challenge for us.”
Matilda Picotte bids to put the seal on an excellent campaign with victory in the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards Challenge Stakes at Newmarket.
Kieran Cotter’s stable star was a Listed winner at Headquarters at the end of her juvenile campaign and returned to the Rowley Mile to finish third in the 1000 Guineas in May.
She subsequently finished fourth in the Sandy Lane at Haydock and second in a Group Three at Tipperary before opening her account for the year in last month’s Sceptre Stakes at Doncaster.
Having resisted the temptation to have another shot at Group One glory in the either the Prix de la Foret or last weekend’s Sun Chariot, Cotter is hoping to strike Group Two gold in Friday’s feature.
“We’re very happy with her and her record on the track is second to none. This is obviously another step up in class, but she’s in great form and we think she’s up for it,” he said.
“We were tempted to supplement for the Group One last week (Sun Chariot), but we decided to wait for this as she showed in Doncaster she’s certainly a Group Two filly anyway.
“We’d like a bit of rain and it looks like there’s a small bit to come. She’s a good-actioned filly, so hopefully she should go on the ground.”
Richard Hannon has a strong hand, with Prix de la Foret third Shouldvebeenaring and the high-class Chindit both declared, while last year’s winner Pogo is back to defend his crown for Charlie Hills.
John and Thady Gosden’s Audience is the likely favourite after filling the runner-up spot in both the City of York Stakes and the Park Stakes. Joe Murphy’s outsider Lord Massusus is the other contender.
A bumper eight-race card gets underway with the Newmarket Academy Godolphin Beacon Project Cornwallis Stakes, in which trainer Kevin Philippart de Foy hopes to saddle Inquisitively.
The Ten Sovereigns colt was placed twice for Ollie Sangster before making a successful and impressive debut for his trainer in the Listed Roses Stakes at York in August.
Philippart de Foy said: “He’s in good shape and we’re hoping the ground stays as it is at the moment. The horse is in very good form, but he needs fast ground in order to show his turn of foot.
“He came out of the York race in very good form. We had to give Doncaster a miss because of the ground, so hopefully there will be minimal rain at Newmarket.
“This is highly likely to be his last run of the season.”
Donnacha O’Brien expects the demands of the race to bring out the best in Asean, who has her sights raised to Group Three level after winning a Cork handicap and a Listed prize at the Curragh.
“She’s in good form, she’s worked well and everything has gone well since her last run. Hopefully the rain stays away as she likes a bit of nice ground,” said the trainer.
“It’s a logical step and she’s got plenty of speed for the fast five furlongs in Newmarket, so hopefully she’ll run well.”
The Godolphin Lifetime Care Oh So Sharp Stakes also carries Group Three status and throws up an intriguing clash between Ralph Beckett’s recent Salisbury scorer Skellet and the Charlie Appleby-trained Dance Sequence, who won a July Course maiden three months ago but has not been seen since.
Skellet has been snapped up by Juddmonte since her last run and the leading owner-breeders’ racing manager, Barry Mahon, said: “We’re looking forward to seeing her out and we’ll find out a bit more about her.
“It looks a good race – Charlie Appleby’s filly looked very good the day she won. Ours is a big filly and it’s all about next year with her, but it will be good to give her a bit more experience.
“She has a beautiful pedigree – she’s a half-sister to Skitter Scatter (Group One winner) and it’s a Group One pedigree from top to bottom. The fact she’s by Kingman made her extra appealing.”
Chic Colombine, winner of her last four starts for George Boughey, adds further depth to the seven-furlong juvenile contest.
Wigan winger Abbas Miski is excited by the prospect of making history when he becomes the first Lebanon international to feature in a Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford on Saturday.
The 28-year-old might have struggled to imagine such a scenario in March when he was loaned out to Championship side London Broncos and made his sole appearance in a heavy defeat at Keighley.
But an injury-enforced reshuffle in the Warriors ranks led to Miski grasping a rare first-team opportunity, and 27 tries and a Players’ Player of the Year trophy later, he has inked himself onto head coach Matt Peet’s starting team sheet.
Miski, who played in all four of his country’s matches in last year’s World Cup, told the PA news agency: “To be the first Lebanese player to play in a Grand Final is a huge honour.
“There are a lot of young Lebanese players growing up in Australia and playing in the NRL, and I think Lebanon has the potential to continue developing into a big rugby league country.
“It’s big for the game in Lebanon too. If people see players like myself playing in Super League and the Grand Final, it gives them someone to look up to and to realise playing at this level is not such a dream.”
Miski will emulate fellow Lebanon internationals Hazem El Masri, Robbie Farah, Tim Mannah and Josh Mansour, all of whom have featured in previous NRL Grand Finals in Australia.
Arriving at Wigan from London in 2022, Miski featured sporadically in his initial top-flight campaign but his prospects changed dramatically two weeks after his trip to Cougar Park, when Jai Field was ruled out for eight weeks due to a recurrence of a hamstring injury.
Peet switched Bevan French from the wing, initially to fulfil Field’s full-back role, leaving Miski to take on the vacant slot out wide – and he responded immediately with a pair of tries in his first appearance against Leigh.
By the end of a campaign that culminated in his side squeaking to the League Leaders’ Shield, Miski sat joint-top of the try-scoring charts on 27 alongside Catalans Dragons rival Tom Johnstone.
“I learned such a lot from Bevan having been on the wing, and I think I really benefited from a sustained period in the squad because the previous year had been very stop-start,” added Miski.
“Going out to London was a conscious decision on my part because I knew I wanted to get some more game time. I could have stayed in the reserves but I really wanted to be ready to play when I got called up.
“It’s been a great season for me and a big honour to get the players’ award. But I am fully focused on the Grand Final because we know how much it means to the fans and the club, and we are all on the same trajectory to achieve our goals.”
Wigan have been boosted by the return of 21-year-old prop Ethan Havard to their provisional squad for the Grand Final, having been ruled out by a hamstring injury since July.
Wigan are looking to kick off a new era of Super League dominance while a Sam Tomkins-inspired Catalans Dragons hope to take rugby league’s biggest domestic trophy back to France for the first time.
Here the PA news agency picks out five key talking points ahead of Saturday’s Grand Final at Old Trafford.
Sam slam
Sam Tomkins admitted prior to the play-off semi-final that he dreamed of finishing his career by lining up against the team with whom he won three previous Grand Finals. The Catalans playmaker has got his wish but will have no room for sentiment as he looks to lead his current side to an historic first win.
French Revolution
After falling short in the final two years ago, Steve McNamara’s Catalans are in a stronger place to take the sport’s biggest domestic trophy back to France for the first time. The impact of such a win should not be understated and could only have positive repercussions for the profile of the sport in the south of France.
Culture club
The sport’s dominant force throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, Wigan were forced to watch in pain as St Helens wrested control with four back-to-back Grand Final wins. With strong recruitment already in place for next season, the feeling is a Wigan win could spark a spell at the top to match that of their vanquished rivals.
Crowded house
Catalans’ previous appearance at Old Trafford yielded a crowd almost 15,000 lower than for any other Grand Final this century. Such a discrepancy may be inevitable – and not so pronounced this time with the French club set to bring a decent contingent of fans – but it does raise a headache where empty seats at the showpiece event are concerned.
Grand finale?
The Rugby Football League’s contract with Old Trafford runs through to 2024 but changes are afoot as strategic partners IMG push forward with a ‘reimagination’ of the sport. While there is no suggestion the Grand Final in itself is under threat, this could be one of the last to be staged at Old Trafford – with the Etihad Stadium across the city rumoured to be leading the list of potential replacements.
Frankie Dettori is eager for a new challenge after reversing his retirement plan to continue his career in America.
Last December Dettori stated he would bow out at the end of this year, but on Thursday he announced he was in fact no longer prepared to call time on his illustrious career.
While he had already indicated his intention to ride at the Melbourne Cup meeting, the Breeders’ Cup in November and Hong Kong in December, he was then expected to retire.
However, as the months wore on and Dettori continued to fire in the big winners, which this year have included the 2000 Guineas, the Gold Cup at Ascot and the Juddmonte International and Ebor at York, rumours began to circulate that he was maybe not prepared to depart the weighing room after all.
With his children all now self sufficient, Dettori and wife Catherine placed their Newmarket home on the rental market and announced they would be travelling the world.
Instead, they are moving to California, where he spent a successful few months last winter, finishing second in the jockey standings at Santa Anita.
Dettori revealed the news at an event to promote his last appearance at British Champions Day.
“I am simply not ready to retire completely. I’m still enjoying riding and want to carry on for a while on the international circuit,” said Dettori.
“I have had the most amazing career (based in the UK), and head to British Champions Day (October 21) with some brilliant rides. This will mark my final day riding in Britain, after which I will head to America for the Breeders’ Cup and then Melbourne for the Carnival.
“The current plan is to return to ride at Santa Anita in the States at the end of the year. How long I continue race riding overseas and where my American journey takes me, no one can predict but I welcome the challenge in this new chapter.”
Not even Dettori himself could have forecast how successful his final full season in the UK would have been.
It began with his 2000 Guineas strike on Chaldean and another Classic quickly followed on Soul Sister in the Oaks at Epsom.
While a third Derby victory eluded him, he did win the Coronation Cup on Emily Upjohn and enjoyed what was thought to be his final Royal Ascot, highlighted by Courage Mon Ami in the Gold Cup.
The rumours of a possible extension to his career really picked up pace at York’s Ebor meeting in August, however, when he stepped in for a suspended Jim Crowley on Mostahdaf and produced an excellent front-running ride before adding the Ebor for good measure on Willie Mullins’ Absurde.
Then last week he added another Group One in the Sun Chariot on Inspiral, fittingly his 500th winner at Newmarket.
“When I announced my retirement, I thought it was a matter of saying my goodbyes and slowly easing my way out of the sport through the back door but it has been success after success (this year),” he told Sky Sports Racing.
“It started off in America, which I really enjoyed, then the Guineas, Royal Ascot, York, France and it got to a point that my emotions were out of control and I thought I wasn’t ready to stop.
“I spoke to my family and they all said to do what makes me happy because I have to live with myself.
“Obviously I’d told everyone I was retiring at Ascot in October, that will be the case in Europe but because I enjoyed California so much last year – and it was an easier decision because my wife agreed – I’ll extend my career in the USA.”
He went on: “The decision was made easier because my kids have all left home, we’ve rented the house out and it has been in my mind for a few weeks but I wanted to make sure it was all in order.
“I applied for a visa and I’ve got one, so now I could announce it.
“It will still be sad for me on Saturday week, I will say goodbye to my fans and my beloved Ascot and a country that has been my life for 38 years but I have something more to look forward to.
“It could be three months or three years, I don’t know. It depends how well I do and depends on my body, I just felt I wasn’t ready to stop.
“The reason was because of the success I’ve had this year, it was very hard to let go.
“It’s a new challenge. I’ve achieved everything I wanted to achieve in Europe but I’d love to find a horse for the Kentucky Derby.”
Ex-Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone has been spared jail after admitting fraudulently failing to declare more than £400million held in a trust in Singapore to the Government.
The court heard the 92-year-old has agreed a civil settlement of £652,634,836 in respect of sums due to HMRC over the course of 18 years.
At Southwark Crown Court on Thursday, Ecclestone was handed a 17-month jail term, suspended for two years.
His defence barrister, Christine Montgomery KC, told sentencing judge Mr Justice Bryan that the defendant “bitterly regrets the events that led to this criminal trial”.
Sentencing Ecclestone, who heard the judge’s remarks from the dock, Mr Justice Bryan said: “Your offending is so serious that neither a fine nor a community order would be appropriate.
“It is rightly acknowledged that the custody threshold has been passed.”
However, he said that he had taken into consideration a number of mitigating factors, including Ecclestone’s health, age, and that he has no previous criminal convictions.
The former racing driver said “I plead guilty” while standing in the well of the court on Thursday wearing a dark suit and grey tie.
He admitted that on July 7, 2015, he failed to declare a trust in Singapore with a bank account containing around 650 million US dollars, worth about £400million at the time.
Before his guilty plea, he had been due to face trial in November on the single fraud charge.
Prosecutor Richard Wright KC told the court that a meeting was held between Ecclestone and HMRC officers in July 2015.
He said that Ecclestone was “seeking to a draw a line under investigations into his tax affairs.”
Mr Wright added: “He was fed up of paying huge bills for advice.”
Frankie Dettori is as low as 1-10 with Coral to ride at Royal Ascot next year having announced he is to continue his career in America.
Following a 10-month farewell tour, Dettori has reversed his plan to hang up his saddle at the end of 2023 and extend his riding days.
Having rented out his house in Newmarket, Dettori and his wife, Catherine, will move to California, where he spent last winter riding with great success.
Given the Italian has a good relationship with American trainer Wesley Ward, who is usually well represented at Royal Ascot, the bookmakers think it is almost a foregone conclusion that he will be back riding in the UK in June.
Among a raft of other specials offered are 5-1 for Dettori to ride a US Triple Crown winner, 16-1 to ride the Kentucky Derby winner and 2-1 to ride an American-trained horse to victory at next year’s Royal Ascot.
“Now Frankie has confirmed his career will be extended into 2024, there must be every chance we see him back at his favourite track next summer, and with allies such as Wesley Ward in his corner, it’s not big odds that he extends his winning tally at the Royal meeting,” said Coral’s David Stevens.
Paddy Power make it only a 6-4 shot that Dettori rides at Royal Ascot 2025, while he is 2-1 to ride a British Group One winner next year with the same firm.
William Hill have taken a similar view in making him a 2-1 chance to ride a Royal Ascot winner next year and 16-1 for Kentucky Derby success.
The firm’s Lee Phelps said: “Frankie Dettori has taken a U-turn in his road to retirement after riding at the top of his game all season.
“His luck is likely to continue in America and the Middle East this winter, so we give him odds of 2-1 to be back at Royal Ascot next year riding a winner, despite his claims of retiring from UK racing.
“While he hasn’t ridden a winner of the Kentucky Derby yet, it’s not out of the question that he could do it in 2024, and we have him at 16-1 to ride next year’s winner.”
Marseille and Paris take centre stage when the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals unfold on Saturday and Sunday.
Four intriguing contests see Ireland meeting New Zealand and France tackling reigning world champions South Africa at Stade de France, while Marseille plays host to Wales against Argentina and England taking on Fiji.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the key quarter-final talking points.
Warren Gatland has worked his magic
After Wales won a solitary game during last season’s Six Nations, any prospect of them becoming World Cup semi-finalists seven months later could have been described as fanciful in the extreme. But head coach Warren Gatland has come up trumps once again in his second stint at the helm, transforming Wales through an unbeaten four-match run in their pool, collecting 19 points out of a possible 20 and going into Saturday’s clash against the Pumas as firm favourites. It would be Wales’ third semi-final appearance in the last four World Cup campaigns under Gatland if they get there, and Argentina have their work cut out to stop them, especially given patchy form during the group phase when they qualified as Pool D runners-up behind England.
In-form Ireland to banish last-eight curse?
Ireland have topped the world rankings for 15 months and are favourites for Saturday’s mouthwatering Paris showdown with three-time world champions New Zealand. Yet the Irish have never won a World Cup knockout match. Seven times previously they have reached the last eight of the tournament and seven times they have been sent home. The last of those early exits came at the hands of the formidable All Blacks four years ago. Head coach Andy Farrell has masterminded three wins from four meetings since that 46-14 hammering in Tokyo, including a historic tour triumph on New Zealand soil last summer, and instilled great mental resolve in his players. His team will equal the record for consecutive Test wins by a tier one nation (18) by banishing Ireland’s quarter-final curse. However, standing in their way is one of the toughest challenges in world rugby and an All Blacks side intent on revenge.
Pantomime villains England
It will be akin to shooting Bambi if England are to reach the semi-finals due to Fiji’s status as darlings of the World Cup, willed on by neutrals who desire the fairy-tale scenario of a Pacific Islands team progressing into the latter stages of the tournament. Number eight Billy Vunipola has acknowledged his side are “public enemy number one”, but points out that historical anti-English sentiment means they are well versed in fighting against popular opinion. On the favourites’ side is that the vast numbers of red rose fans who have followed their team in France will turn the Stade Velodrome into a home ground. Fiji, after pushing Wales to the limit in their opening match, have struggled to regain such fluency and it could prove a game too far for them.
French flair or Springboks power?
The second of the weekend’s two box-office Paris quarter-finals pits the expectant hosts against the defending champions. Whoever prevails on Sunday will view it as a huge obstacle overcome in their quest to win the tournament. France will have the backing of a frenzied home support sensing an opportunity for their team to claim the Webb Ellis Cup for the first time. Les Bleus have not lost on home soil since Scotland defeated them in Paris behind closed doors in a Six Nations match two-and-a-half years ago. The Springboks – chasing World Cup glory for a fourth time – entered the tournament in scintillating form and began with an impressively comfortable win over Scotland before their momentum was halted slightly by a narrow loss to Ireland in their penultimate pool match. The contrast of French flair and the ferocious physicality of South Africa promises to deliver an epic contest to conclude the weekend spectacular.
Conor Murray believes New Zealand’s loss is Ireland’s gain as “world-class” trio Bundee Aki, Jamison Gibson-Park and James Lowe bid to give their native country serious cause for regret.
Centre Aki, scrum-half Gibson-Park and wing Lowe will face the All Blacks at the Rugby World Cup for the first time after being selected to start Saturday’s quarter-final showdown in Paris.
The three New Zealand-born backs qualified for Ireland on residency grounds and have become key performers for Andy Farrell’s side, including helping secure a landmark tour success over the Kiwis last summer.
Murray expects their personal circumstances to provide an extra edge to their performances at Stade de France.
“Those three boys are so important to our squad,” he said.
“What they did, taking the chance to come over here and start a new life for themselves and prove themselves, all three of them have really done so.
“They’re three world-class players who we’re really going to rely on heavily and have performed unbelievably well in this competition.
“It hasn’t really been mentioned, the New Zealand thing. They’re part of our Irish team now and they’re really important to us.
“I’m sure there’s a part of them, that little bit extra that they want to get one over on their place of birth but they’re fully part of our Irish squad now.”
Gibson-Park and Lowe each represented the Maori All Blacks prior to their respective moves to Leinster, before winning maiden Ireland caps in 2020.
Connacht player Aki made his Ireland debut in 2017 but missed Ireland’s last-eight World Cup loss to New Zealand in 2019 through suspension.
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The 33-year-old, who four years ago was sent off against Samoa – his parents’ native country, has been one of the standout performers in France.
“I hate saying it but he’s been playing the rugby of his life,” Murray, who lost his starting role to Gibson-Park, said of Aki.
“He can come across as a bit of a messer or jolly fella but behind the scenes Bundee is incredible.
“The level of detail, he’s always on the computers and always trying to figure things out, so he’s actually a smart fella, believe it or not.”
Ireland’s tens of thousands of travelling fans celebrated each of their Pool B wins with rousing renditions of ‘Zombie’ by Irish band The Cranberries.
“Bundee thinks they’re singing ‘Bundee, Bundee’,” Murray added. “They’re definitely not!”
Munster number nine Murray has 111 Ireland caps, is a veteran of three British and Irish Lions tours and is playing at his fourth World Cup.
The 34-year-old, who will begin on the bench against the All Blacks, is preparing for the biggest game of his career as his country strive to reach a maiden semi-final.
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“It would mean everything,” he said. “On the outside it’s obviously a talking point that we’ve never got there and within the group we think this is a different team and the capabilities are different.
“This weekend is the biggest game I’ve ever played and it’s the same for everyone in the group.
“To get through that would be a huge, huge moment; a huge milestone.
“Breaking the quarter-final isn’t something we talk about. But with the special group we have, it’s something we’re chasing and would absolutely love to do for ourselves and the fans here and at home.
“I can’t get away from how hard it’s going to be, how difficult a task it is, but it would mean the world to all of us to get to that next stage.”
Murray has lined up 14 times against New Zealand for Ireland and the Lions.
He has scored four tries across those outings, including in his nation’s maiden success over the All Blacks in 2016 in Chicago.
“I’ve played against the All Blacks where we’ve beaten them, but when we play (again) they’re a completely different animal,” he said.
“When I started off my international career playing against New Zealand was really daunting and it still is, but did we really expect to beat them is questionable, whereas now there’s definitely a bit more belief.”
Dan Biggar and Liam Williams have been passed fit to start Wales’ World Cup quarter-final against Argentina on Saturday.
Biggar has been struggling with a chest injury and Williams was a doubt because of a knee problem, but they have been given the all-clear for the Stade Velodrome showdown and start at fly-half and full-back respectively.
There is no place in the 23 for Gareth Anscombe, however, after he was forced to withdraw 45 minutes before kick-off against Georgia last Saturday because of a groin issue.
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