Alberto Dainese bounced back from stomach problems to win stage 17 of the Giro d’Italia in a photo finish as Geraint Thomas finished safely to retain the leader’s pink jersey.
Dainese, who has spent several days suffering with illness, edged out the fast approaching Jonathan Milan by a tyre’s width in Caorle with Michael Matthews a couple of inches further back.
Mark Cavendish, still seeking a first win of the season a couple of days after announcing it would be his last as a professional, had been near the front of the bunch on the approach to town.
But the Manxman lost position on one of two tight left-handers inside the last two kilometres and could not contest the sprint, showing his frustration as he rolled over the line. There should be one more opportunity for a sprint on Sunday’s final stage in Rome.
Thomas was guided into the finish by Ineos Grenadiers team-mate Ben Swift, staying safe to retain his 18-second advantage over Joao Almeida in the general classification, with Primoz Roglic sat third, 29 seconds down.
That means the Welshman will spend his 37th birthday in pink when the race returns to the mountains on Thursday going into the decisive weekend.
“It was an alright day, a little bit of rain but nothing compared to what we’ve had so far,” Thomas said.
“It was a bit of a crazy bunch finish, we’re happy to get that done. We knew the sprint teams would race a decent pace and we were able to save as much as possible for the next three days.
“It will be nice (tomorrow), hopefully it will be a good day. There’s lots of work to do before (Sunday), we’ll take tomorrow first.”
Before the mountains to come, this was a rare opportunity for the sprinters, and their determination to take it was clear as a four-man breakaway that included Charlie Quarterman was offered little margin and little hope, never building much more than a 90-second advantage.
The last of those escapees, Senne Leysen, was caught with five kilometres left of the 197km from Pergine Valsugana, almost all of which was either flat or downhill.
When the sprint began, Matthews struck out first but Dainese, racing close to home in the north east of Italy, used his slipstream to come around to the right.
More of a surprise was the storming finish of Milan, who appeared out of position on the final bend but this Giro’s in-form sprinter had the pace to get within a few millimetres of victory.
“This is insane,” said the 25-year-old Dainese. “The first sprints didn’t go as we planned, we did a good job but we never had a good result to show it…
“In the last metres I was really digging deep. I saw Jonny coming, I couldn’t really throw my bike because I was on the limit but it was nice to get my wheel a few centimetres in front to get the win.
“Especially after the last five days, I was quite sick with stomach issues and also my breathing was not good and today was the first day I was feeling good. I’m super happy, I can’t thank my team enough for keeping me in the race and keeping me motivated.”
Roger Varian has decided to give Charyn another shot at Classic glory in the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas on Saturday.
A Group Two-winning two-year-old last season, the grey son of Dark Angel made a promising return when second to subsequent French 2000 Guineas runner-up Isaac Shelby in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury.
Charyn was unable to make an impact when eighth in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and Varian did have the option of dropping him back in trip for this weekend’s Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock.
However, he feels it is worth rolling dice once more over a mile at the Curragh.
“We were bit torn between the Sandy Lane and the Irish Guineas, but we’ve decided to go to Ireland,” said the Newmarket handler.
“We just think with the Newmarket race being on soft ground, the high numbers not really getting into it and things being a bit rough early, we didn’t really learn about the mile, not conclusively anyway.
“There’s only Classic options for so long in a horse’s life so we’re going to have another go.
“He’s a very talented horse and his run in the Greenham reads very well with the winner almost winning the French Guineas. I think if we can just draw a line through his run at Newmarket we’d be confident of a bold showing in Ireland.
“He might be a horse to come back in trip later in the year, but we feel he deserves another crack at a mile. When he ran at Newbury in that heavy ground he was strong at the line there over seven furlongs and Newmarket was just too inconclusive.”
Varian was speaking after seeing Al Husn provide him with a third victory in the last six runnings of the Tennent’s Lager British Stallion Studs EBF Rothesay Stakes at Ayr on Wednesday.
The Dubawi filly won each of her three starts in 2022 and found only the exciting Via Sistina too strong on her reappearance in the Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket.
On the strength of that form she was a 5-6 favourite for her Listed assignment in Scotland and travelled powerfully throughout under Jim Crowley on her way to a cosy half-length triumph over Johnny Murtagh’s Irish raider Angels Wrath.
Varian said: “She’s a lovely filly, very likeable. She’d been very progressive last year and I was delighted she stayed in training.
“She ran well at Newmarket in the soft ground on Guineas Sunday and I thought she won a bit cosily today. She’s got a lovely attitude and I thought she was just doing enough, Jim gave her a nice sympathetic ride and she should come on from that again.
“We’ll get her home and chat with the team and see. I should think something like the Hopping Stakes at Newcastle might suit.”
Ian Williams’ Enemy returns to Sandown for another crack at the Racehorse Lotto Henry II Stakes on Thursday.
The six-year-old spent his winter in the Middle East and returned significantly richer having won the Dubai Racing Club Classic at Meydan before a second-placed finish in the highly valuable Red Sea Turf Handicap in Saudi Arabia.
He then came home eighth in the Dubai Gold Cup back at Meydan in late March, after which he began his domestic campaign in the Group Three Ormonde Stakes at Chester’s May meeting.
Enemy was fifth behind by William Haggas’ Hamish in the Roodee feature, though Williams feels he fared well considering the testing conditions and will be more at home on better ground in Esher, where Frankie Dettori takes the ride.
“The ground probably got a little bit too soft for him at Chester last time, but he acquitted himself well and remains in good form,” the trainer said.
“Conditions should be more to suit on Thursday.”
Enemy was fifth in the Group Three race last season as Quickthorn prevailed for Hughie Morrison, but the run was luckless and Williams feels the gelding was not shown to best effect.
He said: “I don’t know that it’s not a deeper race but the way that race was won last year, he got a long way out and had a lot of ground to make up, so I think you can put a line through that.”
Elsewhere is Andrew Balding’s Nate The Great, second last season and fifth behind Silver Sonic and Enemy in the Red Sea at Riyadh.
Haggas’ Roberto Escobarr joins the line-up, as do Harry and Roger Charlton’s Sleeping Lion and Hiroo Shimizu’s French-trained Princess Anne.
Desert Crown is all set for his highly-anticipated comeback in the Racehorse Lotto Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown on Thursday evening.
The Sir Michael Stoute-trained Derby hero has been seen just three times in his career, but has made a huge impression regardless.
He won a maiden on debut and then took last year’s Dante at York en route to a memorable victory in the premier Classic itself.
Injury curtailed his season after his two-and-a-half-length victory in the blue riband, however, and Sandown’s Group Three event is his first run since that memorable day last June.
Despite an absence of 355 days, Bruce Raymond, racing manager to owner Saeed Suhail, is expecting the Nathaniel colt’s unbeaten status to be maintained.
He said: “I’m more than hopeful. It would be a huge upset were he to be beaten.
“Of course, they can all be beaten, but I don’t expect him to be.
“Michael is definitely 100 per cent happy with him, he’s fine, he’s working good and while there’s enough improvement to come, he’s fit enough to do himself justice.
“He was so impressive in the Derby. The race was over two out.”
Stoute, too, expressed his satisfaction at how his star has done in the build-up to his return.
He said: “Desert Crown has progressed well over the last few weeks, and it will be good to get him back to work.”
The same owner and trainer will also be represented by Solid Stone, a Group winner in his own right who will set the pace for his stablemate.
“We’ve got a pacemaker in Solid Stone to make sure it’s not a crawl,” said Raymond.
“He leads him in all his work and he didn’t run at Chester recently just so he could run in this.”
Also on the comeback trail is Owen Burrows’ Hukum, an impressive winner of the Coronation Cup at Epsom last season before injury struck.
His career looked to be in jeopardy but he has been rehabilitated and returned to training, with the Sandown contest coming nearly a year since his last run.
But Burrows is mindful of the conditions in Esher and if the ground is too quick, Hukum will not be risked ahead of his Royal Ascot target, the Hardwicke Stakes.
“We’ve been really pleased with him, obviously it’s a very tough race!” said Burrows.
“Timing-wise it really works out, it slots in well with the Hardwicke at Royal Ascot as a prep run.
“Fingers crossed he can show his old enthusiasm, run a nice race and get his season on track.
“Myself and Richard Hills (of owners Shadwell) are going to walk the track beforehand, I’ve been liaising with Andrew Cooper, the clerk, and he normally does a great job.
“I just don’t want to run him for the first time in the year on fast ground and it’s an evening meeting, so there’s plenty of time throughout the day for it to dry out.
“We’ll just be taking a look to make sure we’re happy.”
Adding further spice is David Simcock’s Cash, who was just a short head behind Westover in the Classic Trial over course and distance last year, while Jane Chapple-Hyam’s Claymore is a Royal Ascot winner and Keith Dalgleish’s Chichester was last seen finishing second at the All-Weather Championships at Newcastle on Good Friday.
Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Galopin Des Champs has been crowned the leading jumps horse of the 2022-23 National Hunt season in the Anglo-Irish Jumps Classifications.
The Willie Mullins-trained seven-year-old won the John Durkan at Punchestown, the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown and the headline event in the Cotswolds to crown a tremendous campaign, with his rating of 179 leaving him 4lb clear of his nearest rivals at the top of the standings.
His stablemate Energumene and Nicky Henderson’s Constitution Hill share the runner-up spot on a mark of 175, with the latter becoming the highest-rated British-trained hurdler since the Classifications were first published in 1999-2000.
The latter is unsurprisingly out on his own in the hurdling division, with State Man, who chased him home in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, best of the rest on 165.
The unbeaten Constitution Hill successfully stepped up to two and a half miles to add the Aintree Hurdle to his collection and is rated just 1lb behind three-time Champion Hurdle winner Istabraq (176). Whether he remains over hurdles or pursues a career over fences later this year remains to be seen.
Energumene earned his mark of 176 after a dominant 10-length success when defending his Queen Mother Champion Chase crown at Cheltenham in March, while the leading British horse over fences was Henderson’s Shishkin (173) thanks to a 16-length win in February’s Ascot Chase.
El Fabiolo (Mullins) tops the novice chase ranks on a perch of 170, while his owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede are also responsible for the highest-rated novice hurdler in Impaire Et Passe (160).
Martin Greenwood, the British Horseracing Authority’s steeplechase handicap team leader, said: “Ireland is responsible for two of the top three chase horses in the 2022-23 Anglo-Irish Classifications. Galopin des Champs and Energumene head the staying and short distance divisions respectively after dominant displays at the Cheltenham Festival.
“The GB team bagged the middle-distance division with Shishkin who was upped in trip and secured big-race success at Ascot and Aintree. The home contingent can also look to the likes of Bravemansgame (172), L’Homme Presse (170) and Ahoy Senor (169) as part of a decent season in the staying ranks, while Edwardstone (169) and Greaneteen (168) feature high up in the two-mile arena.”
Andrew Mealor, BHA hurdle handicap team leader, said: “Constitution Hill topped the hurdle rankings for the second season running as he added another four Grade One races to his burgeoning CV.
“His top performance of 175 came when beating State Man by nine lengths in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, a rating which puts him behind only triple Champion Hurdle winner Istabraq and Faugheen, both 176, among the top two-milers since Classifications were first published.”
Andrew Shaw, senior National Hunt handicapper for the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, said: “Galopin Des Champs followed up his two Grade One victories at Punchestown and Leopardstown with the best performance by a staying chaser this season in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup. Although beaten for the first time over fences by Fastorslow at Punchestown the following month, at only seven years of age he has the potential to go on and win at least one more Gold Cup.
“Energumene consolidated his position as the leading two-mile chaser with an emphatic 10-length victory in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham.
“However, his chances of becoming the first horse since Badsworth Boy to win the race on three consecutive occasions will be seriously tested by stable companion El Fabiolo, the highest rated novice chaser in training and who joins Altior as the only two-mile novice to have achieved a figure of 170 since the Classifications began.”
Not many €20,000 purchases head to the Betfred Derby with leading claims – but that is certainly the case for Charlie Johnston’s Dubai Mile.
A Group One winner as a juvenile over 10 furlongs in France, he dropped back down in trip to finish a very respectable fifth in the 2000 Guineas behind Chaldean.
It is often said the best trial for the Derby is the Guineas, and in a year when the ante-post favourite, Auguste Rodin, finished 12th of 14 at Newmarket, Johnston has every right to be feeling bullish about the claims of his Roaring Lion colt on Saturday week.
Dubai Mile has struck up a good relationship with jockey Danny Muscutt – who celebrated his first Group One win when landing the Criterium de Saint-Cloud with him – and his availability on June 3 was the final piece of the preparation jigsaw once Canberra Legend’s Derby dreams ended at York.
“We did flirt with the idea of taking him to Epsom on Monday (for the gallops morning), but one of the determining factors for that was if Danny wasn’t going to be able to ride him, as going into the Dante there was a bit of a discussion,” said Johnston.
“If he wasn’t available it would have been a good opportunity to let a new jockey have a sit on the horse and get a feel for him, but given I was never going to push Danny into a decision he didn’t need to make until after the event, that has fallen by the wayside.
“Danny gets a tune out of him. It’s a twist of fate or whatever that this horse broke his maiden on a Sunday at Windsor. At the time I was just looking at jockeys available who had good stats at Windsor and that is how he ended up on the horse. We’re always keen to keep winning combinations together if we can.
“One of the most important factors we always feel is confidence and without a doubt he will have more confidence in this horse than anyone else we could get to ride him. Danny is doing a good job of putting himself on the map, but this horse is accelerating the process by giving him his first Group One winner and being a horse that has taken him into Classics.”
Being able to stay 10 furlongs as a juvenile is usually a prerequisite to staying a mile and a half, if not further, at three, and it was for that reason Johnston needed to be persuaded by his record-breaking father Mark to run back over a mile in the Guineas.
“You shouldn’t get too ahead of yourself in thinking you will stay the trip when he’s untested, but we’ve always been very confident it would improve him if anything,” said Johnston, who this year holds the training licence solely in his name.
“After the event I can say I was never really that keen on going for the Guineas and had some strong debates with dad about it. I’d thought all winter he’d go Dante-Derby, the traditional trial and what we’d done with Gear Up who won the same Saint-Cloud race.
“But his gallop at Newmarket tilted us into thinking he wouldn’t be disgraced in the Guineas and if he could run into third it would be a game changer for him as a stallion.”
There have been well-publicised reports that animal rights protesters will be trying to disrupt Derby day, but Johnston, while worried for the potential bad publicity for the sport, feels he has a colt that will not be perturbed by a delay should it come to it, as it did with the Grand National.
Johnston said: “He’s a very relaxed colt, but it will be interesting to see what the day brings. It’s a concern for Epsom and for horse racing, but it’s not a specific concern for this horse as he’s been to lots of tracks and different countries and takes everything in his stride. Any delay for all horses isn’t ideal, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world for him.
“To be going to Epsom with a chance in the Derby is why you get hooked on racing at a young age. We just want to win – at every level. But winning at the highest level has the biggest repercussions for Johnston Racing going forward. We want this to be the norm, competing with the big boys week in and week out.
“There’s always a bit made of the north versus south thing, but we’re as big as anyone – dad’s record is there for all to see. I’m aware the north hasn’t won the Derby since Dante, and that wasn’t even at Epsom, so it would be great for the north and Middleham but that is not my concern – I’m here to win it for Johnston Racing and Ahmad Al Shaikh.”
The Lawn Tennis Association’s fine for banning Russian and Belarusian players from last year’s grass-court season contributed to operating losses of £9.5million in 2022.
The governing body did not allow Russians or Belarusians to play at Wimbledon or any of the warm-up tournaments in Nottingham, Birmingham, Eastbourne or at Queen’s following Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.
It was subsequently hit with a £1.4m fine by the ATP and WTA and a warning that it could be stripped of hosting future events.
The staging of the Billie Jean King Cup finals and the Davis Cup finals group stage was also a big factor in the losses, alongside societal issues such as inflation.
Despite those losses, the LTA has continued to invest in grassroots tennis, which led to a 43 per cent rise in participants, with over 5.2million adults playing.
That is the highest number since the LTA began the survey, with 2022 seeing participation growing in all areas of the country and in all demographics.
LTA chief executive Scott Lloyd said: “2022 was a year of real achievement for British tennis at both the grassroots and top professional level. We made strong progress against our plans for delivering on our five-year strategy to open tennis up and achieved a number of our objectives a year early.
“There were challenges throughout the year, but we have tried to ensure the sport is thriving at all levels, continued to raise the visibility of the sport and have given our British players the best possible support.
“Although the financial picture was challenging this year, taken as a whole, the past four years have resulted in a loss of £6.4m despite the pandemic, volatility in world markets and unforeseen factors such as the fines from the ATP and WTA – whilst during this time we delivered significant growth for the sport.
“We are continuing to invest across the length and breadth of the sport this year and, as well as many other initiatives, will be renovating thousands of public park courts across the country in partnership with the LTA Tennis Foundation and UK Government.”
Bernie Ecclestone has said he would be surprised if Ferrari pulled off the biggest transfer in recent Formula One memory by signing Lewis Hamilton – and believes it is Mercedes or bust for the British driver.
Hamilton’s future in the sport remains under scrutiny with six months to run on his current £40million-a-year deal at Mercedes.
Both Hamilton, 38, and Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff have said they expect a new deal will be agreed.
The Daily Mail this week reported that Ferrari are preparing a blockbuster bid for Hamilton – which could involve a swap deal with Charles Leclerc – while La Gazzetta dello Sport claimed Hamilton has already received an offer from the Italian team.
Speaking to the PA news agency, F1’s former supremo Ecclestone, who remains well connected in the sport, said: “I would be surprised that Ferrari would want to get rid of Leclerc to sign Lewis because they are very much in love with Leclerc.
“Lewis has said that when he does decide to stop he would still want to be connected with Mercedes so it would surprise me if he wanted to leave.
“And if I was Lewis and I saw that Leclerc is happy to leave Ferrari, I would think there has to be a problem there.
“I also don’t know why Lewis would think he would be better off at Ferrari than where he is at the moment. He knows everything well and truly at Mercedes. They know him, and they have a lot of respect for him so he couldn’t be better looked after anywhere.
“Ferrari is not a retirement home either. They want to win the world championship more than anyone. So personally, I think he will stay as Mercedes, or he will retire.”
Hamilton is gearing up for this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix and is set to address his future in the Principality on Thursday.
The seven-time world champion qualified 13th at the last race in Miami before driving well to finish sixth, but he is already 63 points behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in the championship standings.
“I don’t know what has happened to Mercedes and how they have suddenly got in the state that they find themselves in the moment,” added Ecclestone, 92.
“I can understand Lewis being frustrated because he has been there for all that time and done well for Mercedes and for himself. But his contract is a lot of money to walk away from and that is a big problem.
“The only place Lewis can go to to win that eighth world championship is Red Bull, but for sure there is no room there. It is impossible. There is no chance.”
Hamilton’s Mercedes team will bring a major upgrade to the sixth round of the season in Monaco, but Wolff has already warned his superstar driver that his new machinery will not haul him into championship contention.
“It won’t be a silver bullet because from my experience, they do not exist in our sport,” Wolff said.
“We hope that it gives the drivers a more stable and predictable platform. Then we can build on that in the weeks and months ahead.
“F1 is tough competition and a meritocracy. We are not where we want to be but there’s no sense of entitlement. It’s just about hard work to get us to the front.”
Eddie Jones feels no bitterness over the way his England reign ended as he prepares to make his first appearance at Twickenham since being sacked by the Rugby Football Union.
Jones takes charge of the Barbarians against a World XV on Sunday in a brief interruption to his new duties as Australia head coach.
He departed in December as England’s most successful boss with a win rate of 73 per cent, but the decline in results over the last two years compelled the RFU to act and Steve Borthwick was appointed in his place.
England were booed off the field by disgruntled fans in the climax to a dismal autumn, but Jones is still looking forward to his Twickenham return.
When asked if he had any regrets over his exit, Jones replied: “No, none at all.
“I had a great seven years here, I loved it. I bet I’m the last foreign coach who coaches for seven years here. First and last.
“Loved my time here and I’m looking forward to Sunday. The sun is shining. It will be unbelievable.”
Jones is unconcerned by the prospect of being greeted with boos in the final match of the 2022-23 season.
“I never worry about things I can control. I don’t control that, so it’s no use even thinking about it,” he said.
Adam West is confident his stable star Live In The Dream will prove “a force to be reckoned with” in the Betfred Temple Stakes at Haydock on Saturday.
The four-year-old won sprint handicaps at Sandown and Chester last season and kicked off 2023 with an all-weather victory at Lingfield before following up on soft ground at Pontefract.
Those successive triumphs earned him a step up to Group Three level in the Palace House Stakes at Newmarket three weeks ago and he made much of the running before being mowed down late by Vadream.
West acknowledges his charge has plenty on his plate on Merseyside this weekend, with returning stars The Platinum Queen and Dramatised among his likely rivals, but the Epsom-based trainer is hopeful he can make race fitness count and secure Group Two honours.
“I’ve just watched him do his last blow and we’re very happy with him,” said West.
“He has a lot of things in his favour and a couple of the horses in front of him (in the betting) have yet to have a run (this season). As much as these trainers can ready them, they’re serious horses and won’t be going undercooked, having a run in a sprint is a big advantage.
“If we get a nice draw we’ll be a force to be reckoned with, I think.”
Live In The Dream has not run on ground quicker than good since his Sandown success of last spring, but West views the switch to a faster surface as a positive rather than a negative.
He added: “He should be a little bit better on better ground. The soft ground has done his confidence good as he’s been able to dominate and is going in there really happy, but now we’ve actually got a surface that lets him utilise his speed a little bit more it can only be a good thing.”
West has not entered Live In The Dream for Royal Ascot next month and is not planning to supplement no matter how he fares this weekend.
“We made the decision before the Palace House that we weren’t going to Ascot,” said West.
“You get tempted when you’ve got a good horse that’s in-form to enter in everything and try to do everything, but we’re trying to keep a clear path and the stiffer five (furlongs) would be going away from what he’s good at.”
All eyes will be on Blue Storm as James Tate’s two-year-old takes his chance in the Racehorse Lotto National Stakes at Sandown on Thursday.
It looks a red-hot renewal of the Listed five-furlong sprint, but Blue Storm is just one of an array of precocious youngsters to emerge from the first crop of former sprint king Blue Point.
The form of the colt’s Newmarket debut has been franked at all angles in the subsequent weeks, with the second, third, fourth and fifth all winning in style on their next starts.
And although buoyed by those results and excited to see his charge line up at the Esher track, Tate is refusing to get too carried away having seen the National Stakes scupper dreams in the past.
He said: “We were very impressed with him first time and the form couldn’t have worked out any better. He’s been impressing at home and it’s all positives really.
“Having said that I’ve ran horses in the National Stakes a few times and on paper it looks a strong renewal, so it’s a good job we’re bringing what we think is a good horse in to it.
“We’re happy with our horse and looking forward to Thursday night.”
Hugo Palmer won this two years ago and this time saddles Hackman, who was third behind Blue Storm at Newmarket but now reopposes having advertised his speed to win impressively at Chester, while Charlie Appleby’s On Point is another of Blue Point’s progeny arriving at Sandown having won on the Rowley Mile first time out.
Richard Hannon may be a fair way off matching his father’s impressive haul in this race, but landed the spoils in both 2014 and 2015 and has two worthy contenders once again in Dapper Valley and Love Billy Boy.
The form of Dapper Valley’s soft-ground Newbury win has a solid look to it, while the latter ran on strongly to land the spoils at Musselburgh on debut.
“Obviously we have two very nice horses who both won on their debuts and naturally they will come on a lot for their first runs,” said Hannon.
“I think fast ground will be more to Dapper Valley’s liking.
“Love Billy Boy has a lot of speed and won over a sharp five up north. It’s a very lucky race for David Sullivan (part owner), who has won it a couple of times, and they are keen to take their chance.
“It’s an extremely hot renewal and whatever wins it will be probably amongst the favourites for Royal Ascot if they go.”
Ralph Beckett’s Matters Most finished third to Dapper Valley at Newbury, but the son of Advertise – who cost 500,000 as a yearling – built on that racecourse bow to get off the mark at Salisbury last time and could have plenty more to offer.
“He’s in good shape, we’re looking forward to it and we’ll find out how good he is on Thursday night,” said Beckett.
Irish interest is provided by Tipperary scorer Son Of Corballis, with handler Kieran Cotter keen to get extra experience into the Raven’s Pass colt before a potential Royal Ascot tilt.
“There are limited opportunities for him here in Ireland over five furlongs and we just thought to give him this prep run before Royal Ascot,” said Cotter.
“The plan is to go for the Norfolk with him and we like him a lot, but we just need to get more of a line on him really and I suppose we’ll know more after Thursday.
“We think he’s smart and we’re confident enough to bring him over. He has a good temperament and is a smart sort, but we haven’t had that proper line on him just yet.”
Karl Burke is another handler saddling two runners and both Doncaster scorer Elite Status and Pontefract winner World Of Darcy created taking impressions, while Alice Haynes’ Shayekh completes a strong field of 10 going to post.
France’s Victor Perez will defend the KLM Open title he won in amazing fashion last year as he bids to boost his Ryder Cup chances.
Perez beat Ryan Fox on the fourth hole of a sudden-death play-off 12 months ago, Fox having run up a double-bogey seven on the 72nd hole.
Fox twice had one hand on the trophy when he birdied the first and third extra holes – the par-five 18th – only for Perez to hole from 15 and 30 feet respectively to stay alive.
Perez then holed another long putt for birdie when the action switched to the 17th and it was no surprise that a shellshocked Fox then missed his shorter attempt.
That was Perez’s sole victory in 2022, but he finished third in the Italian Open at this year’s Ryder Cup venue and started this season with a win in Abu Dhabi.
Another top 10 in the Italian Open earlier this month and a tie for 12th in last week’s US PGA Championship have helped Perez move into the automatic qualifying places for the European Ryder Cup team as he bids to secure a debut in the biennial event.
“One of the mistakes I made for Whistling Straits (in 2021) was I was in a similar position, inside the world’s top 50, so I had the opportunity to play in America, but then you don’t have the opportunity to score points on the European Points List,” Perez said.
Perez was ninth in the Players Championship in 2021 and reached the semi-finals of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, but missed the cut in five of his next six starts to slip out of the qualifying places.
“It’s tricky because it didn’t work last time and it doesn’t mean that because I’m playing in Europe it means I’m going to make the team,” he added. “It might not work.
“At the end of the day, it’s just about playing well and elevating your game when the deadline approaches.”
Perez is also third on the current Race to Dubai rankings, with the top 10 players at the end of the season, who are not otherwise exempt, earning a PGA Tour card.
It is a controversial innovation which has led to accusations that the DP World Tour is becoming a “feeder tour” to the PGA Tour as part of its strategic alliance with the US-based circuit, but Perez is in favour.
“I’ve heard that people say that 10 people are going to go so the DP World Tour are going to lose their stars,” the 30-year-old said.
“You can agree or disagree, but I still feel like there are guys who are going to lose their cards in America. They’re going to think they’d much rather play in Europe for two or three million every week rather than going to the Korn Ferry Tour because they can get 10 spots again.
“There are those players who are going to thrive, then there’s those players who come back. You still play for great money, whether people want to complain or not.
“You’re still playing for millions of dollars, every week, travelling the world, playing golf. It’s not like your life is difficult, relatively.
“It’s always easy to be like, ‘Oh they’re playing for USD 25million in America’. If you are to go over there then you’re playing against better competition, you still make no money for missing the cut even though it says USD 25m at the start of the week.”
Jimmy Butler says the Miami Heat must play with more energy and like their backs are against the wall when they next face the Boston Celtics.
The Heat missed the chance to progress to the NBA Finals as they lost 116-99 to the Celtics on Tuesday.
Miami now hold a 3-1 series lead in the Eastern Conference finals, ahead of Game 5 in Boston on Thursday.
But for Butler, who scored 29 points and added nine rebounds and five assists, there is no reason to be downhearted.
"If anything, it will build momentum for us knowing that we have to play with a lot more energy," Butler said.
"We've got to play like our backs are against the wall.
"I think all year long, we've been better when we've had to do things the hard way.
"We'll be OK. Let's get back to doing what we've always done to get us to this point, continually have belief in one another, knowing that we are going to win, and we will. We've just got to play harder.
"There's not too much to say with this group because we already know. So we've just got to go out there and execute."
Butler's sentiment was echoed by Miami coach Erik Spoelstra.
"At some point, this is great competition. You know, sometimes it can get skewed, because, whatever, the 3-0," he said.
"But we have great respect for Boston, what they are capable of. They are a dynamic offensive team that takes extraordinary efforts and commitment to get the job done. Our guys really want this.
"A lot of what we've done this year has been the hard way. We've been able to figure out ways to win, even if teams are playing well, if we are not in a perfect flow.
"They got us tonight. You have to give them credit for that."
"It's definitely disappointing," said Heat guard Caleb Martin.
"That would have been a perfect world, perfect situation. But as we know and everybody else knows, we don't typically get things the easy way over here.
"So like I said, this is right up our alley. This is the way it goes for us and guys like us. Again, I think it's only going to prepare us for the long run. This could be good for us."
Fran Jones’ hopes of making a first French Open appearance are over after she was forced to retire during her second qualifying round.
The Briton, who suffers from a congenital condition which means she has three fingers and a thumb on each hand, three toes on one foot and four toes on the other, was left in tears as she had to retire due to an apparent shoulder injury during the first set of her clash with Ylena In-Albon at Roland Garros.
Jones, currently ranked 316 in the world, had beaten former grand slam semi-finalist Coco Vandeweghe in her opening round and had enjoyed some encouraging results on the ITF circuit prior to the main clay-court in Paris.
She joins Heather Watson and Katie Swan in heading out of qualifying as the British pair lost in Tuesday’s first-round qualifying.
A host of other Brits are in action later on Tuesday as they hope to continue their journey towards the main draw.
Owner-breeder Imad Al Sagar is targeting the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot and a possible Arc bid with Nashwa ahead of her reappearance at Saint-Cloud this weekend.
The John and Thady Gosden-trained Frankel filly enjoyed an excellent three-year-old campaign, claiming Classic glory in the French Oaks under Hollie Doyle before doubling her Group One tally in the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood.
She subsequently finished second in the Prix de l’Opera and fourth at the Breeders’ Cup, and with an initial plan to bring her back in last week’s Middleton Stakes at York shelved, Nashwa instead makes her return in the Group Two Prix Corrida on Sunday.
“Nashwa is in great form,” Al Sagar told Sky Sports Racing.
“We were targeting the Middleton at York as a prep race for main target, which is the Prince of Wales’s at Royal Ascot, but she is a big filly and takes a lot of time to come to hand, which she has now. Her work is superb and we’re heading to Saint-Cloud on Sunday, hopefully.”
The prominent owner said he had no doubts about bringing Nashwa back into training as a four-year-old and is hopeful there may even be more improvement to come.
He added: “It was a very simple decision as I know the family.
“Her dam (Princess Loulou) was at her best at four, so they thrive with age, and Nashwa is definitely no exception – she’s a stronger and bigger filly this year.”
Although his star filly seemingly failed to see out the mile and a half when third in the Oaks at Epsom, Al Sagar hopes her stronger physique will give her a chance to do so this season, giving him hope of a potential tilt at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris in October.
Considering future plans, he said: “She’s entered in the Eclipse and the Irish Champion Stakes. It is premature at the moment and we will have a better idea after the Prince of Wales’s if all goes well.
“Going back to the Oaks last year we went into unknown territory and she didn’t stay the mile and a half, but this year, being stronger, we think she might reach that target and she’s entered in the Arc.
“Nashwa is a very special filly with a great cruising speed and her temperament is phenomenal.”
Fran Jones’ hopes of making a first French Open appearance are over after she was forced to retire during her second qualifying round.
The Briton, who suffers from a congenital condition which means she has three fingers and a thumb on each hand, three toes on one foot and four toes on the other, was left in tears as she had to retire due to an apparent shoulder injury during the first set of her clash with Ylena In-Albon at Roland Garros.
Jones, currently ranked 316 in the world, had beaten former grand slam semi-finalist Coco Vandeweghe in her opening round and had enjoyed some encouraging results on the ITF circuit prior to the main clay-court in Paris.
She joins Heather Watson and Katie Swan in heading out of qualifying as the British pair lost in Tuesday’s first-round qualifying.
A host of other Brits are in action later on Tuesday as they hope to continue their journey towards the main draw.
Jamaican-born IBC and two-time Canadian Heavyweight Champion, Donovan "Razor" Ruddock, has confirmed his readiness to face off against recently inducted Hall of Fame World Champion James "Lights Out" Toney. The highly anticipated boxing exhibition, titled "Rumble in the Sun," will take place on Saturday, November 11, 2023, in Kingston.
The event promises an action-packed night of bouts, accompanied by special surprises. A portion of the fight's proceeds will be allocated towards essential infrastructure enhancements at Ruddock's alma mater, the Good Hope Primary School in St. Catherine. Additionally, support and resources will be provided for the Jamaica Boxing Board's (JBB) Sport for Development initiative, "Gloves Over Guns."
Ruddock, at 59 years old, expressed his motivation for coming out of retirement, stating, "My whole reason for getting back into the ring is to assist my primary school and help the 'Gloves Over Guns' program eradicate violence. Jamaica needs assistance in fighting the crime monster."
Equally enthusiastic about the bout, Toney shared, "This boxing match will be fun! I am excited to return to the ring and dance with another heavyweight great, Donovan 'Razor' Ruddock."
Ruddock's daughters, Kleopatra and Karese, who are spearheading his philanthropic efforts and coordinating the exhibition, expressed their excitement for the event. Kleopatra, CEO of Red Ground Productions, the organizing banner, stated, "We are thrilled to bring this incredible event to Jamaica and use this platform to invest in the next generation."
Stephen Jones, president of JBB, welcomed the event, highlighting the positive impact it will have on young boxers: "Having them witness such an event will further cement in their minds boxing as a vehicle for the way forward."
Triller Sports will serve as the official global marketing and distribution partner for the event. The Triller ecosystem, known for its successful pay-per-view events, will bring new heights of engagement through digital collectibles and merchandise sales.
The exhibition represents the beginning of a new era, as Red Ground Productions combines the thrill of combat with the beauty and mystic energy of Jamaica.
Donovan "Razor" Ruddock and James "Lights Out" Toney have left indelible marks on the sport of boxing. Ruddock's devastating power and relentless style, along with Toney's outstanding defense and smooth counter-punching, have solidified their legacies as heavyweight legends.
This showdown between two boxing greats promises an unparalleled experience for fans worldwide and underscores their shared commitment to giving back and making a positive impact.
Julie Camacho’s Shaquille is Royal Ascot bound after his smart success in the Carnarvon Stakes at Newbury.
The Charm Spirit colt has done little wrong in six runs so far, winning five of those outings and looking to takes strides forward each time.
He began this year with a handicap victory at Newmarket, prevailing by two and three-quarter lengths despite a less than perfect run, and he was then a comfortable victor when making the running in the Carnarvon Stakes at Newbury.
Having taken that Listed race by two lengths, another step up in class beckons as the colt is likely to to take his place in next month’s Group One Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.
Steve Brown, Camacho’s husband and assistant, said: “He taken his exertions well from the weekend, he’s had a few quiet days but he’ll be back in full exercise by the end of the week.
“The next obvious option is to go to Ascot with him for the Commonwealth Cup, we’re pleased with what he’s doing as he seems to be settling into his racing and showing a bit more maturity.
“He keeps finding a bit of improvement, so at the minute we feel as though that’s the right option. We’ll ask him for a little bit more and see what he’s got to say.
“Saturday will be informative at Haydock (the Sandy Lane Stakes), we’ll see what comes out of that.”
Shaquille, who was bred by one of his co-owners and is by a Galileo mare in Magic, has impressed connections not only in his ability on the track but also with a constitution that seems to thrive on racing.
Brown said: “The fascinating thing with this horse is that he never comes home tired, he always comes home and says ‘well that was OK, what are we doing next?’.
“He had a long day, he travelled down to Newbury and back in a day and within an hour he’d eaten his tea up and he was ready to do whatever you asked of him next.”
Mark Cueto believes that the Sale Sharks forwards hold a key to unlocking success in Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership final against Saracens.
It is 17 years since Cueto and company stormed Twickenham, mauling Leicester Tigers 45-20 and being crowned champions for the first time.
Sale have not been part of English rugby’s showpiece domestic occasion since then, but Alex Sanderson’s class of 2023 have given themselves every chance to emulate household names in the club’s history like Cueto, Jason Robinson, Charlie Hodgson and Sebastien Chabal.
“I am really chuffed for everyone involved,” former England and British and Irish Lions wing Cueto, 43, told the PA news agency.
“It is so hard to win a trophy, and it is not until you have finished and you look back on your career that you realise how hard.
“We won the title in 2006, and we should have won it more than once. We were good enough to at least get to another final, but we fell short a couple of times, unfortunately.
“Rugby doesn’t change. You have got to keep on top of the opposition, and you have got to get on top up-front first.
“I think we are probably one of the only packs that can at least go head-to-head with the Saracens pack, if not get on top, and if we do that then we have got a really good chance.”
Rugby director Sanderson has proved a driving force behind Sale once again mixing it with the heavyweights of English rugby.
And Cueto added: “Alex and I were the same school year, and he was already a bit of a rock star when I pitched up at Sale.
“He had played for England at 22, then he carved out another career after playing and spent 10-plus years coaching at Saracens, the most successful club in Europe.
“Where better to earn your stripes, as it were, and it was a natural step for him to take a director of rugby job.
“He wears his heart on his sleeve, he is a grafter and he cares. He has got the skill, knowledge and attitude.
“When we lost Faf (de Klerk) and Lood (de Jager) at the end of last season, I was really apprehensive of how it was going to go this year, but how little do I know?”
Cueto and his family will be at Twickenham to witness Sale’s latest bid for silverware, and he admits that the heroics of 2006 are a vivid memory.
“I remember in 05, we had five or six Lions from Sale. It is big news when Saracens and Leicester have got five or six players in a Lions squad, and that was us 18 years ago,” he said.
“We just had such a good team – Charlie at 10, Jason Robinson, Mark Taylor in the centre, Chabal, Jason White, and we were just so confident.
“We had a simple game-plan – Robbo only scored one more try than he kicked drop-goals that season we won the league, and I was the club’s top try-scorer with six.
“It’s crazy to think that was the way we played, considering we were led by a maverick of a French winger in Philippe Saint-Andre. You would think we would be fast, open and loose, but the focus was the opposite.
“It was very structured, very efficient. If we got in the opposition third and three or four phases went by and we weren’t making decent ground, it was back in the pocket and take a drop-goal.
“It was rare that we left the opposition third without any points, and it was effective. Would I rather score 20 tries and come second, or six and win the league? You know the answer to that.
“It was the first time that a club had finished top of the domestic league and won the title through the play-offs.
“We had a forward pack that could beat anybody up, and sat behind that we had two of the best tactical kickers in the game in Charlie Hodgson and Richard Wigglesworth. We scored 45 points in a final. It was mega.”
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