Owen Farrell possesses the drive to one day resume his England career and could remain in rugby for the rest of his life, according to Saracens boss Mark McCall.
Long-serving England captain Farrell will become ineligible for international selection under Rugby Football Union rules when he joins French club Racing 92 on a two-year contract in the summer.
After sitting out the Guinness Six Nations to prioritise his mental health, the 32-year-old is set to return to competitive action on Saturday in the Gallagher Premiership clash with London rivals Harlequins.
Saracens director of rugby McCall believes Farrell is capable of remaining at the top level for the foreseeable future, including eventually adding to the 112 caps he was won for his country.
“There are very few players who can and I think he is one of them,” said McCall.
“But you have got to have the drive to do that, you’ve got to have the competitive spirit to do that – I think he has that.
“He can keep going for as long as that drive and competitive spirit is there.”
Fly-half Farrell has spent his entire career with Saracens and is poised to make his 250th appearance for the club in this weekend’s derby against Quins at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“Regardless of what happens over the next 10 weeks, his legacy is firmly established here,” said McCall, who joined Sarries in 2009 when Farrell was still a teenager.
“He’s done everything and achieved everything here.
“And to go and explore the opportunity that he is in France and experience something different with his family, I think is a great thing to do at this stage of his career.
“I can’t imagine Owen Farrell not being in rugby for the rest of his life, to be honest.
“Given the rugby IQ that he has, the motivational ability that he has, the brilliant communicator that he is, the good person that he is, you could see him stepping into coaching very readily and we hope in time that might be here.”
Farrell opted to step out of the limelight after last year’s Rugby World Cup in France following intense scrutiny.
“The break was important for him,” said McCall. “He’s had a personally very difficult time.
“Maybe it’s him being brave enough to talk about it, which is not easy to do for most people, certainly not somebody like Owen.
“I think at least it’s maybe changed the dial a small bit.
“When people talk about England now, it’s never as bad as people are saying and it’s never as good as some people are saying. It’s somewhere in the middle but no one ever reports it that way.
“I think Owen’s bravery in telling people how he felt was a good thing.
“We almost forbade him from coming (into training) because he needed some respite and needed to go and do some things with his family, some things that were not rugby related. He is now free to throw himself into the rest of the season.”
McCall revealed Saracens have identified a replacement for Farrell and expects an official announcement in the coming weeks.
“It has been a fascinating project trying to find the right person,” he said.
“We wanted to look for someone that we believed had the potential and the personality to be part of this team for a while. We think we have found the right person.”
Iran’s Hossein Vafaei edged out Ronnie O’Sullivan in a thrilling final frame to reach the quarter-finals of the World Open in Yushan.
O’Sullivan fought back from behind on four occasions, the last time with a break of 125, but ran out of position on a break of 62 in the decider.
The world number one still looked set to win when he later potted the final red to lead by 26 points, but missed a difficult black along the cushion instead of opting to leave Vafaei snookered on the yellow.
That decision came back to bite the seven-time world champion as he left the yellow over a corner pocket in escaping from a snooker and Vafaei held his nerve to clear the table and secure a 5-4 victory.
Defending champion Judd Trump, who won the tournament when it was last staged in 2019, also reached the last eight with a 5-3 win over David Lilley, while Barry Hawkins made breaks of 129, 67, 71 and 54 as he reeled off five frames in succession to beat Stephen Maguire 5-1.
In the final match of the morning session, Kyren Wilson made a break of 119 in the deciding frame to beat Ben Woollaston 5-4.
The International Olympic Committee is wrong, on current evidence, to say there can be no presumed advantage to transgender women competing in female categories, a new study states.
The IOC has been urged to review the framework for transgender inclusion it published in 2021 in a new paper published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports.
Scientists say there is a mountain of evidence in existing studies highlighting the differences in physical performance between men and women but also “limited but existing evidence” that significant advantages remain even after a trans woman who has been through male puberty has undergone treatment to lower testosterone.
Alun Williams, Professor of Sport and Exercise Genomics at the Manchester Metropolitan University Institute of Sport and co-author of the paper, said: “The IOC’s framework says there is no ‘presumption of advantage’, but the data shows there is physical development that takes place during adolescence in males that gives clear athletic advantages.
“Male development during puberty results in large performance advantages in athletic sports, such as larger muscle mass, heart size, lung capacity, bones, strength, and circulating haemoglobin, which are integral to sports performance.
“It is this exposure to testosterone during adolescent development, not the level of testosterone present in adults, that underpins the difference between the male and female categories, and there is currently no evidence that testosterone suppression in transgender women can reverse male development and negate these advantages.”
The new research uses data to demonstrate the difference between male and female physiology, showing, for example, up to 50 per cent greater upper body muscle mass and 40 per cent greater lower body muscle mass in males, in addition to skeletal differences such as nine per cent greater height and 14 per cent greater shoulder width.
Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas is seeking to challenge World Aquatics rules introduced in 2022 which prohibit her from competing in the female category.
The rules are set to be challenged at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) by Thomas’ legal team on the grounds that they are discriminatory and that such discrimination “cannot be justified as necessary, reasonable, or proportionate to achieve a legitimate sporting objective”.
Speaking generally rather than specifically on the Thomas case, Professor Williams said proportionality was always a difficult issue to interpret.
“To some, a proportionate response to even a one per cent retained advantage is ineligibility,” he said.
“Some people have asked, is there a meaningful advantage or meaningful difference that still exists (even after testosterone treatment)?”
Asked whether there was a meaningful advantage, Professor Williams replied: “That is what the evidence shows. Whatever the initial (performance) difference is, typically less than half of that difference seems to be removed (by the lowering of testosterone) in the scientific studies examined.
“At least half (the advantage) in most of the things that we’re talking about – muscle mass and strength and endurance and so on – seems to remain.”
The IOC has been contacted for a response.
Harry Redknapp’s Cheltenham Festival hero Shakem Up’Arry has a date with Aintree’s Grand National fences on the agenda – but time will tell whether he lines up for the big race itself or the Randox Topham Handicap Chase 24 hours earlier.
The Ben Pauling-trained 10-year-old – who is named after a West Ham supporter who used to instruct the former Irons manager to ‘Shakem Up’Arry’ on matchdays – gave the well-known football boss his first victory at National Hunt’s showpiece meeting with a brilliant display in the TrustATrader Plate.
It was a performance which backed up his win at Prestbury Park on New Year’s Day and while in the form of his life, connections are relishing the prospect of tackling Aintree’s famous spruce next month.
“He’s got an entry in the National and the Topham and he will run in one of them,” said Pauling.
“A lot will depend on the next confirmation stage of the National when we will see where we are, but we don’t have to make a decision until nearer the time and to be honest he’s only going to be ticking over and pop over one or two fences in preparation.
“He’s come out of Cheltenham really well and we’re looking forward to Aintree with him.”
Shakem Up’Arry has never won over further than an extended two and a half miles in his career to date, but Pauling believes his Festival champion would not let the side down if Redknapp decides to take a shot at the world’s most famous steeplechase.
“First off we need to get into the National and if we did, which race he runs in will come down to the personal preference of Harry and if he wants a runner in the National or whether he wants to go to the Topham,” explained Pauling.
“You never know if a horse is going to stay the trip of a National, but he travels and jumps so well you could see him probably running a big race. It’s just a case of what happens when you cross the Melling Road and go to another level.
“It will be a case of weighing up the pros and cons, but you would think he would be a good sight over the fences, he certainly wouldn’t be backing off them, that’s for sure.”
Pauling was finding the scoresheet at the Festival for the fourth time with Shakem Up’Arry, but was thrilled to see one of his long-time supporters break his duck with a horse who has always been a popular member of the the handler’s Naunton Downs string.
He said: “You want success for all your owners, but for someone like Harry who has been a competitive man throughout his life in the football industry, it was amazing to give him a day like that on the biggest stage in racing which he adores so much and is a big supporter of.
“We are just delighted for the horse, he is always one we have adored and to get some big victories into him like the last two means the world really.
“He improved to win at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day and we knew he would need to improve again and he did. It appears the wind op we did in the summer has worked nicely and it was a foot-perfect round of jumping. He was big and bold when he needed to be over the last few before staying on strongly up the hill.”
Although there was joy for Shakem Up’Arry, there was agony a day later when what looked like a Festival double for Paling and Redknapp courtesy of The Jukebox Man was thwarted at the very last moment by the rallying Stellar Story.
The Challow Hurdle third proved he is very much a high-class performer in the making when making the running in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, the six-year-old and his pilot Kielan Woods leaving many well-touted rivals trailing in their wake before being reeled in late in the day.
However, Pauling is taking plenty of positives from the narrow reversal and is excited for next year’s novice chasing campaign after one more possible outing this term.
“He’s always been a horse we have liked and I think the Albert Bartlett has told us an awful lot really – it’s put him on the map as a proper Grade One contender going forward,” he added.
“I think he will be better for a fence, he lost nothing in defeat and he’s an exciting one for next year.
“We purposely gave him plenty of time between the Challow and Albert Bartlett because I thought the Challow would take a bit out of him and it did. But he seems to have come out of this one very well.
“Whether he goes to Aintree for the Sefton or over to Punchestown, I’m not sure. But we will take each day as it comes and he has sort of done his job this year I think.
“However, if he was in sparkling form the week before Aintree we might just give him an entry and see where we are.”
Max Verstappen said he can understand why Toto Wolff wants to take him to Mercedes – but the triple world champion insists it his “intention” to see out his contract with Red Bull.
Following Verstappen’s ninth consecutive victory in Saudi Arabia earlier this month, Wolff revealed for the first time that he would “love” to sign Verstappen as a replacement for the Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton.
Verstappen, 26, is under contract with Red Bull until 2028, but his future is in the spotlight amid the in-fighting at Formula One’s dominant team.
And responding to Wolff’s comments ahead of Sunday’s third round of the season in Australia, Verstappen replied with a smile: “I can understand (why).
“It is always nice to hear that. Toto and I have had our moments. That is normal between two teams battling for the championship but the respect has always been there.
“From my side it doesn’t change anything. I don’t know what will happen after 2028, if I will stay in F1, or continue, or sign a new deal (with Red Bull).
“But that is why I signed the deal in the first place. I am happy within the team and it is my intention to be here in the end.”
Verstappen, who will equal his record of 10 straight wins with another victory this weekend, opened the door to sensationally quitting Red Bull if motorsport adviser Helmut Marko is forced out on the eve of the race in Saudi Arabia a fortnight ago.
Verstappen continued: “It is very important that we try to keep the key players in the team for a longer period of time because that is where the performance is and if I didn’t perform I wouldn’t be sitting here.
“For me, it is a second family. In a family there might some times be disagreements. You cannot choose your family but you can choose friends.
“A lot of people have contributed to the success of this team from the start and that has to be respected. It is important to keep them together, happy and in the same roles.
“But we just focus on the performance. I would like the chat to be about the great car that we have. Hopefully that will come slowly.”
Zandre Roye, hailing from Jamaica, etched his name in history books as he clinched the Trinidad & Tobago Open Golf Championship title, becoming the first Jamaican to achieve this remarkable feat. Roye's stellar performance saw him dominate the field from day one, ultimately securing victory by a commanding nine-shot margin at the Tobago Plantation Golf Course on Sunday.
Throughout the four-day championship, Roye showcased exceptional consistency and skill, posting impressive scores of four over par 76, one under par 71, one over par 73, and par 72 on days one through four, respectively. Holding the lead from start to finish, Roye's determination propelled him to an overall score of four over par 292, firmly establishing his dominance over the competition.
His nearest competitor, Zico Correia from Trinidad & Tobago, trailed behind with a score of 13 over par 301, securing second place, while Chris Richards Jr., also from Trinidad & Tobago, claimed third place with a score of 18 over par 306.
Reflecting on his historic victory, Roye expressed his elation and described his mindset during the challenging conditions on the final day. Confident in his abilities and drawing on past experiences, he maintained his composure and focused on executing each shot to perfection, ultimately widening the gap between himself and his closest rivals.
Roye's commanding lead allowed him to navigate the final holes with confidence, culminating in a triumphant finish on the last hole with a nine-shot advantage. His remarkable achievement marks a significant milestone in his golfing career and reaffirms his status as one of the sport's rising stars.
Looking ahead, Roye sets his sights on the Easter Jamboree at the Upton Estate Golf & Country Club, eager to continue his winning momentum on his home course.
Despite facing formidable competition, fellow Jamaican golfers Oshae Haye and Sean Morris displayed commendable performances, finishing in 15th and 18th place, respectively, in the championship flight.
In addition to Roye's individual triumph, Jamaica secured victory in the President's Cup, propelled by the stellar performances of Roye and Haye. Trinidad & Tobago claimed second place, with St. Kitts & Nevis rounding out the top three.
Dr. Mark Newnham emerged victorious in the Senior's Flight, while Zeke Percival of St. Kitts & Nevis and Russell Latapy of Trinidad & Tobago secured second and third place, respectively.
The Jamaica Olympic Association and the Betting Gaming and Lotteries Commission played integral roles in facilitating Jamaica's participation in the championship.
Lewis Hamilton said he has never supported Formula One’s ruler Mohammed ben Sulayem – and believes the sport is sending out a “message that if you file a complaint, you will be fired” amid the Christian Horner controversy.
Ben Sulayem, elected as FIA president in December 2021, was cleared by his own organisation’s ethics committee on Wednesday after he was accused of meddling with the result of last year’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and attempting to block the certification of F1’s £500m Las Vegas Grand Prix on the Strip in November.
But four hours later, on another whirlwind day in the controversy-hit world of F1, Susie Wolff announced she has filed a criminal complaint against the FIA following the sporting federation’s conflict of interest inquiry into her and husband Toto, the team principal of Hamilton’s Mercedes team, in December.
Earlier this month, Christian Horner’s accuser was suspended on full pay in the wake of Red Bull’s investigation into alleged “inappropriate behaviour” by the F1 team principal. The employee of the Milton Keynes team has since appealed against the decision to exonerate Horner.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, Hamilton was asked if 62-year-old Emirati Ben Sulayem remains the right person in charge of the FIA and if he still has his backing.
“He never has,” said Hamilton. The seven-time world champion was then asked for his thoughts on Wolff’s decision to launch legal action.
“Firstly, I’m incredibly proud of Susie,” said the seven-time world champion. “I think she is so brave, and she stands for such great values.
“She’s such a leader and in a world where often people are silenced, for her to be standing up sends such a great message.
“There is a real lack of accountability here, within this sport, within the FIA.
“There are things that are happening behind closed doors, there is no transparency, there is really no accountability and we need that. The fans need that. How can you trust the sport and what is happening here if you don’t have that?
“So, hopefully this stand that she’s taking now will create change, will have a positive impact, and especially for women. It is still a male-dominated sport, and we’re living in a time where the message is if you file a complaint, you will be fired, and that is a terrible narrative to be projecting to the world, especially when we’re talking about inclusivity here in the sport. We need to make sure we stay true to the core values.”
The probe into the Wolffs arose at the end of last year after a report in Business F1 magazine claimed that other team principals were concerned Susie’s husband Toto was benefiting from information shared by his wife, who runs the all-female F1 Academy series.
Two days after the FIA announced its compliance department was “looking into” the allegations, the federation said it “can confirm that there is no ongoing investigation in terms of ethical or disciplinary inquiries involving any individual”. At the time, Susie, 41, described the allegations as “intimidatory and misogynistic”.
And on Wednesday, she wrote on social media: “I can confirm that I personally filed a criminal complaint in the French courts on the 4th of March in relation to the statements made about me by the FIA last December.
“There has still not been any transparency or accountability in relation to the conduct of the FIA and its personnel in this matter.
“I feel more than ever it is important to stand up, call out improper behaviour and make sure people are held to account. Whilst some may think silence absolves them from responsibility – it does not.”
The FIA has been approached for a comment.
Auston Matthews had two goals and three assists to match a career high with five points and the Toronto Maple Leafs overcame two goals by Alexander Ovechkin in a 7-3 win over the Washington Capitals on Wednesday.
Matthews scored his first goal of the game just 16 seconds in and tallied his league-leading 57th with 7:01 left in the second to give the Maple Leafs a 3-1 lead.
Max Domi had a career-high four assists and John Tavares and William Nylander each added a goal and two assists as Toronto improved to 3-1-1 in its last five games.
Ovechkin’s two goals gave him 23 on the season and 845 for his career, 50 shy of passing Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record that once seemed unapproachable.
Washington had a three-game winning streak snapped and remained one point behind Detroit for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Seguin scores in return as Stars beat Coyotes again
Tyler Seguin scored in his first game in almost a month and the Dallas Stars moved into a tie for the Central Division lead with a 5-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes.
Jamie Benn, Seguin and Logan Stankoven scored second-period goals and Jason Robertson and Craig Smith also tallied for the Stars, who are 18-0-1 in their last 19 home games against the Coyotes. They lost last at home to the then-Phoenix Coyotes in regulation on Feb. 7, 2012.
Seguin scored his 21st of the season with 7:36 left in the second to extend Dallas’ lead to 3-1. It was his first game since Feb. 22 after he missed 11 with a lower-body injury.
Clayton Keller and John Leonard scored for the Coyotes, who were seeking their first three-game winning streak since December.
Kings chase Fleury, cool Wild
David Rittich stopped 30 shots for his second shutout in three games and the Los Angeles Kings had six different goal scorers in a 6-0 thrashing of the Minnesota Wild.
Kevin Fiala, Anže Kopitar, Phillip Danault and Viktor Arvidsson each had a goal and an assist to help the Kings improve to 6-1-1 in their last eight home games. They moved four points ahead of fourth-place Vegas in the Pacific Division and within three points of second-place Edmonton.
Kopitar became the 52nd player in NHL history to reach 1,200 points with an assist on Fiala's goal in the first period.
The Wild were shut out for the fourth time this season and had an eight-game point streak snapped.
Marc-Andre Fleury was pulled in the second period after allowing five goals on 16 shots. Filip Gustavsson turned aside 10 of 11 shots the rest of the way.
Jayson Tatum scored 31 points and the Boston Celtics held on for their seventh straight victory, 122-119 over a Milwaukee Bucks team missing two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo on Wednesday.
Derrick White had 23 points and eight assists and Jaylen Brown added 21 with eight rebounds for the league-leading Celtics, who improved to 32-3 at home and are cruising to the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
Damian Lillard led the Bucks with 32 points and Bobby Portis had 24 points and 15 boards for Milwaukee, which dropped to 3-2 this season without Antetokounmpo and remained one game up on Cleveland for the Central Division lead.
Boston led by as many as 21 points but Milwaukee got the deficit down to 116-114 on Portis’ jumper with 32 seconds left.
Brown and Tatum each sank two free throws around a missed layup by Lillard and two more free throws by Tatum with seven seconds to play sealed it.
Rozier sparks Heat past Cavaliers
Terry Rozier scored nine of his 24 points in the final 84 seconds, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 14.5 left on the clock, to lift the Miami Heat to a 107-104 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Rozier converted a 4-point play before sinking a 26-footer that gave the Heat a 105-102 lead. Two free throws by Georges Niang made it a one-point game before Rozier followed with two of his own with 2.8 seconds remaining.
Darius Garland’s off-balance 3 at the buzzer failed to fall and Cleveland dropped its third straight home game despite getting 25 points and 20 rebounds from Jarrett Allen.
Jimmy Butler scored 30 points for Miami, which has won three of four following a four-game skid.
Holmgren’s big game powers Thunder
Chet Holmgren scored 35 points and matched a career high with 14 rebounds to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 119-107 win over the Utah Jazz.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 31 points to become the 13th player in NBA history to score 30 points or more in 50 games.
Jalen Williams chipped in 18 points for the Thunder, who moved into the top spot in the Western Conference, one-half game ahead of Denver.
Collin Sexton scored 25 points for Utah, which played without Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson – two of the team’s top three scorers. The Jazz have lost three straight and six of seven.
Aryna Sabalenka says her “heart is broken” following the death of her former boyfriend Konstantin Koltsov.
Former ice hockey player Koltsov, who played in the NHL for the Pittsburgh Penguins, died in Miami aged 42 on Monday in what police described as an “apparent suicide”.
Sabalenka, who is scheduled to participate in this week’s Miami Open, clarified in an Instagram story on Wednesday that she and Koltsov were no longer a couple before his death.
“Konstantin’s death is an unthinkable tragedy, and while we were no longer together, my heart is broken,” Sabalenka wrote. “Please respect my privacy and his family’s privacy during this difficult time.”
Sabalenka was pictured practising in Miami ahead of her first outing against best friend Paula Badosa, who admitted facing the Belarusian will be “uncomfortable”.
Badosa said of Sabalenka: “Yesterday I spoke with her a lot of time. This morning the same. So I know what she’s going through. I know the entire situation, what is happening.
“That for me is a little bit shocking also to go through that because at the end she’s my best friend and I don’t want her to suffer. It’s a very tough situation.
Andy Murray outlasted a wilting Matteo Berrettini to advance to the second round of the Miami Open.
The former world number one wrote on the court-side TV camera that there is ‘life in the old dog yet’ after pulling off an impressive comeback victory.
He has had plenty of joy in Miami since making his debut 18 years ago, winning in 2009 and 2013, and is dreaming of one more shot at glory on his swansong appearance.
Murray was facing the possibility of a first-round exit as he lost the opening set but he fought back and when Berrettini, playing his first ATP Tour match since the US Open, suffered dizzy spells he pounced to seal a 4-6 6-3 6-4 success.
The Italian is coming back from lengthy injury problems, which showed later in the match, but he started well by breaking Murray in the opening game, sealing it with a blistering forehand down the line.
Murray, 36, missed two chances to break back at 3-2 and that proved crucial as Berrettini’s monster serve allowed him to see out the first set.
The second set saw an improvement and Murray’s chance came in a marathon sixth game as he broke on the third attempt with a sweet forehand return.
Berrettini’s health took a turn for the worse when he was about to serve at 2-5 as he suffered a dizzy spell and needed to use his racket as a crutch to stop him collapsing.
Doctors checked his blood pressure and after a long break, the Italian was able to continue, but Murray soon sent it to a decider.
When the Scot won another 12-minute game on Berrettini’s serve in the opening game, the writing was on the wall.
Murray played some clever tennis, running his weary opponent side to side as the former Wimbledon finalist continued to suffer.
He did have to fight back from 0-40 down midway through the decider and that ended Berrettini’s challenge as Murray won for just the fourth time in 2024.
Jack Draper earlier put in an assured performance to beat Taro Daniel and reach the second round.
The Briton, ranked number 42 in the world, overcame his Japanese opponent 6-3 6-2 in 69 minutes to set up a second-round meeting with 22nd seed Nicolas Jarry.
Looking to bounce back from a disappointing first-round exit in Indian Wells, Draper was by far the superior player against the world number 78 in Florida, hitting 25 winners and had a 97 per cent success rate on his first serve.
Susie Wolff has filed a criminal complaint against the FIA over a controversial inquiry into her last year.
The F1 Academy boss and her husband, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, were the subject of an investigation into claims of an alleged conflict of interest.
The probe arose in December after a report in Business F1 magazine claimed that other team principals were concerned Toto Wolff was benefiting from information shared by his wife.
Two days after the FIA announced its compliance department was “looking into” the allegations, the federation said it “can confirm that there is no ongoing investigation in terms of ethical or disciplinary inquiries involving any individual”.
At the time, Susie Wolff vehemently denied the allegations – calling them “intimidatory and misogynistic”.
And on Wednesday, Wolff wrote on social media: “I can confirm that I personally filed a criminal complaint in the French courts on the 4th of March in relation to the statements made about me by the FIA last December.
“There has still not been any transparency or accountability in relation to the conduct of the FIA and its personnel in this matter.
“I feel more than ever it is important to stand up, call out improper behaviour and make sure people are held to account. Whilst some may think silence absolves them from responsibility – it does not.”
The FIA has been approached for a comment.
Jack Draper put in an assured performance to beat Taro Daniel and reach the second round of the Miami Open.
The Briton, ranked number 42 in the world, overcame his Japanese opponent 6-3 6-2 in 69 minutes to set up a second-round meeting with 22nd seed Nicolas Jarry.
Looking to bounce back from a disappointing first-round exit in Indian Wells, Draper was by far the superior player against the world number 78 in Florida, hitting 25 winners and had a 97 per cent success rate on his first serve.
A run of nine points out of 10 midway through the first set allowed him to assume control, sealing a decisive break with a searing crosscourt backhand.
He served out the set with a flurry of aces and he was soon knocking on the door in the second, missing break points in the opening game.
Draper made his move at 1-1 with a backhand pass which Daniel left and then saw land on the line.
A second break put him on the verge of victory and he saw it out with an impressive hold, taking match point with a crunching forehand.
Night Raider enhanced his Classic credentials with a bloodless victory on the Tapeta at Southwell.
An impressive nine-length winner over the track and trip on debut in December, Karl Burke’s colt was sent off the 1-4 favourite for his second start, with connections eyeing a shot at the Qipco 2000 Guineas.
Sent immediately to the front by Daniel Tudhope, he had most of the seven-strong field covered rounding the turn for home and once shaken up with two furlongs to go scorched to a most impressive success, with Charlie Hills’ 93-rated Cogitate five-lengths adrift in second.
With 2000 Guineas odds ranging between 20-1 and 33s prior to his run in the Boost Your Acca At BetMGM Novice Stakes, the son of Dark Angel was trimmed into 14-1 by Paddy Power and Coral post-race, with Sky Bet even shorter at 10-1. The Aidan O’Brien-trained City Of Troy is the red-hot favourite.
He will now have one final tune-up for his Newmarket objective on May 4, with the Spigot Lodge handler nominating a trip to the Rowley Mile next month for either a conditions event or a racecourse gallop to bank some further experience.
“He’s a horse of huge potential, we know that and he’s not fully wound up by any stretch of the imagination,” Burke told Sky Sports Racing.
“His weight was identical to first time out and all of ours improve for their first time out. Nadir who leads him up said he has taken more of a blow tonight than he did the first time. He was a second and a half faster this time and I don’t know if that is down to ability or the track riding faster.
“I don’t think I would take 8-1 (about the Guineas), but the 40-1 I had a couple of months ago is a bit better! Lets hope he is an 8-1 shot and he’s obviously a very good horse and his future is in front of him. The Guineas isn’t the be all and end all for him and he’s a horse with a big future.”
On a further outing before the Guineas, he added: “He may have been on grass at the beginning of his two-year-old career, but he certainly wouldn’t have been on grass in the last 10 months or so.
“The idea was to go to the Guineas with a racecourse gallop at the Craven meeting – I don’t want to go a mile or go for the Craven itself and if we went for the seven-furlong race at Newbury (Greenham), that only gives us two weeks before the Guineas – or there is a seven-furlong conditions race for horses that haven’t run more than twice, and I have to speak to connections, but if we do go anywhere, I would be pointing that way.
“Danny just said there he could do with another run. He’s still green in front and was lugging away up the straight. Another run is probably the right way to go.
“Laurens was pretty good in her first two runs, but he’s a lovely horse with a great temperament and there’s a lot of scope there, so we’ve just got to look after him, do the right thing by him and hopefully he reaches his full potential.”
Burke also provided an update on fellow Clipper Logistics-owned three-year-old Fallen Angel, with the daughter of Too Darn Hot disputing favouritism in places for the Qipco 1000 Guineas.
Off the track since landing the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh, she is poised for a racecourse gallop before the opening fillies Classic of the campaign.
“There’s another six weeks to get a horse there and that is a long time in a racehorse’s life,” added Burke.
“She’s in great heart at the moment and great form and we’re probably ahead of schedule of where we need to be.
“The plan is probably to go to the Craven meeting for a racecourse gallop and that will hopefully tee her up for the Guineas.
“I was quite keen to go for the Fillies’ Mile, Steve Parkin her owner was the opposite and put her away, and as it turned out the very heavy ground the Fillies’ Mile was run in would not have been ideal so it was the right decision to put her away.
“She had a good rest, went back to Brampton Court and come back looking fantastic. She’s filled her frame, she was always a big filly, but she has filmed her frame nicely. She’s very strong and she’s in great shape.”
Burke also said he was feeling “fit and well” after completing a course of chemotherapy.
He explained: “Chemo finished on December 16 and that wasn’t much fun, as anyone who has been through it knows.
“Since then every week has felt better. We had a good holiday, went away and I’m feeling fit and fell, all good.”
The Phoenix Suns signed Isaiah Thomas to a 10-day contract on Wednesday, bringing the two-time All-Star guard back to the NBA for the first time since 2022.
Thomas joins Phoenix after playing in four games with the Salt Lake City Stars in the NBA G League, averaging 32.5 points and 5.3 assists.
The 60th and final pick of the 2011 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings, Thomas has appeared in 550 regular-season contests with 10 teams and averaged 17.7 points to go along with 4.8 assists per game.
He earned All-Star selections in 2015-16 and 2016-17 while with the Boston Celtics and was voted second-team All-NBA in 2016-17,
Thomas previously played for the Suns in 2014-15 and averaged 15.2 points and 3.7 assists in 46 games before being traded to Boston in February 2015.
Phoenix (39-29) enters Wednesday’s visit from the Philadelphia 76ers in eighth place in the Western Conference.
Tiger Woods has been included in an 85-man field for the Masters published on the tournament’s official website.
Woods has not competed since withdrawing from February’s Genesis Invitational due to illness after six holes of his second round.
It was the 48-year-old’s first PGA Tour event of the season and just his second tournament since undergoing ankle surgery in April last year after withdrawing from the Masters during the third round.
Woods did not compete again until the Hero World Challenge in December, where he finished 18th in the 20-man field but said he was pleased with his progress and that his goal of playing one tournament a month in 2024 was “reasonable”.
The 15-time major winner has not officially confirmed his participation in the Masters but will be desperate to return to Augusta National, where he won his first major title in 1997 and his most recent in 2019.
Woods was one of the six PGA Tour player-directors who met officials from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in the Bahamas on Monday as efforts continue to make a deal to end golf’s civil war.
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan met PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan in January and the players followed suit the day after the Players Championship concluded at Sawgrass.
Ronnie O’Sullivan stepped up his game to sink Lyu Haotian and book his place in the last 16 of the World Open in Yushan.
The world number one had looked rusty in his previous round win over Michael White but got back in the groove to shrug off the determined world number 28.
Lyu twice hit back to level in the first four frames but O’Sullivan would not be denied and breaks of 106 and 96 in the final three frames to set up a meeting with Hossein Vafaei.
Judd Trump, who won the tournament when it was last staged in 2019, stayed on course for a repeat performance as he fired two centuries in a 5-3 win over Fan Zhengyi.
Trump’s performance was upstaged by Ding Junhui and Shaun Murphy, both of whom compiled three centuries as they secured victories over Cao Yupeng and Joe Perry respectively.
Neil Robertson and Mark Selby were also winners, but world champion Luca Brecel’s recent return to form juddered to a halt as he was thrashed 5-1 by Stephen Maguire.
Owen Farrell expressed a desire to play rugby for as long as possible as he left the door open to a potential England return and featuring in the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour.
The Saracens star is poised to become ineligible for his country for at least the next two years after agreeing a summer move to French club Racing 92.
Farrell missed this year’s Guinness Six Nations to prioritise the wellbeing of his family but insists his love of the game has never diminished.
Asked about his international future, he replied: “I’ve not said anything. I don’t know.
“I’ve stepped back and there’s obviously a change happening next year (moving to France). Then we’ll see.
“There’s no point in saying anything now because I don’t know how I’m going to feel later down the line. We’ll see.”
While Rugby Football Union rules prevent overseas-based players from representing England, Farrell could still be selected by the Lions for next summer’s series against Australia.
His father Andy Farrell has been appointed head coach for that three-match tour.
“Have I spoken to my dad about it? I’ve told him ‘well done’, if that counts,” said Farrell.
“There’s nothing to talk about – whatever happens, happens. There are no decisions to be made about any of that.
“When it gets closer to the time, I guess things become clear or they don’t. You see how people are at that time. There is nothing to talk about there at the minute.”
Farrell will make his 250th appearance for the reigning Gallagher Premiership champions in Saturday’s derby against Harlequins at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Following last year’s Rugby World Cup in France, where he was jeered by his own supporters, the fly-half opted to step out of the spotlight to spend time with his family.
“Obviously the World Cup was difficult at times but I really enjoyed the playing side of it and being involved,” he said.
“I want to play for as long as I possibly can as long as I am enjoying it.
“I love playing. That’s always been the case, even during the tougher bits as I’ve spoken about.
“I loved the game, and I loved the rugby. I want to enjoy all of it a bit more.
“I’ve been getting back to doing it here at the club, I’ve done that over this time during the Six Nations, and I want to really do that towards the end of the year. And then I want to get better at it next year as well.
“That’s how I think I am going to get the best out of myself and play my best. We’ll see what happens.”
Joseph O’Brien could be racking up the air miles with “exciting” new recruit Rogue Millennium this season.
The five-year-old mare was a star performer for Tom Clover last term, winning the Group Two Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot and finishing second to Tahiyra in Leopardstown’s Matron Stakes at elite level.
Having initially been snapped up for just 35,000gns by the Rogues Gallery syndicate, the daughter of Dubawi was sold for 1,650,000gns in December and will now be trained by O’Brien in County Kilkenny.
In a stable tour on Attheraces.com, her new handler said: “We are very happy with her. She looks great. Her training is all going smoothly, and she’s been impressing.
“She gives the impression that she’ll always appreciate better ground and she shows plenty of pace.
“We won’t be shy about travelling her and have a long list of potential options for her in America where we think the style of racing will suit her. She’s a very exciting prospect to have in the yard.”
O’Brien is also looking forward to Lumiere Rock’s four-year-old campaign, with a crack at his father Aidan’s dual Derby hero Auguste Rodin on the cards in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh.
The Saxon Warrior filly was a Group Two victor in the Blandford Stakes at that track last season, as well as being placed in the Ribblesdale and the Prix de l’Opera before finishing off with a solid sixth behind Inspiral at the Breeders’ Cup.
“She had a busy campaign last season, but never let us down and kept improving,” said O’Brien.
“We all got a real thrill from her win in the Blandford Stakes, and it was great that her owner Michael O’Flynn was there on the day to enjoy it with us.
“We are looking at the Tattersalls Gold Cup as an early-season target and will drive on from there.”
Irish Cesarewitch winner Magellan Strait has already got off the mark in 2024 with a Dundalk triumph in January and may be heading to the UK in search of more success.
O’Brien added: “He’s a solid staying horse that gave us all a great day when springing a very pleasant surprise in the Irish Cesarewitch.
“He could be one for the Chester Cup. We’ll see what happens between now and then, but the Ascot Stakes or Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot would be options for him too.”
Last season’s Queen Alexandra Stakes star Dawn Rising went on to finish third in the Irish St Leger in the colours of JP McManus.
“At this stage, it looks likely that we’ll stick to the Flat with him,” said O’Brien. “He gave everyone a real thrill by winning at Royal Ascot last season and we’ll look to get him back to the Queen Alexandra Stakes again this year. He came back from a break in great shape and we’re looking forward to him.”
Al Riffa has not been seen since chasing home Ace Impact at Deauville last August but the 2022 National Stakes victor is very much on the comeback trail.
O’Brien declared: “We are delighted with him. He was always a tall, rangy horse and has filled out into a magnificent athlete now.
“We were very sweet on him for the Irish Champion Stakes, but a little issue the day before meant we couldn’t run. Everything has gone very smoothly with him this preparation and we are steadily stepping up his work.
“We are working him towards the Prix Ganay at ParisLongchamp in late April. Longer term, I could see him stepping up to a mile and a half.
“He won a Group One over seven furlongs as a two-year-old and has never looked short of pace, but he has the most lovely, relaxed way of going and it will give him a great chance to carry his pace over further if we ask him to. I’d be very hopeful he can win another Group One.”
Among the three-year-olds at Owning Hill, Atlantic Coast is being aimed at the Irish 2,000 Guineas or the French equivalent, while Stromberg could take in a Derby trial.
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