Hollie Doyle will look to tick another big ambition off her “bucket list” when riding Bradsell at this year’s Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita.
American duo Julie Krone and Rosie Napravnik are the only female jockeys to have tasted success at the meeting, in 2003 and 2012 respectively.
Doyle’s best effort so far in her previous attempts to join that exclusive club was a fourth-placed finish on Nashwa 12 months ago when favourite for the Filly & Mare Turf.
“It’s something that is definitely on the bucket list,” said the 27-year-old. “I’ve had a few attempts so far without any luck but it’s something that would be a dream to achieve.
“Every time I go to America I bring a lot back and learn from it. You realise how good they have to be to win a Breeders’ Cup race. You can’t just turn up there, they have to be trained to the minute for it.”
This year, Doyle appears to have a decent chance of hitting the target with dual Royal Ascot winner Bradsell in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
Archie Watson’s three-year-old followed up last season’s Coventry Stakes triumph by beating Highfield Princess in the King’s Stand Stakes at the Berkshire track in June.
He has since finished third in the Nunthorpe at York before a below-par effort in the Flying Five at the Curragh, but there were excuses for that setback in Ireland.
“We went there looking for good ground but I think an hour before the race there was a deluge,” said Doyle. “It was very loose ground and although he travelled nicely on it, he just wheel spun when push came to shove. That’s all we put it down to.
“Bradsell is always a horse we’ve thought highly of. He won the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot and then sustained that injury afterwards. All credit to Archie for getting him back, because you never know how they’re going to come back from that type of thing, if not physically then mentally.
“He’s so tough and to bounce back in the way he has, stepping back down to five furlongs, has been incredible.
“I’m so lucky and blessed to be riding these horses. I had Nashwa last year, and The Platinum Queen; to be able to go this year with Bradsell, I’m just very lucky.”
Doyle is also dreaming of Melbourne Cup glory after being booked to partner recent Flemington Group Three scorer Future History in Australia’s biggest race.
Reflecting on that opportunity, she told Sky Sports Racing: “I’m really happy and very excited about that. It was always going to be a hard task to get a ride in the Melbourne Cup, but I’ve managed to pick one up and it’s pretty cool.
“It’ll be great to have a change and hopefully have a bit of success abroad.”
Connections of Facteur Cheval are eager to see more rainfall at Ascot ahead of his tilt at the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Qipco British Champions Day.
Jerome Reynier’s ultra-consistent performer is yet to finish outside the first three in five outings this term, beaten less than two lengths on each occasion, with his last three appearances coming at Group One level.
The Facteur Cheval team are looking forward to another crack at Paddington having been short of room when second to Aidan O’Brien’s prolific winner in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.
“It’s the plan and he could run on any type of surface, but he’s better with some give in the ground and the wetter the better, like when he won the Prix Perth at Saint-Cloud,” said Barry Irwin, CEO of Team Valor, who own the horse in partnership with Gary Barber.
“We have skipped some other races he could have run in waiting for the race next weekend figuring it would be really wet again.”
If the ground is quicker than Facteur Cheval ideally likes, connections will use it as a guide to next year.
Irwin added: “I think at this point we’re looking at it as much, if not more, as a test to see how he handles that (quicker) going at this point of his life, as our goal next year is the Dubai Turf. This will be a good test to see how he handles that type of track.
“That mile up the straight at Ascot is more like a mile and eighth and that’s the distance of the Dubai Turf.
“That’s what we’re looking at and whether we are going to have a big impact on this race now – and unless we get lucky and the ground turns very soft – that is something we’re a bit concerned about obviously.”
Noble Yeats will not be seen until the new year when he will once again be geared towards the Randox Grand National.
The first seven-year-old National winner since 1940 when triumphing on Merseyside in the hands of Sam Waley-Cohen in 2022, he relished the Aintree fences once again when a keeping on fourth behind Corach Rambler in the defence of his title earlier in the year.
However, he has been given plenty of time to recover from a busy 2022-23 season and having just returned to trainer Emmet Mullins, will not be rushed back into action.
“He had a hard season last year so he’s had an extended summer break and has only just arrived back to me earlier this month,” explained Mullins.
“We won’t see him until after Christmas and I would imagine all roads will lead back to Aintree.”
Noble Yeats could return over hurdles in the new year as connections plot a path back to Aintree, with another crack at Auteuil’s Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris – in which he was a running-on seventh in 2023 – also on the agenda.
Mullins added: “There’s no races really in mind and I might even take in a conditions hurdle – he’s won one maiden hurdle – and start him off slowly and build up to the National and then back to France.
“They are two aims for the back-end of the season.”
Noble Yeats entered the Gold Cup reckoning when landing the Many Clouds Chase at Aintree last December, but the second half of his 2022-23 campaign was hallmarked by staying on strongly to hit the frame but ultimately coming up short in his big-race assignments.
Sean Bowen was often seen having to push Noble Yeats along as he looked slightly outpaced during the midpoint of those races but despite cheekpieces being employed for his last three starts, Mullins is in no doubt about his star chaser’s will to win.
“It’s a funny one and I’m sure if someone had their tracker speeds on him then he is not slowing down mid-race, it is probably as fast as he can go,” said Mullins.
“He’s a relentless stayer and no one can fault his attitude in a finish.”
Sam Tomkins will head home to France to spend more time with his family after the dream of a fairytale finish to his rugby league career was dashed by Catalans’ Super League Grand Final defeat to Wigan.
Liam Marshall’s second-half try put the seal on a hard-fought 10-2 win for Tomkins’ former club and meant the 34-year-old would fail to add to his three previous Grand Final wins when he was wearing the cherry-and-white.
Tomkins, who had fought off a serious knee injury to battle through a final season in the hope of inspiring a historic first win for the French side, admitted: “I didn’t enjoy one second of it. I don’t see getting to a Grand Final as much of an achievement really.”
The former two-time Man of Steel made little impression in a gruelling affair in which he was clattered by his good friend and former team-mate, Wigan captain Liam Farrell, in the opening minutes, and his side’s hopes were undone by a pair of sin-binnings either side of half-time.
Tomkins said he had no regrets about extending his career but added: “Sometimes you have to be a little bit selfish as an athlete and this year I’ve been more selfish than I would have liked to have been.
“I’ve said no to my wife and kids too many times this year because I’ve struggled a lot physically. Getting ready for games has not just been about training but at home, 24 hours a day, and I’m glad that’s over and I can be a better dad.”
Tomkins will stay in the south of France in a yet to be defined ambassadorial role, and accepts once the disappointment of Saturday’s second Grand Final defeat in three years begins to ease, he will take solace from the knowledge that Catalans are well-equipped to come again.
“Look at the way the club’s moving forward,” Tomkins continued. “We’re a top-four side now consistently, no-one can argue with that, and top-four sides compete for silverware.
“I love this club, it’s given me the five best years of my life. My family are growing up in a beautiful place and it’s been a dream. I love the club and everything they have given me, and whatever my next role is I will continue to give them 100 per cent.”
Wales wing Josh Adams believes that World Cup co-captains Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake will be “massive figureheads” during the build-up to Australia 2027.
The dust has yet to on Wales’ World Cup campaign in France, which was ended by quarter-final opponents Argentina.
And while the immediate reaction is one of major disappointment that Wales could not reach a third semi-final in the last four tournaments, a new generation of talent is emerging.
Morgan, 23, and 24-year-old Lake are at the forefront, having shone at their first World Cup through leadership and performances.
“We have two young captains in Dewi and Jac, and they have led us incredibly well and are a huge voice for us,” Adams said.
“I have enjoyed playing under them and for those two especially, there are massive careers ahead for them.
“They will no doubt be in the next four-year (World Cup) cycle and they will be massive figureheads for a lot of young lads in this team moving forward.
“I am sure they will drive the standards up even higher.”
Lake, meanwhile, has vowed that crestfallen Wales will kick on following the Argentina loss, which came after an unbeaten pool phase that delivered victories over Australia, Fiji, Georgia and Portugal.
Wales face the Barbarians in Cardiff on November 4, then play opening Six Nations opponents Scotland three months later.
“Emotions go up and down, but it is tough to take,” Lake said.
“We were not given a lot of hope from people coming into this tournament. A lot of people said we were not going to get out of the group.
“We will learn a lot from this and a lot of boys are at their first World Cup.
“You don’t learn a lot from winning constantly. Learning comes from losing games and seeing where you can get better and where you went wrong. These are the type of games that build character.
“A loss in a World Cup quarter-final with tears streaming down your face, that is a feeling you never want again. We will kick on from here.”
One player no longer part of Wales’ plans is fly-half Dan Biggar, who has retired from Test rugby after winning 112 caps and scoring more than 600 points.
Whether any of his colleagues follow him into international retirement remains to be seen, but Toulon star Biggar’s 15-year impact on Wales has proved significant.
Lake added: “Any time you lose a figure like that it is a tough loss. He has given his time in Welsh rugby, he is a (caps) centurion, a Lions tourist, a leader, he has been unbelievable in a Lions and Wales jersey.
“What he has given to Wales with the sacrifices, he has taken hits like no other 10 I have seen in world rugby and a lot of people would agree with that.
“In terms of his leadership and speaking after games, we will miss him and I think he will miss us as well.
“He has been an unbelievable ambassador for Welsh rugby and has inspired a lot of people old and young.”
Cheltenham Festival hero Seddon will have the chance to follow in the footsteps of Hewick when he heads to Far Hills for the American Grand National on Saturday.
John McConnell’s stable star is the latest Irish challenger for America’s top jumping prize and the handler is relishing the opportunity to add to the 10-year-olds burgeoning CV in New Jersey.
Seddon has proved a shrewd acquisition for McConnell and owners the Galaxy Horse Racing Syndicate winning four times last season, including providing his handler with a first Cheltenham Festival victory when claiming the Magners Plate before adding to his riches over hurdles at the Punchestown equivalent.
He was last seen being denied by a neck at Galway last month and his trainer believes his versatility could be an asset ahead of his latest big-race assignment.
“It’s exciting and something different,” said McConnell.
“He’s most definitely been a star and a horse of a lifetime for his syndicate, myself and Ben (Harvey, jockey), so anything from here on in is a bonus.
“It was an exciting opportunity to have a go at and hopefully he comes home safe and if he runs his race I will be happy.
“He jumps very well whether it is hurdles and fences so I don’t think that will be a problem and nice ground and the trip will be OK. I suppose it all depends on how he settles in but we’re very hopeful.”
It will also be a big afternoon for jockey Ben Harvey who has struck up a fine partnership with Seddon and will be riding for the first time in America.
“Ben rides him and he’s looking forward to it,” continued McConnell.
“Obviously he has never ridden over there before but he’s a good judge of pace and we wouldn’t have anyone else on him at this stage.”
Raiders from Britain and Ireland have a fine recent record in the Far Hills feature with Hewick using the race as a stepping stone to bigger and better things last year and McConnell has been given plenty of advice from Hewick’s handler John ‘Shark’ Hanlon ahead of Seddon’s cross-Atlantic adventure.
He added: “Shark paved the way and I’ve had a good chat with him about it.
“He has been very helpful and in fact everybody has been really helpful to us along the way and I just want to get see him get on the track and get it over with now.”
Last season was somewhat a breakthrough year for McConnell who as well as tasting success at all three of the major spring festivals, matched his highest number of winners tally in the UK and almost doubled his previous best on home soil.
Now the Stamullen-based handler believes he has got his best ever National Hunt squad heading into the depths of winter and as well as the familiar names of Seddon, Mahler Mission and Anna Bunina, McConnell has highlighted dual bumper winner Intense Approach as one who could thrive this term.
“They are all coming together nicely,” said McConnell. “Some of the bigger yards are starting to roll out now so that will be challenging and we’ll definitely mix it between the UK and Ireland over the winter.
“We’ve got the best set of jumps horses we have ever had so hopefully that will get us some rewards.
“Intense Approach would probably be the horse to watch, he’s won two bumpers for us in Ireland and he will go hurdling. We really like him and think he is a fairly special horse.
“He’ll start off in a maiden and see after that, but he’s a lovely horse and hopefully we will go to some top places with him.”
Andy Farrell believes the inspirational spirit of outgoing captain Johnny Sexton can help Ireland return to challenge on the biggest stage after another agonising World Cup exit marked the end of an era.
Ireland suffered elimination following Saturday evening’s tense 28-24 defeat to New Zealand in Paris which stretched their wait for a knockout win at the tournament to 36 years and counting.
Fly-half Sexton and veteran wing Keith Earls are already confirmed to be heading for retirement, while Farrell’s 33-man squad in France contained a further 15 players aged 30 or above.
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The head coach expects the togetherness developed during the last four-year cycle to continue regardless of potential personnel changes and feels the departing Sexton will remain a key part of that.
“I think a lot of our group are still learning and I said to the group in the changing room the reason they’re going to keep on learning is because of this guy (Sexton) sat beside me here,” said Farrell.
“The impact that he’s had on the rest of the team over the last four years has been amazing.
“And the way that he’s conducted himself as a leader and as a player and the way that he’s shown the love of playing for Ireland will be remembered and connected to this group for many years to come.
“Through his example, the younger guys will keep on getting better and striving to be better, there’s no doubt about that.”
Ireland went into a mouthwatering showdown with the All Blacks as the world’s top-ranked team and marginal favourites.
But their remarkable 17-match winning run was halted as the Kiwis avenged last summer’s series defeat on home soil to book a last-four meeting with Argentina.
Asked what gives him confidence for the future, Farrell continued: “Just knowing what we’ve got. The type of character that we’ve got, the type of people we’ve got, the type of player, staff.
“The hunger to want to wear the green jersey.
“It is the end for this team because people are going to be leaving, but the competition that this team has built over the years will continue because of how it’s been driven, certainly over the last couple of years.
“The talent that we’ve got in Ireland will continue to come through and we’ll continue to challenge, I have no doubt about that.”
Fine margins decided a thrilling Stade de France showdown, with New Zealand continually holding Ireland at arm’s length to lead from the eighth minute to the final whistle.
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Scores from native Kiwis Bundee Aki and Jamison Gibson-Park, plus a penalty try, kept Farrell’s men on the cusp of a stunning comeback from 13-0 down.
Farrell had reservations about a raft of scrum penalties conceded by prop Andrew Porter, but was eager for Ireland to avoid sounding like “bitter losers”.
“We’ve a different view to what was going on out there, but we don’t want to sit here and have sour grapes,” he said. “We want to congratulate New Zealand on a fantastic performance.
“The scrum was part of the equation, 100 per cent, and we’ll get the answers. Andrew 100 per cent was very frustrated with what was going on out there.
“We don’t want to be bitter losers. We want to hold our head up high and do it the right way.”
Meanwhile, Sexton paid tribute to fellow retiree Earls, who bows out on 101 caps and second only to Brian O’Driscoll in Ireland’s all-time list of try scorers.
“He’s a legend and one of my best mates, not just in rugby but in life,” said Sexton.
“He’s a top-class human being. You couldn’t meet a more popular lad in the squad.
“He’ll go down as one of the very best for sure. This group will miss him definitely.”
Lewis Hamilton is facing a second investigation by Formula One’s governing body for walking across the track at last weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix.
Hamilton, 38, was fined £43,350 – half of which is suspended for the remainder of the season – in the hours after the race in which he crossed the circuit following a first-corner crash with Mercedes team-mate George Russell.
But seven days on from the incident in Lusail, and in a largely unprecedented move, the FIA has said Hamilton’s actions are again under review.
A spokesperson for the governing body said on Sunday: “The FIA is revisiting the incident in which Lewis Hamilton crossed a live track during the Qatar Grand Prix.
“The FIA notes that Lewis was apologetic during the subsequent stewards’ hearing into the incident and acknowledged that the crossing was a serious safety breach.
“However, in view of his role model status, the FIA is concerned about the impression his actions may have created on younger drivers.”
Following the original investigation, in which Hamilton was also reprimanded, the stewards noted that “crossing a live track can cause extremely dangerous situations and the drivers have to be very cautious about it.”
It is thought that under the FIA’s rules, it is unlikely Hamilton will face additional penalties. But it is possible harsher punishments could be handed out in the future for a similar infringement.
Hamilton will be back in action at next weekend’s US Grand Prix in Austin.
Tears were always likely when the end eventually came for the retiring Johnny Sexton.
In a city synonymous with love, art and literature, the thrilling final chapter in the career of one of rugby’s finest creative talents was written.
The storyline – 14 years in the making – was packed with drama and emotion but finished abruptly with a lack of romance and the absence of a fairytale finale.
“It’s small margins and that’s sport,” said Ireland captain Sexton in the aftermath of Saturday evening’s agonising 28-24 loss to New Zealand.
“That’s life. It’s gutting, isn’t it?”
Sexton heads into retirement as arguably his country’s greatest player.
Yet he does so without realising his dream of becoming a world champion following the heartbreak of an all-too-familiar quarter-final elimination on the biggest stage.
The 38-year-old stood hands on hips, head bowed on the Stade de France touchline at the full-time whistle after his fourth such World Cup exit – his nation’s eighth.
Paris, where the influential fly-half spent two seasons with Racing 92 between trophy-laden spells with Leinster, was always destined to provide the backdrop for his last act.
Following successful sojourns in Bordeaux and Nantes, Ireland headed to Saint-Denis for the remainder of their 2023 World Cup fixtures – a minimum of two, a maximum of five.
The formidable All Blacks ensured it would only be three.
Sexton bid adieu by weeping in front of the watching world amid comforting words from his son Luca.
The 2018 world player of the year’s record-breaking Ireland career began against Fiji back in 2009 and brought 118 caps and 1,108 points.
His final months as a professional proved to be a gripping roller-coaster ride which, at times, appeared in danger of derailment.
Multiple injuries and a much-publicised suspension saga had to be overcome en route to France.
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Sexton was appointed Ireland skipper in the ashes of the last World Cup, which also ended with a last-eight loss to New Zealand, with some pundits and ex-players suggesting he was already past his best.
But the relentless taskmaster with a fiercely-competitive nature and a penchant for rubbing up opponents the wrong way had other ideas.
Following a slightly rocky start to his captaincy during the disruption of the coronavirus pandemic, he and the team flourished under the masterful man-management of Andy Farrell.
The summer of 2021 was perhaps a pivotal period.
Sexton – a two-time British and Irish Lion tourist, in 2013 and 2017 – was snubbed by Warren Gatland for the series in South Africa and later confessed it “hurt like hell”.
However, Ireland almost certainly benefited from that setback as the fired-up out-half instead enjoyed time off before returning revitalised.
He guided his country to a Six Nations Triple Crown in 2022 followed by a landmark series success in New Zealand, which propelled Ireland to the top of the global rankings, launched a 17-match winning streak, and led to his third nomination for world player of the year.
Sexton missed out on the award to team-mate Josh van der Flier but continued his renaissance by steering Ireland to a first Grand Slam triumph clinched in Dublin, sealed by a 29-16 win over England.
“It’s unbelievably fitting that in my opinion the best player ever to play for Ireland is able to sign off on a Grand Slam, on St Patrick’s Day, in front of his own crowd,” said head coach Farrell.
Sexton limped from the field that milestone day in what proved to be his final appearance on home soil.
England were always meant to be the opposition for his Aviva Stadium farewell – it just happened five months earlier than anticipated.
Fast-forward to August and the fit-again Sexton was forced to watch from the stands as Ireland defeated Steve Borthwick’s side in a World Cup warm-up fixture.
His three-match ban – punishment for “confrontational and aggressive” behaviour towards referee Jaco Peyper after Leinster’s last-gasp Heineken Champions Cup final loss to La Rochelle – was made more painful by nine-year-old Luca being a team mascot.
Sexton was sidelined for 175 days in total but demonstrated the no-excuses mentality so often championed by Farrell by seamlessly slotting back in at the start of his swansong tournament.
He became his country’s oldest international and leading World Cup scorer with a 24-point haul in the opening win over Romania before a week later taking the overall points record from long-time number 10 rival Ronan O’Gara in the triumph over Tonga.
Electrifying Paris victories against South Africa and Scotland, saluted with rousing renditions of the team’s World Cup anthem – ‘Zombie’ by The Cranberries – from tens of thousands of travelling fans, fuelled hope this could be Ireland’s year.
But the dream was crushed by the three-time world champions, leaving a despondent Sexton to hang up his boots amid a cocktail of emotions.
“Everyone runs into camp and never wants to leave – it’s an incredible place to be and that’s what I’ll miss the most,” he said of the environment fostered by Farrell.
Whether Sexton is foremost in the pantheon of Ireland’s all-time greats remains subjective.
That he leaves a lasting legacy and a void which will be extremely difficult to fill is undeniable.
Saeed bin Suroor secured his 500th Group-race winner as his 1000 Guineas heroine Mawj returned to action with a victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland.
Not sighted since beating Tahiyra at Newmarket, the diminutive filly showed she is still a force to be reckoned with and a Breeders’ Cup bid now beckons.
Making all the running under Oisin Murphy in the nine-furlong contest, she could either take on the boys in the Mile or step up to 10 furlongs for the Filly & Mare Turf.
Bin Suroor said: “Thank God. This is great (for me) to win 500 (Grade and) Group (races) and a Group One with the filly Mawj, a classic winner. To come to America, to Keeneland, to win is a great result for everybody.
“It looks to me she has plenty of speed as a miler and she made it today nine furlongs. But we’ll see. The mile might be the best for her, sure, but I want to decide closer to the race.”
Murphy said: “Saeed was delighted with her work at home and he asked me to sit on her last week just before she flew (to America) and she felt brilliant. She felt back to her best.
“We did quite quick sections in the first half of the race, but she is a superstar filly. She found plenty. She’s got a great heart and mind.
“I’m delighted to win for Godolphin and Saeed here; it’s his 500th Group winner, so for me to ride it for him means the world.”
PA SPORT BIRTHDAYS
Bob Cottam (cricket) – former England bowler and later bowling coach, also played for Hampshire and Northamptonshire, born 1944.
Terry Griffiths (snooker) – Wales’ 1979 world champion, born 1947.
David Unsworth (soccer) – former Everton defender and caretaker manager, who won one cap for England, born 1973.
Jacques Kallis (cricket) – former South Africa all-rounder who scored 13,289 runs and took 292 wickets in 166 Tests, born 1975.
Craig Pickering (athletics) – British sprinter who turned to bobsleigh, born 1986.
Dan Biggar (rugby union) – Former Wales and Northampton fly-half, born 1989.
Charles Leclerc (Formula One) – Ferrari driver from Monaco, born 1997.
Naomi Osaka (tennis) – two-time winner of the Australian Open and US Open from Japan, born 1997.
Zak Skinner (Paralympics) – competed for Great Britain in the 100m and long jump in the T13 classification at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, born 1998.
ON THIS DAY IN SPORT
1920: Jockey Gordon Richards had his first ride at Lingfield Park. In a 21,843-race career that lasted until 1954, he won a record 4,870 races – 14 of them Classics. Richards was champion jockey 26 times.
1968: Britain’s Lillian Board lost the Olympic 400 metres final by a narrow margin to France’s Colette Besson, and US sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos gave their ‘Black Power’ salute on the winners’ rostrum.
2001: Liverpool beat Dynamo Kiev 2-1 in a Champions League encounter in Ukraine just days after manager Gerard Houllier was rushed into hospital to undergo heart surgery.
2006: International Cricket Council chief executive Malcolm Speed confirmed Pakistan had withdrawn fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif from their squad for the ICC Champions Trophy following positive drug tests.
2011: English driver Dan Wheldon, 33, was killed in a crash at the Las Vegas Indy 300.
2014: Former France, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham defender William Gallas retired at the age of 37.
2016: Munster head coach Anthony Foley, 42, died at the team hotel in Paris before their European Champions Cup tie against Racing 92.
2018: Wales beat the Republic of Ireland 1-0 in their Nations League match in Dublin.
PA SPORT SELECTIVE TV LISTINGS
Today (Monday, October 16)
SOCCER: Euro 2024 qualifier, Gibraltar v Republic of Ireland – Viaplay Sports 1 1935.
CRICKET: World Cup, Australia v Sri Lanka – Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Cricket 0900.
GRIDIRON: NFL, Los Angeles Chargers v Dallas Cowboys – Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports NFL and Channel 5 0100 (Tues).
BASEBALL: MLB, Texas Rangers v Houston Astros – TNT Sports 1 2100, Arizona Diamondbacks v Philadelphia Phillies – TNT Sports 2 0030 (Tues).
Tomorrow (Tuesday, October 17)
CRICKET: World Cup, South Africa v The Netherlands – Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Cricket 0900.
SOCCER: Euro 2024 qualifier, England v Italy – Channel 4 1900, Northern Ireland v Slovenia – Viaplay Sports 2 1915; International friendly, France v Scotland – Viaplay Sports 1 1930.
BASEBALL: MLB, Arizona Diamondbacks v Philadelphia Phillies – TNT Sports 2 0000 (Wed).
PA SPORT QUIZ
1. How many men’s Rugby World Cup tournaments have New Zealand won?
2. Where will the women’s football European Championships be held in 2025?
3. Who scored the only try of the game for Wigan Warriors to beat Catalan Dragons in this year’s Super League Grand Final?
4. In which city is the US Grand Prix currently held?
5. Who won the first Super Bowl in 1967?
6. Who is currently number one in the WTA rankings?
7. Which side won the 2023 Netball Super League?
8. At which venue does the World Darts Championship take place?
9. When did former England captain Charlotte Edwards retire from international cricket? A- 2013, B- 2015 or C-2016?
10. In the Winter Olympics, Which two sports are included in the Nordic Combined?
ANSWERS: 1. Three; 2. Switzerland; 3. Liam Marshall; 4. Austin, Texas; 5. Green Bay Packers; 6. Aryna Sabalenka; 7. Loughborough Lightning; 8. Alexandra Palace; 9. C- 2016; 10. Ski jumping and cross-country skiing.
Auston Matthews notched his second straight hat trick to open the season and the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Minnesota Wild 7-4 on Saturday.
Matthews became the fifth player in NHL history to start a season with consecutive hat tricks, joining Alex Ovechkin (2017-18), Cy Denneny (1917-18), Joe Malone (1917-18) and Reg Noble (1917-18).
William Nylander added two goals and an assist for Toronto, which has scored 12 goals in winning its first two games of the season.
Jenner’s 3 goals help Vincent earn first win
Boone Jenner registered his second career hat trick to give Pascal Vincent his first coaching victory with a 5-3 win over the New York Rangers.
Jenner’s first goal of the game forged a 1-1 tie, and his second with 2:15 left in the opening period put the Blue Jackets on top for good.
He completed his natural hat trick with 7 ½ minutes remaining in the second period for a 3-1 lead.
Elvis Merzlikins made 24 saves before leaving with flu-like symptoms after the second period. He was replaced by Spencer Martin, who stopped 15 of 17 shots in the third in his Columbus debut.
Golden Knights beat Ducks to stay perfect
Chandler Stephenson, Shea Theodore and Jack Eichel each had a goal and an assist as the Vegas Golden Knights continued their unbeaten start with another 4-1 victory, this one over the Anaheim Ducks.
Jonas Rondjberg had the other goal and Adin Hill stopped 22 shots to help defending champion Vegas begin a season with three straight wins for the second straight year.
The Golden Knights’ three wins have all come by 4-1 scores.
Mason McTavish had the lone goal as Anaheim lost in Greg Cronin’s coaching debut.
Andy Robinson succeeded Sir Clive Woodward as permanent England rugby union head coach on this day 19 years ago.
A month after the shock resignation of World Cup-winning coach Woodward, Robinson stepped up from his role as caretaker on October 15, 2004.
The former Bath coach was handed a four-year contract barely 24 hours after being interviewed for the job.
Robinson had been assistant to Woodward at the 2003 World Cup and he immediately set his sights on making England the first team to retain the Webb Ellis Trophy.
“My challenge now is the next era and to ensure the World Cup remains at Twickenham in 2007,” Robinson said as he took the reins.
“It is a huge task ahead for all of us, and one I am excited about leading. I expect every rugby coach in England aspires to coaching their country one day, and I feel honoured to have this opportunity.
“Clive set a standard for all of us to follow. Clive’s successful record at the helm, culminating in us winning the World Cup, was unique and very special. It was my privilege, as his assistant coach, to be part of that.”
As a player, Taunton-born Robinson won eight England caps, toured Australia with the 1989 Lions and captained Bath to a domestic league and cup double in 1992.
After retiring in 1997, he moved into coaching with the club he had represented for more than a decade, and quickly delivered Heineken Cup glory with an upset of defending European champions Brive in Bordeaux in 1998.
He joined Woodward’s staff in June 2000 and was part of both the World Cup triumph in 2003 and the Six Nations Grand Slam.
But his own time in charge of the national team was not a happy one. He lost 13 of his 22 games in the job and stood down in November 2006.
If ever there were doubts about Blue Vinyl’s readiness for the major events at the backend of the season, those would have been erased, as the four-year-old colt threw down the gauntlet with an impressive 21-length win in the Mark My Word trophy feature at Caymanas Park on Saturday.
Piloted by Javaniel Patterson, Blue Vinyl, last year’s 2000 Guineas and St Leger winner, demonstrated his usual class in a bold front-running effort on this occasion which crippled rivals in the three-year-olds and upwards Open Allowance contest over nine furlongs and 25 yards (1,820m).
Now conditioned by Alford Brown, the Bern Identity -Bluefield progeny made it two wins in three starts for the trainer and third in four starts this season.
With the expected pacesetter I Realise scratched from the initial six-horse event, it was left for Blue Vinyl to dictate terms and the M.N.M Racing Stables-owned charge duly obliged.
Patterson got Blue Vinyl put well from the wide number six draw and the two comfortably laid the fractions with Outbidder (Phillip Parchment) in tow for most of the way.
However, when Blue Vinyl gradually injected some tempo leaving the half-mile and later powered home under a strong hand ride, it was D Head Cornerstone (Dane Dawkins) that finished best for the runner up spot. Miniature Man (Reyan Lewis) and Outbidder, completed the frame.
Blue Vinyl won in a decent 1:54.2 after splits of 27.1, 52.2, 1:17.2 and 1:41.1.
Brown expects nothing but the best from his charge going forward with the lucrative Mouttet Mile being his main target.
“It was very impressive and going forward now, the sky is the limit," Brown declared.
"We are preparing for the Mouttet Mile, that is the main goal so from here on it is just about keeping him sound and healthy and then we will see what happens.
“It is a possibility we might run him in the Jamaica Cup, but we have to see how he comes out of this one first. But we want to take it one day at a time," the trainer added.
Meanwhile, trainer Gary Griffiths and jockeys Raddesh Roman and Tevin Foster all won two races each on the nine-race card.
Griffiths saddled Exotic Light ridden by Devon A Thomas in the fifth race and the Foster-partnered Digital Light in the eighth event. Foster also won aboard the Fitzgerald-conditioned Sir John in the last race.
Roman’s winners were Rohan Kabir in the opening event for trainer Oral Hayden and Dale Murphy's Bella Bella in the sixth.
Racing continues on Sunday.
Tommy Fury once more overcame the challenge of a game YouTube fighter by claiming a majority decision win over KSI in a scrappy cruiserweight headliner at a packed-out AO Arena in Manchester.
Fury has concentrated on lucrative crossover contests in recent months, seeing off Jake Paul in Saudi Arabia in February and now dispatching British foe KSI to extend his record to 10-0 as a professional.
With brother Tyson, the WBC heavyweight champion, at ringside, Fury landed several eye-catching blows but the bout underlined the relative novice status of both combatants with multiple clinches.
Despite being docked a point for repeatedly punching to the back of KSI’s head while on the inside, Fury was given the nod 57-56 by two judges with a third scoring the contest 57-57 after six rounds.
KSI has built a substantial following on his YouTube page, becoming a successful entrepreneur and musician, while his Misfits promotion has sharply divided opinion between those upbeat about the fresh audiences being brought in and those who view the antics between raw fighters as an affront to boxing.
The build-up to the card has verged on farcical with unseemly insults flying amid the occasional brawl, which would have drawn short shrift with the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC). Instead its jurisdiction falls under the umbrella of the Professional Boxing Association.
The upsides were evident from the first bell of the evening with few spare seats to be seen and those that were vacant filled up long before Fury’s entrance after 11.30pm to Michael Jackson’s Thriller.
KSI, who came into the arena in a green Lamborghini alongside rapper Giggs, might have been the away fighter but his fans roared in support when he landed a solid overhand right early in the first round.
Fury responded with a decent left hook but his habit of landing a few rabbit punches when the fighters were tied up led to him being docked a point in the second after several complaints from KSI, who brought the crowd to life with another winging right hand.
Londoner KSI, whose real name is Olajide William Olatunji, was proving elusive from distance as Fury attempted to establish a jab, but in the clinch the Manchester fighter followed up a couple of blows with a swift left hook, right hand that momentarily seemed to stun his opponent.
Fury was using his left-hand jab to try to set up his best work and another combination drew shouts of encouragement from his fans but by this point the fight had already descended into a scrappy affair.
The pair traded punches while on the inside in the penultimate round but spent much of the round being separated by the referee, after which Fury found a stinging couple of blows to end the fifth.
KSI, whose previous wins have been against fellow YouTubers, was still sprightly in the final round and did find Fury with another big right hand but his rival responded in kind, then followed up with a short left.
Fury climbed the ropes, raising a fist at the final bell, and his confidence was rewarded after the judges narrowly sided with him.
On the undercard, Logan Paul was awarded a disqualification win over mixed martial arts fighter Dillon Danis, who lost all of the first five rounds before shooting for a take down in the last three minutes.
Danis, who made his name as Conor McGregor’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu sparring partner, was docked a point then attempted a guillotine choke in the final few seconds before tumbling to the floor.
Paul threw a punch on a grounded Danis, who ran straight at his adversary in retaliation prompting security to storm the ring. Because of Danis’ two infractions, he was disqualified.
Teary-eyed Ireland captain Johnny Sexton reflected on a “gutting” end to his glittering career following a heartbreaking World Cup exit at the hands of New Zealand.
Andy Farrell’s class of 2023 were bidding to make history in Paris by becoming the first Irish team to reach the last four of the tournament.
But the world’s top-ranked team trailed for most of an enthralling contest before falling agonisingly short as their quarter-final curse continued with a 28-24 loss.
Veteran fly-half Sexton, who travelled to France with ambitions of lifting the Webb Ellis Cup before retirement, tipped his team-mates to come back stronger in his absence during an emotional post-match press conference.
“The last couple of years have definitely been, in a green jersey anyway, the most enjoyable of my career. Definitely,” said Sexton.
“The group, the way Faz (Farrell) leads us with the other coaches, everyone runs into camp and never wants to leave.
“It’s an incredible place to be and that’s what I’ll miss the most. Going to work every day with those guys, but I’m just grateful as well.
“You can’t be 38 and sit here giving out too much. I’ve had lots of ups and downs in my career, lots of injuries, so I’ll probably reflect more over the next couple of weeks, take time off and spend it with my family and see what happens.”
Sexton, the 2018 world player of the year, bows out with 117 caps and 1,108 points, having surpassed Ronan O’Gara as Ireland’s record scorer earlier in the competition.
Speaking of the defeat, he said: “It’s gutting, isn’t it? It’s small margins and that’s sport. That’s life. It’s unfortunate, but this group will bounce back.
“They are an incredible bunch led by the man beside me (Farrell). It’s the best group I have ever been a part of. Bar none.
“These guys will go on and achieve great things and I’ll be sitting in the stand having a pint like you lads.”
Scores from native Kiwis Bundee Aki and Jamison Gibson-Park and a penalty try helped keep Ireland within touching distance for the duration of a tense encounter.
However, three-time champions New Zealand underlined their rugby pedigree, with Leicester Fainga’anuku, Ardie Savea and Will Jordan each crossing to pave the way for a nail-biting triumph.
Head coach Farrell revealed veteran wing Keith Earls will also retire as the curtain came down on the current era.
“The standards have been immense over the last four years, the players that we’ve used in that four-year cycle have been a joy to work with,” he said.
“And not just that, their connection with the fans, it seemed like it’s all one big family.
“I’m unbelievably proud to be associated with it all. I think the sad thing for us now is that for this group it’s probably the end.
“Obviously it is for Johnny and Keith Earls is going to retire as well, so things are going to change. Mick Kearney our manager is going to finish up as well.
“Over the next 24 hours, it’s time to make sure that we get a smile back on our faces as soon as we possibly can and celebrate what has been some unbelievable careers and what they have done for Irish rugby. It’s important to us, that.”
Ireland desperately pushed for a late twist to prolong their campaign and 17-match winning run but ultimately ran out of steam to suffer a first defeat since the opening match of last summer’s stunning Test series victory in New Zealand.
It could have been a different outcome had replacement hooker Ronan Kelleher not been held up on the line 10 minutes from time.
“Ifs, buts and maybes and all that,” said Farrell. “But at the end of the day it was two good teams out there playing some outstanding rugby, and unfortunately for us we came out on the wrong side of the score.
“Sport can be cruel sometimes I suppose, that’s why we love it so much.
“We want to congratulate New Zealand on a fantastic performance, it was a fantastic game to be part of, it was probably fitting of a final.”
New Zealand, who had Aaron Smith and Codie Taylor sin-binned, will face Argentina in the semi-finals.
All Blacks head coach Ian Foster: “This is a special day for us. Sometimes the sweetest victories are when your opposition plays very well and tests you to the limit.
“At the end of the day, we played a lot of that game with 14 players. And we looked in control of it and it felt good.”
Coach Matt Peet hailed game-breaker Jake Wardle as “awesome” after his starring role in Wigan’s Betfred Super League Grand Final success.
The centre capped a memorable first season with the club with a player-of-the-match display as the Warriors edged a tight tussle with Catalans Dragons 10-2 to be crowned champions at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Wardle made a number of telling breaks in the second half including one to set up the decisive try for Liam Marshall.
It is a far cry from last year when Wardle struggled for game time at Huddersfield and was loaned out to Warrington.
“He was awesome,” said Peet. “What I say to him is ‘thank you’. I’m really grateful for him trusting us and coming to Wigan. I’m really thankful for how he applies himself daily.
“I am not more proud of him because we won tonight – we love him daily. I’m really pleased for him to have his moment. That’s why we signed him and that’s why he chose us.”
Wardle, 24, showed similar gratitude to Peet for putting faith in him.
He said: “It is a really proud moment for me and my family. I am really grateful to Wigan and Matty for giving me the opportunity to come to the club and play in games like that.”
The encounter was tight with the scores locked at 2-2 at half-time.
Peet praised his side for limiting Catalans’ creative options.
“It was very much about our defence,” he said. “We had a few areas where we thought Catalans would have a bit of joy.
“We spoke about the importance of defending kicks and it was a recap on our message of recent months, which comes back to trusting one another and trusting the gameplan.
“I thought it was a good advert for us trusting one another.”
Wigan’s victory secured their first Super League title since 2018 and ended St Helens’ run of four successive triumphs.
Peet would not be drawn on whether his side could now go on to establish a dynasty.
He said: “You always want to build on success but when people are looking ahead to next year they are underestimating the quality on the field tonight. This will be reflected upon as a special group of players.”
Catalans’ defeat was their second in a Grand Final in the space of three years and denied them a maiden title.
It also meant there would be no fairytale ending to former Wigan full-back Sam Tomkins’ glittering career.
The Dragons had finished level on points with Wigan at the end of the regular season and coach Steve McNamara admitted the loss – in which they had two players sin-binned – was hard to take.
He said: “It was a huge tussle. It was not a great spectacle of a game but two teams were going at each other ferociously for 80 minutes.
“To concede one try and get beaten is tough to take. We didn’t throw enough at the opposition in attack but some of that was down to the fact we spent 20 minutes with 12 men.
“That probably took too much out of us but in the second half I don’t think we had one good attacking set and that’s probably credit to Wigan.
“Our last plays have been good all season but they weren’t good enough tonight. Last plays win big games.”
Ireland’s World Cup dream was crushed as their quarter-final curse continued with a heartbreaking 28-24 defeat to New Zealand in Paris.
Andy Farrell’s class of 2023 were bidding to make history by becoming the first Irish team to reach the last four of the tournament.
But they trailed for most of a thrilling contest at Stade de France and were unable to mastermind a stunning comeback as the formidable All Blacks progressed to a semi-final showdown with Argentina.
Scores from native Kiwis Bundee Aki and Jamison Gibson-Park and a penalty try helped keep Ireland within touching distance for the duration of a tense encounter.
However, three-time champions New Zealand underlined their rugby pedigree, with Leicester Fainga’anuku, Ardie Savea and Will Jordan each crossing to pave the way for a nail-biting triumph.
Eight points from the boot of Jordie Barrett and five from Richie Mo’unga helped the All Blacks over the line as they overcame yellow cards for Aaron Smith and Codie Taylor.
A devastating defeat in Saint-Denis halted Ireland’s remarkable winning run at 17 matches, while signalling the end of the career of veteran captain Johnny Sexton, who kicked seven points but missed a crucial penalty.
Ireland came into a mouthwatering contest in the unfamiliar position of being marginal favourites.
Following a minute’s silence in memory of the victims of Friday’s school attack in the northern French city of Arras, Ireland’s raucous travelling fans drowned out the Haka with a rousing rendition of the Fields of Athenry.
Yet New Zealand shrugged off the hostility and a few nervy mistakes in the opening minutes to lead through early penalties from Mo’unga and Barrett.
Ireland had repelled 30 phases in the build up to the first of those kicks but, despite plenty of possession, were struggling to fully find their usual attacking fluidity.
Ian Foster’s men had no such issues and duly increased their lead when wing Fainga’anuku – playing instead of Mark Telea, who was dropped for a disciplinary breach – exchanged passes with Rieko Ioane to finish a flowing team move on the left.
Ireland were quickly staring down the barrel of another last-eight exit to add to seven previous ones.
A routine Sexton penalty eventually got them up and running on the scoreboard before Aki superbly evaded five failed tackles to touch down and significantly cut the deficit against the country of his birth.
However, as the tide threatened to turn, the All Blacks were not about to roll over.
With five minutes of the half remaining, Savea dived over on the right to shift the momentum of a helter-skelter encounter back in favour of the southern hemisphere side.
Resilience is a major facet of Farrell’s Ireland and they emerged from an intense opening period just a single point behind.
In the aftermath of Smith’s temporary departure due to a deliberate knock-on, Gibson-Park brilliantly wriggled over from a line-out maul and Sexton again added the extras to leave the contest tantalisingly poised.
New Zealand were doing a decent job of keeping Ireland at arm’s length.
They again stretched the scoreboard in the 54th minute when the impressive Mo’unga exploited a gap between Josh Van Der Flier and Dan Sheehan following a line-out to burst forward and send the jet-heeled Jordan darting for the right corner for a 25-17 advantage.
Ireland suffered another setback when Sexton skewed wide with a three-point attempt at the posts. However, five minutes they were celebrating being awarded a penalty try as Taylor collapsed a maul and was sin-binned.
Barrett missed a penalty but landed another to keep the scoreboard ticking over for the All Blacks going into the anxious final stages.
Ireland desperately pushed for a late twist but ultimately ran out of steam to suffer a first defeat since the opening match of last summer’s stunning Test series victory in New Zealand, leaving a distraught Sexton heading for retirement.
Ben Earl insists England have noted their absence from composite Rugby World Cup teams as they look to prove their critics wrong in Sunday’s World Cup quarter-final against Fiji.
England completed their group campaign with a full set of four victories yet few are expecting them to challenge for South Africa’s global crown despite being placed in the easier side of the draw.
Earl has been Steve Borthwick’s star performer in France and would be pushing hard for inclusion in teams comprising the World Cup’s best players, but the general snub has not been overlooked by the squad.
“You see a lot of stuff on social media about world XVs and stuff and there’s probably not a huge amount of representation from England in that regard,” the Saracens back row said.
“A lot of people don’t think there’s that many of us in there. You always want to be in those conversations. In terms of voicing concerns about it? Not really. We know a lot of our team have been in those positions before.
“It’s just an opinion, but at the same time we know the quality we’ve got. We know that on any given day, when some of the players we have got on our team turn up we become a very, very hard team to beat.
“These are the stages that we want to be involved in. You find out a lot about your team-mates, find out a lot about yourself. We’ll be expecting big performances.
“We’ve been speaking a lot all week about it being time for our big game players to start turning up. We’ve all got a responsibility to do that.
“It’s kind of now or never. No one wants to be flying back to London on Monday morning, so we’re going to out there and perform our best and see what happens.”
Danny Care is among a number of senior players who could be making their final appearances for England and the veteran scrum-half admits there is no margin for error against Fiji, who stormed Twickenham 30-22 in August.
“It’s what you dream about, being involved in games like this. It’s the chance of a lifetime,” Care said.
“We’re fully focused on Fiji and we have to be because we know how dangerous Fiji are. If we’re slightly off it, then we will be going home. That’s the stark reality of it.
“We know the significance of this game and how much it means to us, how much it means to the people back home. We’re dying to get out there.
“For someone like me, you know this could be the last time I put on an England shirt so I’m going to give it my all.
“Any time I play for England, it means everything. But when you know you’re kind of coming to the end of your journey in that shirt you want to do yourself proud and your family proud.
“I want to make it worthwhile that I’ve been away for five months and you don’t do that by coming home after the quarter-final. We’re really excited to get out there and show what we can do.”
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