Bluestocking will be back again next year after a frustrating winless season ended with her finishing second in another Group One on Champions Day.
Ralph Beckett’s filly chased home Savethelastdance in the Irish Oaks and just failed to reel in Poptronic at Ascot on Saturday.
She was also placed in the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot and finished fourth in the Yorkshire Oaks but failed to get her head in front even when dropped to Listed company at Chester in September.
Barry Mahon, racing manger for owners Juddmonte said: “She ran another cracker, she’s having a break for the winter but she’ll be back next year.
“The owners had said before Saturday that they would like to keep her in training.
“Rossa (Ryan) gave her a lovely ride on Saturday, I thought the winner would have come back to her a little more but in fairness to her, she kept going.”
Roger and Harry Charlton’s Time Lock ran in the same race but disappointed back in seventh.
“The ground was too testing for her,” said Mahon. “William (Buick) said he knew after a furlong she wasn’t in love with the ground, it was just too soft.”
Unfortunately similar comments applied to 2000 Guineas winner Chaldean in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, he ended up being beaten 49 lengths.
“Frankie (Dettori) said he travelled great for five or six furlongs but then, having been off the track for a while, that ground found him out,” added Mahon.
“He couldn’t quicken off that really deep ground so he looked after him. We haven’t fully decided if he’s coming back next year or not.”
Next year promises to be another good one for Juddmonte either way, with the Middle Park runner up Task Force and Skellet, a narrow runner-up in the Oh So Sharp likely to take high order.
But Mahon also said it was too early to rule out Mill Reef winner Array from being a leading player despite him disappointing in the Dewhurst, for which he was supplemented.
“The horse we ran in the Dewhurst is a very nice horse but he came out of the that with an injury, so we didn’t see his true running there. I think he’ll be a nice horse next year, it’s not serious but enough to cause a below-par effort,” said Mahon.
Gabriel Jesus believes he can finally win the Champions League and has told his Arsenal team-mates to share the faith.
The Brazil forward has a love affair with Europe’s premiere club competition and was the difference-maker as Arsenal won 2-1 at Sevilla on Tuesday night.
Jesus provided a moment of magic to lay on the opening goal for compatriot Gabriel Martinelli before curling home a fine individual effort – although his celebrations were curtailed as he limped off with 10 minutes to go.
The former Manchester City striker, who came off the bench when Pep Guardiola’s side lost the 2021 Champions League final to Chelsea, has a phenomenal strike-rate in the competition – his goal at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium was his 23rd in 41 appearances for City and Arsenal.
He still harbours ambitions of winning the trophy and feels it is something he and his colleagues can achieve this season.
“It’s a competition that I love,” he said after his man-of-the-match display.
“All the competitions I love, because I just love to play football. But I don’t know, since day one in the Champions League, my debut, I scored goals.
“I haven’t won it yet, so I am looking for this, for this beautiful trophy. Obviously it is not easy, but I think we have to believe. If we don’t believe, we cannot be here.”
While his goal was a moment to savour, Jesus’ role in Martinelli’s opening effort will live long in the memory as a deft touch took two Sevilla midfielders out of the game.
A perfectly-weighted slide-rule pass played in Martinelli who, having missed a golden chance to break the deadlock earlier in the game, obliged with a cool finish as the two Brazil internationals combined to great effect.
“I think for me as the type of player I am, I drop a lot more on the left side than the right side,” Jesus replied when asked about his relationship and understanding playing alongside Martinelli.
“Obviously I drop on the right as well to help B (Bukayo Saka) and to play with B, but I drop more on the left. It works.
“The wingers we have, not just Martinelli and B, but Reiss (Nelson), Leo (Trossard) and even Eddie (Nketiah) or Fabio (Vieira) when they play there, they are quality players.
“I just go out wide and I try to play short passes and give them the ball, and they try to find me as well. It worked with Martinelli and I am very happy.”
Mikel Arteta’s side return to domestic action when they welcome Premier League bottom club Sheffield United to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Gunners are unbeaten in their opening nine league games of the campaign and Jesus could yet be involved despite limping off late on in Spain.
“I felt something. Let’s see,” he said. “I did some tests with the physio, it looks not that big, but let’s see. I have a scan, maybe tomorrow. I’m pretty sure it will be nothing.”
Tom Curry’s club have hit out at the “disgusting abuse” directed at the England player since he alleged he was racially abused in Saturday’s World Cup semi-final against South Africa.
The flanker alleged he was called a “white c***” by Springboks hooker Bongi Mbonambi in the first half of the match and World Rugby is now investigating the matter.
Curry has been subjected to online threats since he made the allegation and his team Sale Sharks issued a statement expressing their strident support for him on Wednesday.
“Sale Sharks’ owners, players, coaches and staff are absolutely appalled by the nature and level of disgusting abuse directed at Tom Curry and his family in relation to an incident in the England v South Africa World Cup semi-final,” the post on X, formerly Twitter, read.
“Everyone at the club stands fully and proudly behind Tom and we look forward to welcoming him back to Carrington.”
Leigh Halfpenny has announced he is to retire from international duty with Wales following the team’s exit from the Rugby World Cup.
Wales were knocked out by Argentina at the quarter-final stage, with the Pumas clash in Marseille the 34-year-old’s final game for his country.
He retires having won 101 caps, and with 801 points scored he is third in the all-time Welsh list behind Neil Jenkins and Stephen Jones.
Everton boss Sean Dyche and captain Seamus Coleman have paid tribute to chairman Bill Kenwright.
The pair laid flowers at the Dixie Dean statue outside Goodison Park on Tuesday morning.
Kenwright died at the age of 78 following a battle with cancer, the club announced on Monday.
Kenwright, who succeeded Sir Phillip Carter as chairman in 2004 after first joining the board at Goodison Park in 1989, had a cancerous tumour removed from his liver in August.
Liverpool-born Kenwright was a successful theatre and film producer when asked to join the Everton board in 1989.
He bought a majority 68 per cent stake in the club in 1999 and became deputy chairman before replacing Carter in his current role.
Deontay Wilder is ready and willing to take on Anthony Joshua next, insisting it would be a “major disaster” if they never fought each other.
Wilder and Joshua were unable to agree terms for an undisputed showdown when they held all four major world heavyweight titles between them, but speculation has been building recently that the two former champions could finally square-off in 2024.
Joshua intimated last weekend the highly-anticipated bout could be part of a blockbuster card topped by Tyson Fury taking on Oleksandr Usyk next spring.
Even though he has not competed since knocking out Robert Helenius inside one round 12 months ago – his first fight since losing a trilogy bout against Fury in October 2021 – Wilder is primed to face Joshua.
“(It is) a fight everyone is looking forward to and hopefully it happens and I’m doing everything in my power to make it happen, and I’m referring to the Anthony Joshua fight,” Wilder said on Instagram.
“Anthony, you’re getting it from the horse’s mouth himself: I’m here, I’m ready to go.
“I heard some things your promoter (Eddie Hearn) said that my last fight only lasted a short period of time and I haven’t fought in a year and he doesn’t know if I want to fight or not.
“But I’m letting you know I’m ready to fight – let’s make this the best time of our lives. This would be a major disaster if we were never able to get in the ring and put our stamp down in history.”
Despite his recent inactivity, Wilder, who turned 38 on Sunday, is renowned for his ferocious punch power, with 42 of his 43 victories in 46 professional contests have been inside the distance.
Joshua has rebounded from a pair of losses to Usyk, who snatched the Briton’s WBA, IBF and WBO titles, with underwhelming performances in wins over Jermaine Franklin and Helenius this year.
Joshua (26-3, 23KOs) is planning another tune-up in December before taking on former WBC champion Wilder, who rubbished suggestions his British rival might be biting off more than he can chew.
“When people think about classics and great fights, I want them to think about us as well,” the American added. “Being able to do that, we’ve got to get in the ring.
“The silliest thing I’ve heard is people saying you’re not ready and that’s the silliest thing because I don’t believe that – I hope you’re ready, I think you’re ready. Let’s make this happen.”
Moeen Ali believes former England coach Chris Silverwood will be keen to “prove a point” with his Sri Lanka side in Thursday’s World Cup clash in Bengaluru.
Silverwood was England’s fast bowling coach they won the tournament in 2019 and expected to be the man in charge of the title defence when he was chosen to succeed Trevor Bayliss in the top job.
But his reign came to an ignominious end when he was sacked after the 2021/22 Ashes debacle, with England subsequently opting to split the job between red and white-ball specialists.
Silverwood made a quick return to international cricket with Sri Lanka and faces his old charges in a game that both nations need to win to maintain any realistic chance of reaching the knockout stages.
England have already been bested by one of their own in India, with former batter Jonathan Trott guiding Afghanistan to a shock win in Delhi, and are aware of the extra layer of intrigue created by Silverwood’s appearance in the opposition dugout.
“I’m sure he’s got that motivation to do well in this game, definitely,” said Moeen.
“They’ve only won once, so they’ll want to get on a winning run as well and he’ll be thinking more about that and his own team.
“But I’m sure deep down, like everybody else, he’ll be trying to prove a point or whatever it is and that will motivate him a little bit more.
“He’s a good coach and a nice guy, and I enjoyed (working with) him. But he’s not the one going out to bat and bowl, it’s his team. He’ll be trying to get them ready.”
Moeen is heading into the game with some some additional motivation of his own, having been confined to a watching brief since the opening match of the tournament.
Despite being the squad’s nominated vice-captain, the 36-year-old was dropped after the nine-wicket thrashing by New Zealand and has now missed three in a row.
Things have hardly improved in his absence and, after England’s heaviest ever ODI defeat at the hands of South Africa last time out, he is odds-on to return in a city he once called home during his IPL stint with Royal Challengers Bangalore.
“It’s been very frustrating, obviously, because you want to play and make some sort of difference,” he said of his stint on the bench.
“It’s difficult when you’re not winning and then when you’re not playing on top of that, it’s hard. I’m hoping to play and get a chance to perform.
“It’s one of those grounds where scoring is quick and batting deep makes a big difference. If I get the nod, then I’m really looking forward to playing. I’ve played franchise cricket here and it’s a great place to play, a great venue. I’m be pretty excited.”
England radically altered the balance of their side against the Proteas, banishing their core of all-rounders in favour of their top six batters and five specialist bowlers.
A 229-run thrashing is likely to see that formula banished. Three changes are possible, with Reece Topley having flown home with a broken finger and Gus Atkinson and David Willey both vulnerable. Chris Woakes and Liam Livingstone would be favourites to return alongside Moeen.
Topley’s injury replacement, Brydon Carse, has arrived in the country and trained for the first time on Wednesday afternoon.
Seven Betfred Super League clubs have been awarded Grade A status in the indicative phase of the new club grading process which effectively makes them immune from relegation from the start of the 2025 season.
The grades have been introduced as part of a strategy between Rugby League Commercial and sports media giants IMG to “reimagine” the sport and award points for five key factors including support base, performance, finances, facilities and community integration.
The indicative stage of the process gives clubs the chance to make improvements prior to the start of the 2025 season, at which point the identity of the 12 Super League clubs will be determined by the rankings, rather than solely next season’s on-field success.
The seven clubs given Grade A licences – which come with the assurance they cannot be relegated – are Leeds, who lead the way with a score of 17.49 out of the maximum available 20, Wigan, St Helens, Catalans Dragons, Warrington, Hull KR and Hull FC.
Based on the current rankings, Toulouse and Wakefield, who stand 10th and 11th respectively, would be promoted back into Super League at the expense of 13th-placed Castleford and newly-promoted London Broncos.
Castleford have indicated they intend to appeal their indicative grade based on confusion over a point relating to finance, which if accepted would move them into the top 12 at the expense of Challenge Cup winners Leigh Leopards.
The rankings are also a huge blow to London Broncos, who were promoted back to the top flight this month but rank a lowly 24th, meaning they are almost certain to be demoted at the end of next season, irrespective of their on-pitch performance.
RFL chief executive Tony Sutton said: “Rugby League embarked on a bold journey with the launch of the strategic partnership with IMG in May 2022, and 18 months into that journey, the publication of these indicative club gradings is a highly significant step.”
Carl Frampton suspects Tyson Fury might be unnerved by Francis Ngannou having Mike Tyson in his corner for Saturday’s showdown.
Born in August 1988, several weeks after Tyson cemented his status as the undisputed world heavyweight champion by knocking out Michael Spinks, Fury was given his forename in honour of the American great.
Fury has a legitimate claim to being the best in boxing’s blue riband division now and is a prohibitive favourite against mixed martial artist Ngannou in a crossover fight which is ostensibly an exhibition.
However, according to Frampton, former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou might have a slight mental edge after employing Tyson as his trainer for his professional debut this weekend in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Frampton told the PA news agency: “It might not be a massive issue for Tyson, but it’s definitely something he will feel a bit uncomfortable with, that the guy who he’s named after and a hero to him is going to be in the opponent’s corner.
“Mike Tyson was a small heavyweight, he knew how to fight on the inside and Francis is smaller than Tyson Fury. I think the way Francis wins the fight is to get close and land shots from close distance and there’s no better man to teach you that than Mike Tyson.
“Francis been completely written off by the majority of boxing fans and, to be honest, I understand why. I’m not as sure that he has zero chance of winning – he has a chance but it’s very small.
“He’s an athletic guy, explosive, very, very powerful, but the biggest attribute is that he is highly unorthodox. If he’s throwing shots from every angle, it’s actually really difficult.”
The most prominent crossover fight saw Floyd Mayweather face an early barrage before wearing down Conor McGregor to gain a 10th-round stoppage in their highly-lucrative contest in August 2017.
But Dan Hardy, the first Briton to challenge for a UFC title, urged Ngannou not to be as gung-ho and preserve his energy for the duration of the 10 three-minute rounds.
Hardy told PA: “The faster he starts, the quicker he’s going to tire and the easier it’s going to get for Fury. The longer he can maintain that composure with the threat of a big punch, the more chance he’s got of landing it.
“I would like to see a bit of patience from him, a bit of footwork and good defence, but then ultimately when he does decide to go, to really commit because that’s his strength in this fight.
“Starting in the first minute of the first round would most likely just walk him on to something straight away.”
Fury’s WBC title will not be on the line for a fight many view as a mere tune-up for a bout against WBA, IBF and WBO champion Oleksandr Usyk, who will be ringside to get a close-up view of his rival.
The pair have agreed a deal for an undisputed world heavyweight title clash, possibly as early as December, but Frampton insists the unbeaten Fury is accomplished enough to keep his focus on Ngannou.
The Northern Irishman, a former two-weight boxing world champion, added: “He’ll almost be looking ahead to the Usyk fight because it’s made and he’ll already be preparing for that fight, even though the Francis Ngannou fight hasn’t taken place.
“But I still do think that he’ll be professional enough to know he has a fight on his hands against Francis, who’s looking to switch his lights out.”
:: Fury v Ngannou will be exclusively live from Riyadh Season, Saudi Arabia, on TNT Sports Box Office on Saturday 28 October. For more information, visit: tntsports.co.uk/boxoffice
The NBA champion Denver Nuggets picked up right where they left off, opening their 2023-24 season with a dominant 119-107 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Just as he did in Denver’s Finals series victory against the Miami Heat, Nikola Jokic was at his brilliant best for the home team, orchestrating the Nuggets’ performance behind a 29-point triple-double.
Denver exploded out of the gates to open a 14-point lead at the end of the first quarter, before LeBron James helped the Lakers claw their way back to within 10 by half-time.
However, the Lakers struggled to compete with James off the floor, Denver ultimately coasting to a 12-point win.
Jokic added 13 rebounds and 11 assists to his game-high points total, while James top-scored for Los Angeles with 21, despite only playing 29 minutes.
Meanwhile, Kevin Durant was successful in his first trip back to Golden State since leaving the team in 2019, helping the Phoenix Suns defeat the Warriors 108-104.
Both teams traded massive momentum swings and substantial leads throughout the game before the Warriors nabbed a slight advantage as the clock ticked into the final five minutes.
But Devin Booker was able to reclaim the lead for Phoenix with a go-ahead layup and later sunk a crucial three to get the Suns over the line.
He finished with 32 points, while Durant contributed 18.
Steph Curry top-scored for Golden State with 27, while former Sun Chris Paul finished with 14 points, six rebounds and nine assists in his Warriors debut.
Nikola Jokic opened his season with another triple-double and Jamal Murray scored 21 points as the Denver Nuggets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 119-107 on Tuesday after raising their NBA championship banner.
Jokic had 29 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists for his 106th career triple-double, which trails only Russell Westbrook (198), LeBron James (107) and Jason Kidd (107) on the career list.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 20 points, Aaron Gordon added 15 and Michael Porter Jr. contributed 12 points and 12 rebounds for Denver, which went 16-4 in the playoffs last season, including a sweep of the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.
All of Los Angeles’ starters scored in double figures, led by James’ 21 points in 29 minutes as his playing time was being monitored at the start of his 21st season.
Denver led by as many as 18 points, but the Lakers whittled the lead down to three on James’ 3-pointer with 9:42 remaining.
James’ basket got Los Angeles within 103-96 with just over five minutes to play, but the Nuggets responded with a 10-3 run featuring 3s by Murray and Porter.
Booker sparks Suns past Warriors
Devin Booker scored 32 points and the Phoenix Suns got past the Golden State Warriors 108-104 in Kevin Durant’s return to the Bay Area in a back-and-forth season opener for the Pacific Division powerhouses.
Booker shot 13 of 21 and had eight assists and six rebounds, while Jusuf Nurkic added 14 points and 14 boards – including a key driving layup in the closing seconds - in his Suns debut.
Josh Okogie sank a baseline jumper with 69 seconds left, and Eric Gordon drained a 3-pointer with 45 seconds to play before Stephen Curry’s 3 drew Golden State within 106-104 with 31 seconds to go.
Nurkic’s layup made it a four-point game and Paul’s missed 3 ended the Warriors’ hopes.
Durant scored 18 points on 7-of-22 shooting with 10 rebounds in his first game in front of Bay Area fans since leaving the Warriors after the 2019 NBA Finals.
Curry had 27 points and Chris Paul had 14 points, nine assists and six rebounds in his Warriors debut facing his most recent team.
Lewis Hamilton was crowned Formula One world champion for the third time after winning the United States Grand Prix, on this day in 2015.
Hamilton, then 30, became only the second British driver after Sir Jackie Stewart to achieve the feat after edging Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg in a thrilling race.
Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, who would have kept the title race alive with three grand prix remaining had he finished second in Austin, came third.
Hamilton also became the 10th Formula One driver to win at least three world titles and went on to win his seventh in 2020 and joined Michael Schumacher at the top of the all-time list.
On a wet track in Austin, Hamilton started second on the grid behind Rosberg and made an aggressive start by pushing the German wide at the first corner to take the lead.
Rosberg slipped to fourth behind Daniil Kvyat and Daniel Ricciardo, but – as the track dried – the Red Bull pair lacked the pace to challenge and the race developed into a battle between the two Mercedes team-mates.
Hamilton trailed with eight laps to go, only to pounce on a mistake by Rosberg, who ran wide after losing traction out of a hairpin on turn 12, allowing the Briton to retake the lead and comfortably hold on for victory.
It was his 10th win of the season and sealed his third drivers’ title after previous successes in 2008 and 2014.
Hamilton went on to equal Schumacher’s Formula One record by winning four consecutive world titles in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.
The Arizona Diamondbacks completed a stunning run to the World Series with a 4-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday in Game 7 of the NL Championship Series.
Corbin Carroll went 3 for 4 with two RBIs, two runs and two stolen bases as Arizona – the lowest seed in the NL - advanced to the World Series for the first time in 22 years.
They will face the AL champion Texas Rangers, with Game 1 set for Friday in Arlington.
The Diamondbacks rallied from an 0-2 deficit in the NLCS, winning Games 6 and 7 in Philadelphia, where the defending NL champions had been 12-2 over the past two postseasons – including 11-0 in NL playoff games.
After Brandon Pfaadt allowed two runs and struck out seven in four innings, five Arizona relievers combined to pitch one-hit ball over five scoreless innings.
Kevin Ginkel retired Trea Turner and Bryce Harper on flyouts in the seventh after entering with runners on first and second and one out.
Ginkel then struck out the side in the eighth and Paul Seward pitched a perfect ninth for his sixth save this postseason.
Arizona took the lead for good with a pair of runs in the fifth as Carroll singled home a run before stealing second and scoring on Gabriel Moreno’s base hit.
Carroll added a sacrifice fly in the seventh to close the scoring.
Alec Bohm hit a solo home run in the second and the Phillies took a 2-1 lead in the fourth when he scored on Bryson Stott’s double.
The Arizona Diamondbacks will face the Texas Rangers in the World Series after completing a comeback series win against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Corbin Carroll had three hits as the unheralded young Diamondbacks side, who scraped into the play-offs by clinching the final wildcard spot, won 4-2 in game seven of the National League Championship Series (NLCS).
The Phillies had won the first two games of the NLCS and were 3-2 ahead going into the final two games at home, but the Diamondbacks took early leads in both matches and hung on.
It will be only the second World Series for the Diamondbacks, who won in their only previous appearance in 2001.
The Rangers, who are searching for their first World Series triumph, reached their first Fall Classic since 2011 with a seven-game American League Championship Series win over the Houston Astros.
Both teams finished last in their divisions with more than 100 losses just two seasons ago.
The World Series gets underway on Friday with game one in Arlington, Texas.
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