Scott Dixon does not envisage being away from his Southwell racecourse base for long after flooding forced the handler to dramatically relocate his horses to Wolverhampton.
The trainer operates out of yards at both all-weather tracks but was left with the challenge of moving 40 of his horses as his Southwell facility bore the brunt of Storm Babet.
Having successfully shifted his Southwell string across the midlands to Dunstall Park, Dixon is eager to catch his breath before contemplating a return to the Nottinghamshire venue.
“Our yard at Southwell is totally and utterly clear of water and the water level receded pretty quickly,” explained Dixon.
“We’ll just take a deep breath, let the horses settle, and the horse’s who are due to be running at Wolverhampton during this busy month or two will naturally stop there.
“We’ve got a bit of a clean-up process at Southwell and when we move back there will all depend on when the track is back in action, which will be sooner rather than later I would have thought.
“It will be a moving timescale and we will take it day by day and we’ll be moving some of the horses back as soon as we can use the track for exercise.”
Dixon is thankful he is in the unique position of having stabling facilities to operate out of both Southwell and Wolverhampton, which meant he simply had to beat the rising water overflowing from the nearby River Greet rather than worry about what location a majority of his string could be transported to.
He added: “For now we’re absolutely fine where we are and thank goodness we are in a bit of a unique situation anyway in that we’ve got two yards.
“We’ve got Southwell and Wolverhampton and if we didn’t have that then getting 40 horses relocated to somewhere that has the facilities to exercise are few and far between.
“The important thing is all the horses are absolutely fine and all the staff are also absolutely fine.
“All animals and people are fine and the horses have dealt with it remarkably well, they have all eaten up and trotted up fine out on the track at Wolverhampton and we’ve managed to get every single horse out who was supposed to go out today.
“We’re keeping the show on the road and we’ve got multiple runners at Wolverhampton and we are just kicking on.”
The trainer has also hailed the efforts of his staff and the assistance of those nearby as the they pulled together to escape a potentially dangerous situation unscathed.
“Credit goes both to my team and some of the guys still at the racecourse and various people who came to help us during the whole process,” said Dixon.
“It’s less than ideal but you have just got to get your sensible head on and figure it out and as always the priority is always the horses and the people and the animals. We pulled it together and got it done.”
The fixtures at Southwell on October 26, October 30, November 2 and November 4 have been abandoned.
Toto Wolff said Mercedes must take Lewis Hamilton’s disqualification from the United States Grand Prix on the chin – and make sure it does not happen again.
Nearly four hours after Hamilton finished second in his most competitive race of the season – one he could have won if Mercedes did not fluff their strategy lines – the stewards declared his car did not comply with the regulations.
The depth of the new floor on Hamilton’s upgraded Mercedes was adjudged to be “outside the thresholds outlined in Article 3.5.9 e).” – which states that the plank cannot wear to below 9mm thickness.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who finished sixth, was disqualified for the same breach following Sunday’s 56-lap race at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas.
Mercedes said the sprint format – which allows for just one hour of practice before parc ferme rules heavily constrict changes to the cars – had a bearing on Hamilton’s disqualification.
But team principal Wolff said: “In the end, all of that doesn’t matter. Others got it right where we got it wrong and there’s no wiggle room in the rules.
“We need to take it on the chin, do the learning and come back stronger next weekend in Mexico.”
Four cars were chosen at random following the race. Both winner Max Verstappen’s Red Bull and Lando Norris’ McLaren passed the scrutineering checks.
Hamilton’s demise elevated Norris to runner-up behind Verstappen, who claimed the 50th win of his career and 15th from 18 this season, and Carlos Sainz to third.
Sergio Perez was promoted to fourth to extend his lead over Hamilton in the fight for second place in the championship from 27 points to 39.
Hamilton crossed the line just 2.2 seconds adrift of Verstappen after Mercedes’ move to attempt a one-stop strategy backfired and probably denied the seven-time world champion his first victory in 686 days.
But despite expressing frustration at his team’s strategy, Hamilton was asked if he has been provided hope that he could taste victory before the season is out.
“Yes, definitely,” replied the 38-year-old. “The steps that we were able to take this weekend has given me a little bit more confidence to throw the car into the corners.
“There are still some of the fundamental issues that we’re having with the car, which won’t change until next year. But it was really positive to feel that the decisions we are taking are the right ones.”
Hamilton will be back in action at this weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix with rounds to follow in Brazil and Las Vegas before the campaign concludes in Abu Dhabi on November 26.
England and Scotland’s Champions League representatives return to action this week with some looking to maintain momentum and others determined to kick-start their campaigns.
Holders Manchester City and Newcastle currently top their respective groups while Arsenal are well placed after two games, but Manchester United and Celtic are yet to open their accounts.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the teams the British contenders face in the latest round of fixtures.
Manchester United v Copenhagen (Tuesday)
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Danish champions Copenhagen began their campaign in the second qualifying round, easing past Iceland’s Breidablik 8-3 on aggregate, but were extended much further to secure their place in the play-offs as they drew 0-0 with Sparta Prague at the Parken Stadium before progressing 4-2 on penalties after an eventful 3-3 draw in the Czech capital.
Polish champions Rakow Czestochowa provided the opposition as they fought for a place in the group stage and a 1-0 away win in the first leg proved decisive as the sides drew 1-1 in Denmark in the return.
Copenhagen are currently a point clear of Silkeborg and Brondby at the top of the Danish Superliga, but have won only once in their last four games in all competitions – Saturday’s 2-1 home victory over lowly Vejle BK.
They launched their Group A campaign with a 2-2 draw at Galatasaray, where they led 2-0 before defender Elias Jelert was sent off and were beaten 2-1 at home by Bayern Munich last time out, having gone ahead once again.
The game could prove something of a family affair for United striker Rasmus Hojlund, 20, who could come up against 18-year-old twin brothers Oscar and Emil, both part of former club Copenhagen’s squad for the competition.
Sevilla v Arsenal (Tuesday)
Sevilla are making their ninth appearance in the group stage and qualified as a result of extending their record as UEFA Cup or Europa League winners to seven with a penalty shoot-out victory over Roma in last season’s final in Budapest.
They have not made it to the last 16 in their last two attempts and welcome the Gunners to the Estadio Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan, having drawn both their Group B fixtures to date.
The Spaniards led French side Lens 1-0 at home in their opener courtesy of Lucas Ocampos’ early strike, but had to settle for a point after Angelo Fulgini levelled and they were pegged back once again in a dramatic conclusion to their trip to PSV Eindhoven, where they were 1-0 up and 2-1 ahead before Jordan Teze snatched a 2-2 draw deep into stoppage time.
Sevilla, who lost to Manchester City on penalties in August’s European Super Cup clash in Athens, finished 11th in last season’s LaLiga table, 39 points adrift of champions Barcelona and again find themselves in mid-table.
They have won only two of their 12 games in all competitions to date this season, but drew a second-successive league game on Saturday, when visitors Real Madrid needed a Daniel Carvajal equaliser to emerge with a point.
Celtic v Atletico Madrid (Wednesday)
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Twice runners-up – on both occasions to derby rivals Real Madrid – Atletico have genuine Champions League pedigree, although they failed to make the last 16 for the first time in five seasons in 2022-23.
The sides have met on six previous occasions in European competition with the Spaniards having come out on top four times, the last of them a 1-0 Europa League victory at Celtic Park in November 2011, with the Scottish champions’ only reward two draws.
Atleti currently top Group E on goals scored ahead of Lazio with both sides on four points and Feyenoord a point behind.
They drew 1-1 in Rome – where the Serie A side were indebted to goalkeeper Ivan Provedel’s last-gasp equaliser – and twice came from behind at the Estadio Metropolitano, where Alvaro Morata’s double either side of an Antoine Griezmann strike secured a 3-2 victory over the Dutchmen.
Diego Simeone’s men head into the game on the back of a six-match winning run culminating in Saturday’s 3-0 league victory at Celta Vigo.
Newcastle v Borussia Dortmund (Wednesday)
Last season’s Bundesliga runners-up, Dortmund were European champions in 1997 and went down 2-1 to compatriots Bayern Munich in the 2013 final.
They have made it to the knockout stage of the Champions League in eight of their 10 most recent campaigns, but went out to Chelsea in the round of 16 last season.
Their record in England, however, does not augur well with seven of their last eight visits having ended in defeat – both the Blues and Manchester City got the better of them last season.
Dortmund have collected just a single point from their two Group F outings to date, but are yet to find the back of the net following a 2-0 defeat at Paris St Germain and a 0-0 home draw with AC Milan.
However, the reverse in Paris remains the only one they have suffered in 11 games in all competitions and they have won their last five league games – the most recent of them a 1-0 victory over Werder Bremen on Friday – to sit two points adrift of early leaders Bayer Leverkusen.
Young Boys v Manchester City (Wednesday)
The Swiss champions are playing in the Champions League for the 10th time having missed out on a place in last season’s Europa League after a play-off defeat by Anderlecht.
They collected five points from their six games on their last appearance in 2021-22 and finished bottom of their group as a result.
Young Boys won their first home Champions League game against an English club – Tottenham in a 2010-11 play-off – but eventually went down 6-3 on aggregate and their last, a 2-1 victory over Manchester United in September 2021 on a night when Cristiano Ronaldo scored but Aaron Wan-Bissaka was sent off.
They went down 3-1 at home to Leipzig in their opening fixture, but were denied victory at Red Star Belgrade when Osman Bukari’s late goal ensured it ended 2-2.
They are unbeaten in four games in all competitions, but were held to a goalless home draw by FC Zurich on Saturday.
There will be no Breeders’ Cup this year for the high-class speedster Inquisitively, who will try to continue climbing the sprinting ladder when he returns next season.
After an encouraging start to his career when trained by Ollie Sangster, the son of Ten Sovereigns is unbeaten in two starts since switching to Kevin Philippart De Foy, claiming Listed honours at York before progressing to Group Three company to win the Cornwallis Stakes in taking fashion.
That all-the-way success at Newmarket prompted discussions of a crack at the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint where the youngster’s blistering early speed could have proved a real asset.
However, a trip to Santa Anita has now been ruled out with Inquisitively set for a winter break ahead of returning to training next year – where a shot at Royal Ascot’s Commonwealth Cup could be on agenda despite the handler’s reservations about the colt’s stamina over six furlongs.
“He’s not going to go (to America), he has gone for a winter break and we will bring him back next year,” said Philippart De Foy.
“The programme is difficult for a three-year-old over five furlongs early in the season but I suppose we will have to try him over six at some point and see how he gets on. He’s obviously a very exciting horse to have.”
He went on: “We will see how he does over the winter but I have my reservations over the six-furlong trip.
“In both of our races for us he has looked very sharp out of the gates and is a strong traveller who quickens well over five furlongs.”
Great Britain have named an unchanged line-up for next month’s Davis Cup quarter-final against Serbia in Malaga.
British number one Cameron Norrie, Dan Evans, Andy Murray, Jack Draper and Neal Skupski will take on Novak Djokovic’s Serbia when the final eight nations compete for the 2023 Davis Cup from November 21-26.
Captain Leon Smith has kept faith with the same five-man team which secured Britain’s place in the knockout stages in thrilling fashion last month in Manchester.
Smith said: “We are going with the same five-man team as Manchester. The guys did such a great job that week and we will go to Malaga with confidence and belief that we can be successful.
“The quarter-final versus Serbia will of course be a big challenge with a team led by world number one Novak Djokovic, but we have to believe we can win.”
Britain beat both last year’s runners-up Australia and Switzerland 2-1 before clinching a winner-takes-all final group-stage victory against France at a sold-out AO Arena.
Evans and Skupski saved four match points in their decisive doubles match against French pair Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin on their way to a 1-6 7-6 (4) 7-6 (6) win.
Smith opted to play his highest-ranked duo, world number 18 Norrie and world number 35 Evans, in the singles against France.
Murray and Draper, ranked 40th and 91st in the ATP rankings, had featured against Switzerland and Australia respectively, while world number four in the doubles rankings Skupski completed the line-up.
Britain last lifted the Davis Cup in 2015 when Murray led them to victory over Belgium in the final.
Also at the ‘Final 8’ in Malaga, defending champions Canada will face Finland, the Czech Republic play Group B runners-up Australia and the Netherlands take on Italy.
Harry Fry will saddle his first runner in a Group One when Metier heads to ParisLongchamp for the Prix Royal-Oak on Sunday.
A Grade One winner over hurdles, the seven-year-old has proven equally proficient when crossing over to compete on the level in recent seasons, winning last year’s November Handicap at Doncaster and pouncing late to claim the Chester Cup this term.
Metier will now face his toughest challenge to date as he not only steps up in class, but bids to get his handler off the mark in France.
Fry said: “We looked at our options for this time of year and we decided to aim at the Prix Royal-Oak. You would like to think with how the weather has been that conditions would suit.
“Obviously, he is going to have to step up again, but he won the Chester Cup the hard way, from a wide draw and coming from way back, when given a great ride by Saffie Osborne, so hopefully there is more to come from him and it will be interesting to see how he gets on in Group One company.
“We have had a handful of runners in France over jumps and things, but yet to bring home a winner, so it would be a great way to break that duck.”
Metier has not been seen since galloping to big-race success on the Roodee in May, with fast ground ruling him out of a possible start at Royal Ascot.
The necessity for a break kept Metier in his stable during the height of summer when the unseasonably wet weather would have made conditions ideal for the soft ground-favouring gelding.
However, Fry is hoping patience will be rewarded as his charge returns from over five months off the track.
“We haven’t seen him out since the Chester Cup success, but we did train him for Royal Ascot on the off chance the ground came in his favour,” the Grosvenor Sport ambassador continued. “Obviously, that was always going to be an outside chance.
“He needed to have a little break having been on the go all last winter, so we gave him a break and then almost immediately the rain started to arrive, which is typical.
“We know him well enough now and what conditions suit and that is why we have waited and bided our time. Hopefully conditions have come right for him and we are looking forward to the challenge.”
Metier is set to be reunited with Saffie Osborne for his cross-Channel adventure, where the duo will search for a third victory together.
Fry added: “I think Saffie would be pretty upset if she is not onboard and he is very much Saffie’s ride unless she tells me she is going to be elsewhere!
“I think she has been ticking off the days until she is reunited with him. She gave him a brilliant ride to win at Chester and also won the November Handicap on him and they have formed a great partnership.”
Jamaica’s badminton women’s doubles team of Tahlia Richardson and Katherine Wynter bowed out of competition in the quarter-finals stage on Monday at the 2023 Pan Am Games in Santiago, Chile.
The pair were beaten in straight sets by the Mexican pair of Miriam Rodriquez and Romina Fregoso at the Olympic Training Centre in Santiago, Chile.
In two competitive games, the Jamaicans lost the first set 19-21 before yielding 16-21 as the Mexicans took the match 2-0.
Bermuda’s Conor White won his country’s first medal at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, when he claimed the bronze medal in the Men’s Individual Time Trial on Sunday.
Roger Teal is looking forward to taking on the big guns with Dancing Gemini in Saturday’s Kameko Futurity Trophy Stakes at Doncaster.
Aidan O’Brien is responsible for five of the 11 remaining entries, including ante-post favourite Diego Velazquez, while Godolphin have supplemented recent Newmarket scorer Ancient Wisdom, as expected.
However, Teal is not shying away from going for Group One glory with Dancing Gemini, who followed up a Newbury maiden win by romping away with the Listed Flying Scotsman Stakes on Town Moor.
“Everything seems spot on with him and it’s all good at this stage,” said the Lambourn trainer. “He was very impressive at Doncaster last time and we’re looking forward to giving it a go.
“I think the mile will suit him, as he certainly wasn’t stopping there over seven furlongs – and when he won at Newbury, he was only just getting going in the closing stages.
“Soft ground obviously wouldn’t be a problem as it was pretty testing up there last month but, looking at the weather forecast, it could well end up heavy and that is always a bit of an unknown.
“But all we can do is roll our sleeves up and get on with it. It’s a good race and something like this is never going to be easy, but we’ll be giving it a real go.”
Ballydoyle maestro O’Brien has won this race a record 11 times and will be chasing a hat-trick of victories following triumphs for Luxembourg in 2021 and Auguste Rodin last term.
His main hope this season appears to be Diego Velazquez, last seen securing a Group Two success at Leopardstown in September when seeing off stablemate Capulet, who is another possible Doncaster contender.
O’Brien also has Battle Cry, Chief Little Rock and Henry Adams still engaged.
The Charlie Appleby-trained Ancient Wisdom created a big impression when powering just under four lengths clear of Chief Little Rock in the Group Three Autumn Stakes at Newmarket.
John and Thady Gosden could be represented by God’s Window, a course and distance maiden winner on soft ground when getting the better of Ben Brookhouse’s Redhot Whisper, who could reoppose.
David Menuisier will bid to follow up Sunway’s Group One success in France on Sunday by saddling Devil’s Point and outsider Deira Mile could make his debut for Owen Burrows after being switched from Charlie Johnston.
Coral’s David Stevens said: “Whilst Dancing Gemini is very much respected following his Listed course success last month, the market for the season’s final Group One is dominated by Diego Velazquez and Ancient Wisdom.
“Both colts are also prominent in the betting for next year’s 2000 Guineas and Derby, although it will take a special performance from either to dislodge City Of Troy as winter favourite for either Classic.”
Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Tahiyra has been retired following her third-placed finish in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.
Trained by Dermot Weld, the daughter of Siyouni struck at the highest level at two before returning at three to become one of the leading milers of her generation.
Although denied by Mawj in the 1000 Guineas at the start of the year, she gained Classic compensation when securing the Irish equivalent and then gained further top-level success by winning the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.
She returned from a summer break to pick up another Group One at Leopardstown in September, producing a dazzling display in the Matron Stakes, and brought the curtain down on her career with a brave third behind Big Rock on British Champions Day.
Tahiyra will now join her owner the Aga Khan’s broodmare band for the next stage of her career.
Explaining the decision, Pat Downes, manager of the Aga Khan’s Irish Studs, said: “We have been absolutely delighted with her and we have spoken about what we would do since she ran on Saturday.
“We just took a view that, unlike her sister Tarnawa, who didn’t win her Group One until four, Tahiyra was obviously a champion two-year-old and a champion three-year-old and a very important filly for the future of the stud.
“We felt we had done enough with her and she will move on now to the next stage.
“She’s been an absolute star and she ran her heart out on Saturday. We have been delighted with her and she has been a tremendous filly for us.
“We will now look forward to the next stage of her career which will be in the breeding shed.”
Jonny May is backing Steve Borthwick to crack the code of rugby after describing England’s head coach as a “genius” in the mold of Alan Turing and Mr Spock.
England went out on their shields in Saturday’s World Cup semi-final defeat by South Africa, losing 16-15 to a late Handre Pollard penalty, having dominated the reigning champions until the final quarter.
A heroic performance was the culmination of Borthwick’s opening 10 months in charge, having been parachuted in with the short-term objective of making the team competitive at France 2023.
He succeeded by devising a statistics-based approach that almost dethroned the world champions, leaving May to conclude England are in the best possible hands.
“We’re starting to see what a genius Steve is in terms of how he’s starting to get this team going,” May said.
“You won’t find a harder working man than Steve and his approach to the game is a little bit like Alan Turing.
“If anybody is going to crack the code to rugby it will be Steve – he’s getting ever closer each week and good luck to him.
“He’s got an analytical brain and an evidence-based, scientific, Spock-like approach to the game.
“I’ve learned a lot from him. I’ve been very grateful for all the coaches I’ve had throughout my career and I’ve absorbed everything I possibly can, always trying to learn and be curious.
“But Steve, with his ways, he’s on to something. He’s a young coach and has this unique and different way that he goes about the game.
“Cracking it is not something I’m interested in doing as the game gets more complicated each week, but he’s obsessed with it so hats off to him.”
While England can look ahead with optimism, May strongly suspects that their future does not include him.
The nation’s second-highest try scorer of all-time behind Rory Underwood will almost certainly have played his last Test at this World Cup, Friday’s bronze match against Argentina his final opportunity to pull on a Red Rose jersey.
The 33-year-old wing was only called up to Borthwick’s squad because of an injury to Anthony Watson, yet he has been a regular starter and was outstanding against South Africa, even winning a jackal penalty.
“Never say never, but very much in my head now I’m thinking, more than likely that I’ll be done after this,” May said.
“For me no regrets, what a journey, I wasn’t even going to be on the plane at one point.
“But I stuck in there and that’s the attitude across the team – we stick in there, we’ve had pretty much everything thrown at us, but we’re starting to find ourselves.
“I’m grateful to have been a part of it and although it probably won’t continue after this World Cup, I feel like I’m connected to this team. It’s making my hairs stand up now a little bit.
“To be connected like that, to be close to the boys and have those relationships, to go through these times with these friends of mine, is incredibly important to me.
“It’s been everything to me, playing for England, just absolutely everything.”
The Melbourne Renegades got their first win of the 2023 Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) campaign by dismantling the Adelaide Strikers by 86 runs at the Junction Oval in Melbourne on Monday.
The Renegades, who tasted defeat in their season opener against the Brisbane Heat, posted 167-3 from their 20 overs after being put in to bat by the Strikers.
The opening pair of Tammy Beaumont and captain Hayley Matthews put on just 19 before the West Indian went for 12 in the third over.
Beaumont and number three batter Josephine Dooley added 51 for the second wicket before Beaumont went for 30 in the ninth over.
One over later, Dooley fell for 23 to leave the Renegades 74-3.
An unbroken 93-run fourth wicket stand between Harmanpreet Kaur and Courtney Webb then propelled the Renegades to their total.
Webb led the way with a 34-ball 49* while Kaur ended 43* off 33 balls.
Zimbabwean Anesu Mushangwe was the Strikers most economical bowler with 1-21 in her four overs.
The Strikers then lasted just 14.5 overs before they were bowled out for 86.
Only skipper Talia McGrath (31), Laura Woldvaart (14) and Danielle Gibson (10) were able to reach double-figures.
Hayley Matthews (2-20 from three overs), Ella Hayward (2-18 from four overs), Georgia Wareham (2-23 from three overs) and Harmanpreet Kaur (2-11 from 1.5 overs) all played a part in the bowling effort.
Andre Drummond accepts the legacy of Michael Jordan's legendary exploits with the Chicago Bulls puts additional pressure on the team.
However, ahead of the new NBA season, the two-time All-Star center is relishing being part of the Bulls' attempts to recapture their former glories, saying he and his team-mates have a unique standard to uphold.
All six of Chicago's NBA championships were captured with the help of Hall of Famer Jordan, who helped popularise the league on a global scale by leading the team to two three-peats, the first coming between 1991 and 1993 and the second between 1996 and 1998.
While Jordan helped make the Bulls one of the NBA's most iconic franchises, they have struggled to hit anything close to those heights in recent years.
Chicago has missed the playoffs in five of the last six years, failing to build on an encouraging 2021-22 campaign. Last season they were beaten by the Miami Heat in April's play-in tournament.
With the Bulls hoping to fare better when the new season tips off this week, Drummond needs no reminder of their illustrious history.
"Michael Jordan's name is known everywhere," he told Stats Perform. "No matter where you go, no matter what country you go to, if you say the name Michael Jordan, someone knows who he is.
"You can say the same thing for LeBron [James] too. I feel like LeBron is up there now with one of the most notable people in the world.
"But Michael Jordan, his name rings bells. Not only as a basketball player but just how he was as a person. He has brought a lot of hope to this city, he brought a lot of championships here, and he's brought in a lot of money here, too."
Asked whether Jordan's achievements put a unique level of pressure on Chicago, Drummond said: "I've only been here a year and a half, so I don't really understand the gravity of how much it means.
"But I feel like this year, I'll feel it more because I have my feet wet, being here and seeing the fanbase and how they really love Chicago basketball.
"Whether we are good or not, they are still coming out every night, so it is starting to set in a little bit.
"As I look around the arena, I'm like, 'some great players have stepped on this floor, man'.
"I feel like you have a standard to uphold as a Chicago Bull, and I feel like that's the pride that we need to walk with.
"Chicago Bulls are one of the most celebrated teams in the world. You go around the country and see people wearing the Bulls attire.
"You may see some Lakers, you may see some Knicks or Boston maybe, but the Bulls, everybody loves the Bulls. I don't know what it is or why it's like that, I don't know what it is.
"Even as a kid, I would see people all the way in Connecticut wearing Chicago Bulls gear, and they've never been to Chicago in their life. Everybody just loves the Bulls!
"I think it's just a very celebrated team and a celebrated city and you have to uphold that standard."
The Bulls begin their 2023-24 campaign with back-to-back home games, facing the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday before the Toronto Raptors visit United Center on Friday.
Prix de la Foret scorer Kelina could get the chance to evoke memories of Goldikova if lining up at the Breeders’ Cup next month.
Trained by Carlos Laffon-Parias, the daughter of Frankel has won four of her nine career starts and left a couple of Group One disappointments in the past when conquering defending champion Kinross to strike at ParisLongchamp.
Connections are now eyeing a run in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita, a race owner-breeders the Wertheimer brothers have a fine record in thanks to the all-conquering Goldikova.
“If everything goes well, and if she gets in the race of course, then we will try and run in the Breeders’ Cup Mile with her – that is the plan,” said Pierre-Yves Bureau, racing manager for the owners.
“I think the mile and the track at Santa Anita with good ground, which we know is important for her, will suit.
“I think she has enough speed to go for this race and with good ground and the performance she did the other day, hopefully she will be up to that level.
“Of course we don’t know what the field will be, but its a big race so it is probably going to be a really strong field and hopefully she can show the best of her ability.”
Kelina will be attempting to follow in illustrious footsteps when she bids to carry the blue and white colours to another famous victory at the end-of-season showpiece in California.
And it is somewhat fitting that the three-year-old will take to the track in Santa Anita – the scene of the first of Goldikova’s three-straight victories in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
“It is true that there is a close link with the Breeders’ Cup because of Goldikova, but there has also been Halfbridled and Kotashaan,” continued Bureau.
“Especially in Santa Anita, I think that is where Goldikova did her best performance and it is a special race.
“The most important thing is the filly can show her best. She has a lot of talent, but she needs to get in the race first, then a good draw and then we will see who she has to fight with.
“It would be very nice if she could do something good over there.”
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