Jannik Sinner stunned Novak Djokovic with wins in singles and doubles to send Italy through to a first Davis Cup final for 20 years.
Djokovic suffered an unwanted career first when he failed to convert three consecutive match points in a pulsating 6-2 2-6 7-5 singles loss against world number four Sinner.
It was Djokovic’s first defeat in a Davis Cup singles rubber since a retirement against Juan Martin Del Potro 12 years ago, ending a 21-match winning run.
Serbia had led 1-0 in the semi-final in Malaga thanks to Miomir Kecmanovic’s win over Lorenzo Musetti but Djokovic’s loss sent the tie to a deciding doubles contest.
Djokovic and Sinner lined up on opposite sides of the net for the fourth time in less than two weeks alongside Kecmanovic and Lorenzo Sonego respectively, and it was the Italian duo who clinched a 6-3 6-4 win to send their country through to a clash with Australia for the title on Sunday.
After Kecmanovic had backed up his fine showing against Britain’s Jack Draper by coming from a set down to defeat Musetti 6-7 (7) 6-2 6-1, the stage seemed set for Djokovic to send Serbia through to the final.
The confidence Sinner had gained from his group stage victory over Djokovic at the ATP Finals was negated by a convincing loss in the final but the world number one looked fatigued, perhaps more mentally than physically, during the first set.
Both men had headed straight from Turin to Malaga but Sinner is 14 years younger than his rival and he took full advantage of some uncharacteristic errors to reel off five games in a row.
It was another excellent atmosphere at the Palacio de Deportes Martin Carpena, befitting the sort of marquee clash that Davis Cup has not seen enough of over the last decade and more.
Djokovic had made winning a first title with Serbia since 2010 one of his big priorities and he showed more positive energy at the start of the second set, breaking for the first time to lead 3-1 after his opponent double-faulted.
A second break sent the contest to a deciding set, where it seemed a case of when rather than if Djokovic would find the breakthrough.
But Sinner refused to buckle, saving break points in two separate games prior to his remarkable renaissance at 4-5, when he won five points in a row from 0-40.
The missed opportunities seemed to play on Djokovic’s mind and, in a reminder that even the very best are not immune to pressure, the Serbian netted a routine shot to hand Sinner a break point and was then passed after an ill-advised serve and volley.
Moments later, Djokovic blasted a return long to the sounds of Italian jubilation and stunned Serbian silence, with Sinner saying: “It was an incredible match. We were one point away from being out of the competition but we are still here.”
Djokovic’s singles record in Davis Cup may be formidable but his doubles one is anything but, with only four wins from 11 previous matches.
None of the four players picked are regulars on the doubles circuit but the Italian duo looked much more at home in the format and broke Djokovic’s serve on the way to taking the opening set.
They were a break up early in the second, too, but this time Serbia came back and, having lost his cool with the British crowd on Thursday, here Djokovic began conducting the Italian jeers.
After Sinner saved four break points to hold for 3-3, another long game, this time on the Kecmanovic serve, resulted in a break for the pumped up Italian pair, and fittingly it was Sinner who served out the victory.
Phoenix Suns head coach Frank Vogel described Devin Booker as a "professional scorer" as he stepped up in Kevin Durant's absence on Friday, starring in a 110-89 road victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.
The In-Season Tournament game was the first Durant has missed all season, with Phoenix's leading scorer complaining of soreness in his right foot before the game.
However, the Suns made light of his absence as Booker stepped up with a season-high 40 points, while Eric Gordon added 20 as Phoenix extended its winning streak to six games.
Asked about Booker's efforts in the aftermath of the win, which took Phoenix to 3-1 in the tournament, Vogel said: "The guy's just a professional scorer. He is a big reason we are having this six-game win streak."
With Phoenix waiting to see how Durant's condition develops, Booker says it will be difficult for the team to replace his contribution.
"It's tough", Booker said. "You can't replace what he brings to the court. His scoring ability, his versatility on defense. It's going to take a lot of extra from everybody else."
With the Los Angeles Lakers winning Group A of the In-Season tournament with a 4-0 record, the Suns must wait on other results across the Western Conference to see whether they have done enough for a wild-card spot.
Phoenix was made to endure something of a Memphis resurgence in the second half as the hosts cut their lead to single digits, but guard Jordan Goodwin scored eight straight Suns points in the fourth quarter to kill any hopes of a comeback.
"He was great," Vogel said of Goodwin, who finished with 14 points and added five rebounds in 20 minutes on the court.
"You know, he's had some ups and downs this year. We've been challenging him as a coaching staff to be better on both sides of the ball.
"He competes defensively but staying within the framework of what we're asking him to do… to see it all come together for him was a great night for all of us, as coaches, trying to challenge a player and see him respond, and for him, to respond and have a great night."
Ding Junhui clambered off his sickbed to sink defending champion Mark Allen in a final frame decider in a dramatic opening match of this year’s UK Championship in York.
The former three-time winner revealed he was on the verge of pulling out of the tournament on Saturday morning after waking with a soaring temperature and spells of dizziness.
But Ding somehow steadied himself to haul back a 4-2 deficit then summon a nerveless 102 clearance to chisel a 6-5 victory in a first-round repeat of last year’s final, in which the Chinese player blew a sizeable lead to lose 10-7.
“In the morning I thought about pulling out because I couldn’t get out of bed,” said Ding. “My alarm was calling me to wake up but I couldn’t.
“My temperature was up to 39 and I couldn’t walk straight, I couldn’t walk over (to the venue). But I think I wanted to play because I am here for the tournament, so I will just try to play well.”
It was another remarkable chapter in Ding’s relationship with the sport’s second biggest tournament, which began when he came from nowhere to reel off a string of big wins and become the first overseas winner of the Championship in 2005.
A dramatic match had been slow to catch fire, with both players making mistakes as they shared the first four frames prior to the mid-session interval.
Allen was first to step up his game when he seized on a second chance in the fifth frame with a clearance to black of 106, and he extended his advantage to two after a messy sixth in which both players spurned golden chances.
But just when Ding was beginning to look down and out he drew on all his UK experience to reel off three counter-attacking frames in a row to move within one of an unlikely victory.
The Chinese player was first to show some nerves, a missed black off the spot gifting Allen the chance to pull level, which the Antrim man duly took with a decisive break of 70.
Allen had the first chance in the decider but missed an easy red to the middle and Ding held his illness at bay long enough to summon his first century of the match and seal his place in the last 16 – much to Allen’s surprise.
“It’s definitely one that got away, and not just because of the red in the last frame,” said Allen.
“I felt like I did all the hard stuff well today, and I honestly felt like I did all right. I felt in control of the match completely, and I think if Ding is honest in his assessment he’ll wonder how he won it.
“It’s a hard one to take because I’ve just lost in the UK Championships but I’ve played a lot worse. Maybe this is one that I’ll watch back to see what happened, because I felt in control at all times until I lost.”
Mark Williams admitted he never got out of second gear but still did enough to see off Fan Zhengyi 6-4 and join Ding in the last 16.
The Welshman, whose best break was an 86 to nudge over the line, is a two-time UK champion and keen to avoid the mishaps which hampered his chances of making it a trio of successes in recent years.
“This tournament hasn’t really been good for me in the last few years,” admitted Williams. “Once during Covid I fell asleep live on TV, then last year I had to run out every couple of frames.
“But I’ll go home in between matches this time and try to change the jinx of the UK. The reception was unbelievable, the conditions were perfect – everything was perfect except my play. I was struggling a bit, but I loved it.”
Nicky Henderson has few concerns about the cold week ahead as Constitution Hill’s eagerly-awaited return in the BetMGM Fighting Fifth Hurdle draws ever closer.
Having made the decision to stay over the smaller obstacles, the Seven Barrows superstar has long had the trip to Newcastle to defend his Fighting Fifth crown inked on his calendar.
The dry weather last autumn meant Constitution Hill was rerouted from Ascot to Gosforth Park for his seasonal debut 12 months ago, but Henderson does not envisage any similar problems this time around despite temperatures set to fall over the coming seven days.
And having completed his big-race preparations at his Lambourn home earlier this week, Henderson reports his Champion Hurdler to be in rude health ahead of the first step on his journey back to the Cheltenham Festival.
“He galloped yesterday and everyone watched him and he’s fine,” said Henderson, speaking at Ascot, where he suffered the disappointment of Shishkin refusing to start in the 1965 Chase.
“All his work is done, it finished yesterday.
“I would seriously hope with a Grade One like that (there will be no issues), Newcastle will be fine. I’m not worried.
“He’s 100 per cent. He’s in very good form.”
It threatened to be a somewhat strange afternoon for Harry Cobden as he headed to Ascot while his King George champion Bravemansgame made the trip to Haydock for the Betfair Chase, but the leading jockey delivered a thrilling four-timer on a drama-filled day in Berkshire.
Paul Nicholls had made the decision to give Daryl Jacob the leg-up on his star staying chaser in Merseyside, and channelling one of his owners, Sir Alex Ferguson, shuffled the pack and pointed his stable number one in the direction of Ascot to represent Ditcheat in a high-class few hours of action.
Cobden had played the willing team captain throughout the week and although happy to state his disappointment about not riding Bravemansgame, also cited his willingness to make the most of a full book of rides down south while the Gold Cup runner-up travelled north.
He wasted little time getting on the scoreboard and in his first ride of the day helped Farnoge establish himself as one of the yard’s leading novice hurdlers.
However, there was bigger still to come and after Shishkin planted himself at the start of the Nirvana Spa 1965 Chase, Cobden took full advantage aboard his key ride of the day, owner Johnny de la Hay’s Pic D’Orhy.
Although having to work harder than envisaged aboard the now eight-time fences winner, it was job done and prize-money secured, before the day got even better when De la Hay’s Blueking D’Oroux continued his rise up the hurdling ranks with victory in the Coral Hurdle.
That made it three winners on the day for both himself and Ditcheat and with Bravemansgame still to run, he spoke honestly and pragmatically when saying: “It’s obviously a shame not to be on him.
“I had a chat with Paul earlier and whatever happens happens and I think he probably should win. I had a good chat with Daryl and he knows what he is doing, but at the same time, we’re all in the same camp aren’t we.”
Cobden’s day would end with a fourth victory aboard the supremely exciting debutant Regent’s Stroll, a horse the 25-year-old can begin to dream big about for the future.
But it was clear that the ultimate team player had events at Haydock at the forefront of his mind with his Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up falling short in his Betfair Chase assignment.
“There’s normally more bad days than good ones, but I’ve had four good rides today and they’ve all won so I’m very pleased, Cobden added.
“It’s never nice to see Bravemansgame get beat and I haven’t spoken to Paul or Daryl yet so it will be interesting to get their thoughts later on.
“He’s a special horse and the flagbearer for the yard for the past two years. Any horse you ride in the Gold Cup and come down to the last upsides, they are special for you and really hard to get hold of.
“It’s a sad day to see him get beat, but he will bounce back and I’m sure they will get him back and I’m sure the target now will be the King George.”
Lewis Hamilton said he could not wait for the season to end after he qualified only 11th for Sunday’s finale in Abu Dhabi – leaving Mercedes on the backfoot to salvage second in the Formula One world championship.
As Max Verstappen put his Red Bull on pole position for the final race of his all-conquering campaign – with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc runner-up and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri third – Hamilton was left staring at another abysmal performance in his underperforming machinery.
Indeed, Hamilton, six tenths behind Verstappen and a third-of-a-second back from team-mate George Russell, who qualified fourth, even claimed there was something wrong with his car.
His failure to progress to Q3 means the fight between Mercedes and Ferrari for second place in the constructors’ championship, worth nearly £10million, hangs in the balance.
The Silver Arrows head their Italian rivals by just four points ahead of Sunday’s race in the desert. And Leclerc finished ahead of both Russell and Hamilton to hand Ferrari the initiative.
“I don’t have any answers,” said Hamilton, who gloomily predicted his Q2 demise here 24 hours previously.
“It is just a very unpredictable car and it has been all year. I wouldn’t say I am relieved, but I am definitely happy it is nearly over.”
Hamilton’s comments were echoed by Toto Wolff.
“I’m fed up with having explanations as to why it didn’t go well,” said the Mercedes team principal.
“I’m happy that this was the last qualifying of the season and we will be back with a new car.”
Hamilton’s poor result came after it emerged that his father – and one-time manager Anthony – had enquired about a seat for his son at Red Bull.
Hamilton has recorded just one podium in his last six appearances following Mercedes’ tumble down the grid and he faces an uphill task to salvage a respectable result at the Yas Marina Circuit.
“There is something not right with this car, mate,” said the 38-year-old on the radio as he shook his head.
“The car is more inconsistent than ever before,” he later explained. “It is up-and-down from the moment you hit the brakes, the moment you turn, the moment you hit the apex, it is massively out of balance and hard to predict what is going to happen.
“George and I set our cars up the same, but they don’t read the same so there is something not right on our side. I have been off all weekend and struggled. Eleventh…it takes some good going for me not to get into Q3.”
Hamilton is third in the individual standings, 317 points Verstappen, with the Dutchman the overwhelming favourite to claim a remarkable 19th victory from the 22 rounds.
Mercedes are a staggering 430 points behind the Dutchman’s Red Bull team, who have won every race bar one this year.
Mercedes were handed a minor boost after Carlos Sainz was a surprise eliminated in Q1. Sainz bemoaned traffic for his lowly 16th grid slot.
But Leclerc’s improvement on his final run, to finish just 0.139 seconds behind Verstappen, provides the Prancing Horse with a spring in their step.
“The target is to beat Mercedes, so I hope Carlos gets a good start and joins me in the fight,” said Leclerc.
“Let’s look to put both of our cars in front of Mercedes because finishing second in the constructors is all that matters to me.”
Elsewhere, Lando Norris qualified a disappointing fifth after he got out of shape on his last lap.
“I don’t know why it happened,” he said. “I’ve not done that all weekend so it’s frustrating. I’m just doing a s*** job on Saturday.”
Asked if he was being too hard on himself, the 24-year-old replied: “Not at all. I was fighting for second and I end up fifth because of a stupid mistake. I’m too soft on myself.”
Paul Nicholls made no excuses for Bravemansgame after his defeat in the Betfair Chase and is still planning to head to Kempton for the King George VI Chase.
The eight-year-old was the 8-11 favourite in the quartet of runners and jumped and travelled well under Daryl Jacob, but was ultimately outdone by Venetia Williams’ six-and-a-half-length winner Royale Pagaille.
Nicholls could not see an obvious reason for the defeat and will adhere to his plan of running in the King George at Kempton to bid to retain the Boxing Day crown he claimed last season.
He said: “He was not good enough on the day, it’s as simple as that.
“He jumped well, travelled well and Daryl said he thought he was going to win going to four out but he didn’t quite pick up. No excuses.
“It’s a different test at Kempton (King George), it probably suits him better there. Daryl gave him a super ride but the other one has just outstayed him from three out really.
“Kempton is his track, it won’t do him any harm to have a few runs.
“I’m not really worried about him having a hard race, he’s got a month really. To be honest with you, you can wrap them up too much in cotton wool, I’ll probably freshen him up more now rather than work him hard.
“I’ve won this race loads of times and then gone to the King George with Kauto (Star) and (Silviniaco) Conti, we’ll get him back there.
“He might want a few races to harden him up a bit. The winner is a real course specialist and we’ve no excuses, Daryl said he just got away from him three out, outstayed him.
“He’s run well and he’ll run well at Kempton.”
Jacob had taken the ride as Harry Cobden had gone to Ascot, where he rode four winners and justified the decision made on riding plans.
The trainer added: “It’s been a great day at Ascot anyway, we got the decision right about the jockey!”
Guard Immanuel Quickley couldn't contain his relief after the New York Knicks fought back for a remarkable 100-98 win over the Miami Heat on Friday to keep their In-Season Tournament hopes alive.
The Knicks began the home game against their long-time rivals – who ended their 2022-23 season in the second round of the playoffs in May – knowing a loss would have eliminated them from the competition.
They looked to be on their way out when the Heat established a 21-point lead with three minutes and 40 seconds to go in the third quarter, but the Knicks finished with a brilliant game-closing 38-15 run to snatch victory.
A three-pointer from Quickley heralded the start of New York's fightback, with the 24-year-old finishing with 20 points and four rebounds as the Knicks earned a measure of revenge over Miami.
Asked what was going through his head when New York found themselves staring at defeat, Quickley said: "It's a decision whether to mentally check out or not.
"It's a decision to keep fighting. It's a decision to tell yourself, 'you got to keep fighting,' no matter what. I did look at the score and say, 'dang,' when I saw how much we were down, I literally said that.
"But then I got right back to it, seeing where I was at mentally and said, 'let's go. Let's try to get a comeback going'."
The Knicks' good work was almost for nothing as Heat star Jimmy Butler had one last chance to win it, but his three-pointer rimmed out as the fourth quarter drew to a close.
"I've seen that shot go in, not just from him," Quickley said of Butler's last-gasp effort. "When you play basketball for so long, you see so many game-winners. They all look the same.
"I just said, 'please, please don't go in'' We worked so hard to get back… Thank God he missed it."
Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra saw the end of the third quarter, when Quickley scored six points to cut the deficit, as the turning point, saying: "At the end of the third quarter we're up 20-plus.
"Then we had some turnovers, a bad shot, we didn't get back on defense and then all of a sudden it turned into a Quickley three and another Quickley three, and then all sudden it gets to 13.
"That was the biggest shift right there. We had an opportunity to take that thing to 25. There's a karma to it. We were so careless finishing that quarter."
Boothill booked his ticket to the Clarence House Chase as he continued his Ascot love affair in the Jim Barry Hurst Park Handicap Chase.
Harry Fry’s eight-year-old won the race off a mark of 140 last year – and having acquitted himself well in some hot novice events afterwards, defended his title off a 15lb higher mark having triumphed again over the course and distance on his return to action.
Sent off the 11-4 favourite there was still all to play for as Boothill and Jane Williams’ Saint Segal approached the last locked together, but a fall for the 5-1 shot opened the door for Johnny Burke and his willing mount, who had enough in reserve to repel a late rally from 7-2 second-favourite Frere D’Armes.
He finished with half a length in hand, to the delight of his trainer who had suffered a narrow reversal with Whitehotchillifili in the previous contest, and although holding an entry for the Tingle Creek at Sandown on December 9, Fry suggested his winner will now return to his favourite playground for a shot at the two-mile Grade One on January 20.
“Sometimes you have to get the rub of the green in this game, I’m just pleased to see the faller at the last get up,” said Fry.
“It was still all to play for and it just went our way.
“I was delighted with the performance and it was brilliant to come here and win this again, he really likes this track. It’s great to see him win it again and we may have got away with it, but it’s a great prize and it’s onwards and upwards.
“We have the entry in the Tingle Creek, but that is only in a fortnight’s time. I suspect we will wait and aim to come back here for the Clarence House and it will feel like a home match.
“I think he deserves his chance in these Graded races now. Obviously it is going to be a big step up again, but he deserves to go there.”
San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich stands by his decision to criticise the team's fans over their booing of former franchise favourite Kawhi Leonard, describing their behaviour as "hateful".
Popovich made headlines on Wednesday when he walked over to the scorer's table and grabbed a microphone during the second quarter of the Spurs' 109-102 defeat to the Los Angeles Clippers.
With San Antonio's fans loudly jeering their former star Leonard as he lined up a pair of free throws, his former coach Popovich leapt to his defence.
"Excuse me for a second," Popovich said to the crowd. "Can we stop all the booing and let these guys play? Have a little class. That's not who we are. Knock off the booing."
Popovich later said the boos had risked giving Leonard – who won the NBA Championship with the Spurs in 2014 before departing four years later – additional motivation.
Asked if he regretted the remarks ahead of Friday's game against the Golden State Warriors, Popovich said: "Absolutely not. It's pretty easy to understand.
"I listened to it for a while and it just got louder and louder and uglier and uglier, and I felt sorry for him, and I was embarrassed for our city, for our organization.
"That's not who we are, that's not how we've conducted ourselves for the last 25 years. It's the opposite of the way we've conducted ourselves, the way we've worked in the community.
"It's kind of an indication of the world we live in today. It was hateful. It was really disrespectful, it was just mean-spirited.
"We're the team that when somebody comes back to town after having been a Spur, we show a video of them. I can remember when Kawhi and Danny Green came back from Toronto, we showed videos of those guys and the crowd didn't react like that."
The Spurs failed to end their dismal run of form on Friday, seeing their losing streak extend to 11 games as Stephen Curry's 35 points helped the Warriors to a 118-112 win in the In-Season Tournament game at Chase Center.
Curry also matched his season-high tally of seven three-pointers and added six assists, while guard Gary Payton II won plaudits for a terrific leaping block on Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama.
Number one draft pick Wembanyama had 22 points and eight rebounds but only made one of six three-point attempts as San Antonio's miserable run continued.
They continue to prop up the Western Conference at 3-13 and are 0-4 in the group stage of the In-Season Tournament ahead of Sunday's difficult road game against the Denver Nuggets.
Emmet Mullins pulled off another masterstroke as Slate Lane ran away with the £150,000 Betfair “Serial Winners” Stayers’ Handicap Hurdle at Haydock.
Owned by Paul Byrnes, the man behind so many of Mullins’ breakthrough horses, Slate Lane was winning for the fourth time in succession.
Donagh Meyler always looked in complete control on the 11-4 favourite and he survived a messy jump at the last to win in style.
What would have made the result all the more satisfying for the trainer was that back in second, a length and a half away, was Fine Margin, trained by his uncle and champion trainer, Willie.
There was some concern after the race, however, as the winner returned with a nasty looking cut on his leg.
Before walking back to the stable yard to see to the injury Mullins said: “He’s won four in a row now so it’s great, it’s all come together.
“To be honest since he crossed the line at Cartmel in a maiden hurdle this was the plan and it was about getting him here on a reasonable mark and it’s come off.
“Everything went well. I thought there might not be much pace so I said to Donagh to line up wide and see how it unfolds and he was wise to it, he did the right thing letting him off.
“He’s very straightforward and as long as he keeps winning we’re happy enough.”
Byrne added: “It’s unbelievable, I’m delighted. He’s a great horse to win four in a row.
“Donagh was brilliant on him, he’s a cracking rider and I can’t understand why he doesn’t get more opportunities at home. He’s been very lucky for us.
“This was the plan. When you have a three-miler this was the one you are aiming for because there’s nothing else worth this much, it’s not like with a two-miler.
“I don’t think we’ll qualify for the Pertemps, but he is still a novice, whether he’s that good I don’t know.
“The cut is a little bit worrying, Emmet has followed the horse down and he doesn’t normally do that. It’s a bit concerning, Emmet didn’t like it.”
Kamsinas built on the promise of his previous outing when landing the Betfair Racing Podcasts Newton Novices’ Hurdle.
Trained by Fergal O’Brien, the six-year-old had gone close in Grade Two company at Cheltenham behind Neil King’s Lookaway and when the winner ran a big race in the Greatwood Hurdle afterwards, O’Brien knew he had a nice youngster on his hands.
He was taking on a couple of well-regarded types in Henry Daly’s Bowenspark and the Lucinda Russell-trained Primoz, but they could not live with Kamsinas (16-5) in the straight.
Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero’s Making Headway tried to make a race of it, but still went down by a length and a quarter behind Paddy Brennan on the winner.
O’Brien said: “We were very hopeful – I’m never confident – as he’d been working well and was very unlucky at Cheltenham when he got stopped in his run.
“That form was franked by the winner and what I loved about him there was he threw himself over the last showing a great will to win.
“I’m delighted with him, he’s a super little horse. We’ll all sit and have a chat about what next but we thought something like this was in him. We need these days.
“It’s a long road to Cheltenham in March and hopefully there’ll be a lot of races before then. I think he’ll get further and he’s already shown he handles Cheltenham.”
Dan Skelton hopes the handicapper does not get too carried away after Real Stone coasted to victory in the betting.betfair.com Handicap Chase.
When his two main market rivals, Cheddleton and Pay The Piper, dropped away, the 15-8 favourite coasted to a 20-length win under Harry Skelton.
Skelton said: “The first thing I have to say is that I hope the other two are OK because they clearly haven’t given their true running, they are good horses on their day.
“When you’ve been having a bit of a run like we have, when there’s nothing wrong with them but winners are not exactly flowing, it’s nice to enjoy one like that.
“We’ll go quietly with him, he’s not had loads of racing and he probably has to go left-handed which rules out those Ascot races, but we hope to end up in something like the Red Rum (at Aintree).”
Stuart Crawford ran two in the Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Handicap Hurdle, both owned by Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, and with Daryl Jacob unable to get down to 10st 3lb on Park Annonciade it was left to Ben Bromley to do the steering.
Son of the racing manager of the owners, Anthony Bromley, his 5lb allowance took his weight down even lower, the 3-1 joint-favourite beating Stainsby Girl by two and three-quarter lengths.
“I’m delighted to ride a winner on a big day like this, it’s huge for me,” said Bromley.
“I’m also delighted for Stuart, he’s a great trainer and is a big part of Simon and Isaac’s team, who I must also thank for the opportunities they keep giving me.”
Sunshine Girls defender Shamera Sterling continued the legacy of Jamaicans being named Suncorp Super Netball Player of the year, as she copped this year’s top honours and again etched her name in the annals of the sport’s history.
After winning a maiden title with the Adelaide Thunderbirds and taking the club’s champion award, Sterling became just the second Jamaican player in the tournament’s history to win the coveted Player of the Year accolade, at Netball Australia’s Award ceremony on Saturday.
The ever-impressive goalkeeper joined ace shooter Jhaniele Fowler, who won the award for the last five years consecutively from 2018 to 2022, and in the process, ensured that it became six on the trot for Jamaican players.
Sterling, 27, has been pivotal to the Thunderbirds’ defensive end ever since she burst onto the scene in 2019, becoming an instant fan favorite.
In her fifth season in the league, the Sunshine Girl standout assisted the Thunderbirds to the club’s first premiership in a decade, when they defeated the NSW Swifts in an epic grand final where she recorded seven crucial gains, three intercepts and three rebounds.
For this year, sterling led the league with 118 deflections, a substantial 15 more than the second-highest ranked player, and she also topped the league with 46 interceptions, to underline her credentials as one of, if not, the world’s best.
Sterling was also named in the team of the year at goalkeeper, alongside compatriots Latanya Wilson, who parades her skills at wing-defence, as the two form a dynamic duo in the Adelaide Thunderbirds defence, while Jodi-Ann Ward, another defender, stood out for the Collingwood Magpies.
Grey Dawning put up an assured display to win the Betfair Exchange Graduation Chase at Haydock.
Trained by Dan Skelton, Grey Dawning impressed when winning a Grade Two over hurdles at Warwick last season and was still travelling well when falling in the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle won by Apple Away.
That Lucinda Russell-trained mare was in opposition once more, making her chasing debut, but Grey Dawning had a run over fences under his belt behind the classy Stay Away Fay at Exeter when third.
That experience clearly stood in him good stead as while the Grand National third Gaillard Du Mesnil’s jumping went to pieces a little, Grey Dawning gained lengths at every fence.
Henry Skelton’s positive nature seemed to gel perfectly with him, and the 2-1 chance bounded nine and a half lengths away from Gaillard Du Mesnil, who understandably found the two-mile-five trip on the short side.
Dan Skelton said: “He was a good horse last year, he won a Graded race. We saved him for Aintree as we didn’t want to over-race him over hurdles.
“You’d have never known what would have happened as he tipped up down the back straight, but I don’t think it’s foolish to say he’d have gone close.
“We’ve got to try to put that right as a chaser and win a big race when we can and as you can see he’s pretty good.
“These races are worth plenty, we were getting plenty of weight off the horse who finished third in the National so we thought we’d have a go. They put £50,000 up so if we can run in these races we will.
“I don’t think we’ll go to Kempton (Kauto Star) as he has a slight preference for going left-handed. In the new year there’s a race at Warwick (Hampton Novices’ Chase) for him so we’ll look at that.
“That’s not me ducking a Grade One, we’ll have a go at Stay Away Fay again later in the year.”
Royale Pagaille shone brightest at his favourite track when upsetting Bravemansgame to land the Betfair Chase at Haydock.
The nine-year-old was second in this race in 2021 and returned to the Grade One contest at a price of 5-1 under Charlie Deutsch, having never been out of the first two in four previous trips to the Merseyside venue.
Dan Skelton’s Protektorat was occasionally erratic in his jumping and Lucinda Russell’s Corach Rambler, the reigning Grand National hero, found the race happening at too quick a pace.
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It was left to Royale Pagaille and Paul Nicholls’ Bravemansgame, the 8-11 favourite, to share the lead in the battle for top honours.
And in the closing stages it was Venetia Williams’ charge who pushed on, jumping well over the final two fences to claim his biggest success to date by six and a half lengths. Corach Rambler was another nine lengths back in third.
Lewis Hamilton said there was something wrong with his Mercedes after he qualified only 11th for Sunday’s season finale in Abu Dhabi.
As Max Verstappen put his Red Bull on pole position for the final race of his all-conquering campaign – with Charles Leclerc second and Oscar Piastri third – Hamilton was left starting at another poor performance in his underperforming machinery.
The seven-time world champion, facing up to a second season without a victory, finished six tenths behind Verstappen and a third-of-a-second back from team-mate George Russell, who qualified fourth.
Hamilton’s failure to progress to Q3 – as he gloomily predicted here on Friday night – leaves the fight between Mercedes and Ferrari for second place in the constructors’ championship firmly in the balance.
The Silver Arrows head their Italian rivals by just four points ahead of Sunday’s finale in the desert. And Leclerc finished ahead of both Russell and Hamilton to hand Ferrari the initiative.
However, Mercedes were handed a minor boost after Carlos Sainz was a surprise eliminee in Q1.
A day after he crashed out in practice, Sainz bemoaned traffic for his lowly 16th grid slot.
It emerged earlier this week that Hamilton’s father and one-time manager Anthony had enquired about a seat for his son at Red Bull.
Hamilton has recorded just one podium in his last six appearances following Mercedes’ tumble down the grid, and he faces an uphill task to salvage a respectable result at the Yas Marina Circuit.
“There is something not right with this car, mate,” said the 38-year-old as he headed back to the pits shaking his head.
Hamilton is third in the standings, an extraordinary 317 points Verstappen, with the Dutchman starting Sunday’s 58-lap race as the overwhelming favourite to claim a remarkable 19th victory from the 22 rounds this year.
Verstappen finished 0.139 seconds ahead of Leclerc, while McLaren’s Lando Norris was a disappointing fifth. The British driver got out of shape on his final lap in the last sector, losing him considerable time.
“The whole weekend has been a struggle,” said Verstappen. “But we improved the car for qualifying so I am very happy to be on pole.”
Quizzed about Ferrari’s battle against Mercedes, Leclerc said: “I hope it is going to go well.
“The target is to beat them, so I hope Carlos get a good start and joins me in the fight.
“Let’s look to put both of our cars in front of Mercedes because finishing second in the constructors is all that matters to me.”
Elsewhere, Yuki Tsunoda impressed to take sixth spot for AlphaTauri, one place ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso. Sergio Perez’s final lap was deleted for exceeding track limits, leaving him in ninth.
State Man made a pleasing return to action when retaining his title in the Unibet Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown.
The chestnut took the contest last year before embarking on a brilliant season that saw him beaten only by Constitution Hill in five runs at Grade One level.
He was the 1-6 favourite for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend in a field of just four and after travelling well in mid-division, he accelerated when rounding the final bend and pulled clear to defeat stablemate Echoes In Rain by five lengths.
Blueking D’Oroux demonstrated his class with a taking victory in the Coral Hurdle at Ascot.
The four-year-old was sent off at 4-1 in a field of five, most of whom carried with them more experience and higher ratings than Paul Nicholls’ runner.
Harry Cobden bided his time, only asking the winner to throw down a challenge over the second-last and finding him comfortably able to go on and take the Grade Two by a length from Strong Leader.
Gordon Elliott’s Favori De Champdou impressed in winning the Liam & Valerie Brennan Florida Pearl Novice Chase at Punchestown.
The eight-year-old was an 11-2 chance under Jack Kennedy in a field of seven, though the group was quickly diminished when Jonathan Sweeney’s Churchstonewarrior fell at the second.
The loose horse was a worry throughout the race and was particularly problematic for Gavin Cromwell’s Flooring Porter, who was pestered by him when taking up the lead.
That lead was eventually assumed by Favori De Champdou, who kept on well to prevail by 14 lengths from Paul Nolan’s Sandor Clegane.
“He’d a good run the last day and we thought he’d come on from it but we thought it would be tough,” Elliott said.
“Jack said he stayed very well and jumped brilliant. I’d imagine he’ll go for something at Christmas.
“I liked the way he stayed galloping. He travelled the whole way and he could be a real National Hunt Chase horse for Cheltenham.”
Kennedy added: “The loose horse wasn’t doing Flooring Porter any favours, but it was sort of working out well for me.
“Very good, jumped great and galloped all the way to the line so I am very happy with him.
“He’s a very strong stayer and the further he goes, the better he gets. He could nearly have gone around there again.”
Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs gets the chance to gain revenge for his surprise defeat to Fastorslow at Punchestown in the spring when the two meet in the John Durkan Memorial Chase.
The Willie Mullins-trained Galopin Des Champs looked imperious at Cheltenham, proving his stamina over three and a quarter miles when that was the only real question mark.
When winning this corresponding race last season he had Fastorslow well behind him and it was difficult to see when he could be beaten.
However, he suffered a blip in the Punchestown Gold Cup, going down by two and a quarter lengths to Martin Brassil’s new star.
Sent on his way at 4-11 in April, Galopin Des Champs is yet again long odds-on with Fastorslow the only non Mullins-trained runner in the Grade One.
“Galopin Des Champs is in nice order going to Punchestown and I hope he runs a good race,” said the champion trainer.
“Galopin has won this race before – the race is a little earlier this year and the trip might suit some of the opposition more but Galopin comes here with his chance.”
Mullins also runs Stattler, second to Galopin Des Champs in the Irish Gold Cup in February, Blue Lord, Asterion Forlonge and Appreciate It.
Assistant trainer Patrick Mullins added: “Galopin Des Champs won this race last year and while it is two weeks earlier this year that shouldn’t be any problem.
“He was obviously knocked off his perch by Fastorslow at the Punchestown Festival so we have to try to level that up. I think probably coming back in trip will suit our horse more so hopefully that can help turn the tables.”
On the yard’s other runners he added: “Asterion Forlonge was second to Klassical Dream at the Punchestown Festival and was going very well in this race two years ago when he unseated so he is always a contender.
“I ride Appreciate It, who did disappoint us a little last season even though he ran well at the top level. I think he is better than his form and he has to have a squeak.
“Stattler will probably find the trip on the short side and Blue Lord is another Grade One winner who makes this race hugely competitive.”
The man who got the better of Galopin Des Champs in April was J J Slevin on Fastorslow and he reckons his mount could be even better this season, when he turns eight.
“He’s got loads of boot and that is a big asset to him,” Slevin told Punchestown Racecourse.
“That’s what sets the good horses apart, they need to be able to travel and he seems to have that in abundance.
“He’s always coasting along in his comfort zone when other horses might be out on their heads. That was his main attribute, I felt, last year.
“He picked them up the last day comfortably enough, he needed a bit of luck when he got to the front but he did it comfortably I felt.
“I think there’s more to come, he’s been lightly-campaigned all along and he could be hitting his peak this year.”
Brassil was always looking to start Fastorslow back in this race and said: “The John Durkan Chase back at Punchestown was the obvious place for Fastorslow to start off and we are really looking forward to it.
“It will be different ground and a shorter trip than the Punchestown Gold Cup but we are going there with a nice horse and hoping for a nice run.
“We are obviously facing the might of the Mullins battalion but it is great to have a horse like him and we’d be hoping he is still improving and getting better with age.”
Gordon Elliott may not be represented in the feature race but he has strong interests elsewhere, not least with Imagine in the BetVictor Craddockstown Novice Chase.
A useful hurdler, the way he won on his chasing debut at Fairyhouse suggested he will be taking much higher order over bigger obstacles.
He is owned by Caldwell Construction and their racing manager Joey Logan said: “We’re excited about him and he had a really nice first run in a beginners chase.
“He’s stepping up now at the weekend to a Graded race and we are just hopeful he will be able to progress.”
Mullins runs Uncle Phil while John Ryan’s Lucid Dreams sets a good standard having won twice over fences already.
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