Great Britain sprinter Joe Truman knows he has a point to prove as he targets an Olympic debut in Paris next summer.
The 26-year-old saw his Tokyo dream dashed by a back injury which hampered him for the best part of two years, and his return to action did not go smoothly either – he was knocked out cold in a high-speed crash in the keirin at the Commonwealth Games last summer.
But those frustrations are now fuelling Truman as he looks to fulfil his long-standing ambition to represent Great Britain at the Olympics.
“I feel like I’ve missed a lot of opportunities,” Truman told the PA news agency.
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“Even at the Commonwealth Games last year, I was looking forward to racing in the sprint and the kilo (time trial) which I never got to do.
“I think I’ve got a point to prove but I’m just going out to make myself better. If for the next eight months I can go into every week smashing it, doing whatever I can, leaving no stone unturned, then I’ve nowhere to hide really.
“My main motivation is to put right the opportunities I’ve missed for various reasons. It is very good fuel really. You don’t want to end your career with any ‘what ifs’ so I’m really putting my best into every session.”
Truman’s ambitions have led him to the UCI Track Champions League, the made-for-TV series which is midway through its third season, as he looks to build up his race experience.
This is the first year the Champions League has taken place in a pre-Olympic year and although organisers moved it forward by a month, a number of star riders nevertheless chose to sit out this season to not disrupt their training. Truman took the opposite view.
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“(Getting to Paris) would be massive,” he said. “It would be making good on eight years’ work. That’s what I want most out of the next year, and that’s the reason I’m here.
“Some others didn’t want to do it because they didn’t think it would be good preparation but I saw it as the opposite. It’s a good opportunity to get some race practices in. For me, in the keirin, the Commonwealth Games I’ve only ridden the keirin once.
“I really need to get some more experience because I want to go to the Games competitive in all events, not just the team sprint, so something like this has a lot of positives in it.”
After years of setbacks, Truman feels like he is approaching his best form again at just the right time.
He surprised himself with a time of 59.092 in the one kilometre time trial at the World Championships in Glasgow in August, narrowly missing out on a medal.
At the opening round of the Champions League in Mallorca last month, he made it to the semi-finals of the sprint and came out of the night in fourth place overall in the men’s sprint standings.
Although there was disappointment a week later in Berlin, Truman will approach Paris this weekend with optimism before his primary target – the closing two rounds in London on November 10-11.
And Truman said the competition, which is an invitation-only event based on results, was a good environment to try new things.
“It’s a big occasion, televised worldwide and good crowds, especially in London where I want to show my nose, but it’s a strange mix – you’re not expecting much from yourself physically but mentally you want to go well,” he said.
“The best training is when you’ve got a number on your back. That’s when you get the best out of yourself.”
The Boston Celtics remained perfect on the season and scored the second-most points in their storied history in a 155-104 drubbing of the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.
Jayson Tatum had 30 points and 12 rebounds in three quarters as one of eight Celtics to score in double figures.
Derrick White scored 18 points, Jaylen Brown added 16 and Jrue Holiday had 15 as Boston won its fourth straight and joined Dallas as the only unbeaten teams left in the NBA.
The only time the Celtics scored more points in a regular-season game came in a 173-139 win over the Minneapolis Lakers on Feb. 27, 1959.
The Celtics made 16 of 21 shots in the first quarter with eight 3-pointers and had 75 points by halftime for the second straight game.
Mavericks hit 20 3s to stay unbeaten
Grant Williams matched career highs with 25 points and seven 3-pointers as the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Chicago Bulls 114-105 to improve to 4-0 for the first time since 2004-05.
Tim Hardaway Jr. had 24 points with seven 3s and Luka Doncic added 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Mavericks, who went 20 of 48 from long range and limited the Bulls to 11 for 33.
Zach LaVine scored 22 points and Nikola Vucevic added 21 and 20 rebounds as Chicago failed to win two straight for the first time this season.
Thompson lifts Warriors with last-second basket
Klay Thompson drained a 17-footer with less than a second remaining and the Golden State Warriors got past the Sacramento Kings, 102-101.
Domantas Sabonis hit a 20-footer with 15 seconds left to give the Kings a one-point lead, but Thompson answered from just inside the key with 0.2 seconds left.
Stephen Curry led Golden State with 21 points, Dario Saric added 15 and Thompson and Andrew Wiggins had 14 points apiece.
Sabonis finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds as Sacramento dropped its seventh straight regular-season road game in the series.
Four-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek has beaten American Coco Gauff at the WTA Finals in Mexico.
The American world number three felt the pressure from her Polish opponent, double-faulting four times in a row during the second set on Wednesday in Cancun.
The errors cost Gauff dearly as she gifted the upper hand to Swiatek.
Gauff could not mount the comeback as Swiatek secured the win 7-5 6-0 as she hopes to take back the world number one crown from Aryna Sabalenka.
The win means she is the first female player to record 65 or more tour-level wins in back-to-back seasons in nearly two decades.
Swiatek is the only player to record 65 wins in 2023 with Daniil Medvedev and Carlos Alcaraz with 64 and 63 wins respectively.
She will take on Ons Jabeur in her final group match on Friday, Jabeur having beaten Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova 6-4 6-3.
It was the first game between the pair since the Wimbledon final, Jabeur saving six of seven break points in the first set.
Jabeur took the second set after she broke Vondrousova at 3-3 and again after holding serve to set up a crucial match against Swiatek.
Nathan Eovaldi and two relievers combined to five-hit the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Texas Rangers won the franchise’s first World Series title with a 5-0 victory in Game 5 on Wednesday.
The Rangers finished the postseason a major league-record 11-0 on the road, capping the first title in their 63-year history with three straight wins in Arizona.
Mitch Garver broke a scoreless tie with an RBI single in the seventh and Marcus Semien capped Texas’ four-run ninth with a two-run homer.
Eovaldi walked five in six innings but wiggled out of trouble each time to improve to 5-0 with a 2.95 ERA in this postseason.
Aroldis Chapman got two outs before Josh Sborz fanned four over the final 2 1/3 innings for his first save in the playoffs.
The Diamondbacks had plenty of chances to score but went 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position and left 11 runners on.
Arizona starter Zac Gallen took a no-hitter into the seventh inning before Corey Seager led off with an opposite-field single.
Evan Carter followed with a double and Garver’s single gave Texas all the offense it would need.
Seager became the fourth player in history to win two World Series MVPs, along with Reggie Jackson, Sandy Koufax and Bob Gibson.
The Texas Rangers have won baseball’s World Series for the first time after clinching a 4-1 series victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
A 5-0 win in game five sealed the series, capped off by a two-run home run from Marcus Semien in the ninth inning.
Mitch Garver’s RBI single in the seventh inning opened the scoring after Corey Seager had claimed the Rangers first hit of the night, following six innings without one against Diamondbacks starter Zach Gallen.
They stretched that to 3-0 in the ninth inning before Semien added the final blow.
After splitting the first two matches of the series, the Rangers won all three of the games in Arizona as they went through the entire postseason unbeaten in 11 games on the road.
Starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi, who won a World Series ring with the Boston Red Sox in 2018 and moved to the Rangers before the start of the season, threw six scoreless innings and the bullpen completed the job.
Corey Saeger became just the fourth player ever to win the World Series MVP award twice, alongside hall of famers Reggie Jackson, Sandy Koufax and Bob Gibson.
The series win comes after 63 years of trying and 12 years after they were twice one strike away from winning against the St Louis Cardinals.
It is a fourth success for manager Bruce Bochy, who won three World Series in charge of the San Francisco Giants – including victory over the Rangers in 2010.
American Andrew Arft led all three days to capture the 56th Jamaica Open Golf Championship at the Tryall Golf Course in Hanover.
Arft posted scores of six under par 66, even par 72, and one under par 71, for a combined score of seven under par 209. He expressed pleasure with the win while giving credit to his caddy Jason Richards for helping him to win the event on his first attempt.
He also pointed out that his late decision to enter the championship was justified, as he pocketed the US$20,000 top prize.
Second place went to Dominic Piccirillo, who was just one shot back on 210. He posted under par scores of 71, 71 and 68 for all three days, while Josh Anderson was relegated to third place on 211 along with Blake Wagoner (72,70, 69).
The top six golfers in the professional category are all Americans.
Jamaica's Sean Morris roared back from second place on the second day to take the amateur section ahead of Oshae Haye. They were joint leaders on the first day.
Morris ended on 17 over par 233 (75, 82, 76), while Haye was two strokes back on 235 (75, 78, 82). Junior player Trey Williams grabbed third place on 245 (78, 81, 82).
Chris Richards of Trinidad & Tobago won the Senior Pro section for the second year running with a total score of two over par 218 (70, 76, 72). Second went to Canada's Kent Fukushima on 222 (74, 78, 70), while Jamaica's Ian Campbell was third on 240 (80, 79, 81).
The final category, the Senior Amateur section went to Canada's Robert Sterling who had a combined score of 244 for the three days. Jamaica's Dr. Mark Newnham and Dr. William Lee were second and third with scores of 245 and 250, respectively.
Motor racing fans in Guyana will be in for a treat as the Caribbean's only International female race car driver, Sara Misir, will be in action at the Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club’s (GMR&SC) Caribbean Clash of Champions on Sunday, November 5.
The year-end showpiece event is being touted as the greatest Caribbean race event of all time based on the number of champions from across the Caribbean, the USA, Canada and the UK that will be competing.
The action races off at 11 a.m. at the South Dakota Circuit in Timehri, Guyana.
Misir, who last tasted victory at JRDC's "Heroes of Speed" on October 16, is gearing up for some fierce and intense racing from a stacked field in Group 4.
Group 4, dubbed "the Clash of the Titans", will also feature veteran racer and JRDC's MP4 Champion, Doug "Hollywood" Gore. The other titans are Mark Maloney from Barbados; Kristian Boodosingh and Frankly Boodram from Trinidad and Tobago; and a Guyanese contingent that includes Mark Vieira, Andrew King, Vishok Persaud, Kevin Jeffrey, Mohan Rangasammy and Denzel Hopkinson.
President of the GMR&SC, Mahendra ‘Raj’ Boodhoo is looking forward to Sara's participation,
"We haven't had a female racer from Jamaica since Natasha Chang in 2015, so Sara will add to the excitement for motor racing enthusiasts. We are certain it will be a spectacle, a never before seen event at the South Dakota Circuit."
"We always have the largest grid of drivers and spectators for motor racing in the region, South Dakota is considered to be the Mecca of motorsports in the Caribbean." He added.
In addition to the groups of race car drivers, bikers from the United Kingdom, around the Caribbean, the USA and Guyana will be in action.
The LA Clippers have announced the arrival of guard James Harden from the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 10-time NBA All-Star guard has been in a dispute with the 76ers and, as a result, has missed their first three games of the NBA season.
The terms of the trade see Harden joined in Los Angeles by 76ers team-mates P.J. Tucker and Filip Petrusev, while Clippers players Marcus Morris, Nico Batum, Robert Covington and K.J. Martin switch to Philadelphia.
Clippers president Lawrence Frank said: “James is one of the most prolific and efficient playmakers in the NBA.
“With his size and vision, he possesses an extraordinary ability to create for himself and others.
“The Los Angeles area has produced so many elite players in recent years. With Kawhi (Leonard), Paul (George), Russ (Westbrook) and James, we’re excited to bring four of them together, and eager to see what they can accomplish with the rest of our group.”
The Clippers are currently fourth in the Western Conference after winning three of their opening four games.
Daniil Medvedev denied raising his middle finger to the crowd after being booed during his defeat to Grigor Dimitrov at the Rolex Paris Masters.
The Russian was beaten 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (2) in the round of 32 and even stopped playing in the second set until the boos stopped inside the Accor Arena, which prompted an argument with umpire Renaud Lichtenstein after he was given an official time violation.
The world number three admitted he did not want to carry on playing but also knew he risked being disqualified from the match if he refused to do so.
The drama started in the second set when, with the scores level at five apiece, the 27-year-old received jeers from the Parisian crowd after throwing his racket while stepping up to serve.
Medvedev gestured to the crowd to be quiet and walked back to his bench in protest and told the umpire he would not play until they stopped. In turn, Medvedev received the time violation for delaying the game.
In the end, Bulgarian Dimitrov battled to a three-set win after he let six match points slip before finally dispatching his opponent on the seventh to advance through to the last 16.
Medvedev received more boos as he walked off the court and appeared to give the middle finger to the crowd, something he later denied.
After the match, he told a press conference: “I just checked my nails, like this, no really it’s nothing more than that. Why would I do that to this beautiful crowd in Paris Bercy?
“I threw the racket, I get booed, normal. I don’t see a problem with that. I go to serve and they applaud or something but I want to serve so they shouldn’t applaud, so I still serve and the referee was talking during this, so Grigor wasn’t ready.
“This happens, but I get booed, I didn’t see why so I didn’t want to play and that’s actually the end of the story.
“I was like okay, until they boo I’m not going to play but the Bercy crowd doesn’t stop to boo and then when I got the code I was like ‘do I really want to get disqualified and finish the match on this note?’ So I just went on to play.”
Eddie Jones insists Marcus Smith is “not a full-back” and England must utilise the Harlequins talent at outside-half to get the best out of him.
England deployed Smith at full-back in during the World Cup in France, including their quarter-final victory over Fiji.
Smith was injured in the first half of that game and subsequently missed the semi-final defeat to South Africa, but England boss Steve Borthwick could opt to continue playing him there with skipper Owen Farrell and George Ford strong options at 10.
Former England boss Jones, who this week resigned from his post as Australia head coach, said: “Look at Richie Mo’unga (New Zealand outside-half), he is 29, experienced and he plays a great World Cup.
“Marcus is 24, he has got a lot of learning to do but unless he plays he never gets that learning.
“At some stage you have got to take a bit of pain if you play a guy like him. He is a good player, a very good player but he is not a full-back.
“That is up to Steve, but if you want to develop him as a player of course he has got to play 10.”
Jones led England to three Six Nations titles, including the Grand Slam in 2016, and to the final of the 2019 World Cup during his reign between 2015 and 2022.
The 63-year-old was appointed Australia head coach for a second time in January 2023, just one month after the Rugby Football Union sacked him for a poor run of results in which England had won just five of 12 Tests in 2022.
Asked at a Barbarians pre-match press conference, in which he will take joint charge of the invitation team against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday, how far he could have taken England at the World Cup, Jones replied: “That’s not a question. That’s a dream.”
On England’s campaign, he added: “They were really competitive. They fought hard and played tough.
“Steve did a really good job, he went back to English rugby which suited the tournament.”
Jones insisted his role as Australia head coach would have been compromised had he stayed in the job.
He will officially depart the position on November 25 after Australia failed to reach the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time in their history.
“Post the World Cup there was always going to be a decision to be made whether we were going to change Australian rugby or not,” said Jones, who was reportedly interviewed by the Japanese Rugby Football Union before the tournament over becoming their head coach.
“I went in with a plan and had a commitment from Rugby Australia what that looked like.
“When the unity of where we were going wasn’t the same, not because of the lack of desire from Rugby Australia but there’s other forces at play, then the only thing I could do was resign.
“Obviously the results are disappointing, but I went in there with a plan to change Australian rugby, which not only involves the team but the system to put it together.
“When you’ve had 20 years of unsuccessful rugby that’s because of the system. I went in with a plan of how to change the system and that’s unable to be changed. I felt my job would be compromised for the next four years, which I wasn’t prepared to do.”
Jones insists his future in coaching is “up to others”, but he has ruled out the idea of coaching the British and Irish Lions on their 2025 tour of Australia.
He said: “I have moved from the northern hemisphere to the southern hemisphere.
“I had my go with England, I loved coaching England, and I wouldn’t want to be involved in the Lions. Not at all.”
The Atlanta Falcons are benching starting quarterback Desmond Ridder and starting Taylor Heinicke on Sunday when they host the Minnesota Vikings.
Atlanta coach Arthur Smith said the move is for this week and doesn’t necessarily mean Heinicke will remain the starter for the rest of the season.
“Really our focus is short term and what gives us the best chance for Sunday,” Smith said Wednesday. “Right now we're focused on Minnesota.”
Ridder has struggled recently with 10 turnovers in Atlanta’s last five games, and Heinicke replaced Ridder last week at Tennessee after the 2022 third-round draft pick was evaluated for a concussion.
Ridder was cleared to return, but Smith kept Heinicke in for the rest of the Falcons’ 28-23 loss to the Titans.
Heinicke made his Falcons debut after signing a $20million, two-year contract in March.
He completed 12 of 21 passes for 171 yards and a touchdown.
“Lot of positive qualities in Taylor,” Smith said. “He’s been a great fit here and that’s why we brought him in here.”
Last week’s defeat dropped Atlanta to 4-4 on the season and into a first-place tie with the New Orleans Saints in the NFC South.
Gerri Colombe will have to wait an extra week to start out on the Cheltenham Gold Cup trail after Down Royal’s two-day meeting on Friday and Saturday was postponed by seven days to now take place on November 10 and November 11.
Gordon Elliott’s talented stayer is the second-favourite for Gold Cup glory following a fine novice chase campaign last term and was due to step into open company in the feature Ladbrokes Champion Chase, where rivals could have included established stars Conflated, Envoi Allen and Minella Indo.
However, with Down Royal currently unraceable, the decision has been made to shift the whole meeting back in the calendar with fresh entries for the meeting set to close on Monday and Tuesday.
Down Royal clerk Tracey O’Meara said: “We have just taken another look at the track and consulted with the River Agencies within the locality. The situation here is that we’ve been informed the River Lagan will continue to rise over the next 48 hours which will not enable the standing water on the course to subside.
“We were hoping for a more positive outcome when we started work on the track this morning to remove the water, but the situation with the River Lagan leaves us with no option but to make the difficult decision to cancel both Friday and Saturday as the track will simply not be ready in time.
“We were giving the meeting every chance but have made the decision at the earliest possible opportunity with the industry and public in mind. We are pleased to say that everyone is in a position to reschedule the fixtures for Friday 10 and Saturday 11 of November and the forecast into next week looks to be more favourable. Fresh entries will close on Monday for Friday and Tuesday for Saturday.”
Champion Stakes winner King Of Steel could be back in America next year for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Roger Varian has indicated.
There was a decision to be had this time around after the giant grey won on Champions Day at Ascot, with owner Kia Joorabchian admitting he was tempted by an ambitious bid for the dirt showpiece.
Discretion got the better part of valour on this occasion with only 14 days separating the meetings at Ascot and Santa Anita, and King Of Steel will contest the Breeders’ Cup Turf over 12 furlongs instead, meaning he will once more clash with his Derby conqueror Auguste Rodin.
“He looks to be taking everything in his stride. He has a positive demeanour of a horse that can go again. The natural instinct was not to come, but the vital signs are good,” said Varian.
“We left the decision to come as long as we could and he looked so good at home he was ticking plenty of boxes to make me think we should travel.
“It’s the type of race we are interested in, the Turf was always the priority. He found a way to win at Ascot, but I’m sure he didn’t enjoy the conditions.
“We could think about the Classic next season as he will stay in training.”
Greenfinch could be another exciting daughter of Justify having opened her account at Dundalk on Wednesday.
Trained by Aidan O’Brien, Greenfinch built on her Punchestown debut when second at the Curragh last month and her class came to the fore as she made it third-time lucky in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.
Sent off the 5-2 joint-favourite for the seven-furlong event, the youngster tracked the early pace in the hands of Seamie Heffernan before making a stylish move to the front rounding the turn for home.
She then knuckled down gamely in the straight and showed a great attitude to edge out Jessica Harrington’s Cameo Performance by a neck in the closing stages.
Connections were delighted to see the half-sister of both July Cup winner U S Navy Flag and multiple Group One scorer Roly Poly get on the scoresheet and are now predicting a bright future.
Stable representative Chris Armstrong said: “She’s a gorgeous filly and she has the pedigree to go with it.
“She had the two runs before on soft ground which wasn’t her ideal surface, but the experience stood to her.
“She was still a little bit green throughout the run, but Seamus felt her class got her through in the end.
“She is a filly to look forward to next year, he thinks she will definitely develop up into a Group filly at somewhere between a mile and a mile and a quarter.
“She will develop physically and mentally over the winter. She’s one to look forward to.
“It is good to get the win next to her and the three runs will be a massive plus to her next year.”
A significant offspring of Justify for Ballydoyle next year is unbeaten 2000 Guineas favourite City Of Troy, and Armstrong added: “The Justifys are extremely exciting – they have all got a great mind, a great action and they are 100 per cent genuine.
“They have big, long strides and, once they get their ground and trip, they really come into a different league.
“Luckily, we have got a few nice ones and it is an exciting bunch of two-year-olds to look forward to for next year.”
Jim Crowley is feeling “very confident” about Mostahdaf’s chances in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
The John and Thady Gosden-trained five-year-old is poised for what is likely to be his final outing at Santa Anita before he embarks on a career at stud.
His services will surely be well sought after given his most recent performances have been career bests, in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes and Juddmonte International, two of the most prestigious 10-furlong races anywhere in the world.
He was due to run in the Champion Stakes at Ascot two weeks ago, but after John Gosden initially gave him the go-ahead having walked the track, a downpour mid-afternoon meant he did not race and was rerouted to America.
Crowley was not on board for his most recent outing at York as he was serving a whip suspension, with Frankie Dettori stepping in. And there is little doubt he is very excited about being reunited.
“The first time I’ve sat on him here was this morning and I’m very happy with the way he felt. He moved great in an easy canter for a circuit. He will probably go a little bit quicker tomorrow,” said Crowley.
“He was very well behaved and behaves himself better when he’s abroad than at home.
“He has plenty of pace, and you can park him up anywhere. I’m very confident.”
James Harden is on track to make his Clippers debut on Monday when Los Angeles faces the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Wednesday.
Philadelphia agreed to send Harden, P.J. Tucker and Filip Petrusev to Los Angeles on Tuesday in exchange for Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Nic Batum, KJ Martin, a 2028 unprotected first-round pick, two second-round picks, a 2029 pick swap and a first-round pick that can be routed from a third team.
The trade ended the saga between the 76ers and Harden, who in August blasted team president Darly Morey at a promotional event in China.
"Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of," Harden said. "Let me say that again: Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of."
Harden's comments were a response to the 76ers telling Harden's agent that Morey was unable to find a trade for the 2017-18 NBA MVP, and the franchise wouldn't deal him unless it could find a trade that would help Philadelphia contend for a championship.
Harden picked up his $35.6million player option for the 2023-24 season in late June, and then immediately requested a trade.
He could have declined the option and become a free agent but was hoping by exercising his option it would facilitate a trade.
Harden reiterated his stance in early October, saying his relationship with Morey is beyond repair and he still wanted to be traded.
ESPN reported that Harden is delighted to be joining the Clippers, where he will team up with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. There will also be a reunion with Russell Westbrook, who Harden played alongside for the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder.
Harden averaged 21 points, an NBA-best 10.7 assists and 6.1 rebounds last season.
Sean Kirrane will forever be grateful for the loyalty shown by Adam West and the De’Lemos family as he prepares to make his Breeders’ Cup bow aboard Nunthorpe hero Live In The Dream.
The horse has proved appropriately named for the 23-year-old Irishman, who tasted Group One glory in his very first ride at the top level aboard the West-trained four-year-old on the Knavesmire.
That blistering all-the-way success secured Live In The Dream’s ticket to Santa Anita and Kirrane, who has partnered the gelding in 11 of his 19 career starts, is eager to point out it would have been easy for connections to plump for one of the weighing room’s star names for their once-in-a-lifetime tilt at the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
He said: “They would have had plenty of phone calls to ride this horse, even on the smaller days when he ran in the Temple Stakes and the race after that and the Nunthorpe. This particular day I’m sure they will have had plenty of phone calls, but their loyalty to me has been outstanding and I can’t thank them enough.
“Adam, Steve and Jolene have stuck by me and they have had me for plenty of days in the sun before the Nunthorpe and for them to give me my first ride in a Group One was amazing. I was so glad to reward them on the day for putting their faith in me.”
The 23-year-old Irishman is based in Yorkshire and a regular on the northern circuit, but has a flying visit to Epsom to thank for his long-lasting relationship with West and an association that has thrived from the very beginning.
“It’s probably an unusual match to have a northern-based jockey match-up with an Epsom and truly southern-based trainer and Adam was a completely chance contact,” continued Kirrane.
“I was claiming and riding for David O’Meara at the time and he had me down south two days in a row, he had me at Epsom one day, then Goodwood the next. I was staying over in Epsom and just thought ‘how can I use up the following morning’, so gave Adam a call to see if I could go ride out.
“He said ‘yes, pop in for a couple of lots’ and the first horse he put me on was a filly called Sky Blue Thinking. I’ll never forget her as she won three on the bounce and got me and Adam off to a flyer.
“We’ve had a really good strike-rate and great association ever since and now here we are.”
Their journey together came to a crescendo at York in the summer when Live In The Dream blazed a trail to give both trainer and jockey a first Group One triumph.
Connections always had the utmost belief that their sprinting star could one day climb to the top of the speedster’s ladder, but Live In The Dream’s underdog story has propelled a young rider fresh out of his claim and a trainer searching to make his name in the game firmly into the spotlight.
“He’s achieved things this year that none of us thought we might ever achieve,” continued Kirrane.
“We thought he had a lot of potential for maybe next year, but the fact he has achieved so much this year has been excellent and we owe the horse a lot.
“I don’t know how far I’ll get in my career but he’s a horse I will never forget. He’s given me a massive boost by winning the Nunthorpe so soon after losing my claim and it’s something a jockey in my position sort of never dreams.
“I have this horse and I knew he was capable of a lot, but it was so special to get a big winner on the board and then to have the opportunity to come here. I suppose we’ve already won this year regardless of what happens on Saturday, but to just be here with the horse while he is in such great form is excellent.”
He continued: “This is what we do Wolverhampton on a Monday and Catterick on Tuesday for. We do it to get the opportunities on the big days and the weekends. This is definitely one of those big days and whatever happens on Saturday, we all owe the horse an awful lot. For me it is not just a massive eye-opener but a brilliant experience.”
Since success in the Nunthorpe, West has left no stone unturned in his quest for Breeders’ Cup glory and that included sending both Live In The Dream and Kirrane to Keeneland to tune-up for their Santa Anita assignment in the Woodford Stakes.
Live In The Dream would eventually fade to fourth in the five-and-a-half-furlong contest but having shown up well, his rider is confident that first taste of American soil will have played a key role in preparing for his main objective.
“Keeneland was a nice race to start off his campaign in the States in,” said Kirrane.
“Adam picked that race out and being five and a half furlongs, ultimately that did stretch him really. There was quite a strong headwind on the day and he was really pressed for the lead the whole way round which wasn’t ideal and doing quite a bit early on just caught him out late in the day in the last half-furlong.
“He showed us everything we wanted to see on that day and it was really important to get him here and find a race on the grass for him really, which is exactly what Adam did. It really sets us up nicely for Saturday.
“Adam is a spectacular judge of what he has and what hand he has to play. It was the same when we went to Deauville, he knew he might need the run and that was exactly what happened – he was a fading fourth that day on very soft ground.
“He came out the next day and won the Nunthorpe and Adam was absolutely spot on in getting him right. He was spot on in predicting how he would run at Keeneland and hopefully he will be spot on about how he will run at Santa Anita.”
Kirrane has already had a taste of the Santa Anita turf when putting Live In The Dream through his paces ahead of this weekend’s big race.
The Dublin native is hoping to extend his stay in California beyond the Breeders’ Cup and is keen to make the most of his time in America, rather than jet back for the start of the all-weather season in the UK.
“I took Live In The Dream out for a canter and he just did a swinger from the three marker and he felt great,” he added.
“The turf was riding great – they sectioned off the outer half of the turf track for us to canter on – and he went round the bend lovely and it is all systems go.
“There are a couple of trainers I’ve been in contact with because I’m planning a little stint out here up until Christmas.
“I think at this time of year, the prize-money on the all-weather is extremely poor and you find yourself riding horses that have come off the grass and have had too much racing.
“Then you are getting all-weather horses returning who need the run and it is just a good opportunity for me to come out here, ride work off the clock again and tune up that aspect of my riding.”
Alun Wyn Jones hopes Wales making the last eight of the Rugby World Cup in France “does not paper over the cracks” in the game nationwide.
Jones – world rugby’s most capped player – will captain the Barbarians against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday with the curtain about to come down on his distinguished career.
The 38-year-old was named in Warren Gatland’s preliminary World Cup squad before announcing his international retirement in May after 170 Test matches – 158 for Wales and 12 for the British and Irish Lions.
Wales went on to reach the quarter-finals in France in what was considered relative success after a tumultuous 12 months.
Gatland returned as head coach following Wayne Pivac’s departure in December, but Wales won only once in the Six Nations as the threat of a player-strike was averted at the last minute.
The Welsh Rugby Union was also embroiled in a sexism and misogyny scandal off the field.
Jones said: “I am just pleased for the players for the success they had on the backdrop of a tough year for Welsh rugby.
“I just hope it does not paper over the cracks because there are deeper-rooted issues that need to be sorted.
“I hope we don’t end up in the cycle where we keep doing well every four years but we have another drought in between. Hopefully it kicks on the right way with a young group of players I believe can achieve lots.”
Jones has two more weeks left of a short-term Toulon deal he signed after his 17-year stay at the Ospreys ended in June.
He says then that “will be me done”, but Jones hinted he may remain within the sport in some capacity.
“I care about Welsh sport and I care about rugby, and I want to make sure it is in the best possible place it can be,” Jones said.
“You have got to get a few more miles on the clock in certain areas to have that influence (to determine matters).
“It depends what was needed. There are a lot of stuff like financial things and we have just got to make sure we keep player welfare and players at the forefront – that is the main thing for me.”
Jones hopes the tradition of Barbarians rugby, as well as the Lions which has seen tours to the southern hemisphere shortened in the professional age, survives as the game moves forward.
He said: “We’re very blessed as a sport that we’ve got the Barbarians, the Lions, and some classic traditions.
“I think the Barbarians has actually helped some teams because when some of the Premiership sides went, the Barbarians stepped in to sustain them.
“With regards to the Lions it’s similar to the Barbarians. I think it’s something the game needs. There are not many other sports that do it.
“We don’t have a 15s Olympic team. I think you still need something within the sport like that. It gives a focal point for the sport for players and supporters to follow.”
Barbarians team:I Droasese (Fiji), S Stevenson (New Zealand), L Ikitau (Australia), I Perese (Australia), S Ravutaumada (Fiji), N Sanchez (Argentina), S Kuruvoli (Fiji); J Moody (New Zealand), T Ikanivere (Fiji), T Tupou (Australia), R Leota (Australia), AW Jones (capt, Wales), J Tipuric (Wales), M Hooper (Australia), R Valetini (Australia).
Russell Westbrook is thrilled to be reuniting with James Harden and P.J. Tucker at the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Clippers are acquiring Harden and Tucker in a blockbuster trade with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Filip Petrusev is also joining the Clippers, with Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Nic Batum and KJ Martin heading the other way.
Harden, who was in attendance as the Clippers beat the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, had been in a dispute with the 76ers, and missed their opening game of the season – a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks – and their second fixture, a win over the Toronto Raptors.
The 10-time All-Star played alongside both Tucker and Westbrook at the Houston Rockets, and the latter, who refused to confirm the trade before it was made official, could not hide his delight.
"Right now, James and P.J. are off-limits. I got nothing for you until it's official," Westbrook smiled, as per ESPN.
Asked if he was happy, Westbrook said: "Yeah. I mean, s***, why wouldn't I be?
"Yeah, excuse my language, but definitely, definitely happy."
As for the Sixers, Tyrese Maxey is set to inherit the point forward role Harden occupied in the roster.
"I think our group has been prepared," Maxey said. "I think we've done a good job of keeping the main thing the main thing, and I think that's what's gotten us all to a solid start.
"We have some really good guys that are focused, that are determined to go out there and play and show what we can do, and [a] coach that's keeping our mind in the right place."
Maxey also had a special word of thanks for his former teammate.
"I texted him and I told him I love him, told him I appreciate him," Maxey added of Harden. "One thing that he really installed in me is confidence. I've always been a confident person, but he made me be even more confident than I already was, and all I can do is appreciate him for that.
"He took me under his wing, taught me a lot of things as far as just being a professional in this league and how things go. So I appreciate him and I love him. Same thing with Tuck. Love those guys."
Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse, meanwhile, seems ready to move on from the Harden drama.
"I got to get ready for Thursday, and I got to coach the guys we got," he told reporters.
"I really like where we are right now. I mean, there's so much I'm learning about this group. I think there's so much improvement we have to make in a lot of ways, and I'll let Daryl and [76ers general manager Elton Brand] and the boys worry about all that stuff, and I'll coach the guys here on a daily basis."
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