Oliver Sherwood was out of luck with his final runners as he said goodbye to the training ranks at Uttoxeter on Friday.
The 68-year-old announced last month that he was to relinquish his licence after a near 40-year career as a trainer, as recent health troubles, combined with dwindling numbers in his yard and the death of close friend Richard Aston, prompted Sherwood to reassess his priorities.
Neither of his final two runners could hit the frame at the Staffordshire track and Sherwood now bows out ahead of his new venture in the role as assistant to fellow Lambourn handler Harry Derham – with the majority of his remaining string making the short journey with him.
“I think most of them are going. There’s one or two I’m not quite sure about yet,” he told Sky Sports Racing after Mystic Man was pulled up in the Low Cost Roofing Stoke Novices’ Handicap Chase.
One of the highlights of Sherwood’s career was Many Clouds who the 2015 Grand National to cap a stellar 2014-15 season which also saw the popular stayer land the Hennessy and Cotswold Chase.
Many Clouds won 12 of his 27 races and Sherwood will always have the fondest memories of the battling son of Cloudings.
He added: “It was fantastic and I remember going up and seeing him as an unbroken three-year-old at Trevor’s stud with Mick Meagher near Haydock and I loved him then and he became a horse of a lifetime.
“To do what he did was just unbelievable. Although, mind you, if Trevor had not have said ‘lets have a crack at the National’ I was all set to put him away for the year. Owner intervention played a key part and I wasn’t going to run him – I thought it was a year too soon.
“If you had told me he would win a Hennessy, win a Cotswold Chase and finish sixth in a Gold Cup I would have bitten your arm off, but to then go and win a National was great. You are now always known as a Grand National-winning trainer.
“I’ve had a really lovely career, it’s been 39 years. I would like it to go on, but having been ill for 18 months with a touch of cancer, someone upstairs was saying take a pull. I’m not packing up, I’m just changing direction.”
Luisa Casati has brought together aficionados of two differing types of saddles and will aim to do her connections proud in the Lillie Langtry Stakes at Goodwood.
The Vadamos mare is trained in Lambourn by Tom Ward, a keen cyclist who shares his passion with the syndicate that own the bay – Velocity Racing.
The group was put together by former trainer Harry Dunlop when he held a licence of his own, and upon his retirement from the training ranks he wanted to maintain his involvement with the partnership.
Each member pays £1,000 for the year and the usual benefits of shared ownership are combined with cycling trips, some of which Dunlop hopes will coincide with European runs later in the season.
Before then there is a target closer to home as the five-year-old holds an entry for the Group Two Lillie Langtry Stakes, over a mile and six furlongs.
A mile and a half has been Luisa Casati’s trip so far this year, a distance over which she was a gallant third when beaten just a neck in the Listed Prix de la Porte de Madrid at Saint-Cloud in March.
Following that run she headed to Goodwood for a Listed event on home turf, this time winning the Daisy Warwick Fillies’ Stakes ahead of Juddmonte’s well-regarded Time Lock.
That success was the biggest of Ward’s career, but connections are hopeful there are more big days to come after her fifth-placed run when last seen in the Group Two Lancashire Oaks at Haydock.
The race was a steep step up in grade and the filly looked to be running on towards the line, suggesting an increase in distance will be appreciated when she returns to Goodwood.
“We have about 20 members and they are like-minded souls, they buy a share of the horse and then we put on cycling trips,” Dunlop explained.
“We’ve just come back from a trip to France, which was the Normandy battlefields, and then we went to Versailles and to the Grand Prix de Paris on the Friday night.
“We’ve got a mixture of fun things for people and Luisa Casati has been an amazing horse for us.
“I started it about four years ago and a lot of the members have become friends because they’ve stayed with us, which is great.
“I’m helping Tom a little bit anyway, he’s training a couple of my ex horses and he’s pretty enthusiastic about his cycling too, which is quite important!
“The Goodwood win for us was very special, a lot of the partners were there and we went into it hopeful of a nice run but certainly not to go and win like that.”
Now a Goodwood return is in the diary, the syndicate can plan a day out at the meeting before looking further afield in the latter stages of the season.
“She ran well the other day, things went a little bit against her, including the ground, but we’re hopefully going to aim for the Lillie Langtry at Goodwood on Saturday,” Dunlop said.
“Tom’s keen as she has won at the track already and that should mean it will suit well.
“Everyone will certainly try to be there, most people are based in Berkshire and Hampshire, there are a few more who are based further up north as well, but I’m sure there’ll be a big presence.
“Tom has mentioned a possible trip to Baden-Baden which we’re likely to do later in the year, similarly I think there are some options in France too.
“I think she is going to be a better autumn filly as the ground might be softer for her so hopefully we can keep going.”
Conor Benn is free to resume his boxing career after he was cleared by a UK Anti-Doping investigation into the two failed drugs tests that forced the cancellation of his fight with Chris Eubank Jr.
Benn was formally charged by UKAD in April after twice testing positive for the female fertility drug clomifene in the build-up to October’s domestic catchweight showdown.
But the 26-year-old, son of British great Nigel Benn, revealed on social media that the charge has been dismissed by the doping agency.
“Today marks the end of a gruelling 10-month process, during which the WBC had already decided I was innocent of any wrongdoing,” Benn said in a statement released on Twitter.
“After a hearing with the National-Doping Agency Panel and UKAD, I have now been vindicated for the second time.
“Hopefully, the public and various members of the media can now understand why I have maintained my innocence so strongly all the way through.
“The UKAD process has now formally ended and I remain free to fight.”
The PA news agency has contacted UKAD for comment.
Dual Derby hero Auguste Rodin is one of four runners for Aidan O’Brien as the master of Ballydoyle goes in search of a fifth victory in Saturday’s King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes.
It is 22 years since the great Galileo supplemented his Derby triumphs at Epsom and the Curragh with victory in Ascot’s midsummer highlight, comfortably accounting for top-class older horse Fantastic Light.
Dylan Thomas and Duke Of Marmalade provided O’Brien with back-to-back wins in 2007 and 2008 before Highland Reel struck gold for the County Tipperary maestro in 2016 – and in Auguste Rodin he has unearthed another potential middle-distance star.
Disappointing when favourite for the 2000 Guineas in May, the son of Japanese ace Deep Impact has since proved his worth with successive Classic wins over the King George distance of a mile and a half.
Both of those triumphs did come on fast ground, though, and with an easier surface forecast for this weekend, O’Brien is hoping underfoot conditions do not deteriorate further.
He said: “We’re very happy with Auguste Rodin and everything has gone very well since the last day.
“The better the ground, the better it will suit him. We wouldn’t want it getting any worse. We’ll definitely walk the track, obviously.
“He’s a beautiful mover, he doesn’t raise his feet much.”
Auguste Rodin is joined by a trio of stablemates in Luxembourg, Point Lonsdale and Bolshoi Ballet.
While the latter pair are three-figure prices with some bookmakers, it would be dangerous to dismiss Luxembourg, who has won an Irish Champion Stakes and a Tattersalls Gold Cup at Group One level over a mile and a quarter and was second to Mostahdaf in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot last month.
He finished seventh in last season’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on his only previous outing over a mile and a half and O’Brien does not view the longer trip as an issue.
“Luxembourg is very straightforward. He’ll love a mile and a half and will get the trip very well. He’s very fit and everything has gone really well since the last day,” he added.
“It’s a race we were always looking at with him and we thought it was going to suit. He’s solid, has had his two runs and he’s ready.
“It’s a great race and that’s what everyone wants all the time, the best horses all together and then let it happen. That’s what we all want to see win, lose or draw.”
Ryan Moore has a couple of King George wins on his illustrious CV courtesy of Conduit (2009) and Highland Reel and of the O’Brien quartet has unsurprisingly sided with Auguste Rodin.
However, he feels all four are worthy of their place in a stellar renewal and is certainly taking nothing for granted.
“This is clearly as deep a King George as we have seen in a fair while, even with the absence of Desert Crown and three others from the five-day stage, and it is no exaggeration to say that they all have a chance of winning,” the jockey told Betfair.
“Obviously, some a lot more than others, as the betting tells you, but you couldn’t totally dismiss any of these, as the likely outsiders Bolshoi Ballet and Point Lonsdale are Grade One and Group Two winners respectively.
“We’d like to think Auguste Rodin is towards the top of the list of the most likely winners though, and he comes into the race on the back of his two Derby wins. Some crabbed the manner of his win at the Curragh last time but I’ll take a Classic success however it lands – and he did it comfortably enough anyway, from a very good horse (Adelaide River).
“It is probably fair to say his defeat of King Of Steel at Epsom reads a lot better, as the runner-up showed how good that form was when winning at Royal Ascot. That was a strong Derby, and we expect him to be very competitive here.”
Moore has steered Luxembourg to all three of his top-level wins and views him as a major danger, adding: “Luxembourg is also a proper Group One horse, just rated 1lb inferior to Auguste Rodin, and he has unfinished business at this trip after an inconclusive run in very deep ground in the Arc.
“A win for him wouldn’t surprise me at all, as I don’t think a mile and a half is an issue for him, but the same goes for the likes of Hukum and Emily Upjohn to name just two, a Classic winner in Westover and last year’s winner Pyledriver.
“This race is as good as it gets in recent years, certainly in terms of depth, but luck in running will play its part with 11 runners, and Luxembourg is drawn one and Auguste Rodin in 11, which may have their challenges – but you play the hand you are dealt.
“I’d be most wary of Emily Upjohn, who I probably think has the best form coming into the race after her second to Paddington in the Eclipse.”
Mark Cavendish wants to make mental health problems more relatable after opening up on his struggles with depression in a new documentary.
In ‘Mark Cavendish: Never Enough’, which launches on Netflix on August 2, the Manxman describes his battle with the Epstein-Barr virus and how a diagnosis of clinical depression left doctors worried about the prospect of self harm.
Cavendish insisted he did not want anybody to feel pity but he hopes the film will reach people suffering with their own issues.
“I’m conscious there’s people in a lot worse situations than me,” Cavendish said. “I don’t want to sit here saying I feel sorry for myself…I’m privileged to have the life I’ve had. What we want the film to show is that depression can affect anybody in the world no matter who you are.”
Cavendish, who has remained silent on speculation he might defer retirement for another year after a broken collarbone prematurely ended his bid to win a record-breaking 35th career Tour de France stage, attended a private screening of the film with family and friends in central London on Thursday.
Afterwards, rather than the usual conversations he might have with people about bike rides, the Manxman heard from those who had experienced problems of their own.
“Everyone is human,” Cavendish added. “It doesn’t matter where you are in life, what your background is or what you do. We’re all humans and it’s relatable…
“The irony is that you feel so alone if you suffer when in fact everyone is probably there thinking they’re alone. If you talk you’d be surprised how much you’ve got in common.”
Cavendish has built a career on making split-second decisions at breakneck speeds in the often chaotic world of sprinting. But when discussing depression, he considers each question carefully before answering.
“It’s an understanding that there’s a ladder in the middle of that spiral down and you can get on that ladder and climb up,” he said. “It doesn’t matter where you’re at. It’s keeping that hope and good people around you.”
The film chronicles the road to one of the great sporting comebacks as Cavendish won four stages of the 2021 Tour, his first victories there since 2016, to match Eddy Merckx’s record of 34.
In 2017 Cavendish was diagnosed with the Epstein-Barr virus, which can cause chronic fatigue. He was cleared to return faster than he should have been, and then struggled to understand his loss of form, leading to depression.
The film is a story of physical recovery but also a process of self-discovery.
A man whose identity was built on winning bike races felt lost when success stopped, describing a “sense of worthlessness”, but the 38-year-old found a way back with the help of wife Peta, their children and his closest friends.
“Absolutely you learn what is important, 100 per cent,” he said. “(Cycling) is my job. Don’t get me wrong, I love it. I know I’m incredibly fortunate to do what is my passion for my job but my purpose is to be a husband and a father more than anything else.
“You don’t want situations like what’s in the film but you see the positives at the end of the day. I tend to look at a lot more positives in things and understand what’s fundamentally important. It’s actually quite a nice head space to be in.”
That change of perspective extends to racing too. Cavendish used to relish proving doubters wrong, and there is plenty of scope for that in a film which uses clips from Lance Armstrong’s podcast showing the disgraced former rider frequently writing him off. But Cavendish can shut out such noise now.
“At one point that was a driving factor of what I did,” he said of criticism. “Now it’s not.”
Cavendish was also better equipped to handle the crushing disappointment of his race-ending crash on stage eight of this year’s Tour, a day after he was denied victory in Bordeaux by a skipping gear.
“I watched the Tour every day (after the crash) which I couldn’t have done previously,” the Astana-Qazaqstan rider said. “It is what it is. I was in good form. I had a race-winning sprint the day before.
“Crashing is part of cycling. You don’t want it for yourself and you don’t want it for anybody else, but with success comes those risks.
“You’ve just got to get on with it. It was a freak accident and you’ve just got to stay pragmatic. My job is to try and get fit as quickly as possible and race my bike again.”
William Muir is confident Pyledriver will not give up his crown without a fight in a mouthwatering renewal of the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes.
The six-year-old produced one of the most popular results of last season when downing several supposed bigger guns in Ascot’s midsummer highlight, his second Group One win after the 2021 Coronation Cup.
Niggling injuries meant he missed the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and plans for subsequent foreign jaunts to Japan, Hong Kong and Dubai were shelved – but he proved he has lost none of his talent after 11 months on the sidelines by adding the Hardwicke Stakes to his big-race tally at Royal Ascot last month.
Despite the positives, the defending champion is only fifth in the betting for his return to Berkshire. Muir, though, feels anyone who underestimates Pyledriver does so at their peril.
“It’s a very good race and it’s great to be part of it. Everything has been great since the Hardwicke and we’re looking forward to it,” said Muir.
“We’re not worried about the ground and this is what we all live for, to have horses going for these type of races at these type of places.
“They’ve all got great credentials, they’re all horses that have been out and proved themselves this year. They’re all there to go and have a go.
“We’ll go there and run our race and see how good everyone else is.”
Another older horse with excellent credentials is the Owen Burrows-trained Hukum.
Like Pyledriver, the Shadwell-owned entire has returned from injury this season – beating last year’s Derby hero Desert Crown in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown in May.
Having since sidestepped a clash with Pyledriver in the Hardwicke due to unsuitable ground, connections are thrilled rain has arrived and are hoping for a bold showing on Saturday.
Angus Gold, racing manager for owners Shadwell, said: “It looks a fabulous race, let’s hope it lives up to its billing.
“As far as I know, touch wood, Hukum is in good shape and the ground has come right for him. Now it’s just a question of getting luck in running and whether he’s good enough.
“We’ve obviously won the King George before with Taghrooda (2014) and Nashwan (1989) and it’s always been a huge race. It was the most important race of the summer when I was growing up and people of my generation still consider it a very important race, so it’s lovely to have a horse in with a chance.”
The two three-year-olds in the field are Auguste Rodin and King Of Steel, who were split by only half a length when first and second in the Derby at Epsom last month.
Aidan O’Brien’s Auguste Rodin has since become a dual Derby winner at the Curragh, while Roger Varian’s King Of Steel outclassed his rivals in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Varian is looking forward to the rematch, saying: “We’re excited. He’s training nicely and looks great, he’s ready to go.
“I hope that’s he adaptable (ground-wise), we’ll find out on Saturday.”
John Gosden has saddled five winners of the King George, with the triumphs of Nathaniel (2011) and Taghrooda (2014) following by three victories for the remarkable Enable in 2017, plus 2019 and 2020.
This year the Clarehaven handler and his son and training partner Thady are represented by another top-class filly in Emily Upjohn, winner of the Coronation Cup at Epsom last month before being touched off by Paddington in an Eclipse thriller at Sandown three weeks ago.
“She came out of the Eclipse well and she’s going back up in trip to a mile and a half. She won over the course and distance on Champions Day last year, albeit against fillies, whereas this is probably the race of the season, so it’s a different ballgame,” said Thady Gosden.
“It’s a particularly strong and deep field – pretty much everyone has turned up. It’s a shame the Derby winner from last year (Desert Crown) isn’t in the race, but nevertheless for the racing purists it’s going to be a fascinating watch.
“We’ve got options from where we’re drawn (eight) and we just hope we get a good trip round.”
Westover, winner of last season’s Irish Derby, got back in the Group One winner’s circle after landing the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud earlier this month and takes on Emily Upjohn again after finishing second to her in the Coronation Cup.
The home team is completed by James Ferguson’s Deauville Legend, fourth in last year’s Melbourne Cup and on his Hardwicke Stakes comeback last month, and the William Haggas-trained Hamish, who bagged a fifth Group Three win in the Silver Cup at York two weeks ago.
The latter’s participation is ground dependent, however.
“Hamish will only run if it rains properly, otherwise he won’t,” said Haggas.
“He’s not going to run on good to soft, but there’s rain around and who knows? If it came up proper soft, that’s what he wants and in this company he needs it really soft or heavy, not only for him but also to maybe blunt some of the others’ ability.”
Nine horse remain in contention for the Group One Qatar Nassau Stakes at Goodwood on Thursday, where there is the prospect of a fascinating clash between French star Blue Rose Cen and multiple top-level winner Nashwa.
The meeting of the last two winners of the Prix de Diane is the highlight on another stellar day’s racing on the Sussex Downs.
Trainer Christopher Head’s dual Classic winner Blue Rose Cen has been aimed at the 10-furlong event since producing another eye-catching display – a seventh victory in nine starts – at Chantilly last month.
Nashwa has taken time to come to hand this term, but she will bid to defend her Nassau crown on the back of a scintillating performance over a mile in the Falmouth at Newmarket.
John and Thady Gosden could be double-handed with Running Lion joining her.
The Roger Varian-trained Al Husn, who defeated Nashwa in a Group Three on the all-weather at Newcastle, could take her on again, while Aidan O’Brien is bidding for a fifth win in the race and has three possible runners, headed by Ribblesdale winner Warm Heart.
Oaks-placed Caernarfon, trained by Jack Channon, is also among those remaining along with Joseph O’Brien’s Above The Curve.
There are 26 entries for the Group Two Markel Richmond Stakes, including the classy Jasour, who took the July Stakes at Newmarket in fine style on his third start for Clive Cox.
Richard Hannon bids to land the six-furlong event for a third time, relying on eyecatching Newbury novice winner Baheer.
Karl Burke’s Kylian is on a hat-trick after Listed success at Sandown last time out, while O’Brien has five entries, including the Railway Stakes runner-up and third, Unquestionable and His Majesty.
Alice Haynes looks poised to run Asadna, who was third to Action Point when favourite for Newbury’s Listed Rose Bowl last weekend.
She said: “All good with Asadna – we have given him the Richmond entry today and all roads are leading there.
“Obviously I think the ground there will be testing next week either way, but everyone is in that same situation.
“Part of the problem is he needs faster ground. A faster pace will suit him, they went no pace at Newbury at all. Hollie (Doyle) got a lead and they all stacked up and sprinted. He will appreciate a fast pace to aim at.
“Long term, he’s in the Gimcrack and there are plenty of options for him going forward.”
A possible 10 three-year-olds will line up in the Group Three John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes.
They include Irish Derby and Grand Prix de Paris runner-up Adelaide River and last season’s Criterium International second Espionage, who could both represent O’Brien’s Ballydoyle yard.
Godolphin-owned duo Bold Act (Charlie Appleby) and Chesspiece (Simon and Ed Crisford), King Edward VII Stakes third Artistic Star (Ralph Beckett) and the King’s Royal Ascot winner Desert Hero, who won the King George V Stakes for trainer William Haggas, are other potential participants in the mile-and-a-half contest.
William Haggas expects My Prospero to take advantage of what he considers a “good opportunity” in Saturday’s Sky Bet York Stakes.
A Group Two winner in France last summer, the Iffraaj colt has since been campaigned exclusively at the highest level and has run three fine races in defeat.
He was beaten just half a length into third place in the Champion Stakes in October and so far this term has finished fourth in the Lockinge at Newbury and the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.
It is a measure of the regard in which My Prospero is held at Somerville Lodge that Haggas was underwhelmed by his most recent performance at Ascot and hopes he can make the most of having his sights lowered back in Group Two company on the Knavesmire.
“It’s a good opportunity for him. We think he’s in really good form so hopefully he’ll run a good race, I’m sure he’ll run well,” said the Newmarket handler.
“It’s one of those (trappy) races, but he’s very well and he should go well.
“I was a bit disappointed with his run at Ascot, he’s definitely better than that I think, but Saturday will tell us because he needs to be shaping up well here.”
My Prospero is a hot favourite to dispatch of four talented rivals in the hands of Tom Marquand.
Connections are looking forward to the belated return of the Owen Burrows-trained Alflaila, who won his final three starts of last season but has been sidelined since suffering an injury in Bahrain.
Angus Gold, racing manager for owners Shadwell, said: “It’s his first start since October, but he was a progressive horse last year.
“The funny thing with him is he’s by Dark Angel and out of an Oasis Dream mare and yet he stays a mile well and even a mile and a furlong.
“We’re going up again in trip to a mile and a quarter, but I don’t see that being a problem, it’s more a question of how rusty he is. He had quite an injury obviously, but he’s been sound and everything since he’s been back in training and we didn’t rush him and targeted this race.
“As long as he’s not too rusty, hopefully he’ll run a good race. It’s a trappy little contest and he’ll need to be at his best, but it will just be nice to get him back on the track.”
Royal Champion steps back up in grade after winning the Listed Wolferton Stakes at Royal Ascot.
“It’s a small field but it looks a good race,” said his trainer Roger Varian.
“He’s coming into it off the back of a win in a strong renewal of the Wolferton and he won it well, so he deserves his place in a race like this.”
The small but select field is completed by Mashhoor, who has won his last three races in Ireland for Johnny Murtagh, and William Knight’s outsider Checkandchallenge.
The latter was just over five lengths behind Royal Champion when seventh in the Wolferton and Knight hopes the application of headgear will enable him to raise his game.
“I just felt in his last couple of races he was getting a bit behind the bridle, so we’re putting the visors on to help him concentrate. He worked in them last Saturday and they seemed to do the trick,” he said.
“He’s well capable of competing at this level. At Ascot we were drawn wide and just got too far back and I think the flat track at York and the smaller field will suit him much better.
“The bit of ease in the ground will definitely help and he’ll go there and run very well, I’m pretty confident of that.”
Richard Fahey is “expecting a bit better” from Pretty Crystal as she lines up in a strong renewal of the Bateaux London Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot.
The Dubawi filly finished fifth in the Albany Stakes over the same course and six-furlong distance at last month’s Royal meeting, with that form already franked by runner-up Matrika and fourth-placed Persian Dreamer, who followed up their defeats by Porta Fortuna with their own Group Two successes.
Persian Dreamer’s stablemate Komat was sixth in the Albany and they take each other on again, with Fahey hopeful Pretty Crystal can gain a second win in three runs, following a smart debut success at Ripon.
“I do like her quite a bit and thought she ran OK at Ascot,” said Fahey. “She has improved, but she’ll need to.
“She’s in good form and I don’t see why she shouldn’t go on the likely easier ground.
“I’m expecting a bit better from her this time to be fair. She’s a nice filly.”
Komat tried six furlongs for the first time at the Royal meeting, bypassing the five-furlong Queen Mary, and was three-quarters of a length behind Pretty Crystal.
Trainer Dominic Ffrench Davis feels she will appreciate the easier surface than she encountered in the Albany.
He said: “She is a tough little filly, who won first time out at Redcar on soft ground. She hasn’t really had her ground since.
“She ran a very good race in France when third in a Listed race, then came back. The ground was a shade on the quick side for her at Ascot.
“She is probably not quite up to Albany standard, but she is a very nice filly and we are hoping she can get some large black type at some point. The recent rain can only help her cause.”
Symbology, a daughter of Havana Grey, produced an eyecatching win at York on debut two weeks ago and has a Group Two Lowther entry.
Clive Cox feels she will not be out of place in taking a class hike, and said: “She’s a nice filly. That was still a novice and this is a huge step forwards in comparison, but this is a filly we like very much and I’m pleased, all being well, she will line up on Saturday.
“We’ve been having a really pleasing run with the two-year-olds and that was another pleasing success in a week where we’d won the July Stakes and had a double at Doncaster as well, so it gave us a good feel.
“She is a really nice filly and a full sister to Katey Kontent, who was a very pleasing juvenile, so I’m very much hoping things go well on Saturday. She deserves a step up in class and she is in good order.”
Cry Fiction was also a winner on debut, and followed up her Windsor maiden success when chasing home the smart Star Of Mystery at Newmarket in the Listed Empress Fillies’ Stakes.
“She was meant to have had two runs before the Newmarket race but had a little setback, so she went into the race green and inexperienced which showed,” said trainer Jonathan Portman.
“She was also on the far side of the winner and she might have got closer to the winner had she been drawn the same side.
“She’s quite highly strung at home and she keeps us on our toes a bit, but some of those good fillies do.
“I think there will be some fillies in there that are very smart and it will be a tough race, but she has come on again from Newmarket which is the main thing.”
James Horton fields Lunar Shine, who scored by two lengths in a fillies’ novice over the same trip at Thirsk on debut.
“She did everything right at Thirsk and this was the obvious next step,” he said. “I don’t really know what to expect from her, because she didn’t show us a huge amount at home before went to Thirsk and did it very well.
“She looks as though she has sharpened up a bit and we know she goes on the ground, so we’re hoping for a big run.”
Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz topped a rain-hit practice session for the Belgian Grand Prix.
With persistent rain falling at Spa-Francorchamps, not one driver completed more than eight laps.
Sainz headed the timing charts, half-a-second clear of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri with team-mate Lando Norris third.
Max Verstappen, who is set to serve a five-place grid penalty following a gearbox change, was among five of the 20-strong field who did not complete a timed lap.
Qualifying is due to take place at 5pm local time (4pm BST), but the running is under threat given the bad weather and poor visibility generated by the spray in the Ardennes.
Formula One’s governing body, the FIA, said their priority is to ensure qualifying for Sunday’s main event takes place with other sessions throughout the weekend – including Saturday’s sprint schedule – likely to be sacrificed.
Heavy rain is expected to continue on Friday, and into Saturday with conditions forecast to improve on Sunday. One option is to move qualifying to Sunday morning, as the FIA did in Japan in 2019 when Typhoon Hagibis struck.
If qualifying can not take place, the FIA confirmed the grid for Sunday’s main event will be set by championship order.
Conditions worsened through Friday’s one-hour session with Logan Sargeant crashing out at the midway stage.
The Williams rookie lost control of his car under braking for Les Combes, heading straight into the barrier. The American was unharmed in the accident but the red flags were deployed to recover his stricken machine.
Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu also grazed the barrier after he ran through the gravel.
The FIA’s decision whether or not to run in the wet conditions will be heightened following the death of 18-year-old Dilano Van ‘t Hoff at Spa-Francorchamps earlier this month.
The Dutch teenager was killed after a crash in a rain-hit Formula Regional European Championship (FRECA) race on July 1.
Wales are confident Taulupe Faletau will recover from injury in time for the World Cup, even though the 100-times capped back-rower may not play before the tournament.
Faletau stayed at home to nurse a calf complaint as Warren Gatland’s squad headed for a pre-World Cup training camp in Turkey.
The Cardiff number eight reached a century of caps against France in March and remains a vital component of the Wales side at the age of 32.
But the British and Irish Lion may not be risked ahead of September’s World Cup in France in two warm-up games with England and one against South Africa next month.
“He’s coming back, and in his rehab programme he’s going really well,” said Wales forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys, speaking from the squad’s current base in Antalya.
“So it’s just a question of do you drag him out here to do some stuff, or can he do it back home and spend a lot more time with his family?
“The decision was made that he can do the same rehab process back home. It’s looking positive for him.”
Asked if playing no part in the August games would deny Faletau – who missed the 2019 World Cup in Japan through injury – a place in the squad, Humphreys said: “If he doesn’t feature it’s not going to necessarily rule him out.
“I’m not sure if he will play (in the warm-up games). Hopefully he will, but I don’t think it’s something we’ll massively push if he’s not 100 per cent.
“The rehab is going well so we’re very hopeful he will be available for World Cup selection.”
The uncapped Taine Plumtree has emerged as a World Cup back-row option after confirming his move from New Zealand to Wales.
Plumtree, the 23-year-old son of former All Blacks assistant coach John, was born in Swansea when his father was working in Wales and the New Zealand Under-20 international will play for the Scarlets next season.
“He’s a genuine contender and hopefully we’ll see him in these next three games,” Humphreys said.
“We haven’t brought him in just to gain experience. We’ve brought him in because we feel he can add something to us.
“He’s a six, he’s a big man, and he’s very athletic as you’d expect from someone coming from New Zealand. He’s got a very good rugby sense.
“We are not blessed with people of that stature in that position. We looked at him, we liked what we saw, and he was keen to come over.
“He came off the plane jet-lagged from New Zealand, came to Switzerland, and the training was brutal over there. His first couple of sessions was an eye-opener but we’ve been impressed with what we’ve seen. ”
Temperatures have exceeded over 40 degrees Celsius since Wales arrived in southern Turkey.
They will spend a few more days there before returning home to prepare for their first World Cup warm-up game against England in Cardiff on August 5.
Humphreys said: “It was really hot when we first got here and a lot of humidity.
“Then we saw the temperature was dropping but the humidity went up. I’m not sure which one I prefer.
“It’s incredibly tough training in over 40 degrees but it’s exactly why we came here.
“The World Cup starts in six weeks and it’s an opportunity for players here to put their hands up and for us to find a way forward.”
Wales must trim their current 48-man squad down to 33 for the World Cup, with their opening game against Fiji in Bordeaux on September 10.
Bahamas swept Martinique 3-0 (27-25, 25-20, 25-14) in quarterfinals on Thursday to reach the semifinals of the 2023 CAZOVA Championship in Paramaribo, Suriname.
It’s the fourth defeat of Martinique in this tournament. On Wednesday they were beaten by Barbados 3-1 (25-27, 25-18, 25-12, 25-15).
Outside hitter Kyle Wilson led with 21 points, three aces and two blocks. Prince Wilson had 13 points. Meanwhile, Martinique’s outside hitter Lohan Lefaivre had eight points.
Lloyd Davis, coach of Bahamas expressed his delight at the outcome.
“I am happy how the game went. We expected that Martinique would play hard. The win shows that we want this and trying to reach the final,” he said.
Bahamas captain Bryon Ferguson said his team was confident of victory. “We did not expect anything less or more,” he said. “I am happy we could hold off Martinique and play our own game. One set at a time.”
Max Verstappen will not start Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix from pole position with the world champion set to serve a five-place grid penalty.
Verstappen, 110 points clear at the top of the standings, is due to take on his fifth gearbox, one more than he is permitted.
It means the 25-year-old will begin the grand prix on Sunday no higher than sixth in something of a boost to his forlorn rivals.
However, the Dutchman started the race from 14th last year owing to engine penalties and still took the win in his dominant Red Bull machine.
Verstappen has won the last seven races, nine of the 11 rounds staged so far this season, and is on course to wrap up a hat-trick of titles.
At last weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, Verstappen’s Red Bull team set a new F1 record of 12 consecutive wins.
Qualifying for Sunday’s race is due to take place at 5pm local time (4pm BST) on Friday. A sprint race will be staged at Spa-Francorchamps on Saturday, but Verstappen’s penalty will apply only to the main event.
Jamaica’s women remained undefeated during their preliminary round matches and have clinched a semifinal berth at the 2023 CAZOVA Championship being held in Suriname.
After defeating defending champions Trinidad and Tobago in their previous match, Jamaica blanked the Bahamas 3-0 [25-16, 25-21, 25-22] at the Anthony Nesty Sports Hall in Paramaribo. Outside hitter Mychael Vernon led with 14 points, joined by opposite and team captain Sashalee Thomas with 14 points.
On Wednesday, Jamaica outgunned the defending champions in a five-set thriller 3-2 (25-14, 25-23, 22-25, 15-25, 16-14).
The Jamaicans dominated the two opening sets but Trinidad and Tobago roared back to win the next two sets and force a decisive fifth set.
In a contest where both teams were equally matched, Jamaica capitalized on the unforced errors by Trinidad and Tobago to clinch victory. Outside hitter Mychael Vernon led with 24 points. Team captain Sashalee Thomas had 18 points.
Jamaica remains the only undefeated team in the Women’s championship.
Meanwhile, Jamaica's men progressed to the quarterfinals after defeating Bahamas, 3:2 [25-16, 25-19, 21-25, 27-25, 15-11] to end the preliminary round with two wins and a loss and will now face defending CAZOVA Men’s Champion and host Suriname in the quarterfinal.
Derby and King George winner Adayar has been retired from racing.
The Godolphin-owned son of Frankel provided trainer Charlie Appleby with a second Derby success at Epsom in 2021 when ridden by Adam Kirby before going on to beat his elders in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot the following month under William Buick.
He was subsequently beaten in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the Champion Stakes though, and only made it to the track twice last season, albeit going close in the Champion Stakes when beaten just half a length by Bay Bridge.
Connections brought him back as a five-year-old in the hope of adding to his top-level tally – but while he made a successful comeback in the rescheduled Gordon Richards Stakes at Newmarket in May, he was beaten into third in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot and was turned over at cramped odds by Israr in the Princess of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket on his latest outing.
Appleby told www.godolphin.com: “Adayar provided the team with two outstanding days on the racecourse at Epsom and Ascot and has been a firm favourite in the yard for the past three seasons. He has been an absolute pleasure to train.
“He will be sorely missed at Moulton Paddocks but we look forward to watching him in his new career at stud and are quite sure he will be a huge success.”
In all Adayar won five of his 13 races and amassed almost £2million in win and place prize-money.
Great Britain’s track cyclists will debut the radical new bike they hope to ride to Olympic glory in Paris at next week’s UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow.
From the Beijing Olympics onwards, British Cycling has invested heavily in technological development, with the early years of success powered by the famed research and development department once known as the Secret Squirrel Club, then Room X.
The latest machine, which continues the collaboration between Lotus, Hope and Renishaw, builds on the ideas behind the HB.T bike, which helped Britain once again top the medal tables in the velodrome at the Tokyo Games.
With unique handlebars and forks, the bike is seen as another big step forward in terms of aerodynamic efficiency.
World governing body the UCI requires nations to register and race their Olympic kit before the Games, and in total GB will be using 64 different bits of kit and equipment destined for Paris 2024 at the world championships, which begin in Glasgow on August 3.
British Cycling performance director Stephen Park said: “To continue to win medals year-on-year at the highest level, we need everything to come together at exactly the right time: the best riders, the best equipment, the best technology.
“We have been working with Lotus, Hope and Renishaw for the past two Olympic cycles as we believe that together we have the world-leading expertise needed to deliver what we believe to be the fastest track bike in the world.”
Shohei Ohtani came through with the best performance of his career on the day the Los Angeles Angels committed to not trading the two-way star in the last year of his contract.
Ohtani threw his first career shutout in the opening game of a doubleheader Thursday, then followed by hitting two home runs in the nightcap.
Ohtani allowed one hit and struck out eight in the Angels’ 6-0 win over the Detroit Tigers, then extended his MLB lead by hitting his 37th and 38th home runs of the season as Los Angeles won the second game 11-4.
Only muscle cramps could stop Ohtani from doing further damage, and he was pulled from the night game after his second homer.
Ohtani’s latest jaw-dropping performance comes after the Angels doubled down on their attempts to keep baseball’s most exciting player long-term.
On Wednesday, the Angels traded touted prospects Ky Bush and Edgar Quero to the Chicago White Sox for pitchers Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez to help make a push towards the playoffs.
Before Thursday’s doubleheader, general manager Perry Minasian said that the Angels will not deal Ohtani at the trade deadline, despite the risk of losing him for nothing this winter in free agency.
The Angels have won nine of their last 11 games as they seek their first playoff berth since 2014. Ohtani, who joined MLB and the Angels in 2018, has never played in the postseason.
Cubs beat Cardinals after dustup, extend run to 6
Justin Steele tied the major league lead with his 11th win, Cody Bellinger stayed hot with three more hits and the Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 10-3 as tempers flared between the division rivals.
The victory extended the Cubs’ winning streak to a season-high six games and got them back to .500 for the first time since May 12.
In the first inning, the Cubs’ Ian Happ hit Cardinals catcher and former teammate Willson Contreras with the follow-through of his swing. St. Louis pitcher Miles Mikolas then hit Happ with a pitch and was ejected, along with Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol.
Steele (11-3) pitched six innings, allowing one run and five hits while striking out four.
Bellinger had three singles to improve his batting average in July to .425 and Yan Gomes drove in three runs.
Andrew Knizner hit two home runs for the Cardinals, who have lost four straight against the Cubs.
Josh Naylor leads Guardians past White Sox
Josh Naylor drove in three runs to back Tanner Bibee’s fifth straight win as the Cleveland Guardians defeated the reeling Chicago White Sox, 6-3.
Naylor had a two-run double and scored in a three-run third against Dylan Cease that gave Cleveland a 4-0 lead. He had a strange RBI double in the seventh when reliever Aaron Bummer deflected his soft comebacker into center field, and Andres Gimenez scored on the play.
Bibee allowed three runs and six hits over 6 2/3 innings to improve to 5-0 with a 2.18 ERA in his last seven starts.
Jake Burger hit two homers, but the White Sox dropped their sixth in a row.
They may be three Caribbean Islands with different cultures and different styles of play. But what Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados all have in common, is their unflinching desire to leave an indelible mark at the Vitality Netball World Cup.
All three teams will bow into action in Cape Town, South Africa on Friday with Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls up against Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago’s Calypso Girls squaring off against reigning champions New Zealand, while Barbados Gems, are up against England’s Roses.
The number 10-ranked Calypso Girls will be the first in action at 3:00am Jamaica time, with number two-ranked Silver Ferns expected to prove a handful for the Joel “Twiggy” Young-Strong-coached team.
And while Trinidad and Tobago boast the legacy of being the only other team to win the World Cup title, along with New Zealand and Australia in the tournament’s long history, captain Shaquanda Green-Noel is realistic about their expectations.
“I think we are very honest and realistic with what may be the end result of the game, so even though we are extremely competitive, we are just going in thinking about the small wins in terms of reducing the margin.
“The mood in the camp is a bit of excitement and nervousness, the senior players are more the ones excited to get on the court because the Netball World Cup is one of the biggest platforms to showcase our talent. The young players are a tad bit nervous, but also excited to make their Netball World Cup debut,” Green-Noel told Sportsmax.tv.
“The girls are also very prepared for what is to come, New Zealand are defending champions and we would have done research on what they have to offer and how they play, and I think it (this game) is a great way for us to test out the skills we worked on coming into the World Cup. The last time we played New Zealand, I don’t think we had a very good game, so this is a chance to improve,” she added.
Uganda and Singapore are the other two teams the Calypso Girls will face in Pool D.
Jamaica, the highest ranked Caribbean team at number four, are out to end their 16-year medal drought at the Netball World Cup, dating back to 2007, when the last won one of their three bronze medals.
They will enter their opening Pool C contest against 15th-ranked Sri Lanka as overwhelming favourites, especially on the back of their historic silver medal-winning performance at the Commonwealth Games last year.
Still, Sunshine Girls Head coach Connie Francis is not taking their opponents lightly, as she is well aware that it will require proper execution from her team to get the job done.
Match time is 11:00 am Jamaica time.
“The ladies are mentally and physically prepared and they want to do something special at this tournament which is to win a medal. But we don’t know much about the Sri Lankans and so we don’t intend to take them lightly,” said Francis.
Though the off-court security issue in which captain Jhaniele Fowler was robbed, is cause for concern, Francis pointed out that the team remains focused on the task at hand.
“Yes, it is bad and very disappointing that has happened on a stage like this, but the ladies remain focused on what they came here to do, which is to execute well and win a medal and that starts with tomorrow’s game,” she noted.
The Sunshine Girls will also have Wales and the host nation to contend with in Pool C.
Meanwhile, number 13-ranked Barbados Gems, have drawn a tough Pool B in which they have England, Malawi and Scotland to deal with.
They open against the number three-ranked Roses at 1:00pm Jamaica time.
While getting by the Roses will take some doing, the Gems are by no means expected to play dead, especially with the addition of sisters Kadeen and Sasha Corbin, who both switched allegiance from England to represent Barbados.
Number one ranked Australia, Zimbabwe, Fiji and Tonga will contest Pool A.
Phase 1 Academy and Camperdown Giants were the only two teams to go unbeaten as the 2023 Jamaica Basketball Showcase got underway at the Alfred Sangster Auditorium at the University of Technology (UTECH) in Kingston on Thursday.
Defending champions, Phase 1 Academy, entered their first game with just five players but that didn’t seem to matter as they secured a comfortable 41-27 victory over Purple Power.
Derjean Royal led the way for Phase 1 with 20 points and five rebounds while Mordecai Clarke had 10 points and six rebounds for Purple Power.
Phase 1 Academy coach, Onecia Smellie, praised her team’s effort despite their lack of numbers.
“As you can see, we don’t really have numbers so the strategy was just to conserve on defense and push on offense. We have to play smarter because we don’t have numbers,” Smellie said before going into what they needed to address to be better in the coming games.
“We definitely have to brush up on defense. We gave away a lot of backdoor cuts. As we can see, my guys have been playing for a while but sometimes when the excitement of the game comes in, adrenaline kicks in and they just go. We definitely gave away some easy layups and we weren’t boxing out sometimes. If we work on those areas I think we should be fine,” she added.
Coach Orville Bennett from Purple Power was critical of his team’s ability to play together but says more experience will do them well.
“More games will solve that. It’s a mix of my younger players and my more senior Under-19s so they need to learn to play as a team and not individuals.”
“I guess it’s because of the bright lights of the tournament, everybody wants to show what they have so with more games under their belt, that will go away.”
“Our opponents will be bigger, stronger and more seasoned then my young team so we’ll go back to the drawing board and come better.”
The day’s second game was an absolute treat as the Hoop Factory Blues pull out a dramatic 44-41 win over Blue Mahoe Basketball.
Blue Mahoe played a solid first half to go into the halftime interval with a 14-12 lead before Hoop Factory turned the game on its head to lead 26-20 after the third quarter.
Blue Mahoe retook a 38-37 lead with 1:27 left in the game before, with the teams tied at 41 with 10 seconds left, Dakari Nicolson hit a game-winning three-point shot with two seconds left to secure the win for Hoop Factory.
Kymani Phillips had a solid all-round game for the Blues with 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists and was supported well by Nathan Ricketts with 12 points, five steals and three assists. Hubert Rodney had 13 points and seven rebounds for Blue Mahoe.
Hoop Factory coach, Lennox Lindo, was happy with the win despite his team almost blowing a 10-point lead with very little time left in the contest.
“I was nervous a bit but also a bit disappointed too. We had a 10-point lead with about three minutes to go then we changed up our defense and it almost cost us the game but we got a really good shot in the last couple of seconds.”
Blue Mahoe coach, Lynford Brown, was proud of his team despite the defeat and pointed to an inability to hold on to the ball as his team’s downfall.
“To be honest, I’m really proud of my boys. They’re a fairly inexperienced and young team. There were some key moments for us where we committed some unforced turnovers which led to us losing. Nonetheless, I’m very proud.
The third game of the day saw the Camperdown Giants score an impressive 54-35 win over last year’s finalists, the Caribbean Basketball Academy (CBA).
The Giants produced an excellent defensive display to lead 30-15 at the start of the fourth quarter, including a third quarter where they held CBA to just four points.
Micah Swaine had 15 points, three steals and two assists and Mark McGowan had nine points and eight rebounds for the giants while Jaiden Brown had 12 points for CBA.
CBA coach Ludlow Barker, thought the Giants deserved to win.
“First I’d have to congratulate the Giants on getting their first win of the competition. It’s the first time they’re in it,” he said.
“I thought we played a very indiscipline game and fell behind and then we struggled throughout. I thought we were too relaxed before the game and they came out and wanted it more so they deserved to win,” he added.
Giants coach, Nylon Hurd, was happy with the win.
“Any coach would be happy with a win. Both defensively and offensively, it worked out well for us,” he said.
“Based on the start, we got ahead of them and stuck to it. We only got a bit indiscipline in the third quarter and that’s when they made a little run but then we got back disciplined and that was the game,” he added.
After a break, play returned with Phase 1 Academy facing Hoop Factory Blues, with each team searching for their second win of the day.
Phase 1, with six players this time, were able to come out 51-40 winners.
Derjean Royal had his second great game of day one with 26 points and eight rebounds for Phase 1 while Nathan Ricketts had 14 points for the Blues.
The day’s fifth game saw Blue Mahoe hand Caribbean Basketball Academy their second loss of the day by a score of 45-44.
Akeem Pusey and Hubert Rodney both had 14 points for Blue Mahoe while pulling down seven and eleven rebounds, respectively. Joel Ricketts had 13 points and five rebounds for CBA.
The day’s final game proved to be another nail-biter as Camperdown Giants beat Purple Power 34-29 for their second win of the day.
The Giants led 8-5 after a cagey first quarter before Power turned things around slightly to lead 18-16 at the half. It was a one-point game in favor of the Giants entering the final quarter where they held their nerve to pull out the win after the two teams exchanged the lead multiple times.
Micah Swaine scored 13 points while Mark McGowan had six points and grabbed 13 rebounds for the Giants. Jacqwaine Freeman had 11 points for Purple Power.
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