Rafael Nadal missing the French Open this year would be a huge disappointment, though Emmanuel Cruze would prefer to look on the bright side.

Cruze is the head of the Villa Primrose Club, the host of the Bordeaux Challenger event, which Nadal declined an invitation to as he continues his recovery from injury.

The 36-year-old has not played since going out in the second round of the Australian Open in January.

Nadal has since dropped to 14th in the ATP rankings, and it is not yet clear if he will be fit to feature at Roland Garros, where he won a record-extending 14th French Open title last year.

However, Cruze told Stats Perform that while it would be sad to see Nadal miss the season's second major, it might signal a changing of the guard in Paris.

"We would all be very disappointed for the tournament, but maybe it will be a new era that will open for all the players, and especially you are talking about Spanish players," said Cruze.

"We need to keep in mind that [Carlos] Alcaraz is really performing extremely well, and is still very young also.

"Is he the future Nadal? We don't know, but definitely if Nadal is not playing at the French Open, it will be much more open for all other players.

"[It will be exciting] for the tournament itself, because if he's there and in good shape, people will say 'Okay, Nadal will win another title, and it's going to be boring'.

"We are not sure that he will be able to play the French Open and then for the next generation it's really something that will be very important for them, to be able to play the French without the pressure of Nadal."

Cruze is unsure if Nadal would be among the favourites even if he mustered a comeback in time for the tournament, which begins on May 29.

"He is over 30 and it's always more and more difficult to come back after a major injury, we have seen with [Roger] Federer, he wants to try to come back and win Wimbledon for the last time and finally was unable to do so because when you are out for six months and you are over 30, I think it's really difficult," he said.

"But [Nadal] is such a character and such a fantastic player [that] you never know. You never know. I'm not a doctor, I'm in the wine business so nothing to do with that, even if wine sometimes helps!"

As for Nadal's legacy in France, Cruze believes there should be a permanent tribute to the 22-time grand slam champion at Roland Garros.

"I think as soon as Nadal retires, he almost deserves a statue, because he is a legend," Cruze added.

"How could you imagine winning 14 times at the French Open, which probably is one of the most difficult [surfaces] because you're playing on clay courts, you spend sometimes three or four hours on the court, which is not the same on grass or on hard courts, so I think for French tennis lovers, he will be a legend for years.

"He's a legend, but normally with a legend, it is because you stopped your career, but he is already a legend, even if he is still playing."

Looking to the future, Cruze sees Nadal's compatriot Alcaraz as a possible heir apparent.

"I've never seen him physically, only on TV and that's it, but he's a very young guy and is performing extremely well," Cruze said of the world number two.

"I don't know about on grass, but for hard courts, he seems to be fine, so if he's fine with a hard court, he would normally be a good player on grass, so yeah he could be the next legend, why not? But so far the real [legend] is still Rafael Nadal, up until he retires."

Briton Tao Geoghegan Hart was taken to hospital after being “badly injured” in a crash during stage 11 of the Giro d’Italia.

The Ineos Grenadiers rider, the 2020 champion, suffered the crash in wet conditions on a downhill descent with around 70km of the race’s longest leg remaining.

Geoghegan Hart, who is third in the overall standings, was pictured being loaded into an ambulance after receiving roadside treatment.

His team said on Twitter: “We’re gutted to see @taogeoghegan forced to abandon the #Giro following a crash on stage 11.

“The Brit will head to hospital for checks and we will have further updates in due course.”

Team-mate and overall race leader Geraint Thomas was also involved in the multi-bike accident, but was able to continue along with Jumbo-Visma’s Primoz Roglic.

Thomas said after the race: “As usual we were jostling for position, a UAE guy crashed next to me. I don’t know exactly who was taken out after me.

“We were pretty much on the same spot. Unfortunately Tao is badly injured. It’s obviously a big loss. He was going very well. He was in a really great position and it’s very unfortunate to lose him this way.”

Thomas retains the pink jersey for overall race leader with a two-second lead over Roglic.

Pascal Ackermann, riding for UAE Team Emirates, claimed the stage 11 victory after triumphing courtesy of a photo finish in Tortona, crossing the line just ahead of Jonathan Milan.

This year’s race has been beset with problems as poor weather has been accompanied by a coronavirus outbreak, which has now seen 13 riders withdraw.

Soudal Quick-Step riders Jan Hirt, Josef Cerny, Louis Vervaeke and Mattia Cattaneo were the latest to pull out on Wednesday.

Willie Mullins is preparing for a French foray at Auteuil this weekend as he ponders targeting Galopin Des Champs at the meeting in the future.

The trainer was once again crowned Irish champion for the 2022-23 season, as well as enjoying multiple victories at the major spring festivals.

Though both the Irish and English seasons ended last month and are in a relatively quiet spell as the Flat takes over, there are still significant prizes to be won across the Channel.

This weekend Auteuil hosts the Grand Steeple-Chase De Paris meeting and Mullins is sending a strong squad of nine runners.

Two of those travelling, Franco De Port and Carefully Selected, will contest the ‘Grand Steep’ itself, with other familiar names such as Kilcruit, Haut En Couleurs, Klassical Dream and Asterion Forlonge entered in the supporting events.

Mullins faces tough opposition in the headline contest as his nephew Emmet Mullins has entered 2022 Grand National hero Noble Yeats, but the race has long been an aim for the Carlow trainer and he is keen to take the trophy home at some point in his career.

“There’s a great challenge from Ireland this year with Noble Yeats, he’s my nephew’s horse and he’s going to put in a big show there,” he said.

“It’s something I want to win, I’ve been trying to look for a horse that’s good enough to win it.

“I should have probably targeted it before now because I have so many French horses,  I’m just going through my runners here and seven out of the nine horses are French.

“I should have done this before, however, we’ve always concentrated on Cheltenham and Punchestown, so to get one cherry ripe over this trip at the end of the season is a bit tougher.”

Auteuil was at one point the intended target for Galopin Des Champs, a fantastic winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup who then re-routed to the Punchestown Gold Cup where he was second.

Though his campaign eventually headed in a different direction, Mullins still has the meeting in mind for the French-bred chaser.

He said: “I’d love to bring Galopin Des Champs over and indeed he was probably en-route there, but after winning the Gold Cup at Cheltenham, we decided he’d probably better come back to Punchestown and after that I thought I should give him a break.

“He’s done everything right for us this season, possibly some other year we might bring him over. He’s a horse I’d love to see over there.”

Captain Zach Johnson insists the possibility of LIV players making the US Ryder Cup team is currently “not even a discussion item”.

American players remain eligible for the biennial contest despite being banned or resigning from the PGA Tour in the wake of joining the Saudi-funded circuit.

Six players will qualify automatically for the team and Johnson will select six wild cards, with Brooks Koepka (22nd) the highest-ranked LIV player following his share of second place in the Masters.

Asked ahead of the US PGA Championship how much he had thought about LIV players making the team, Johnson said: “We’re at a point right now where it’s not even a discussion item.

“There’s maybe a couple guys that have come close to securing their spot in the top six, but when it comes to picks it’s not even on my radar, especially given how many points are still out there, whether you’re talking about major championships or elevated events or all of the above.

“I think it would be premature and almost irresponsible to even go into that. It’s not on my radar right now.”

Johnson also stressed he would not be placing too much importance on Koepka’s performance at Augusta National, or the fact that Dustin Johnson won the latest LIV event in Tulsa.

“He played really good that one week, but it’s one week,” Johnson said of Koepka. “He played great but there’s still a lot of golf between now and then.

“One of the factors that we’ve looked at over the years is what kind of form are the guys in when it gets close to the Tour Championship (August 24-27). I think that would be wise for me to look at.

“I remember playing really well one spring thinking, man, I’ve got this, I’m a shoo-in, and I didn’t make the team. There’s a lot of factors involved.”

Asked about his namesake’s form, Johnson added: “Really difficult for me to judge that. I don’t know the golf courses they’re playing. Never seen them. I’m not there on foot, in person.

“You’re talking about an individual whose resume is extremely deep and wide.

“He’s certainly in my generation one of the best players I’ve ever competed against, but it’s not fair for me to guess his true form or anybody’s true form that I can’t witness.”

Whoever does make the team, Johnson confirmed he will take all 12 players on a scouting mission to Marco Simone Golf and Country Club two and a half weeks before the Ryder Cup gets under way on September 29.

Holger Rune upset world number one Novak Djokovic to reach the semi-finals of the Italian Open.

The 20-year-old Dane came through 6-2 4-6 6-2 against the defending champion in a rain-hit encounter in Rome.

Seventh seed Rune raced through the opening set in 39 minutes before Djokovic was seen to by the physio early in the second and given some medication before the weather forced play to be suspended.

Top seed Djokovic – who beat Britain’s Cameron Norrie in a feisty fourth-round match – levelled the match soon after the resumption, but it was Rune who pulled clear in the decider.

Rune, making his tournament debut, opened a 4-0 lead after a double break before closing out the match for successive victories in his matches against the Serbian.

“It’s really a big win for me,” Rune said in his on-court interview.

“Obviously I did it last year in Paris as well, but every match is a huge challenge for me when I play against Novak.

“He is one of the greatest that’s ever played the game. I knew I had to be at my best and I said it yesterday, and I was today.

“I am super proud of myself and I enjoyed every moment out there, but I stay humble of course. I have a lot to achieve.”

Impressive Wood Ditton scorer Passenger is entrusted with upholding Sir Michael Stoute’s fine record in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes at York.

Stoute has won the premier Betfred Derby trial seven times throughout his illustrious career and last year sent out Desert Crown to triumph on the Knavesmire before subsequently marching on to Epsom glory.

Now it is the turn of Passenger to stake his Classic claims, and having seen the rain scupper his intended outing at Chester last week, the Ulysses colt was supplemented into this Group Two event at a cost of £14,000.

“Passenger was a non-runner at Chester because of soft ground, but should have the perfect ground for him in the Dante,” said Alan Cooper, racing manager for owner the Niarchos family.

“It will be a big step up from the Wood Ditton, with the Dante being just his second start, and we will learn a bit more about him for the experience.

“It’s a stepping stone and we’ll see how he takes it, and Sir Michael will then make a plan afterwards. The hope is he is confirms the potential of the Wood Ditton and we can take it from there.”

John Gosden has won this three times in the past 10 years – including with Epsom hero Golden Horn – and alongside son Thady, will put Epictetus’ Derby credentials to the test following his success in the Blue Riband Trial last month.

“He won over a mile and a quarter in the Blue Riband on his last start and he steps up in trip this time. Hopefully the track and trip will suit him,” said Thady Gosden.

“He’s come out of Epsom really well and fingers crossed he will run a nice race again.”

James Ferguson’s Canberra Legend also has a victory in a key trial to his name, having taken the Feilden Stakes in fine style and the Kremlin Cottage handler is hoping this will give an indication as to how high he should aim the unbeaten son of Australia.

“He was impressive enough in the Feilden and has done everything right so far. He’s ticked all the boxes and his last piece of work was exactly what we wanted,” said Ferguson.

“We’re going there full of confidence, but with the understanding that it is another massive step up. It’s one of the top Derby trials and we’re up against some very good horses.

“Winning a Feilden at Newmarket gives us the confidence we have a good horse on our hands and this is about finding out about how good if everything goes right – whether it is Epsom, Ascot or France.”

Another heading to the Knavesmire with a perfect record is Aidan’s O’Brien’s Continuous, who won a Group Three in France on his final start at two and will bid to give his handler a fifth Dante as he reappears in the hands of Ryan Moore.

“This looks the most significant Derby trial so far in terms of depth,” Moore told Betfair.

“You can obviously make a case for a few given their unexposed profiles and I suppose none more so than Passenger, who impressed me when winning the Wood Ditton and comes here after being taken out of the Dee Stakes last week because of the ground.

“My colt Continuous is also unbeaten, as is the Feilden winner Canberra Legend, and he comes here in good shape, having showed a lot of ability and a very willing attitude when winning both of his races at two.

“He wouldn’t have the stamina-laden pedigree of some, but the way he won his Group Three in France over a mile in testing ground suggests this trip is well worth trying. I think he is decent, but we shall see. Ideally, he would prefer a bit of dig but good ground on a flat track like York should be fine.”

John Murphy’s Ballysax scorer White Birch is another making the trip from Ireland, having seen his Leopardstown form upheld by the runner-up at the Dublin track recently.

“He’s in super form. We couldn’t be happier with him and we’re looking forward to it,” said George Murphy, assistant to his father.

“This is a bigger test again and it will be good to see what White Birch can now do. It looks a very hot race on paper and everyone is going there thinking they have the winner. Hopefully he is good enough, but he is in good shape and we think he will run a big race.”

Charlie Appleby won the Dante with Hurricane Lane in 2021 and having seen Military Order fly to the top of the Derby betting when scoring at Lingfield on Saturday, now looks to add a second string to his Epsom bow with Flying Honours, who ended a fine juvenile campaign by winning the Zetland Stakes in October.

“Flying Honours was meant to run at Sandown last month, but the meeting was abandoned, so we took him for a racecourse gallop at Newmarket instead,” the Moulton Paddocks handler told godolphin.com.

“We were very pleased with how that went and he goes into this in great order.

“We know that he gets this trip, having won the Zetland on his final two-year-old start, and feel that he has the scope to improve again as we step him up over further. It looks a competitive renewal of the Dante and whoever wins will be a leading player for the Derby.”

Andrew Balding’s The Foxes accounted for Flying Honours when claiming the Royal Lodge at two and made an encouraging return when second in the Craven Stakes last month. The Churchill colt could be suited by the step up to 10 furlongs, as could Roger Teal’s consistent Dancing Magic, who was a place behind in third at Newmarket.

A mile and a quarter could also play to the strengths of the King Of Steel, who created a taking impression on debut at Nottingham last year and was then been deemed good enough to take his chance in a Doncaster Group One shortly after.

He has since joined Roger Varian ahead of his Classic season and the Carlburg Stables handler believes he is giving all the right signals in his work at home.

He said. “He was impressive on his first start last year then he ran in the Group One at Doncaster.

“He has trained like a good horse all spring and we’re looking forward to running him.

“He’s a big horse but light on his feet and we’ll see how he measures up in the Dante, which will give us some direction whether he is an Epsom horse or a horse for one of those races at Royal Ascot.”

Burradon Stakes scorer Dear My Friend and Feilden third Killybegs Warrior both represent Charlie Johnston, while Karl Burke’s Liberty Lane completes the line-up, having chased home Waipiro at Newmarket.

There could be plenty of pace on show in York’s British EBF 40th Anniversary Westow Stakes where Rocket Rodney attempts to return to winning ways on reappearance.

Trained by George Scott, the speedy son of Dandy Man was an ultra-consistent performer last term, with the only blot on his copybook coming in his final outing of the year when making a raiding mission to France.

A Listed winner in the Dragon Stakes at Sandown last season, he also placed in a whole host of high-class five-furlong events, including when beaten a neck by Little Big Bear in the Windsor Castle at Royal Ascot and runner-up in the Group Three Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood.

Scott reports his charge to have strengthened up from two to three and is eager to see if he retains all the sprinting attributes which made him so successful as a juvenile.

“He was a very capable two-year-old throughout last year and his final run didn’t reflect his season in any way, so we have got to put a line through that,” he said.

“I’ve been pleased with his work in the spring. He’s done very well physically from two to three, he hasn’t grown a huge amount but he’s definitely matured.

“I think there’s always a question mark over precocious two-year-olds that have had a relatively busy season as to how they train on, and you don’t know until they get to the track. But he’s ready to get started and I have a plan for him this season, and this is very much day one.

“It’s a track he has run well at and it looks a very sensible starting point for him. I would expect him to come on for the run, but he’s more than ready to do himself justice.”

David Loughnane’s Walbank was a place behind Rocket Rodney in third when the pair locked horns in the Molecomb last July, with the talented son of Kodiac finishing no worse than third in four outings during 2022 – a CV which also includes a silver medal in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot.

His Goodwood outing was the final time he was sighted at two and the Amo Racing-owned colt returns following 295 days off the track at the scene of arguably his finest hour, on the course and distance over which he shed his maiden tag in fine style.

“He was a very good two-year-old,” said Loughnane. “He had a slight setback which took a bit of time and we’ve given him every chance. He’s come back a bigger horse and I’m pleased with him.

“He’s in good order and wears a tongue-tie first time, and obviously he’s going back to where he won his maiden and hopefully we get a similar result.

“He was just outside the time of the last five Nunthorpe winners – he was very impressive that day and the track definitely suits him. He’s a nice horse and one to look forward to.”

Kevin Ryan’s Silent Words went down by a head to the well-regarded Tajalla at Musselburgh earlier this month and is one of two for owners Clipper Logistics, alongside Karl Burke’s Pillow Talk, who won the Marygate Stakes over track and trip at this meeting 12 months ago.

Burke trained the one-two in this last year and is also represented by Looking For Lynda, with Richard Fahey’s hat-trick-seeking Great State and Declan Carroll’s unbeaten Changeofmind adding to the Yorkshire-trained challenge.

Meanwhile, Aidan O’Brien will bid to land a blow for Ireland with Hispanic. The son of No Nay Never won only one of his four starts last term, but showed plenty of class when doing so, romping to an eight-length victory at the Curragh.

“I haven’t sat on him in a race, but he stepped up well when fitted with blinkers at the back-end, winning by a wide margin at the Curragh and running OK in Listed company at Doncaster,” jockey Ryan Moore told Betfair.

“Hopefully he can progress this season and be suited by the better ground he will encounter here. He likes to get on with it and he can go a bit judged on his Curragh win.”

Rogue Spirit (Tom Clover), Katey Kontent (Clive Cox) and Michaela’s Boy (Mick Appleby) are the others engaged in the five-furlong contest.

Frankie Dettori’s farewell season continues to provide big-race winners and the Italian could have found himself the perfect partner for the Betfred Oaks as Soul Sister romped to Tattersalls Musidora Stakes victory at York.

A winner on debut at Doncaster at two, the John and Thady Gosden-trained daughter of Frankel was never involved in the Fred Darling when making her return to the track at Newbury last month.

However, she thrived for the step up to 10 furlongs in this renowned Epsom trial and having been ridden patiently as the main protagonists of Infinite Cosmos, Gather Ye Rosebuds and Novakai were all prominent in the early stages, no filly was travelling better as the runners straightened for home.

Still to ask his mount for maximum effort as the rest of the field came under a drive, Dettori soon pushed the button and the response was immediate with the 18-1 winner storming clear of her rivals to record a clear-cut four-length success.

The Gosdens and Dettori combined to win this with Emily Upjohn 12 months ago before being narrowly denied at Epsom and Soul Sister is now a 5-1 chance with Coral and 4-1 with both Betfair and Paddy Power to hit the target in the fillies’ Classic on June 2.

Coventry boss Mark Robins has agreed a new four-year deal with the club.

The 53-year-old is set to sign a contract which will keep him at the Coventry Building Society Arena until 2027 later this week.

Robins joined the Sky Blues for his second spell in March 2017 and the new deal could therefore see him reach a decade of service with the Sky Bet Championship side.

He has achieved much with Coventry having won the Checkatrade Trophy in 2017 before guiding the club out of League Two via the play-offs in 2018. He earned another promotion in 2019-20 from League One into the Championship, finishing top of the table to win the title.

Robins will be hoping to toast more success with Coventry when they host Middlesbrough on Wednesday evening.

Should they come through their play-off second leg – the tie is poised at 0-0 after a stalemate at Boro – they will get the opportunity to face Luton in the final at Wembley on May 27, with a place in the Premier League up for grabs.

Robins told Coventry’s official website: “I am delighted to agree terms of a new contract with Coventry.

“While our focus is on tonight’s game, the journey that we have been on together as a club has been amazing so far.

“I look forward to continuing that work in the next four years and the improvement on and off the pitch of this great football club.

“This was an easy decision to make and I thank the club for their continued support.”

Ashley Barnes will join Norwich on a two-year deal after leaving Burnley.

Barnes, 33, will move to Carrow Road from July 1 having helped the Clarets win promotion back to the Premier League as they secured the Sky Bet Championship title.

The veteran forward joined Burnley from Brighton in 2014 and went on to make 293 appearances, scoring 55 goals.

After his Burnley contract was not renewed, Barnes will continue his career in Norfolk as David Wagner’s squad look to mount their own successful promotion campaign having faded to finish 13th this season.

“I think the ambition to get back into the Premier League was the main thing,” Barnes said on the Norwich club website.

“The conversations I had (with sporting director Stuart Webber and David Wagner) were brilliant.

“They showed me how they wanted me to play and how they want me to fit in to the group and I’m happy to totally push us forward and try to get us promoted next season.”

Canaries head coach Wagner believes Barnes’ experience can help galvanise the squad, with several players having departed at the end of the season including forward Teemu Pukki.

“Ashley is a player I have come across on a number of occasions and he knows exactly what it takes to be successful in this league,” said Wagner, who took over in January following the departure of Dean Smith.

“It was very clear from our conversations that he has a real hunger and desire to continue to perform at the highest level.

“It was a feeling that we both have, the determination to do whatever it takes to win football games.”

Lewis Hamilton said the right decision has been taken to cancel this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix amid severe flooding in the region.

Formula One boss Stefano Domenicali took the decision to call off the sixth round of the season in northern Italy following an emergency meeting with local authorities and race officials on Wednesday.

Domenicali’s swift move arrived on the day F1 personnel were under instruction not to travel to the circuit in Imola. The paddock was also evacuated on Tuesday because of the risk of flooding.

Although the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari is not yet under water, surrounding areas are struggling to cope with the extreme weather, and there were grave concerns over the safety of transporting 300,000 spectators to and from the event over the course of three days, and diverting emergency services from troubled spots.

The Emilia Romagna region has been badly affected by torrential rain this month, killing two people and forcing hundreds to be evacuated from their homes.

It is the second F1 race to be cancelled on the eve of the event after the 2020 Australian Grand Prix was called off when a McLaren mechanic contracted coronavirus.

“Hoping everyone in Emilia Romagna is able to stay safe and look out for each other right now,” said Hamilton, who was deeply critical of F1’s decision to travel to Melbourne amid the outbreak of the global pandemic three years ago.

“Thoughts are with those affected by this tragedy and the amazing emergency services working on the ground.

“We were getting ramped up for the weekend and excited to get going but this is definitely the right decision.

“We wish we could be racing. But I know we all understand that safety comes first. I can’t wait to see you all at the next race.”

The race in Imola had been due to kick off F1’s first triple header of the season, with rounds to follow on consecutive weekends in Monaco and Spain.

Due to complexities of the sport’s packed schedule, at this stage it is not thought it will be possible to reschedule the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix for later in the year, dropping the number of rounds from 23 to 22.

It is understood that F1’s American owners’ Liberty Media will not charge Imola their hosting fee, thought to be around 20 million USD (£16m), and could add an additional year to their current deal which is up for renewal in 2025.

Fans attending the grand prix are likely to have the cost of their tickets reimbursed or rolled over for another season.

A statement from F1 read: “The decision has been taken because it is not possible to safely hold the event for our fans, the teams and our personnel and it is the right and responsible thing to do given the situation faced by the towns and cities in the region.

“It would not be right to put further pressure on the local authorities and emergency services at this difficult time.”

Domenicali informed the grid’s 10 team principals of his decision in a virtual call on Wednesday. It is believed they all supported the Italian’s verdict.

“It is such a tragedy to see what has happened to Imola and Emilia Romagna, the town and region that I grew up in and my thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the flooding and the families and communities affected,” said Domenicali.

“I want to express my gratitude and admiration for the incredible emergency services who are working tirelessly to help those who need help and alleviate the situation – they are heroes and the whole of Italy is proud on them.

“The decision that has been taken is the right one for everyone in the local communities and the F1 family as we need to ensure safety and not create extra burden for the authorities while they deal with this very awful situation.”

Azure Blue outbattled defending champion Highfield Princess to claim her fourth straight victory in a thrilling edition of the 1895 Duke of York Clipper Stakes at York.

The four-year-old had won three of her last four outings last term and following a reappearance victory in the the Kilvington Stakes at Newmarket earlier this month, she extended her winning streak on the Knavesmire to lead home a fantastic one-three for Darlington-based handler Michael Dods.

There was plenty of pace on show in this six-furlong affair and as the runners entered the business end, it looked like John Quinn’s Highfield Princess was about to pick up from where she left off last term.

However, Paul Mulrennan aboard Azure Blue was always lurking dangerously in her shadow and having drawn alongside in the final furlong, the duo edged their way to the front as the winning post loomed.

Half a length separated the pair at the finish, with Azure Blue returned the 12-1 winner and stablemate Commanche Falls a further length and a quarter adrift in third.