Aidan O’Brien goes in search of his 100th European Classic as Auguste Rodin attempts to become the first horse since Harzand in 2016 to win at Epsom and follow up in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh.
The Deep Impact colt represents one of the Ballydoyle trainer’s greatest achievements as he brought him back from finishing almost last in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket to win the Derby in style at Epsom.
With runner-up King Of Steel winning the King Edward VII Stakes and Hong Kong-bound Derby sixth Waipiro taking the Hampton Court at Royal Ascot, Auguste Rodin’s form looks rock solid and he is understandably long odds-on to follow up.
“The Derby seems to be working out well, which is nice,” said O’Brien.
“We’re very happy with our horse, everything has gone well since Epsom and the Derby so we are looking forward to seeing him run again.
“It gave everybody a lot of satisfaction, what he did at Epsom, not just me. We always thought he could do something like that, but you can never be sure.
“Obviously the world was always thought of him and we were delighted that he could go and put that Guineas run behind him.”
O’Brien also runs Adelaide River, Covent Garden, Peking Opera and San Antonio, but they are all big prices behind Ryan Moore’s mount, who incredibly is still searching for a first Irish Derby winner.
In fourth place at Epsom was Jessica Harrington’s Sprewell, who may have finished slightly closer with a clearer run.
“He was unlucky at Epsom, he was in the right position at the right time but three fancied horses in front of him stopped dead for various reasons. He just got brought back and had nowhere to go,” said Harrington.
“There are always bad-luck stories at Epsom, but you’ve got to get over it and get on with the next race.
“He’s got a great attitude and if you’ve got an attitude like that it does help.
“He handled the ground great then, everyone said ‘he’s only a soft-ground horse’ but it wasn’t the fact that I wanted to run him on soft ground, it just happened that the races came up.”
Shane Foley has made it back from a broken collar bone in time to keep up the partnership.
John Murphy’s White Birch was one place ahead of Sprewell, having already won the Ballysax Stakes and finished second in the Dante.
“I was delighted with the run. I think he could have been a bit better as he starts his races quite slowly and then gallops very genuinely,” said Murphy.
“He’s a very sound horse, I don’t think he’s ever had a vet.
“He’s very genuine, but he doesn’t break well and I think he’ll get better as the race goes on.
“He’s lightly-raced still, there’s only so many times you can go to the well but he likes his racing and likes his work – every morning he has a great attitude.”
Joseph O’Brien’s Up And Under finished second to White Birch in the Ballysax and filled the same spot behind Sprewell in the Derby Trial at Leopardstown
“It looks a very good race as you’d expect. He has form line with some of the principals in the race and I think it is fair to assume he could run a good race,” said the trainer.
“Probably it would be wishful to say he could win, but we’re hoping for a good run and we’re looking forward to the race.
“It was a good run at Leopardstown behind Sprewell. He is out of a Galileo mare and we’ll be hopeful he will handle the better ground.
“I suppose when you see Sprewell’s run in the Derby, he really franked the form, so we have a nice horse for the future and we’re looking forward to that.”
John and Thady Gosden produced a nice training performance at Newmarket, as Audience caused a small shock at 14-1 in the Cavani Menswear Fashion Face-Off Frenzy Criterion Stakes.
Only Sam Maximus was sent off a bigger price than the Cheveley Park Stud-owned four-year-old for the Group Three contest, and he arrived at the July course following 263 days off the track.
Ridden by Robert Havlin, the son of Iffraaj led Berkshire Shadow and the 5-2 favourite Aldaary on the far side as the field of six split into two, with defending champion Pogo taking along Sam Maximus and recent John of Gaunt Stakes scorer Jumby on the near side.
The runners fanned out across the track as the business end of the race approached and it was Havlin aboard Audience who seized the initiative and kept the momentum up as he set about putting the race to bed out on his own in splendid isolation.
Audience never stopped as he kept on well inside the final furlong, with little separating Jumby and Pogo who were unable to reel in the winner and finished second and third respectively when making their challenge on the near side.
John Gosden said: “It is all down to Leah Mapston, who looks after him and rides him every day. She understands the horse and she is more to do with this horse winning than the trainer – and the jockey, of course. But she has done a wonderful job.
“He has got a lot of talent, he was not right in the spring, he went off behind and we couldn’t get him quite where we wanted him, but he’s come right for a lovely race like this.
“The hood helps him a lot. It is very useful for a horse like this, as he can live a little on the edge.
“He is in a race like the Lennox (Stakes, Goodwood), but I think he enjoyed this race today on a straight track. We’ll see. We will give him a couple of nice engagements. Ryan (Moore) rode him at Ascot last year and he said this horse has really got something, but he will need a little working out.
“Rab went up that far side this morning and it is completely fresh ground. That’s a little bit of knowing your track.
“Seven furlongs is very much his trip.”
Royal Ascot form will be put to the test at the Curragh on Sunday when Bucanero Fuerte attempts to build on his Coventry Stakes third in the GAIN Railway Stakes.
Adrian Murray’s improving colt finished only a length behind the winner River Tiber in what looked a high-class renewal of the Royal meeting’s opening-day contest and now returns to the scene of his impressive maiden victory at the beginning of the campaign in search of a first success in Pattern company.
This comes only 12 days after Bucanero Fuerte’s huge effort at Ascot, but Murray is hopeful the son of Wootton Bassett has recovered sufficiently to give owners Amo Racing a second win in the Group Two contest following the victory of Go Bears Go in 2021.
“We’re very happy with him and hoping for a nice run,” said Murray.
“The only slight concern would be the ground and I guess we wouldn’t mind a drop of rain. We’re hoping the race hasn’t come too quick, but at home he is well and he is telling us he wants to run.”
A win for Murray – who also saddles Lightening Army in the six-furlong event – would provide the Westmeath-based handler with his second big-race success in the space of two weeks following Valiant Force’s Royal Ascot triumph.
“We were happy with him at Ascot (in the Coventry) and he looks like a really nice horse,” continued Murray.
“Ascot was unbelievable and it will be hard to keep it going, but we will give it a try anyway and Bucanero Fuerte is in good form.”
Aidan O’Brien has a fine record in this race and has assembled a three-pronged assault, with Norfolk Stakes fourth His Majesty also returning to the track quickly following arun at the Royal meeting.
The son of No Nay Never brings plenty of solid track experience to the table, having won the Listed First Flier Stakes on debut before going down by half a length in the Marble Hill over course and distance.
“His Majesty is coming back quickly having run at Ascot,” said O’Brien. “He was drawn a little bit on the wrong side in the Norfolk on the day as the winner was on the other side, but he still ran well.
“He seems to be in good form, but of course he hasn’t done much.”
His Majesty is joined in the line-up by Unquestionable, who is the mount of Ryan Moore and followed up a third on debut behind his stablemate in the First Flier Stakes with an impressive track-and-trip romp next time, while Democracy also holds a course victory his name and completes the Ballydoyle-trained trio.
“Unquestionable won his maiden very nicely and we always thought that he would get further and he probably will,” said O’Brien.
“We’ve decided to give him the chance in a Group race over six furlongs before we step him up. Hopefully he’ll run a nice race.”
He added: “Democracy was stepped into a Group race last time out and was a little bit disappointing, but we think he was a little bit keen and just did a little bit too much that day.
“Hopefully he won’t do that again. We know he’s a horse who will stay further in time, but we thought it was worth giving him another chance over this trip in a Group race.”
Romelda Aiken-George’s New South Wales Swifts stunned Jhaniele Fowler’s defending champions West Coast Fever 65-64 to advance to the grand final of the Suncorp Super Netball League.
The Fever got out to a 19-15 lead at the end of the first quarter at the Qudos Bank Arena in New South Wales on Saturday.
An 18-16 second quarter win for the Swifts meant the deficit between the teams at half-time was just two, with the defending champions ahead 35-33.
After the third quarter, the Fever enjoyed a 51-46 lead and looked set to get a chance to defend their title.
The Swifts had other ideas, however, and produced a stunning fourth quarter comeback, outscoring the Fever 19-13 to secure the one-point win and a trip to the title decider.
Aiken-George led the way with 25 goals from 26 attempts for the Swifts while Fowler scored 55 goals from 56 attempts for the Fever.
Their opponents in the Grand Final will be the Adelaide Thunderbirds, home of Sunshine Girls Shamera Sterling and Latanya Wilson.
The Swifts will be looking for revenge after the Thunderbirds beat them 64-62 in the preliminary finals.
Matrika confirmed herself out as filly of considerable talent when returning to home soil to claim the Airlie Stud Stakes in convincing fashion at the Curragh.
Aidan O’Brien’s daughter of No Nay Never was a course and distance winner on debut in late May and went on to be narrowly denied by Donnacha O’Brien’s Porta Fortuna when second in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot on just her second start.
Despite this coming only eight days after her huge Ascot effort, Matrika was sent off the 2-5 favourite and proved she was a cut above her opposition in this Group Two contest.
She led those who raced on the far side with the field splitting into two groups, before stretching clear in the hands of Ryan Moore inside the final furlong, as she registered a one-and-three-quarter length victory over the keeping-on Gunzburg.
“She has a great constitution and we were very happy with her,” said O’Brien.
“The first day she ran we were surprised because she’s very lazy at home, we didn’t really know what to expect but she won.
“Then she went to Ascot and ran a lovely race, but was a little green and babyish. Obviously she learned plenty from it again.
“She came out of the race, lost no weight. She doesn’t blow at all, it takes nothing out of her – she’s very natural. Ryan gave her a lovely ride.
“She’s not slow, she has plenty of speed. Obviously you’d hope that she might get seven, because she is very relaxed, but she is No Nay Never and they have a lot of natural speed and find it very easy to go very fast.”
Matrika was cut to 14-1 from 16s by Coral for next year’s 1000 Guineas with Betfair going even further and making her an 8-1 chance for the fillies’ Classic, but O’Brien is no rush to step her up in trip.
“We’ll stay at six for a while and if we have to step up to seven we will,” continued the Ballydoyle handler.
“I don’t want to be too easy on her because she has a big backside on her and I don’t want her to get too big. We’ll have to keep her going to a point.
“She’s a Group Two winner now and there are probably not too many places we’ll be able to go with her. You’d be hoping she’s going to be a Cheveley Park filly.”
Calling The Wind finally got his moment in the spotlight when swooping to take the JenningsBet Northumberland Plate glory at Newcastle.
Richard Hughes’ consistent seven-year-old has been an ever-present in staying contests – but the big prizes had proved elusive, placing at Royal Ascot for the third year in a row when second in the Ascot Stakes most recently.
Ridden by Neil Callan in the Gosforth Park feature, the in-form rider had his mount travelling kindly in midfield early on and the 14-1 shot showed he was none the worse for his Royal meeting exertions only 11 days ago when picking his way to the front with a furlong to run.
He was quickly joined at the head of affairs by ante-post gamble Golden Rules, but the Calling The Wind always had enough in reserve to hold off the 9-2 joint-favourite, coming home half a length clear to secure the victory connections have craved in a breezy north east.
John and Thady Gosden produced a nice training performance at Newmarket, as Audience caused a small shock at 14-1 in the Cavani Menswear Fashion Face-Off Frenzy Criterion Stakes.
Only Sam Maximus was sent off a bigger price than the Cheveley Park Stud-owned four-year-old for the Group Three contest, and he arrived at the July course following 263 days off the track.
Ridden by Robert Havlin, the son of Iffraaj led Berkshire Shadow and the 5-2 favourite Aldaary on the far side as the field of six split into two, with defending champion Pogo taking along Sam Maximus and recent John of Gaunt Stakes scorer Jumby on the near side.
The runners fanned out across the track as the business end of the race approached and it was Havlin aboard Audience who seized the initiative and kept the momentum up as he set about putting the race to bed out on his own in splendid isolation.
Audience never stopped as he kept on well inside the final furlong, with little separating Jumby and Pogo who were unable to reel in the winner and finished second and third respectively when making their challenge on the near side.
John Gosden said: “It is all down to Leah Mapston, who looks after him and rides him every day. She understands the horse and she is more to do with this horse winning than the trainer – and the jockey, of course. But she has done a wonderful job.
“He has got a lot of talent, he was not right in the spring, he went off behind and we couldn’t get him quite where we wanted him, but he’s come right for a lovely race like this.
“The hood helps him a lot. It is very useful for a horse like this, as he can live a little on the edge.
“He is in a race like the Lennox (Stakes, Goodwood), but I think he enjoyed this race today on a straight track. We’ll see. We will give him a couple of nice engagements. Ryan (Moore) rode him at Ascot last year and he said this horse has really got something, but he will need a little working out.
“Rab went up that far side this morning and it is completely fresh ground. That’s a little bit of knowing your track.
“Seven furlongs is very much his trip.”
Iga Swiatek has made a swift recovery from illness and is optimistic she will find her feet on the Wimbledon grass.
The world number one claimed her third French Open title in four years in Paris three weeks ago and is looking to complete the set of grand slam surfaces having also won the US Open on hard courts last year.
She sparked alarms by pulling out of her scheduled semi-final at the grass-court event in Bad Homburg on Friday with a fever and possible food poisoning but was at Wimbledon on Saturday and feeling positive.
“I had a really bad night (on Thursday),” she said. “We did with my conditioning coach measurements in the morning. They didn’t really look good because I barely slept.
“I had a stomach ache, but I don’t know if there was something wrong or not. Later in the day I felt OK so I’m pretty sure it’s going to be fine.
“I really feel like I used my time in Bad Homburg to practise and get used to the grass court. I feel every year that I’m getting into the rhythm a little bit faster. So I feel like I’m ready and I’m pretty excited for the tournament.”
Swiatek arrived in SW19 last year on a long winning run but that was brought to an end after 37 matches by a third-round loss to Alize Cornet.
The Pole, who faces China’s Zhu Lin in the first round on Monday, is a former junior champion at the All England Club and sees no reason why she cannot excel in the senior game as well.
“Some years I felt really good on grass, like when I was a junior, then I had some tournaments that I was hoping to play a little bit better,” she said.
“For sure getting used to the grass was always a tricky part because when you play well at Roland Garros, then you have less time to prepare for Wimbledon.
“Last year when I didn’t play any matches before Wimbledon, it was hard to use my intuition because there was pressure. I felt like I’m playing a grand slam and I played so well at Roland Garros that I should play well here as well. But it’s different.
“Your brain kind of has to feel the ball is bouncing lower. You can’t think about things like that during the match. So I think this year it’s going to be a little bit easier for me to use my intuition a little bit more.
“Deeply I believe the best players, they can play on all surfaces. I want to become that kind of player who can play well on grass, as well, and feel comfortable there.
“Last year I feel like we’ve done a pretty good job with my coach in terms of my touch and getting back slices and also playing slice sometimes. This year I feel like we had more time to focus on the basics, more time to also play matches. I’m using that time as much as possible.
“I was actually thinking last year that maybe it would be good doing part of the pre-season on grass. I heard that Roger (Federer) once did the pre-season at Roland Garros, I think, because he wanted to win Roland Garros later in the season.
“If I would have more time to play on grass, I’m pretty sure that I would be able to play better and better.”
City Of Troy could have an exciting future having made an impressive debut at the Curragh on Saturday.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained two-year-old is a son of Justify out of a Group One-winning Coolmore mare and produced a performance befitting of his regal breeding when sent off the 6-4 favourite for the seven-furlong Barronstown Stud Irish EBF (C & G) Maiden.
Always close to the pace in the hands of Ryan Moore, he extended clear to register a two-and-a-half-length victory in an extremely professional manner when asked by his rider, with the nature of the success enough to see the colt introduced into next year’s 2000 Guineas market at 16-1 by Coral and Betfair.
O’Brien said: “Ryan was delighted with him. He said he was very frightened going past the winning post – he said it’s the first time he’s ever rode a two-year-old that he thought wasn’t going to pull up.
“He said going to the winning post he just started to get longer and longer in his stride and galloped down to the boards. He gave him a lovely ride.
“He has a big ,long stride and he’s relentless really. I’m delighted with him.
“He has great presence. We had his brother last year, Bertinelli, and he was a very big horse who we thought was going to be a three- or four-year-old, but this horse is made like a two- or three-year-old.
“He’s a medium-sized horse with a giant stride. He’s very unusual, his stride is kind of twice the length of his body. When he started to extend inside the furlong marker, his stride is getting longer and longer – that’s very rare.
“That’s what Justify had as well, his stride was so long and it made him very different. That’s what they (his progeny) have as well and that’s why the big ones take a bit of time.
“They are very good movers and Justify had speed as well as stamina. He’s matching great with the European mares.”
He added: “Ryan said you can go anywhere you want with him and go as far as you want.
“Obviously we have other horses to consider, but he’ll go into one of those seven-furlong races next and it depends on how far the lads want to go with him, whether they want to go up to a mile with him this year or not.”
Kemari went one better than 12 months ago to give Charlie Appleby back-to-back victories in the Cavani Menswear Sartorial Sprint Fred Archer Stakes at Newmarket.
Without a win since the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot in 2021, the son of Dubawi had to settle for second behind stablemate Rebel’s Romance last year and was again donning the white hat reserved for the Godolphin second string as fellow Moulton Paddocks challenger New London was sent off the 11-10 favourite.
James Doyle had Kemari hot on the tail of the pace-setting 2021 winner Outbox throughout the early stages of the 12-furlong contest and made his move aboard the 7-1 chance to join Outbox passing the four-furlong pole, just as William Buick was beginning to get busy aboard the returning St Leger runner-up New London.
Although New London refused to lie down and was staying on all the way to the line, it was quickly clear Outbox and Kemari had this race to fight out between them and having edged to the lead inside the final furlong, the five-year-old kept on gamely in the closing stages as he came home half a length clear, with New London a further neck adrift in third.
Appleby said: “It is nice to see him get his head back in front for the first time in two years. Bless this horse. He has not missed a beat all year – he’s led them all.
“I said to James, he is a horse who has been forward-going anyway, ride your own race but don’t forget you are on a fit horse. James gave him a great ride and he has got that sort of race in him – that’s his level, Listed or Group Three.
“With New London, I’m pleased with that run. He’s had a good blow and he will come forward from that. William said it is nice ground out there, but he’d like a bit more juice in the ground. He’s a Manduro and we know the family want cut in the ground.
“It has always been our plan to have a second-half of the season campaign, so that’s why we purposely didn’t go down the Hardwicke route, because I thought that is a tough race to go into, you are taking on Group One horses there.
“We saw it last year when I campaigned Hurricane Lane that way. As I say, you learn by your mistakes! That’s what I am doing.”
Tiber Flow provided trainer William Haggas and jockey Tom Marquand with back-to-back victories in the JenningsBet Chipchase Stakes at Newcastle.
Sense Of Duty notched her fourth successive victory with a brilliant display in the Group Three contest 12 months ago, but it was significantly harder work for her stablemate.
Tiber Flow, already a dual course winner and narrowly beaten on All-Weather Championships Finals Day last year, was the 5-2 favourite to make a triumphant return to Gosforth Park following a couple of sound efforts in defeat earlier this season at Newmarket and Haydock.
Always travelling strongly in midfield, the grey responded to Marquand’s urgings to run down Spycatcher inside the last of the six furlongs, with a neck separating them at the line.
“He’s a cracking little horse with loads of ability, he just needs things to go his way,” said Marquand.
“We didn’t go overly quick there, but there’s a headwind and the surface is bit slower than it looked like it was yesterday. He is a horse that has won over seven furlongs before, so if they go a nice tempo and you’ve got one to aim at you’re confident you’re going to be the strongest finisher.
“I think he’s still progressing. He’s a strong little horse and has probably become become more effective at sprinting this year. He was fast before, but he almost didn’t realise how quick he was.”
Maureen Haggas, assistant to her husband, said: “It’s hard work (the surface) today and he just ground it out really.
“He’s a sweet horse with a great temperament. He won a Listed race at Newbury last year so to win a Group Three is really nice.
“We’ll see how he is and see what the ground is like. William will work out where to go.”
Haggas also provided an update on Sense Of Duty, who has not been seen since blitzing her rivals here last year.
She does hold an entry in the July Cup, but appears unlikely to make her comeback at Newmarket.
She added: “We’re trying (to get her back). She’s such a good filly, she’s just delicate and has front legs that go in four different directions.
“Yes she’s coming back, but it’s a slow process and we’re now looking at the Sprint Cup at Haydock (in September).
“We were sort of hoping for Royal Ascot, but that didn’t happen and she wants soft ground, so we’d have been struggling anyway.”
Star Of Mystery ran out an ultra-impressive winner of the Maureen Brittain Memorial Empress Fillies’ Stakes, as Charlie Appleby made a welcome return to the big-race winner’s enclosure at Newmarket.
Appleby has endured a quiet time of late, drawing a blank at Royal Ascot, but the performance of the hugely promising daughter of Kodiac gave the Moulton Paddocks handler plenty to smile about.
Second to the well-regarded Carla’s Way on debut, Star Of Mystery wasted little time opening her account in tremendous fashion at Haydock on her second start, which saw her sent off the 4-5 favourite for this Listed contest.
And she gave favourite-backers barely a moment’s worry, quickening smartly from a forward position in the hands of William Buick to blow the opposition away in fine style, registering a visually taking four-length success from Cry Fiction in the process.
It was Appleby’s second win in the six-furlong contest, following the success of Summer Romance in 2019. However, Appleby does not think she will become a Classic filly next season.
“She is a filly we know pedigree-wise, she is a from a speed-on-speed family,” he said.
“We came here today confident that she would come forward from that run at Haydock.
“We knew at the time when she got beaten at Lingfield that the winner that day was strongly fancied. It was a big ask to go to Ascot and it didn’t materialise unfortunately. We then went to Haydock and and obviously thought we hadn’t beaten a great deal, but when you win by 11 lengths, it is still a very impressive performance and physically she has done well since then.
“The natural route would be to work back from a Cheveley Park realistically. That’s the likelihood. I’m not going to say where we go next, but that will be our target.
“I think she is a six-furlong filly. People have asked if she is a Guineas filly. No, I don’t think she’ll get a Guineas, unless they shorten it by a couple of furlongs. No, realistically, she is not a Guineas filly and it will be wrong to train her like that.
“She is a set little model and we’ll keep cracking on as we are and hopefully she will do what we hope she can achieve in the Cheveley Park and we’ll be delighted.
“We will be positive with her this year.”
Lewis Hamilton will start today’s sprint race at the Austrian Grand Prix from a lowly 18th as Max Verstappen took pole position.
Defending champion Verstappen raced to top spot for the second day in succession following his qualifying triumph for Sunday’s 71-lap Grand Prix.
Sergio Perez joins team-mate Verstappen on the front row for today’s 23-lap dash round the Red Bull Ring, with McLaren’s Lando Norris an impressive third.
Norris, who finished nearly six tenths back from Verstappen, lines up one place ahead of Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg.
The winner of today’s race will be awarded eight points, but the result has no bearing on Sunday’s main event.
Hamilton was eliminated in the opening phase after he had three laps deleted for exceeding track limits.
“That was really bad time usage,” said Hamilton over the radio. “Am I out?”
“Yes we are,” replied his race engineer Pete Bonnington.
Hamilton had been leading the way in Q1 before he had a hat-trick of laps chalked off by race director Niels Wittich for running all four wheels of his Mercedes over the white line at the final bend.
Hamilton tumbled down the order and was knocked out at the first hurdle of qualifying for only the second time in the last six years.
In Friday’s qualifying session, which determined the grid for Sunday’s main event, Verstappen said Wittich made the drivers look like “amateurs” with his over-zealous refereeing.
But Wittich did not hold back in the second qualifying running of the weekend, with Hamilton not the only driver penalised. Verstappen also had multiple laps scrubbed off.
Following his early exit, Hamilton said: “It is for a sprint race so it does not really matter.
“I wish I was still out there. But there is nothing really to say. We focus on what we can do and we could easily have been much further up. Today I will have some fun from the back.”
Hamilton was soon followed out of qualifying by team-mate George Russell after he suffered a hydraulic failure. Russell’s Mercedes mechanics were forced to change his steering rack meaning that he was unable to post a lap in Q2. He starts 15th.
Today’s sprint race takes place at 4:30pm local time (3:30 BST).
William Buick is to replace suspended Frankie Dettori on Emily Upjohn in next weekend’s Coral-Eclipse, after partnering the John and Thady Gosden-trained filly in a piece of work at Newmarket on Saturday morning.
Emily Upjohn, 10-11 favourite with the sponsors for the 10-furlong Sandown showpiece, worked a mile on the July course with Oaks winner Soul Sister and Mimikyu, who was beaten a short head in a York Group Three on her seasonal bow.
The trio all worked nicely, with Mimikyu in particular looking on very good terms with herself, and the trio finished within a length of each other.
Thady Gosden said: “Following Frankie’s appeal, the owners wanted William to ride and that’s the way we are going. Obviously, William is an excellent rider and we are delighted to have him aboard.
“It is disappointing and frustrating for Frankie not to be riding her, and with William not having a ride in the race he seemed a very sensible option for the owners.
“William had not sat on her before today, but he seemed pleased with what she did. She is a pretty laid-back filly in the mornings.
“Mimikyu always works very well. She has always been a very nice filly.”
Buick won the Eclipse for Gosden in 2012 with Nathaniel and they will team up again at the Esher track, where they could potentially meet Aidan O’Brien’s St James’s Palace Stakes winner Paddington.
Gosden went on: “The Eclipse remains the plan. Although she is coming back to a mile and a quarter after the Coronation Cup, we feel that this is the right spot for her. She likes Sandown, as she has proved before.”
Soul Sister, meanwhile, has several options and could be supplemented for the Irish Oaks at the Curragh on July 22, although she also holds entries in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot a week later and the Nassau Strakes at Goodwood on August 3.
Gosden senior said: “I was pleased with all three fillies’ work.
“Mimikyu always works well, the other two are always a bit more laid back about life, but I’m pleased with them. Emily Upjohn is bright and happy and William is pleased with her.
“There is no final decision where Soul Sister goes at this stage, but Emily Upjohn is on course for the Eclipse and Mimikyu is in a couple of places.
Lewis Hamilton will start Saturday’s sprint race at the Austrian Grand Prix from a lowly 18th.
Hamilton was eliminated in the opening phase of the sprint shootout on Saturday in Spielberg after he had three laps deleted for exceeding track limits.
“That was really bad time usage,” said Hamilton over the radio. “Am I out?”
“Yes we are,” replied his race engineer Pete Bonnington.
Hamilton had been leading the way in Q1 before he had a hat-trick of laps chalked off by race director Niels Wittich for running all four wheels of his Mercedes over the white line at the final bend.
Hamilton tumbled down the order and was knocked out at the first hurdle of qualifying for only the second time in the last six years.
Today’s 23-lap sprint race takes place at 4:30pm local time (3:30 BST).
America’s Taylor Moore and Canadian Taylor Pendrith shared a narrow lead ahead of a jam-packed leaderboard at the halfway mark of the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit.
The pair finished Friday’s second round on 13 under par after mirroring each other’s scores across the first two days – Moore carding a 64 and 67, while Pendrith scored a 67 on Thursday followed by a 64.
They lead by one stroke from America’s Rickie Fowler and Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg.
England’s Aaron Rai features among a group of four players in the hunt on 11 under, after he recovered from an early bogey to head into the clubhouse on Friday with a score of 68.
Six players are a shot further back, with just four strokes separating the top 18.
Tyrese Haliburton has landed a max contract extension with the Pacers, a deal that could be worth up to $260 million.
The deal is the largest in franchise history and also Indiana's second deal ever to surpass $100 million.
The third-year pro was an All-Star for the first time last season, becoming the first player in league history to average 20 points and 10 assists while shooting 40 percent from 3-point range in a season.
Haliburton was drafted 12th overall by the Sacramento Kings in 2020 but was traded to the Pacers in February 2022 in a deal that send Domantas Sabonis to the Kings.
Desmond Bane and the Memphis Grizzlies have agreed to a five-year, $207 million max contract extension.
Bane, 25, gets the first $200 million deal in Grizzlies' history as he's developed into one of the NBA's best young shooting guards in his three seasons with Memphis.
He set career highs with 21.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists and field goal percentage (48 percent) for the Grizzlies last season.
Bane is among the best 3-point shooters in the NBA, making 42.5 percent of his attempts in his career, while increasing the volume each season.
Matt Olson hit two of the six home runs for the Atlanta Braves and baseball’s hottest team rolled to a 16-4 rout of the Miami Marlins on Friday.
Olson went 4 for 5 with his National League-leading 27th and 28th home runs and fell a double shy of the cycle as Atlanta won its sixth straight to finish June with a major league-best 21-4 record.
The 21 victories tied the Atlanta record for most wins in a calendar month, a mark that was set in May 1998 and matched in August 1999, in June 2002 and in June 2022.
Ronald Acuna Jr., Austin Riley, Sean Murphy and Eddie Rosario also went deep to help Atlanta raise its home run total to 153, by far the most in the majors.
Mike Soroka won in his first home start since Aug. 3, 2020, when he tore his Achilles tendon for the first of two times. He allowed three runs and five hits in six innings without a walk and seven strikeouts.
Atlanta scored five runs in the first inning and never looked back. Riley doubled home Acuna and Olson followed with a 434-foot, opposite-field blast to centre. After Murphy struck out and Marcell Ozuna walked, Rosario belted his 14th home to make it 5-0.
Olson’s second homer of the game – another two-run shot – in the fifth inning extended the lead to 10-3 and Rosario’s groundout made it 11-3.
The Marlins ended a five-game winning streak and a seven-game run on the road.
Steer’s walk-off homer in 11th gives Reds wild win
Spencer Steer delivered a walk-off home run in the 11th inning after Matt McLain had a game-tying two-run homer in the 10th to lift the Cincinnati Reds to a wild 7-5 win over the reeling San Diego Padres.
After Elly De La Cruz doubled home the tying run in the 11th, he tried to score from third on Nick Senzel’s grounder but was called out because he didn’t touch the plate before Gary Sanchez’s tag.
Steer made that irrelevant shortly after when he belted a 2-2 pitch from Drew Carlton over the left-field wall for his 13th home run.
Cincinnati won its third straight despite Alexis Diaz’s save streak being stopped at 23 in a row. San Diego has lost a season-high six in row.
Ohtani hits 30th home run in Angels’ loss
Shohei Ohtani's hit the longest home run of his career for his major league-leading 30th of the season but the Los Angeles Angels lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks, 6-2.
The Japanese sensation took Tommy Henry 493 feet out to right field in the sixth inning for the longest homer in the majors this year. He became the first player since 2013 to hit 30 homers by the end of June.
He also extended his own team record for home runs in a month with 15 and tied the AL mark for June homers.
It didn’t take long for some of the NBA’s top free agents to come off the board.
Point guard Fred VanVleet is leaving the Toronto Raptors after agreeing with the Houston Rockets on a three-year maximum contract totalling $130million, according to multiple media outlets.
The NBA's negotiating period began Friday at 6 p.m. EDT. Deals will not be made official until the end of the league's annual moratorium on July 6.
Undrafted out of Wichita State, VanVleet broke out during the Raptors’ 2019 title run and was a coveted prize in this year’s free agent class.
VanVleet averaged 19.3 points and a career-high 7.2 assists last season.
The Rockets entered this free agency period with the most salary cap room in the NBA, an estimated $68million.
The Raptors responded by adding Dennis Schröder on a reported two-year, $26million deal as they look to build around Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes. Toronto was also able to retain center Jakob Poeltl on a four-year, $80million deal.
Irving stays paired with Dončić
Kyrie Irving has agreed to a contract to remain with the Dallas Mavericks and stay paired with superstar Luka Dončić, multiple media outlets reported Friday at the dawn of free agency.
The deal is reported to be worth $126million over three seasons, with a player option for the final year.
The Mavericks acquired Irving at last season’s trade deadline for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith and draft compensation, but Irving reportedly explored other options in free agency.
Irving had been eligible for a maximum contract of up to five years and $272million with Dallas, but he landed at a shorter deal after playing about 40 games per year over the last four seasons.
The Mavericks also came to terms with sharp-shooting guard Seth Curry on a two-year deal.
Blazers keep Grant on 5-year deal
As a busy NBA offseason moves forward, Damian Lillard and his future with the Portland Trail Blazers continue to steal the spotlight.
Forward Jerami Grant and the Trail Blazers agreed on a five-year, $160million deal to keep him in Portland, multiple media outlets reported Friday.
The implications of Grant’s new deal on Lillard’s situation remain unclear, but a total tear-down to build solely around No. 3 overall pick Scoot Henderson appears less likely with Grant signed through the 2027-28 season.
Acquired from the Detroit Pistons for a draft pick a year ago, Grant averaged 20.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in 63 games with the Trail Blazers last season.
Even after retaining Grant, Portland projects to be about $15million under the luxury tax threshold, with a key decision still to come on restricted free agent Matisse Thybulle.
Draymond Green staying with Warriors
The Golden State Warriors kept their core intact, agreeing with Draymond Green on a new four-year, $100million contract, according to multiple media outlets.
Green had declined a $27.6million player option earlier this offseason.
An 11-year NBA veteran, Green has spent his entire career with the Warriors, winning four championships and being named to an All-Defensive Team eight times.
Bucks retain Middleton on 3-year deal
The Milwaukee Bucks also kept a key player from a championship team, agreeing with Khris Middleton on a three-year contract worth $102million.
Earlier this offseason, Middleton turned down a player option for next season at $40million.
Middleton, a three-time All-Star, helped the Bucks win a title in 2021. A right knee injury limited him to 33 games last season.
Veteran center Brook Lopez remains an unrestricted free agent.
Kuzma cashes in with Wizards
Kyle Kuzma became one of the big winners early in free agency, agreeing with the Washington Wizards on a four-year, $102million deal.
Kuzma’s contract comes after he turned down a $13million player option earlier this offseason.
After making $13million in each of the last two seasons, Kuzma will make $22.8million next season.
Kuzma is coming off a career year in which he averaged 21.2 points and 7.2 rebounds for the Wizards.
Johnson gets $108M from Brooklyn
The Brooklyn Nets and restricted free agent Cam Johnson have agreed on a new four-year contract worth $108million.
A key part of the trade that sent Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns last season, Johnson scored a career-high 15.5 points per game last season, including 16.6 per game in 25 contests with the Nets.
Brown leaves Denver for Indiana
After helping the Denver Nuggets win their first NBA title, Bruce Brown is headed to the Indiana Pacers on a two-year, $45million contract.
Brown played a key role for the Nuggets off the bench, averaging a career-high 11.5 points during the regular season, plus 12 points per game on 51.1-percent shooting in the playoffs.
Vincent headed to Lakers
Also cashing in on a strong postseason run was Gabe Vincent, who left the Miami Heat for the Los Angeles Lakers on a three-year, $33million deal.
The undrafted guard averaged 12.7 points and shot 37.8 percent from 3-point range during Miami’s run to the NBA Finals.
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