Royal Ascot winner Burdett Road made an immediate impression on his hurdles bow with a clear-cut victory at Huntingdon.
Winner of the Golden Gates Stakes for Michael Bell in June, Burdett Road then tackled the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood before finishing third to Passenger in the Winter Hill Stakes.
Subsequently gelded and transferred to the care of James Owen by owners the Gredley Family, Burdett Road was sent off the 4-9 favourite in the Follow Us On Twitter @betrhino Juvenile Hurdle and he made short work of five rivals in the hands of Harry Cobden.
Though not foot perfect at the first attempt, Burdett Road galloped home 12 lengths clear of Palio and is a 33-1 chance with Paddy Power for the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
Cobden told Racing TV: “He’s a very good horse. He’s done a lot of things wrong there, but still won with his head in his chest.
“It probably wasn’t the world’s greatest juvenile hurdle, but just the manner he has gone around in the race – he was too keen, he’s a very good jumper and when he hit the front he danced away. He’s obviously got a good brain on him.
“I was confident, I knew there was one down my inside but I had so much horse left under me it wasn’t a problem. He’s definitely a Triumph Hurdle horse anyway, I’m confident of that. James has got a job to settle him down, manage him as well as we can.
“There’s an £80,000 juvenile hurdle at Cheltenham in just under two weeks and we were discussing whether to go for it or not – I’d say definitely run.
“The way he travelled through this race took the freshness off him, but he hasn’t had a race today. It’ll take a smart one to beat him.”
LeBron James urged the Los Angeles Lakers to improve as his injury-hit side were blasted away by the Orlando Magic, who were inspired by Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero.
The Lakers' seven-game winning streak against the Magic came to an abrupt end as Los Angeles were outclassed in a 120-101 road defeat on Saturday.
Wagner led the Orlando charge with 26 points, one more than the impressive Banchero, while rookie Anthony Black scored 10 on his first Magic start.
Hosts Orlando were without injured guards Markelle Fultz (knee) and Gary Harris (groin), yet it was Los Angeles' James who bemoaned fitness issues hampering his team.
"That's definitely been our trend – offensive rebounds and points off turnovers," said James, who finished with 24 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
"We'll do a good job of getting a stop and then an offensive rebound allows them to score.
"It definitely helps when you have bigger bodies. We have three of our bigger bodies out right now with injuries.
"It would help, but that's definitely one of the ways we have to look at to get better."
Anthony Davis was a rare bright spark, managing 28 points, 13 rebounds and seven blocks for the Lakers, who were without five injured players for the road game.
Los Angeles played without Rui Hachimura (concussion protocol), Taurean Prince (knee), Gabe Vincent (knee), Jalen Hood-Schifino (knee) and Jarred Vanderbilt (knee).
However, injuries were no excuse for Los Angeles coach Darvin Ham.
"They're down bodies, we're down bodies and so the game basically comes down to mental approach," added Ham. "Their energy, their effort, they outworked us."
Just five days after a 106-103 reverse in Los Angeles, Banchero suggested the victory shows his Magic side can compete with any side in NBA.
"We don't look at any other team and think we can't match up," said last season's NBA Rookie of the Year Banchero, who went on to laud the performance of Black.
"Plus-32 for my dawg right here. Plus-32 is nuts. He just stepped up right away."
Magic coach Jamahl Mosley echoed Banchero's sentiment on Black, adding: "He wasn't afraid. He embraces moments, and he's willing to make the easy play, the easy pass and the right decision."
Lookaway will return to Cheltenham for the Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle later this month having impressed at the track recently.
Neil King’s six-year-old was the winner of Aintree’s Grade Two bumper in 2022 and following a lacklustre start to life over hurdles last term, struck at Graded level for the second time when making all in the Sky Bet Novices’ Hurdle at Prestbury Park.
That was the perfect way to build on two successful outings over timber at Uttoxeter in the early part of summer and with a hurdling hat-trick secured, Lookaway will now head for the competitive handicap which headlines the final day of Cheltenham’s November meeting.
He is available at 11-1 for the race with the sponsors and his handler feels this is the ideal time to try his hand in deeper company.
“It was the perfect start to his season and we were obviously thrilled,” said King.
“We went there with high expectations and he couldn’t have done it any more nicely. Jack (Quinlan, jockey) has given him a nice positive ride from the front there, he’s jumped great, he’s travelled and won his race.
“The Greatwood is on the agenda. He’s gone up 10lb which one has to take on the chin. He could have gone up 5lb, 10lb or 15lb so we will take that there and that’s the definite next plan for him, to go back to Cheltenham for the Greatwood.
“He’s a young and improving horse and that’s the time to go for a handicap, isn’t it?”
Jayson Tatum found it "hard to process" the achievement of becoming the Boston Celtics' youngest player to 10,000 points in NBA history after Saturday's win over the Brooklyn Nets.
Tatum was one of five Boston players to finish with double-figure scores as the Celtics improved to 5-0 for the new season with a 124-114 win over the Nets.
Victory marked a memorable outing for 25-year-old Tatum, too, as he brought up the points landmark for the Celtics – surpassing previous record holder Antoine Walker, who was 26.
"It's kind of hard to process," Tatum said. "In the moment, it's a huge accomplishment. I'm extremely blessed to be part of such a great franchise.
"I've just been fortunate to be on some really good teams; have some really, really good coaches and obviously have some great teammates that have helped contribute to 10,000 points along the way."
Tatum is the 10th player in NBA history to reach 10,000 career points before his 26th birthday.
The Celtics star joined an illustrious list that includes LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Tracy McGrady, Devin Booker, Bob McAdoo, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Dwight Howard.
However, his record-breaking efforts came as no surprise to Boston coach Joe Mazzulla.
"He shows up to work every single day," Mazzulla said. "He puts in the work and he dedicates his life to it.
"He doesn't miss days. He doesn't miss practices, games. And just his open-mindedness and wanting to be coached and wanting to be held to a high standard.
"When you have guys like that – that you can coach – it also allows you to bring the best out of everybody else and so he's one of the guys that sets the tone for us."
The four-time All Star finished with 32 points and 11 rebounds against the Nets before acknowledging he could not have foreseen his achievements after being the number three pick in 2017.
"I was ignorant when I got drafted," added Tatum. "First of all, I didn't even want to come [to Boston] because I didn't think I was going to play.
"They had Gordon [Hayward], and JB [Jaylen Brown], and IT [Isaiah Thomas], and [Marcus] Smart; I didn't think I was good enough to be on that team.
"It's been a long process. I've had to learn through the ups and downs, through my mistakes of late-game decisions or whatever it may be; just growing pains and playing enough games, being in enough playoff series, you learn from those things."
Queens Gamble is in line to continue her hurdles education when making her first start for Harry Derham at Newbury on Thursday.
The five-year-old was an early fancy for the 2023 Champion Bumper after impressively winning a pair of Cheltenham bumpers when previously trained by Oliver Sherwood.
She suffered a narrow reversal at the hands of Fergal O’Brien’s subsequent Aintree scorer Dysart Enos in her Cheltenham Festival tune-up at Market Rasen and although struggling to land a blow on rain-softened ground at the Festival itself, she remains of real potential as she seeks further experience over timber.
With Sherwood having bowed out from his illustrious training career, Queens Gamble now finds himself in the care of Lambourn-based Derham, with chestnut’s former handler working alongside as the young trainer’s assistant.
Derham is keen to get a run into the talented mare before her first key assignment of the year in the Listed Play Coral “Racing-Super-Series” For Free Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury in early December.
He said: “She obviously did very well in her bumpers and it is very kind of Alex Frost and Ed Galvin and their families to send her to me and we hope that she progresses over hurdles this season.
“She will be entered for Newbury and we would like to go there, but I don’t think her owners or any of us would like to run her on bottomless ground and that would be something to consider.
“She’s ready to start her season now, so if we can go to Newbury that would be great and if not then we will find a suitable alternative quite soon.
“Her first big target is at Newbury during the Winter Carnival on December 2, the mares’ Listed novice hurdle, so we would love to get a run into her before then if we can.
“She’s obviously got to go and do it over hurdles and I’m confident she will. I don’t want to plan too far in advance but she’s looked very good in her bumpers and I’ve no reason to believe she won’t do well over hurdles.”
Queens Gamble was given an early introduction to hurdles at Warwick in May and although the manner of victory was far from emphatic, her training team feel there is a lot more to come.
Derham continued: “She won at Warwick and I think everyone was a little underwhelmed that day, but Oliver and the team there just felt she wasn’t quite at her best and won despite that.
“Obviously I’ve only known her since the beginning of this season and Oliver’s team seem to think she is a lot stronger this year. I’m certainly very pleased with what I can see and really looking forward to her.”
Although keen to take his time with an operator who could easily become the fledgling handler’s stable star, a return to the Cheltenham Festival for the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle could be on the cards for the spring if Queens Gamble progresses as expected throughout the season.
“That would be a big target this season if she keeps improving,” added Derham.
“Her bumper form would make her a live contender for a race like that and her schooling this autumn has been really good.
“So I do have that in the back of my mind and I don’t want to over-race her this winter with the thought that if she keeps improving and we can get her to the spring in good form, then that would be lovely.”
White Birch skips an option at Kempton on Monday but connections have high hopes there are plenty of nice prizes for him to win next season.
Third in the Derby to Auguste Rodin and King Of Steel, his only disappointing effort was in the Irish equivalent when he was hampered by an injured rival.
After that he went close at Leopardstown in a Group Three behind Adelaide River and he was entered in the Listed Floodlit Stakes at Kempton.
However, he is now finished for the season but all the major middle distance races will be on his radar next term.
George Murphy, assistant trainer and son of trainer John, said: “We decided he wouldn’t travel and that looks like the end for this year.
“He stays in training and we’re really looking forward to him. It’s easy to put a line through the Irish Derby and other than that, he ran some massive races.
“We’re really looking forward to next year, when he should be able to compete in a lot of nice races and do very well.
“Something like the Tattersalls Gold Cup will be an option, there are lots of races we can aim at so we’ll sit down and make a plan over the winter.”
Warren Gatland has underlined the importance of patience as he nurtures a new generation of Wales international players.
Welsh rugby bid farewell to three of its biggest names – Alun Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric and Leigh Halfpenny – in a tribute game that saw Wales beat Principality Stadium opponents the Barbarians 49-26.
Fly-half Dan Biggar stepped down after the Rugby World Cup, meaning that Wales boss Gatland has lost more than 500 caps-worth of experience this year, with scrum-half Rhys Webb also exiting international rugby.
Influential backs Liam Williams and Gareth Anscombe, meanwhile, will be unavailable for the Six Nations this season as they embark on new club careers in Japan.
But fresh faces have already emerged – players like captain Jac Morgan, Sam Costelow, Dewi Lake, Dafydd Jenkins and Christ Tshiunza, who all have a World Cup in the locker.
And there are others who did not make Gatland’s squad cut for France who could be banging on his door sooner rather than later.
“We are pretty excited about some of the youngsters coming through,” Gatland said.
“You have got to be patient with them, you have got to go through a little bit of pain.
“Probably some of the symmetry between the (Welsh) regions and us hasn’t been the same.
“Unfortunately, we have probably used the national team almost as a pathway (in) that we have developed those players through playing international rugby almost out of necessity because we’ve had a weakness in some positions.
“Then, because they end up playing international rugby and doing well, they then go back and they start for their regions. We have sometimes got that wrong.
“It is just making sure we work together as the regions and the national team in terms of where we have got holes and developing players.
“I have long been an advocate of foreign players. I think they are good for the game, especially here in Wales.
“But I’ve always said we need to get world-class foreign players, and if we need to pay a lot of money for them then we should do that.
“Unfortunately, what we’ve tended to do is get middle-of-the-road journeymen who are 27 or 28, or even older, who have tended to stop the development of some of the youngsters. For the regions and for us, we need to get that right.
“We know the financial situation. We all go through some pain as a national set-up, but now is the right time to do that and then think, what could the picture look like in a couple of years?”
A year that started with Wales being riddled by off-field issues that unquestionably contributed to a dismal Six Nations campaign, ended through five wins out of six and a fourth successive World Cup quarter-final appearance.
The next World Cup cycle, culminating in Australia 2027, is now under way, and centre George North will be part of that conversation moving forward.
North, who has played in four World Cups, will be 35 if he makes the squad for Down Under, but he has already indicated that he has no current plans to follow some of his former team-mates into Test retirement.
Gatland added: “He and I have had a good chat and he wants to continue being available at the moment.
“He has been playing for a long time – since he was 18 – but he does have that experience and leadership, and he brings a voice to us.
“He is probably more important for us in the short-term, and then it is whether he makes that decision on whether he can keep going on through another cycle.
“Next World Cup, he will be 35. Whether he can get that far or not, if he is going to try and do that I am comfortable with that. It is just making sure we keep talking.”
The Boston Celtics improved their unbeaten start to eight games courtesy of a 124-114 win over the Brooklyn Nets.
Despite trailing by 12 points at half-time, the Nets were able to draw back within one possession halfway through the fourth quarter.
But the Celtics were able to steady the ship late, lifted by double-doubles from Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday.
Cam Thomas top-scored for Brooklyn with 27, as the Nets dropped to three wins and three losses on the season.
A 31-point effort from Kevin Durant was not enough for the Phoenix Suns to topple the Philadelphia 76ers.
Joel Embiid and Kelly Oubre Jr combined for 51 points as the Sixers held on for a 112-100 victory – their fourth in a row.
Phoenix missed injured starters Bradley Beal and Devin Booker, with Durant the only Sun to score more than 13 points.
The Orlando Magic continued their surprise start to the season with a dominant 120-101 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Franz Wagner led the way for Orlando with 26 points, followed closely by Paolo Banchero with 25.
The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Indiana Pacers 125-124 to snap a three-game losing streak.
Indiana had the chance to send the game into overtime late, but Buddy Hield missed a potential game-tying free throw.
Nikola Jokic finished one assist shy of a triple-double as he led the Denver Nuggets to a 123-101 demolition of the Chicago Bulls.
There were also big wins for the Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Sam Burgess ended his brief stint in rugby union eight years ago when he left Bath to rejoin the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Burgess became a dual-code player after leaving the Souths and signing for Bath in 2014, making his debut for the Premiership team in November the same year.
Burgess was selected for England ahead of their home 2015 World Cup campaign, which ended in Stuart Lancaster’s side failing to make it past the group stage of the competition for the first time.
But on November 5, after 12 months as a union player, Burgess confirmed he would be returning to the NRL with the Souths on a three-year contract.
“I want to thank everyone at England and Bath for some great memories over the last 12 months,” he said.
“I must thank Bath especially for granting my release to return home to my family, who I have missed more than I could have imagined.
“I am also extremely excited to be joining back up with South Sydney. I cannot wait to get back into the Rabbitohs’ culture, full of great people and passionate members and supporters.
“I had a wonderful time in England and learnt a lot about the game of rugby union as both a back and a forward, and I have definitely developed as an all-round player and athlete after that.”
Burgess stayed with the Rabbitohs until his retirement from rugby in 2019.
He subsequently joined the coaching staff at the Australian club before signing a contract as head coach of Warrington in August.
Mark Stone scored a pair of short-handed goals and added two assists as the Vegas Golden Knights rolled to a 7-0 rout of the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday to continue their blazing start.
Jack Eichel and William Karlsson had two goals apiece and Adin Hill turned aside 41 shots for his sixth career shutout to help Vegas improve to an NHL-best 11-0-1.
The Golden Knights are tied with two other teams for the seventh-longest point streak to open a season.
Karlsson extended his point streak to nine games to tie four other players for the longest in team history.
Colorado has lost three of four – all by shutouts on the road – since opening the season with six straight wins.
Red Wings hand Bruins 1st regulation loss
David Perron had the go-ahead tally during a three-goal third period and the Detroit Red Wings rallied for a 5-4 victory to send the Boston Bruins to their first regulation loss of the season.
Boston took a 3-2 lead into the third period, but Dylan Larkin tied it at 6:50 and Perron put Detroit ahead to stay just over two minutes later.
Andrew Copp extended the lead at 10:34 and Davis Pastrnak’s power-play goal with 5:49 left closed the scoring.
Perron finished with a goal and two assists as the Red Wings won for the third time in four games.
The Bruins had won a franchise-record 12 straight regular-season road games dating to last season before the loss.
Matthews notches another hat trick in loss
Auston Matthews scored three times for the third time this season, but Alex Tuch’s two goals lifted the Buffalo Sabres to a 6-4 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Matthews raised his NHL-leading goal total to 11 with his 10th career hat trick and third in 11 games this season.
JJ Peterka scored one goal and set up another for Buffalo, which has won three of four.
Mitch Marner had a goal and three assists as the Maple Leafs dropped their fourth straight (0-2-2).
Toronto’s William Nylander had an assist to extend his franchise-record point streak to open a season to 11 games.
Jessica Pegula cruised past US Open winner Coco Gauff in straight sets to book a spot in the championship match of the WTA Finals in Cancun, Mexico.
The American doubles partners duked it out against each other on a wet and windy Saturday evening, with Pegula easily coming out on top 6-2 6-1.
It is still not known who will face the 29-year-old in the final, as the semi-final between world number one Aryna Sabalenka and world number two Iga Swiatek was pushed back as more heavy rains rolled in four games into their match.
The game was put on pause with Swiatek leading 2-1 and Sabalenka serving at 30-all.
The duo could be seen both wrapping themselves in towels to brace against the weather as organisers waited almost two hours for the game to resume.
Eventually, the game was suspended as bleak conditions prevailed.
Belarusian Sabalenka and Poland’s Swiatek will resume play on Sunday, with the final rescheduled to Monday.
Jayson Tatum had 32 points and reached a milestone as the Boston Celtics kept their perfect record intact with a 124-114 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday.
Tatum grabbed 11 rebounds and was 6 of 10 from 3-point range. He was one of five players to finish in double figures as the Celtics improved to 5-0 to remain the league’s only unbeaten team.
Tatum scored his 10,000th career point in the second quarter, becoming the youngest player in franchise history to reach that milestone.
Jaylen Brown had 23 points, Kristaps Porzingis added 22 and Jrue Holiday tallied 18 points and 10 assists for Boston, which is off to its best start since opening 6-0 in 2009-10.
The Nets cut the deficit to 96-95 on Dennis Smith Jr.’s 3-pointer with 7:47 left, but the Celtics responded with a 14-4 spurt over a two-minute span with Tatum scoring nine points in that stretch.
Cam Thomas led Brooklyn with 27 points and Spencer Dinwiddie and Mikal Bridges added 19 apiece. The Nets played without starting center Nic Claxton (sprained right ankle), starting forward Cam Johnson (strained left calf) and starting guard Ben Simmons, who sat out with back injury maintenance.
Hornets overcome Haliburton’s 43 points
Mark Williams scored 27 points and the Charlotte Hornets overcame Tyrese Haliburton’s career high-tying 43 points in a 125-124 win over the Indiana Pacers.
Gordon Hayward had 23 points and Terry Rozier added 20 before leaving in the fourth quarter with a left groin strain.
Charlotte snapped a three-game losing streak despite allowing Indiana to score 50 third-quarter points.
Williams scored on a layup with 63 seconds remaining to put the Hornets up 125-122 but Buddy Hield’s basket made it a one-point game. Hield was fouled but missed the potential game-tying free throw.
Haliburton had a chance for the winning basket but LaMelo Ball, who had 11 assists, forced a turnover before he could get a shot off.
Haliburton, who added 12 assists, tied a franchise record with 25 points in the third quarter as the Pacers erased a 54-46 halftime deficit for a 96-92 lead.
Embiid, Oubre help 76ers stay hot
Joel Embiid had 26 points and 11 rebounds and Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 25 points to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to their fourth straight win, 112-100 over the Phoenix Suns.
Tyrese Maxey shook off a slow start to finish with 22 points and 10 assists, and Tobias Harris had 18 with 10 rebounds as the 76ers won their fourth in a row since a season-opening loss to Milwaukee.
Kevin Durant kept the Suns close with 31 points, but no teammate had more than 13 points.
Phoenix played without Devin Booker (sprained left ankle) and Bradley Beal (back spasms) in its third straight loss.
Madelyn's Sunshine used her superior pace to good effect, as she disposed of rivals and captured the three-year-olds and upward Overnight Allowance contest for the Kaz Hoshay Trophy on the 10-race card at Caymanas Park on Saturday.
Piloted by leading rider Reyan Lewis, the Jason DaCosta-trained Madelyn’s Sunshine, in only her second run off an almost five-month layup, showed that she is back to her competitive best. She won the six furlongs (1,200m) event by five-and-three-quarter lengths in a tidy 1:13.0 minutes, setting splits of 23.0 and 46.3 seconds.
After coming from off the pace behind Canadian American Tap over the five straight on last, Duke with Robert Halledeen was expected to play a starring role in the event which carried a purse of $1.25 million. This, as Madelyn’s Sunshine and a few others in the 14-horse field, was behind him in that same race won by American Tap.
However, DaCosta’s four-year-old dark bay filly under a confident ride by Lewis, went straight in front shortly and repelled the challenge of Hoist The Mast (Paul Francis), Laban (Phillip Parchment), and KP Choice (Javaniel Patterson) in the run to the half-mile turn.
From there, the Carlton Watson-owned Madelyn's Sunshine was relaxed by Lewis, opening an almost three-length gap on her pursuers, and by the time she straightened for the stretch run, it became a question of how far she would win.
Laban finished second, as Race Car (Raddesh Roman) and Curlin’s Affair (Tevin Foster), completed the frame.
DaCosta said the winning run was always on the cards based on the filly's preparation.
"She trained exactly for this race, so we expected a good run from her. The time she won in was pretty decent which is no surprise because she has always been a talented filly it's just that she had her little problems but when she is good, she is good and the jockey rode her as expected," the leading trainer said after the event.
Lewis earlier won aboard Simba The Lion and Atlantic Convoy in the second and ninth events respectively, both over a mile (1,600m) for trainer Patrick Lynch.
Meanwhile, former three-time champion trainer Anthony "Baba" Nunes and Foster partnered for a double on the day. They won the sixth and eighth races with Wow How and Savvy Girl.
With the race card scheduled for Sunday being abandoned, the next scheduled race day will be next Saturday. It will feature the Jamaica Cup which represents a preparation race for prospects, who will possibly contest the lucrative Moutett Mile scheduled for early next month.
There was Breeders’ Cup heartbreak for Live In The Dream as Nobals showed tremendous speed to claim the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
Adam West’s Nunthorpe winner was one of the fancied runners for the five-furlong event and although showing plenty of his famous early pace from an ideal draw in stall five, his petrol tank ran empty in the closing stages as those from off the pace finished with a flourish.
One of those was the Larry Rivelli-trained four-year-old who had followed Live In The Dream on the inner and got the perfect split that allowed his rider Gerardo Corrales to surge up the rail for victory.
It was a first Breeders’ Cup success for Rivelli, as Nobals held on from the fast-finishing Big Invasion and Aidan O’Brien’s Aesop’s Fables. Live In The Dream gamely kept on once headed to finish an honourable fourth under Sean Kirrane.
Epsom-based West said: “It feels like a giant kick in the b*******, but we’ve finished fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
“We came here as favourites and we believe in this horse. I had dinner with Mick Appleby and the connections of Big Evs and it crossed my mind we could be locking horns in Del Mar next year.
“This is sprint racing and we were collared in the final 100 yards.”
Kirrane said: “He jumped very well, but I needed to hold onto him and the first quarter was run in 21 and change.
“The bend was a bit tight and he was inclined to hang a good bit.”
Of the winner, Rivelli said: “I just thought on paper it was a coin toss and we got lucky, we had a good trip and Coralles rode him perfect. The plan was to be closer and we got a bit shuffled back, but the gap opened up and he was gone. I knew he would go through it, but I was looking for the wire real fast at the end too.
“We’ll come back next year and try to do it again. It’s my first one (Breeders’ Cup win) and I’m going to tear the town down.”
White Abarrio made a real statement as he claimed the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic in commanding fashion.
Trained by Richard Dutrow Jr, the four-year-old arrived at Santa Anita on the back of an impressive victory in the Whitney Stakes at Saratoga.
Big-race jockey Irad Ortiz Jr always had his mount hot on the tail of Bob Baffert’s Pacific Classic winner Arabian Knight and entering the stretch they looked to have the race between them.
Having beaten off Arabian Knight with the wire approaching, White Abarrio refused to be passed as Japanese contender Derma Sotogake and Proxy made their challenge in the closing stages.
It was a second winner of the Classic for his trainer, who only returned from a 10-year suspension for medication and administration violations in February earlier this year.
Dutrow said: “It’s incredible and the only way I can get this feeling is through this horse. I don’t know how I’m feeling right now, it’s just incredible stuff what I’m going through right now.
“I thought he was the winner the whole way round the track, he broke good and was sat with a couple of horses in front of him which he likes. He came up on the outside and when he did that I knew at that point we had nothing in our way, it was just a matter of if someone could come and catch us. I felt good.
“It wasn’t unlike when I won the Classic with Saint Liam. Winning this is an indescribable feeling. I don’t really know what I’m going through right now. It feels unbelievable, I love it.”
He added: “I don’t feel I’m back at the top, but I feel like the white horse is. I feel lucky being around him.
“I came back seven months ago. I hope this will help me pick up better horses and quality clients and I’m gonna be striving for it calling everyone up once I leave Disneyland.”
It was very much mission accomplished for Auguste Rodin, who was given the perfect ride by Ryan Moore to bring his season to a brilliant climax in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita.
Aidan O’Brien had long had this race in mind for his dual Derby hero, a plan firmed up after his thrilling victory in the Irish Champion Stakes, which cemented his place in his trainer’s affections.
There has been the odd hiccup in Auguste Rodin’s journey to stardom, but he has always bounced back from his setbacks in style and thrived in his first taste of international competition.
As when tasting Derby success at Epsom, the son of Deep Impact was ridden with patience by Moore, who rounding the turn for home found a golden passage up the rail and wasted little time in snatching the opportunity.
The Coolmore number one soon sent his mount for home and he surged clear of top American turf challenger Up To The Mark to give O’Brien a record-extending seventh success in a race Europeans continue to dominate.
Paying tribute to Moore’s ride, O’Brien said: “He had incredible confidence in him. He was drawn handy and he thought he might be handier, but when he was not, Ryan knew. What an incredible ride.
“The race wasn’t working out for us like we hoped. But Ryan knew at the top of the bend where he wanted to go.
“You can see the pace that he has, he was able to quicken when he wanted him to and it was a brilliant ride. He doesn’t do much when he gets there and that was a little worry because Ryan sent him down the inside and he ended up getting there early.
“He’s a super horse and during the week the way he was cantering on the dirt I was wondering have we done the right thing, should we have had him in the other race (Breeders’ Cup Classic). He was cruising on the dirt, most other horses don’t handle it when they are not used to it really, but he was incredible really.
“We’ve always felt he has a beautiful action and that he’s a kind of dream horse.
“His dam (Rhododendron) was one of the best Galileo mares ever, and he’s the absolute double of his grandsire (Sunday Silence). His pedigree brings the best of Japan and Europe together.”
Reflecting further on Moore at his very best, O’Brien said: “Ryan doesn’t waste any energy in being anything other than what he is. He’s familiar with all the top tracks and the top races.
“He says he can’t be getting better, but he’s 40 and I’ve told him you peak at 45.”
Moore said: “I got squeezed out and horses were getting in each other’s way. I didn’t like where I was, but once he got there he did it very easily. Considering how the race went against him in the early stages, it was a really big performance.
“Going up the rail was Plan F, my horse was getting a bad trip and the reason he won is because he’s so good.
“He’s now won two Derbys, an Irish Champion and come here and beaten proper horses. He had things go against him today, but he overcame them. He’s shown himself to be a good Derby winner and a real top-drawer horse.”
Raising the possibility of Auguste Rodin staying in training as a four-year-old, Coolmore’s MV Magnier said: “We’ve been thinking about it for a while, there’s a lot of things we could do with this horse. We could stand him in America, we could stand him in Europe and there’s definitely a strong possibility we will keep him in training next year.
“How fun would that (Classic) be?”
Jamaica’s Navasky Anderson copped his first senior medal for the country with bronze in the men’s 800m at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile on Saturday.
The 23-year-old, who represented Jamaica at the World Championships in Budapest where he was disqualified in the heats, produced 1:46.40 for third in Saturday’s final behind Mexico’s Jesus Lopez (1:46.04) and Venezuela’s Jose Antonio Maita (1:45.69).
Anderson broke his own Jamaican national record earlier this season when he ran 1:44.70 at the DC Track Championships on July 30 to achieve the World Championship qualifying standard.
It was very much mission accomplished for Auguste Rodin, who was given the perfect ride by Ryan Moore to bring his season to a brilliant climax in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita.
Aidan O’Brien had long had this race in mind for his dual Derby hero, a plan firmed up after his thrilling victory in the Irish Champion Stakes, which cemented his place in his trainer’s affections.
There has been the odd hiccup in Auguste Rodin’s journey to stardom, but he has always bounced back from his setbacks in style and thrived in his first taste of international competition.
As when tasting Derby success at Epsom, the son of Deep Impact was ridden with patience by Moore, who rounding the turn for home found a golden passage up the rail and wasted little time in snatching the opportunity.
The Coolmore number one soon sent his mount for home and he surged clear of top American turf challenger Up To The Mark to give O’Brien a record-extending seventh success in a race Europeans continue to dominate.
Novak Djokovic will face Grigor Dimitrov in the Paris Masters final after taking down fifth-seeded Andrey Rublev in a nervy 5-7 7-6 (3) 7-5 semi-final.
The world number one is chasing a record-extending seventh title at the ATP Masters 1000 but has not always looked assured in this tournament, his first since winning the US Open in September.
Rublev controlled the first set, taking advantage of eight unforced errors from his Serbian opponent, who required treatment to his lower back after forcing the three-hour and two-minute match into a third set with an ace.
Djokovic, who sealed victory following a double-fault from the Russian, told Tennis TV: “Rublev was suffocating me like a snake suffocates a frog for most of the match.
“He was playing on an extremely high level. I knew that he possesses a great quality but today he played off the charts, honestly. I don’t think I’ve ever faced Rublev this good.
“On the other hand, I was struggling again with my fitness a little bit at the beginning, but I just kind of went through it.”
Saturday’s victory marked the 14th time Djokovic has reached 50 wins in a year and extended his winning streak to 17 matches to reach the 58th Masters 1000 final of his career.
Unseeded semi-finalist Dimitrov, meanwhile, reached just his second ATP Masters 1000 final and first since 2017 with a 6-3 6-7 (1) 7-6 (3) victory over seventh-seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.
The Bulgarian saved all four break points he faced and was at one point 15-40 down in the third set before digging in and willing himself into a mindset shift telling the ATP website: “I was just thinking it can’t keep going like this, so I have to change something. In order to beat someone like him I just had to step through. That is the only thing I could have done.
“There were no tears, but I got very emotional [after the win]. I am just living in the moment right now. It has been a funny road of late, but each win means more and more to me.”
Dimitrov will try for his ninth career ATP singles title on Sunday, and first since 2017.
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