Hukum has been retired and will join Darley’s stallion roster at Hokkaido in Japan.
Trained expertly by Owen Burrows, the six-year-old is a full-brother to the brilliant Baaeed, also owned by Shadwell.
The winner of 11 of his 18 races, he won twice at Group One level. Having beaten Pyledriver by over four lengths in the 2022 Coronation Cup, he looked set for a stellar season but unfortunately suffered a career-threatening injury.
Nursed back to health by the Shadwell team and Burrows, he beat last year’s Derby winner Desert Crown in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes before claiming victory in a thrilling King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes over Westover.
Burrows said: “It has been an absolute pleasure to train Hukum over the last four seasons.
“I will forever be in his debt as he has brought my career to a whole new level. His enthusiasm for work and racing made my job easy.
“His win in the Coronation Cup by over four lengths and King George win this year showed off all his fine attributes perfectly. Class, guts and will to win. That race will live long in, not just mine, but many racing fans’ memory for years to come.
“A superb looking and athletic individual, a full-brother to Baaeed, whom I’m sure will be very popular with breeders in Japan.”
Stephen Collins, Shadwell’s European Bloodstock Manager, told www.shadwellstud.com: “Shadwell are delighted that Hukum, a full-brother to Baaeed, the highest-rated turf horse in the last decade, will stand at Darley Japan.
“Hukum has all the attributes to be a hugely successful stallion. A top-class racehorse, possessing a wonderful physique, he hails from one of Shadwell’s most successful families tracing back to the highly influential broodmare Height Of Fashion.
“We are thrilled that Japanese breeders will be able to avail of such a wonderful bloodline that his late HH Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum and his family have developed and maintained at the highest level over the last 40 years.
“Sheikha Hissa and her family very much look forward to following Hukum’s new career very closely and it wouldn’t surprise me if Shadwell were to support him with some high-quality broodmares going forward as he is held in the highest regard by us all.”
Tom Pidcock has admitted he faces pressure from the Ineos Grenadiers to put greater focus on the Tour de France but the world and Olympic mountain bike champion is determined to keep enjoying multiple disciplines for a little while longer.
The 24-year-old is seen as a potential future Tour winner but though he took a famous stage victory on the Alpe d’Huez in 2022 and rode to 13th overall this year, the Yorkshireman is yet to concentrate solely on the road, and this year added the world mountain bike title to his Olympic crown.
Pidcock also won the cyclo-cross world title last year, and while his pursuit of multiple goals is delaying the day when he might be ready to chase Tour glory, he believes a varied approach is making him a better all-round rider.
“Maybe I need to specialise in one discipline if I want to win the Tour, but I know that you’ll get the best out of me when I’m happy and when I’m enjoying it,” Pidcock said on the Red Bull Just Ride podcast. “Which is why I love other disciplines…
“Of course I want to win the Tour de France one day but the patience and preparation is massive.
“There is the element (of pressure from the team) and I knew that when I committed long term to the team. I also want it, but in my own way. I want to achieve all the things I believe I can achieve…
“Right now, I’m not ready to win the Tour de France next year yet. There has to be more steps where I achieve things in different disciplines and achieving them makes me a better rider.”
Pidcock was speaking after the Mountain Bike World Cup event in Mont-Sainte-Anne, where he won the cross-country race to continue preparations for his Olympic title defence next summer.
Pidcock has also enjoyed success on the road this season, winning Strade Bianche in March before podium finishes at the Amstel Gold Race and Liege-Bastogne-Liege.
But Ineos, a team who won the Tour seven times out of eight between 2012 and 2019, have found themselves left behind at the world’s biggest race in recent years as UAE Team Emirates and Jumbo-Visma have come to the fore, and the Grenadiers need a lift.
While Pidcock could perhaps emerge as a rival if he went all-in, he is reluctant to do so – the three-week slog of the Tour at odds with his instinctive style.
Looking back to his Alpe d’Huez win, he added: “You’re the centre of attention but only for a couple of hours – then you’re back to it with massage and food. Before you know it, you’re on the next stage the next day and there’s a new winner so it’s done.
“Compared to when I won the Olympics where you’re on the front of all the newspapers back home and people want interviews and chats that you could live off for months. With the Tour, it never stops and you have to be ready to race again.”
Pidcock plans to ride the Tour again next summer, but has to balance that with his ambitions in both the mountain bike race and the road race at the Paris Olympics, which begin only eight days after the Tour finishes in Nice.
The tight schedule is behind his decision to keep chasing mountain bike qualification points late into the year.
“By doing these races at the end of the year now, it will mean I don’t have to do the mountain bike races in the spring which will allow me better prep for the Tour,” he said.
“Then I’ll hopefully come out of the end of that in a better condition to cope with the start of the Olympics.”
:: Tom Pidcock is a Red Bull athlete. He was speaking on the latest Red Bull Just Ride podcast. Listen to the full episode here.
Joseph O’Brien could be doubly represented in Saturday’s Caulfield Cup as he seeks to further enhance an impressive record in Australia’s biggest races.
The 30-year-old trainer already has two Melbourne Cup triumphs on his CV with Rekindling and Twilight Payment, plus a Cox Plate victory via State Of Rest.
O’Brien is now aiming to add a Caulfield Cup success to that list, with Okita Soushi and Valiant King entered for this weekend’s contest – should they scrape into the final field.
Both are proven performers in big races, with Okita Soushi winning the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes at Royal Ascot back in June and Valiant King finishing second to Desert Hero in the King George V Stakes the day before.
Travelling foreman Sean Corby told racing.com: “They are very good. They’ve been training well and seem happy and everything’s gone good so far, so we’re hopeful now that they’ll both get in.
“They did a strong piece of work on Saturday and other than that it’s mostly been nice canters every day.
“They both ran at Ascot in big fields and both ran well, so that should be fine and hopefully they should handle the track and like a bit of good ground as well.
“I think Okita Soushi, by the sounds of it, will probably go on to run in the Melbourne Cup if he gets in and I think at the moment Valiant King might just run in the Caulfield Cup and that might be it for this year.
“They’ve both got light weights, so hopefully the two of them could run well and it’s hard to split them on what they’ve been doing here.”
Simon and Ed Crisford’s West Wind Blows is among the fancied runners for Saturday’s mile-and-a-half race at Caulfield, having recently finished second in the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington.
Wigan captain Liam Farrell has been named in the England squad for the first time since 2021 for the upcoming three-Test series against Tonga.
Farrell, who missed last year’s World Cup with a knee injury, is one of four players from the newly-crowned Super League champions to be included in England coach Shaun Wane’s 24-strong line-up.
Farrell is joined by team-mates Tyler Dupree, Toby King and Harry Smith for the series, which kicks off at the Totally Wicked Stadium on Sunday.
England captain George Williams has also been named in the squad despite awaiting the results of a disciplinary tribunal which could rule him out for all or part of the action.
Catalans winger Tom Johnstone and St Helens full-back Jack Welsby – both Man of Steel nominees – are included, and there is also place for Leigh forward Robbie Mulhern after an impressive campaign with the Challenge Cup winners.
Wane said: “I’m really pleased with the 24 players coming into camp as we look to beat Tonga in this three-game series.
“All of the players included have impressed me throughout their respective Super League and NRL campaigns and are worthy of representing their country in this historic series.”
England squad to face Tonga: Matty Ashton (Warrington Wolves), John Bateman (Wests Tigers), Tom Burgess (South Sydney Rabbitohs), Daryl Clark, Ben Currie (both Warrington Wolves), Tyler Dupree, Liam Farrell (both Wigan Warriors), Chris Hill (Huddersfield Giants), Tom Johnstone (Catalans Dragons), Toby King (Wigan Warriors), Morgan Knowles, Matty Lees (both St Helens), Mikey Lewis (Hull KR), Tommy Makinson (St Helens), Mike McMeeken (Catalans Dragons), Robbie Mulhern (Leigh Leopards), Harry Newman (Leeds Rhinos), Victor Radley (Sydney Roosters), Harry Smith (Wigan Warriors), Danny Walker (Warrington Wolves), Jack Welsby (St Helens), Elliott Whitehead (Canberra Raiders), George Williams (Warrington Wolves), Dom Young (Newcastle Knights)
On a night the San Antonio Spurs rested 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick Victor Wembanyama, the Houston Rockets got good contributions from their top two rookies on Monday.
Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore each scored 15 points to help the Rockets to a 99-89 preseason victory over their Texas rivals with Wembanyama looking on from the bench in street clothes.
Thompson, the fourth overall pick in this year's draft, added two steals in 21 minutes. Whitmore, taken 20th overall, scored 11 of his points in the fourth quarter as Houston outscored the Spurs by a 36-13 margin in the final period to erase a 13-point deficit.
Zach Collins led San Antonio with 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
Elsewhere in the NBA, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker each had 19 points to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 117-106 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Durant finished 6 of 10 from the field while Booker made four of six shots from 3-point range to help stake Phoenix to a commanding 76-54 half-time lead.
In Brooklyn, Kelly Oubre Jr. led all players with 21 points and the Philadelphia 76ers never trailed in a 127-119 win over the host Nets.
Philadelphia also received 18 points each from Tobias Harris and Paul Reed, while De'Anthony Melton posted a 15-point, 10-assist double-double in a game where the 76ers held out reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid.
Former Sixer Ben Simmons had nine assists and three steals for Brooklyn, but committed eight of the Nets' 27 turnovers on the night.
In Indianapolis, Tyrese Haliburton and Aaron Nesmith each had 15 points as the Indiana Pacers held on for a 116-112 win over Atlanta to hand the Hawks their first loss in four games this preseason.
Saddiq Bey finished with 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting along with 10 rebounds for Atlanta, which trailed by as many as 29 points but cut its deficit to four in the final minutes.
A Stephon Gilmore interception ensured the Dallas Cowboys bounced back from a heavy defeat with a 20-17 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Brandon Aubrey’s second field goal had put the Cowboys back in front with more than two minutes remaining before Gilmore picked off Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert to give the Cowboys their fourth win of the season.
After going down 42-10 at San Francisco the previous week, the Cowboys returned to winning ways as Dak Prescott threw for 272 yards and a touchdown.
His pass to Brandin Cooks from two yards gave the Cowboys a 17-10 lead early in the fourth quarter, only for the Chargers to level when Herbert found Gerald Everett from half that distance.
The Chargers, who fell to two wins and three losses, had gone ahead on their first drive when Herbert – who threw for 227 yards – found Keenan Allen with another one-yard pass.
Prescott immediately responded with an 18-yard touchdown run with further scoring confined to a pair of field goals until the final quarter.
The game had seen tempers flare before kick-off with players from both sides involved in a scuffle during the warm-ups.
Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos all homered to stake the Philadelphia Phillies to an early lead, and the defending National League champions held on for a 5-3 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks in Monday's Game 1 of the NL Championship Series.
The three solo homers helped back a solid six-inning start from Zack Wheeler as the Phillies handed the surprising Diamondbacks their first loss of this year's post-season. Arizona began the playoffs with five straight wins, including a three-game sweep of the NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the previous round.
Harper added an RBI single on his 31st birthday to help provide Philadelphia a 5-0 lead as Wheeler held Arizona to just one hit through the first five innings.
Schwarber started the power surge by leading off the bottom of the first inning with his first homer of this postseason, and Harper made it 2-0 two batters later with his fourth homer in his last five games.
Castellanos, who homered twice in each of the final two games of Philadelphia's division series win over the Atlanta Braves, went deep again an inning afterward to pad the lead.
All three long balls came off Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen, who surrendered all five Philadelphia runs and eight hits over five innings.
The Phillies increased the margin when Trea Turner doubled in the third and scored on Harper's single, and the lead grew to 5-0 when Harper walked in the fifth and later came home on J.T. Realmuto's two-out single.
Wheeler, meanwhile, retired 15 straight Arizona hitters after permitting a single to Corbin Carroll to open the game. That streak ended when Evan Longoria led off the sixth with a single and Geraldo Perdomo followed with a two-run homer to get the Diamondbacks on the board.
The Phillies ace finished with eight strikeouts and yielded just three hits along with the two runs.
Seranthony Dominguez relieved Wheeler in the seventh and committed an error that led to an unearned run which brought Arizona within 5-3, but Jose Alvarado and Craig Kimbrel held the Diamondbacks scoreless over the final 2 1/3 innings.
Game 2 will take place Tuesday in Philadelphia, with the Phillies sending out Aaron Nola and Merrill Kelly getting the call for the Diamondbacks.
Eddie Jones has committed his future to coaching Australia and again denied speculation linking him with a return to Japan.
Australia crashed out of the Rugby World Cup at the group stage for the first time after defeats to Fiji and Wales, but the former England coach insists he has no plans to move.
“I’m staying mate,” he told reporters in Australia. “I’ve always been committed to Australian rugby, I want to leave it in a better place, and that’s still the job.
“It’s not absolutely my decision. We play in a game where the coach doesn’t decide how long they stay.
“We’ve got a review going forward and we’ll see what happens at the end of the review.”
Jones, who took over from Dave Rennie in January a month after being sacked by England, said he had “no idea” where the story came from about him speaking to Japan about a coaching role.
“I haven’t spoken to anyone, mate,” he said.
Rugby Australia has announced an independent review into the World Cup performance, but Jones believes his decision to select a young team will pay dividends when Australia hosts the next World Cup in 2027.
“I went to the World Cup, came in (with) a short period of time, had to make a decision on the team, made a decision we needed to go with youth,” he said.
“And whilst, the results at the World Cup weren’t the results we wanted, I think I’ve left the Australian team in a great position to go on to 2027.
“We had the courage to go with a younger squad and I think this squad is going to stand Australia in good stead. We have the nucleus of a really good team.”
He continued: “We just weren’t good enough, mate. You’ve just got to watch the quarter-finals on the weekend.
“We’re not at that level and we can’t pretend to be at that level, but can we be at that level by 2027? Yes we can.”
The Texas Rangers scored four first-inning runs before holding on for their seventh straight win to start this year's post-season, a 5-4 victory over the Houston Astros on Monday that gave them a 2-0 lead in the American League Championship Series.
Texas withstood two more home runs from Houston slugger Yordan Alvarez to move to 7-0 in these playoffs, one shy of a Major League record for the longest winning streak to begin a post-season set by the Kansas City Royals in 2014. Six of those victories have come on the road.
The Rangers can put the reigning World Series champion Astros within a game of elimination when they return home for Wednesday's Game 3 of this best-of-seven series. Texas will start Max Scherzer in the three-time Cy Young Award winner's first appearance since straining his shoulder in mid-September.
Scherzer will try to build off Monday's solid performance from teammate Nathan Eovaldi, who struck out nine while allowing three runs over six innings and worked his way out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the fifth.
The Rangers gave Eovaldi a big early lead as their first five hitters reached base off Houston's Framber Valdez.
Marcus Semien and Corey Seager began the game with singles before Valdez threw wildly to first on a chopper to the mound off the bat of Robbie Grossman, allowing Semien to score the game's first run. Adolis Garcia and Mitch Garver followed with RBI singles and Nathaniel Lowe later plated Garcia with a base hit to push Texas' lead to 4-0.
The Astros got a run back in the second on Alvarez's first homer of the game, but Jonah Heim countered with a solo shot of his own in the third to restore the Rangers' four-run advantage.
Houston pulled within 5-2 on Alex Bregman's home run off the left-field foul pole in the fourth, then loaded the bases with no out in the fifth on two singles and an error. Eovaldi got through unscathed, however, by striking out Yainer Diaz and Jose Altuve and getting Bregman to ground out.
Alvarez walked and scored on Michael Brantley's double in the sixth to cut Houston's deficit to two, then connected off Aroldis Chapman with two outs in the eighth for his sixth homer of the post-season as Texas' lead dwindled to 5-4.
Jose Leclerc then relieved Chapman and walked Jose Abreu and Brantley, but prevented further damage before retiring the Astros in order in the ninth for his second save of the series.
Valdez struck out six in just 2 2/3 innings, but permitted seven hits and all five Texas runs - four of which were earned.
Houston, which won six of seven road meetings with the Rangers during the regular season, is scheduled to start Cristian Javier in Game 3.
St. Bess Sledgehammers won their first U19 National Club Championship (NCC) title with a hard fought 32-20 win over St. Catherine Old Boys Thundercats at the UWI Mona Bowl on Saturday.
It was Thundercats who started more brightly and pinned the champs in their half for the first 10 minutes. Despite the pressure, it was Sledgehammers who broke the deadlock with tries from back row Sirrano Smith and speedster Racheed Pencle, one of which was converted by Captain Domique Myers. Thundercats continued to press and were rewarded just before half time with a converted try from Shamar Smith leaving the score at 10-6 in favour of Sledgehammers.
In the second half, the Sledgehammers took control with two long-distance tries, the first by Pencle who raced in from 40 metres and the second by centre Jaylan Lewis who broke from the half-line. Myers slotted home two additional goals to establish a 22-6 advantage.
Winning Head Coach Kamar Findlay was elated at the outcome, stating, “We are excited and happy for the win, especially for BB Coke High which supports the team and from whom our player’s hail. It was a tough game against the Thundercats, who had several national youth players in their ranks.
We came prepared to counter their forwards in the middle, therefore, we spent the week working on our defensive line and this paid dividends as we held them to one score. It’s a joy to bring another title to Junction and to wider St Elizabeth. As the only rugby league team in the parish, there is always excitement when we do well. This speaks volume for the talent in the area and we hope to see more young men and women take up rugby league and express themselves and achieve great things.”
In the third-place playoff, Liguanea Dragons defeated Portmore Rugby League Club 12-4. Western Hyenas claimed fifth place following their 18-8 victory over Washington Blvd. Bulls.
Ellis Genge believes England enter their World Cup semi-final against South Africa on Saturday with “everyone wanting us to lose”.
England head into the penultimate round as the tournament’s only unbeaten team and as standard bearers for northern hemisphere rugby following the exit of more heralded rivals Ireland, France and Scotland.
Facing them is one of the great Springbok sides, who are strong favourites to triumph in the rematch of the 2019 final, but Steve Borthwick’s men have grown accustomed to being written off.
Genge insists that, while some players will block out any negativity from outside the camp, he will be part of a group who use it as fuel.
“I think it’s probably half and half. I think it’s probably case by case,” the Bristol prop said.
“I quite like the noise and having our backs up against the wall, with everyone wanting us to lose. That probably fuels me a bit. Others are probably better off blocking it out.
“You don’t get any more style points in this. It’s about winning, that’s all we’re focused on. It’s boring I know, but that’s all that matters. Find a way. Whatever way, I’m happy with it.
“We have achieved nothing yet. We have got a semi-final, but you don’t win any medals so we need to knuckle down and do the hard work and what will be will be.”
England advanced to the last four with a gripping 30-24 victory over Fiji, the darlings of the World Cup who were being willed on by neutrals at the Stade Velodrome.
Veterans Courtney Lawes and Owen Farrell excelled against the Islanders, yet Genge believes they are the target of animosity – a point underlined when England’s captain Farrell drew boos from sections of the crowd as his name was read out on the PA system while the teams were warming up.
“You look around and we have people like Courtney and people with 300 caps across three players, which is mental, and some of the best players of their generation,” Genge said.
“Right now they are probably the villains because everyone hates on them. Owen, he gets a lot of grief, but you are happy to have him in the team every single time.”
Genge believes Farrell is “big enough to look after himself” in response to the booing, which was in marked contrast to the positive reception that greeted the names of Marcus Smith and George Ford.
Attack coach Richard Wigglesworth sees Farrell’s unpopularity in Marseille as the work of a noisy minority.
“I heard an incredible atmosphere inside the stadium, an amazing amount of support. The minority are always the loudest. They are who you hear,” Wigglesworth said.
“But the majority of people in the stadium, the majority of the people turning up are loving this team and supporting it. I thought they were incredible inside the stadium.”
Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus has confirmed Justin Fields dislocated his right thumb in Sunday's 19-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings and is considered doubtful to play against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 7.
Fields' playing status all comes down to if he's able to grip the football, and rookie Tyson Bagent is expected to draw the start next Sunday.
The area around Fields' thumb on his throwing hand is still swollen, and ESPN's Adam Schefter reports he'll be sidelined until it diminishes.
Surgery is also a possibility, and the Bears should know by the end of the week if it's needed. There currently is no timetable for his return.
Fields was hurt on a third-down play with about 10 minutes to go in the third quarter when he was sacked by Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter.
He appeared to land on his throwing hand, and was examined on the sideline before going to the locker room.
The Bears initially listed him as questionable to return before declaring him out a few minutes later.
Fields has been inconsistent during his three years in the NFL and the Bears were hoping he would take a major step forward in 2023. He struggled in the season's first three games before turning in back-to-back impressive showings in Chicago's next two contests, throwing four touchdowns in each while passing for a combined 617 yards.
He was unable to build on those performances against Minnesota, however, going just 6 for 10 for 58 yards with an interception. He was also sacked four times.
Sunday's loss dropped Fields to 6-25 as a starter in the NFL, and the Bears must decide this offseason whether to exercise his fifth-year option for 2025.
If the thumb injury ends up forcing him to miss several weeks, it's possible Chicago may decide to move in a new direction at quarterback.
The Bears figure to evaluate the 23-year-old Bagent at the position as long as Fields is sidelined.
The undrafted rookie fumbled on the third play of his NFL career on Sunday with Minnesota's Jordan Hicks picking up the ball and returning it 42 yards for a touchdown.
He was later able to lead the Bears on a 77-yard touchdown drive to cut the Vikings' lead to six, but on Chicago's next possession he threw a costly interception with just over 2 minutes remaining.
He finished 10 of 14 for 83 yards with the one pick as the Bears dropped to 1-5.
A day after Jimmy Garoppolo was taken to a hospital to be examined for internal injuries, coach Josh McDaniels said the Las Vegas Raiders received encouraging news on his injured back.
"It seems like we dodged a bullet in that regard, so that's good news," McDaniels said Monday. "We're still doing a couple of things this morning, and we'll make sure we do all the right things here as we go forward. But the prognosis is a lot better than it might otherwise have been."
Garoppolo exited Sunday's 21-17 win over the New England Patriots with a back injury and was taken by ambulance to be evaluated.
McDaniels said there's still more to "uncover," but it appears he avoided a serious injury.
The Raiders visit the Chicago Bears on Sunday, and McDaniels said the team is unsure if he'll be able to play.
Journeyman backup Brian Hoyer replaced Garoppolo on Sunday, and was 6 of 10 for 102 yards.
When Garoppolo missed Las Vegas' Week 4 game against the Los Angeles Chargers because of a concussion, rookie Aidan O'Connell got the start, completing 24-of-39 passes for 238 yards. However, he also threw an interception, lost two fumbles and was sacked seven times in a 24-17 loss.
Since that defeat, the Raiders have won two in a row to even their record at 3-3.
The legacy of two Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winners lived on at Windsor on Monday when Doha broke her duck in impressive style at the third time of asking.
Trained by Ralph Beckett, the regally-bred filly is by the all-conquering Sea The Stars and out of dual ParisLongchamp heroine Treve but after an encouraging debut at Kempton last month, Doha was well held when sent off a 1-2 favourite at Leicester on her next start.
However, she showed all the qualities associated with her illustrious parents when again sent off favourite -this time at 2-1 – for the At The Races App Expert Tips Maiden Stakes at Windsor, romping to an imperious nine-length success in the hands of Hector Crouch.
“She sort of disappointed on her second start and maybe we ran her back a bit quickly, but today was much more like it,” said Beckett of the three-year-old.
“I think she will probably step up again, this just looked like a very winnable opportunity.
“It was more about the opposition than race conditions today and she would probably go back to a mile and a quarter whatever we do. What we do, I’m not entirely sure yet.
“We’ll run her again this year before we make any decisions (about her future). We’ve done the most important part and now we will work out what we do next.”
Doha sports the Al Shaqab Racing colours Treve carried to her famous victories in the French capital and is just the second of her progeny to taste success on the racecourse.
Treve remains one of the most successful Al Shaqab-owned horses having won nine of her 13 starts – striking six times at the highest level while trained by Criquette Head-Maarek – and connections were delighted to see her gain another victory in her second career as a broodmare.
“It is fantastic to make her a winner bred like she is, and we are delighted, added Al Shaqab’s Alison Begley.
“She ran so well on her debut and nothing ever came to light why she ran like she did at Leicester, I think it was just inexperience.
“Hector said she was much more switched on today and she did it very nicely.”
She went on: “It means a lot for all the team to have one out of Treve win and it was great.
“She’s very much, and quite rightly, one of Sheikh Joaan’s favourites so it was great and fantastic.”
Connections are predicting emotional scenes at Ascot on Saturday if Kinross and Frankie Dettori are able to retain the Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes.
The Italian has struck up a fine relationship with Ralph Beckett’s six-year-old and their triumph 12 months ago was part of a Champions Day double for Dettori as well as bringing up a fabulous four-timer for the prolific son of Kingman.
Kinross has gone on to run as consistent as ever this term tasting notable success at both Goodwood and York during the summer before just falling short in defence of his Prix de la Foret title at ParisLongchamp earlier this month.
Now the Marc Chan-owned gelding will bid to regain the winning thread and provide his loyal pilot with one-last big-race success together on British soil before he makes the switch to ride in America.
“He’s in flying form, great form,” said Jamie McCalmont, racing manager for Chan.
“We’re very excited about Saturday’s race. It’s probably as good a chance as Frankie has on Saturday and without being big-headed maybe his best shot. That in itself gives you butterflies in the stomach.
“Marc and his wife Lily are going to be over here and it’s very exciting all round.
“We could definitely be looking for the Kleenex on Saturday, it could be an emotional week for sure.”
Also headed for Ascot on Saturday is Kinross’ stablemate Angel Bleu who has been supplemented for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at a cost of £70,000.
A winner of Goodwood’s Celebration Mile when last seen, it will be the four-year-old’s final outing before commencing stallion duties in France.
He will stand at Nurlan Bizakov’s Sumbe operation and the Kazakhstan-born businessman joins Chan as joint-owner for Angel Bleu’s racecourse farewell.
“It will be Angel Bleu’s last race before he takes up stud duties at Sumbe in France,” continued McCalmont.
“The ground is coming up well and he’s in good shape, so he has nothing to lose really.
“This is his last race and then he will go off and have a luxurious lifestyle hopefully. I think by going to stand in France gives him a great opportunity.
“French breeding is in a purple patch now on the back of Wootton Bassett and Siyouni and with his two Group One wins being in France, being bred in France and sold as a yearling in France, we’re very excited he has this opportunity to stand there.”
Roger Varian is confident King Of Steel is at the top of his game ahead of his bid to provide Frankie Dettori with what could be a farewell winner in Britain in Saturday’s Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot.
Narrowly denied Derby glory by Auguste Rodin at Epsom, the Wootton Bassett colt enjoyed his day in the sun when dominating the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot before running well in defeat in both the King George and the Irish Champion Stakes.
With owners Amo Racing no longer retaining Kevin Stott, Dettori has been called up for what is scheduled to be the Italian’s final mount in Europe on British Champions Day – and Varian believes his star three-year-old is in prime condition as he looks to give his rider the perfect send-off on UK soil.
“Regardless of whether Frankie is signing off or not, I think he’ll suit the horse, and I think the race will suit him too,” said the trainer.
“He (Dettori) came and rode him and he was happy with him. It won’t be an easy race, but both horse and jockey go there in good form. I wouldn’t swap him.
“He’s been training great and he looks terrific. They tell you when they are right, and he’s telling us right now.
“The Breeders’ Cup isn’t completely off the table, but the Champion Stakes at Ascot comes first of course and that’s where our focus lies.”
King Of Steel is one of 11 horses in contention for the Champion Stakes following the confirmation stage, with Horizon Dore, Mostahdaf and last year’s winner Bay Bridge other major players.
Cirrus Des Aigles (2011), Almanzor (2016) and Sealiway (2021) are among the recent French-trained winners of the Champions Day highlight – and having extended his winning streak to four in the Prix Dollar, Patrice Cottier’s Horizon Dore bids to add his name to the roll of honour.
Mostahdaf demonstrated his top-level capabilities by winning the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Juddmonte International at York during the summer, but connections will be concerned about the prospect of significant rain later in the week for a horse who prefers fast ground.
John Gosden, who trains Mostahdaf in partnership with his son Thady, warned late last week: “Mostahdaf has won on soft, but we’ll have to see what the weather brings through the week. He ran in bottomless ground in the Arc last year and hated it, but if you get him on better ground he’s got a great turn of foot.”
The Clarehaven team have also confirmed Nashwa, although she also has the option of running in the preceding Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.
Gosden added: “Nashwa ran a huge race when third in the Irish Champion Stakes, where she was flying at the finish. She’s in great order, but a decision probably won’t be made about which race she runs in until later in the week, probably Wednesday as I don’t like leaving it until Thursday morning.”
Bay Bridge will step back in distance after finishing sixth in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, while William Haggas has left in both last year’s third My Prospero and the globetrotting Dubai Honour.
Via Sistina (George Boughey), Royal Rhyme (Karl Burke) and Aidan O’Brien’s pair of Point Lonsdale and Paddington are the other acceptors, although the latter is widely expected to line up in the preceding QEII over a mile.
Paddington has been one of the stars of the season for Ballydoyle, winning the Irish 2,000 Guineas, the St James’s Palace Stakes, the Coral-Eclipse and the Sussex Stakes before meeting with defeat for the first time this year when third behind Mostahdaf on the Knavesmire in August.
Among 13 possible rivals this weekend are Dermot Weld’s Irish Guineas, Coronation Stakes and Matron Stakes heroine Tahiyra, Nashwa, her stablemate Inspiral, 2000 Guineas winner Chaldean and the supplemented Angel Bleu.
The afternoon gets under way with the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup, which is set to stage a mouthwatering clash between Trueshan and Kyprios.
Alan King’s Trueshan has bounced back from an underwhelming start to his campaign by winning the Doncaster Cup and the Prix du Cadran in the autumn and he now gets the opportunity to land this Group Two prize for the fourth year in succession.
Kyprios won the Gold Cup, the Goodwood Cup and the Irish St Leger in 2022 before registering a remarkable 20-length verdict in the Cadran. He was beaten on his return from nearly a year on the sidelines in the Irish Leger last month, but can be expected to take a significant step forward.
Coltrane is also among 10 hopefuls, but Gold Cup hero Courage Mon Ami is a notable absentee.
Kinross (Ralph Beckett) and Shaquille (Julie Camacho) are two of 18 speedsters to stand their ground for the Qipco British Champions Sprint.
There are also 18 horses in contention for the Qipco British Champions Fillies And Mares Stakes including Free Wind (Gosdens), Time Lock (Harry and Roger Charlton), Sea Silk Road (Haggas) and the doubly engaged Via Sistina. Henry de Bromhead has supplemented Group Three winner Term Of Endearment.
The Balmoral Handicap is the concluding race and Lincoln winner Migration, trained by David Menuisier, is at the head of the weights after 32 horses were confirmed.
Gina Kennedy’s career ambitions have been changed almost overnight after the “game-changing” announcement that squash will finally make its Olympics debut at the 2028 Games.
Squash has been overlooked by the International Olympic Committee at the past three Games, while the sport’s community reacted with incredulity at being ignored in favour of breakdancing for Paris 2024.
But the IOC on Monday green-lit the proposal for squash – alongside cricket, lacrosse, flag football and baseball/softball – to be included on the Olympic schedule at Los Angeles in five years’ time.
Kennedy, the top-ranked British female player in the world, had long ago given up hope this day would come but now that it has, the 26-year-old’s aspirations have been given a welcome shake-up.
She told the PA news agency: “It’s absolutely incredible. When there were rumours flying around last week, it honestly took me by surprise, I had absolutely no idea squash was even being considered.
“I didn’t want to get my hopes up having been in that position before. To wake up today and see that it’s confirmed is a dream come true. I still can’t really believe it because it came out of nowhere.
“I can’t wipe the smile off my face, it’s the best surprise I could have asked for. It’s just such an exciting time, this could be game-changing for us in terms of exposure and everything.
“All my goals are going to completely change now because the Olympics in five years’ time is going to be the number one goal. I’m going to do what I can to keep my body in the best shape.”
Kennedy, who won gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and achieved a career-high of sixth in the world rankings last month, believes hers is a sport that has been on the up in recent years.
But she recognises how much of a boost being included on the Olympic programme will be.
She said: “A lot of squash players have been a bit perplexed as to why it’s not been involved (in the past); it’s perfect for the Olympics, it’s a niche sport, it’s a sport people play across the world.
“We’ve definitely felt hard done by in the past, losing out to a few different sports. Maybe the issue has been with the televising of it, it can be a bit difficult, plus if you don’t play squash then the rules can be quite difficult to understand.
“But it has come on leaps and bounds in the past few years and it’s becoming a great sport for TV. Hopefully now more people will be excited to learn about the rules and everything.
“It’s absolutely going to be the pinnacle of our sport. It’s going to be the biggest opportunity we have to expose the sport to the mainstream.”
Kennedy was brought back down to earth from her Commonwealth triumph at Birmingham 14 months ago – where she became the first Englishwoman to win a singles gold medal in her sport – as a torn hamstring in her first event back was followed by a flare-up of her ulcerative colitis condition.
The inflammatory bowel disease – which affects around one in 200 people in the UK – led to Kennedy being hospitalised and bed bound for months, but she has flourished this year.
She added: “It was a massive learning curve for me because the emotions after such a big win like that was quite difficult to explain and I didn’t give my body adequate time to rest.
“I went straight back into tournament mode and my body just completely shut down on me for months. It was difficult, but now I’ve managed to get it under control.”
Rassie Erasmus insists South Africa will not be lulled into complacency by the negativity surrounding the ability of World Cup semi-final opponents England.
The reigning champions are red-hot favourites to win Saturday’s Paris showdown with Steve Borthwick’s side to keep their title defence on track.
England came into the tournament in dismal form and with plenty of fans and pundits predicting a pool-stage exit.
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Yet Borthwick’s men are the only unbeaten side still standing and the northern hemisphere’s sole representative in the last four.
While England’s relatively smooth progress has been aided by a favourable route, Springboks director of rugby Erasmus is braced for a “very tough test” and highlighted the similar statistics of the two nations to emphasise his point.
“If we think England is bad because people from outside say that they are not doing well… our reality is the truth, not the reality that people create outside our camp,” he told a media briefing on Monday.
“We know from the Premiership, a lot of our players play against them, and we know Borthwick is an excellent coach which he showed at Leicester and as a captain and a player for England.
“It will be a very tough test against a team that hasn’t lost a game and more or less conceded the same amount of tries and racked up the same amount of points (as us).
“If you look at England, they scored 19 tries and got 180 points and we scored 26 tries and also have 180 points.
“Then if you look on the points conceded side, they’ve conceded six tries, we’ve conceded seven and they’ve conceded 63 points and we’re 62.
“So, you can know how close this game (will be) if you just look at stats – and I know stats don’t always tell the whole picture.”
Three-time winners South Africa set up a rematch of the 2019 final, which they won 32-12, by extinguishing the dream of hosts France.
The Springboks edged an epic Stade de France encounter 29-28 on Sunday evening to replace eliminated group phase rivals Ireland at the top of the world rankings.
“It was two teams that tactically, physically and mentally tried to really push one another to the edge,” Erasmus said of the clash with Fabien Galthie’s men.
“(It was) a relief to beat a team that is so well coached, which afterwards I had a beer with, and I must say the respect that he (Galthie) showed and the way he spoke to us afterwards was really humble and sincere.”
Shuwari will be pointed towards the Qipco 1000 Guineas, with Ollie Sangster delighted to have unearthed a Classic contender in his first season in the training ranks.
The daughter of New Bay has been the standout performer of Sangster’s Manton-based string during the early stages of his career and capped a fine juvenile campaign by finishing second to Aidan O’Brien’s Ylang Ylang in the Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket.
Shuwari fell victim to the winner’s superior stamina in the closing stages of that Group One event but Sangster was more than happy to come so close to registering a first top-table success as attentions turn to next season.
Sangster said: “It was great and we were delighted. If you could have told me at the start of the season that I would have a horse contesting a Group One, let alone finishing second, I would have been thrilled.
“Obviously, we all want to win and to come so close was tough, but she ran fantastically and gives us a lot to look forward to next year.
“I see us being a miler and I suspect the winner will probably end up getting a bit further. I think in the last 50 yards, Shuwari just got outstayed really.
“You dream to have a horse like this any year, so for one to come along now is just great.”
Another trip to Newmarket for the 1000 Guineas is now firmly on the radar and having had the honour of being the young handler’s first runner in a Group One, she could be his first in one of racing’s crown jewel events when she returns next spring.
However, her route back to the Rowley Mile is still to be finalised, with Newbury’s Fred Darling looking the most likely destination if an early-season tune-up is required.
Sangster added: “Touch wood she can stay healthy through the winter and the spring and hopefully that (the 1000 Guineas) will be on our agenda.
“She’s not a filly I feel I would need to (run before) and she’s kind of straightforward to train, but if I did, I suspect I would probably go for the Fred Darling.
“Newbury is our local track and she also has the course experience already, so I wouldn’t feel the need to go back to Newmarket probably. But equally she could easily go straight there.”
Sangster is also retaining plenty of faith in Per Contra, who after two eye-catching victories in minor events, finished fifth when upped in class for the Autumn Stakes.
“I thought he ran a nice enough race,” continued the trainer.
“Obviously, it was a big step up in class and completely different tempo to what he has had before. In reality, it was sort of his first proper race and his first two races have been fairly non-events where he has won them straightforward.
“He will have learned a lot and I kind of wish he had just got into the race a bit earlier. James (Doyle, jockey) kind of had the revs up the whole way. He made a nice mid-race move and then he just got tired.
“If he had got a tow into the race, he may have finished a bit closer, but in reality, he ran a nice race and hopefully he will have learned a lot for next season.
“He’s a big horse and a horse for next year. I suspect a mile will be his minimum – a mile, mile and a quarter. He’s a big horse and should do very well from two to three over the winter.”
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