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.
Lewis Hamilton said he is “counting down the days” until the end of the season after he finished a distant seventh in Saturday’s shortened race in Brazil.
Max Verstappen took his fourth sprint victory from six this year after he beat pole-sitter Lando Norris to the opening bend.
Norris finished runner-up, 4.2 seconds adrift, with Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez third.
Performances at the previous two rounds had afforded Hamilton and Mercedes hope that they are closing the gap to Verstappen’s all-conquering Red Bull team. But on Saturday, they were dealt a reality check.
After just 24 laps, Hamilton’s team-mate George Russell, who finished fourth, was 26 seconds behind Verstappen. Hamilton was even further back – 35 seconds adrift in the other Mercedes.
“The last couple of races we have been excited that we have been progressing, and it has been positive to see,” said Hamilton, who finished second in Austin – before he was disqualified after his Mercedes failed a post-race scrutineering check – and runner-up again in Mexico seven days later, this time with a legal car.
“But then you come to another track and I have the worst tyre degradation I have had for ages, so you just don’t know what to expect.
“It was a very tough race. We got a good start and then I tried to get the right balance. But I had a lot of understeer, snap oversteer, and the rear tyres dropped off.
“There are only a couple of more races with this car and then it is done, so I will be happy. I am just counting down the days.”
Hamilton has three attempts remaining – here in Sunday’s 71-lap Sao Paulo Grand Prix, Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi – to avoid a second winless season.
On Sunday, it will mark 700 days since he last entered the winner’s circle – at the penultimate round of the 2021 season in Abu Dhabi.
During that same period, Verstappen has notched up 32 victories – the same number as Fernando Alonso managed throughout his entire career. And the Dutchman will be the favourite to extend his remarkable winning streak when he lines up from pole on Sunday. Hamilton starts fifth.
“It was a bruising day,” said Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff. “I don’t think that there is a magic screw you can turn and then everything is fixed.
“Everything went against us. We need to really scratch our heads hard over what we can do for tomorrow, and improve.”
Hamilton was fifth on the grid and moved up one place on the first lap following a fine move round the outside of Perez at Turn 4.
But the Mexican moved back ahead four laps later before Hamilton was gazumped by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and the AlphaTauri of Yuki Tsunoda in the closing laps. Perez extended his lead over Hamilton in the race for championship runner-up from 20 points to 24.
For Norris, his bid to win for the first time in Formula One was over in the blink of an eye after he was out-gunned by Verstappen at the start.
Norris enjoyed a decent getaway, but he failed to cover off the inside line, allowing Verstappen to sling his Red Bull through.
“I need to review my start,” said Norris. “My initial phase was good but maybe I was too conservative and on the safe side.
“There are a lot of shoulda, coulda, wouldas. I am feeling very comfortable in the car but there are things I need to work on, and I am working on them.”
Charlie Appleby enhanced his fine Breeders’ Cup record, with Master Of The Seas flying home late to deny fellow Godolphin raider Mawj in a rip-roaring conclusion to the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita.
With Saeed bin Suroor’s 1000 Guineas heroine tracking the hot pace set by Japanese challenger Win Carnelian, in contrast William Buick had Master Of The Seas held up towards the rear of the field from his outside draw in stall 14.
The order remained unaltered swinging the turn for home when Oisin Murphy decided to angle out Mawj and send the ultra-tough Classic winner for home in what looked a race-winning move.
However, Buick’s patience was rewarded and as the wire approached, Master Of The Seas had one last lung-busting thrust in him to edge out Mawj and lead home an all-British and all-Godolphin one-two.
It was the third straight victory in the Breeders’ Cup Mile for both Appleby and Buick following their successes with Space Blues (2021) and Modern Games (2022), while the Moulton Paddocks handler now has 10 Breeders’ Cup victories to his name.
Dominican World Championship finalist Thea LaFond won Dominica’s lone Athletics medal at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile with bronze in the women’s triple jump on Thursday.
LaFond, who was fifth at the World Championships in Budapest with a personal best 14.90m, was one of only three athletes to jump further than 14m throughout the competition, with her best jump of 14.25m coming in the first round.
Cuba’s Liadagmis Povea produced 14.41m in the second round to take silver while her countrywoman and World Championships bronze medallist Leyanis Perez produced 14.75m in the third round to take gold.
Frankie Dettori was at his brilliant best as he delivered Inspiral to a last-gasp victory in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
The John and Thady Gosden-trained filly has been one of Dettori’s star performers over the past few seasons, so it was somewhat fitting that she shone once again at Santa Anita, the place Dettori is soon to call home.
Held up towards the rear of mid-division for her first attempt at 10 furlongs, Dettori angled Inspiral out for a run rounding the far turn and flew home to deny Aidan O’Brien’s Warm Heart in the dying strides.
After a year of his ‘farewell tour’, Dettori recently reversed his decision to retire, and will soon be in action full-time in California. He also indicated he would like to keep the ride on Inspiral, which would mean a return to European action.
He said: “She’s always slow out of the gate, but she jumped good and was squeezed out on the fence. I really wanted to be where William (Buick, on With The Moonlight) was, but he got there before me.
“She needs a quarter of a mile to find top gear, and I expected her to find it. Once she did, she was flying. The Filly & Mare was always the plan because we felt the Mile would be too sharp for her.”
He added: “The support from people has been phenomenal, but I can’t do it without the horses and she (Inspiral) has been a star. She’s beaten the boys and first time in the States she has shown what she can do.
“I will disappointed if I’m not on her (next year), but it will depend on the owners. But it is a job done for England and the Cheveley Park team, John Gosden and Thady.
“Coming here this week I felt she was my best ride. It’s great that the banker went in.
“I love the Breeders’ Cup, it’s been my making. This feels really sweet.”
A delighted John Gosden said: “She had a hiccup in the spring and ran in a bog at Goodwood. She was pointing towards the QEII (on Champions Day), but we didn’t even declare her.
“Frankie did the right thing to get her out. I knew she would get the trip well, she would have been an unlucky loser.
“I thought Ryan Moore rode a super race on Warm Heart. Our filly needed all her class the get there. She’s got a superb will, and it’s a wonderful achievement for Cheveley Park.
“Next year options are open. Whether Lockinge and Queen Anne or look at the Juddmonte and the Nassau. I could se the Juddmonte International being a key race for her.”
And it looks like Dettori will get his wish in maintaining the partnership, as Gosden said: “If she’s in great order next year we will seriously look at bringing her back to Del Mar and Frankie will be free to ride her.”
Ice hockey fans have paid tribute to Nottingham Panthers player Adam Johnson, who died after sustaining a serious injury during a match watched by thousands.
Many supporters were in tears as they signed books of condolence on the ice at Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena on Saturday evening.
Fans walked past a photo of Johnson and a shirt displaying his name and team number, 47, as they came onto the ice – which had been carpeted – to pay their respects to the American.
Hundreds of floral tributes to Johnson have also been left outside the Motorpoint Arena in Bolero Square.
Nottingham Panthers said the team’s players and staff would spend Saturday afternoon privately reflecting on their memories of Johnson while signing the books of condolence.
Johnson’s funeral will take place on Sunday in the US, according to an obituary posted on the website of Dougherty Funeral Home in Hibbing, Minnesota.
The obituary stated: “Adam had a quiet confidence about him and was never boastful.
“He was never looking to be the centre of attention, but rather he preferred to listen to others and do what he could to make them feel important.”
The 29-year-old American was playing for the Panthers against Sheffield Steelers on October 28 when he was hit in the throat by an opponent’s skate, causing a fatal injury.
About 8,000 fans watched in horror as attempts were made to save Johnson’s life as he lay on the ice at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena, shielded by fellow players.
On Friday, Sheffield’s senior coroner Tanyka Rawden opened and adjourned an inquest into Johnson’s death at Sheffield’s Medico-Legal Centre.
Frankie Dettori was at his brilliant best as he delivered Inspiral to a last-gasp victory in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
The John and Thady Gosden-trained filly has been one of Dettori’s star performers over the past few seasons, so it was somewhat fitting that she shone once again at Santa Anita, the place Dettori is soon to call home.
Held up towards the rear of mid-division for her first attempt at 10 furlongs, Dettori angled Inspiral out for a run rounding the far turn and flew home to deny Aidan O’Brien’s Warm Heart in the dying strides.
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