Gordon Elliott was delighted to see his high-class hurdler Zanahiyr enjoy a confidence-boosting victory on his seasonal debut at Punchestown.
It is coming up to two years since the chestnut gelding last got his head in front in the WKD Hurdle at Down Royal, although he has since been placed in a string of Grade One events – last season finishing third behind the mighty Constitution Hill in both the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham and the Aintree Hurdle.
Faced with just two rivals, the Paddy Power Hurdle represented a sizeable drop in class for the six-year-old – but with the Charles Byrnes-trained Run For Oscar reverting to the jumping game just 10 days after finishing a a fine third in the Prix du Cadran, his task was not straightforward.
There was nothing to chose between the pair for much of two-and-a-quarter-mile journey and while jockey Philip Byrnes did his best to make race-fitness count by kicking for home rounding the final bend, 10-11 favourite Zanahiyr eventually mastered him under Jack Kennedy and pulled two and a half lengths clear.
Zanahiyr’s stablemate Andy Dufresne was just a neck behind Run For Oscar in third.
Of the winner, Elliott said: “I thought we were very beatable first run back and to be honest I wasn’t going to run him only there was a very small entry. Jack said he had a couple of blows and was delighted with him – he jumped well.
“He was entitled to do it on ratings, but it’s not always that easy. We thought we might get a soft lead but it was an honest gallop and Philip put the gun to our head the whole way.
“I’ll talk to Noel and Valerie (Moran, owners) to see what they think (about plans). There is a lot of prize-money to be picked up in conditions hurdles and he has no Grade One penalty, so he can step back into Grade Twos and Threes.
“I’d say you could see him in anything from two-mile-five back to two miles. You know he’s going to wear his heart on his sleeve and try his best for you.
“The way he jumps a hurdle you would say he would jump a fence, so I wouldn’t rule it out.”
Elliott and Kennedy had earlier successfully combined with Wodhooh (11-10 favourite) in the Paddy Power 3-Y-O Hurdle.
Formerly trained on the Flat by Sir Michael Stoute, the Le Havre filly got the race in the stewards’ room on her hurdling debut at Listowel last month but there was no doubt about it this time as she stretched 24 lengths clear to double her tally.
“She’s a nice mare. We like her, she’ll be better on softer ground and the further she goes,” said Elliott.
“We knew she’d come on from the run in Listowel but I think on softer ground there is another half-stone in her. She’s a very honest filly.
“We’d like to get a bit of black type over hurdles with her now. There is a race in Newbury in the first week in December that she could go for.”
The high-powered Miami Dolphins will be without one of their top playmakers for the foreseeable future.
Rookie running back De'Von Achane will reportedly miss multiple weeks with a knee injury sustained in the Dolphins' 31-16 win over the New York Giants on Sunday.
Miami coach Mike McDaniel told reporters Monday that the team was evaluating the severity of Achane's injury and on Tuesday, NFL Network Insiders Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport reported he will miss several games and may end up being placed on injured reserve.
The injury, however, is not expected to be season-ending.
It's still not certain when Achane was injured, though he didn't play in Miami's final two series against the Giants. The outcome, however, was also not in doubt with the Dolphins holding a comfortable lead in the fourth quarter, so it was initially believed he was being rested after rushing for 151 yards and Miami on its way to a victory.
The injury puts a damper on what has been a sensational three-game stretch for Achane, who has gone from relatively unknown to offensive sensation.
After being a healthy scratch in the season opener and recording only one carry for five yards the next week, Achane had a breakout game in Miami's historic 70-20 win over the Denver Broncos in Week 3, leading the team with 203 rushing yards while scoring four touchdowns.
He followed that performance with 120 scrimmage yards and two more TDs the following week in a 48-20 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
With another touchdown against the Giants, Achane became the first player in the Super Bowl era with seven TDs in his first four NFL games.
The 21-year-old leads the NFL with an incredible 12.1 yards per carry and is second in rushing yards with 460. He is 50 yards behind rushing leader Christian McCaffrey despite having 61 fewer rushing attempts.
His injury means Raheem Mostert will handle the bulk of the running back duties for the Dolphins, while Jeff Wilson Jr. could also be activated from injured reserve to add backfield depth.
Mostert has rushed for 314 yards with seven touchdowns and has another 128 receiving yards and a receiving score.
The Dolphins are atop the AFC East, and play the winless Carolina Panthers this Sunday followed by a highly anticipated showdown with the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles in Week 7.
Billy Vunipola insists England are comfortable being cast as the pantomime villains of Sunday’s World Cup quarter-final against Fiji in Marseille.
England face the darlings of the tournament with their opponents at Stade Velodrome adopting the role of everyone’s second favourite team due to their all-action style of play and underdog status.
There is also a desire to see a Pacific Islands nation progress deep into the World Cup given they produce some of the game’s finest players who contribute significantly to overseas leagues.
Every neutral will be cheering them on but Vunipola insisted England were ready to spoil the party and in the process challenge the perception that only France, New Zealand, Ireland or South Africa were capable of lifting the Webb Ellis Trophy.
“I would not say Fiji is their second favourite, I would say England is their first least-favourite team,” the Saracens number eight said.
“In terms of being public enemy number one, we are happy to take that mantle.
“We are seeing a lot of teams being talked up. Apparently there’s a top four in international rugby. I didn’t know that there was a table. We are quietly going about our work and confidently going about our work.
“Our plan is to play well firstly against Fiji and deal with whatever happens after that, after Fiji.”
England are wary of the breakdown threat posed by Simon Raiwalui’s team and are seeking clarification from Sunday’s referee Mathieu Raynal over how the contest on the floor will be officiated.
Steve Borthwick has noted the number of breakdown penalties won by Fiji so far at the World Cup – they were awarded 11 in their group victory over Australia alone – and their sheer volume of jackal attempts.
At the heart of their threat in this area is openside Levani Botia, who Vunipola knows must be nullified at all costs.
“The best thing about him is his technique. He’s got a very low centre of gravity. As a former 12 who has been repositioned to seven, he’s very fast around making the decision whether to go for the ball or not,” Vunipola said.
“Again, it’s his height. If you give him an opportunity it becomes tough, but it’s not just him. They’ve got other threats in terms of jackallers.”
England name their starting XV and bench on Friday and the greatest area of intrigue is the fly-half duel between George Ford and Owen Farrell.
Ford was man of the match against Argentina and Japan and is the form 10, but Farrell is the squad’s captain and talisman.
The two were paired together against Samoa on Saturday, but they faded as a creative axis amid a poor team performance and the experiment of reviving their partnership could be over.
“Owen’s a winner. That term gets thrown around quite a bit but that’s Owen. Under the harshest of pressures and biggest of moments, he tends to get better,” attack coach Richard Wigglesworth said.
“That is a sign of a winner. He doesn’t just get better but has more of an impact on the people around him as well. We know what gets said about Owen.
“He’s the highest ever points-scorer for England, delivers time and time again and those players tend to catch the most flak for some reason.
“We’re lucky to have him. He will no doubt have a massive impact on this week and this game.”
The British Horseracing Authority has released the 2024 fixture list and in doing so implemented several strategies designed to boost the popularity of the sport and the revenue it generates.
Here, we look at the key changes and their intended impact on the industry:
What are Premier Racedays?
A significant change is the introduction of Premier Racedays, 170 days of racing during which the best quality contests will be scheduled in order to better allow the sport to promote its headline events. An additional £3.8million of Horserace Betting Levy Board funding for Premier Racedays will be invested, with no race run for less than £20,000 on the Flat and £15,000 over jumps at these meetings. There will also be a ‘protected window’ between 2pm and 4pm when the number of races run is limited, pushing a small number of meetings to an earlier start and others later into the afternoon.
Richard Wayman, chief operating officer for the BHA, said of the concept: “What we’ve tried to do here is recognise that for the uninitiated, the person that isn’t already following our sport, we just publish every year a list of 1,500 fixtures and we leave it to them to try and figure out what the headline stuff is.
“We’ve set criteria for those fixtures now, there’s a bar that racecourses have to jump to be a Premier fixture. We wanted to be inclusive so it wasn’t out of the reach of the smaller tracks to, on one or two days through the year, really target their resources so they can be part of the Premier party. We’ve set the bar, the criteria and 170 fixtures have managed to jump over it.”
Why is there more racing on a Sunday?
Higher quality meetings will be scheduled for Sundays, including 29 Premier days, and there will also be a trial of Sunday evening racing in the first quarter of 2024 with £145,000 in prize-money required for each fixture.
Wayman said: “We’ve made it a real focus to try and improve the quality of Sunday racing. In addition, we are looking to trial Sunday evening fixtures in the first quarter of next year. That’s on the backdrop of information from the betting industry and our betting partners, who have identified to us that punter behaviour changes and those Sunday evening are an increasingly popular time of the week for people to bet.
“At the moment British racing is missing out on that, the money is being bet on other sports or indeed racing overseas. We’d like to run a trial of six meetings in the first quarter of next year to help us understand what demand there is for our customers.
“That does place a greater pressure on our workforce and that’s something we are very, very sensitive to. There are additional payments for those that will be servicing those meetings.”
Will there be less fixtures altogether?
To address dwindling field sizes there will be less meetings in 2024 and a rescheduling of some races to more suitable times. Wayman explained: “There will be 300 fewer National Hunt races next year, which includes removing 20 fixtures, and on the Flat moving 200 races out of the summer and into the autumn, when we know field sizes will be stronger.
“In addition to those volume changes there are other interventions we are making, there are 100 races that we are taking out of the programme and we will put in at the 10-day stage so we can make use of the latest horse population data to understand where the gap in the programme is. We’re going to start removing races, low-grade handicaps, with fewer than four runners in at the declarations stage.”
Are the changes permanent?
No. The proposed changes are subject to a two-year trial, during which the outcomes will be monitored and the relevant parties will be consulted.
Wayman said: “In reality, lots of bits of it will work but some bits of it won’t work, when we get two years down the line I think it is unlikely that we will be completely reversing everything, we will learn as we go.”
Julie Harrington, chief executive of the BHA, said: “Is the BHA going to be happy fronting up to those things that didn’t work? Absolutely. The sport as a whole needs to not be scared to try things and openly admit when they don’t work.”
Why is change required?
The main reasoning behind the changes to the fixture list stems from challenges the sport faces and the BHA hopes to go some way to remedying.
“We want to increase the number of fans and followers in British racing to support our long-term future,” said Wayman.
“The backdrop to that is some very concerning numbers that we’re all aware of, the declining attendances in British racing, the declining betting turnover – we’ve had lower field sizes in 2022 than we had for a very long time. Horse numbers are under pressure, owners numbers are under pressure, and of course we have an increasing number of higher-rated horses being exported overseas.”
What does the BHA hope to achieve?
Modelling developed in a back-and-forth with bookmakers has estimated a £90m improvement to British racing’s finances over a five-year period from 2024 to 2028. Harrington said: “The £90m is the difference between a ‘do nothing’ scenario in the timescale versus what we realistically think these innovations can collectively deliver.
“One of the reasons for growing the engagement with our fans and viewers is about having a more sustainable sport that has strong revenues that can then be reinvested.”
The Minnesota Vikings said on Monday they weren't going to rush Justin Jefferson back from a hamstring injury he sustained in Sunday's 27-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The team is staying true to its word, as it plans to place him on injured reserve, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network on Tuesday.
A trip to IR means Jefferson must sit out at least four games, leaving the Vikings without the NFL's reigning Offensive Player of the Year for upcoming contests against the Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons.
The earliest he could return is in Week 10, when Minnesota hosts the New Orleans Saints on November 12.
How long Jefferson will be sidelined depends on how he responds to treatment, according to Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell.
However, it's also possible if Minnesota's season continues to slip away - Sunday's defeat dropped the team to 1-4 - the 2022 NFC North champions could decide to leave Jefferson on IR longer as they jockey for draft positioning.
The 24-year-old Jefferson, who is in the fourth year of his rookie contract and will be seeking a long-term deal this offseason, was injured while slipping on the turf at Minnesota's U.S. Bank Stadium while trying to make a cut.
He limped to the sideline and wanted to return to the game, but O'Connell said the team wanted him to be 100 per cent before they let him back on the field.
Through five games this season, Jefferson has 36 receptions for 571 yards - third most in the NFL - with three touchdown receptions.
He has accounted for 38.1 per cent of Minnesota's receiving yards - the eighth-highest percentage by any receiver for his team in the league.
In 2022, he put together one of the best seasons by a receiver in NFL history, finishing with league highs of 128 catches and 1,809 receiving yards, along with eight TD receptions.
A first-round draft pick in 2020, Jefferson is a three-time Pro Bowler and has never missed a game in his career.
With Jefferson sidelined, rookie receiver Jordan Addison and two-time Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson will be expected to step up in the passing game.
Gordon Elliott expects Conflated to improve significantly for the run ahead of his reappearance in the Irish Daily Star – Best For Racing Coverage Chase at Punchestown on Wednesday.
The nine-year-old won the Irish Gold Cup and the Savills Chase at Leopardstown last year and finished an honourable third in the Cheltenham Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
However, he has not been seen in competitive action since pulling up in the Aintree Bowl the following month, and Elliott admits there is plenty to work on in the fitness department.
“Conflated is in good form, but will come on for the run,” said the Cullentra handler.
“He needed the run when starting off last season in Down Royal and will need the run even more this time. We need to get a run into him to see where we are with a view to going back to Down Royal again.”
Conflated is set to be joined by two stablemates in Delta Work and Hurricane Georgie.
Five-time Grade One winner Delta Work, who was last seen unseating his rider in the Grand National, has a third win in the Glenfarclas Chase at the Cheltenham Festival as his primary target.
Elliott added: “Delta Work needs some rain overnight. We might tip away in a few cross-country races with him and head back to Cheltenham again.
“We’re trying to get some black type with Hurricane Georgie.”
The presence of Henry de Bromhead’s 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Minella Indo adds further spice to the Grade Three contest, with Fighter Allen (Willie Mullins) and Panda Boy (Martin Brassil) completing the line-up.
National Hunt fans have been denied the chance of an early sighting of one of the stars of last season with A Dream To Share no longer running at Punchestown on Wednesday.
The John and Thomas Kiely-trained five-year-old had been declared to start his new career in the BetVictor Predictor Maiden Hurdle, which has an illustrious roll of honour with the likes of Labaik, Samcro and Marine Nationale successful recently.
He is one of the most exciting prospects of the new season, having won five bumpers last term, including successes at Cheltenham and Punchestown.
Bought by JP McManus following his win at the Dublin Racing Festival, his racing manager Frank Berry delivered the unfortunate news that his hurdling debut would have to be delayed.
Speaking at Punchestown on Tuesday afternoon, Berry said: “A Dream To Share won’t be running tomorrow. He has a stone bruise.”
McManus does, though, have the favourite in the BetVictor Proud Sponsors Of Irish Racing Novice Chase in the Willie Mullins-trained Hercule Du Seuil.
The winner of four of his five runs over fences, he is already rated as high as 150.
“He’s taken to jumping very well and has done everything that has been asked of him so far. We’ll just see how he gets on on Wednesday and take it from there,” said Berry.
“He’s won on good ground, he’s won on heavy ground but I think the big thing with him is that he’s learned how to settle. He’s certainly going the right way.
“The handicappers tend to give the summer horses very high marks now. Sometimes they can get a bit lost when the better horses come out so let’s see how he gets on.”
Mqse De Sevigne will return to 10 furlongs at the Breeders’ Cup having chased home an inspired Inspiral in the Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket.
The Andre Fabre-trained four-year-old arrived at the Rowley Mile seeking a Group One hat-trick having landed a Deauville double in the Prix Rothschild and Prix Jean Romanet in the summer and although having to settle for second, lost little in defeat with a performance which pleased her master trainer.
She has now finished first or second in all six starts this season and will head to Santa Anita for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf over the distance she excelled at when downing George Boughey’s Via Sistina on her penultimate start.
Fabre said: “I was pleased with the way she ran, she obviously needs a bit further and was beaten by a top-class filly.
“The Breeders’ Cup is the plan and if she is in good shape she will go there. I think the two extra furlongs will suit her better.
“She was probably a bit backward and a bit unlucky in her races before. But I have been delighted with her.”
Fabre is no stranger to success at the Stateside showpiece and could have the chance to saddle a fourth winner in the Breeders’ Cup Turf if Junko joins his stablemate for the trip across the Atlantic.
The four-year-old was last seen beating Christopher Head’s Big Call in Deauville’s Prix de Reux and having missed out on a run at ParisLongchamp recently will attempt to book his ticket to California in the Prix du Conseil de Paris this weekend.
“I will probably go for the mile and a half race with Junko,” continued Fabre.
“He had to miss the Arc meeting, but he is going to run next Sunday and if he runs well and can get into the race he will run.”
Wales say that fly-half talisman Dan Biggar is fit for the Rugby World Cup quarter-final clash against Argentina on Saturday.
Biggar went off after just 12 minutes of Wales’ record 40-6 win against Australia during an unbeaten march through Pool C.
He suffered a pectoral muscle strain and was an unused replacement for the Georgia game last weekend, having been rushed on to the bench when Sam Costelow was summoned to start instead of an injured Gareth Anscombe.
When asked if Biggar was fit to face the Pumas in Marseille, Wales assistant coach Jonathan Thomas said: “Yes.”
There is also encouraging news about Anscombe and full-back Liam Williams.
Anscombe withdrew 45 minutes before kick-off against Georgia due to a groin problem, while Williams was on crutches after taking a blow to his knee.
Those issues came on top of number eight Taulupe Faletau breaking his arm and being ruled out of the tournament remainder.
“At this stage, it is looking positive,” Thomas said, of Anscombe and Williams. “Every day it will evolve. It is probably not as bad as first feared.
“The crutches thing was to try and offload any pressure. It doesn’t mean he (Williams) has done anything severe. He was jogging about today with the medics.
“I saw him (Anscombe) jogging around on the pitch, along with Liam today.
“The first 48 hours after you have a knock is very important in terms of assessing it. With both Liam and Gareth, it is pretty positive.
“That is not me committing to saying they are definitely going to be available. It is an ongoing thing. They were both running around today with the medics, and they will try to progress that each day.”
Wales head coach Warren Gatland is due to name his starting line-up on Thursday, with Aaron Wainwright expected to move from blindside flanker as Faletau’s replacement.
That could then mean captain Jac Morgan wearing the number six shirt and Tommy Reffell starting at openside, although Dan Lydiate and Christ Tshiunza could also be back-row options.
Thomas added: “There was definitely a little bit of a cloud over the victory (against Georgia) because of what happened to Taulupe.
“We have been together for a long time as a whole group, and you build relationships and you become a little bit like a family. When one of your brothers has to leave, it is tough.
“It is what it is. You have got to deal with it and you have got to move on. That is sport and the harsh reality of it.”
Wales face Argentina for the first time in a World Cup game since 1999, and they will start as favourites after collecting 19 points from a possible 20 in their group.
Argentina, in contrast, lost to 14-man England and were unconvincing against Samoa, before clinching qualification by beating Japan.
“For us as a collective, our goal from day one has been to get to knockout rugby,” Thomas said.
“We have achieved that, but we are not satisfied with just getting to the quarter-finals.
“When you get to this stage, any team on their day can beat anyone. There are quality teams and quality players in the last eight.
“I thought they (Argentina) looked more cohesive in their last game against Japan in terms of their attack.
“If you win your first game in the Six Nations, momentum is huge, and it is the same with the World Cup. Every team at this stage will feel confident and feel they have momentum on their side.”
It may only be the opening throes of the new National Hunt season but the ante-post favourite for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, A Dream To Share, runs at Punchestown on Wednesday.
The John and Thomas Kiely-trained five-year-old has already created his own little piece of history having won five bumpers last season, which included popular successes at Cheltenham and Punchestown.
He was ridden to all of those by amateur jockey John Gleeson, as his family bred and previously owned him. Bought by JP McManus after his victory at the Dublin Racing Festival, Mark Walsh takes over in the BetVictor Predictor Maiden Hurdle.
“It’s nothing really to do with the ground, John is just happy with him and said he’s happy to start off and it looks a nice starting point,” said McManus’ racing manager Frank Berry.
“He’s in good form but he’ll naturally improve for the run.
“It’s very rare for a horse to do what he did, winning five bumpers and two Grade Ones, it doesn’t happen too often.
“He was very good and John did a great job with him. We’re looking forward to seeing what he can do over hurdles now.
“John has been happy with his schooling, obviously he’ll learn from the run but he’s happy to start him off and touch wood all will go well.”
McManus also has the favourite in the BetVictor Proud Sponsors Of Irish Racing Novice Chase in the Willie Mullins-trained Hercule Du Seuil.
The winner of four of his five runs over fences, he is already rated as high as 150.
“He’s taken to jumping very well and has done everything that has been asked of him so far. We’ll just see how he gets on on Wednesday and take it from there,” said Berry.
“He’s won on good ground, he’s won on heavy ground but I think the big thing with him is that he’s learned how to settle. He’s certainly going the right way.
“The handicappers tend to give the summer horses very high marks now. Sometimes they can get a bit lost when the better horses come out so let’s see how he gets on.”
Catalans Dragons head coach Steve McNamara is confident a first Grand Final win for his club against Wigan at Old Trafford on Saturday would herald a bright new era for rugby league both in France and beyond.
Having slayed four-time defending champions St Helens in last Friday’s epic play-off semi-final, the Dragons are already generating unprecedented interest in Perpignan – with six private planes already booked to fly fans for the final.
A Catalans win would build on their historic Challenge Cup success over Warrington in 2018 and their only previous Grand Final appearance two years ago, and McNamara believes one final step to the top of the sport could not come at a better time.
“I think it’ll make huge noise around the world if we could get the win,” said McNamara. “Getting to the Grand Final is good but winning it would potentially open the door to a World Club Challenge and other avenues.
“The impact on the game in France would be huge. We’re fighting against a big animal in France in rugby union, but we’re holding our own without a doubt, and games like last Friday against St Helens grabbed the attention of everyone around the world.”
Catalans have grown used to trailblazing since their formation from an amalgamation of a number of French sides in 2000, and the historic granting of a Super League licence for the 2006 season.
Coincidentally Wigan were the first victims of the sport’s new Anglo-French era when they were sunk 38-30 in Catalans’ first match in the competition, and the arrival of former Bradford coach McNamara in 2017 helped them entrench themselves within the game’s elite.
One year after winning their first Challenge Cup in 2018 they staged the first Super League game at Barcelona’s Nou Camp and expanding sponsorship and television deals in Catalonia have led club owner Bernard Guasch to target an imminent return.
Catalans’ former Wigan great Sam Tomkins – who scored the dramatic winning try against Saints – may be deservedly garnering the attention and the plaudits as he approaches a fairytale final match of his stellar career.
But significantly, Catalans’ success is increasingly underpinned by an emerging group of French players, the first generation of home-grown talent to make an impact in Super League, and McNamara is convinced the club’s potential can only continue to grow.
“The club is continuing to develop and the young French players coming into the club now are a lot more professional than they were before,” added McNamara.
“We still have some way to go, but the overall impact on the game (of winning the Grand Final) would be huge not only at the top end, but at the grass-roots level as well.”
Organisers are confident the increasing prominence of the sport in the south of France since 2021 will ensure a healthier crowd than the 45, 177 who witnessed Catalans’ close defeat to Saints, the lowest Grand Final crowd since 2021.
Less than 24 hours after Catalans’ Old Trafford bid, Toulouse will host London Broncos in Sunday’s Championship Grand Final with a swift return to Super League beckoning for their rivals, who were relegated after a single, hard-fought top-flight campaign last year.
The contrasting fortunes of the domestic game are a stark contrast to the international stage, with the French authorities withdrawing from hosting the 2025 World Cup in May, shortly after both their men’s and women’s teams were brushed aside 64-0 by England in Warrington.
“It’s been a difficult period for the French national team,” added McNamara. “But step by step we’ve managed to achieve some real consistency over the last four years, and that can only help to put us in a strong position as a game in France.”
Another trip to the Breeders’ Cup is a possibility for Emaraarty Ana having returned to winning ways at Ascot on Saturday.
Kevin Ryan’s consistent speedster had been without a victory since tasting Group One glory in Haydock’s Betfair Sprint Cup in the autumn of 2021, but with cheekpieces applied and showing plenty of zest from the gate, he produced a taking performance in the hands of Neil Callan to claim the Listed Rous Stakes in good style.
The seven-year-old finished fourth in his first crack at the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar in 2021 and upgraded that to second when finding just Brad Cox’s US sprint star Caravel half a length too good at Keeneland last year.
However, with confidence restored at Ascot, the Sheikh Mohammed Obaid-owned sprinter could now get the chance to make it third time lucky Stateside at Santa Anita on November 4.
“To be fair to him, although he didn’t win last year, he was second at the Breeders’ Cup and was second to Minzaal at Haydock,” explained Adam Ryan, assistant trainer to his father.
“I know people were sort of writing him off, but Neil jumped off him at York (after the Garrowby Stakes) and said he wasn’t far away from what we expect from him, just maybe in his old age he was getting a bit cute. The cheekpieces obviously did the trick.”
On the Breeders’ Cup, he added: “With a horse like him we will have to discuss things with connections and we have to take that into consideration. But he loves fast ground and showed a lot of natural speed – it looks like he’s getting a bit quicker so you would have to say that could be on the cards if everyone agrees.
“He’s dined at the top table for most of his career and we know he travels well. He ran a great race over there last year and there will be no question marks over him going, so we will have to just have a chat with connections and decide what the best plan of action is.”
The long-awaited 2024 fixture list has been released by the British Horseracing Authority.
The introduction of ‘Premier Racedays’ had already been announced, while there has also been an effort to significantly boost Sunday racing.
There will be 170 Premier Raceday cards in 2024 across 38 courses. In comparison only 115 meetings in 2023 would have met the criteria which the BHA believes shows the willingness of courses to improve the product they are offering.
It is believed that by creating two tiers it will help point customers towards the headline meetings, and by giving them more space in the 2-4pm slot giving them “room to breath” will allow the sport to better promote stories and improve betting revenue.
During the window there will be two Premier fixtures with one other allowed in the 2-4pm slot. All others will now either start earlier, of which there are only five, or later. There will be 36 starting later than this year.
As for the famously packed Saturday on July 13, Newmarket, York and Ascot will race between 2-4pm while Chester will start later with Hamilton and Salisbury in the evening.
Sunday racing will feature better quality racing and also a trial of evening racing. There will be 29 Premier Sunday Racedays.
There will be a trial of six Sunday evenings in the first quarter of 2024 with £145,000 in prize-money required for each, while there will be additional payments for jockeys and grooms involved at these meetings.
Premier Racedays will benefit from a total of £3.8million in funding from the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB).
Another issue addressed is that of field sizes, statistically at their lowest for 30 years over both Flat and jumps. As a result 20 National Hunt fixtures have been cut meaning there will be 1,468 compared to 1,488 in 2023.
Another initiative to increase competitiveness is that class four handicaps with three or fewer declarations will now be cancelled.
Julie Harrington, chief executive of the BHA, said: “Compiling this year’s fixture list was a truly collaborative process on a scale which I have never before seen in our industry, with the sport pulling in the same direction to achieve a shared objective. I am extremely grateful to my teams at the BHA and everyone across the sport who has engaged so constructively in this process.
“There was agreement across the industry that steps were required to increase racing’s appeal to customers at the earliest opportunity, as well as addressing the current headwinds facing the sport.
“We accept and expected that, with significant change, there will always be some who feel that the cards have not fallen their way. However, the objective for these changes is that they grow the sport as a whole, with benefits that reach throughout the entire industry in the medium to long-term.
“This is the first major step in what is a long-term transformational plan. The expectation is that the changes should generate more revenue, which will allow us to invest in other key areas – including attracting new fans and new owners and increasing the reward and recognition of all our existing participants.
“All of these changes are being introduced on a trial basis. They will be closely monitored and measured.”
James Ryan and Mack Hansen are major doubts for Ireland’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final against New Zealand after missing training on Tuesday.
Lock Ryan was absent from the session on the northern outskirts of Paris, while wing Hansen watched on from the stands.
In more positive news for Andy Farrell, wings James Lowe and Keith Earls and centre Robbie Henshaw did participate.
Head coach Farrell will on Wednesday name his team for Saturday evening’s last-eight showdown with the All Blacks at Stade de France.
Vice-captain Ryan sustained a hand issue in his side’s 36-14 weekend win over Scotland and was due to see a specialist on Monday.
The PA news agency understands the 27-year-old has returned to Dublin for a scan.
Hansen went off for a head injury assessment against the Scots and then sustained a calf problem just minutes after returning to the field.
The Connacht back began the morning training session at Stade des Fauvettes in the terraces then moved down to a pitch-side dugout before media departed.
Lowe was withdrawn at half-time in the victory over Gregor Townsend’s side due to an eye issue. The Leinster player wore a white bib for the session to indicate he was not ready for full contact.
Veteran Earls could be in line to replace Hansen after overcoming the hamstring niggle which ruled him out against the Scots.
The 36-year-old seemed in good spirits and allayed fears about his fitness when speaking to the press on Monday.
Meanwhile, Henshaw appears to be making a quicker than expected recovery from his own hamstring issue after initial estimates suggested he would be sidelined until at least the semi-final stage of the tournament.
Team manager Mick Kearney said on Monday that no member of the 33-man squad had been ruled out.
Ireland will not provide a further squad fitness update to media until after Farrell’s team announcement, which has been brought forward by 24 hours.
The Englishman expressed displeasure with the condition of the pitch at Ireland’s training base.
He raised concerns about sprinklers on the surface of the field potentially causing further injuries to players and proceeded to cover them with cones.
Owen Burrows is confident Alyanaabi can make his presence felt in the Native Trail’s Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.
A winner on his Salisbury debut in June, the son of Too Darn Hot then finished fourth behind subsequent Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner Rosallion in the Listed Pat Eddery Stakes at Ascot.
Alyanaabi got back on the winning trail in the Group Three Tattersalls Stakes over the Dewhurst course and distance late last month- and while Aidan O’Brien’s unbeaten 2000 Guineas favourite City Of Troy is expected to prove hard to beat this weekend, Burrows is hopeful his colt will put up a bold showing.
“To have the third favourite in the Dewhurst is massively exciting and this is what it is all about,” said the Lambourn handler.
“He would have been a slightly unlucky loser last time out in the Group Three, but he just managed to put his head down in time.
“He is a horse we really like, and it will be interesting to see how he fares on Saturday. As you well know, it is always a bonus when they have acted on the track.
“We left France a couple of weekends ago disappointed after Hukum’s defeat in the Arc and it would be an amazing end to the season if we could come away with a Dewhurst winner.”
While Alyanaabi was not disgraced in being beaten just under five lengths by Rosallion at the end of July, Burrows is adamant his star juvenile is better than he showed on that occasion.
He added: “In the Listed race at Ascot we felt he ran tidy enough, but that wasn’t his proper running. He got a little bit shut up in behind and didn’t get out, but when he did get out he didn’t show the speed he does at home.
“Jim (Crowley) felt the slightly softer ground didn’t play to his strengths, so it was good once we got him on faster ground last time to see him show the speed we had seen at home.
“That Ascot race has turned out to be pretty smart as the winner Rosallion has won the Group One in France, the runner up Al Musmak has won a Listed race and was second in the Royal Lodge, and Dancing Gemini, who finished fifth, has also won a Listed race at Doncaster.
“Even though he got beat at Ascot it was still a good race and the form is stacking up well.”
Burrows hopes Alyanaabi can on Saturday prove himself a legitimate candidate for the 2000 Guineas back on the Rowley Mile next spring.
“He is a Group Three winner now and hopefully that is not the end of it,” he said.
“He is a lovely big scopey horse and it looks like he will get a mile all day long.
“We are all dreaming that he will hopefully be a Guineas horse next year.”
It is a sign of Anna Shackley’s ambitions that she looks back on a big summer of results and thinks first of what she missed out on.
There has been a pile of under-23 medals – gold at the British national championships, silver at the euros and bronze on home roads in Glasgow at the worlds, then second place overall at the Tour de l’Avenir, plus a WorldTour top-10 at the Tour de Romandie.
But the 22-year-old Scot starts by saying she wanted more from a season disrupted by a knee injury which cost her the best part of three months, ruling her out of the Ardennes Classics and La Vuelta.
“At the start of the year I wouldn’t say it had been a very good year for me at all,” Shackley told the PA news agency. “It’s been a really nice last couple of months and I’ve improved a lot but I probably haven’t achieved what I wanted to achieve.”
It is hard to say which is the most significant of Shackley’s results this season. While the podium places have all come at under-23 level, seventh overall at the Tour de Romandie pointed to her ability to compete with the world’s best even as she was helping team-mate Demi Vollering to overall victory.
But her second place at the Tour de l’Avenir in early September, in the first women’s edition of the prestigious under-23 event, showed why Shackley is seen as a future contender to win the world’s biggest stage races.
“It was really nice having l’Avenir (on the calendar),” she said. “It was a full five-day tour of only under-23 riders so it helps you grow in confidence, having that leadership role. You’re the ones making the pace and not the ones hanging on for dear life.
“I was pretty lucky (the first edition) came in my last year as an under-23 and I can do it before I’m too old.”
Leadership roles can be hard to come by for Shackley, who rides for the mighty SD Worx squad.
She got an opportunity at the UAE Tour but Shackley is competing with a stacked roster that includes Tour de France winner Vollering, world champion Lotte Kopecky, star sprinter Lorena Wiebes and Marlen Reusser to name but a few.
The Dutch team has been utterly dominant in 2023, piling up 62 victories in all.
“It’s been really nice but a very strange year,” Shackley said. “This is not normal to win so many races. The team are understandably very happy with the year but it’s been a bit insane to be riding in the same team with people like Lotte, Demi and Lorena, who can achieve so much.”
This was Shackley’s third year with the team, and the young Glaswegian is still trying to learn as much as she can from her illustrious team-mates.
“It’s a Dutch team so it’s quite loud and you have to stand up for yourself or you get drowned out but they’ve always been pretty accepting and supportive,” she said.
“I’m not sure if the Dutch are people who do an arm around the shoulder so much but it works with me anyway.”
As she looks towards 2024, Shackley’s goal is to turn one of those second places into first. But with the door closing on her time in the under-23 ranks, she knows it will only get harder.
“Each year I’ve been improving a little bit and becoming more assured of myself,” Shackley said. “If I was to win a race next year, I would be more than happy…
“Leaving the under-23 category makes you feel quite old and now there’s a bit more pressure to step up. But that’s life, you move on. I’m looking forward to it.”
The Las Vegas Raiders ended their three-game losing streak as a last-quarter touchdown sealed a win against the Green Bay Packers 17-13.
The Raiders, down by three early in the fourth quarter, positioned yards from the endzone after a 10-play drive.
And the visiting defence parted ways for running back Josh Jacobs to make the deciding two-yard rush.
Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love threw three interceptions, including a crucial one in the fourth quarter, and went without a touchdown pass in a night to forget in Las Vegas.
Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 204 yards, including a touchdown pass to wide receiver Jakobi Meyers.
Jacobs ran for 20 carries for 69 yards while Meyers had seven receptions for 75 yards with one touchdown.
The Raiders now have three wins and two losses, sharing the same record as the Packers.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. homered and knocked in two runs to back a solid start from Zac Gallen, and the Arizona Diamondbacks continued their surprising postseason run with Monday's 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Arizona, the sixth and lowest playoff seed in the National League, took a 2-0 lead in this best-of-five Division Series against a Dodgers team it finished 16 games behind of in the NL West standings. The Diamondbacks are now 4-0 in these playoffs after sweeping the NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers on the road in the Wild Card round.
The Diamondbacks now return home with a chance to close out this series Wednesday.
After battering Los Angeles ace Clayton Kershaw in an 11-2 rout in Saturday's Game 1, the Diamondbacks started fast again with three first-inning runs off rookie Bobby Miller.
The first three Arizona hitters reached base in front of Christian Walker's sacrifice fly and Gabriel Moreno's run-scoring groundout, and Gurriel later produced an RBI single to extend the lead to 3-0.
Los Angeles got on the board in the fourth on J.D. Martinez's solo homer off Gallen, but Arizona countered with Gurriel's homer in the sixth to increase the margin to 4-1.
Max Muncy and Martinez singled to chase Gallen in the bottom of the sixth and got a run back on Enrique Hernandez's RBI single, but reliever Ryan Thompson prevented further damage by getting the final out and stranding the bases loaded.
Thompson, Kevin Ginkel and Paul Sewald then held the Dodgers without a hit over the final three innings to seal the win.
Gallen was charged with two runs over 5 1/3 innings, while Miller was pulled after permitting three runs and four hits in just 1 2/3 innings.
Riley's homer caps rally as Braves even series with Phillies
Austin Riley's dramatic two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning capped a crucial comeback for the Atlanta Braves, who rallied from a four-run deficit to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies, 5-4, in Monday's Game 2 of the National League Division Series.
Atlanta, which won a major league-best 104 games during the regular season, was facing a 2-0 deficit in this best-of-five series before scoring five unanswered runs to avoid a potential elimination game in Philadephia on Wednesday.
Travis d'Arnaud aided the improbable rally with a two-run homer in the seventh inning off Phillies starter Zack Wheeler, who didn't allow a hit until the sixth as Philadelphia built a 4-0 lead.
The Braves also got a sensational defensive play in the ninth from center fielder Michael Harris II, who made a leaping catch to rob Nick Castellanos of extra bases to start a game-ending double play that caught Phillies star Bryce Harper attempting to score from first base.
Riley stepped up with two outs in the eighth and Ronald Acuna Jr. aboard with the Braves down 4-3. The All-Star third baseman worked the count full against Jeff Hoffman before taking a slider over the left-field wall to put the NL East champs ahead for the first time in the series.
The Phillies put the tying run aboard in the ninth, however, when Harper drew a leadoff walk. Two batters later, Castellanos sent a deep drive off Braves closer Raisel Iglesias that Harris snared just before hitting the outfield wall before quickly throwing the ball to the infield, where Riley grabbed it and fired to first base to double off Harper after the two-time NL MVP was frantically trying to get back to the bag after rounding second base.
Wheeler allowed just one baserunner, who reached on an error by shortstop Trea Turner, before walking Acuna with two outs in the sixth. Ozzie Albies then broke up the no-hit bid with a single to right that led to Atlanta's first run when Acuna raced home as Turner misplayed the relay throw.
D'Arnaud cut the lead to 4-3 by homering off Wheeler's final pitch with Matt Olson on base in the seventh.
Wheeler struck out 10 over 6 1/3 innings and was charged with three runs - two earned - while yielding only three hits.
The Phillies built their 4-0 lead on J.T. Realmuto's two-run homer off Max Fried in the third inning, Alec Bohm's RBI single in the first and Bryson Stott's sac fly in the fith.
Fried lasted just four innings and allowed three runs while walking four.
Kevin Sinfield fittingly kicked the winning points to provide a fairytale finish to his magnificent rugby league career as he led Leeds to Grand Final glory on this day in 2015.
The Rhinos twice came from behind in a pulsating tie against Wigan, with Sinfield converting a 64th-minute try from substitute Josh Walters to seal a 22-20 win at a sell-out 73,512 crowd at Old Trafford.
Sinfield’s third goal meant he ended his rugby league career on 4,231 points, making him the third highest scorer in the history of the game, as Leeds celebrated a seventh Grand Final triumph in a year where they also scooped the Challenge Cup and League Leaders’ Shield.
“To top my career off with a treble in my final year is unbelievable. I’m really thankful and really proud,” said Sinfield, who switched codes to rugby union and had a season with the Rhinos’ sister club Yorkshire Carnegie.
“To finish on an ending like that against a great team and for it to be so tough out there, to come through at the end was brilliant.”
Jamie Peacock bowed out with a record 11th appearance at Old Trafford, as well as a ninth success, while fellow front rower Kylie Leuluai maintained his 100 per cent record in Grand Finals in his last game with a sixth triumph.
Leeds’ hero was Danny McGuire, scoring two of their four tries which helped his side to a first win over Wigan in seven major finals and belated revenge for their defeat in the inaugural Grand Final in 1998.
“We were all a bit emotional and felt a little bit drained early on,” McGuire said.
“Three of my best mates are not going to be playing with me next year. Psychologically you try to put that to the back of your mind but it’s always there.
“You want to send them out on the best terms and fortunately we were able to do that through sheer determination and hard work.
“It’ll be weird not having the Sinfield shirt next to mine on a Friday night.”
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