Passenger will attempt to give the Niarchos family the victory every owner-breeder craves when he lines up in the Betfred Derby on Saturday.
They have twice gone close in the Epsom showpiece, with Main Sequence finishing runner-up in 2012 and, delving deeper into the archives, the Vincent O’Brien-trained Law Society finding only a magnificent Slip Anchor too good on the day in 1985.
Law Society would go on to get his Classic redemption by winning the Irish Derby later that summer, but it is Epsom that matters most for Passenger and his connections as the Sir Michael Stoute-trained colt seeks to become the first horse unraced at two to win the showpiece middle-distance event since Ruler Of The World 10 years ago.
“The Derby is a race I think every owner and breeder would like to win as it is the biggest test of a three-year-old colt,” said Alan Cooper, racing manager for the family.
“I think Passenger has a nice draw in the middle of the field in seven and I guess we will know more at (around) 1.35pm on Saturday. Sir Michael is happy with his horse.”
If Passenger is to prove successful in his quest for Derby glory, he will justify the decision to spend £85,000 to supplement the son of Ulysses following his luckless run in the Dante at York.
He would become just the third supplemented horse to prevail in the premier Classic following Kris Kin and Golden Horn, but it is somewhat fitting that the first of those was also trained by Stoute. And while only third on the Knavesmire, Passenger follows the Freemason Lodge handler’s well-trodden route to Epsom.
Cooper continued: “It was a good education for him at York, it was only his second run and he will have learnt a little more about racing. Hopefully that will stand him in good stead on Saturday.
“The trip is the unknown as he has never been that far before, but he’s given us every indication he can do. We will not know for certain until he tries.”
If Military Order can replicate brother Adayar and storm to Derby glory for Charlie Appleby it will be the first time in over a hundred years that full siblings have landed the three-year-old event.
Persimmon (1896) and Triple Crown winner Diamond Jubilee (2000) were the last to achieve that remarkable feat, but it would be no shock if history is repeated with the Frankel colt advertising his Epsom credentials to great effect when pulling away from the reopposing Waipiro to claim the Lingfield Derby Trial.
“We’ve done nothing extra with him since his win at Lingfield and he has just been going through his usual routine,” said Appleby.
“We have been pleased with his preparation and he has ticked every box. He is going into the race looking great.
“We know he will stay the trip and hopefully he should handle the track, but we all know in any of these races we need a bit of Lady Luck with us then we have half a chance.”
On following in Adayar’s footsteps he added: “He is always going to be going there with the tag as being a Derby winner’s full-brother so everyone is going to ask the questions of is he as good and where does he stand compared to him.
“At the end of the day one has been there and done it and one has to go and do it. All I can say is that we are very pleased with him.
“He looks as though he is physically potentially more there and mentally more there than Adayar at this stage of his career, but regardless of that Adayar went and won a Derby and this lad has got to go and do it now.”
Another with two Derby victories to his name is John Gosden, who now trains out of Clarehaven alongside son Thady.
It is eight years since he legged up Frankie Dettori to steer home Golden Horn and he will now provide the Italian with his final mount in the premier Classic when Chester Vase scorer Arrest looks to give both trainer and jockey Derby number three.
“He’s got the stamina, to do what he did at Chester in ground like that shows he’s got the stamina, no problem,” said Gosden.
“Stamina is a requirement in this race, the same for the Kentucky Derby going a mile and a quarter for the Americans, they see it as a marathon.
“Stamina-wise you never really know until you go the mile and a half, you really don’t. Everybody thinks this is a downhill track, but it’s uphill, it rises 150 feet before you start going downhill, then you have a last section which climbs before the finish and it can catch a lot out on stamina.”
Despite saddling both Khalifa Sat (2020) and Hoo Ya Mal (2022) to finish second, Andrew Balding is still searching for his first Derby and will look to break his duck with The Foxes who arrives on the back of winning the Dante.
“I thought he was really good in the Dante,” said Balding. “I thought he travelled like the best horse in the race and he finished off strong. He is not a horse that is going to win by large margins, but he is tough in the finish.
“The way he settled at York and the way he travelled and the way he finished his race gives us hope that he will stay a mile and a half.
“Epsom this year could be different to other years if we are led to believe what we read that there might be disruptions going on, but I think he is going to be less bothered about what is going on than other horses we have run in the race in the past.”
Some would class Ralph Beckett as unfortunate not to have a Derby to his name after Westover was an unlucky loser behind Desert Crown 12 months ago, but he will attempt to correct the record with the unbeaten Artistic Star, who runs in the colours of owner Jeff Smith.
“Artistic Star is a grand, straightforward horse,” said the Kimpton Downs handler.
“He was quite a late foal and he’s going to carry on developing through the year, but I sincerely hope and suspect that he’ll cope with the whole jamboree, as he’s a very hardy horse.
“Whether he’s good enough I don’t know, but Jeff likes his trainers to be on the front foot and he ran to a good figure at Sandown last time. He’s not a big horse and he’s well balanced, so he should go round Epsom all right. It looks quite open so I’m looking forward to it.”
Jessica Harrington has won Classics on home soil and a Cheltenham Gold Cup, but never a Derby and she hopes to change that with Sprewell – the impressive winner of Leopardstown’s Derby Trial.
The man in the saddle on that occasion was Shane Foley and he is confident son of Churchill can make his presence felt.
He said: “He was very impressive in Leopardstown and has been pleasing us at home. The dream is definitely alive.
“Anything he did as a two-year-old was going to be a bonus and we were lucky to get a couple of runs into him.
“He has really developed into a proper staying three-year-old and is a good horse.
“If there is anyone that can have them primed and ready for the day, it’s Jessie. The trip should be fine for him – I think he’ll get a mile and a half no problem. To get a horse like him is what all the early mornings are about.
“It looks one of the most open Derbys in a long time and it’s great to have one in the mix.”
Another jockey looking forward to the biggest ride of his career is Derby debutant Danny Muscutt who will continue his association with the staying-on Guineas fifth Dubai Mile having landed the first Group One of his career aboard Charlie Johnston’s colt at Saint-Cloud in October.
“We were happy with him going into the Guineas and he ran a stormer,” said Muscutt.
Some people say the Guineas is the best Derby trial of the lot and it probably fitted in slightly better than the Dante where he would have had a penalty.
“I was pleased with how he stuck on up the rising ground and he galloped out really good.
“The dip at Newmarket can catch some horses out, but he has handled it great both times so he ticks the boxes regarding being able to handle the undulations and downhill run to Tattenham Corner.”
Alun Wyn Jones has confirmed he will not be an Ospreys player next season.
The former Wales and British and Irish Lions captain announced his retirement from international rugby last month after making a world-record 170 Test match appearances.
There had been no indication about whether he intended to play on for the Ospreys or join another team, although Jones has now hinted he could continue on the domestic stage next term.
Since announcing his Test retirement, Jones captained the Barbarians against a World XV and then his first club Swansea.
“Whatever’s next, if something pops up, there might be something domestic. I won’t be back with the Ospreys,” Jones told The Barbarians Show podcast.
“But if nothing does, I can be pretty happy with my innings anyway, but we will see what comes in the next few months.”
Jones, 37, made his Ospreys debut in 2005 and went on to captain the region, making more than 250 appearances.
He was named in named Wales’ preliminary World Cup training squad by head coach Warren Gatland, but subsequently announced his international retirement along with Ospreys colleagues Justin Tipuric and Rhys Webb.
Second-row forward Jones set a new Wales cap record when he overtook former prop Gethin Jenkins during the 2019 World Cup in Japan.
And he then moved past New Zealand World Cup-winning captain Richie McCaw’s mark of 148 caps, maintaining incredible consistency of performance in one of the sport’s toughest playing positions.
He was part of five Six Nations title-winning campaigns, including three Grand Slams, and played in four World Cups helping Wales reach two semi-finals.
His 12 Lions Tests is a figure bettered only by Willie John McBride and Dickie Jeeps.
Nobody knows how good the unbeaten Artistic Star could be, but connections are excited to find out when he takes his place in the Betfred Derby at Epsom.
Owned by long-time supporter of racing Jeff Smith, he created a taking impression at Nottingham in his sole appearance at two and confirmed the promise of that performance when upped to 10 furlongs for his three-year-old bow at Sandown.
He readily got the better of useful opposition on both occasions and although available at odds as big as 40-1, the Ralph Beckett-trained colt will head to the premier Classic attempting to go two places better than Kimpton Downs stablemate Westover who made the Derby podium last year.
“He is an exciting colt and has done nothing wrong so far,” said Smith’s racing manager, David Bowe.
“His Nottingham win was very good, he came on for that and he ran very well at Sandown.
“We’re very happy with him, Ralph is happy with him, he’s unbeaten and why not! He’s got the profile of a Derby horse and the pedigree. The trip won’t be a problem for him and he’s a nice light-framed horse, so we don’t see Epsom being an issue.
“Equally it’s unknown territory, but it’s not often you have a horse with a Derby profile, so why not? Jeff is in the game for racing horses and there is no point keeping them at home.”
Artistic Star is by the mighty Galileo, who as well as thriving around the undulations of the Surrey Downs when landing the Derby himself in 2001, has gone on to prove he is the king of Epsom in the stallion ranks by siring five Derby winners.
Artistic Star is Galileo’s sole progeny in the Derby line-up this time around and although it is still to be discovered if he can follow in the footsteps of his illustrious father, there is little doubt he is is bristling with untapped potential.
“This horse has got a very nice back pedigree and is a good-looking individual,” continued Bowe.
“He has done nothing wrong so far, he’s unbeaten, so we don’t know how good he is. Whether the Derby will be his defining moment we don’t know, but I’m sure we will have a very nice colt on our hands whatever happens come Saturday.”
Although Smith’s colours have been carried to success in many big races over the years by the likes of Chief Singer, Lochsong, Persian Punch and most recently Alcohol Free, so far a British Classic has eluded him.
Now Artistic Star will attempt to correct that record and will be Smith’s fourth runner in the Derby – 20 years on from Norse Dancer being the Littleton Stud owner’s first representative in the race when finishing fourth to Kris Kin.
“I think having a runner in the Derby in the first place is exciting in itself and we are going to find an awful lot out Saturday,” added Bowe.
“Whether Saturday is his day or not, nobody knows. We would love to see him run well and come home safe and whatever happens on Saturday, I think he’ll have a bright future.
“Again it’s such a fantastic race and for Jeff is to have a runner in it is what we do it for. Jeff is in the game as a purist and you can’t get more pure than the Derby.”
Fernando Alonso believes Lewis Hamilton can still win an eighth world championship – but has warned that Max Verstappen is ready to break the British driver’s records.
Hamilton will head into Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix on a 30-race losing streak following Mercedes’ failure to provide him with a winning machine.
He is already 75 points behind Max Verstappen in the standings, with the Dutchman on course to secure his third world title in as many years.
Hamilton, 38, said he was “counting down the days” until the arrival of Mercedes’ upgrade, but following its debut at last weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix, he admitted here in Spain that the new design has not provided him with the step forward he was hoping for.
He also revealed it will be a “long process” to dethrone Verstappen’s dominant Red Bull team.
However, in an interview with the PA news agency, Alonso, who at 41 is the only driver older than Hamilton on the grid, said: “Lewis will be in contention for the eighth title.
“I don’t know if that will be next year, or in the future, but he will have another chance of winning the championship, that is for sure.
“Mercedes are a very strong team, and Lewis is a very strong driver. He doesn’t forget how to drive from one season to the next.
“The Mercedes car is not an easy one to drive and it is not a fast car, but you see every weekend that Lewis is always there – fourth, fifth, fourth, and he was second in Australia. He is driving on top of the car.”
Hamilton’s rival Verstappen took his maiden Formula One win on his Red Bull debut in Spain seven years ago.
On Sunday, a fifth victory of the year would put him on 40 victories for his career, leaving him just one shy of Ayrton Senna’s tally, and with only Hamilton (103 wins), Michael Schumacher (91), Sebastian Vettel (53) and Alain Prost (51) ahead of him.
On Thursday, Verstappen, 25, said Red Bull has the speed to win the remaining 16 races and complete an unprecedented clean sweep and Alonso believes the Dutch driver could eclipse Hamilton’s win record and the seven championships he shares with Schumacher.
“Until the regulations change in 2026, Red Bull will contend for the championships so there will be many chances for Max to win races,” said Alonso.
“He is young, the calendar is longer than ever before, with 24 opportunities to win every year, so he can break the records along the way.
“But there are also no guarantees. When I won two championships [in 2005 and 2006], I thought I would win a few more and have a lot of wins, so Max cannot relax because things can change quickly.”
For Alonso, his home race this weekend marks the 10th anniversary of his 32nd and last win in the sport.
However, the Spaniard is enjoying a career resurgence following his transfer from Alpine to Aston Martin, finishing on the podium at five of the first six races and earning a new fan base along the way. And he still hopes he could yet be a contender for this season’s crown.
“Things can change rapidly so I will not give up on the title until it is mathematically impossible,” said Alonso, speaking at ‘IL PITSTOP’ – an immersive Aston Martin garage experience from Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0%
“We have a low chance and we have to be realistic about that. Max is showing great performances and no weak points.
“But we need to challenge him closer to see if he makes any mistakes because at the moment life is too easy for Max.
“We have a new generation of younger fans who didn’t see me stepping on the podium before. They probably thought you lose performance and ability with age and I was just a driver from the past.
“But eventually they see the car – as we repeat many times but sometimes you need to prove it once again – is the most important thing in Formula One, and they suddenly see you are a good driver.
“My popularity is on a high, and for Aston Martin and the sport in general, too, so we have to ride this wave.”
:: IL PITSTOP is designed to reimagine the perfect pitstop, where fans can soak up the atmosphere and excitement of a race while also taking the chance to pause and enjoy a Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0%. The custom-designed build features the AMR23 replica car, a bespoke viewing gallery, team radio, and an elevated and unique sampling experience of Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0%.
The Denver Nuggets cruised to an 11-point win over a lacklustre Miami Heat in the first game of the NBA finals.
Nuggets centre Nikola Jokic was pivotal in the 104-93 victory, picking up a seamless triple-double in his finals debut.
Miami had no defensive answers for the 28-year-old Serbian, who orchestrated Denver’s offence before finishing with 27 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds.
Outside of the first few minutes, Denver never looked like losing – much to the appreciation of a raucous home crowd.
Bam Adebayo had a strong showing for the Heat as he picked up a team-high 26 points, but he had little help from an inconsistent offence.
On the other hand, Jokic was ably assisted by a 26-point effort from Jamal Murray, while fellow starters Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr added 16 and 14 points respectively.
The seven-game series is Denver’s first trip back to the finals in 47 years, while Miami are on the hunt for their fourth championship.
The Denver Nuggets didn’t show much rust despite a lengthy layoff and Nikola Jokic stepped up down the stretch in his NBA Finals debut, helping his team hold off the Miami Heat for a 104-93 victory in Game 1 on Thursday.
Jokic scored 12 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter – including eight in the final four minutes after the Heat stormed back to cut a 24-point deficit to just nine points.
The two-time league MVP also assisted on 14 baskets and grabbed 10 rebounds to notch his ninth triple-double of this year’s playoffs.
Jokic had plenty of help with Jamal Murray finishing with 26 points and 10 assists, Aaron Gordon adding 16 points and six rebounds and Michael Porter Jr. chipping in 14 points and 12 boards for a Nuggets team that improved to 9-0 at home in the playoffs.
The Heat were led by Bam Adebayo’s 26 points and 13 rebounds, while Gabe Vincent scored 19 and Haywood Highsmith had 18 points off the bench.
Jimmy Butler, the MVP of the Eastern Conference finals, had 13 points – his fewest of the playoffs – along with seven rebounds and seven assists.
With nine days off between games after sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals, there was concern that the Nuggets would be a bit rusty, but that wasn’t the case.
Playing in its first Finals in the franchise's 47-year history, Denver came out firing on all cylinders early in front of a raucous crowd, shooting 59.5 per cent in the opening two quarters to jump out to a 59-42 half-time lead.
The Nuggets pulled away in the third quarter to build an 84-60 advantage but the battle-tested Heat responded.
Highsmith scored 12 points in the fourth quarter and his 3 with 2 ½ minutes to play pulled the Heat within nine points, but that is as close as they would get.
Game 2 will be Sunday in Denver, and it’s possible Tyler Herro will be cleared to play.
Herro has been sidelined since fracturing his right hand in Miami’s playoff opener on April 16, and has been increasing his basketball activities in the last week.
Englishman Matt Wallace is one stroke behind leader Davis Riley after the first day of the PGA Memorial Tournament on Thursday, on a hot day in Dublin, Ohio.
Wallace, who has one PGA tour win, had a strong start to the tournament, hitting six birdies and two bogeys to finish the day with 68 and four under.
Fellow countryman Danny Willett was a stroke behind Wallace, finishing tied in third with seven others.
Willett, 35, who also has one PGA tour victory to his name, hit four birdies, an eagle and three bogeys to finish on three under par at Muirfield Village Golf Course.
Irishman Shane Lowry finished the day tied with Willett, after he had five consecutive birdies, alongside Jordan Spieth and David Lipsky.
Leader Davis Riley played the conditions well and is hoping to win his second PGA tour title, hitting just one bogey and six birdies to finish on five under.
Rory McIlroy finished even for the day with a triple bogey on the last hole undoing his good work during the day.
He finished tied in 33rd place after hitting four birdies before the last hole.
World number one Scottie Scheffler had his highest opening round since October 2021, finishing on two over par and seven strokes behind the lead.
Three-time Stanley Cup-winner and pending free agent Patrick Kane underwent a hip resurfacing procedure and is expected to be sidelined four-to-six months.
His agent Pat Brisson told this news to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on Thursday.
Brisson told Friedman that the surgery was a success and that Kane “wants to play for a long time.”
Doctors are optimistic that will happen.
The 34-year-old Kane has been playing with an ailing hip the past few seasons and told the New York Rangers during his recent exit interview that it slowed him during the team’s first-round playoff exit against the New Jersey Devils.
Kane, who was acquired by the Rangers from the Chicago Blackhawks on February 28, had a goal and five assists in the seven-game series.
"I look at that series and I know it’s like, if I felt a little bit better, I can like, help us win that series, you know?" Kane said. "It’s almost like disappointing and depressing in a way, but that’s just kind of how I feel about it."
Set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 after concluding an eight-year, $84million contract he signed in 2014, Kane played the final 19 games of the 2022-23 season for the Rangers, tallying five goals and seven assists after Chicago shipped him to New York for a pair of 2023 draft picks.
Kane left the Blackhawks as one of the greatest players in franchise history.
He was instrumental to their dynasty in the 2010s, helping the club to Stanley Cup titles in 2010, 2013 and 2015. He scored the championship-clinching goal over the Philadelphia Flyers in overtime of Game 6 of the 2010 Final, while winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs in 2013.
He had spent his entire 16-season NHL career with the Blackhawks after being selected first overall in the 2007 draft.
The nine-time All-Star ranks second all-time in franchise history with 1,225 points, while his 446 goals are third most by a Blackhawk. He also ranks third in franchise history in games played (1,161) and fourth in power-play goals (122).
As a 19-year-old rookie in 2007-08, Kane made an immediate impact in the NHL, winning the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league’s top first-year player.
Eight years later in 2015-16, Kane won the Hart Memorial Trophy as league MVP as well as the Art Ross Trophy as scoring champion.
He finished the 2022-23 season with 21 goals and 57 points in 73 games – his fewest points since registering 55 in just 47 games during the strike-shortened 2012-13 season.
Expectations are high that Jamaica’s four-member male squash team will secure qualification to the Pan American (PanAm) Games in Chile later this year, when they engage the PanAm Qualifiers in Cartagena, Colombia.
The team of reigning national champion Julian Morrison, Tahjia Lumley, Bruce Burrowes and Dane Schwier, is set to depart the island on Friday, for what is expected to be a highly competitive qualification tournament.
However, Morrison said the small team was ready to put their best foot forward.
“You can expect that we will be giving a hundred percent. We have put in a lot of work for the last two months to really prep ourselves for this.
“Initially we thought it would be an elevated court but finding out that it is very flat, so we are not necessarily at a disadvantage due to the altitude. It is hot over there, but we are coming from Jamaica, especially in this summer, we will be able to weather that storm,” Morrison said.
Burrowes concurred.
“We are going up against very, very big countries like America, Peru, these really big juggernauts of the western hemisphere. But we really think that we can take them on because ‘we little but we tallawah," Burrowes declared.
First-timer Lumley also believes the team is mentally and physically prepared to give a good account of themselves.
“We have been doing a lot of doubles training together. We have also started training as a team on the physical side in the gym with our trainer, so we have been doing a lot of team bonding which is really good for us, something new but it’s also something that we hope to continue in the future,” said Lumley.
“A lot of work has been done on the mental side as well. Hopefully we can all put it together on each day that we go out there with our flag on our back and make sure that we make Jamaica proud,” he added.
Meanwhile, Karen Anderson, president of the Jamaica Squash Association, is hopeful that the team will do well.
"It is going to be a very tough competition. Its fourteen teams vying for six spots and the main competitors, or the strongest contenders are from Mexico, USA, Canada, Colombia and Argentina,” Anderson said.
“Colombia, however, has already qualified along with Chile. But it is going to be extremely hard, but we feel that we have a chance, and the reality is, if you don't go, you don't get a chance to actually compete to qualify, so we made the decision to send our team and we are looking forward to seeing how they manage,” she noted.
Coach Rene Denis will meet up with the team in Colombia.
Women’s top seed Iga Swiatek eased into the third round of the French Open with victory over Claire Liu.
Coco Gauff set up an intriguing clash with 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva, while Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina saw off teenage Czech Linda Noskova.
The match of the day saw German Daniel Altmaier defeat eighth seed Jannik Sinner in five hours and 26 minutes, the fifth longest match in tournament history.
Picture of the dayTweet of the dayQuote of the dayStat of the dayChina on the march
China has been a virtually non-existent presence in men’s tennis in the open era but three players featured in the main singles draw and Zhang Zhizhen, who will play Casper Ruud, is the first through to the third round since 1937.
Fallen seeds
Men: Jannik Sinner (8), Tommy Paul (16), Alex de Minaur (18)
Women: Madison Keys (20), Donna Vekic (22)
Who’s up next?
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Cameron Norrie will try to break new ground at the French Open when he takes on talented young Italian Lorenzo Musetti.
The British number one is yet to reach the fourth round at Roland Garros, where he could face top seed Carlos Alcaraz, who plays Denis Shapovalov in the night session.
Novak Djokovic faces Alejandro Davidovich Fokina while Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula are the leading women in action.
Sixteen-year-old Mirra Andreeva said she dreams of winning 25 grand slam titles after reaching the third round of the French Open.
The prodigious Russian talent came through qualifying and has lost just six games in her first two main-draw matches, beating France’s Diane Parry 6-1 6-2 on Thursday.
Andreeva only turned 16 at the end of April and is setting her sights sky high for her tennis career.
“The dream: I know that (Novak) Djokovic, he did 22 grand slams, so I want to go until 25, if it will be possible,” said the confident teenager.
Andreeva will try to keep her feet on the ground, though, adding: “As my coach says, to not be like a diva, to stay humble all the time. I don’t think that I have a lot of success now. I didn’t win any tournaments. I just play. It’s the third round of Roland Garros. I will play.”
Defending champion Iga Swiatek again had a tough first set, this time against American Claire Liu, before pulling away to win 6-4 6-0.
The world number one, who celebrated her 22nd birthday on Wednesday, had difficulty finding her rhythm in windy conditions.
Swiatek would rather play on Philippe Chatrier in the day than at night, though, and revealed she has been requesting not to feature in the late prime-time session.
Every night session so far has consisted of a men’s match despite organisers facing criticism last year for not giving equal billing to the women.
“I felt like I played already night sessions in this clay court swing,” said Swiatek. “Obviously it would be nice if we had women’s matches as well. But I’m not helping.”
Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina fought off a Czech teenager for the second straight round, following up her success against 16-year-old Brenda Fruhvirtova by defeating 18-year-old Linda Noskova 6-3 6-3.
Seventh seed Ons Jabeur has looked strong so far, the Tunisian seeing off Oceane Dodin 6-2 6-3, while Kayla Day upset American compatriot Madison Keys 6-2 4-6 6-4.
Cardiff prop Rhys Carre has been released from Wales’ preliminary Rugby World Cup training squad after failing to meet individual performance targets.
The Welsh Rugby Union said in a statement: “Rhys Carre has been released from the Wales senior men’s preliminary training squad for Rugby World Cup 2023.
“Following ongoing discussions between the player and the Wales coaching team, Carre has failed to meet individual performance targets set at the end of the 2023 Guinness Six Nations.”
Carre was one of 10 props selected in the training squad alongside Nicky Smith, Corey Domachowski, Gareth Thomas, Kemsley Mathias, Tomas Francis, Dillon Lewis, Keiron Assiratti, Henry Thomas and Will Davies-King.
Domachowski, Mathias, Assiratti, Thomas and Davies-King are all uncapped, while Carre has made 20 Test match appearances.
His Wales debut came in 2019, and he was also part of the World Cup squad in Japan later that year.
Carre, 25, has become the fourth player to depart head coach Warren Gatland’s 54-man group that he announced last month.
Ospreys trio Alun Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric and Rhys Webb all announced their international retirements ahead of the World Cup in France later this year after being named in the squad.
Wales play three World Cup warm-up games in August, with their tournament opener being against Fiji in Bordeaux on September 10.
Eighth seed Jannik Sinner was toppled by German Daniel Altmaier in a five-hour epic at the French Open.
In a tremendous atmosphere on Suzanne Lenglen, Altmaier clinched a 6-7 (0) 7-6 (7) 1-6 7-6 (4) 7-5 second-round victory after five hours and 26 minutes – the fifth longest match in the tournament’s history – having saved two match points when Sinner served for the win in the fourth set.
A tense finale saw Altmaier broken when he served for the match for the first time at 5-4 in the decider and then pegged back from 40-0 at 6-5.
Italian Sinner had three chances to force a deciding tie-break, and chucked his racket to the clay in anger after missing the final one, before Altmaier, ranked 79, took his fifth chance with an ace.
The German, who lost to Sinner in five sets at the US Open, sat in his chair sobbing afterwards, saying: “I love clay and I love the crowd and everything. The emotions were crazy.”
Altmaier, who reached the fourth round on his Roland Garros debut in 2020, next faces Grigor Dimitrov after the Bulgarian’s more straightforward 7-6 (4) 6-3 6-4 victory over Emil Ruusuvuori.
An open bottom half is now even more so, with fourth seed Casper Ruud the highest-ranked player remaining.
The Norwegian appears to be playing himself into form at the right time after a difficult season so far, and said after a 6-3 6-2 4-6 7-5 victory over Giulio Zeppieri: “It was tough to try to finish the match, and it was a two tough sets, but I’m happy to win one of them and be through to the third round.”
Twelfth seed Frances Tiafoe fought back from a set down to defeat Aslan Karatsev 3-6 6-3 7-5 6-2 but 18th seed Alex De Minaur fell in straight sets to Argentina’s Tomas Etcheverry.
Etcheverry next meets 15th seed Borna Coric, who won another five setter against Pedro Cachin, and Thiago Seyboth Wild followed up his upset of second seed Daniil Medvedev by beating Guido Pella 6-3 3-6 6-4 6-3.
Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from June 1.
FootballThings escalated for Peter Crouch.
Declan Rice was getting ready.
Phil Jones thanked Manchester United.
Georginio Wijnaldum reflects on a disappointing night for Roma.
Arsenal kept hold of Frida Maanum.
Gary Lineker suggested a rebrand after Sevilla’s domination of the Europa League continued.
Liverpool recalled a big day in their history.
There were birthday wishes for Javier Hernandez.
CricketStuart Broad claims five.
England handed a debut to Josh Tongue.
The Barmy Army mocked David Warner.
TennisEmma Raducanu split from her coach.
Aidan O’Brien will stick to a tried and tested method and let his riders plot their way around Epsom in the Betfred Derby on Saturday.
The Ballydoyle trainer’s trio of runners is headed by Auguste Rodin, who will start his race in stall 10, with San Antonio in stall 12 and Adelaide River in stall 14.
Auguste Rodin’s draw has produced plenty of Derby winners – but O’Brien does not put a great deal of emphasis on the berths assigned to his runners in the premier Classic, a position he can take from experience having enjoyed eight triumphs as the most successful trainer in Derby history.
“The lads will make up their minds what they want to do out of each of the stalls and the draws are what they are. That is the way we always look at the draws,” he said.
“We don’t ever think too much about the draws to tell you the truth because it is all about where the pace is going to be and how it is going to work out and if your horse comes out well or if it doesn’t come out. It is all split-second stuff. You could end up thinking you have a bad draw but end up with a very good position.
“We are like everybody else as we don’t know what will happen as it is their first time on the track and that ground and over that trip. Epsom is the ultimate test of a three year old, both mentally and physically.
“Epsom is straight up the hill at the start and it gives every horse the chance to get in a position really.
“They seem to be in good form and we think they all have chances and everything has gone well since their last runs. We are happy with how all three are going into the race.”
Auguste Rodin has long been at the head of the market, a position that has not changed even with his defeat in the 2000 Guineas.
O’Brien added: “I don’t really (feel any extra pressure with Auguste Rodin). We are like everybody else as we don’t know what will happen as it is their first time on the track and that ground and over that trip. Epsom is the ultimate test of a three-year-old, both mentally and physically.”
Lewis Hamilton has admitted that Mercedes’ upgrade is “definitely not the step forward” he was hoping for ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix.
The seven-time world champion said after May’s Miami Grand Prix he was “counting down the days” for the upgrade he hoped would propel him back to the front, and he was given his first taste of Mercedes’ revamped machine at last weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix.
Hamilton qualified sixth in Monte Carlo before making up two places in the rain-hit race. Team-mate George Russell finished one spot behind Hamilton in fifth, while Max Verstappen raced to his fourth win of the season.
The Monte Carlo layout has been among Mercedes’ worst tracks and Sunday’s race here at the Circuit de Catalunya on the outskirts of Barcelona is set to represent a truer reflection of the team’s outright speed.
But addressing Mercedes’ upgrade on the eve of the seventh round, Hamilton said: “It is definitely not the step forward that we were hoping for.
“The true step forward we were hoping for was to [overturn] a one-second delta [to Red Bull] in race trim, and we have not covered that with this step.
“When you bring upgrades, naturally you should be progressing forwards, and the fact is that it is an improvement, but it just not the improvement we had dreamed of.
“It is one step at a time. I don’t feel negative towards it, I am grateful we have it, and I understand how much work has gone into making these parts, the rush that has gone on, and the amount of flat-out work by the team.
“We are hugely hungry to move in the right direction so I would say that I am just hopeful that it puts us on a better track.
“We have taken account of where we are, where we have gone wrong, and now we are slowly chipping away and navigating our way back to the front but unfortunately it is just a long process.”
Hamilton finished 39 seconds behind Verstappen on Sunday as the Dutchman extended his championship lead over team-mate Sergio Perez to 39 points.
Red Bull have won 16 of the last 17 grands prix, with Verstappen firmly on course to secure his third world title in as many years.
And Verstappen said his team – which has dominated the sport since a major overhaul of the regulations at the beginning of last season – has the speed to win all 22 races.
“I would say at the moment, that we can,” said Verstappen. “But that’s very unlikely to happen.
“There are always things that go wrong, a retirement or whatever. But purely on pace at the moment we can.
“We have always seen dominant periods in Formula One and this is nothing new. If we look back at the 80s, the 90s, the 2000s, early 2010s to all the way until 2020, it’s pure dominance of certain teams.
“The longer you leave the regulations the same, the closer people will get. So maybe this is something we need to look at.”
Not many Flat races are won by 22 lengths, and even fewer when they are Classic trials. So Aidan O’Brien can be forgiven for saying Betfred Oaks favourite Savethelastdance’s performance at Chester was a little unusual.
Well beaten on her only outing at two, the Galileo filly arrived on the Roodee on the back of a Leopardstown maiden win at odds of 20-1.
But she will never be close to resembling that price again. Sent off odds-on in an admittedly below-standard renewal, there was nothing below-standard about her display as despite being niggled along early, she took off just after halfway and pulled further and further clear.
“I’m not sure you can ever be confident, you’re always hopeful,” said O’Brien, who is bidding for a fourth straight win in the Classic and 11th overall.
“It’s a different track, it will be different ground, so for everyone it will be interesting and we’ll learn a lot. That is why we all go racing and we’ll be watching like everyone else.
“I think it’s going to be very exciting to see what does happen when she has all those different things to contend with, but what she has done so far looks a little bit different.
“When you go up in distance lots of different things can happen. We’ve won the Oaks with fillies who have never run over anything near the Oaks trip before, so lots of different stuff can happen, there’s a lot of quality fillies in there so it will be exciting for everyone to see who comes out on top on the day.
“We started her this year in a very good maiden at Leopardstown that usually good fillies come out of and she won and I suppose everything has gone very well since.”
Reacting to her wide-margin win in the Cheshire Oaks, O’Brien said: “Her Chester run was very unusual. Usually when you see those things it can be an optical illusion as it can be a case of the rest stopping rather than one quickening up, but the times said she was quickening, which is unusual in a strongly-run race.”
While some have questioned Savethelastdance’s ability to handle good ground as well as she goes through soft, her trainer feels she should even improve for it.
“Most by Galileo we’ve had want better ground, they wouldn’t want it soft at all, and with Scat Daddy on the dam’s side you’d say absolutely she should want better ground, so it will be interesting to see. If you looked at her pedigree you’d say she wouldn’t want it soft, but she does bend her knee a little,” said O’Brien.
“She hasn’t done an awful lot of work since, she doesn’t need much as she’s a very clear-winded filly, so she’s just been cantering away and seems very happy.”
O’Brien also runs Red Riding Hood and Be Happy, both outsiders.
The only other trainer since 2014 to have won the Oaks is John Gosden and, now sharing the licence with son Thady, he looks the main threat again with Pretty Polly winner Running Lion and Musidora scorer Soul Sister.
“The fillies won their trials with authority – a Listed and a Group Three – and they very much belong in the race. Both fillies have a lot of speed, and stamina wise you never really know until you go the mile and a half,” said Gosden senior.
“They are both really bred to be mile-and-a-quarter fillies and the last bit you just don’t know, but you can’t practise it at home.”
Soul Sister’s jockey Frankie Dettori, riding in his last Oaks, which is part of the Qipco British Champions Series, said: “John kept on believing in Soul Sister.
“When she ran at Newbury the ground was heavy and John’s horses weren’t running well at the time, but she took me by surprise at York. She travelled, she quickened twice, and she clocked a very good time.
“I was impressed. She has to go an extra two furlongs but all the signs are good.”
Charlie Appleby and Godolphin took the decision to supplement Lingfield Oaks Trial winner Eternal Hope.
“Eternal Hope has done well since Lingfield. We have a nice draw down in stall five, which will hopefully help William (Buick) get into a decent position and allow the filly to run her best,” Appleby told the Godolphin website.
“She’s a filly who started her career in a Wolverhampton novice in February and all she has done is improve ever since. She’s stepped up and improved week on week. Physically, she’s got better all the time.
“She’s a trial winner, at a track that tests a horse’s ability to handle sharp bends, and she acquitted herself very well. It is seen as a test for Epsom, which shouldn’t pose any problem for her.
“As can sometimes be the case, the Oaks field will contain several who are unexposed and Eternal Hope comes into that category, even though she won a trial.
“She travelled very well at Lingfield and finished off her race strongly. She put herself into the Oaks picture as a strong contender with that performance.”
Jack Channon’s Caernarfon finished fourth in the Guineas and the trainer hopes the extra distance will bring about improvement.
“Every time we have stepped her up in grade, she has risen to it,” he said.
“We will be taking on well-touted fillies who have done very well in their Oaks trials, but they have got to step up in class and we’ve already been and proven that we can sort of mix it at that sort of level. We just hope that the extra distance will elevate her a couple of places.”
Heartache Tonight is trained in the UK but has run only in France to date for David Menuisier, shaping well in a Group One last time out.
“I think the step up in trip will definitely suit, she’s pretty much guaranteed to stay,” he said.
“Whether she will handle the track or not, we don’t know, but the same applies to all and let’s hope the ground is not too quick. She’s quite lanky and unfurnished still, so I would rather her not to run on too quick ground as we speak.
“Until we try we don’t really know, but the ground in the Cleopatre was near enough good that day and Cristian (Demuro) has always felt she wouldn’t be ground dependent, as long as it is not rattling. I’m happy to try.”
Andy Murray will return to action next week at the Lexus Surbiton Trophy.
As expected, having skipped the French Open to focus on his Wimbledon preparations, the former world number one has taken a wild card into the Challenger event.
Murray played the second-tier tournament, which always attracts a strong field, last year for the first time since 2004, losing in the semi-finals to Denis Kudla.
Murray said: “The LTA’s Lexus Surbiton Trophy is a great way for me to start my grass-court season. It’s nice to play somewhere that has the feel of a traditional club and I’m hoping to get some good matches and practice in there during the week in front of the British fans.”
Dan Evans is a more surprise inclusion having said following his first-round defeat in Paris to Thanasi Kokkinakis that he would not be seeking a Surbiton wild card.
Evans will also headline the Challenger event in Nottingham the following week, when Murray is more likely to play at the ATP tournament in Stuttgart, where he reached the final last year.
Venus Williams, meanwhile, will make her return to the Rothesay Classic in Birmingham having played there for the first time in 2019.
The 42-year-old has not played a tournament since January but is giving the grass another go and will return to action in the Netherlands at the Libema Open beginning on June 12.
Amo Racing will launch a two-pronged assault on the Nyetimber Surrey Stakes at Epsom on Friday, with both Olivia Maralda and Magical Sunset donning the purple silks of Kia Joorabchian’s racing operation.
Both fillies are returning to seven furlongs having raced either side of that distance most recently and it is Olivia Maralda who appears to have the best chance of scooping black type in this Listed event.
The daughter of Kodiac rarely disappointed when trained by Michael O’Callaghan last term, with some of her highlights including a successful raid on Newbury and chasing home Aidan O’Brien’s Meditate in the Group Two Debutante Stakes.
Switched to Roger Varian in the close season, she was upped to a mile for her return in the 1000 Guineas, acquitting herself well before fading in the testing conditions at Newmarket inside the final furlong.
Now the filly returns to the distance some of her best outings have come at in search of a first victory in Pattern company.
“I thought Olivia Maralda ran a fantastic race in the 1000 Guineas,” said Tom Pennington, racing and operations manager for Amo Racing.
“She looked nailed on for fourth until the final furlong and then in that ground it just sapped it out of her.
“Dropping back to seven furlongs will suit and she goes there in good form.”
Meanwhile, Richard Hannon’s Magical Sunset was a Listed winner at Newbury in heavy ground as a juvenile and was sent off favourite at the Berkshire venue for the Fred Darling on her seasonal bow.
Dropped back to six furlongs at Ascot following a fifth in that 1000 Guineas trial, she was seen doing her best work late which has prompted a swift return to further.
“We came away from Newbury and the Fred Darling a little disappointed and then we dropped her back in trip to six furlongs for the Commonwealth Cup trial,” continued Pennington. “All she did at Ascot was stay on and run like she was screaming out for further.
“Royal Ascot will be her target and we’ll look at something like the Sandringham. This is a stepping stone for that, but she’s a very nice filly.
“These are two very nice fillies and they go there with live chances but I think Andrew Balding’s Holguin is the one to beat, he has some good form in the book. However, they are both good fillies and should run nice races.”
The consistent Holguin heads the bookmakers lists on the back of two neck seconds so far this season.
The Kingsclere representative was just touched off by Ralph Beckett’s Angel Bleu in a Haydock Listed event most recently and is a worthy market leader.
Meanwhile, the Nick Bradley Racing-owned Secret Angel is another filly in the line-up bringing top form to the table.
The Karl Burke-trained daughter of Dark Angel was a Deauville Listed winner last term and has performed with credit in two outings so far this season, finishing third in the Nell Gwyn before fourth to Sacred when taking on her elders at Lingfield.
“There was a case to run her in a Group Two in France against three-year-old fillies, but I just thought this race was small on numbers and although I’m not sure we’ll beat Holguin, I think she will will run well,” said Nick Bradley, managing director of Nick Bradley Racing.
“I think the track will suit, the trip will suit and I’m going to watch all the previous Woodcote and Surrey Stakes, but stall one, I think I would have chosen stall one right now.
“She is in good form at home and last time out at Lingfield I kind of felt we were running against the all-weather specialists and a couple of really classy fillies who are effectively Group One horses in Sandrine and Sacred.
“It’s a drop down in class, I think she will run a big race and I will be disappointed if she wasn’t first or second.”
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