The Milwaukee Bucks and star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo have agreed to a three-year, $186million extension, multiple media outlets reported Monday, keeping him under contract through the 2027-28 season.
The final year of the deal, when the seven-time All-Star is scheduled to make $66.8million, reportedly carries a player option.
Antetokounmpo, who had previously said that he planned on waiting until next offseason to sign an extension, hinted at the deal earlier Monday with a post on social media that included a picture of him holding the Larry O’Brien Trophy after the 2021 Finals. The caption read: “MILWAUKEEEEEEEEE!! Let’s get it!!!! #BucksInSix #Extended.”
Antetokounmpo’s max extension – along with the offseason acquisition of Damian Lillard – should quiet any rumours of the two-time MVP’s desire to leave Milwaukee.
Antetokounmpo made comments earlier this offseason that were generally supportive of the team’s direction but left open the possibility of future discontent.
“But at the end of the day, I want to be a Milwaukee Buck for the rest of my career, as long as we are winning. It’s as simple as that,” Antetokounmpo said on media day earlier this month. He later added that the Bucks were “definitely” committed to winning another championship.
Antetokounmpo also said during media day that he did not plan to sign a contract extension until next offseason, when he could have secured a larger deal.
“I said that it did not make sense to sign the contract right now because money’s not important – a lot of money is important. So I’m going to sign it next year,” Antetokounmpo said with a laugh. “But, no, at the end of the day, again, it doesn’t make sense. It does not make sense for me to sign it right now. I’ve got to always look at what’s best for me and my family, for my situation.”
Bobby Marks, ESPN front office insider and former assistant GM with the Brooklyn Nets, explained on social media that Antetokounmpo may make more in the long run by signing this extension.
Antetokounmpo, 28, set a career high last season by scoring 31.1 points per game. The Bucks finished first in the East with a 58-24 record but were eliminated by the eighth-seeded Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs, beginning a crucial offseason for a team just two years removed from an NBA title.
Milwaukee fired coach Mike Budenholzer and hired Adrian Griffin as his replacement. The team was also able to sign Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez to long-term contracts before making the blockbuster trade that brought in Lillard and ended Jrue Holiday’s tenure with the Bucks.
Antetokounmpo has averaged 22.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 719 career games since the Bucks drafted him 15th overall in 2013.
Lillard will make his Bucks debut Thursday when Milwaukee kicks off their 2023-24 season by hosting reigning MVP Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers.
The reigning NFC champions may have just gotten even better.
The Philadelphia Eagles agreed to a trade Monday, acquiring two-time All-Pro safety Kevin Byard from the Tennessee Titans for safety Terrell Edmunds.
The Eagles are also sending a 2024 fifth- and a sixth-round round draft pick to the Titans in the deal.
Byard, who was selected to the AP All-Pro team after the 2017 and 2021 seasons, joins a top-10 Eagles defense that allows 290.3 yards per game.
Born in Philadelphia, Byard has 27 career interceptions in 120 games since being drafted in the third round by the Titans in 2016.
Reports of the trade surfaced during coach Nick Sirianni’s press conference, but he was unwilling to comment on the deal yet.
“I obviously want to get with everybody and talk before I say anything here,” Sirianni said.
Philadelphia is tied with the Kansas City Chiefs for the best record in the league at 6-1 after the Eagles’ 31-17 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday night.
Despite another fast start to the season, the Eagles felt they needed help in their secondary after the offseason departure of C.J. Gardner-Johnson in free agency.
Edmunds was a late first-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2018 and has five career interceptions. He joined Eagles on a one-year deal last offseason after the Steelers opted not to re-sign him.
Jaden McDaniels played a big role in the success of the Minnesota Timberwolves last season and is being rewarded.
A day before the start of the NBA season, McDaniels and the Timberwolves agreed to a five-year, $136million extension.
The deal was first reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic on Monday.
McDaniels averaged a career-high 12.1 points on 51.7 per cent shooting to go with 3.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists in starting all 79 games he played for Minnesota in 2022-23. Though he doesn't shoot a high volume of 3-pointers, he is a reliable shooter from beyond the arc, connecting on 39.8 per cent from 3-point range.
With averages of 0.96 blocks per game and 0.94 steals, McDaniels is also considered one of the NBA's top wing defenders.
Minnesota went 42-40 in 2022-23, and much of the team's success came down to McDaniels' scoring output.
When McDaniels scored at least 12 points, the Timberwolves went 26-13, but when he scored 11 or fewer, the team went 15-25.
A first-round draft pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020, McDaniels is entering his fourth pro season - all with Minnesota.
With McDaniels firmly in the fold, the Timberwolves boast a talented core of Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert.
Minnesota has made the playoffs each of the last two seasons and opens this year Wednesday against the Toronto Raptors.
Former Ireland international Jean Kleyn acknowledges being on the verge of becoming a world champion with his native South Africa was “outside the realm of thinking” just months ago.
Munster lock Kleyn represented Ireland under Joe Schmidt at the 2019 World Cup in Japan after qualifying on residency grounds.
But, having been repeatedly overlooked by Schmidt’s successor Andy Farrell, the 30-year-old was in June cleared to switch allegiance back to the Springboks before being included in Jacques Nienaber’s squad for France.
Reigning champions South Africa are on course to retain their crown going into Saturday’s final against fellow three-time winners New Zealand in Paris.
“I think I’ve caught myself thinking about it probably too often,” Kleyn said of his curious Test career.
“It’s a strange one because if you’d asked me six months ago if I at all thought I had any chance of being here at the World Cup final playing for the Springboks, I would have told you you are absolutely insane.
“I’ll probably wake up when it’s all said and done and think, ‘was that a dream or did it actually happen?’. It was outside the realm of thinking.
“It’s been a fantastic journey for me. It’s been an absolute pleasure being part of it.”
View this post on InstagramKleyn, who joined Munster from the Stormers in 2016, played five times under Schmidt in 2019, with his final cap coming in Ireland’s 47-5 pool-stage win over Samoa in Fukuoka.
His lengthy spell in the international wilderness allowed him to revert to the Springboks, a decision he feared may be met with a backlash.
But the response in his adopted nation has been overwhelmingly positive and grown since Ireland’s quarter-final exit at the hands of the All Blacks.
“I’ve been absolutely inundated with messages from Munster supporters – obviously only after Ireland fell out,” said Kleyn.
“Then they really came after us and said, ‘listen, you’re our second team now, guys’.
“The support was really heartfelt from a lot of Munster fans and it made it a lot easier for me because I thought it would be quite a negative reaction when I declared for the Springboks.
“From my history with Irish media, I figured there would be a few negative articles but it was resoundingly positive, so I was really happy about that.”
Kleyn may have to settle for a watching brief at Stade de France this weekend as he has been restricted to just one start during the tournament – South Africa’s 76–0 success over Romania.
His only other appearance was off the bench in his country’s 13-8 Pool B loss to Ireland.
While the Springboks lost that epic battle, they could still win the war.
“Obviously it was a pity for us the result didn’t go our way but here we are in the end still,” said Kleyn.
“No-one really looks back and says ‘you’ve lost a pool game’. They’re going to look if you win the World Cup.
“We were disappointed with the result back then but happy with where we are now. It was a fantastic game to be a part of. I enjoyed every minute.”
James Doyle has been booked for the plum ride on Kameko Futurity Trophy favourite Diego Velazquez at Doncaster on Saturday.
His trainer Aidan O’Brien has an enviable record in the Town Moor Group One and is responsible for five of the 11 possibles.
The Ballydoyle handler has won the race a record 11 times already and is going for three in a row on the back of Luxembourg (2021) and Auguste Rodin last year and also has Battle Cry, Chief Little Rock, Capulet and Henry Adams engaged.
Doyle partnered O’Brien’s Warm Heart to a Group One double this season in the Yorkshire Oaks and Prix Vermeille.
“Diego Velazquez looks the main one for the Futurity Trophy on Saturday,” said O’Brien.
“We are very happy with him since his last run and James Doyle has been booked for him. We will probably run one other horse in the race and we are looking forward to it.”
Charlie Appleby and Godolphin supplemented impressive Autumn Stakes scorer Ancient Wisdom as expected having pleased in a weekend workout.
Appleby said: “He has come out of that piece of work in good shape so we were keen to supplement this morning. The ground is looking like it will be soft at Doncaster and I feel like he is going to be a very strong contender.”
Roger Teal is looking forward to taking on the big guns with Dancing Gemini, who followed up a Newbury maiden win by romping away with the Listed Flying Scotsman Stakes on Town Moor.
“Everything seems spot on with him and it’s all good at this stage,” said the Lambourn trainer. “He was very impressive at Doncaster last time and we’re looking forward to giving it a go.
“I think the mile will suit him, as he certainly wasn’t stopping there over seven furlongs – and when he won at Newbury, he was only just getting going in the closing stages.
“Soft ground obviously wouldn’t be a problem as it was pretty testing up there last month but, looking at the weather forecast, it could well end up heavy and that is always a bit of an unknown.
“But all we can do is roll our sleeves up and get on with it. It’s a good race and something like this is never going to be easy, but we’ll be giving it a real go.”
John and Thady Gosden could be represented by God’s Window, a course and distance maiden winner on soft ground when getting the better of Ben Brookhouse’s Redhot Whisper, who could reoppose.
David Menuisier will bid to follow up Sunway’s Group One success in France on Sunday by saddling Devil’s Point and outsider Deira Mile could make his debut for Owen Burrows after being switched from Charlie Johnston.
Desert Crown, an effortless winner of last year’s Derby at Epsom, has been put down due to the injury he picked up on the gallops in August.
Sir Michael Stoute’s sixth winner of the blue riband Classic only ran once more following his victory last June.
A setback prevented him from running again last season and while he did make it to the track for this year’s Brigadier Gerard Stakes, he lost his unbeaten record to Hukum.
He was forced to miss the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes due to a minor setback but he suffered a much more severe one when being prepared for the Juddmonte International at York.
Desert Crown fractured a fetlock and while it initially appeared as if he could be saved and be able to enjoy a stud career, he lost the battle on Monday at the Newmarket Equine Hospital.
“There’s not a lot to say other than it is just very, very sad,” said Philip Robinson, assistant racing manager to owner Saeed Suhail.
“Everything was done to try and save him, we thought he was making progress but then he just started going backwards.
“With a severe injury like that there is a lot of pressure with the weight of the animal standing on it, but we really thought he was going to get there and it’s very sad he didn’t make it.
“You can try and help them with supports for the leg but at the end of the day they’ve got to be able to stand on their own.
“He had the best available treatment anywhere in the world, if he couldn’t be saved here then he couldn’t be saved anywhere.
“He was a fantastic horse and his Derby win was an incredible day that we’ll never forget.”
England will sign off an encouraging Rugby World Cup with Friday’s bronze final against Argentina at the Stade de France having lost 16-15 to South Africa in the last four.
Here, the PA news agency examines five things we learned from their progress through the tournament.
England in the right hands
The rancour of the latter stages of the Eddie Jones era saw the bond between England and their fans fray, but the act of defiance produced on a sodden Paris night has the capacity to reconnect team and supporters. Although it ended in heartbreak, there was much to admire as the Springboks were out-Bokked by a wet-weather masterclass devised by Steve Borthwick. Expectations heading into the World Cup were at an all-time low, yet Borthwick drove them to the brink of a World Cup final and the head coach described as a rugby “genius” by wing Jonny May has proved he is the right man to lead England forward.
End of an era
Supporters might have to show patience as tricky waters lie ahead in the form of the inevitable rebuild for Australia 2027. Stalwarts such as Courtney Lawes, Jonny May, Dan Cole and Joe Marler are likely to have played their last Tests and while there is an impressive core of players who are in the early phase of their career – Ben Earl, Freddie Steward, Marcus Smith and Alex Mitchell among them – it could be some time before Borthwick’s vision for England really takes shape.
Break the World Cup cycle
Under Jones everything was sacrificed at the alter of the World Cup, repeated poor Six Nations performances explained away by their place in the bigger picture. But the gut-wrenching defeat to South Africa, which was won by a 79th-minute Handre Pollard penalty, was an indicator of just how hard the tournament is to win. The Webb Ellis Trophy remains the ultimate prize, but it is just part of the sport’s landscape and should not be prioritised at the expense of other competitions.
Red Rose great
It did not need a strong World Cup to confirm Lawes as an all-time England great, but over the last two months, he provided emphatic confirmation nonetheless. The second row-turned blindside flanker retires from Test rugby after the tournament, a 34-year-old veteran of 105 caps, who saved his best performances for the biggest games. As a back-row warrior with sharp rugby instincts, he leaves giant boots to fill.
Martin the enforcer
While the English game says farewell to one ultra-physical back-five forward, Saturday hinted at the birth of another. George Martin was making only his fourth start, yet the 22-year-old rookie was the dominant second row on a pitch also roamed by Eben Etzebeth and Maro Itoje, making thunderous tackles and offering close-quarter muscle, particularly in mauls. The type of brutish presence every pack needs, he should become a fixture in England’s 23 for years to come.
Scott Dixon does not envisage being away from his Southwell racecourse base for long after flooding forced the handler to dramatically relocate his horses to Wolverhampton.
The trainer operates out of yards at both all-weather tracks but was left with the challenge of moving 40 of his horses as his Southwell facility bore the brunt of Storm Babet.
Having successfully shifted his Southwell string across the midlands to Dunstall Park, Dixon is eager to catch his breath before contemplating a return to the Nottinghamshire venue.
“Our yard at Southwell is totally and utterly clear of water and the water level receded pretty quickly,” explained Dixon.
“We’ll just take a deep breath, let the horses settle, and the horse’s who are due to be running at Wolverhampton during this busy month or two will naturally stop there.
“We’ve got a bit of a clean-up process at Southwell and when we move back there will all depend on when the track is back in action, which will be sooner rather than later I would have thought.
“It will be a moving timescale and we will take it day by day and we’ll be moving some of the horses back as soon as we can use the track for exercise.”
Dixon is thankful he is in the unique position of having stabling facilities to operate out of both Southwell and Wolverhampton, which meant he simply had to beat the rising water overflowing from the nearby River Greet rather than worry about what location a majority of his string could be transported to.
He added: “For now we’re absolutely fine where we are and thank goodness we are in a bit of a unique situation anyway in that we’ve got two yards.
“We’ve got Southwell and Wolverhampton and if we didn’t have that then getting 40 horses relocated to somewhere that has the facilities to exercise are few and far between.
“The important thing is all the horses are absolutely fine and all the staff are also absolutely fine.
“All animals and people are fine and the horses have dealt with it remarkably well, they have all eaten up and trotted up fine out on the track at Wolverhampton and we’ve managed to get every single horse out who was supposed to go out today.
“We’re keeping the show on the road and we’ve got multiple runners at Wolverhampton and we are just kicking on.”
The trainer has also hailed the efforts of his staff and the assistance of those nearby as the they pulled together to escape a potentially dangerous situation unscathed.
“Credit goes both to my team and some of the guys still at the racecourse and various people who came to help us during the whole process,” said Dixon.
“It’s less than ideal but you have just got to get your sensible head on and figure it out and as always the priority is always the horses and the people and the animals. We pulled it together and got it done.”
The fixtures at Southwell on October 26, October 30, November 2 and November 4 have been abandoned.
Toto Wolff said Mercedes must take Lewis Hamilton’s disqualification from the United States Grand Prix on the chin – and make sure it does not happen again.
Nearly four hours after Hamilton finished second in his most competitive race of the season – one he could have won if Mercedes did not fluff their strategy lines – the stewards declared his car did not comply with the regulations.
The depth of the new floor on Hamilton’s upgraded Mercedes was adjudged to be “outside the thresholds outlined in Article 3.5.9 e).” – which states that the plank cannot wear to below 9mm thickness.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who finished sixth, was disqualified for the same breach following Sunday’s 56-lap race at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas.
Mercedes said the sprint format – which allows for just one hour of practice before parc ferme rules heavily constrict changes to the cars – had a bearing on Hamilton’s disqualification.
But team principal Wolff said: “In the end, all of that doesn’t matter. Others got it right where we got it wrong and there’s no wiggle room in the rules.
“We need to take it on the chin, do the learning and come back stronger next weekend in Mexico.”
Four cars were chosen at random following the race. Both winner Max Verstappen’s Red Bull and Lando Norris’ McLaren passed the scrutineering checks.
Hamilton’s demise elevated Norris to runner-up behind Verstappen, who claimed the 50th win of his career and 15th from 18 this season, and Carlos Sainz to third.
Sergio Perez was promoted to fourth to extend his lead over Hamilton in the fight for second place in the championship from 27 points to 39.
Hamilton crossed the line just 2.2 seconds adrift of Verstappen after Mercedes’ move to attempt a one-stop strategy backfired and probably denied the seven-time world champion his first victory in 686 days.
But despite expressing frustration at his team’s strategy, Hamilton was asked if he has been provided hope that he could taste victory before the season is out.
“Yes, definitely,” replied the 38-year-old. “The steps that we were able to take this weekend has given me a little bit more confidence to throw the car into the corners.
“There are still some of the fundamental issues that we’re having with the car, which won’t change until next year. But it was really positive to feel that the decisions we are taking are the right ones.”
Hamilton will be back in action at this weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix with rounds to follow in Brazil and Las Vegas before the campaign concludes in Abu Dhabi on November 26.
There will be no Breeders’ Cup this year for the high-class speedster Inquisitively, who will try to continue climbing the sprinting ladder when he returns next season.
After an encouraging start to his career when trained by Ollie Sangster, the son of Ten Sovereigns is unbeaten in two starts since switching to Kevin Philippart De Foy, claiming Listed honours at York before progressing to Group Three company to win the Cornwallis Stakes in taking fashion.
That all-the-way success at Newmarket prompted discussions of a crack at the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint where the youngster’s blistering early speed could have proved a real asset.
However, a trip to Santa Anita has now been ruled out with Inquisitively set for a winter break ahead of returning to training next year – where a shot at Royal Ascot’s Commonwealth Cup could be on agenda despite the handler’s reservations about the colt’s stamina over six furlongs.
“He’s not going to go (to America), he has gone for a winter break and we will bring him back next year,” said Philippart De Foy.
“The programme is difficult for a three-year-old over five furlongs early in the season but I suppose we will have to try him over six at some point and see how he gets on. He’s obviously a very exciting horse to have.”
He went on: “We will see how he does over the winter but I have my reservations over the six-furlong trip.
“In both of our races for us he has looked very sharp out of the gates and is a strong traveller who quickens well over five furlongs.”
Great Britain have named an unchanged line-up for next month’s Davis Cup quarter-final against Serbia in Malaga.
British number one Cameron Norrie, Dan Evans, Andy Murray, Jack Draper and Neal Skupski will take on Novak Djokovic’s Serbia when the final eight nations compete for the 2023 Davis Cup from November 21-26.
Captain Leon Smith has kept faith with the same five-man team which secured Britain’s place in the knockout stages in thrilling fashion last month in Manchester.
Smith said: “We are going with the same five-man team as Manchester. The guys did such a great job that week and we will go to Malaga with confidence and belief that we can be successful.
“The quarter-final versus Serbia will of course be a big challenge with a team led by world number one Novak Djokovic, but we have to believe we can win.”
Britain beat both last year’s runners-up Australia and Switzerland 2-1 before clinching a winner-takes-all final group-stage victory against France at a sold-out AO Arena.
Evans and Skupski saved four match points in their decisive doubles match against French pair Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin on their way to a 1-6 7-6 (4) 7-6 (6) win.
Smith opted to play his highest-ranked duo, world number 18 Norrie and world number 35 Evans, in the singles against France.
Murray and Draper, ranked 40th and 91st in the ATP rankings, had featured against Switzerland and Australia respectively, while world number four in the doubles rankings Skupski completed the line-up.
Britain last lifted the Davis Cup in 2015 when Murray led them to victory over Belgium in the final.
Also at the ‘Final 8’ in Malaga, defending champions Canada will face Finland, the Czech Republic play Group B runners-up Australia and the Netherlands take on Italy.
Harry Fry will saddle his first runner in a Group One when Metier heads to ParisLongchamp for the Prix Royal-Oak on Sunday.
A Grade One winner over hurdles, the seven-year-old has proven equally proficient when crossing over to compete on the level in recent seasons, winning last year’s November Handicap at Doncaster and pouncing late to claim the Chester Cup this term.
Metier will now face his toughest challenge to date as he not only steps up in class, but bids to get his handler off the mark in France.
Fry said: “We looked at our options for this time of year and we decided to aim at the Prix Royal-Oak. You would like to think with how the weather has been that conditions would suit.
“Obviously, he is going to have to step up again, but he won the Chester Cup the hard way, from a wide draw and coming from way back, when given a great ride by Saffie Osborne, so hopefully there is more to come from him and it will be interesting to see how he gets on in Group One company.
“We have had a handful of runners in France over jumps and things, but yet to bring home a winner, so it would be a great way to break that duck.”
Metier has not been seen since galloping to big-race success on the Roodee in May, with fast ground ruling him out of a possible start at Royal Ascot.
The necessity for a break kept Metier in his stable during the height of summer when the unseasonably wet weather would have made conditions ideal for the soft ground-favouring gelding.
However, Fry is hoping patience will be rewarded as his charge returns from over five months off the track.
“We haven’t seen him out since the Chester Cup success, but we did train him for Royal Ascot on the off chance the ground came in his favour,” the Grosvenor Sport ambassador continued. “Obviously, that was always going to be an outside chance.
“He needed to have a little break having been on the go all last winter, so we gave him a break and then almost immediately the rain started to arrive, which is typical.
“We know him well enough now and what conditions suit and that is why we have waited and bided our time. Hopefully conditions have come right for him and we are looking forward to the challenge.”
Metier is set to be reunited with Saffie Osborne for his cross-Channel adventure, where the duo will search for a third victory together.
Fry added: “I think Saffie would be pretty upset if she is not onboard and he is very much Saffie’s ride unless she tells me she is going to be elsewhere!
“I think she has been ticking off the days until she is reunited with him. She gave him a brilliant ride to win at Chester and also won the November Handicap on him and they have formed a great partnership.”
Jamaica’s badminton women’s doubles team of Tahlia Richardson and Katherine Wynter bowed out of competition in the quarter-finals stage on Monday at the 2023 Pan Am Games in Santiago, Chile.
The pair were beaten in straight sets by the Mexican pair of Miriam Rodriquez and Romina Fregoso at the Olympic Training Centre in Santiago, Chile.
In two competitive games, the Jamaicans lost the first set 19-21 before yielding 16-21 as the Mexicans took the match 2-0.
Bermuda’s Conor White won his country’s first medal at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, when he claimed the bronze medal in the Men’s Individual Time Trial on Sunday.
Roger Teal is looking forward to taking on the big guns with Dancing Gemini in Saturday’s Kameko Futurity Trophy Stakes at Doncaster.
Aidan O’Brien is responsible for five of the 11 remaining entries, including ante-post favourite Diego Velazquez, while Godolphin have supplemented recent Newmarket scorer Ancient Wisdom, as expected.
However, Teal is not shying away from going for Group One glory with Dancing Gemini, who followed up a Newbury maiden win by romping away with the Listed Flying Scotsman Stakes on Town Moor.
“Everything seems spot on with him and it’s all good at this stage,” said the Lambourn trainer. “He was very impressive at Doncaster last time and we’re looking forward to giving it a go.
“I think the mile will suit him, as he certainly wasn’t stopping there over seven furlongs – and when he won at Newbury, he was only just getting going in the closing stages.
“Soft ground obviously wouldn’t be a problem as it was pretty testing up there last month but, looking at the weather forecast, it could well end up heavy and that is always a bit of an unknown.
“But all we can do is roll our sleeves up and get on with it. It’s a good race and something like this is never going to be easy, but we’ll be giving it a real go.”
Ballydoyle maestro O’Brien has won this race a record 11 times and will be chasing a hat-trick of victories following triumphs for Luxembourg in 2021 and Auguste Rodin last term.
His main hope this season appears to be Diego Velazquez, last seen securing a Group Two success at Leopardstown in September when seeing off stablemate Capulet, who is another possible Doncaster contender.
O’Brien also has Battle Cry, Chief Little Rock and Henry Adams still engaged.
The Charlie Appleby-trained Ancient Wisdom created a big impression when powering just under four lengths clear of Chief Little Rock in the Group Three Autumn Stakes at Newmarket.
John and Thady Gosden could be represented by God’s Window, a course and distance maiden winner on soft ground when getting the better of Ben Brookhouse’s Redhot Whisper, who could reoppose.
David Menuisier will bid to follow up Sunway’s Group One success in France on Sunday by saddling Devil’s Point and outsider Deira Mile could make his debut for Owen Burrows after being switched from Charlie Johnston.
Coral’s David Stevens said: “Whilst Dancing Gemini is very much respected following his Listed course success last month, the market for the season’s final Group One is dominated by Diego Velazquez and Ancient Wisdom.
“Both colts are also prominent in the betting for next year’s 2000 Guineas and Derby, although it will take a special performance from either to dislodge City Of Troy as winter favourite for either Classic.”
Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Tahiyra has been retired following her third-placed finish in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.
Trained by Dermot Weld, the daughter of Siyouni struck at the highest level at two before returning at three to become one of the leading milers of her generation.
Although denied by Mawj in the 1000 Guineas at the start of the year, she gained Classic compensation when securing the Irish equivalent and then gained further top-level success by winning the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.
She returned from a summer break to pick up another Group One at Leopardstown in September, producing a dazzling display in the Matron Stakes, and brought the curtain down on her career with a brave third behind Big Rock on British Champions Day.
Tahiyra will now join her owner the Aga Khan’s broodmare band for the next stage of her career.
Explaining the decision, Pat Downes, manager of the Aga Khan’s Irish Studs, said: “We have been absolutely delighted with her and we have spoken about what we would do since she ran on Saturday.
“We just took a view that, unlike her sister Tarnawa, who didn’t win her Group One until four, Tahiyra was obviously a champion two-year-old and a champion three-year-old and a very important filly for the future of the stud.
“We felt we had done enough with her and she will move on now to the next stage.
“She’s been an absolute star and she ran her heart out on Saturday. We have been delighted with her and she has been a tremendous filly for us.
“We will now look forward to the next stage of her career which will be in the breeding shed.”
Jonny May is backing Steve Borthwick to crack the code of rugby after describing England’s head coach as a “genius” in the mold of Alan Turing and Mr Spock.
England went out on their shields in Saturday’s World Cup semi-final defeat by South Africa, losing 16-15 to a late Handre Pollard penalty, having dominated the reigning champions until the final quarter.
A heroic performance was the culmination of Borthwick’s opening 10 months in charge, having been parachuted in with the short-term objective of making the team competitive at France 2023.
He succeeded by devising a statistics-based approach that almost dethroned the world champions, leaving May to conclude England are in the best possible hands.
“We’re starting to see what a genius Steve is in terms of how he’s starting to get this team going,” May said.
“You won’t find a harder working man than Steve and his approach to the game is a little bit like Alan Turing.
“If anybody is going to crack the code to rugby it will be Steve – he’s getting ever closer each week and good luck to him.
“He’s got an analytical brain and an evidence-based, scientific, Spock-like approach to the game.
“I’ve learned a lot from him. I’ve been very grateful for all the coaches I’ve had throughout my career and I’ve absorbed everything I possibly can, always trying to learn and be curious.
“But Steve, with his ways, he’s on to something. He’s a young coach and has this unique and different way that he goes about the game.
“Cracking it is not something I’m interested in doing as the game gets more complicated each week, but he’s obsessed with it so hats off to him.”
While England can look ahead with optimism, May strongly suspects that their future does not include him.
The nation’s second-highest try scorer of all-time behind Rory Underwood will almost certainly have played his last Test at this World Cup, Friday’s bronze match against Argentina his final opportunity to pull on a Red Rose jersey.
The 33-year-old wing was only called up to Borthwick’s squad because of an injury to Anthony Watson, yet he has been a regular starter and was outstanding against South Africa, even winning a jackal penalty.
“Never say never, but very much in my head now I’m thinking, more than likely that I’ll be done after this,” May said.
“For me no regrets, what a journey, I wasn’t even going to be on the plane at one point.
“But I stuck in there and that’s the attitude across the team – we stick in there, we’ve had pretty much everything thrown at us, but we’re starting to find ourselves.
“I’m grateful to have been a part of it and although it probably won’t continue after this World Cup, I feel like I’m connected to this team. It’s making my hairs stand up now a little bit.
“To be connected like that, to be close to the boys and have those relationships, to go through these times with these friends of mine, is incredibly important to me.
“It’s been everything to me, playing for England, just absolutely everything.”
Andre Drummond accepts the legacy of Michael Jordan's legendary exploits with the Chicago Bulls puts additional pressure on the team.
However, ahead of the new NBA season, the two-time All-Star center is relishing being part of the Bulls' attempts to recapture their former glories, saying he and his team-mates have a unique standard to uphold.
All six of Chicago's NBA championships were captured with the help of Hall of Famer Jordan, who helped popularise the league on a global scale by leading the team to two three-peats, the first coming between 1991 and 1993 and the second between 1996 and 1998.
While Jordan helped make the Bulls one of the NBA's most iconic franchises, they have struggled to hit anything close to those heights in recent years.
Chicago has missed the playoffs in five of the last six years, failing to build on an encouraging 2021-22 campaign. Last season they were beaten by the Miami Heat in April's play-in tournament.
With the Bulls hoping to fare better when the new season tips off this week, Drummond needs no reminder of their illustrious history.
"Michael Jordan's name is known everywhere," he told Stats Perform. "No matter where you go, no matter what country you go to, if you say the name Michael Jordan, someone knows who he is.
"You can say the same thing for LeBron [James] too. I feel like LeBron is up there now with one of the most notable people in the world.
"But Michael Jordan, his name rings bells. Not only as a basketball player but just how he was as a person. He has brought a lot of hope to this city, he brought a lot of championships here, and he's brought in a lot of money here, too."
Asked whether Jordan's achievements put a unique level of pressure on Chicago, Drummond said: "I've only been here a year and a half, so I don't really understand the gravity of how much it means.
"But I feel like this year, I'll feel it more because I have my feet wet, being here and seeing the fanbase and how they really love Chicago basketball.
"Whether we are good or not, they are still coming out every night, so it is starting to set in a little bit.
"As I look around the arena, I'm like, 'some great players have stepped on this floor, man'.
"I feel like you have a standard to uphold as a Chicago Bull, and I feel like that's the pride that we need to walk with.
"Chicago Bulls are one of the most celebrated teams in the world. You go around the country and see people wearing the Bulls attire.
"You may see some Lakers, you may see some Knicks or Boston maybe, but the Bulls, everybody loves the Bulls. I don't know what it is or why it's like that, I don't know what it is.
"Even as a kid, I would see people all the way in Connecticut wearing Chicago Bulls gear, and they've never been to Chicago in their life. Everybody just loves the Bulls!
"I think it's just a very celebrated team and a celebrated city and you have to uphold that standard."
The Bulls begin their 2023-24 campaign with back-to-back home games, facing the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday before the Toronto Raptors visit United Center on Friday.
Prix de la Foret scorer Kelina could get the chance to evoke memories of Goldikova if lining up at the Breeders’ Cup next month.
Trained by Carlos Laffon-Parias, the daughter of Frankel has won four of her nine career starts and left a couple of Group One disappointments in the past when conquering defending champion Kinross to strike at ParisLongchamp.
Connections are now eyeing a run in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita, a race owner-breeders the Wertheimer brothers have a fine record in thanks to the all-conquering Goldikova.
“If everything goes well, and if she gets in the race of course, then we will try and run in the Breeders’ Cup Mile with her – that is the plan,” said Pierre-Yves Bureau, racing manager for the owners.
“I think the mile and the track at Santa Anita with good ground, which we know is important for her, will suit.
“I think she has enough speed to go for this race and with good ground and the performance she did the other day, hopefully she will be up to that level.
“Of course we don’t know what the field will be, but its a big race so it is probably going to be a really strong field and hopefully she can show the best of her ability.”
Kelina will be attempting to follow in illustrious footsteps when she bids to carry the blue and white colours to another famous victory at the end-of-season showpiece in California.
And it is somewhat fitting that the three-year-old will take to the track in Santa Anita – the scene of the first of Goldikova’s three-straight victories in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
“It is true that there is a close link with the Breeders’ Cup because of Goldikova, but there has also been Halfbridled and Kotashaan,” continued Bureau.
“Especially in Santa Anita, I think that is where Goldikova did her best performance and it is a special race.
“The most important thing is the filly can show her best. She has a lot of talent, but she needs to get in the race first, then a good draw and then we will see who she has to fight with.
“It would be very nice if she could do something good over there.”
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