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.”
Sam Tomkins’ dream of ending his glittering career with one last Grand Final win was shattered by his former club as Wigan summoned a stirring second-half display to sink Catalans Dragons 10-2 at Old Trafford.
Liam Marshall grabbed the only try of the game to secure a hard-fought but ultimately comfortable win for Matt Peet’s men, sealing their sixth domestic showpiece and their first since 2018.
Tomkins, who was embraced by his friend and former team-mate, Wigan captain Liam Farrell at the final whistle, will head into retirement reflecting on a pair of yellow cards that effectively cost his side any chance of victory.
Adam Keighran was sin-binned midway through the first period and Tom Davies followed suit for an intentional block on Marshall in the second half as Catalans came up short for the second time in three years.
It was a tough night all round for Tomkins, who had been served an early reminder that he would be done no favours on his final appearance when he was taken out by Farrell in the process of punting a high ball forward in the third minute.
Warren Gatland felt the change in referee knocked Wales off their stride as they crashed out of the World Cup with a 29-17 quarter-final defeat to Argentina in Marseille.
South African official Jaco Peyper hobbled off with a calf injury after Wales had scored their first try in the 15th minute, taking a 7-0 lead in a match they had dominated.
But with Karl Dickson replacing Peyper their ascendency slipped away and Argentina came on strong in the second half with tries from Joel Sclavi and Nicolas Sanchez sweeping them into the last four.
Head coach Gatland was full of praise for the Pumas’ performance but also felt events had conspired against Wales.
“It probably didn’t help with the referee getting injured. That was a little bit disruptive in terms of the game,” said Gatland, who confirmed his commitment to remaining in charge of Wales until the 2027 World Cup.
“We were 10-0 up and were thinking that if we take a few of the opportunities that were presented to us. Unfortunately we gave away a couple of soft penalties.
“It does throw you off. We were comfortable with Jaco Peyper and the relationship we have with him in terms of his control of the game.
“It’s nothing against Karl but you do a lot of analysis through what referees tend to be tough on and what they are looking for.
“We hadn’t prepared for the change. Sometimes that happens in a game and you just have to deal with it. That is the way Test match rugby goes sometimes.”
A controversial refereeing decision saw Guido Petti hit Nick Tompkins in the head with his shoulder in the third quarter but Dickson and TMO Marius Jonker ruled there was no foul play.
It was explained that because the tackle had been called, Tompkins was falling and Petti entered legally while bent at the waist, there was no offence. Argentina went over from the same period of play to stretch their lead.
“It would be interesting to see what happens in terms of the feedback from the panel,” Gatland said.
“He (Dickson) felt that Nick has dropped his height and he said it wasn’t foul play. I would need to go back and look at it, but it was probably at least a penalty situation.
“Sometimes those things happen in a game in big moments and can swing things. That is just the way it is.”
Dan Biggar’s final match for Wales ended in disappointment with the fly-half eventually departing in the second half having taken a bang to the chest early on, possibly exacerbating a pectoral muscle injury he had been carrying.
“Dan has been a great servant for Welsh rugby. He has been through some incredible highs and some lows as well. To see him come into the side and mature and develop as a player, that has been pretty special,” Gatland said.
Argentina were transformed from the team routed 27-10 by 14-man England in their group opener and head coach Michael Cheika insisted the lessons of that defeat had been learned.
“We knew that first game would be rough for us and we learned a lot from it because we had a lot of World Cup first timers,” Cheika said.
“There hasn’t been a radical turnaround, we’ve just built from what we’ve learned. The progress hasn’t been lineal, but all that work we put in as a foundation has paid off.
“We’re starting to get a bit of flow and one thing this team has always had is lots of flow. We just didn’t handle the occasion against England well.”
Wales crashed out of the Rugby World Cup after Emiliano Boffelli inspired an Argentina fightback that saw them win a thrilling spectacle 29-17 at Stade Velodrome.
Warren Gatland’s team had high hopes of reaching a third World Cup semi-final in the last four tournaments, but Argentina ripped up the form book after struggling to qualify from their pool.
Wales led 10-0 through a Dan Biggar try, conversion and penalty, only for Boffelli to wipe out that deficit with four penalties during a damaging spell either side of half-time.
Scrum-half Tomos Williams’ try, again converted by Biggar, put Wales back in front, but Pumas prop Joel Sclavi touched down and replacement fly-half Nicolas Sanchez claimed an interception try during the closing seconds. Boffelli converted both and then Sanchez booted a last-minute penalty.
It all rubbed salt into a gaping Welsh wound, although the Pumas were fortunate to see lock Guido Petti avoid sanction for a shoulder-led hit on Wales centre Nick Tompkins 16 minutes from time.
Referee Karl Dickson, who had taken over from an injured Jaco Peyper early on, awarded no card following television match official consultation, and Wales’ players looked perplexed.
Wales’ defeat meant the end of Biggar’s international career, having announced in August that he would retire from the Test arena post-World Cup.
Highland Avenue completed a Group race hat-trick for Charlie Appley and William Buick when landing the Earthlight Darley Stakes at Newmarket.
Appleby has endured a quiet season by his own high standards, but following victories for promising juveniles Dance Sequence, Arabian Crown and Ancient Wisdom over the last two days, the Moulton Paddocks yard has plenty to look forward to in 2024.
While the two-year-olds have dominated, Highland Avenue struck a blow for the older inmates when cantering away with the nine-furlong Group Three.
The five-year-old won the Feilden Stakes back in 2021 but had not struck gold since, after struggling to make his mark in some tough tests.
However, he thrived on easy ground at Headquarters and fairly flew home to win by four lengths as the 11-4 favourite.
Appleby said: “Fair play to him, he led all those gallopers early in the season, Adayar and Hurricane Lane and the likes. Coming back to the track on this ground, we were confident he would run a big race and he deserved to win one himself.
“He won the Feilden Stakes here as a three-year-old and we lost our way slightly after that, but this year he’s been a hell of a lead horse and that’s predominantly what his job has been for the season.
“We came to this time of the year and we felt this race was there to suit him with the trip and the ground and as William said, he’s still got plenty of life in him – he dragged him to the two (furlong marker) and never felt like he was going to be beaten to be fair.
“Bless him, he’ll probably just stay around here over the winter and we’ll see him back in the spring on the Limekilns!”
Connections of Fair Angellica are dreaming of a possible appearance at Royal Ascot next summer after the Richard Hughes-trained filly maintained her unbeaten record in the Godolphin Flying Start Nursery.
Previously successful on the all-weather at Kempton and Chelmsford, the daughter of Harry Angel successfully switched to the turf to complete her hat-trick in the hands of David Egan.
Wendy Miller, the winner’s owner-breeder, said: “I’m a shaking wreck, I’m afraid. I foaled her, she’s a homebred and we just love her.
“She looked very gangly and Bambi-fied coming down the hill, but David said as soon as she hit the rising ground, she flew.
“Three wins on the trot, she’s unbeaten and that’s it for this year. Richard was pretty confident and black type will be next. Perhaps we could look at the Sandringham or something like that next year.”
Funny Story claimed the closing Pinatubo British EBF Boadicea Stakes for Ralph Beckett and Rossa Ryan.
It looked as though Sophia’s Starlight was going to take home the Listed prize, but Funny Story finished with a flourish to edge her out by a head on the line.
Beckett’s assistant trainer Joe Tuite said: “She travelled and relaxed well for Rossa (Ryan) and she toughed it out. She has been due a win as she has run some good races this year without getting her head in front.
“She ran well in a Listed race at Pontefract, but we feel she never settled when she went overnight to Ayr last time. She didn’t relax and you can put a line through Ayr as she didn’t take the overnight stay.
“Twice she has been up there and twice she has disappointed, so I don’t think she will be travelling up north again.
“She has shown a very good attitude, and she could improve again.”
My Eyes Adore You gained an all-important first Listed success in the RFL Steels Stakes at Naas.
Fozzy Stack’s charge had hit the bar already this term, twice making the frame at this level before the four-year-old finally enjoyed her moment in the sun.
Partnered by Andrew Slattery, My Eyes Adore You grabbed the initiative early on in the six-furlong contest and was not for passing, coming home a cosy four-length victor at odds of 11-2.
Slattery said: “She’s been knocking on the door, and she didn’t have her stablemate Aussie Girl to beat today. It’s good that she’s got her chance today and she’s well up to that level.
“It was very straightforward and I didn’t see another rival after the start. She has a high cruising speed and today we got it easy – she could float away and was happy.”
Glamorously was a surprise 20-1 winner of the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Birdcatcher Premier Nursery Handicap for Jessica Harrington.
Having triumphed in first-time blinkers at Navan at the start of the month, the headgear once again head the desired effect as Glamorously ran on well at the end of six furlongs to take a three-quarter-length triumph.
Harrington said: “She battled the last day and she really battled today. She was under pressure a long way out.
“Blinkers have made a big difference to her. She seems to be one of those tough Mehmas’ that just love it.
“We’ll see if there is another nursery for her and judging by that she will go seven (furlongs). She needed every yard of it today.”
Frazil opened his account at the second attempt in the SOBAC Soil.ie Celebrating 5 Years Sponsoring At Naas Maiden.
As a full brother to Poetic Flare, winner of the 2000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes in 2021, Jim Bolger’s charge was not unfancied when fifth on his debut back in March.
Sent off the 9-4 favourite this time, he made no mistake as he overcame a lengthy absence to run out a cosy winner under Luke McAteer.
Ger Flynn, Bolger’s travelling head lad said: “We hold the horse in high regard, but he’s been coughing most of the year like a lot of our horses and its just been hard to get him right.
“Luke said he was a bit green and the ground is probably a bit too soft for him.
“It’s his first run since the beginning of the year and you can see he came over for the better ground. Once he hit the better ground on the stands side, he flew home and Luke felt he’ll get further
“It’s lovely for Clare and Una (Manning, owners) and the boss, they kept faith in him. Hopefully its onwards and upwards from here.”
Coolmore’s Michael Tabor described City Of Troy as “our Frankel” after his superb triumph in the Native Trail’s Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket.
The colt arrived at the track unbeaten after easy wins in a Curragh maiden and the Superlative Stakes, but he was far from a guaranteed contender as the soft ground threatened to scupper his run.
Trainer Aidan O’Brien eventually gave the son of Justify the go-ahead and under Ryan Moore he was sent off the runaway favourite at 8-15.
The juvenile made all the running to cruise to a three-and-a-half-length victory and now the Classics, and indeed a possible Triple Crown bid, beckon.
Owned by Coolmore, a group comprised of John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, the colt has exalted company to contend with but is still regarded as one of the best, if not the best, horse to have ever represented the owners.
Tabor was at the Rowley Mile track to witness the victory and was effusive in his praise for a horse he hopes can develop into Coolmore’s answer to the great Frankel, who bowed out unbeaten in 14 starts with 11 of those victories coming in Group One company.
“This horse is our Frankel, I really think that. There is no question in my mind, by his comments, that Aidan thinks this horse is probably the best he’s ever trained,” he said.
“He was nervous with the ground and when you tackle that unknown factor, there’s always a chance that they just won’t do it. He’s got that action, that very low action, but they say that a good horse goes on any ground.
“This is a good horse and he obviously does go on any ground, but I’d say he’ll be much better on top of the ground.
“I know the way Aidan speaks and we’re all optimists – you have to be in life in my opinion, in this game especially – but this horse is special. No question, he is special. He is the real deal.
“Let’s hope he is as popular as Frankel was but he’ll only get that popularity as time goes. Hopefully as time goes on he’ll win all the big races and the accolades will be given to him. I like to talk before the event and I really feel that this horse could be anything.
“It’s always been John Magnier’s dream to win the Triple Crown and we were very unlucky years ago with Camelot, he got beaten a three-quarters of a length in the St Leger.
“The St Leger trip can be a trip too far but let’s take one at a time, to me the Guineas and the Derby are very realistic. Get me a bookmaker that would lay me a price!
“Aidan says this horse doesn’t get tired! Aidan is very enthusiastic, if he doesn’t believe in something then the yard doesn’t believe in it and you have to give people confidence, but I know the way he is and this is something special.”
The owner’s son MV Magnier echoed the dream of finally winning the Triple Crown after Camelot’s agonising defeat.
He said: “It looks like it’s possible. Beforehand I was talking to Ryan and he said the horse that he rode in the Superlative was the best two-year-old that he’s ridden and he would beat any two-year-old he’s seen. That was some confidence going into the race and then afterwards he said he’s definitely the best two-year-old he’s ridden.
“His mother (Together Forever) won the Fillies’ Mile here a few years ago and her sister won the Oaks. Justify, Bob Baffert always said that he was a very good two-year-old but he got injured, he won the Belmont Stakes over a mile and a half so technically, he should get a mile and a half.
“It’s what everybody wants to do, it’s all about the Derby, it’s all about the Triple Crown, it’s really the pinnacle that everybody aims for. I’ll put it to you this way, we’ll keep trying to win the Triple Crown.”
Exeter Chiefs inflicted a record top-flight defeat on defending Gallagher Premiership champions Saracens as they ran amok at Sandy Park.
Rob Baxter’s side were in scintillating form, running in 11 tries including a hat-trick for Josh Hodge as they won 65-10.
In a dominant display from start to finish, Saracens simply had no answer to the power, pace and precision of the Devonians – who bagged a bonus point by the 16th minute and led 41-0 at half-time.
Handed what seemed a tough assignment in the season curtain-raiser, the new and youthful Chiefs were quickly into their attacking stride and scored in the first minute, winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso finishing off a slick home attack when he raced onto an audacious pass from Harvey Skinner down the right flank.
Moments later and with Sarries skipper Alex Lozowski in the sin-bin, the Chiefs struck again, number eight Greg Fisilau attaching himself to the back of a close-range line-out to double the lead.
Saracens were seemingly all at sea, struggling to contain the relentless waves of Exeter attacks. Debutant Ethan Roots bagged a third try, picking up from a few metres out, before Tom Hendrickson brought up the bonus point when he was given the pass from Henry Slade, who had latched onto a clever chip over the top from Tom Cairns.
England international Slade then got in on the try-scoring act himself, picking off a pass in midfield to race clear from halfway and extend his side’s lead to 29-0.
There was no let-up from Baxter’s side as they headed towards the break, Hodge helping himself to a quickfire double – the second after breaking four tackles on the end of a scintillating cross-field move.
The break could not have come at a better time for Saracens and they used the respite as the opportunity to not only regroup, but fathom out a new game plan for the second half.
Whatever was said, it initially had the desired effect as replacement Andy Christie and Alex Lewington combined nicely to send Olly Hartley cantering down the left wing for the score.
It was the spark Saracens had craved, but the Chiefs were soon back on the offensive themselves. Fisilau was held up on the line but Hodge soon claimed his hat-trick score with a jet-propelled burst from deep inside his own half.
Not content with that, the Chiefs continued to pile forward in numbers, bullying Saracens into submission with a brutal assault from all angles. The home pack did much of the donkey work, easing them to within sight of the line, the fruits of which were finished off by Rus Tuima.
To their credit, Saracens refused to throw in the towel, picking themselves off the floor to land a late blow of their own through Scotland international Sean Maitland. It was, however, a little too late in the grand scheme of things.
Indeed, it was the home side who would put the shine on a polished performance, bagging two more tries in the dying embers through replacements Ross Vintcent and Niall Armstrong.
Charlie Appleby appears to have another Classic contender on his hands after Arabian Crown strolled home in the Ghaiyyath Zetland Stakes at Newmarket.
The Godolphin handler and jockey William Buick had already unleashed a potential Derby horse in Autumn Stakes winner Ancient Wisdom earlier on the card and Arabian Crown looks sure to be on their shortlist for the main events next term.
The son of Dubawi had won two of his three previous starts, recently graduating to Listed glory at Salisbury and he was sent off the 10-11 favourite to make the leap to Group Three glory.
Arabian Crown raced keenly enough in company with Gasper De Lemos in the early stages of the 10-furlong heat, but the market leader was clearly well in control from some way out, with each of his three rivals all under pressure.
Buick merely had to keep his mount up to his work to come home five and a half lengths clear, with Paddy Power making him a 12-1 chance for the Derby from 33s.
Appleby also struck in Friday’s Oh So Sharp Stakes with Dance Sequence on what was an important two days for the Godolphin team.
He said: “It’s all to do with the two-year-olds this year and this was a big weekend for us. The three horses we were confident about were the filly yesterday (Dance Sequence) and the two colts today and they’ve all gone and won their races. We’ve got some nice horses going into the winter.
“This horse, on his pedigree and what he’s achieved, probably has more of a Derby profile (than City Of Troy), but on what we saw in the Dewhurst, City Of Troy is a fantastic racehorse.
“He will be Guineas-bound whereas we’ll be going more down the Derby route. Whether he’s a Dante horse or we look at one of the other trials, that will be our sort of route.
“He’s a very hard horse to assess this fellow, as he’s not a workhorse. James (Doyle) rode him work last week and he was out the back of the gallop, whereas the other fellow (Ancient Wisdom) does travel and has more natural pace.
“This horse picked up well today and quickened. He’s won a Listed race and a Group Three and officially and on paper he’s the better horse.”
The Shunter repelled all challengers to fulfil a long-term plan in the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch at Newmarket.
Trained by Emmet Mullins, the 10-year-old is more famed for his exploits over obstacles, having won at the Cheltenham Festival and been placed at Grade One level in novice chase company.
Back on the level though, The Shunter teamed up with James Doyle in the two-and-a-quarter-mile contest which offered over £103,000 to the winner.
Doyle rode The Shunter (14-1) with restraint in the early exchanges, making stealthy headway before pushing to the front two furlongs out.
Top weight Tashkhan had been prominent throughout but he was eager for a battle, pushing The Shunter all the way through the closing stages while Pied Piper, another National Hunt runner moving back to the Flat, made a late grab for glory inside the distance.
However, The Shunter dug deep to prevail by three-quarters of length from Pied Piper, with Tashkhan (25-1) a further head back in third and 100-1 shot Bashful Boy grabbing fourth.
Mullins admitted this race had been the plan for almost a year, with future plans yet to be decided.
He said: “It was a brilliant performance from horse and rider. I’d say James didn’t know what to make of the instructions going out as I said the horse has probably got more ignorance than ability, but he’ll keep pulling it out and keep fighting.
“It’s a bit surreal it’s come off. This race has probably been on the radar since he finished fourth in the November Handicap in Naas last year. We always thought there could be a big pot in him on the Flat and patience has paid off.
“He’s been in great order at home and he’s very tough, which he has shown down through the years.
“All options are open again. He was entered in last year’s Grand National and we scratched him at the 11th hour, but everything is an option.”
Aidan O’Brien hailed City Of Troy as the best two-year-old he has trained following a sensational display in the Native Trail’s Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket.
O’Brien expressed some doubts about the soft ground in the lead up to the race but the decision to run the colt proved the right call.
Under Ryan Moore, the unbeaten juvenile set the early pace as the 8-15 favourite and the triumph looked inevitable when he surged clear of his seven rivals two furlongs from home before crossing the line three and a half lengths ahead.
Rob Burrow has become a rugby union fan after watching his friend Kevin Sinfield help steer England into the World Cup quarter-finals.
Burrow and Sinfield were team-mates at league outfit Leeds Rhinos for 14 years until fate placed them on a different path when Burrow was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2019.
Sinfield has since raised over £8million for MND charities by completing a series of remarkable endurance events, including running seven ultra-marathons in seven days.
The duo were celebrated at the Pride of Britain Awards on Sunday, winning the special recognition award, although Sinfield was unable to attend the ceremony because of his World Cup commitments.
England face Fiji in Marseille on Sunday and Sinfield has been preparing the defence – with inspiration from his closest friend.
“For me it’s important to understand why you’re here and then try and channel that and use it in the right way,” Sinfield said.
“Everybody’s different. For me it’s for family, it’s my family the most. But also there’s my good mate Rob, who’s probably partly why I’m here.
“He’s been watching the games at home and he’s becoming a bit of a fan, so he’ll be tuning into the quarter-final.”
When asked if Burrow is now a union convert, Sinfield said: “Yeah he is, yeah.
“I haven’t spoken to him that much – he’s been to that many different award dinners the last couple of weeks, it’s hard trying to keep track!
“He was on holiday the weekend before, so we just chat about general stuff, but he’s been following the games. He’s been really enjoying it. He would have made a great scrum-half, by the way.”
Ancient Wisdom made light work of the Emirates Autumn Stakes for William Buick and Charlie Appleby.
The bay was the 2-1 joint favourite for the one-mile Group Three and was ridden patiently on soft ground that he seemed to relish.
Coming out of the dip on the Rowley Mile he began to gather pace and was easily able to pull away from his rivals to secure a three-and-three-quarter-length victory over Chief Little Rock.
Ancient Wisdom had been off the track since finishing third to subsequent Group One scorer Rosallion in July and Appleby, who was winning the race for the fourth successive year, was delighted to see the Dubawi colt leave that run well behind him.
He said: “We were disappointed we were beaten at Ascot, but the form worked out so well you couldn’t really be disappointed in it.
“I’ve held my hands up – I probably mismanaged him by running him here at Newmarket on his second start. He broke his maiden at Haydock and I thought I’d take him to Newmarket thinking I’d get a bit more experience and I was probably just forcing him a bit too much.
“After Ascot we said we’d give him a nice break and come here for either this or the Zetland, thinking he’ll be a nice middle-distance type for next year.”
On whether he views Ancient Wisdom as a Derby contender, the trainer added: “There’s a lot of water to go under the bridge, but I think a mile and a quarter will be well within his compass and I personally feel he’ll appreciate going a mile and a half.
“It’s nice to see some of these two-year-olds coming to the fore. You can go through the season wondering where the next star or nice horse is going to come from, hopefully over the last 24 hours we’ve started to unearth a couple.
“He’s a Dubawi and with those middle-distance type Dubawis, I personally think you can’t force them too much in the early part of their three-year-old career.
“Something like at Dante (at York) might be a target for him, whether we take in a race before a Dante we’ll just see where we are in the spring.”
Betfair cut Ancient Wisdom to 12-1 from 33s for next year’s Derby.
Matthieu Jalibert admitted the return of talismanic captain Antoine Dupont has given France a huge boost ahead of Sunday’s mouth-watering World Cup quarter-final against defending champions South Africa in Paris.
The 26-year-old scrum-half will lead Les Bleus into their last-eight tie just over three weeks after suffering a broken cheekbone against Namibia that placed his remaining involvement in the tournament in jeopardy.
Stand-off Jalibert is relishing the prospect of having his half-back partner back alongside him as he believes Dupont’s presence will give the Boks something extra to worry about.
“The whole team is very happy to have him back,” said Jalibert. “We’re happy to have him with us, knowing that he’ll be able to start this quarter-final. It’s always a pleasure to play with him. It’s easy to adapt to his game and to play alongside him.
“It gives us a lot of confidence. We know he’s capable of making a big difference, and that he inspires fear in opponents.
“It gives us more space around him. It’s always an asset to have him with us. Even if he’s wearing a scrum-cap, he’s at 100 per cent of his ability.”
In addition to having their on-field leader back, the French are drawing inspiration from the backing of a partisan home support.
The South Africans revealed this week that they have been training with noise coming through the speakers to simulate the effects of the French crowd in order to reduce the chances of being intimidated when they run out at a packed Stade de France.
Les Bleus have not lost on home soil since being defeated by Scotland behind closed doors in the Six Nations two and a half years ago and full-back Thomas Ramos is “not surprised” their opponents are taking measures to counter the impact of what is sure to be an intoxicating atmosphere.
“The South Africans remember Marseille last year,” he said, referencing Les Bleus’ 30-26 victory in November. “The atmosphere was incredible. There was a lot of noise.
“It was almost impossible to hear each other on the pitch. That’s what they remember, and they must have seen the games against New Zealand (on the opening night of the World Cup) and in the Six Nations.
“The atmosphere is expected to be strong from the French public. It’s no surprise that South Africa train with a lot of noise.”
After the tournament began amid a late-summer heat wave last month, temperatures are notably cooler in the French capital this weekend.
“It doesn’t necessarily change anything,” Ramos said of the more autumnal conditions. “It might be a bit better.
“When you want to make passes and the ball is slippery, it’s not always easy to set up your game. We saw that in the previous match (against Italy in Lyon last week).
“The conditions will be different, but it will help us feel better throughout the match.”
With the two sides barely separable in the top three of the world rankings, French team manager Raphael Ibanez is hoping home advantage gives Les Bleus a slight edge as they bid to eliminate the three-time winners.
“It’s a big game,” said Ibanez. “Playing South Africa, who won the competition four years ago, at the Stade de France in the final stages in front of our home crowd, we couldn’t dream of anything better.
“I think that we have an advantage, playing at Stade de France, in front of a public that will be there to support and encourage us.”
England and Fiji clash for the eighth time when they meet in the World Cup quarter-finals in Marseille on Sunday with Steve Borthwick’s men strong favourites to reach the last-four stage of the tournament.
Here, the PA news agency examines five talking points heading into the Stade Velodrome showdown.
Moment of truth
Who are the real England? Outside title contenders who have rebuilt during an impressive group stage? Or fading heavyweights ready to be exposed by the first high-quality opposition they face? These questions have pursued them throughout the World Cup and only against a dangerous Fiji side will the answer come. It is England’s defining moment – win and they advance into the semi-finals with their reputations intact, lose and a four-year cycle of disappointment and upheaval meets a gloomy conclusion.
Last dance
Aside from the prize of a semi-final against France or South Africa, England are motivated by the understanding that for up to a third of the squad this World Cup is their last chance to lift the Webb Ellis Trophy. Jonny May and Courtney Lawes have stated as much, while other long-standing servants to the English game such as Danny Care, Ben Youngs, Dan Cole and Manu Tuilagi are approaching the end of their international odysseys. Borthwick will begin rebuilding at the next Six Nations, but the head coach will be hoping his veterans have one big knockout phase left in them.
Pantomime villains
If England reach the semi-finals they will have done so at the expense of the darlings of the World Cup, ending the fairy tale scenario of a Pacific Islands team appearing in the penultimate stage for the first time. Number eight Billy Vunipola has acknowledged his side are “public enemy number one” but points out that historical anti-English sentiment means they are well versed in fighting against popular opinion. On the favourites’ side is that the vast numbers of Red Rose fans who have followed their team in France will be out in force again, turning the Stade Velodrome into a home venue.
War on the floor
England’s headline selections have been Marcus Smith ousting Freddie Steward at full-back and Owen Farrell replacing George Ford at fly-half, but the back row is expected to be the key battleground. Fiji are breakdown masters led by Levani Botia, who is exceptional over the ball, and Borthwick has noted their ability to win penalties in this area of the game. While England’s response will be a team effort, Lawes, Tom Curry and Ben Earl have crucial roles to play on the floor knowing the Islanders must not be allowed to gain a foothold there.
Can lightening strike twice?
Fiji are a significant step up in opposition for England, who were drawn in the kindest of the four World Cup groups. Fresh in the minds is their 30-22 victory at Twickenham in August, their first ever win against the Red Rose and a highly impressive performance. They grew progressively worse during the group phase, culminating in a shock defeat by Portugal, but one of the greatest and best prepared teams in Fiji’s history has the capacity to deliver a special moment for a rugby-mad nation of 925,000 people.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
