Owen Burrows is confident Alyanaabi can make his presence felt in the Native Trail’s Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.
A winner on his Salisbury debut in June, the son of Too Darn Hot then finished fourth behind subsequent Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner Rosallion in the Listed Pat Eddery Stakes at Ascot.
Alyanaabi got back on the winning trail in the Group Three Tattersalls Stakes over the Dewhurst course and distance late last month- and while Aidan O’Brien’s unbeaten 2000 Guineas favourite City Of Troy is expected to prove hard to beat this weekend, Burrows is hopeful his colt will put up a bold showing.
“To have the third favourite in the Dewhurst is massively exciting and this is what it is all about,” said the Lambourn handler.
“He would have been a slightly unlucky loser last time out in the Group Three, but he just managed to put his head down in time.
“He is a horse we really like, and it will be interesting to see how he fares on Saturday. As you well know, it is always a bonus when they have acted on the track.
“We left France a couple of weekends ago disappointed after Hukum’s defeat in the Arc and it would be an amazing end to the season if we could come away with a Dewhurst winner.”
While Alyanaabi was not disgraced in being beaten just under five lengths by Rosallion at the end of July, Burrows is adamant his star juvenile is better than he showed on that occasion.
He added: “In the Listed race at Ascot we felt he ran tidy enough, but that wasn’t his proper running. He got a little bit shut up in behind and didn’t get out, but when he did get out he didn’t show the speed he does at home.
“Jim (Crowley) felt the slightly softer ground didn’t play to his strengths, so it was good once we got him on faster ground last time to see him show the speed we had seen at home.
“That Ascot race has turned out to be pretty smart as the winner Rosallion has won the Group One in France, the runner up Al Musmak has won a Listed race and was second in the Royal Lodge, and Dancing Gemini, who finished fifth, has also won a Listed race at Doncaster.
“Even though he got beat at Ascot it was still a good race and the form is stacking up well.”
Burrows hopes Alyanaabi can on Saturday prove himself a legitimate candidate for the 2000 Guineas back on the Rowley Mile next spring.
“He is a Group Three winner now and hopefully that is not the end of it,” he said.
“He is a lovely big scopey horse and it looks like he will get a mile all day long.
“We are all dreaming that he will hopefully be a Guineas horse next year.”
It is a sign of Anna Shackley’s ambitions that she looks back on a big summer of results and thinks first of what she missed out on.
There has been a pile of under-23 medals – gold at the British national championships, silver at the euros and bronze on home roads in Glasgow at the worlds, then second place overall at the Tour de l’Avenir, plus a WorldTour top-10 at the Tour de Romandie.
But the 22-year-old Scot starts by saying she wanted more from a season disrupted by a knee injury which cost her the best part of three months, ruling her out of the Ardennes Classics and La Vuelta.
“At the start of the year I wouldn’t say it had been a very good year for me at all,” Shackley told the PA news agency. “It’s been a really nice last couple of months and I’ve improved a lot but I probably haven’t achieved what I wanted to achieve.”
It is hard to say which is the most significant of Shackley’s results this season. While the podium places have all come at under-23 level, seventh overall at the Tour de Romandie pointed to her ability to compete with the world’s best even as she was helping team-mate Demi Vollering to overall victory.
But her second place at the Tour de l’Avenir in early September, in the first women’s edition of the prestigious under-23 event, showed why Shackley is seen as a future contender to win the world’s biggest stage races.
“It was really nice having l’Avenir (on the calendar),” she said. “It was a full five-day tour of only under-23 riders so it helps you grow in confidence, having that leadership role. You’re the ones making the pace and not the ones hanging on for dear life.
“I was pretty lucky (the first edition) came in my last year as an under-23 and I can do it before I’m too old.”
Leadership roles can be hard to come by for Shackley, who rides for the mighty SD Worx squad.
She got an opportunity at the UAE Tour but Shackley is competing with a stacked roster that includes Tour de France winner Vollering, world champion Lotte Kopecky, star sprinter Lorena Wiebes and Marlen Reusser to name but a few.
The Dutch team has been utterly dominant in 2023, piling up 62 victories in all.
“It’s been really nice but a very strange year,” Shackley said. “This is not normal to win so many races. The team are understandably very happy with the year but it’s been a bit insane to be riding in the same team with people like Lotte, Demi and Lorena, who can achieve so much.”
This was Shackley’s third year with the team, and the young Glaswegian is still trying to learn as much as she can from her illustrious team-mates.
“It’s a Dutch team so it’s quite loud and you have to stand up for yourself or you get drowned out but they’ve always been pretty accepting and supportive,” she said.
“I’m not sure if the Dutch are people who do an arm around the shoulder so much but it works with me anyway.”
As she looks towards 2024, Shackley’s goal is to turn one of those second places into first. But with the door closing on her time in the under-23 ranks, she knows it will only get harder.
“Each year I’ve been improving a little bit and becoming more assured of myself,” Shackley said. “If I was to win a race next year, I would be more than happy…
“Leaving the under-23 category makes you feel quite old and now there’s a bit more pressure to step up. But that’s life, you move on. I’m looking forward to it.”
The Las Vegas Raiders ended their three-game losing streak as a last-quarter touchdown sealed a win against the Green Bay Packers 17-13.
The Raiders, down by three early in the fourth quarter, positioned yards from the endzone after a 10-play drive.
And the visiting defence parted ways for running back Josh Jacobs to make the deciding two-yard rush.
Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love threw three interceptions, including a crucial one in the fourth quarter, and went without a touchdown pass in a night to forget in Las Vegas.
Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 204 yards, including a touchdown pass to wide receiver Jakobi Meyers.
Jacobs ran for 20 carries for 69 yards while Meyers had seven receptions for 75 yards with one touchdown.
The Raiders now have three wins and two losses, sharing the same record as the Packers.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. homered and knocked in two runs to back a solid start from Zac Gallen, and the Arizona Diamondbacks continued their surprising postseason run with Monday's 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Arizona, the sixth and lowest playoff seed in the National League, took a 2-0 lead in this best-of-five Division Series against a Dodgers team it finished 16 games behind of in the NL West standings. The Diamondbacks are now 4-0 in these playoffs after sweeping the NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers on the road in the Wild Card round.
The Diamondbacks now return home with a chance to close out this series Wednesday.
After battering Los Angeles ace Clayton Kershaw in an 11-2 rout in Saturday's Game 1, the Diamondbacks started fast again with three first-inning runs off rookie Bobby Miller.
The first three Arizona hitters reached base in front of Christian Walker's sacrifice fly and Gabriel Moreno's run-scoring groundout, and Gurriel later produced an RBI single to extend the lead to 3-0.
Los Angeles got on the board in the fourth on J.D. Martinez's solo homer off Gallen, but Arizona countered with Gurriel's homer in the sixth to increase the margin to 4-1.
Max Muncy and Martinez singled to chase Gallen in the bottom of the sixth and got a run back on Enrique Hernandez's RBI single, but reliever Ryan Thompson prevented further damage by getting the final out and stranding the bases loaded.
Thompson, Kevin Ginkel and Paul Sewald then held the Dodgers without a hit over the final three innings to seal the win.
Gallen was charged with two runs over 5 1/3 innings, while Miller was pulled after permitting three runs and four hits in just 1 2/3 innings.
Riley's homer caps rally as Braves even series with Phillies
Austin Riley's dramatic two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning capped a crucial comeback for the Atlanta Braves, who rallied from a four-run deficit to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies, 5-4, in Monday's Game 2 of the National League Division Series.
Atlanta, which won a major league-best 104 games during the regular season, was facing a 2-0 deficit in this best-of-five series before scoring five unanswered runs to avoid a potential elimination game in Philadephia on Wednesday.
Travis d'Arnaud aided the improbable rally with a two-run homer in the seventh inning off Phillies starter Zack Wheeler, who didn't allow a hit until the sixth as Philadelphia built a 4-0 lead.
The Braves also got a sensational defensive play in the ninth from center fielder Michael Harris II, who made a leaping catch to rob Nick Castellanos of extra bases to start a game-ending double play that caught Phillies star Bryce Harper attempting to score from first base.
Riley stepped up with two outs in the eighth and Ronald Acuna Jr. aboard with the Braves down 4-3. The All-Star third baseman worked the count full against Jeff Hoffman before taking a slider over the left-field wall to put the NL East champs ahead for the first time in the series.
The Phillies put the tying run aboard in the ninth, however, when Harper drew a leadoff walk. Two batters later, Castellanos sent a deep drive off Braves closer Raisel Iglesias that Harris snared just before hitting the outfield wall before quickly throwing the ball to the infield, where Riley grabbed it and fired to first base to double off Harper after the two-time NL MVP was frantically trying to get back to the bag after rounding second base.
Wheeler allowed just one baserunner, who reached on an error by shortstop Trea Turner, before walking Acuna with two outs in the sixth. Ozzie Albies then broke up the no-hit bid with a single to right that led to Atlanta's first run when Acuna raced home as Turner misplayed the relay throw.
D'Arnaud cut the lead to 4-3 by homering off Wheeler's final pitch with Matt Olson on base in the seventh.
Wheeler struck out 10 over 6 1/3 innings and was charged with three runs - two earned - while yielding only three hits.
The Phillies built their 4-0 lead on J.T. Realmuto's two-run homer off Max Fried in the third inning, Alec Bohm's RBI single in the first and Bryson Stott's sac fly in the fith.
Fried lasted just four innings and allowed three runs while walking four.
Kevin Sinfield fittingly kicked the winning points to provide a fairytale finish to his magnificent rugby league career as he led Leeds to Grand Final glory on this day in 2015.
The Rhinos twice came from behind in a pulsating tie against Wigan, with Sinfield converting a 64th-minute try from substitute Josh Walters to seal a 22-20 win at a sell-out 73,512 crowd at Old Trafford.
Sinfield’s third goal meant he ended his rugby league career on 4,231 points, making him the third highest scorer in the history of the game, as Leeds celebrated a seventh Grand Final triumph in a year where they also scooped the Challenge Cup and League Leaders’ Shield.
“To top my career off with a treble in my final year is unbelievable. I’m really thankful and really proud,” said Sinfield, who switched codes to rugby union and had a season with the Rhinos’ sister club Yorkshire Carnegie.
“To finish on an ending like that against a great team and for it to be so tough out there, to come through at the end was brilliant.”
Jamie Peacock bowed out with a record 11th appearance at Old Trafford, as well as a ninth success, while fellow front rower Kylie Leuluai maintained his 100 per cent record in Grand Finals in his last game with a sixth triumph.
Leeds’ hero was Danny McGuire, scoring two of their four tries which helped his side to a first win over Wigan in seven major finals and belated revenge for their defeat in the inaugural Grand Final in 1998.
“We were all a bit emotional and felt a little bit drained early on,” McGuire said.
“Three of my best mates are not going to be playing with me next year. Psychologically you try to put that to the back of your mind but it’s always there.
“You want to send them out on the best terms and fortunately we were able to do that through sheer determination and hard work.
“It’ll be weird not having the Sinfield shirt next to mine on a Friday night.”
Victor Wembanyama scored 20 points in 19 minutes in his much-anticipated NBA preseason debut, a 122-121 loss by the San Antonio Spurs to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday.
The heralded No. 1 overall pick finished 8 of 13 from the field and made 2 of 5 shots from 3-point range before being removed midway through the third quarter. Wembanyama added five rebounds and two steals, though he did have a game-high four turnovers.
Wembanyama's first regular-season game will take place in a little over two weeks when the Spurs host the Dallas Mavericks on Oct. 25.
Monday's contest also saw the return of Thunder center Chet Holmgren, the second overall pick of last year's draft who missed the entire 2022-23 season recovering from a foot injury. Holmgren posted a game-high 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting along with nine rebounds in just 16 minutes, and made both of his two 3-point attempts.
Luguentz Dort and Isaiah Joe each added 14 points for Oklahoma City, which trailed 81-74 at the half before outscoring the Spurs by a 30-17 margin in the third quarter.
Keith Earls insists in-form Ireland have eradicated habits instilled by Joe Schmidt ahead of a reunion with their former head coach in Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final against New Zealand.
Schmidt led the Irish into the previous two World Cups, both of which ended with disappointing last-eight exits, before joining the All Blacks’ coaching team last summer.
The 58-year-old’s largely positive six-year tenure culminated in a 46-14 hammering at the hands of the Kiwis at the 2019 tournament in Japan before he was succeeded by his assistant Andy Farrell.
Schmidt is now plotting the downfall of his former employers after switching sides, with Ireland seeking to make history in Paris by stretching their winning run to 18 matches to reach a maiden semi-final.
New Zealand boss Ian Foster publicly outlined plans to tap into Schmidt’s extensive knowledge of the opposition, but Munster wing Earls dismissed the merits of doing so.
“I don’t think Joe would know anything about this squad,” said the 36-year-old. “We’re a completely different squad.
“He probably knows things about individuals but, again, we’ve all changed our habits under this coaching staff and we genuinely don’t use any of the habits that Joe taught us.
“Look, he might have a thing on a couple of individuals, but we’re certainly not the same team that played under Joe.”
Schmidt was due to join the set-up of his native New Zealand following last summer’s three-match home series against Ireland, but he was rushed in early after Covid-19 sidelined Foster and some of his staff.
The All Blacks won the first Test but lost the next two as Ireland launched their current winning streak with a historic tour triumph.
Veteran Earls believes that landmark achievement gave Ireland greater belief, which was enhanced further by this year’s Six Nations Grand Slam success.
Yet he concedes they would be foolish to underestimate the three-time world champions, who have scored 240 points and 36 tries across thrashings of Namibia, Italy and Uruguay following an opening-night defeat to hosts France.
“This tournament is a different animal,” said Earls.
“I know we have beaten New Zealand a few times in the last few years, but they have obviously taught us one or two lessons in between that and beaten us by more than one score.
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“We’re under no illusion as to what is coming at the weekend.
“People speak about New Zealand the last year or two that they’ve dipped in performances, but what we’ve seen in this World Cup, they’re starting to come back with a roar.
“After the French game it’s obviously ignited some spark in them. They’re starting to hit their stride again.
“We’re certainly not undermining New Zealand, you would be very silly to do that.
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“I have no doubt they will be highly emotional and looking for revenge and bring everything they have.”
Earls hopes to be available to add to his 101 caps after sitting out last weekend’s victory over Scotland due to a hamstring niggle.
He also missed Ireland’s landmark first win over the All Blacks in 2016 in Chicago through suspension, a result, masterminded by Schmidt, which he credits for helping to improve Ireland’s self-image.
“As Irish people, we can lack a lot of confidence and be a small bit too humble at times,” he said.
“We’ve done an awful lot of work on ourselves to believe that we can play a certain brand of rugby that can make us compete with anyone in the world.”
Ollie Chessum has warned Fiji that they did not face the true England in their historic victory at Twickenham in August.
England’s build-up to the World Cup reached its lowest ebb when they lost to the Islanders for the first time in eight meetings, at the same time registering a fifth defeat in six Tests.
They have since regrouped by stitching together four wins to finish top of Pool D and their next obstacle is the rematch when the rivals clash in the quarter-finals in Marseille on Sunday.
“Fiji bring a lot of free-flowing rugby and a lot of offloading. They’re big, powerful men that come off the back fence and they’re a physical team,” Leicester lock Chessum said.
View this post on Instagram“They picked us apart, really, at Twickenham. We weren’t really ourselves – we weren’t anywhere near good enough.“A few weeks have gone by since then and we’ve learned from our mistakes. We feel like we’ve been building nicely. We know what to expect from Fiji.”
England’s preparations for the last-eight showdown begin in earnest on Tuesday and they are in the enviable position of operating with a clean bill of health.
Sam Underhill has joined up with the squad after Jack Willis was ruled out of the tournament by a neck injury and the Bath flanker is in contention for a place in the matchday 23 named by Steve Borthwick on Friday.
The prize on offer is a semi-final against France or South Africa and defence coach Kevin Sinfield has urged England’s players to seize the moment.
“I think these are the best weeks. There’s certainly an added pressure. If you don’t get it right you are going home,” rugby league great Sinfield said.
“I know everyone has missed home throughout this period but when you get to this point you are not ready for the competition to finish.
“You want to squeeze as much as you can out of it and you want to be in it for as long as you can. We look forward to the game.
“We understand the consequences of getting it right and we also understand the consequences of getting it wrong, so we will be doing everything we can to make sure we get it right.”
The FIA has begun a review into Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix after drivers complained of racing in dangerously high temperatures.
George Russell branded the race “beyond the limit of what is acceptable” as temperatures in the drivers’ cockpits exceeded 50 degrees for a contest which lasted one hour and 28 minutes.
Canadian driver Lance Stroll said he faded in and out of consciousness because of the extreme heat and humidity during the 57-lap race in Lusail and was also seen stumbling towards an ambulance moments after he emerged from his Aston Martin.
London-born driver Alex Albon was treated for acute heat exposure at the on-track medical centre, while his rookie Williams team-mate Logan Sargeant was forced to park his car through illness. Alpine’s French driver Esteban Ocon also vomited during the race.
This was only the second staging of the Qatar race and the first of a 10-year deal which, in the region of £45million each season, is among the most lucrative for the sport’s American owners Liberty Media.
Next year’s edition will be held two months later in December when it is expected to be cooler, but governing body the FIA acknowledged action must be taken now to avoid a repeat of the scenes.
It said in a statement: “The FIA notes with concern that the extreme temperature and humidity during the 2023 FIA Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix had an impact on the well-being of the drivers.
“While being elite athletes, they should not be expected to compete under conditions that could jeopardise their health or safety.
“The safe operation of the cars is, at all times, the responsibility of the competitors, however as with other matters relating to safety such as circuit infrastructure and car safety requirements, the FIA will take all reasonable measures to establish and communicate acceptable parameters in which competitions are held.
“As such, the FIA has begun an analysis into the situation in Qatar to provide recommendations for future situations of extreme weather conditions.
“It should be noted that while next year’s edition of the Qatar Grand Prix is scheduled later in the year, when temperatures are expected to be lower, the FIA prefers to take material action now to avoid a repeat of this scenario.”
The FIA said measures would be discussed at the upcoming medical commission meeting in Paris, which could include guidance for competitors, research into modifications for more efficient airflow in the cockpit and recommendations for changes to the calendar to fit with acceptable climate conditions.
Research from cross-country events in extreme climates will also be examined for potential applications to track races.
Russell, 25, who is director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, revealed he came close to blacking out after driving back from last to fourth following his first-corner crash with Lewis Hamilton.
He said: “(Sunday) was beyond the limit of what is acceptable.
“Over 50 per cent of the grid said they were feeling sick, couldn’t drive and were close to passing out.
“You don’t want to be passing out at the wheel when you are driving at 200mph, and that is how I felt at times.
“If it got any hotter I would have retired because my body was ready to give up.”
McLaren driver Lando Norris, 23, who finished third, said: “We found the limit (on Sunday) and it is sad we had to find it this way.
“It is never a nice situation to be in when people are ending up in the medical centre or passing out.
“It is not a point where you can just say, ‘the drivers need to train more’. We are in a closed car and it gets extremely hot.
“Clearly, when you have people who end up retiring or in such a bad state it is too much. It is too dangerous.
“I know that next year this race is later on in the season, and it will be cooler, but it is still something that needs to be addressed. I am sure we will speak about it because it shouldn’t have happened in the first place.”
The Indianapolis Colts will be without Anthony Richardson for Sunday's visit to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
And it sounds like the rookie quarterback could miss a few more games.
Colts coach Shane Steichen confirmed on Monday that Richardson "will miss some time" with a sprained AC joint in his right throwing shoulder.
Backup quarterback Gardner Minshew will start Sunday against his former team, as the Colts face the Jaguars in a matchup of teams tied atop the AFC South with 3-2 records.
Steichen was unsure how many games Richardson would miss, and he may end up needing surgery. It's possible the team could end up placing him on injured reserve, which would keep him out at least four games.
Richardson has made four starts since the Colts drafted him fourth overall in this year's draft, but the dual-threat QB has only been able to finish one game as injuries have forced him out of the other three.
In Sunday's 23-16 win over the Tennessee Titans, Richardson was hurt with just over 4 1/2 minutes to go in the second quarter when he was tackled by two Titans on a 4-yard run. He took a hit to the left shoulder but appeared to land awkwardly on the right one.
Minshew then replaced Richardson and completed 11-of-14 passes for 155 yards, leading Indianapolis to three scoring drives.
In the Colts' 31-20 victory over the Houston Texans in Week 2 on September 17, Richardson suffered a concussion when he took a hard hit to the head at the end of a 15-yard touchdown run. Minshew came in and threw for 171 yards and a touchdown.
Richardson was unable to clear the NFL's concussion protocol and Minshew led Indianapolis to a 22-19 overtime win over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3. Richardson returned for last Sunday's overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams - the first game of his young career he was able to complete.
Richardson also suffered a knee bruise on a hard hit near the goal line in the final minutes of a 31-21 season-opening loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Steichen said he could have returned, however, and he was taken out as a precaution.
On the season, he has completed 59.5 per cent of his throws for 577 yards with three touchdowns and one interception for an 87.3 passer rating. He has also rushed for 136 yards with four TDs on the ground.
Minshew has completed 68.7 per cent of his passes for 553 yards with two TDs and no picks for a 95.1 rating.
Array has been supplemented for the Native Trail’s Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday to join City Of Troy and 10 others.
Owned by Juddmonte and trained by Andrew Balding, Array was last seen winning the Mill Reef Stakes and will be having his first run over seven furlongs.
City Of Troy sets a tall standard to aim at, however. Aidan O’Brien’s colt has not been seen since creating a huge impression when winning the Superlative Stakes.
He was a late withdrawal from the National Stakes last month when Henry Longfellow stepped in to be Ballydoyle’s number one.
Henry Longfellow remains in contention along with stablemates Henry Adams, Johannes Brahms, River Tiber and Unquestionable but there is no doubting City Of Troy is O’Brien’s big hope.
Iberian looked a smart colt when beating subsequent Group One winner Rosallion in the Champagne Stakes and is well worth a shot for the Charlie Hills team, while Eve Johnson Houghton’s Indian Run, part-owned by England cricket star Jonny Bairstow, arrives off a win in the Acomb Stakes.
Alyanaabi, who came from an unpromising position to win the Tattersalls Stakes, Eben Shaddad and Haatem complete the list.
Dubai Future, Knight, Regal Reality, Spirit Dancer and Sir Busker are among 13 in the Earthlight Darley Stakes. Orne, a debut winner for John and Thady Gosden, is one of 14 in the Emirates Autumn Stakes.
A total of 40 remain in the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch, headed by David Pipe’s recent Bangor winner Wordsworth.
Willie Mullins has several options at the five-day stage M C Muldoon and Lot Of Joy.
Ryan Moore is due to partner Gordon Elliott’s Pied Piper, the ante-post favourite, with the 11-year-old Not So Sleepy, back to winning ways last time out, due to be partnered by Tom Marquand.
Emmet Mullins will be represented by The Shunter, a Cheltenham Festival winner over fences in 2021.
Owner JP McManus’ racing manager Frank Berry said: “Emmet was happy with him before the weekend and the intention then was to go.
“He ran a nice race on the Flat in the summer (fourth), Emmet was pleased with that and you’d expect him to come forward from that.
“He’ll go there in good nick, anyway, and we hope he runs well.”
Tashkhan, Tritonic, The Very Man and Jesse Evans are all engaged at this stage.
Scotland suffered a demoralising pool-stage exit from the World Cup after being unable to get the big win they needed against Ireland.
Here, the PA news agency looks back at how the tournament unfolded for Gregor Townsend’s side.
Hype and expectation
Everything seemed possible for the Scots when they first touched down in sun-drenched Nice just over five weeks ago, fresh from an encouraging summer in which they had produced two rousing displays against France and beaten Italy and Georgia to cement their status as the fifth-ranked team in the world. At their welcome ceremony their former player John Jeffrey – in his guise as World Rugby’s vice-chair – told everyone in attendance “this is without doubt the best ever Scotland team to take the field”.
False start against the Springboks
After all the anticipation and pre-tournament optimism, Scotland fell flat in their opener in Marseille, failing to land a meaningful blow as defending champions South Africa stifled the life out of them. Losing 18-3, it was the Scots’ lowest-scoring outing since the opening game of the previous World Cup.
The long, idle fortnight
The Scots had a full two weeks to lick their wounds following their demoralising start. With no game on the second weekend of the tournament, the players were given a few days’ downtime with family immediately after the South Africa loss. Even when not in action, however, the Scots’ qualification hopes suffered a further blow as Ireland defeated the Springboks.
Cherry bows out
One of the most notable stories of that week was hooker Dave Cherry’s withdrawal from the squad after suffering concussion when falling on stairs on the way to his bedroom following a team day off. Cherry, 32, had made his World Cup debut as a substitute against South Africa the previous day. The Edinburgh forward at least had the consolation of going home to welcome his baby daughter into the world later in the month.
McInally’s emotional roller-coaster
Stuart McInally became one of the big stories of Scotland’s World Cup without actually getting to see a minute’s action. The 33-year-old hooker announced in April he would be retiring after the tournament. He was named in the provisional 41-man squad in May, then cut from the final 33 in August, called out to France as cover when Ewan Ashman suffered concussion before the Boks game and then flew home when his fellow hooker recovered. It looked like the fairytale career swansong was on when McInally – on 49 caps – got the call to officially join the squad after Cherry’s withdrawal, but cruelly he had to pull out himself just over a week later after suffering a neck injury.
Back on track
Scotland needed bonus-point wins over Tonga and Romania to keep their slim qualification hopes alive and they duly obliged with comfortable 45-17 and 84-0 victories. The two wins featured 19 tries for the Scots, with five of them scored by Darcy Graham, who climbed to joint second on the national team’s all-time try-scoring list with 24, just three shy of record-holder Stuart Hogg.
Matthews’ big moment
After the misfortune of his fellow hookers Cherry and McInally, 30-year-old Johnny Matthews – effectively the sixth-choice in his position – was called up after the Tonga game, having never previously won a full cap. Just over 10 minutes after entering the fray for his debut against Romania in Lille, the Glasgow forward bolted over to mark his unlikely international bow by scoring the Scots’ 10th try of the match.
Outclassed by Ireland
Those triumphs over Tonga and Romania helped revive Scottish morale and sparked hope of pulling off a shock win over Ireland to qualify for the quarter-finals. The Scots needed to beat the world’s number one team – whom they had not defeated since 2017 – either with a bonus point or by denying their opponents a losing bonus. All the pre-match talk of permutations was rendered pointless, however, as the Irish raced into a 36-0 lead. Scotland rallied to make the scoreline a more respectable 36-14, but the damage was done.
Killed in the group of death
Ultimately – as a result of the pool draw being made almost three years ago – Scotland were undone by sharing a group with the two nations who began this tournament as the top-ranked pair in the world, Ireland and South Africa. Over the past year the Scots have beaten each of the four sides who reached the quarter-finals in the opposite side of a lop-sided draw – England, Fiji, Wales and Argentina – but, despite the undoubted progress they have made in recent years, they remain a considerable way short of the level of the game’s four current heavyweights.
Oisin Murphy will reunite with Saeed bin Suroor’s 1000 Guineas heroine Mawj in Keeneland on Saturday night when she lines up for the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup.
Off the track since beating Dermot Weld’s Tahiyra to claim Classic honours at Newmarket, Bin Suroor has elected to take the battle-hardened three-year-old Stateside for her comeback run.
She has reportedly settled well in Kentucky and the Godolphin trainer is optimistic his charge is in a good place ahead of her tilt at the $600,000 contest over a mile and a furlong.
“She has arrived there and is out of quarantine and away now to the stables,” said Bin Suroor.
“She is looking good, is in good form and happy, and we are looking forward to running her Saturday.
“Oisin Murphy is going over to ride and so far is so good. She has done her main work in Newmarket and Oisin rode her in her last piece of work on the Limekilns round gallop. We’re hoping we will see good results from her again.
“She will have to be in a good position in the race, but as usual I like to have my horses handy and if she is somewhere close I would be happy. Oisin knows her well and so far so good.”
Mawj will have further US assignments on the agenda in just under a month’s time, with the outcome of her performance in Keeneland set to help formulate running plans for the Breeders’ Cup where she could stick to a mile or stretch out to 10 furlongs for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
“She could go for the Mile or the Filly & Mare,” continued the trainer. “It is between the two races and we will see. We have to see which horses are running and which race might suit her.”
Matt Fitzpatrick completed a fantastic fortnight with victory at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, as well as glory in the team event alongside mum Susan, just days after helping Europe lift the Ryder Cup.
The Englishman won his first point in his third Ryder Cup appearance in Europe’s 16.5-11.5 victory over the United States eight days ago and admitted he was in Scotland for a “free-wheeling” week at the all-star pro-am event.
But he produced rounds of 67-64-66 over Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and St Andrews – in an event which was reduced to 54 holes and ran into Monday after a weekend washout – to finish at 19 under, three shots clear of fellow Englishmen Marcus Armitage and Matthew Southgate and defending champion Ryan Fox.
He also became just the second player after Padraig Harrington to win the individual and team event in the same year after he and mum Susan registered net scores of 64-58-59 to win by five shots at 35 under.
“It doesn’t get better than this,” he said. “Winning at St Andrews, it’s just a very special place. We’ve been coming here for a long, long time as well and it doesn’t get better.
“We played last year and didn’t quite play so well and this year she’s played fantastic and I played really solid as well. You just couldn’t ask for a better week.”
Susan Fitzpatrick added: “It’s been such a great week. It’s amazing they managed to get us out today but it’s been such a great day today. I enjoyed the course and played at a great pace. It’s been lovely so it’s been another great week.”
Fitzpatrick had been sat on his one-shot lead for two days after torrential rain left all three courses waterlogged over the weekend but showed no signs of rust as he birdied four of his first seven holes at St Andrews, with a bogey on the second.
That had him level at the top with Southgate who had made a fast start of his own but birdies at the 11th, 13th – courtesy of a long putt – 15th and last had him three shots ahead of Southgate and Kiwi Fox who fired rounds of 66 and 65 respectively.
Play had started later at Carnoustie to allow more time for the course to dry out and Armitage looked like he could threaten the lead as he carded an eagle and six birdies, but a bogey on the ninth – after starting on the 11th in a shotgun start – ended his chances as he signed for a 66.
Hollie Doyle has been handed a one-month ban – suspended for year – having tested positive for traces of a banned substance found in a painkiller used to treat an elbow injury.
The charge relates to Doyle returning a positive test for Dihyrocodeine (DHC) following her return to riding from a lengthy injury lay-off.
Having undergone surgery on her elbow in February 2023, Doyle returned at Newcastle on March 31 having been prescribed DHC post-operatively.
Upon interview Doyle also said she had been taking what she believed to be ibuprofen tablets previously ‘over the counter’ in Japan and had used those as pain relief. These tablets are marketed as ‘Pabron Ace Pro’.
Following an investigation by the British Horseracing Authority it was thought the likely source of DHC was therapeutic consumption of Pabron Ace Pro and Doyle had attempted to check the ingredients using Google Lens.
Sarah Crowther KC, chair of the BHA’s independent disciplinary panel, said: “I agree with the BHA that in light of the investigative findings, it is appropriate to reduce the penalty from the entry point of two months’ withdrawal of licence to one-month suspension.
“The breach was unintended and Ms Doyle has been cooperative with the investigation and made appropriate and early admissions. There is no evidence to suggest that Ms Doyle’s suitability to hold a licence is affected and therefore withdrawal would serve no purpose.
“The period of one-month suspension reflects the seriousness of the breach and also the fact that there is an element of lack of care involved.
“This is a first offence and I am content that the penalty can be suspended for one year and maintain its deterrent effect. I am confident that Ms Doyle will have learned from this episode and the risk of recurrence is extremely low indeed.
“The BHA has given consideration to requiring Ms Doyle to take part in the Enhanced Sampling Programme, but in my judgement that would be unnecessary where all the evidence suggests that this was a one-off error rather than a situation of any potential underlying systemic issue and monitoring would serve no real purpose.
“I therefore approve the penalty of one-month suspension of licence, suspended for one year.”
In a statement, Doyle said: “In April, when returning to ride after my elbow injury, Dr Jerry Hill informed me that I had tested positive for traces of Dihydrocodeine, which is a painkiller used to treat moderate pain.
“I required elbow surgery in February and was prescribed dihydrocodeine, which I stopped consuming a few days after my operation as it made me feel unwell. In April I tested positive on my return to ride, and I stated that I has only been taking ibuprofen and paracetamol throughout my recovery to control some swelling.
“After some research we found that the contamination came from a packet of ibuprofen which I had purchased when riding overseas, that unknowingly contained small amounts of Dihydrocodeine. The BHA accepts that this was the likely source of the positive.
“The BHA also accepts that the breach was innocent and unintended, but due to it being a strict liability case, they found it appropriate to impose a one-month suspended suspension.
“I’m extremely grateful to my family, friends, and employers for the support and advice over the last five months. We’re all very glad it’s over.”
Ronnie O’Sullivan reeled off five frames in a row to keep hold of his world number one ranking for now after brushing aside Ken Doherty in the opening round of the inaugural Wuhan Open.
O’Sullivan would have lost top spot to Luca Brecel if he had been beaten by his old rival, who he first played against professionally 30 years ago, and Doherty hit the front after taking the opening frame.
But a break of 88 settled any nerves and O’Sullivan did not look back after snatching a scrappy third frame, with two further visits of 89 and 82 sealing a comfortable 5-1 win at the Wuhan Gymnasium.
The seven-time world champion could still be bumped off the top of the rankings if Mark Allen were to go all the way in the first ranking event to be held on Asian soil after four years off the calendar.
But O’Sullivan was happy to progress into the next round and had a kind word for Ding Junhui, who he could meet in the last 16, after playing on the table next to the long-time Chinese favourite.
“I played a lot with Ken when I was a kid, well I was a kid and he was an adult. I learned a lot from him,” O’Sullivan said on World Snooker’s official website.
“I call Ding the Godfather of snooker in China. He put snooker on the map here. He came along at an early age and was winning tournaments. He is a credit to himself, his family and everyone in China.
“He is a great player and has been a constant of the game for 20 years, so Ding is a legend in China. To share the venue with Ding was nice. He got an amazing cheer which was nice to see.”
Brecel’s withdrawal from this event meant only an O’Sullivan slip-up would have seen the reigning world champion move to the rankings summit but Allen could still leapfrog the pair of them.
He was on the verge of an early exit against Mark Joyce but the Northern Irish potter, while far from fluent – he registered just one 50-plus break – won the last two frames to triumph 5-4.
Ding came back from 2-1 down to beat Ashley Hugill 5-3 while there were also wins for Stephen Maguire, Ali Carter, Robert Milkins and Jack Lisowski but Marco Fu was an early casualty.
Via Sistina is fully on course for an outing on Qipco British Champions Day, with George Boughey warning his star filly has been training better than ever.
The five-year-old is yet to finish outside the first three since joining Boughey last October and has taken her form to the next level this season, emphatically claiming the Dahlia Stakes on reappearance before scooping Group One honours at the Curragh in the Pretty Polly Stakes.
Creditable placed efforts in both the Falmouth Stakes and Prix Jean Romanet have followed and Boughey opted against sending his thriving mare to ParisLongchamp for the Prix de l’Opera in favour of heading to Ascot in peak condition.
The Saffron House handler is now hoping for some assistance from the weather to enable Via Sistina to showcase her best at the Berkshire track.
Boughey said: “The ground has always been a big thing for her and I think she will be at her best if the ground is slower. But it would also be no surprise to see her take chance on normal sort of ground.
“I can’t imagine it is going to be fast. I’ve long wanted to run her at Ascot and it usually comes up very soft. It doesn’t like it’s going to come up very soft, but there is every chance the weather could break and we will be hoping.”
“She’s training as well as she ever has and is in great form and this has been the plan for quite some time.”
Via Sistina has the option of taking on the colts over her Group One-winning distance of 10 furlongs in the Qipco Champion Stakes or having a first crack at a mile and a half if staying among her own sex for the Qipco British Champions Fillies And Mares Stakes.
Boughey believes Via Sistina’s versatility means he could have a tough call to make ahead of Ascot’s end-of-season showpiece on October 21.
He added: “We’ll just sort of monitor both of them and see how we go and hopefully we will see her in one of them.
“I’ve always thought she has been very versatile and I think there is every chance if she did turn up in the mile-and-a-half race, then she might have been favourite for a Group One over a mile, a mile and a quarter and a mile and a half in the same season which I’m not sure many will have done.
“She is versatile and the way she travels off the pace is probably conducive to staying a bit further so all options are open and it’s a nice decision to have to make.”
Ann and Ian Hamilton are thinking of giving Tommy’s Oscar the chance to replicate stable stalwart Nuts Well in the Jewson Old Roan Chase following his facile victory at Kelso on Sunday.
The eight-year-old has now won three times since turning his hand to chasing at the beginning of last season and he looked as good as ever when making his seasonal return in the Scottish Borders, cruising to a six-and-a-half-length success in the hands of Sean Quinlan.
With options limited and hesitations over their charge’s suitability to Cheltenham seemingly ruling out a shot at the Shloer Chase next month, the Northumberland-based team are tempted to step Tommy’s Oscar up to two and a half miles at Aintree later this month for a shot at the valuable Grade Two handicap.
Nuts Well’s victory in that contest ranks as one of the Hamiltons’ training highlights and having taken over the mantle of stable star, Tommy’s Oscar is a fitting candidate to try provide the husband and wife duo with a second chance of success in the race.
“He was good wasn’t he, giving them all that weight it was good,” said Ian Hamilton.
“We’re not sure where to go because he’s a two-miler, but we thought about taking the same route as Nuts Well and go to Aintree for the Old Roan.
“That’s two and a half, but on a flat track. He has won over two and a half but he wouldn’t get it on soft ground.”
He went on: “We’re hoping it will be all right for him because I’m struggling to find anything else. We’re too old to be travelling down to Cheltenham and them places and we’ve also got the farm up here.
“We’ll think about Aintree and he’s come out of the race well. It looks the best option if it’s not too soft.
“You wouldn’t think he has had a race this morning and looking at the race, it looks as if he would possibly stay. I don’t think he’s a Cheltenham horse and he likes a flat track I think. He has a high cruising speed so he can just sit in behind them.”
Grand National winner Corach Rambler will begin his season at Kelso – ground permitting – before a potential crack at the Betfair Chase.
Russell has targeted the Edinburgh Gin Chase at the Borders track close to home on October 28 before bigger targets await.
While a return to Aintree is being considered, Russell admits that off his new handicap mark of 159 emulating the likes of Tiger Roll and Red Rum will be difficult.
“We’re going to start him off at Kelso at the end of the month, providing the ground is OK, and then we’ll have a good look at the Betfair Chase at Haydock. That should give us a good idea of where we stand against these Graded chasers and we can then make a bit more of a plan on how his season will look,” said the newly-unveiled William Hill ambassador.
“It would be great to go back to the National as we know he loves it around there, but it’s obviously going to be a harder task this time given he’ll be much higher in the weights.
“I’m not sure if we know quite how good he is because to win a Grand National like he did and to be as fresh as he was after it out was something you don’t see very often.
“Scu (Peter Scudamore, partner and assistant) couldn’t believe how well he felt after it and if anything we think he’s improved again over the summer. The way he goes about things makes me think there might be a lot more under the bonnet that we don’t know about, which, if true, is incredibly exciting for all of us.
“He is different to any other horse I’ve ever been associated with. He just does things differently and he really does tell you how he’s doing and the mood he’s in. He’s so smart and clever in everything he does and we can’t wait to get the season under way with him.”
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