Harry Cobden expects Rubaud to prove difficult to beat in Saturday’s West Country Weekend Elite Hurdle at Wincanton.
The Paul Nicholls-trained five-year-old had a progressive profile last season, which ended with him winning the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr.
He showed there could be more to come this term when winning first time out in Listed company at Kempton last month, when connections expected him to need the run, and Cobden feels that bar Constitution Hill, Rubaud could take some stopping on his side of the Irish Sea.
“Rubaud is in good form after winning at Kempton the other day. The handicapper put him up 9lb for that, but you would want a good one to get by him here I would say,” said Cobden.
“He was impressive when he won the Scottish Champion Hurdle last season, but he was only running off a mark of 135 then. Now he is up to 150 and hopefully he can run up to that mark.
“I can’t think of too many horses in this country that would beat him in this division in Britain apart from Constitution Hill.
“He would struggle to lay a glove on Constitution Hill, but someone has got to win these races and we might as well keep him in this division and win as much as we can.”
Cobden went on: “He needed his first run as he hadn’t been away for a gallop. The runner-up at Kempton (Too Friendly) was race-fit and Rubaud was fresh.
“He can take a chance at his hurdles and the only thing I would say about his Kempton run was that he was bit low at the odd one, but he got away with it.
“That run will have taken the gas out of him and he is a horse that really wants it and he will stick his head out for you. He has got a nice way of galloping, and he has a nice low head carriage.”
LeBron James believes he would have become one of the all-time NBA greats regardless of his spell with the Miami Heat.
James spent four years with the Heat between 2010 and 2014.
During that time, he became a two-time NBA champion, two-time league MVP and two-time Finals MVP.
The 38-year-old credits his time in Miami with introducing him to a new culture, but he feels he would have been the same player regardless.
"I think I would still be at this level no matter if I would've came here or not," James told ESPN ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers' clash with the Heat on Monday.
"Let's not get it twisted. The four years I was here, it was amazing. I loved everything about it. Loved this franchise, this franchise is top tier, it's one of the best franchises in the world.
"But as far as my career, my career was going to be my career as far as individually, because I know how much I put into the game and I know how much I strived to be as great as I can be. [But] as far as what I was able to learn here was second to none, that's for sure.
"I came here for one reason and one reason only, and that was to win championships. That was my only goal. That was the only reason I teamed up with [Dwyane] Wade and [Chris] Bosh.
"Because I felt like I couldn't do it in Cleveland. So I had an opportunity to be a free agent so I did what I thought was best, not only for my career but for me at that point in time."
So, what did James learn in south Florida?
"It was a culture change for me," James said. "People talk about 'Heat Culture'. It was a culture change, period.
"I was changing everything about my life for the first time in my life. To be able to be here and be able to learn and be alongside D-Wade, UD [Udonis Haslem] and Spo [Erik Spoelstra], those guys who had won it already, it definitely was great to be a part of, for sure."
James scored a game-high 30 points on Monday against the Heat, but he could not guide the Lakers to victory, with Bam Adebayo's triple-double and Jimmy Butler's 28 helping Miami win 108-107.
Calle Jarnkrok's goal 46 seconds into overtime capped a furious rally for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who overcame an early three-goal deficit to hand the Tampa Bay Lightning a 6-5 loss on Monday.
Both Jarnkrok and Auston Matthews scored two goals for Toronto, which trailed by a 4-1 margin after one period and bounced back after allowing Tampa Bay's Brandon Hagel to tie the game late in the third. Matthews added an assist, while Mitchell Marner finished with four points on a goal and three assists.
After the Leafs' Matthew Knies recorded the game's first goal, the Lightning struck four times against Toronto starting goaltender Ilya Samsonov before the first intermission. Nikita Kucherov scored twice with Victor Hedman and Brayden Point also beating Samsonov to stake Tampa Bay to a 4-1 lead.
Toronto cut its deficit to one on two second-period goals by Matthews, then took a 5-4 advantage when Jarnkrok and Marner scored just eight seconds apart early in the third. The lead lasted late into regulation before Hagel found the back of the net with 2:26 left in regulation.
Joseph Woll stopped 18 of 19 shots in relief of Samsonov, who was pulled late in the first period after allowing four goals on 12 shots. Jonas Johansson made 26 saves for Tampa Bay.
Two rookies get first NHL goals in Bruins' win
John Beecher and Mason Lohrei each scored the first goals of their NHL careers to help the Boston Bruins continue their sizzling start with Monday's 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars.
Brad Marchand added a goal and Jeremy Swayman made 35 saves as the Bruins improved to 10-1-1 and bounced back from their first regulation loss of the season, a 5-4 defeat at Detroit on Saturday.
Beecher opened the scoring just past the midway mark of the first period and Lohrei made it 2-0 less than four minutes later when he converted a feed from Danton Heinen past Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger.
Swayman kept the Stars off the scoreboard until Wyatt Johnson's goal 5:09 into the third period. Marchand later scored on the power play to restore Boston's two-goal advantage before Dallas' Joe Pavelski cut the lead to 3-2 with just 28 seconds remaining.
Oettinger finished with 26 saves for the Stars, who have now lost two straight following a 7-1-1 start to the season.
Canucks rout sputtering Oilers to extend win streak
Quinn Hughes had one of three Vancouver goals in the first period and added three assists as the Canucks rolled to a 6-2 victory over the slumping Edmonton Oilers to extend their winning streak to four games.
Hughes, Pius Suter and Brock Boeser scored within a span of 3:22 in the opening period to help surprising Vancouver move to 9-2-1 on the season. The Canucks have missed the playoffs in each of the previous three seasons.
Boeser finished with two goals and J.T. Miller had a goal and an assist to support a 40-save performance from Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko.
Mattias Ekholm scored on a power play to give Edmonton a short-lived 1-0 lead less than seven minutes in. Following Vancouver's three-goal barrage later in the period, Leon Draisaitl got the Oilers within 3-2 in the second before Nils Hoglander restored the Canucks' two-goal advantage with just over nine minutes remaining before the second intermission.
Stuart Skinner recorded 30 saves for Edmonton, which has now lost three straight and fell to 2-8-1.
Sport England has announced a £250million expansion of a scheme designed to bring investment into local communities.
The investment extends the Place Partnerships programme which aims to break down barriers to ensure people in the greatest need are able to be physically active.
Sport England chief executive Tim Hollingsworth and Sports Minister Stuart Andrew announced the investment – funded by the Government and National Lottery – at Waterside Leisure Centre on Canvey Island, one of the places which will benefit from the scheme.
Mr Hollingsworth said: “Access to sport and physical activity in England is still not close to being a level playing field.
“Where a person lives and the environment around them has a huge impact on how likely they are to be physically active. Too often, people in low-income communities don’t have access to the same facilities or opportunities as wealthier areas.”
He continued: “This is manifestly unfair – and must be addressed as a real priority. That is why our expanded Place Partnership programme will unashamedly see us target our resources and efforts on communities that need the greatest levels of support and experience the greatest levels of inequality.
“We will invest most in those that need it most so that everyone has an equal chance to access the very real benefits of playing sport and be physically active.”
Of the £250million over the next five years, £190million will be focused on an additional 80-100 places which have the greatest need.
An additional £35million will go to strengthen work with existing partnerships with a further £25million creating key tools and resources to ensure every area of England can access support.
A statement from Sport England said: “We’ll target the greatest resource to areas with highest inactivity levels and other social need indicators.
“This is where this commitment can have the biggest impact on our key outcomes.
“Our targeted investment is on top of our universal place-based support, and over the coming months we’ll be developing and expanding this offer that includes leadership development, the transfer of learning and access to resources, advice and guidance for partners.”
Willie Mullins was not ruling out a future bid for Lexus Melbourne Cup glory after watching his favourite Vauban disappoint in the Flemington highlight.
The Irish handler rated Vauban and stablemate Absurde as his best ever chance in the two-mile contest, but while the latter horse performed with credit in seventh, Vauban trailed home 14th in the hands of Ryan Moore.
The five-year-old, who is a multiple Grade One winner over hurdles, carried plenty of confidence into the race having registered a wide-margin win over Absurde at Royal Ascot before following up in a Group Three at Naas in August.
Ryan Moore appeared to have a good position on Vauban but he faded in the straight to be beaten over 13 lengths by winner Without A Fight.
“I thought Vauban was a little disappointing all round. He was beaten too far out for my liking,” Mullins told www.racing.com.
“When I saw him six furlongs out with Ryan having to give him a little niggle, I thought, ‘that’s too far out for him to be niggling him’. He just flattened out and ran very disappointing.
“But there we are. That’s the nature of this game.”
Moore said: “Obviously a disappointing run from him. Maybe he didn’t fire today, the winner was very good, and we didn’t get home today unfortunately.”
Ebor winner Absurde was well supported before the start and posted a fine effort for jockey Zac Purton, hitting the front with two furlongs to run before fading in the closing stages.
Mullins said “I thought Absurde ran a cracker. He was in a position to win at one stage coming up the straight but didn’t see it out.”
Purton added: “He travelled nicely, he presented at the right time, he just didn’t run through the line. Anyway, he ran well, but not what we wanted.”
Vauban has not won over hurdles since the 2022 Punchestown Festival but placed three times at the highest level last term, while Absurde has won one of his two runs over obstacles and Mullins will take stock before deciding on a return to the National Hunt sphere.
He said: “We will bring them back, see how they are. They are dual-purpose horses. If either of them had won they wouldn’t have jumped a hurdle again.”
Mullins has won virtually every major prize in jumps racing but his multiple Australian raids have ended in disappointment, with Max Dynamite his best performer having finished second in 2015 and third in 2017 in the colours of Vauban’s owners Susannah and Rich Ricci.
Despite leaving empty handed again, Mullins would be eager to run if the right candidate comes along.
“It’s a great prize, it’s a great day, great occasion,” he said.
“If we get one good enough, we will try again.”
James Harden's anticipated first game as a Los Angeles Clipper ended in a loss, as the New York Knicks spoiled the former NBA MVP's debut with his new team with Monday's 111-97 win.
Julius Randle had 27 points and 10 rebounds and RJ Barrett added 26 points in his return from injury as the Knicks handed the star-studded Clippers their second straight defeat following a 3-1 start to the season.
Harden took the court for the first time since being traded to Los Angeles by the Philadelphia 76ers last week. The 10-time All-Star had 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting along with six assists as a part of a starting lineup that included three other accomplished veterans in Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook.
The dynamic guard scored five straight points late in the third quarter to give the Clippers a 76-73 lead, but the Knicks countered with a 16-3 run to take an 89-79 advantage with under 9 1/2 minutes left and never trailed thereafter.
Barrett scored 11 points in the fourth quarter after missing New York's previous two games with a sore left knee, while Mitchell Robinson finished with 13 points and 15 rebounds to help the Knicks snap a two-game losing streak.
Edwards sparks overtime win as Wolves hand Celtics first loss
Anthony Edwards scored eight of his 38 points in overtime as the Minnesota TImberwolves handed the Boston Celtics their first loss of the season with a 114-109 victory.
Edwards added nine rebounds and seven assists to help Minnesota overcome an off night from fellow star player Karl-Anthony Towns, who managed just seven points in 28 minutes before fouling out in overtime.
Jaden McDaniels hit a game-tying 3-pointer late in regulation and finished with 20 points for Minnesota, which also received 14 points and 12 rebounds from Rudy Gobert en route to its third straight win.
Boston entered the game as the NBA's lone remaining unbeaten team following a 5-0 start. The Celtics got 32 points and five steals from Jayson Tatum and 26 points from Jaylen Brown, but shot just 28.2 per cent from 3-point range as well as a season-low 39.1 per cent overall.
The Celtics held a 105-103 lead after Tatum hit two free throws with 3:56 left in overtime, but Minnesota's Mike Conley buried a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession before Edwards capped a pivotal 9-0 run with three consecutive baskets that put the Timberwolves up for good at 112-105 with 1:30 remaining in the extra session.
Adebayo's triple-double propels Heat past Lakers
Bam Adebayo delivered a massive performance with 22 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists, and the Miami Heat overcame a late scoring drought to hold on for a 108-107 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Adebayo became the first Heat player to record a triple-double with at least 20 rebounds, and Miami received 28 points from Jimmy Butler and 22 from Tyler Herro to record its second straight win following a four-game losing streak.
The Heat prevailed despite nearly blowing a 10-point lead with four minutes to play and not making a field goal over the final 4:15 of the contest.
The Lakers scored the game's final nine points and had a chance to win in the final seconds, but Cam Reddish was off the mark with a jumper and Butler grabbed the rebound right before time expired.
LeBron James finished with 30 points on 13-of-23 points to pace the Lakers, while Austin Reaves just missed a triple-double after compiling 23 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.
Los Angeles has now dropped the first two outings of its current four-game road trip and played the entire fourth quarter without star forward Anthony Davis, who sustained a groin spasm during the game and was limited to nine points in 25 minutes.
David Haye became the WBA heavyweight champion with victory over Nikolai Valuev on this day in 2009.
Haye took victory with a majority points decision in Nuremberg, winning the fight on two judges’ scorecards, with the other scoring it even.
The then 29-year-old took the win despite being seven stone lighter than the 7ft ‘Beast from the East’, who had gained the WBA title for a second time with victory over John Ruiz a little over a year earlier.
Haye’s superior speed showed over his 36-year-old opponent and he became the first Briton to hold a world heavyweight crown since Lennox Lewis retired in 2003.
“It’s a dream come true,” said Haye, who followed Evander Holyfield to become only the second former cruiserweight king to win a portion of the heavyweight crown.
“From when I was a baby, I said I would be the heavyweight world champion.
“I’ve fought the biggest heavyweight champion and caught him with big shots.
“I made him look like an amateur. People doubted my skills, but I did enough to win.”
Remarkably, Haye managed to delight a sizeable British contingent in a 10,000 crowd at the Nuremberg Arena with a suspected broken right hand, which trainer Adam Booth said gave way in the third round.
Haye seemed to tire in the seventh round but he hurt Valuev in the eighth with a huge body shot and almost floored his opponent with yet another vicious left-right combination in the final round.
Haye, who was awarded the fight 116-112, 116-112, 114-114, became only the third Briton to win a world heavyweight title since Bob Fitzsimmons lost his crown to James J Jeffries in 1899.
He promised to “clean up the division” but, after making successful WBA title defences against John Ruiz and Audley Harrison, he lost a unanimous points decision to Wladimir Klitschko in their unification showdown in July 2011.
The Los Angeles Chargers cruised past the New York Jets 27-6 to record their fourth win of the season.
Monday night’s game also saw the Chargers’ Keenan Allen hit a significant career milestone, becoming the 54th player in NFL history to reach 10,000 career receiving yards.
The first touchdown of the night came thanks to an 87-yard punt return from Los Angeles’ Derius Davis in the first quarter.
The Jets responded by fumbling the ball on their next two drives.
It was the second fumble, a strip-sack by Chargers linebacker Joey Bosa against Jets quarterback Zach Wilson, that helped set up a one-yard touchdown run by linebacker Austin Ekeler, giving the Chargers an early taste of victory in the second quarter.
The Jets finally scored through kicker Greg Zuerlein’s 47-yard field goal with just six minutes left until half-time.
Any joy for New York was short-lived with the Chargers regaining their 14-point lead thanks to kicker Cameron Dicker, who managed to convert a 55-yard field goal on the final play of the half.
The teams traded field goals throughout the second half before Ekeler ran it home for the Chargers with another touchdown in the dying minutes of the game.
Without A Fight stormed home to complete a big-race double in the Lexus Melbourne Cup at Flemington.
The Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained runner won the Caulfield Cup on his previous run and followed up in style under Mark Zahra in the two-mile Group One.
Previously trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, Without A Fight finished 13th in the Melbourne Cup last year, but 12 months on, he was a clear-cut victor.
Iga Swiatek took less than an hour to regain her world number one spot after sweeping aside Jessica Pegula 6-1 6-0 in the final of the WTA Finals in Cancun.
The 22-year-old Pole proved far too strong for the fifth-seeded Pegula in a final held over to Monday due to persistent bad weather during the tournament.
Pegula had started solidly on her own serve but swiftly unravelled, as Swiatek ruthlessly punished her American opponent’s errors to break twice in succession then serve out to love to take the opening set.
Further unforced errors gifted Swiatek the opening game of the second set and by the time Pegula was broken again – this time to love – to fall 3-0 behind, her body language already indicated the tie was all but over.
Pegula fashioned her first and only break point of the match when Swiatek served for the title at 5-0, but hit a backhand into the net and the Pole duly served to take the title with 59 minutes on the clock.
Her victory sealed a sixth WTA title of the year for Swiatek, who also won her third French Open, while Pegula will end a year that saw her reach two grand slam quarter-finals ranked fifth.
It concluded a troubled tournament which drew criticism from the eight leading women players for its problematic build-up, with the temporary venue only completed with one day to spare.
The Chicago Cubs still had a manager under contract, but that didn't stop the club from firing him and hiring one of MLB's top managers in a surprise move.
The Cubs fired David Ross on Monday and hired Craig Counsell away from their NL Central rival Milwaukee Brewers.
To lure Counsell away from the Brewers, the Cubs emptied their wallets, making the 53-year-old the highest-paid manager in MLB history, signing him to a five-year, $40million contract.
"On behalf of the Cubs organization, we express our deep gratitude for David's contributions to our club, both on and off the field," President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer said in a release. "First as a player and then as a manager, David continually showcased his ability to lead. David’s legacy will be felt in Chicago for generations and his impact to our organization will stack up with the legends that came before him.
"Going forward, our major league team will be managed by Craig Counsell. We look forward to welcoming Craig at Wrigley Field early next week."
Counsell spent the last nine seasons managing Milwaukee, leading the franchise to five play-off berths. Prior to Counsell's arrival in Milwaukee during the 2015 season, the Brewers made a total of four play-off appearances.
The Brewers only won play-off series under Counsell, but many experts believe he is one of the smarter managers in baseball and was able to accomplish more with less for a small-market team that didn't spend a lot of money.
His contract expired at the end of this past season, and he became one of the biggest free-agent managers in recent years.
Counsell led the Brewers to three NL Central titles and went 707-625 as Milwaukee's manager, establishing franchise records for wins and games managed.
The 46-year-old Ross went 262-284 in four seasons with Chicago.
Beloved in Chicago as a member of the Cubs' 2016 World Series championship team, Ross took over as manager following the departure of Joe Maddon.
In his first season at the helm in 2020, the Cubs won the NL Central, but that marked their only play-off appearance under Ross. Chicago overachieved for much of this past season and was in position to make the playoffs before collapsing over the final few weeks.
The Brewers went on to win the 2023 NL Central title, and following the season, Counsell interviewed for the open managerial position with the Cleveland Guardians and was also being pursued by the New York Mets.
Both of those teams ended up naming new managers earlier Monday.
The Guardians hired former catcher Stephen Vogt to replace Terry Francona, while the Mets named Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza to take over for the fired Buck Showalter.
Mendoza, who turns 44 this month, spent the past four seasons as a bench coach with the Yankees and has never managed above Class A in the minors.
He becomes the fifth Mets manager since the start of the 2018 season, and takes over a club that finished fourth in the NL East in 2023 at 75-87 - 29 games behind the division-winning Atlanta Braves.
Vogt was the Seattle Mariners bullpen coach last season and has no managerial experience.
A two-time All-Star, the 39-year-old Vogt played for six teams over a 10-year MLB career before retiring in 2022.
The Guardians finished third in the AL Central in 2023, but won four division titles and made the play-offs six times during Francona's 11 years as the franchise's manager.
New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones has been ruled out for the rest of the season after sustaining a torn ACL in his right knee.
Jones was injured late in the first quarter of 30-6 loss to Las Vegas on Sunday and the NFL club confirmed the diagnosis following an MRI scan.
The news came as a further blow to the Giants, whose latest defeat left them languishing on a 2-7 record after making the play-offs last season.
Undrafted rookie Tommy DeVito finished the game against Las Vegas but Giants head coach Brian Daboll would not be drawn on immediate plans for a replacement.
Veteran Matt Barkley is another short-term option in the quarterback position having signed to the Giants practice squad at the end of last month.
The New York Giants will be without Daniel Jones for the remainder of the season after the starting quarterback tore his right ACL in Sunday’s 30-6 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Jones was making his first appearance Sunday since sustaining a neck injury in Week 5 and missing three games, but the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft left early in the second quarter after his knee buckled as he dropped back to pass.
Jones, who signed a four-year, $160million contract extension in March, struggled this season with a career-low 70.5 passer rating. After throwing five interceptions in 16 games last season, Jones had six INTs in six contests this year while tossing just two touchdown passes.
The Giants (2-7) are currently down to undrafted rookie Tommy DeVito and practice squad quarterback Matt Barkley with backup Tyrod Taylor on injured reserve and out at least the next three games.
New York visits the Dallas Cowboys (5-3) in Week 10.
Lion’s Pride landed the Racing TV Floodlit Stakes at Kempton to deny Charlie Appleby and William Buick a treble on the card.
Having already struck with English Rose and Royal Power earlier in the afternoon, the Godolphin team looked well placed to make it a hat-trick in the Listed feature, with Measured Time the 4-9 favourite to extend his unbeaten record to four.
But while the son of Frankel had impressed twice previously at the track before completing his hat-trick with a dominant handicap success at Newmarket, this mile and a half contest represented a rise in class and distance for Measured Time and he ultimately came up short.
John and Thady Gosden’s Lion’s Pride had beaten his high-class stablemate Middle Earth in a novice event at Kempton in July before finishing third in Listed events at Windsor and Newmarket.
The 100-30 shot quickened clear of Measured Time halfway up the straight and was always holding him thereafter, with two and a quarter lengths separating them at the line.
“They went a solid pace without going overly quick and coming off the bend he quickened up twice pretty well there and put the race to bed,” Thady Gosden told Racing TV.
“It was a solid race on paper, but he’s a horse we’ve always liked and has always had plenty of talent.
“He should do it back on turf. He’s a horse with a good, low action and he likes top of the ground, so hopefully we can find some of that.
“We’ll discuss everything with Mr Oppenheimer (owner), but there’s options here for him and also options abroad, so we’ll see what suits him best.”
Less than 48 hours after giving Master Of The Seas a sensational ride to secure a last-gap victory in an epic renewal of the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita on Saturday, Buick was back in action on home soil for a strong book of five rides.
English Rose, who made a winning debut at Newmarket in May, made a successful return from six months on the sidelines in the Racing TV/British EBF Fillies’ Novice Stakes, travelling strongly throughout and passing the post with two and a half lengths in hand over Torchlight as the 10-11 favourite.
Appleby and Buick swiftly doubled up, with 5-4 market leader Royal Power stepping up on a fifth placed debut at the track three weeks ago to score by a length from Modern Times.
Kevin Philippart De Foy’s Max Mayhem (4-1 joint-favourite) gave weight and a beating to his rivals in the the £80,000 Racing TV London Middle Distance Series (Final) Handicap under Daniel Muscutt.
Denis O’Regan finally completed his quest to ride a winner at all UK and Irish National Hunt racecourses when successfully steering Fiveonefive to victory at Hereford.
The Irishman has tasted plenty of success on some of the sport’s biggest days – including Cheltenham Festival victories aboard the likes of Inglis Drever and Tidal Bay – but was winless from 28 attempts at Hereford prior to getting the leg-up aboard the 8-15 favourite in the Play Beat Sav At PlanetSportBet Novices’ Hurdle.
However, he broke his duck with a typically stylish ride. He cruised up aboard Cian Collins’ five-year-old rounding the bend for home and saw off Johnny Blue by a length and three-quarters.
It may not be the highest profile victory in O’Regan’s decorated career, but he was thrilled to complete one of his remaining ambitions on his return from injury.
“It’s lovely and it’s a personal achievement,” O’Regan told Sky Sports Racing.
“I have no idea if anyone has done it before or not, but it matters to me.
“I’m only back from injury yesterday, I had 14 weeks off and I have a couple of thanks to say to my physios and they were all very good helping me get back which was brilliant, and my boys and wife are at home watching so it’s great.
“It’s probably a huge achievement for myself, it’s took a lot of hard work and a lot of years riding in different places and different jobs.
“A lot of people supported me last year trying to get it and it didn’t quite work out. Gordon Elliot, Cian again, there were different trainers all helping me out.
“Today was a lucky day, I had a good feeling about it, and I’m delighted it has come off.”
Frankel will command a joint-record stud fee of £350,000 in 2024 following another successful campaign for his progeny this season.
The 15-year-old, who stands at Juddmonte’s Banstead Manor Stud in Newmarket, enjoyed more Classic success in 2023, with 2000 Guineas winner Chaldean and Oaks heroine Soul Sister featuring among 11 individual Group One victors.
Juddmonte International star Mostahdaf and Ascot Gold Cup ace Courage Mon Ami were also on that list, alongside Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf scorer Inspiral.
Frankel was again a big hit at this year’s leading auctions, siring the top two lots at Tattersalls’ October Yearling Sale, worth 2,000,000 and 1,600,000 guineas respectively, as well as the most expensive purchase at the Goffs Orby Sale in Ireland on €1.85 million.
Following a spectacular racing career which yielded 14 straight wins for Sir Henry Cecil, Frankel’s opening stud fee in 2013 was £125,000 and stayed at that level until a £50,000 rise in 2018.
That was upped again to £200,000 in 2022 and £275,000 last year, before joining Dubawi on his new mark for next term.
Having usurped his own sire Galileo to be the leading stallion in Great Britain and Ireland for 2021, he will regain that crown from Dubawi this year.
Juddmonte UK general manager Simon Mockridge said: “I think it’s fair to say that when he retired as the world’s highest-rated horse, with an unblemished record, he was always going to attract the very best mares.
“However, it is how he has used that opportunity that has been incredible – he’s elevated himself from an elite-level racehorse to a world-class stallion, and that doesn’t always happen.
“His success has been wonderful for racing and for British breeding; it is testament to owners like Prince Khalid (bin Abdullah) and Sheikh Mohammed for standing such fine horses in the UK and Ireland that we have been able to break the US domination that previously occurred.
“Frankel still has that public allure and is a great ambassador for racing – he’s also a wonderful horse to work with, he has a great character and an incredible relationship with his handler, Rob Bowley.”
Cody Dorman, who was closely associated with dual Breeders’ Cup winner Cody’s Wish, has died.
The teenager, who was born with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome – a rare genetic condition that meant he could not speak and was wheelchair-bound – had been a key part of the Cody’s Wish journey since Bill Mott’s five-year-old was a foal.
The pair first met when the Dorman family visited Gainsborough Farm Stud and the then foal, who would go on to be named Cody’s Wish, approached the wheelchair-bound Dorman and placed his head in his lap.
That was the beginning of an unbreakable bond which would last the duration of the Godolphin-owned colt’s racing career, with Dorman trackside for both of his big victories at the Breeders’ Cup.
Having witnessed Cody’s Wish bow out in style when bravely defending his Dirt Mile title at Santa Anita, Dorman died while travelling home from California to his family home in Kentucky.
A statement released to Godolphin by parents Kelly and Leslie Dorman, read: “We are heartbroken to share the news that our beloved Cody suffered a medical event on our trip home to Kentucky and he has passed away.
“On Saturday, Cody watched his best friend, Cody’s Wish, display his usual perseverance and toughness in winning a second Breeders’ Cup.
“Those are the same characteristics Cody has showed time and again for the 18 years we were blessed to have him.
“We have been completely amazed to experience the impact Cody has had on so many people, through the journey that this wondrous racehorse has taken us all on.
“From Churchill Downs to Keeneland, to Saratoga to Santa Anita this weekend, we could not move 20ft without someone stopping to tell us just that.
“With Cody’s diagnosis at birth, we always knew this day would come, but we were determined to help Cody live his best life for however long we had him.
“Anyone who has seen him at the racetrack, especially around Cody’s Wish, understands that in many ways he taught us all how to live, always keeping a positive attitude and being more concerned about those around him than himself.
“As people of faith, we are comforted in the knowledge that Cody has gone home. We pray that he watch over us all, especially Kylie, the best little sister in the world.
“We are sincerely grateful for all those who have shared this journey with Cody and our family. The joy that his interactions with Cody’s Wish have brought him the last five years is indescribable. We will rely on those memories to help us through an unimaginably difficult time.”
The Breeders’ Cup organisation were also keen to pay their respects and in a statement added: “The entire Breeders’ Cup team is devastated by the news of Cody Dorman’s passing yesterday.
“His story captured our hearts and minds, and his strength, spirit, and determination were fittingly embodied by his namesake’s commanding performances in his honour.
“We send our sincere condolences to the Dormans, who gave our sport so much by welcoming us into their family.”
Sparks Fly may not have won for the final time this year as the unstoppable filly takes aim at a Saint-Cloud return.
Trained by David Loughnane and owned and bred by Dave Lowe, the three-year-old has soared through the ranks this season since making her debut on the all-weather in January.
Synthetic surfaces clearly were not to her liking, but since switching to the turf she has been expertly guided by Loughnane to a superb run of eight victories – and she may not be done just yet.
Her one and only blip was a beaten effort in the Listed Lyric Stakes at York over a mile and two and a half furlongs, but connections still gained something from the experience as it highlighted that her ideal trip was a mile.
With that in mind she journeyed to France for the Prix Isola Bella, a Listed contest at Saint-Cloud in late October, and astonished all involved when bolting to totally unchallenged 12-length success under regular rider Laura Pearson.
The filly barely saw a rival as she cruised up the inside rail and gained black type in emphatic style, potentially booking herself in for a return to the same track for the Prix Tantieme later this month.
“It was an unbelievable moment actually, David was over in France and I was at home watching it,” said Lowe.
“It’s sort of disbelief, we couldn’t even get emotional, normally you’d be cheering your horse on but we were just flabbergasted. Where did that come from? Unbelievable.
“The commentator was joking that they’re going to nickname that rail the Sparks Fly rail.
“Laura gets on so well with her, it was a masterstroke from the start as she just came from that mid-draw and just went over to that rail. She knew she was going to angle that way but that wasn’t the intention, she thought she’d go down the middle of the track and if they hung that way, fair enough, but there’s no point fighting her – she likes getting her own way!”
Lowe and Loughnane make a successful partnership and the owner-breeder is quick to credit the trainer with producing her from a 59-rated maiden to a 102-rated Listed winner.
“He has brought her through really, really well,” said Lowe.
“That race in France was perfect for her, we found out more about her from the York race when she was disappointing.
“We always thought she would get more than a mile but it turns out a mile is the perfect distance for her and the perfect ground is basically bottomless. She will run on good, it’s not out of the question, but that’s the recipe for success by the look of it.
“She’s been on the go since January but she’s come out of the race really well, I dare say she’s never looked better. We’re looking at another run in Saint-Cloud again on the 17th of this month, we’ll enter up for that and if she’s telling us she wants to run again then she’ll run again and if she’s telling us she’s had enough then we’ll put her away.”
A winter break then beckons, after which Sparks Fly will return to training to for 2024 and may set her sights higher as a four-year-old.
Lowe said: “Dave has said to me that he thinks she’ll make an even better four-year-old, which is quite scary. He thinks we can definitely get a Group race with her next year with everything going our way.”
Lowe bred Sparks Fly from the mare Stepping Out, a three-time winner he owned in a partnership and took on when an injury ended her career, a shrewd move that has provided him with three winning offspring; Sparks Fly, Queen Mary third Caroline Dale and four-time winner Baby Steps.
“I only ended up with her by accident, she was a horse I was involved in with three other people and she got injured and the intention was to sell her,” the owner said of Stepping Out.
“I thought, ‘well I can’t just sell her if she’s injured. I don’t want anybody racing her again and causing more problems’, so I took her under my wing and sort of just fell into breeding but now she’s had three very successful foals.
“We thought we’d reached a peak with Caroline Dale coming third in the Queen Mary, but then this one comes along and just blows her away!”
Novak Djokovic could still win three majors next year but Gilles Simon reminded tennis fans the world number one is not "eternal" as he heads towards the end of his career.
Djokovic triumphed in three of the four majors in 2023, with September's US Open success taking him level with Margaret Court's record 24 grand slam triumphs.
Defeating Daniil Medvedev in the final, Djokovic – aged 36 years and 111 days – became the oldest winner of the men's singles title at the US Open, as well as winning a trio of majors in a year for the fourth time.
That saw him surpass Roger Federer – who won three grand slams in a year on three occasions.
Simon, though, warned that Djokovic cannot play on forever.
He told Stats Perform: "I think he can win some [majors, but] I think he's getting to an age where it is going to become difficult.
"Most of the observers want to believe that a player is eternal but none are more eternal than the others.
"I think he can win a lot next year; will he win one, two or three? Next year he can do one more big year, but I also think that it will be his last."
The 36-year-old Djokovic acknowledged the retirement speculation after his US Open victory, asking how long he can continue.
Simon likened the twilight of Djokovic's career to fellow great Federer, whose playing days were curtailed by injury and fitness issues.
"At one point like every player there's going to be a break, that was the case for Roger Federer, remember when he won in Australia at the age of 37 playing incredible tennis," Simon added.
"At Wimbledon, he could have won because he lost against Novak Djokovic on match point. Time never had a grip on him, he had never been injured, he played really well, and then all of a sudden he disappears."
Another of tennis' 'Big Three', Rafael Nadal has not played since January 18 at the Australian Open – again owing to injury problems as years of toiling on the court takes its toll on even the best.
"We have Rafael Nadal who we hope to see again next year, who got us accustomed to more traditional injuries, longer injuries and with doubts," Simon continued.
"Once again he wins the Australian Open, he wins at Roland Garros even with his history with his foot, he again has a semi-final at Wimbledon.
"We say no about Novak because he is more careful, but we said the same about Federer, he expends less energy, he has a more fluid game and technique, he preserved himself from injury.
"I think next year will be very interesting because it’s a year where he can again win, where he still has an advantage [ahead of the rest] but we saw him lose against [Carlos] Alcaraz at Wimbledon.
"I thought he would have more advantage on grass because of the experience he has compared to others and his game works so well on grass – but he is beatable."
Age has shown no sign of slowing Djokovic down yet after he lifted the Paris Masters trophy for a seventh time on Sunday, defeating Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets.
That victory marked his second hard-court ATP-1000 title of 2023, Djokovic managing multiple Masters titles in a single season for the ninth time in his career. Only Federer, having won multiple such events in a year six times in his time, can get near to that feat.
Yet Simon suggested 30 major triumphs may be out of Djokovic's reach due to the emergence of Alcaraz, who won at Wimbledon this year, and a gruelling schedule.
"He's so strong he knows how to prepare himself, but he can't do a series of tournaments," said the Frenchman, who won 14 career titles and reached a high of number six in the ATP rankings.
"If everything was going well he would be playing every week like when he was 25 years old, so that is what is missing.
"He looks after himself, ultra-professional and very strong. The US Open was important for him, I see him maybe doing one or two next year, but I am waiting to see for the next few years after that.
"I can't see him reaching 30 [majors] for example when Carlos Alcaraz could win two or three a year – I wish it for him but I don't see it like that."
The Rolex Paris Masters became the first Masters 1000 to broadcast its qualifying matches on Twitch, live on Rivenzi's channel.
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