Notable Speech and Devoted Queen both remained unbeaten with impressive displays at Kempton, as Charlie Appleby could have unearthed a couple of Classic contenders.
With the form of his previous course-and-distance victory over Cuban Tiger getting a timely boost at Newcastle recently, Dubawi colt Notable Speech was sent off the 4-7 favourite for his third career appearance in the Virgin Bet Best Odds Daily British EBF Conditions Stakes.
Up against some smart rivals, including Ralph Beckett’s well-regarded Derby entrant Valvano, he was ridden with supreme confidence by William Buick and showed a blistering turn of foot as he sprinted past that challenger in the closing stages.
The Godolphin homebred was cut to as short as 14-1 with bet365 for the 2000 Guineas, with his rider feeling he has now justified a step up in grade.
Buick said: “He’s shown the last twice here he can do that and it was a really good performance and he deserves to go up in grade now.
“Today was a warm race with a few unexposed types and he gave away weight to all of them, so I’m delighted.
“I was very pleased with how he has done physically since the last time I rode him – he has really filled out and I feel like he has grown a bit as well, which is always nice to see from a horse who has had two runs.
“I couldn’t be more happy with him and I tested him a little bit today and he quickened up in a stride.
“I just had to pick a path and he’s such a genuine, easy horse to deal with. He’s got a bright future ahead of him.
“It’s so wet, so it was a nice opportunity for him to come here and run again on this surface. I think he would handle a little bit of cut in the ground, but he’s a very fast horse with a low action, so I think he would want a bit of decent ground.
“He’s opened up a few options there but he’s a speedy miler.”
Buick was also in the plate aboard another hot Moulton Paddocks prospect as Devoted Queen overcame her inexperience to instigate a Godolphin double on the card in the Virgin Bet Daily Extra Places British EBF Fillies’ Conditions Stakes.
Although far from the finished article, her jockey was encouraged by the promise shown and is hopeful the 1-2 odds-on scorer can become a smart performer as the season progresses
“It was very much a learning day for her and she has come through it,” added Buick, who also tasted Listed success on the card aboard Joseph O’Brien’s Adelaise.
“She’s very inexperienced and she needs to work on a few things. I’m sure she will get there and today was a new experience for her, she was a bit fresh early but got there in the end.
“When she hit the front, she probably had a bit of a look and showed her inexperience, so all in all I think everyone will be really pleased with that.
“It’s a bit early to say (about the 1000 Guineas) and I’m sure we will get her home and those options will be discussed. She has got the talent.
“She is the type of filly, with the way she is built, that will keep improving and progressing and I’m sure there is plenty to look forward to with her.”
A taking winner of a Newmarket maiden previously, Devoted Queen was trimmed to 20-1 from 25s by Coral for the Qipco 1000 Guineas on May 5.
Bracken’s Laugh looks a colt bound for bigger and better things judged on a decisive victory in the Woodford Reserve Cardinal Conditions Stakes at Chelmsford.
A field of eight three-year-olds went to post for this one-mile contest, with Aidan O’Brien’s Royal Lodge Stakes third Capulet all the rage as the 8-13 favourite.
The Karl Burke-trained Cuban Tiger and John and Thady Gosden’s Orne, first and third in last week’s Listed Burradon Stakes on Good Friday, added further intrigue, but it was 9-1 shot Bracken’s Laugh who emerged much the best in the hands of Finley Marsh.
A winner on his Newbury debut in September before finishing fifth in the Group One Criterium de Saint-Cloud the following month, the Zoffany colt travelled nicely in the middle of the pack on this seasonal reappearance before quickening smartly in the straight to claim a two-and-three-quarter-length victory.
The front-running Orne boxed on for second, with Capulet a shade disappointing in third.
“I don’t think I’ve had many Group One runners, but he won last year in the Haynes, Hanson And Clark and I thought I’d give him a go in the Group One in France,” Hughes told Racing TV.
“As it turned out, we ended up on the wrong side of the track and the ground was very heavy and he just didn’t get home, but we felt he could be a Group One horse then, so this year starting off it was very important he didn’t have too hard a race first up and we’d learn a lot from it.
“I was really excited by the way he travelled. This horse would gallop with anything at home and I feel he’s a mile and a quarter horse and maybe not quite a mile and a half horse with the speed he shows at home.
“So, I was really looking forward to seeing him run over a mile to see how he’d travel on a better surface and he travelled immensely well and quickened up really good.
“I made a decision two months ago I would come here first, you just don’t have to get them quite as fit for the all-weather as you do for soft ground on the grass. I thought this would be a nice introduction and if he was placed today, I would have been happy as a stepping-stone towards Chester.
“I don’t feel he’s a Guineas horse or a Derby horse, so I’d like to go quietly, run in the Dee Stakes and then on to a Group Three at Royal Ascot over a mile and a quarter.
“I have a month until Chester and then I have another month until Royal Ascot, so the plan looks good at the moment and I hope we can pull it off.”
Duty Of Care booked his ticket to Royal Ascot when going one better than last year in the Virgin Bet Queen’s Prize Handicap at Kempton.
Second to Charlie Appleby’s Bandinelli in the valuable staying contest 12 months ago, Saffie Osborne left nothing to chance aboard her father Jamie’s six-year-old this time around as she tracked the strong pace set by James Owen’s Sweet Fantasy.
Entering the straight for the final time, the 6-1 chance had just Sweet Fantasy ahead and as that rival began to cry enough, Duty Of Care was relishing every yard as he bounded on to a comfortable two-and-three-quarter-length success over fellow race regular Sleeping Lion.
Owned by Pat Gallagher, Duty Of Care could next be seen at Ascot in the summer, with Osborne senior targeting the Ascot Stakes at the royal meeting for the son of Kingman.
The trainer said: “He just needs a true test and the last couple of runs we haven’t had that. We didn’t take any chances today and we stuck him on the front end, and if the pace was going to slacken, we were there, so it stayed true.
“Thankfully, we had a good lead and we didn’t need to do it ourselves and he’s a different horse once it becomes a two-mile race where you need two-mile stamina.
“Pat has been very patient and I have been telling him for a long time that this horse is alright and he keeps getting beaten.
“The Ascot Stakes over two-and-a-half (will be the plan). He will be fine on the turf and he probably won’t run again until then. That’s my plan and I will have to discuss it with the owner, but I think that would be a very obvious call for him now.”
The burden of top-weight proved no barrier to success for Cemhaan as George Baker’s charge secured a surprise victory in the Virgin Bet Every Saturday Money Back Rosebery Handicap at Kempton.
The seven-year-old was already a dual winner at the Sunbury circuit, with his most recent triumph last May followed by a third-place finish behind Vauban in the Copper Horse Handicap at Royal Ascot.
He was subsequently well beaten in the Ebor at York, though, and while his January comeback at Kempton was not devoid of promise, he was a 25-1 shot for this £100,000 contest in the hands of Neil Callan.
After jumping out of the stalls smartly, Cemhaan briefly threatened to make all the running before eventually sitting on the heels of both Killybegs Warrior and Old Peculier.
With the pace visibly slackening before the home turn, the front end turned out to be the place to be and both Killybegs Warrior and Cemhaan found another gear once asked to fight out the finish.
Killybegs Warrior did not go down easily, but Cemhaan wore him down late on and passed the post three-quarters of a length to the good, with the free-going Intinso best of the rest in third.
“It was a very good, tough performance – he loves the track, this horse,” Callan said of the winner.
“He’s been so consistent and had a good run at Ascot last year, which just shows you the sort of level he’s been mixing it at.
“I won a small-field handicap on him last year when he dominated from the front and he jumped that well I was going to let him bowl along again today, but James (Doyle, on Killybegs Warrior) was intent on getting to the front.
“I kind of knew when he got there, he would slow it up, which I knew would suit me because my horse had a lot of weight on his back and you wouldn’t want to be stretching him from a long way out.
“I think the way the race panned out played into my hands and as long as I had the revs up going to the junction at the cut-off, I knew I’d pick them off. He’s very genuine and tough.”
Baker’s wife, Candida, added: “George is playing golf in Africa. I think he’d much rather be here today!
“I’m so pleased. Cemhaan went all the way to St Moritz and then the racing was called off, which was very annoying as all the owners were out there and it takes about three days to get him there.
“This was always the plan for him once we brought him back. With that top-weight, he was so tough, I got the saddle off Neil and I was carrying it thinking, ‘God, I’m not going to put this on him too early if I can help it’. He’s just so genuine, tries so much and I’m chuffed to bits, he owes us nothing.
“Neil is an excellent jockey – when he’s in a ride-off against another jockey, I’d back him every time, even when it’s against James Doyle.”
Adelaise pulled out all the stops in the Virgin Bet Daily Price Boosts Snowdrop Fillies’ Stakes to give Joseph O’Brien a raiding winner at Kempton on Saturday.
The five-year-old produced some consistent performances in several competitive heats last term, but finally secured a valuable black type victory in the hands of William Buick at the Sunbury track.
Sent off the 100-30 second favourite for the one-mile Listed event, Adelaise was ridden along by her pilot with two furlongs to run, but soon hit top gear as she began a ding-dong battle to the line with 5-2 market leader Choisya.
There was little to separate the two protagonists inside the final half furlong, but the Irish challenger got her head in front where it mattered most to make O’Brien’s first UK Flat runner of the year a winning one.
Buick said: “She was a bit in my hands early and a bit fresh, but she was always in a nice rhythm and I attacked early in the straight.
“We didn’t go overly quick and I knew she would stay all the way to the line. She definitely got headed, so she had to show true grit. I think a mile is her trip and she may get a little bit further, but we will see.
“I’ve ridden a winner for Joseph before and it’s nice to get a call-up from him – he doesn’t come over here for nothing.
“I think this was very important for both her and connections to get that valuable black type against her name and hopefully there will be a bit of improvement to come for the rest of the season.”
Last year’s winner Pic D’Orhy, Ryanair Chase hero Protektorat and Cheltenham Festival absentee Jonbon are among 13 entries for the My Pension Expert Melling Chase at Aintree on Friday.
The Paul Nicholls-trained Pic D’Orhy was a decisive winner of the two-and-a-half-mile Grade One 12 months ago and has deliberately been saved for the defence of his crown since claiming the notable scalp of L’Homme Presse in the Ascot Chase in February.
Dan Skelton, who is challenging his former mentor for the champion trainer title this season, entered Protektorat for Thursday’s Aintree Bowl over three miles but has also given him the option of sticking to a shorter distance the following day.
Nicky Henderson’s crack two miler Jonbon sidestepped the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham during what was a tough week for the Seven Barrows team and will therefore be fresher than some on what will be his first attempt at this trip.
The Willie Mullins-trained Easy Game, Joseph O’Brien’s Banbridge, Gordon Elliott’s pair of Ash Tree Meadow and Conflated and the Henry de Bromhead-trained duo of Envoi Allen and Jungle Boogie are all possible challengers from Ireland.
Elixir De Nutz (Joe Tizzard), Funambule Sivola (Venetia Williams), Minella Drama (Donald McCain) and Thunder Rock (Olly Murphy) are the other contenders.
Supreme Novices’ Hurdle hero Slade Steel is the potential star attraction in the Trustatrader Top Novices’ Hurdle.
De Bromhead’s charge is one of 21 contenders for the Grade One contest and part of a formidable Irish contingent that also includes Elliott’s mare Brighterdaysahead and Supreme second Mystical Power, who leads a five-strong Mullins squad.
Caldwell Potter, bought for €740,000 out of Elliott’s yard for an ownership group which includes Sir Alex Ferguson, is pencilled in to make his debut for Nicholls in the same race, while Cheltenham Festival heroine Golden Ace (Jeremy Scott) and unbeaten mare Dysart Enos (Fergal O’Brien) also feature.
The opening Huyton Asphalt Franny Blennerhassett Memorial Mildmay Novices’ Chase is similarly strong, with Grey Dawning (Skelton), Corbetts Cross (Emmet Mullins), Inothewayurthinkin (Gavin Cromwell) and Chianti Classico (Kim Bailey) all potentially bidding to follow up Cheltenham Festival success.
The fourth and final Grade One on the card is the Cavani Sartorial Menswear Sefton Novices’ Hurdle, which features the Albert Bartlett one-two of Stellar Story (Elliott) and The Jukebox Man (Ben Pauling).
Il Est Francais lost his unbeaten record over fences after trailing home a bitterly disappointing last of five in the Grade Two Prix Murat at Auteuil.
Trained in France by Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm, the six-year-old was thoroughly impressive in winning his first three starts over the larger obstacles, with back-to-back wins at Auteuil followed by a brilliant front-running victory in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.
Connections soon ruled out a return to Britain for the Cheltenham Festival, instead electing to remain on home soil for the time being, with a tilt at next month’s Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris – the French equivalent of the Cheltenham Gold Cup – top of his agenda.
Il Est Francais was unsurprisingly prohibitive odds to make a successful return from just over three months off the track and with the extra mile of the Grand Steep perhaps in mind, James Reveley switched to more patient tactics, initially attempting to settle his mount at the rear of the five-strong field.
The Yorkshireman eventually gave Il Est Francais his head and allowed him to stride in front, but the petrol tank quickly ran to empty on straightening up for home and he had almost stopped to a walk by the time he clambered over the final fence.
Reveley allowed his mount to coast home from there on in as Youtwo Glass narrowly denied the George and Zetterholm second string Gallipoli victory in a driving finish.
Paddy Twomey is likely to have a clearer idea about Deepone’s potential ambitions for the rest of the season after he makes his return in the P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown on Sunday.
The Study Of Man colt finished off his juvenile campaign in fine style, winning the Group Two Beresford Stakes by a length and threequarters at the Curragh in September, his third success from five starts.
Prior to that, he came home fourth behind Diego Velazquez in the KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes on Irish Champions Weekend at Leopardstown and was runner-up in the Churchill Stakes at Tipperary.
Deepone, who holds big-race entries in the Irish 2,000 Guineas and the Derby at Epsom, will take a step up in trip on his three-year-old debut for this recognised Classic trial over 10 furlongs, won previously by the likes of Galileo, High Chaparral, Fame And Glory and Harzand.
“He’s wintered well and I think it’s a good place to start,” said Twomey.
“He has a 5lb penalty for his win in the Beresford Stakes last season, but we’re looking forward to running him on Sunday.
“I think stepping up in trip will play to his strengths, I think a mile and a quarter to a mile and a half should be well within his compass.”
Aidan O’Brien has three entries as he goes in search of a 12th Ballysax success, including Illinois, a soft-ground scorer at the Curragh before finishing third behind stablemate Los Angeles in the Group One Criterium de Saint-Cloud.
Ocean Of Dreams made a huge impression on his racecourse debut at this track in October, romping home by six lengths on heavy going, while The Euphrates obliged on his second outing at Gowran Park when the mud was flying.
The field is completed by Dallas Star, with the Amo Racing-owned Zetland Stakes third making his first start for Adrian Murray after moving from the yard of Dominic Ffrench Davis.
Twomey has another promising three-year-old making a seasonal debut on the same card as A Lilac Rolla contests the Group Three Ballylinch Stud “Priory Belle” Stakes.
A filly by Harry Angel, A Lilac Rolla enjoyed a brief but flawless juvenile season, winning on her July debut at Cork before taking a Curragh fillies’ race by a head from Opera Singer the following month.
That form could hardly have worked out better, as Opera Singer went on to win the Group Three Newtownanner Stud Stakes by six and a half lengths and then the elite-level Prix Marcel Boussac by five lengths.
“She had a good year last year, she won her maiden and then she won her next race in good style,” Twomey said.
“She beat a very good filly in Opera Singer, she’s wintered well and is ready to start.
“The ground conditions may not be ideal but she’s in a good place and this is a good starting point for the season ahead.
“It was a good race (the Curragh race), she’s done well all winter and we’re looking forward to getting her started.”
Elsewhere in the seven-furlongs contest, there are four Ballydoyle runners in Buttons, Cherry Blossom, Greenfinch and Sweetest, with Donnacha O’Brien set to saddle Mysteries.
Joseph Murphy has entered Alpheratz, Jim Bolger is represented by Finsceal Luas and the field is completed by Natalia Lupini’s Kitty Rose, Noel Meade’s Money Dancer, Ger Lyons’ Wendla and the Alice Haynes-trained British raider Lexington Belle.
The other Group Three on the card is the Ballylinch Stud “Red Rocks” Stakes, which features Aidan O’Brien’s trio of Battle Cry, Samuel Colt and The Liffey, as well as Joseph O’Brien’s course and distance winner Atlantic Coast, plus Jack Davison’s dominant Madrid Handicap winner Take Me To Church.
Sunway will be out to keep Classic dreams alive when he returns to action in the Prix la Force at ParisLongchamp on Sunday.
David Menuisier’s colt highlighted his ability right from the beginning of his two-year-old campaign and although fluffing his lines in the Pat Eddery Stakes at Ascot, was back to his best when second in a soft-ground Champagne Stakes at Doncaster in September.
He ended the season by striking at the highest level in Saint-Cloud’s Criterium International and it is no surprise the son of Galiway heads back to France for the first outing of his Classic season in the hands of regular big-race pilot Oisin Murphy.
“The horse seems well and he had a stretch of the legs at Kempton the other day and we were very pleased with him,” said Menuisier.
“He’s in a good place for a first run and we will be keeping our fingers crossed.
“It is famous last words, but the ground shouldn’t be an issue. It will be hard on the horses but we feel ours goes on it quite good and the trip shouldn’t be a problem, so we go there quite positive.”
Sunway holds an entry for the Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in early May, but Menuisier would like to keep treading a continental path with his star colt, with a return to his homeland for the French Derby at Chantilly high up on the three-year-old’s list of priorities.
“Later down the line, we would like to aim at the Prix du Jockey Club, but we need to take races one by one, obviously,” he added.
“We could drop back in trip to run in one of the Guineas or we could go up in trip to run in a Derby trial next month. It will all depend on what happens this weekend and what Oisin and the owners think – and then we will take it from there.”
There is plenty of British interest in the French capital on Sunday afternoon and Charlie Appleby’s one-time Derby hopeful Military Order will continue his recovery mission in the Prix d’Harcourt.
A winner of three of his first four starts, the son of Frankel was sent off at 9-2 when disappointing at Epsom last summer.
Another failure at Chester followed, but having been gelded over the winter, he has produced two encouraging displays on the all-weather, landing the Winter Derby at Southwell most recently.
Rivals in the 10-furlong Group Two include Grand Prix de Paris winner Feed The Flame and Patrice Cottier’s multiple winner and Champion Stakes third Horizon Dore, with Military Order one of two Godolphin candidates alongside Andre Fabre’s Birr Castle.
“Military Order goes into this in good shape on the back of his Winter Derby success,” Appleby told www.godolphin.com.
“Conditions will be testing in Paris, although he handled soft ground at Newbury last season.”
Karl Burke’s Molten Rock will attempt to build on her encouraging third in Newmarket’s Montrose Stakes on her return to action in the Group Three Prix Vanteaux, while both Jack Channon’s Gather Ye Rosebuds and Kevin Philippart De Foy’s Ermesinde will take part in the Listed Prix Zarkava.
Edinburgh have moved their European Challenge Cup tie against Bayonne on Saturday evening to Murrayfield due to Storm Kathleen.
The round-of-16 tie was to be played at the Hive Stadium next door to Murrayfield, but the venue has been switched because of the strong winds which are set to hit Edinburgh on Saturday.
Edinburgh said their operations team and Scottish Rugby health and safety officials had been in contact with the Met Office to discuss the impact of the yellow warning for the wind. The game’s 8pm kick-off time remains unchanged.
“The safety of our fans, players, and people is paramount,” Edinburgh Rugby managing director Douglas Struth said.
“Unfortunately, Storm Kathleen and the worsening weather forecast has meant that the only way to now play this match safely and securely is in the bigger main bowl at Scottish Gas Murrayfield.
“We’re obviously very disappointed not to be playing in our home, Hive Stadium, but I hope that people will understand.
“We know our fans love Hive Stadium, and the atmosphere we’ve built there over the past two seasons is second to none, but I’d encourage all our supporters to bring that same passion and energy to the main bowl this evening.
“There is still a lot of work to be done today to make this move happen, and there will inevitably be some compromises from our normal matchday experience.
“I’d like to thank our fans and our visitors from Bayonne in advance for their patience and understanding in that regard, as we try to make this switch as seamless as possible.
“Finally, to those fans coming this evening, please plan well ahead, take care, and travel safely.”
Worsening weather in Scotland saw several Highland League games postponed.
The cinch Premiership match between Dundee and Motherwell was also set to undergo a second pitch inspection at 1pm after an 11am check proved inconclusive.
“Following this morning’s scheduled pitch inspection the referee has deemed there will be a further inspection at 1pm this afternoon,” Dundee posted on their X account.
Saturday afternoon’s National Hunt meeting at Uttoxeter will go ahead as scheduled after the track passed a morning inspection, but racing at the Curragh has been abandoned.
Kyrie Irving credited P.J. Washington for a "spectacular" performance after the Dallas Mavericks overcame Luka Doncic's absence to halt the Golden State Warriors' six-game winning streak.
The Warriors approached Friday's trip to American Airlines Center on their best run of the season and with a chance of clinching one of the Western Conference's Play-In spots.
They needed to win and hope the 11th-placed Houston Rockets lost to the Miami Heat to clinch their top-10 seed, and though they got a favour from elsewhere with a 119-104 Miami win, they couldn't hold up their end of the bargain.
With Andrew Wiggins out due to ankle soreness and Jonathan Kuminga a late scratch with a knee injury, the Warriors found themselves facing a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
Though they rallied to draw level at 106-106 through Stephen Curry's jumper with 13 seconds left, Washington capped a 32-point night with a decisive layup with just 4.5 seconds on the clock.
Dallas then held on for their 108-106 victory as Klay Thompson missed with a potential buzzer-beater, leaving Irving to heap praise on their hero Washington.
"He was spectacular," Irving said of Washington. "You could tell it was going to be a special night just based off how he started the game.
"That's what we need, especially when we don't have certain guys in the lineup and we need that offensive firepower."
With star guard Doncic missing out due to soreness in his right knee, Washington took up the mantle by finishing 12-of-18 from the field, also adding five rebounds and three assists.
Despite the Warriors missing a chance to seal their postseason berth, head coach Steve Kerr was pleased with the way his short-handed team refused to give up the fight.
"The level of competition and unity, just the way they fought, short-handed out on a back-to-back with an older group of guys, it was just an amazing effort," Kerr said.
"I love these guys. They're incredible. We just didn't quite have enough tonight."
The defeat represented a blow to Golden State's hopes of climbing the standings, leaving them two games back of the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers.
However, they remain four clear of Houston in 10th with three of their final five regular-season games coming at home, the first of them against the Utah Jazz on Sunday.
Leopardstown’s high-profile meeting on Sunday, due to feature a recognised Derby trial in the P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes, will have to pass a 7.30am inspection if it is to go ahead.
The Group Three contest has thrown up several top-class performers over the years, including three subsequent Epsom winners in Galileo (2001), High Chaparral (2002) and Harzand (2016).
Leopardstown is also due to stage two other Group Three events in the Ballylinch Stud “Red Rocks” Stakes and the Ballylinch Stud “Priory Belle” Stakes, but the prospect of further rain falling on already heavy ground has prompted IHRB clerk of the course Lorcan Wyer to call a morning check.
He said: “Following three millimetres of rain since declarations, the track at Leopardstown is heavy and fit for racing at present.
“According to Met Eireann, there is the potential for a further three to five millimetres of rain throughout today into tomorrow, as well as the high winds associated with Storm Kathleen today.
“Due to the current adverse weather conditions, we will have a 7.30am inspection on Sunday morning to assess the situation.”
Downpatrick’s meeting on Sunday has already been cancelled, while officials at Carlisle have announced a precautionary inspection for 7am ahead of the scheduled final day of the Go North Series Finals.
Saturday’s meeting at Uttoxeter was given the go-ahead following a morning check, but racing at the Curragh was called off due to waterlogging.
Tuesday’s Flat meeting at Navan has been called off, while Hexham’s jumps card on the same day also looks in serious doubt, with officials calling an inspection for 7.30am on Sunday.
Looking even further ahead, officials at Leicester have announced an inspection for 8am on Tuesday ahead of the track’s scheduled fixture on Friday, with the course currently waterlogged and unraceable.
If Jon Rahm needed any reassurance that his shock move to LIV Golf would not harm his chances of winning more majors, he did not need to look hard for evidence.
After starting with a four-putt double bogey in last year’s Masters, Rahm ended up battling with Brooks Koepka in the final round and ultimately finishing four shots clear of Koepka and Phil Mickelson.
With Patrick Reed another shot behind in a tie for fourth it was a strong showing for the LIV contingent, who enjoyed even more bragging rights a month later when Koepka claimed his fifth major title in the US PGA.
So while it is undeniable that Rahm’s preparations for his Masters title defence are a world away from those of 12 months ago – three PGA Tour wins in eight starts compared to contesting just five 54-hole LIV events – there is little chance of the Spaniard being written off for being unprepared.
“I came in here last year thinking the same thing about all of the LIV players, the ones that potentially could win, and they proved me wrong,” two-time US Open champion and ESPN analyst Curtis Strange admitted.
“Two or three of them played really well. So I don’t think that’s a point any more.
“I expect Rahm to be ready to go. I think, because of what Rahm’s been through a little bit the last year, going over there, he might feel that he has a little bit more to prove.
“But he’s incredibly talented, great champion at the Masters. There’s no reason why he couldn’t be champion there again this year.”
The stars certainly seemed to align for Rahm last year, his victory coming on the 40th anniversary of his idol Seve Ballesteros claiming a second win at Augusta National and on what would have been his fellow Spaniard’s 66th birthday.
It even concluded with the kind of par on the 18th of which Ballesteros would have been proud, although Rahm still insists his tee shot into the trees, which meant his ball failed to even reach the fairway, was not as terrible as it looked.
“Out of all the great things that week, a lot of people remember the four-putt and the tee shot on 18, which wasn’t as bad as people think,” Rahm said with a smile.
“What stood out to me is I had this image in my mind of how great I played all week, which I did, and then I watch the actual summary and I couldn’t help to think, man, I missed a lot more shots than I thought I did.
“I guess it is a good lesson to have in mind, right? Not only that I could play better in theory but the fact that there’s a mental lesson there, that you’re going to miss shots and you just have to figure out how to minimise the damage.
“Going back to Sunday, it’s always very difficult to put into words. Very few times do I remember in any sporting event to have so many things line up to make something so memorable for a player.
“With it being Easter, with it being Seve’s birthday, with my caddie Adam and me registering as the 49th player and being 4/9, the actual date of April 9th, being the fourth Spaniard to win it, 10th Spanish major.
“Just a lot of little things that made it so much more special than what already winning the green jacket and being the Masters champion is.”
Speaking of special memories, Rahm’s came in the early hours of the morning following his victory, when he took advantage of his new status to access parts of the clubhouse which are usually off limits.
“I was there with my dad and [wife] Kelley in the clubhouse,” he explained.
“It’s one in the morning and I said if there’s a time to maybe get away with something it’s right now, so I asked, can we go to the champions locker room because I don’t know if they’re ever going to be able to go up there again. They said yes.
“It was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had, to see people’s names on the lockers, to actually see the locker room.
“My dad and I walked out to the balcony looking down Magnolia Lane, what you could see of it in the pitch darkness. Somebody took a picture of my dad and I talking, me with the jacket on, and it’s one of the better pictures we have.
“I think it’s my dad’s or my mom’s WhatsApp picture, which is really cool to see, and then having Kelley up there for that as well, is special.
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to recreate that again with any of them, but I’m really glad that they let us do that and they got to see the history of it.”
Lando Norris has dismissed suggestions from dominant Red Bull duo Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez that they could struggle for pace in Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix.
Verstappen took pole position to continue his run of locking out the first spot on the grid so far this season, while Perez was just 0.066 seconds slower to secure his place on the front row.
Norris emerged from a pack of cars all running very similar times to take the place as best of the rest for McLaren on another Saturday where it was Red Bull who shone.
Despite a 27th qualifying one-two for the Red Bull team, both drivers were quick to point out they are not as happy with their longer race pace.
Having run with their race set-up in the final practice session ahead of qualifying, Verstappen complained: “So far, I haven’t been happy with my long runs. The pace wasn’t what I would have liked, so there’s a bit of a question mark going into tomorrow.
“Our race pace is still not too bad, but it’s not how I have been feeling in some of the races this year, last year, as comfortable, let’s say it like that.”
Perez, meanwhile, echoed the views of his team-mate: “Let’s see what we are able to do tomorrow,” he said.
“I don’t think we are looking great at the moment in our long run pace, but we’ve done some changes and hopefully that will translate into our race pace.”
However, Norris did not seem to buy the suggestions that Red Bull may have any sort of Sunday struggles.
“Obviously last year I was side by side with Max into turn one. So hopefully trying to redo that,” he said of his plans for the race.
“But it’s tricky. They’re quick. They complained about their race pace, but I don’t think they’ve had a bad race in the last four or five years, so I think they’re going to be good tomorrow.
“Of course we’ve got a lot of pressure from behind so we have to keep an eye on the mirrors. But at the same time I want to go forward and I think we have pace to stay where we are, so that’s my goal.
“That will be our target for tomorrow. But I think realistically, we’re still too far away to challenge them. They’re too quick for us. Yes, we are quicker in qualifying, but in the race, normally, they always pull away a bit more.
“So, I think we’ll be realistic. I’m always realistic when I say it. So I think our competition is with the guys behind and at the same time, I’ll do my best to push forward.”
Carlos Sainz won in Australia last time out and will start Sunday’s race fourth for Ferrari, with the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso fifth.
Oscar Piastri was sixth-fastest in the second McLaren, while Lewis Hamilton and George Russell are down in seventh and ninth respectively – with Mercedes later fined 5,000 euros for an unsafe pit-lane release of Russell.
Charles Leclerc is sandwiched between the pair, with home favourite Yuki Tsunoda rounding out the top 10.
Tsunoda scraped into the final session, eliminating RB team-mate Daniel Ricciardo at the end of Q2 to the roar of the Suzuka crowd.
Nico Hulkenberg, Valtteri Bottas, Alex Albon and Esteban Ocon also failed to make it through and will start 12-15th, respectively.
Lance Stroll, Pierre Gasly, Kevin Magnussen, Logan Sargeant and Zhou Guanyu were knocked out in Q1.
Head coach Doc Rivers slammed the Milwaukee Bucks after their slump continued against the Toronto Raptors on Friday, saying losing to "bad teams" is inexcusable.
The Raptors had lost 15 straight games ahead of their trip to Fiserv Forum, but Gary Trent Jr.'s 31 points helped condemn the Bucks to a surprise 117-111 defeat, their fifth loss in six games.
Milwaukee were without Giannis Antetokounmpo as the two-time NBA MVP battles a hamstring injury, though Damian Lillard returned after three games out to score 36 points.
However, it wasn't enough for the Bucks, who pulled within two points with 54.5 seconds left but saw Khris Middleton miss a potential go-ahead 3-pointer before four free throws saw Toronto home.
Still occupying second place in the Eastern Conference, Milwaukee are now just one game clear of the Cleveland Cavaliers and two ahead of the Orlando Magic and New York Knicks.
Each of their last three defeats have come against teams who are .351 or lower in the Washington Wizards (15-63), Memphis Grizzlies (27-50) and Toronto (24-53), leaving Rivers enraged.
"The last three were against pretty bad teams, and to me that's inexcusable for all of us," Rivers said.
"This is on me. I've got to figure out what we've got to do to play at a higher pace. The defense has to be better. We've got to work ourselves through this."
Lillard echoed those sentiments, adding: "These are situations where we've just got to have discipline and get the job done, and we haven't.
"But if you ask anybody in the league, they'll tell you these are some of the hardest times of the season.
"We've got to take accountability. If it was one of these games, it's alright, the next two should be handled. To have three of them is disappointing. We've just got to do better."
For the Raptors, Friday's win was their first since March 3 against the Charlotte Hornets, with stars RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley having both been absent in recent weeks.
Barrett had 26 points and Quickley had 25 on Friday, leaving coach Darko Rajakovic to sing their praises, saying: "It's great when we have our guys coming back and playing.
"I thought during the whole stretch the team stayed together. It's good to get a win."
Lewis Hamilton may have only managed to qualify seventh for the Japanese Grand Prix but he insists his Mercedes has not felt better in three years.
The seven-time world champion will start from the fourth row at Suzuka, with team-mate George Russell in ninth.
While from the outside that would suggest Mercedes once again struggled with an underperforming car – like much of the past two years – Hamilton was in good spirits following Saturday’s qualifying.
Having lamented the gap to pole-sitter Max Verstappen over the team radio during the session, he had a more positive outlook in the aftermath.
“The car has been much nicer to drive this weekend… this is the nicest it has felt in three years,” he said.
“I think we did a really good job over the last week, just the analysis we’ve done at the factory to get the car into a sweet spot.
“This weekend it’s much more in the sweet spot and so I hope that continues in the following races. Then we’ve just got to add performance.
“I think we’ve got the car into a much nicer working window and so it’s been really enjoyable driving, it’s just the guys are just a little bit faster.”
Hamilton has amassed just eight points from the opening three races of the 2024 campaign and retired last time out in Australia.
The early signs are Mercedes face another year of chasing the fastest cars rather than challenging for victories – but the Briont, who will race for Ferrari from next year – feels things are starting to look up.
Asked if he believes Mercedes are now heading in the right direction, Hamilton replied: “I personally believe so.
“We were a second or just over a second off last year to the Red Bull and seven tenths is now better,” he added.
“I think what it’s giving us is I know exactly where the car is not strong enough, I can feel it in the car, and I know now to be tell them to ‘push in this particular area’. But I’m hoping the race will be stronger tomorrow.”
Mercedes were hit with a Euros5,000 (£4,290) fine for an unsafe pit lane release of Russell at the start of qualifying.
Russell will start the race from his lowest grid slot this season but he believes it will be a close battle with the cars in and around him.
“I think it’s just so tight out there between ourselves McLaren, Ferrari and Aston Martin,” he said.
“If you nail your lap you are up at the front of that pack, and if you don’t you will be at the back of that pack, we knew that this circuit was going to be a slight challenge for us. We know our limitation in the high-speed corners.”
This afternoon’s National Hunt meeting at Uttoxeter will go ahead as scheduled after the track passed a morning inspection, but racing at the Curragh has been abandoned.
Hopes of any turf racing taking place in Britain on Saturday hinged a second precautionary check at Uttoxeter at 7.30am. An initial inspection was staged at 2pm on Friday and while there was standing water in some areas, the track was described as raceable.
Officials announced a further precautionary inspection for raceday morning and were able to give the fixture the go-ahead.
The news was not so good in Ireland, with a Curragh card due to feature the Group Three Tote.ie Alleged Stakes abandoned due to a waterlogged track.
Brendan Sheridan, the IHRB clerk of the course at the Curragh, said: “Following a further four millimetres of rain in the last 24 hours, unfortunately we have to cancel the fixture scheduled at the Curragh today as parts of the track are just not fit for racing.”
The disruption could continue on Sunday, with meetings at Carlisle and Downpatrick subject to morning inspections at 7am and 7.30am respectively.
Tuesday’s Flat meeting at Navan has already been cancelled, while Hexham’s jumps card on the same day also looks in serious doubt, with officials calling an inspection for 7.30am on Sunday.
Looking even further ahead, officials at Leicester have announced an inspection for 8am on Tuesday ahead of the track’s scheduled fixture on Friday, with the course currently waterlogged and unraceable.
Max Verstappen stormed to pole position at the Japanese Grand Prix as his dominance in qualifying continued.
The world champion has locked out the first spot on the grid this season and there was no answer to his pace at Suzuka.
His time of one minute 28.197 beat Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez into second place by just 0.066 seconds, while McLaren’s Lando Norris was the best of the rest.
Verstappen’s run of pole positions now stretches back to the last race of last season and he is now toasting a third pole in Japan.
The Dutchman never looked like being beaten and was quickest across all three qualifying sessions – as well as Saturday morning’s final practice.
He is aiming to get back on track after retiring in Melbourne and the rest of the field will be concerned that he could drive off into the distance from the start.
“It was quite close at the end,” Verstappen said of his latest pole lap.
“Overall this track is sensitive with the tyres and when you want to go to the limit it doesn’t always work out but what is important is being on pole. Overall, a very good day, a good starting position tomorrow and of course tomorrow is what counts.
“It is great as a team to be P1 and P2, hopefully we can keep that going tomorrow.”
Carlos Sainz won in Australia last time out and will start Sunday’s race fourth for Ferrari, with the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso fifth.
Oscar Piastri was sixth-fastest in the second McLaren, with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell down in seventh and ninth, respectively.
Charles Leclerc is sandwiched between the pair, with home favourite Yuki Tsunoda rounding out the top 10.
Tsunoda scraped into the final session, eliminating RB team-mate Daniel Ricciardo at the end of Q2 to the roar of the Suzuka crowd.
Nico Hulkenberg, Valtteri Bottas, Alex Albon and Esteban Ocon also failed to make it through and will start 12-15th, respectively.
Lance Stroll, Pierre Gasly, Kevin Magnussen, Logan Sargeant and Zhou Guanyu were knocked out in Q1.
Seiya Suzuki drove in three runs and the Chicago Cubs scored five times in the second inning before holding on for a 9-7 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Friday's opener of a three-game series.
Michael Busch, acquired from the Dodgers in the offseason, had a solo homer against his former team to help Chicago to its fifth consecutive win. Dansby Swanson also homered for the Cubs and Ian Happ contributed a two-run triple.
The Dodgers had a four-game winning streak snapped despite Shohei Ohtani connecting for his second homer of the season, a two-run shot in the fifth inning. Teoscar Hernandez went 3 for 4 with four RBIs for Los Angeles.
After Hernandez's two-run single in the first inning gave the Dodgers an early lead, the Cubs answered and then some against Los Angeles starter Bobby Miller in the second.
Swanson got Chicago on the board with a one-out solo homer and Miller walked Busch before yielding back-to-back singles to Nico Hoerner and Nick Madrigal, the last of which plated Busch. Happ later walked to load the bases and Hoerner scored on Miller's wild pitch for a 3-2 Cubs lead.
Suzuki then doubled to right to knock in two more runs and extend the margin and chase Miller, who was tagged for five runs in just 1 2/3 innings.
Busch homered in the third to put Chicago up 6-2, but Ohtani followed Mookie Betts' single in the fifth with a blast into the right-field seats off Cubs' starter Kyle Hendricks to close the gap. Hendricks then walked Freddie Freeman before giving up a double to Will Smith that cut Los Angeles' deficit to 6-5.
Hendricks was charged with five runs on eight hits over four-plus innings.
Happ brought in Hoerner and Yan Gomes with a triple in the sixth to give Chicago some breathing room, then scored on Suzuki's sacrifice fly for a 9-5 lead.
Hernandez plated Freeman and Smith with a single in the seventh to get the Dodgers closer, but relievers Julian Merryweather and Adbert Alzolay shut Los Angeles out over the final two innings to protect the lead.
Rangers roll past Astros in ALCS rematch
Adolis Garcia and Marcus Semien each belted three-run homers as the Texas Rangers cruised to a 10-2 rout over the Houston Astros in the American League West rivals' first meeting since last season's League Championship Series.
Garcia also had an RBI single to back 7 2/3 outstanding innings from Cory Bradford as the Rangers took the opener of this four-game Lone Star series.
Bradford yielded just one run and two hits with no walks to help Texas end a run of eight consecutive Houston wins at the Rangers' Globe Life Park, including three during the 2023 ALCS that Texas won in seven games before later capturing the franchise's first World Series title.
The Rangers went up big early in the rematch, scoring five two-out runs off Houston starter Hunter Brown in the second inning.
Singles by Josh Smith and Semien put two runners on before Corey Seager drove in Texas' first run with a double. Semien then scored on Wyatt Langford's infield single before Garcia launched a three-run homer for a 5-0 advantage.
Smith's RBI double in the fourth and Garcia's run-scoring single in the fifth increased the margin further, and Semien made it a 10-0 lead when he homered off Brandon Bielak with two aboard in the sixth.
Bradford was removed after giving up a two-out single to Jeremy Pena in the eighth. Jake Meyers then greeted reliever Yerry Rodriguez with a two-run homer to end Texas' shutout bid.
Brown lasted just three innings and was tagged for five runs and eight hits while walking four.
Clement's homer helps Blue Jays spoil Yankees' home opener
Ernie Clement broke a scoreless tie with a pinch-hit home run in the seventh inning, and five Toronto Blue Jays pitchers combined on a six-hitter to spoil the New York Yankees' home opener with a 3-0 victory.
Clement sent a pitch from Yankees reliever Caleb Ferguson into the left-field seats to help Toronto take the opener of this three-game series.
The Blue Jays tacked on two more runs in the top of the ninth before ex-Yankee Chad Green worked around a pair of hits in the bottom of the inning to finish off the shutout and earn his first save of the season.
New York was dealt just its second loss in eight games this season despite an outstanding start from former Blue Jay Marcus Stroman, who yielded just three hits and struck out six in six scoreless innings.
Yusei Kikuchi was just as good for Toronto, as the left-hander permitted just four hits and struck out seven in 5 1/3 innings.
Alejandro Kirk had three hits for the Blue Jays, including a single in the ninth that was followed by a base hit from Daulton Varsho. Isiah Kiner-Falefa then drew a walk to load the bases before New York reliever Nick Burdi threw a wild pitch that allowed pinch-runner Brian Serven to score for a 2-0 lead.
Burdi uncorked another wild pitch later in the inning that enabled Varsho to score Toronto's final run.
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