William Haggas is keeping his feet on the ground ahead of Desert Hero’s bid to carry the royal colours to Classic glory in the Betfred St Leger at Doncaster on Saturday.
It is 46 years since Dunfermline landed the Doncaster showpiece for the late Queen, who also won the 2000 Guineas, the 1000 Guineas and the Oaks as an owner.
Desert Hero already has a place in history, having provided the newly-crowned King and Queen with a first Royal Ascot success in the King George V Stakes in June, since when he has enhanced his Leger claims with victory in the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood.
Haggas has been pleased with the Sea The Stars colt since his latest triumph – but while expectations from the wider racing community are high ahead of his trip to Town Moor this weekend, the Newmarket handler is not getting carried away.
“He’s in good form and doing well – he worked this morning and he went nicely. He’s done now so we just have to hope for the best,” he told Sky Sports Racing.
“He was impressive at Goodwood with cut in the ground and he won on top of the ground at Royal Ascot, so I don’t think that bothers him too much.
“Obviously the softer it is the more accent it puts on stamina and he may not be a strong stayer at a mile and six and a half (furlongs), but we’ll see – I think he will.”
There were genuine concerns the royal patronage of racing would fade with the late Queen’s passing 12 months ago, but joyous scenes in the Royal Ascot winner’s enclosure following Desert Hero’s success were a huge boost to the sport.
Haggas said: “It’s wonderful that they’ve taken up the mantle from the King’s late mother and are enjoying it with great gusto. It’s terrific that they’ve got a horse that is obviously quite useful and they’re enjoying him enormously, I know that.
“Everyone who is involved in horse racing in any shape or form would like to win a Classic, whether they breed it, own it, train it, ride it or look after it.
“The Classic is everyone’s dream, so they’re no different to everyone else.”
Haggas knows Desert Hero will not have things all his own way, with a clutch of talented rivals set to be in opposition.
He added: “There doesn’t looks to be too many that shouldn’t be there. John (Gosden) has got the strongest hand with Gregory, Middle Earth and Arrest, and Aidan’s (O’Brien) horse (Continuous) was very impressive in the Voltigeur.
“I suppose Gregory and Continuous are the two, but they’re the front two in the market. Chesspiece is very solid and we’re pretty solid too, so I think it’s a good renewal and it will be a good, fun race.”
Desert Hero has also been given an entry in the Melbourne Cup, but Haggas is not looking beyond this weekend’s big-race assignment.
He said: “Obviously it’s in our minds, but much will depend on what happens on Saturday.”
Andre Fabre is planning on racking up the air miles with his two smart fillies Place Du Carrousel and Mqse De Sevigne.
Last year’s Prix de l’Opera winner Place Du Carrousel beat the boys in the Prix Foy and proved her stamina over a mile and a half in the process.
She is now bound for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, but after that possible trips to the Breeders’ Cup and Hong Kong are in the offing.
Mqse De Sevigne, who has won Group Ones over a mile and 10 furlongs in her last two races, is heading to Newmarket next for the Sun Chariot Stakes before she runs in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
Fabre said of Place Du Carrousel, who passed up an option against her own sex in the Prix Vermeille: “I wanted to run her against the colts to see how she did because that is what she is going to be running against in the Arc. I was quite happy.
“She proved she stayed 12 furlongs well.
“I need to discuss things with the owner, but if she remains in good shape she’s quite fresh because she hasn’t run much this year, we could look at big races in the States or in Hong Kong.
“She’s proving that she can handle any sort of ground, but the Arc will be tough. She’s going to run well.”
Of Mqse De Sevigne, Fabre added: “She’s a very nice filly. She will go to Newmarket next back over a mile.
“Her plan is the Breeders’ Cup Mile so running her at Newmarket will sharpen her up a little bit – a mile race will be perfect.
“She has really improved this season, she’s got stronger, but we always liked her. Ground doesn’t matter to her, the ground is always nice at Newmarket.
“Alexis (Pouchin) has a good relationship with her and he will probably be on at Newmarket.”
Ben White is adamant Scotland have learned plenty of lessons from their defeat by South Africa and as a result will become a better team for the remainder of the World Cup.
The scrum-half was “absolutely gutted” by the way the Scots started the tournament, losing 18-3 to the defending world champions in Marseille on Sunday.
It was the first time Gregor Townsend’s side had failed to score a try in a match since November 2020 – the 22-15 defeat at home to France – and was also their lowest-scoring outing since their first game of the 2019 World Cup when they lost 27-3 to Ireland.
Scotland must now win all three of their remaining Pool B matches against Tonga, Romania and Ireland if they are to have a chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals.
White believes the intense test they were handed by South Africa will stand them in good stead for the rest of the campaign.
“It is a World Cup and we’re not out so we have to regroup,” said the 25-year-old. “Playing a team of that quality is only going to better us going forward in this tournament.
“There is going to be a lot of learning from it. I know Gregor is really big on us developing as a team and learning from these situations so we will improve and get better and we will come back better against Tonga.
“We’ve got to make sure now that we’re even more accurate, that we’re better in every moment and we will do that. We’ll learn and get better from it and we will give ourselves a chance of getting out of the group.”
Scotland went into their opener against South Africa with a genuine belief that they could beat them. And although they never got their renowned attacking game properly up and running on Sunday, they went in at half-time buoyed by an encouraging finish to a tightly-contested first half that ended 6-3 to the Boks.
South Africa took control in the second half, however, and the dejected Scots have been licking their wounds over the last few days, trying to reset and regroup ahead of their next game against Tonga in Nice on Sunday, September 24.
“It was gutting, absolutely gutting because you prep for 12 weeks and when you get your foot in the door as we did, you want to try and kick on from that,” said White, who will join Toulon after the World Cup.
“They’re a top side and if you give them a sniff, they’ll take their chances. They were the better team on the day.
“We missed quite a few chances and when we got good field positions we weren’t good enough at all. That’s on us to improve.
“Some of it was down to South Africa though. It’s a great challenge playing the world champions. They’re a top team and for 50 minutes we were in it and had weathered a fair few storms in the first half.
“I felt like if we could have just come out in the second half and built a bit of pressure through our possession game and looked to get the ball a little bit wider into Darcy (Graham) and Duhan (Van der Merwe)’s hands, we could have caused them some troubles but credit to them, they stopped us doing that. It felt like they were slowing us down and we have to learn from that.”
Matt Olson extended his major-league lead with his 49th and 50th home runs of the season, but the Philadelphia Phillies chased Kyle Wright and beat the Atlanta Braves, 7-5, on Monday to split a doubleheader between the National League East's top two teams.
In the opener, Braves closer Raisel Iglesias blew a save opportunity by allowing two runs in the ninth, but Kevin Pillar and Orlando Arcia had RBI hits in the 10th to lift Atlanta to a 10-8 win.
Olson had a three-run homer in the third inning and a solo shot in the sixth to become the first left-handed hitter to reach the 50-home run milestone since Chris Davis had 53 for the Baltimore Orioles in 2013.
The first baseman is only the second player in Braves history to hit the mark along with Andruw Jones, who hit 51 in 2005.
The Phillies hung six runs on Wright in three-plus innings and Brandon Marsh had a solo homer in the fifth to add insurance as Philadelphia stayed atop the NL wild card standings. The Phillies' lead over Chicago for the top spot was trimmed to two games, however, after the Cubs rallied for a 5-4 victory over the Colorado Rockies.
Atlanta's win in the opener reduced the Braves' magic number to four to capture their sixth straight NL East title, which they can clinch by winning the final two contests of this four-game series.
Heim's grand slam highlights Rangers' rout of Blue Jays
Jonah Heim capped a five-run seventh inning with a grand slam as the Texas Rangers pulled away for a 10-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays in the opener of a key four-game series between American League playoff contenders.
The victory put the Rangers a half-game ahead of slumping Seattle for the AL's final wild card spot and allowed Texas to close the gap on first-place Houston in the AL West. The Astros were dealt a 4-0 loss by the Oakland Athletics, while the Mariners suffered their fourth straight loss with an 8-5, 11-inning defeat to the Los Angeles Angels.
Texas is now two games back of the Astros and also moved within a half-game of Toronto for the AL's second wild card.
Heim also had an RBI double in the top of the sixth inning before connecting for his third career grand slam, a blast off Genesis Cabrera that staked the Rangers to a 10-3 lead.
Evan Carter added two hits, including his first major league home run, to back six solid innings from Rangers starter Dane Dunning. Corey Seager and Robbie Grossman also finished with two hits and an RBI.
Dunning struck out seven while allowing three runs to record his 10th win of the season.
Cavan Biggio homered for Toronto and drove in two of the Blue Jays' four runs.
Woodruff throws first shutout as NL Central-leading Brewers trounce Marlins
Brandon Woodruff spun a six-hitter for his first career shutout and the Milwaukee Brewers racked up 17 hits in a 12-0 rout of the Miami Marlins that opened a four-game series.
Woodruff struck out seven while issuing just one walk in a 106-pitch masterpiece that helped Milwaukee to its third win in four games. The Brewers maintained a three-game edge on the second-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central standings.
The right-hander got plenty of offensive support as the Brewers battered Miami starter Jesus Luzardo for six runs in five innings, then scored five times off the Marlins' bullpen in the sixth.
Willy Adames led the charge with three hits and four RBIs, while Tyrone Taylor went 3 for 5 with two RBIs and Mark Canha homered among his two hits.
The Marlins entered the series having won eight of 10 to get back into the NL wild-card race, where they now trail Arizona by 1 1/2 games for the final spot. The Diamondbacks came through with a 4-3 win over the New York Mets on Monday.
A stunning 65-yard kick return touchdown by rookie Xavier Gipson handed the New York Jets an overtime win against the Buffalo Bills in a thrilling game on Tuesday.
The Jets came away with the 22-16 win over the Bills at home but it was not without loss, with quarterback Aaron Rodgers succumbing to an Achilles tendon injury just four plays into the game.
Asked about the injury after the game, Jets coach Robert Salah simply said: “It’s not good.”
Before the exciting finish to the game, the Bills forced overtime after they were down by three points with just seconds left.
But Bills kicker Tyler Bass rose to the occasion and nailed a 50-yard field goal to tie the game with two seconds remaining.
The Bills started the match the better of the two teams, with two field goals by Bass and a touchdown by wide-receiver Stefon Diggs giving them a 10-point lead at half-time.
However the Jets rallied in the second half with a touchdown by Garrett Wilson in the fourth quarter and a field goal from Greg Zuerlein putting them three points ahead.
It was not until the final seconds of the game that the Bills scored their first points of the second half.
The kick-return from Gipson ended a dramatic first week of the NFL with the Jets taking on the Dallas Cowboys next week, while the Bills will play the Las Vegas Raiders.
After four months of intense buildup, Aaron Rodgers' first season with the New York Jets may be over after only four snaps.
Rodgers was injured on the opening series of the Jets' 22-16 overtime win over the Buffalo Bills in Monday's season opener, with head coach Robert Saleh telling reporters afterward the team fears the four-time NFL MVP tore his left Achilles tendon.
Saleh said Rodgers, who was traded to New York in April following a stellar 18-year tenure with the Green Bay Packers, will undergo an MRI Tuesday to confirm the severity of the injury.
"We're concerned with his Achilles," Saleh said. "An MRI is going to confirm what we think is going to happen, so prayers tonight. But it's not good."
Rodgers was injured when sacked by Buffalo's Leonard Floyd on New York's official third play from scrimmage. The star quarterback briefly remained on the turf holding his lower left leg before being helped to the sideline, then was later taken to the locker room on a cart before having his leg placed in a walking boot.
The Jets initially announced Rodgers was questionable to return before ruling him out midway through the second quarter.
Zach Wilson replaced Rodgers, whose only pass of the night landed incomplete, and threw a touchdown pass to Garrett Wilson with under five minutes remaining in regulation to tie the game at 13-13. The Jets eventually won on a 65-yard punt return touchdown from rookie Xavier Gipson with 9:02 left in overtime.
Zach Wilson finished with 140 yards on 14-of-21 passing with one touchdown and one interception.
Rodgers put together a Hall of Fame-worthy career with the Packers that included five All-Pro selections, 10 Pro Bowl honours and a Super Bowl title during the 2010 season in addition to his four MVP awards.
The 39-year-old requested a trade to the Jets during the offseason, which the Packers eventually agreed to on April 26.
Under terms of the trade, which included the Packers moving up from No. 15 to No. 13 in this year's draft in a swap of first-round picks, Green Bay would receive a conditional 2024 first-round choice from New York if Rodgers plays 65 per cent of the Jets' plays this season. The Packers will get a 2024 second-round pick if that condition is not met.
With Rodgers on the roster, the Jets were a trendy preseason pick to end a longstanding playoff drought and contend for an AFC title. New York holds the NFL's longest active streak without a postseason appearance at 12 years, having last reached the playoffs in 2010.
After four months of intense buildup, Aaron Rodgers' first game with the New York Jets lasted all of four snaps.
Rodgers will not return to Monday's season opener against the Buffalo Bills after injuring his left ankle on the Jets' opening series, a sudden and stunning ending to one of the most anticipated player debuts with a new team in recent memory.
Rodgers was injured when sacked by Buffalo's Leonard Floyd on New York's official third play from scrimmage. The four-time NFL MVP briefly remained on the turf holding his lower left leg before being helped to the sideline, then was later taken to the locker room on a cart.
The Jets initially announced Rodgers was questionable to return before ruling him out midway through the second quarter. The team said in a statement that X-rays on Rodgers' ankle were negative but did not elaborate further.
Zach Wilson replaced Rodgers, whose only pass of the night landed incomplete.
Rodgers put together a Hall of Fame-worthy 18-year career with the Green Bay Packers that included five All-Pro selections, 10 Pro Bowl honours and a Super Bowl title during the 2010 season in addition to his four MVP awards.
The 39-year-old requested a trade to the Jets during the offseason, which the Packers eventually agreed to on April 26.
Under terms of the trade, which included the Packers moving up from No. 15 to No. 13 in this year's draft in a swap of first-round picks, Green Bay would receive a conditional 2024 first-round choice from New York if Rodgers plays 65 per cent of the Jets' plays this season. The Packers would get a 2024 second-round pick if that condition is not met.
With Rodgers on the roster, the Jets were a trendy preseason pick to end a longstanding playoff drought and contend for an AFC title. New York holds the NFL's longest active streak without a postseason appearance at 12 years, having last reached the playoffs in 2010.
The Kansas City Chiefs and All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones agreed to a new one-year contract, multiple media outlets reported Monday, ending the star defender’s holdout.
The club later confirmed Jones’ new contract by posting on social media.
Jones will presumably make his season debut on Sunday when the Chiefs visit the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the team has yet to confirm his availability.
Jones, who missed all of training camp and sat out the Chiefs’ Week 1 loss to the Detroit Lions, did not get any years added to his deal, but the new agreement reportedly carries additional incentives that will allow for possible bonuses.
The four-time Pro Bowl selection can still become a free agent after this season.
Jones, 29, has emerged as one of the most disruptive interior defenders in the NFL and has helped the Chiefs win two of the last four Super Bowls.
“Chris is an elite player in this league, and over the last seven years, he’s really developed into a leader on our team,” Kansas City general manager Brett Veach said in a statement.
“He’s been instrumental to our success and Super Bowl championship runs, and it was a priority to keep him in a Chiefs uniform.”
Jones lost over $1.6million during his holdout in fines and forfeited salary and bonuses. Each additional week of holding out would have cost him $1.1million in lost salary.
A second-round draft pick out of Mississippi State in 2016, Jones is on the last season of the four-year, $80million deal he signed in July 2020.
Jones had perhaps the best season of his career last year, totaling 15 ½ sacks and 29 quarterback hits while playing in all 17 games and earning a second Super Bowl ring.
In 107 career games, Jones has 65 sacks, 65 tackles for loss, 12 forced fumbles and two interceptions.
Freddie Steward has revealed that England’s heroic defensive stand against Argentina was inspired by a blast from Kevin Sinfield that was delivered in the wake of their Fiji debacle.
Steve Borthwick’s team opened their World Cup campaign with a 27-10 victory on Saturday despite playing 77 minutes with 14 men after Tom Curry was shown a red card for a dangerous tackle.
It was England’s finest hour since Borthwick took over and it arrived just in time as, until that act of defiance at the Stade Velodrome, concerns were being raised over a defence that had leaked 30 tries in nine Tests.
A conclusive defeat by Fiji at Twickenham a fortnight earlier saw the team reach their lowest ebb – and Steward admits the players deserved the reaction from Sinfield that followed.
“We got a bit of a rocket after that game. There were no complaints about that, it needed to happen,” the Leicester full-back said.
“We had a very thorough review, which we needed, and we reaped the benefits against Argentina. It was necessary for that to happen.
“That’s what makes Kev such a good defence coach – he’s so inspiring. He motivates us so much and he’s the sort of bloke you don’t want to let down.
“That’s testament to him as a bloke. When you go out there, part of it is you do it for him.
“You don’t want to see a guy like that, who puts his heart and soul into us in his work with his defence, feel let down.
“Kev is big on covering each other’s backs. That’s his big thing. He wants a defensive unit that are going to work incredibly hard for each other and, when it goes wrong, cover up for each other.
“Inevitably, you can be as good a defender as you want as a full-back but there are going to be times where it doesn’t go to plan and that is where you get tested. That’s his main ethos.”
Now that England have successfully negotiated their biggest match since the 2019 World Cup final, they have been challenged by Sinfield to ensure their defensive masterclass in Marseille is not a one-off.
“It is just a start. We saw lots of what we had seen in training against Argentina, which is pleasing, but I still feel there is so much in this team – so much improvement, so much growth,” Sinfield said.
“To get the win, given the noise that has been around us and the way the group have really circled the wagons – metaphorically that is – is really pleasing.
“We saw a fight, a spirit and attitude that the people at home supporting us and in the ground would have loved to have seen, and for us as coaches that is particularly pleasing, (but) we know we need to be better.
“Part of our challenge as coaches and part of the challenge of the playing group is to ensure this is not an anomaly, it is the start.”
Curry faces a disciplinary hearing in Paris on Tuesday night when he is expected to learn the length of his ban for the dangerous challenge that led to a clash of heads with Juan Cruz Mallia.
Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. was arrested Monday and charged with assault and strangulation of his girlfriend.
Porter and his girlfriend were staying at the Millennium Hotel in New York, and per a police report, she was upset he returned early in the morning and locked him out of the room.
Porter was able to gain access to the room with the help of hotel security, and he then assaulted her, according to the report.
At 6:45 a.m., police responded to a 911 call accusing Porter of assault and after an investigation, the police arrested the 23-year-old with the felony charges of assault and strangulation.
"Upon arrival officers were informed that a 26-year-old female sustained a laceration to the right side of her face and was complaining about pain to her neck," a police spokesperson said. "A preliminary investigation on scene determined that a known individual struck her multiple times upon her body and placed his hands around the neck."
The woman, former WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick, was taken to the hospital for a medical evaluation.
The Rockets issued a statement following the arrest to ESPN.
"We are in the process of gathering information surrounding the matter involving Kevin Porter Jr.," the statement read. "We have no further comment at this time."
Porter was second on the Rockets in scoring last season with a career-high average of 19.2 points per game while averaging a team-best 5.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds.
He is entering his fifth season in the NBA and fourth in Houston after spending his 2019-20 rookie season with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Selected 30th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2019 draft, Porter was traded to the Cavs and sat out the beginning of the 2020-21 season following an investigation of a single-car crash.
Cleveland ended up trading him to Houston in January 2021 after he incited an outburst in the locker room with team officials.
Dan Biggar has revealed that England’s stirring victory over Argentina helped underpin Wales’ mindset against Rugby World Cup rivals Fiji.
Wales dug deep in adversity, making more than 240 tackles as they held on for a thrilling 32-26 win that strengthened hopes of reaching a fourth successive World Cup quarter-final.
And England’s demolition job on the Pumas 24 hours earlier, which came despite them having flanker Tom Curry sent off during the early minutes, did not go unnoticed in the Wales camp.
“I thought England were absolutely magnificent after going down to 14 men,” Wales fly-half Biggar said.
“We spoke about having a little bit of a similar mindset – whether we lose a player or go down a bit, still working your absolute socks off.
“I think it was quite good for us watching that game, to be honest, as a team.
“It was almost like the red card was better for England than Argentina. I thought it galvanised them and they absolutely worked their socks off.
“They defended in twos and threes extremely well, scrambled well and forced a lot of errors.
“We knew we were going to concede turnovers and have moments when we were up against it.
“We said that we needed to have a similar sort of mindset (to England) to really grind it out and dig in in big moments.
“Results are the only thing that matter in this tournament. We are off to a good start, and if we win next weekend (against Portugal) it will be a really good start and we can build to the final two games then.”
It was an emotional time for Biggar in Bordeaux, with the Fiji game taking place on his late mother Liz’s birthday.
“I think she was looking down on us in the last passage of play with that dropped ball. You don’t see Semi (Radradra) dropping too many of those in open play,” he added.
“Not so much during the match, but I found the game quite difficult because she would have been here making a big weekend of it. It was at the back of my mind.”
Wales’ fourth World Cup win in a row against Fiji sets them up for a major tilt at winning Pool C, with Portugal, Australia and Georgia their remaining opponents.
Biggar, though, knows the importance of Wales not switching off when they arrive on the French Riviera and a week in Nice, where they face Portugal next Saturday.
“I just felt that we were nowhere near perfect, but you saw the character, the desire, the commitment of the group. We just never gave in,” Biggar said.
“We were pretty pleased to see that last ball dropped because we were certainly under the heat and it felt like everything was imploding in that last 12 minutes or so. We did well to get across the line in the end.
“We are going to enjoy it because there has been a lot of pressure on this group, a lot of things written, a lot of people said we weren’t good enough to win.
“I think it is important that this week, especially going to a very nice place in Nice, that it can turn into a bit of a holiday mode and that is the exact opposite of what we need.
“We probably need a fair bit of work on the training pitch this week.”
Haydock Sprint Cup runner-up Shouldvebeenaring could spring back into action for the Betfred Park Stakes at Doncaster on Saturday.
The Richard-Hannon trained colt was a 50-1 chance for the Group One at the Merseyside track – but took little notice of those odds when coming home just a neck behind the winner under Sean Levey.
The run was another gallant performance from the grey, who has a CV that includes two Listed wins and a good handful of Group-placed performances.
Notably he was second behind Coolmore’s Little Big Bear in the Sandy Lane earlier in the year and a return to the same track at Haydock backed up that run this weekend.
“We were absolutely thrilled with that performance, he was a 50-1 shot on the day but we didn’t have him down as a 50-1 chance in our minds,” said Tim Palin of owners Middleham Park Racing.
“We probably thought he might finish in the first five or six and pick up some prize-money, but when you look back he’d already been second to Little Big Bear and split him and Bradsell in the Sandy Lane when he went off at 11-1.
“The collateral form was there and is there, we’re absolutely trilled to provide his owners with a runner in a Group One and a horse that just got touched off in a Group One, which he did – he was trading odds-on to win the race during the final half-furlong.
“He’s a dual Listed winner and you’d like to think he’s a Group winner in the making, if we could make that a Group One or Group Two then who knows – you might have a stallion master or two picking up the phone.
“He’s a superstar of a horse, he tries his heart out.”
Connections have left the colt in the Park Stakes at Doncaster’s St Leger meeting on Saturday and a decision will be made later in the week as to whether or not he takes up the entry.
“We have actually left him in the in the Group Two at Doncaster, just in case he comes out of it bouncing,” Palin said.
“I’m sure Sean Levey will give him a spin on Wednesday or Thursday and we’ll make a decision about that race, we’ll see what the ground is going to be like as he does like good ground or quicker.
“There’s not a deluge and they’re not planning to water at the minute, if it did quicken up then it could just be tempting if we can get that Group win by his name.
“The horse’s well-being will be of paramount importance, whether he’s over his exertions from the weekend and ready to rock and roll again, but he’ll stay in training as a four-year-old anyway.”
Thinking ahead to the winter and to Shouldvebeenaring’s four-year-old campaign, Palin mapped out some targets in a season that could include a step down in trip to five furlongs.
He said: “We’ll campaign him in Group One and Group Two sprints with the aim of picking up an elusive Group One, he’s clearly a Group One performer and we want to make him a Group One winner.
“Meydan, possibly the Al Quoz, he could have a prep run and go out there for that fantastic prize-money and there’s always decent ground out there.
“He’s a candidate for that and all your normals, your Duke of Yorks, July Cups, Haydock Sprints, we might even give him a whizz at five.
“We need to explore five with him as well as he travels lovely over six and he’s strong through the line. A Nunthorpe might happen a bit quick for him, but an Ascot five or a Haydock five could suit him down to the ground.”
A first Classic winner for the King and the Queen this weekend remains a possibility, with Desert Hero one of nine confirmed for the Betfred St Leger at Doncaster on Saturday.
The William Haggas-trained Sea The Stars colt has already entered the record books once this season, when winning the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot.
On that occasion, it was the first time the King and Queen’s colours had been victorious at the Royal meeting since the death of the late Queen, and having enhanced his reputation in the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood he now has the chance to follow in the footsteps of Dunfermline, who carried the royal silks to glory in 1977.
Desert Hero’s rider Tom Marquand has already experienced victory in the Leger, with Galileo Chrome for Joseph O’Brien in 2020.
“He ticks all the boxes of what you want from a Leger horse,” he said of this year’s contender.
“It’s a mile and three-quarters but he has speed, he stays, he relaxes right and he’s with the right team, so fingers crossed we get a good draw and the right trip around.
“It would be amazing (to win a second Leger), and I think the magnitude of it possibly being Desert Hero for the King and Queen is not lost on me after I had that experience at Royal Ascot.
“I didn’t acknowledge the significance of it beforehand. As a jockey you just want to go out and win, you don’t think past what happens getting over the winning line. I think this time it is a little different, the Doncaster crowd are notoriously passionate about their racing and love a big day out. If it was to come off it would be pretty magical.”
Simon and Ed Crisford’s Chesspiece is the sole Godolphin representative and was second behind Desert Hero on the Sussex Downs, while John and Thady Gosden could saddle three in the race having confirmed both market leader Gregory and the Juddmonte-owned Arrest as well as supplementing Melrose winner Middle Earth.
Oisin Murphy rides the latter and is excited about his prospects. He told Sky Sports Racing: “He has to step up on his Melrose victory, but the form has been franked. He beat Naqeeb at Newmarket in the novice and he won really at Haydock (on Saturday) and Kempton the time before, so hopefully he’s improving and I’m looking forward to riding him.
“Sheikh Fahad has won the race before with Simple Verse, so hopefully he’ll be bang there.
“It doesn’t look like it’s going to be a very big field, but there’s some good horses in there.
“Time will tell, but I think he’s a horse with the right profile and I’d be very excited about his future in general anyway.”
Gregory has the chance to give Frankie Dettori one last Classic success and although losing his unbeaten record in the Great Voltigeur at York last month, he won the Queen’s Vase over this distance at Royal Ascot.
Great Voltigeur winner Continuous is one of four in the mix for Aidan O’Brien alongside Denmark, Alexandroupolis and Bahrain Trophy runner-up Tower Of London.
Providing an update on ground conditions, Doncaster’s clerk of the course Paul Barker said: “We are currently good on the straight course and good, good to soft in places on the round course. We had a few thundery showers over the weekend, but are sunny today, with the potential of some more showers tonight and tomorrow.
“Racing on Thursday and Friday are set fair, with some showers forecast Friday evening, into Saturday.”
Racing will be the winner, according to Willie Carson, if Desert Hero is able to replicate his historic achievement aboard Dunfermline and carry the royal silks to Classic glory in Saturday’s Betfred St Leger.
It was 1977 when Carson famously got the better of Lester Piggott and Alleged to give the late Queen Classic success in the Doncaster showpiece, during the same season the duo also tasted Oaks glory at Epsom in the height of the Silver Jubilee celebrations.
Dunfermline remains the last royal Classic winner, but now 46 years later the attention is once again on Town Moor as the William Haggas-trained Desert Hero attempts to add his name to the history books.
Having already provided the King and Queen with their first Royal Ascot triumph, the son of Sea The Stars, who will be ridden by Tom Marquand, now bids to add one of the sport’s crown jewels to his ever-growing CV.
“If the King wins then that will help racing, without a doubt,” Carson told the PA news agency.
“I rode two Classic winners for the Queen, but she wasn’t there either time. She was too busy with the Silver Jubilee celebrations for the Oaks and she was at Balmoral for the Leger, but I spoke to her on the telephone after.
“It’s a very good race, our oldest Classic, and it has the makings of a good horse race and the makings of a good story and we’re looking forward to a marvellous race.
“And if the King does arrive at Doncaster on the day and wins, then there is only one winner – racing.”
Carson won the St Leger three times, but 35 years after his final Doncaster triumph aboard Minster Son, another member of the family now has his chance to add his name to the annals of Britain’s oldest Classic.
That is because Desert Hero has been helped in his preparation for the big race by Carson’s grandson Luke, who rides the King George V Stakes and Gordon Stakes scorer in his work and is a key figure in the colt’s journey to the top.
“He’s looked after and ridden every day by my grandson, his name is Luke Carson,” continued the 80-year-old, who partnered 17 British Classic winners during his decorated career.
“He rides him in the morning, looks after him, he’s his baby.
“So I will be very happy if the King wins, for all sorts of reasons. He’s obviously got a chance, but I wouldn’t say he has as good a chance as Dunfermline did.
“Not only was that Leger famous because the Queen won it, but it was the only time in his career Alleged was beat. It was an incredible race and she was a very good filly, Dunfermline.”
Not only does Carson have the family connection with Desert Hero to look forward to, he also owns a half-sister of the dam of ante-post favourite Gregory, and it promises to be a huge afternoon for the Scotsman, who may struggle to juggle his loyalties in the closing stages.
He added: “It’s a race I won three times. The race was quite kind to me.
“The horse Gregory, I own the dam’s half-sister called Leah. For me it is a big day all round.
“We’ve got a few irons in the fire and I guess I’ll be shouting for them both. Maybe a dead-heat!
Gregory heads to Doncaster Moor as market leader despite losing for the first time in the Great Voltigeur at York.
It was Aidan O’Brien’s Continuous who lowered the Golden Horn colt’s colours on that occasion, but Carson believes Gregory could be seen to better effect this weekend.
He said: “I saw an interview that John Gosden gave and I agreed with everything he said about why Gregory got beat at York.
“Unfortunately Frankie (Dettori) rode a fantastic race in the following race that day (Mostahdaf in the Juddmonte International Stakes), but he fell into a bad trap on Gregory by going too fast.
“John Gosden pointed that out and he also pointed out that when the race was over and he was beat, and Frankie had decided that was it, the horse still ran on.
“So Continuous is not certain to beat him at Doncaster. I think Frankie thought he would be able to dictate at York, but I’m afraid the dictation got thrown out the window because he had two people annoying him all the way round.”
He has also narrowed the stamina-sapping one-mile-six-furlong contest down to the three at the head of the betting and is relishing the prospect of three of the weighing room’s best slugging it out to lift the trophy.
“It looks like those are the three (Gregory, Continuous and Desert Hero) that should be winning the St Leger and I would say it will be the horse that gets the best ride, basically – the one who it clicks for and whoever gets it right,” said Carson.
“O’Brien will organise the pace and it will be up to Frankie, who is normally very astute when it comes to tactics, I imagine he will not get it wrong this time. Of course, Ryan Moore will just sit on the tail of Frankie, that’s how I see it, whether it happens is another matter.
“You’ve got three of the top jockeys at the top of the game and we’re in for a treat.”
Andy Murray believes Great Britain can win the Davis Cup again this season and is happy to play his part on or off the court.
The former world number one is among a five-man team for this week’s group stage in Manchester, along with Cameron Norrie, Dan Evans, Jack Draper and Neal Skupski.
Quite what Murray’s role will be remains to be seen and, speaking after his disappointing second-round loss to Grigor Dimitrov at the US Open, the Scot questioned whether he deserved his place.
But the 36-year-old cut a much more positive figure at a press conference at the AO Arena on Monday, saying: “At that moment, straight as I came off the court, I wasn’t in a great place after losing in a slam.
“I said (to captain Leon Smith), if I’m not needed, I completely get that. But, for whatever reason, he asked me to come and I said I would come.
“I’ve always loved playing Davis Cup and any event where you’re competing for your country. We have a great group of guys, I love being part of this team, we’ve got great staff as well. Everyone gets on extremely well.
“I do genuinely believe the team can win the event. That’s huge motivation to be a part of it. I want to help the team in any way I can, whether that’s on the court or off. We’ll see what happens.”
Britain have been drawn in an intriguing group with Australia, France and Switzerland and must finish in the top two to book their spot at the finals week in Malaga in November.
It is now eight years since Murray led Britain to the Davis Cup title virtually single-handed.
There is no doubt Britain have a stronger overall team now, but with that come selection difficulties for Smith and he faced criticism for choosing Murray and Joe Salisbury as his doubles pair as they crashed out at the same stage in Glasgow 12 months ago.
Salisbury won his third consecutive US Open title with American Rajeev Ram on Saturday but did not make the team, with Smith likely to rely on Skupski and Evans in doubles, while the most intriguing question mark is whether he will throw in 21-year-old Draper fresh from his run to the fourth round in New York.
He has had a hugely frustrating season with injuries but is a major talent who will surely lead the team in the not-too-distant future, while Norrie and Evans have both had patchy seasons.
“I think we’ve got our best five here,” said Smith. “Obviously we’ve got strength in depth, especially on the doubles side. In terms of selection for the matches, it’s good. You want a strong squad, different options, because it is a long week. I’m just delighted they’re all here.”
Draper was named in the team for the first time for February’s tricky assignment away in Colombia, where victory secured their progress to this point.
“I feel great,” said the Londoner, who was hitting with fit-again former British number one Kyle Edmund on Monday.
“Obviously New York gave me a real boost after quite a tough season. When Leon asked me to join the guys I was really excited and wanted to be here.
“I haven’t been part of a Davis Cup group playing at home. It’s amazing to be part of this team and I’m very grateful for the selection and happy to be around these boys for sure.”
Britain’s biggest challenge is likely to come on Wednesday when they take on last year’s runners-up Australia, led by in-form world number 12 Alex de Minaur.
Crowds of around 8,000 are expected for that tie and the one on Friday against Stan Wawrinka’s Switzerland, while a sell-out of more than 13,000 on Sunday for the final match against France will be the biggest for a Davis Cup contest in Britain.
There are other groups taking place in Bologna, Split and Valencia, where Serbia and Spain will do battle, although a Wimbledon final rematch between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will no longer happen following the Spaniard’s withdrawal.
Qipco British Champions Day at Ascot is viewed as the “end game” for Nashwa following another excellent run in defeat in Saturday’s Irish Champion Stakes.
Having claimed her third Group One win in the Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket in July, John and Thady Gosden’s filly was beaten a length into third place in the Nassau at Goodwood and finished the same distance behind her stablemate Mostahdaf when runner-up in the Juddmonte International at York.
She was sent to Leopardstown for another top-level assignment and stormed home from the rear to again pick up minor honours in third, finishing on the heels of the Aidan O’Brien-trained pair of dual Derby winner Auguste Rodin and defending champion Luxembourg.
Nashwa has the option of return to Paris on Arc weekend for the Prix de l’Opera, in which she was touched off as a hot favourite last season, while she also holds an entry in the Sun Chariot at Newmarket the following week – but it is the big day at Ascot that connections are focussing on.
“She ran a super race on Saturday, she really did. She’s proven herself in top-class company against the colts and has come out of the race really well,” said Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to owner Imad Al Sagar.
“We’ll look at the options, but I think possibly the end game would be Qipco Champions Day, whether that be for the QEII or the Champion Stakes.
“I don’t think it would be necessary to have another run between now and then, but she is in the Sun Chariot or there’s the Prix de l’Opera.
“The Opera does come up quite quick, so we’ll see.”
Last term Nashwa finished fourth at the Breeders’ Cup, but a trip to California appears less likely this time around, and a decision on whether she will race on next season has yet to be made.
Grimthorpe added: “It (Breeders’ Cup) certainly hasn’t been discounted because you never know what may or may not happen, but I think at the moment Ascot would be the main aim.
“Nothing has been decided (regarding next year), we’ll see how she is and see how she goes and Imad will decide nearer the time.”
Goran Ivanisevic believes Novak Djokovic transcends tennis and is one of the greatest in the history of sport.
Djokovic won his 24th grand slam title when he beat Russian third seed Daniil Medvedev over three gruelling sets at the US Open.
His Croatian coach, Ivanisevic, says Djokovic’s fighting spirit and will to win make him a sporting “genius”.
“I don’t think you can work on that,” said 2001 Wimbledon champion Ivanisevic.
“You are born. You know, some people who are born, he’s a genius. He’s one of kind. There are not too many people in this world like him sport-wise.
“This is one of the biggest achievements in sports history. We’re not talking about tennis. We are talking generally in sport.
“He’s a winner. He’s the guy who is motivating himself. He had luck to have guys like Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer, they came before him, so they pushed each other.
“But he’s a born winner. For him, when you tell him he cannot do something, it’s even worse. Then he’s going to show you that he can do it. It’s no excuses.
“He always tries to find a way to win, how to fight, even when he’s not feeling well, injured, not injured.
“It’s just something I cannot say that we’re all like that from the Balkans, because we are not. But he’s one of a kind, and that’s why he’s the best.
Banned from the US Open in 2022 due to Covid vaccination laws, Djokovic returned to become its oldest champion a year later.
The 36-year-old Serbian, back at world number one, avenged his defeat in the 2021 final against Medvedev.
He said: “I guess people love comeback stories. I love them too. They motivate me.
“I hadn’t played any tournament on American soil for two years, and the last time I was here I lost in the finals against the same player I beat.”
Djokovic has now won seven of the last 10 grand slams he has competed in despite the emergence of the likes of Medvedev, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
“You need to reinvent yourself, because everyone else does,” he added.
“As a 36-year-old competing with 20-year-olds I probably have to do it more than I have ever done it in order to keep my body in shape, in order to be able to recover so that I can perform on the highest level consistently.”
Rogue Millennium could be headed to Paris after her gallant second-placed run behind Tahiyra in the Matron Stakes at Leopardstown.
The Tom Clover-trained four-year-old was a 12-1 chance for the Group One on her sixth start of a successful season in which she has only once been out of the top three for owners The Rogues Gallery.
A Group Two winner in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot, the daughter of Dubawi was then fifth when stepping up a grade on soft ground in the Prix Rothschild at Deauville.
Conditions at Leopardstown were more to her liking, however, and she showed a brilliant turn of foot to accelerate away in pursuit of Tahiyra – the 5-6 favourite and a multiple Group One winner.
Rogue Millennium was a length and quarter behind when the line came, a valiant run in defeat and a performance that may inspire a step back up in trip.
“She’s taken us on a terrific journey, she’s given us some fantastic days,” said Clover.
“After the race we were a little bit disappointed but we shouldn’t be, the form was so strong, there were a few little things that didn’t go in her favour but I loved seeing her on that quick ground.
“She showed a terrific turn of foot and we were as happy as you could be after finishing second.
“You win a maiden and then you want to win a Listed race, you do that and you want to win a Group race, then you want Group One black type.
“You always want more, but we’re thrilled with her. It was a fantastic day and she ran a great race.
“I suppose what’s exciting is that she’s a filly that still looks like she’s improving and that’s great to see. She’s so game, she tries her heart out and she loves the game.”
Rogue Millennium has form over 10 furlongs having been placed at Pattern level over the trip earlier in the season and connections will now consider whether to return to that distance for the Prix de l’Opera on the same day as the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp.
Clover said: “We always felt that nine furlongs would be her optimum, she’s been finishing well over a mile and has now been second in a Group One over a mile but we felt like she was making up ground the whole time and had it been over nine, we would have been getting closer a lot further away.
“She’s in the Opera and we’ve got her in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, those are our two options.
“We’ll look at the Opera and see how she is, three weeks is a reasonably tight turnaround with the travel and so on, but if she’s OK we’ll be tempted to go to Longchamp, I think.”
Ed Bethell is planning to give his Sprint Cup hero Regional a well-earned break before targeting further big-race honours on Dubai World Cup night in March.
The five-year-old provided his young trainer with a first taste of Group One success at Haydock on Saturday, his third win from as many visits to the Merseyside venue.
Connections have the option of supplementing for next month’s Qipco British Champions Sprint at Ascot, while he also has foreign options at the Breeders’ Cup and in Hong Kong.
Bethell, though, is unsure about the suitability of any of those three races and would prefer to keep his powder dry for the Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan in the new year.
Reflecting on Haydock, he said: “Things like that don’t happen very often and I probably was in a bit of shock. We celebrated on Saturday night, but I think I was so shattered from the whole occasion I went to bed quite early.
“The horse is absolutely fine – he came out of the race sounder than he went into it.
“I would imagine he’s probably going to go on holiday now. I don’t think the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita would really suit him. He got rushed off his feet in the Nunthorpe at York last month and I think if he went there the same would apply.
“We’re not entered for the Champions Sprint at Ascot, so we’d have to supplement, but for however many years it’s been run it’s been run on soft ground and he doesn’t like soft ground, so we don’t run him on it.
“After that there’s only really Hong Kong left and again, I’m not sure Sha Tin would be his bag, whizzing round that bend. I have nominated him, but I would rather end the year on a high.”
Although not ruling out the possibility of a prep run, the Middleham Moor handler is currently in favour of heading straight to the Al Quoz before bringing Regional back to Europe.
He added: “I’ve said to the lads that own him I’d quite like to train him for the Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai on World Cup night. Of all these international tracks I think Meydan would be the place for him as it’s very similar to Haydock and York – a big, flat, open, galloping track, which is what he likes.
“I’ll see how he is. You’ve got that Super Saturday meeting you might fly out for. He’s travelled before, having been to Qatar and finished second for us out there, so we know he’s good off an aeroplane.
“He’ll be targeted at all the top sprints next year, starting off with the Duke of York maybe if he comes back from Dubai all right.
“He’ll get an entry in both sprints at Royal Ascot (King’s Stand and Jubilee) I would think and then hopefully all roads lead back to trying to defend his crown at Haydock.”
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