Porta Fortuna is pencilled in to make her seasonal bow in the Ballylinch Stud ‘Priory Belle’ 1,000 Guineas Trial Stakes at Leopardstown in early April.
The Caravaggio filly landed the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot last year before going on to place in both the Phoenix and Moyglare, before striking Group One gold in the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket.
Trainer Donnacha O’Brien then headed to America where Porta Fortuna was only narrowly denied in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, beaten just half a length by Hard To Justify.
O’Brien admits her juvenile brilliance raises some doubts ahead of her Classic campaign, with a trial run dependent on conditions suiting at Leopardstown.
In a stable tour for Attheraces.com, he said: “She was brilliant for us last season. When they are so good as two-year-olds, you can never be sure how well they’ll train on, but she seems to have wintered particularly well and her recent work has been very good.
“I’d like to run her in the 1,000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown on April 7, but if the ground is bad, I’ll be happy enough to give her a racecourse gallop instead and go straight to the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket.”
Porta Fortuna is a best-priced 25-1 with Paddy Power for the 1000 Guineas on May 5.
Flooring Porter will attempt to finally get his hands on the Jrl Group Liverpool Hurdle following his brave second in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
The dual Prestbury Park champion had been plying his trade over fences prior to reverting to timber at the Festival, where he showed plenty of his old zest to chase home Teahupoo in the day three feature.
He will now continue to operate over the smaller obstacles, with trainer Gavin Cromwell pointing the nine-year-old towards Aintree next month and the three-mile Grade One in which he has finished second and third to Gordon Elliott’s Sire Du Berlais.
“He’s come out of Cheltenham really well and the plan is to go back to Aintree, we’re really happy with him and looking forward to it,” said Cromwell.
“He was good over fences, but is probably better over hurdles, they certainly lit him up again.
“He acts round Aintree and we’re looking forward to it. A similar performance at Aintree should put him very much in the mix.”
Meanwhile, it appears handicaps are off the agenda for highly impressive Kim Muir winner Inothewayurthinkin, who received a significant rise for his easy eight-length Cheltenham Festival success.
Owned by JP McManus, the exciting six-year-old will be forced into trying his hand in graded company if he runs again this season, with top-table targets both at home and in England possible options.
“He’s a nice horse to have going forward, he’s a young horse with hopefully a bright future,” continued Cromwell.
“He’s gone up considerably in the handicap so we will probably just have to look at the graded novice route (if he is to run again). The obvious options are Aintree or Punchestown and there is a race at Limerick as well. He’s not certain to run again before the end of the season, but if he does he will probably go for one of them.
“Hopefully the handicapper is right, and if so, he will be an exciting horse to have.”
Chazzesmee is out to complete an historic double in the William Hill Lincoln at Doncaster on Saturday.
Just five days after plundering the €100,000 Irish Lincolnshire at the Curragh, the six-year-old is sent back into battle by trainer Fozzy Stack for the British Flat season’s traditional curtain-raiser.
Sweet Lightning is the only horse to have won both races, scoring at Doncaster in 2011 when trained by Michael Dods before striking gold the Irish equivalent in 2013 for Tommy Carmody.
Not only is Chazzesmee looking to become the first to win the two prestigious handicaps in the same season, but he also bids to become the first Irish-trained winner of the Lincoln on Town Moor since Dermot Weld’s Saving Mercy 40 years ago.
“It’s kind of a shot to nothing, he’ll either be there or thereabouts or they’ll be sending out a search party for him,” said Stack.
“It’s hard to know with the short turnaround, but it’s a good pot, so it’s worth a chance.
“He’s always been a horse that has had plenty of talent, he’s just been a bit unfortunate through his life.
“He handles soft ground, obviously, so we’ll see what happens.”
One of the chief hopes for the home team is Karl Burke’s Liberty Lane, a narrow winner over the course and distance in September before failing to fire in the Cambridgeshire at Newmarket a fortnight later.
Burke is looking forward to stepping the four-year-old up in trip later in the year, but is happy to start off over the straight mile on testing conditions.
“A mile is the minimum trip for him, he should be staying a mile and a quarter, but you need that (stamina) for that type of race,” said the Spigot Lodge handler.
“If he can keep tabs on the leaders, he loves that soft ground and fingers crossed he can run a big race, but we’re going there hopeful rather than confident.
“I think I’d rather be drawn high (stall 20) than low and I think they’ll probably arrowhead up the middle. Most of the fancied horses are drawn low, so it will be interesting.”
Charlie Johnston fields two contenders, with Qipco Champions Day winner The Gatekeeper joined by stablemate Dutch Decoy.
The Gatekeeper has not been seen in competitive action since his lucrative Balmoral Handicap victory at Ascot in October, while Dutch Decoy makes his first appearance since finishing a close-up sixth in the Cambridgeshire.
Johnston said: “The Gatekeeper is in very, very good shape, I couldn’t be happier with him in that regard. He’s proven with some cut in the ground and goes well fresh, so he’s got lots in his favour.
“Life’s going to be a bit tougher for him as he’s rated 100 now. The handicapper rightly didn’t miss him for his Balmoral win, but that’s the only negative I think. Other than that he’s got all conditions in his favour. He’s a solid contender and this has been the target for a long time.
“If there’s any ambition for this season, one is that Dutch Decoy gets his day in the sunshine because he’s often been the bridesmaid and he’s been a real stalwart with us in the top handicaps, but generally running well in defeat.
“He was just behind The Gatekeeper in the Golden Mile at Goodwood last summer on soft ground, so he has got some soft ground form, but generally I don’t think he would want the extremes and I think he’s a little bit better on slightly better ground.
“That would be a slight concern with him, but he’s fit and well and there’s not a lot else for him for a while, so we thought we’d take our chance.”
Simon and Ed Crisford’s Awaal, the Julie Camacho-trained Lattam and Jack Channon’s 2022 Lincoln hero Johan also feature in a fiercely-competitive field.
Channon said: “He’s just a very good horse and 100 per cent a great servant. He’s not got any black type but he’s a black-type horse. Those big-field mile races just seem to really suit his running style.
“He’s won two big ones already and hopefully he can add another to that.”
George Boughey’s Baradar bids to start his season on the right note when he lines up at his favourite track for the William Hill Cammidge Trophy Stakes.
The six-year-old was twice a winner last term, taking a Doncaster handicap over a slightly longer trip at the peak of his form in the autumn.
His Town Moor form in general is impressive, and he was a good third on heavy ground in the Lincoln at this meeting last year.
Now dropping back in trip to six furlongs, Boughey is hopeful he will relish a return to his favoured course at Listed level.
“Baradar was good back at six and a half furlongs at Doncaster in the autumn, before probably just finding it one too many runs at Ascot at the end of last year,” he said.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing him at six (furlongs) for the first time. He loves it at Doncaster, he’s done lots of work and is very straight. He’s in a super shape, he’s an absolute legend.
“In four runs at Doncaster he’s won twice, been 1-3 in the Lincoln in-running and placed in the Futurity Trophy.
“It’s his first run in stakes company for a long time and he goes there with a good chance.”
Nick Bradley Racing have three chances in the race, chief among them being the Karl Burke-trained Marshman.
Second in the Gimcrack as a two-year-old, the bay started his season well when winning the Prix Sigy on debut last year and was then fifth in the Duke of York when beaten three lengths.
He was subsequently a close third in the Prix du Gros-Chene, before finishing unplaced in both the King’s Stand and the Coral Charge.
The latter three runs were over five furlongs, and the talented colt will now step back up to six as he wears a tongue tie for the first time.
Burke said: “He’s a nice horse, I’m not sure he wants the ground as testing as it’s going to be but he’s in good form.
“It’s his first run of the year obviously and he’ll come on for it, but hopefully he’ll run very well.”
Bradley added: “He came back from Sandown with a pelvic injury last year but he’d started the season off well when winning the Prix Sigy.
“If we were selecting what ground we’d want we’d choose good ground, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he were a little bit fresh.
“As a two-year-old he wasn’t a tearaway but he wasn’t far off, we’re excited to get him back on the track.
“We’ve got three in the race and we hope to come home in the first three.”
Bradley’s other two chances are both trained by Grant Tuer, the four-year-old fillies Sophia’s Starlight and Glorious Angel.
William Haggas will saddle Montassib, a six-year-old who was fifth in the Ayr Gold Cup last term before winning the Coral Sprint Trophy at York.
“He was a bit unfortunate at Ayr, he had been running over seven furlongs for a while and I dropped him back in trip for the Ayr Gold Cup and they went fast and he came home well,” said the trainer.
“He finished well at York when he won as well.
“I think this is his trip and I think he likes the cut in the ground and he will be as fit as we can have him.
“Most of the Exceed And Excels we have had have wanted fast ground, but we think he definitely doesn’t. Maybe it’s because he has got hold and prefers a bit of dig in the ground, but he definitely wants cut.
“He always runs a good race, but he has never run off 108 before. Handicaps are now a bit out for him and it’s races like this and the Abernant Stakes and see where we are.”
Charlie Hills’ Orazio and Rod Millman’s Adaay In Devon complete the field of seven.
England scrum-half Natasha Hunt believes this season’s Guinness Women’s Six Nations could be the most competitive in its 22-year history.
The tournament kicks off on Saturday when France host Ireland in Le Mans and Wales tackle Scotland at Cardiff Arms Park.
England, winners of 14 Six Nations titles and 12 Grand Slams since the tournament began in 2002, launch their campaign against Italy in Parma on Sunday.
The Red Roses’ two home fixtures against Wales and Ireland will be played at Ashton Gate and Twickenham respectively.
Wales’ appointment with Italy on April 27, meanwhile, is their first stand-alone women’s Test at the Principality Stadium, with a possible title decider taking place later that day between France and England in Bordeaux.
England are bidding for a sixth successive Six Nations crown, and the world’s number one-ranked team look like being tough to stop.
Former New Zealand men’s head coach and England assistant John Mitchell is now at the helm, while his support staff includes World Cup winner and 141 times-capped former Red Roses number eight Sarah Hunter.
“I think it could be the most competitive ever,” Hunt, 35, told the PA news agency.
“It took us (England) two or three years to reap the benefits of having our professional contracts, and Scotland and Wales are now in that boat.
“Everyone wants to watch games that go down to the wire so the more competitive the games are, the better it is for the viewer.
“We have got a whole new game-plan, a whole new system that we are trying to implement, and we want to get that right and do what we can to put our best foot forward.”
Mitchell has made several changes from the team that beat New Zealand in the WXV1 final in November, with Emily Scarratt, Abbie Ward and Zoe Harrison among those returning.
Skipper Marlie Packer, meanwhile, becomes the seventh England women’s player to clock up a century of caps.
Hunt, Mitchell’s scrum-half bench option this weekend, was a surprise exclusion from England’s 2022 World Cup squad and the Six Nations presents another opportunity to show her quality after a successful WXV tournament.
“It was quite a shock,” she added, reflecting on her World Cup omission.
“I was at a bit of a crossroads in my career, I guess. At my age, it would have been quite easy to have thought ‘this is it’.
“But I just felt that I had so much more to give. I absolutely love playing for my country, and rugby is the best game ever.
“It did take me a while to consider whether I wanted to put myself back into that environment or not, but when I made that decision that it was something I wanted to go after, I have thrown everything at it.”
Wales full-back Jenny Hesketh will make her Test bow against Scotland, with Rachel Malcolm leading a Scotland team that includes debutant Alex Stewart among her back-row colleagues, while 18-year-old Leinster wing Katie Corrigan wins a first Ireland cap against France.
For the first time in a women’s rugby competition, the bunker system will operate, allowing referees an option to refer incidents of foul play for review when a potential red card is not clear and obvious.
And instrumented mouthguards, which were a feature of the men’s Six Nations this season and are designed to help with identifying a need for head injury assessments and provide in-game alerts to medical teams, will be worn by players throughout the tournament.
With its glittering history of welcoming A-list luminaries like Louis Armstrong and Tina Turner to its world-famous Variety Club, Batley could be forgiven for failing to string up the bunting when Super League strugglers Castleford roll into town on Saturday.
In fact, the perennially over-achieving Championship club are relishing the prospect of a Betfred Challenge Cup sixth round clash against a side whose head coach comfortably eclipses all those entertainment titans in the West Yorkshire town’s affections.
Craig Lingard’s career as first a player then head coach of the Bulldogs left such an impression that he has a section of terracing named after him at the club’s famously wonky Mount Pleasant stadium, and his departure for Cas last year was never going to threaten those bonds.
The historic knockout competition, of which Batley were the first winners in 1897, gifted Lingard an immediate return to the club whom he helped reach an improbable Championship Grand Final in 2022, as well as their first ever trip to Wembley in the 1895 Cup last year.
Small wonder his successor as head coach, Mark Moxon, who had previously served as an assistant for 12 years including the last three under Lingard, sees no reason to rip up the well-established blueprint that has served the unassuming club so well.
“We don’t really evolve at Batley,” Moxon told the PA news agency. “It’s about continuation, no shadow of a doubt. We live within our means year after year, and we continue to compete in a division in which the other teams have all historically spent much more money than we have.
“Craig is a bit of a club legend, and he had great success here that led him to Super League. I learned a lot from him as I continued my development. It’s important to maintain the culture that Craig was a part of. It’s all about working hard and togetherness, and I guess that’s the key to our success.”
Having pushed Featherstone close in their first game of the new Championship season on Sunday, Batley have every right to fancy their chances against a Castleford side who have made a dismal start to their new Super League campaign, failing to pick up a point from their first five games.
And while Lingard will draw on his experience to equip his players to cope with Mount Pleasant’s precipitous pitch, Moxon believes it could still prove a crucial factor in the underdogs holding their own against their top-level opponents.
“Craig might know all about the pitch but he’s not playing,” added Moxon. “There will be a few lads amongst them who have not played at Batley before. We are used to teams coming here and coming out of the tunnel and they can’t believe the steepness of the hill.
“Obviously we’re both very aware of each other’s game-plan. They’re going to be stronger and fitter than us, but the longer we are able to compete they might get nervous. It’s the kind of tie that you relish, and magic things can happen in sport.”
A full-time firefighter at Leeds-Bradford airport, Moxon has no immediate ambition to follow Lingard into the elite, and is instead content to work to create new memories at a club and town where Hollywood stars and Hollywood-style scripts are intertwined.
“I’ve got a job that I like and it’s secure, and the jump to go full-time is a big step, especially in professional sport where it can be quite fickle,” added Moxon.
“I love it here at Batley. It’s been a long time since we got anywhere near to winning the Challenge Cup, and the next best thing is to draw a Super League team at home. It should be a great occasion.”
In a thrilling showdown that left fans on the edge of their seats, the West Coast Fever defeated the New South Wales Swifts 52-50 in the opening match of the 2024 Team Girls Cup. With her remarkable accuracy and undeniable skill, Fowler-Nembhard netted an impressive 40 goals from just 43 attempts, to spur the Fever to victory.
Trinidad and Tobago's Samantha Wallace led the charge for the Swifts scoring 17 goals for the losers.
From the first whistle, it was evident that this match would be nothing short of intense. The Swifts and the Fever traded goals relentlessly, each determined to gain an early advantage. But it was the towering presence of Jamaica's own Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard that truly shone in the opening quarter.
As the game progressed into the second quarter, the Fever began to assert their dominance. Led by their captain, Jess Anstiss, and the dynamic duo of Fowler-Nembhard and newcomer Olivia Wilkinson, the Fever surged ahead, much to the delight of their supporters. Despite the Swifts' best efforts to narrow the gap, the Fever maintained their momentum, heading into halftime with a commanding lead of 27-21.
However, the Swifts were not about to go down without a fight. With determination etched on their faces, they launched a fierce comeback in the third quarter, closing the deficit with a flurry of super shots. But the Fever defense, anchored by the likes of Fran Williams and Kadie-Ann Dehaney, stood firm, refusing to buckle under pressure. Meanwhile, Shanice Beckford provided a taste of her lightning-fast reflexes, expertly maneuvering the ball to her teammates and contributing two crucial goals from two attempts.
As the final quarter unfolded, the tension reached its peak. With the score-line neck and neck, every possession became crucial. But it was the Fever who held their nerve when it mattered most. With Alice Teague-Neale orchestrating the midfield and Sunday Aryang showcasing her unwavering determination, the Fever managed to fend off the Swifts' relentless onslaught. And when the final buzzer sounded, it was the Fever who emerged victorious, securing a hard-fought win.
There will be no Paddington standing in Charyn’s way when he returns to action in the William Hill Doncaster Mile on Saturday.
Roger Varian’s four-year-old proved the most consistent of performers during his Classic season but had the misfortune of bumping into Aidan O’Brien’s now retired leading miler on three occasions at Group One level last term.
The son of Dark Angel is the top-rated for his seasonal reappearance in slower ground than his handler would prefer, but nevertheless the Carlburg Stables handler is excited to see how the colt performs now with plenty of big-race experience under his belt.
“He had a good year last year and it was a shame he drew a blank in terms of wins, but he put up some fine performances,” said Varian.
“The Irish 2,000 Guineas, St James’s Palace Stakes and Sussex Stakes spring to mind as pretty solid performances against top company.
“We’re looking forward to him this year and he’s training nicely. He looks like he’s matured a bit more and we’re going to get his season started on Saturday.
“He’s top-rated and closely matched to Knight on a couple of his runs last year, but it will be tough ground on Saturday, it’s going to be heavy and not ideal ground. I think he’s better on better ground, but he’s ready to get started and it has been the plan to come here, so we can’t do anything about the ground on this occasion.”
Charyn was last seen finishing third in the Celebration Mile at Goodwood, a race where chief market rival Knight was a place ahead in second.
Simon and Ed Crisford’s four-year-old would go on to be beaten a head at Sandown in the Fortune Stakes before finishing well held on his final outing of the year, but the gelding now returns with a first-time visor fitted and with hopes of rediscovering his best form.
Karl Burke’s Holloway Boy has been off the track since finishing a length and a half fourth in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot and was an honourable third behind Auguste Rodin in his only previous visit to Town Moor as a two-year-old.
Burke said: “He’s ready for a run, he’s got very lazy since he’s been gelded and there’s very few races for him until we get into May and June, so I’d say he’ll need a run to be honest.
“He’s well in himself, but his work is very lazy at home.”
Meanwhile, Pam Sly is hoping to put weather woes behind her as Astral Beau defends the title she claimed in good style last season.
The wet winter has restricted use of the gallops at Sly’s Cambridgeshire base, but the handler feels she has managed to get just enough work into her five-year-old to seek another spot on the podium.
“It should be wet, which will be ideal for her,” said Sly.
“We’re just having a job getting them fit because we’ve been waterlogged for so long. I think we’re nearly there and hopefully she will run all right and if she gets in the first three I will be pleased.
“We’ve had a few offers for her, but we thought we would keep her for another year for a bit of fun.
“There aren’t really any other races for her until May. Last year we went from Doncaster to the Dahlia Stakes and I think we may end up doing the same this season.
“You never know until you run them whether they have trained on or not do you really, but she seems good – there’s nothing wrong with her.”
Ralph Beckett’s Heron Stakes runner-up Grey’s Monument produced arguably a career best to scoop Listed honours at Kempton in December, while David O’Meara’s new recruit Padishakh and William Stone’s Dashing Roger complete the field of seven.
England captain Jamie George has been hailed as “incredible” ahead of his return to club rugby after resolutely leading his country through a Guinness Six Nations campaign during which his mother died.
Saracens hooker George discovered his mum Jane had been diagnosed with cancer on the same day he was appointed national team skipper in place of club-mate Owen Farrell.
She died from the illness on February 14, four days after England’s 16-14 round-two win over Wales at Twickenham.
Sarries director of rugby Mark McCall saluted George’s strength of character as he contemplates including him in his squad for Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership clash with rivals Harlequins.
“Just talking to our England players who were there, I think it was quite remarkable how he was able to go and captain the side,” said McCall.
“The first time being a captain of that side and to have suffered what he suffered with his mum dying as suddenly as she did.
“And they said he was incredible. He’s highly popular amongst all the playing group from all the clubs, so he did an incredible job.”
George started each of his country’s five matches during the championship amid a difficult time in his personal life.
The 33-year-old has been given time off since the tournament but could still feature in this weekend’s derby with Quins at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as fly-half Farrell prepares for a milestone appearance for Saracens.
“We haven’t seen him this week,” said McCall. “We’ve given some some time away.
“He might (be involved), you never know. It’s Owen’s 250th game and he’s one of Owen’s best friends.
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“What he didn’t need was a couple of training days, to be honest.
“He’s got a new baby. He needed to be at home with his family and he’s the sort of person that we would trust with one practice to come and be part of the 23 if he really wants to be part of Owen’s big day.”
Saracens captain Farrell, who sat out the Six Nations to prioritise his mental health, echoed McCall’s comments
“Jamie’s obviously had a lot going on recently,” he said.
“I thought the way he’s held himself over that period and led the team was outstanding and you can see by the way the boys ended up playing it really built up well through that time. I couldn’t be prouder.”
Reigning champions Saracens begin the Premiership run-in sitting fourth in the table as an era draws to a close.
Captain Farrell will join French side Racing 92 in the summer, while Mako Vunipola, who is available following a ban, and brother Billy are also set to depart.
“I don’t want to talk without them having completely finalised their plans,” McCall said of the Vunipolas. “But they are coming towards the end of their time with us.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo is aiming to control the controllables after he returned to action with a 21-point haul in Thursday's win over the Brooklyn Nets.
Antetokounmpo had missed the Milwaukee Bucks' win over the Phoenix Suns and their defeat to the Boston Celtics with a hamstring issue.
But the two-time NBA MVP wasted little time in getting back to form, finishing with 21 points, nine rebounds and five assists in a 115-108 victory over the Nets.
"You try to control what you can control," Antetokounmpo said.
"Things like this [injury] are going to pop up now and then.
"Kind of unexpected, but at the end of the day, these are the cards you've been dealt, and you just have to keep on figuring it out, keep on playing through pain, playing through adversity."
Damian Lillard, meanwhile, recorded at least 30 points for a third straight game for the Bucks, as he finished with 30 points and 12 assists.
However, his most important plays were arguably late steals that helped Milwaukee, who occupy second in the Eastern Conference, seal the win.
Lillard said: "I think in my career, I haven't been known as a defender, but down the stretch of games, I've always been able to have a moment or do what I needed to do at the end of the game defensively."
Bucks coach Doc Rivers was effusive in his praise of Lillard, saying: "Dame defensively was phenomenal, all game.
"He's a very competitive guy, and you could see that."
Rivers also explained his decision to give Khris Middleton a rest, after he had played two straight games after missing 16 due to an ankle issue.
"He's been out all these games, and he's playing great," Rivers said. "We just want to keep him where he's at."
The Nets, meanwhile, have now lost five straight games and sit out of the playoff picture in the East as it stands.
Interim coach Kevin Ollie was able to take the positives, however.
"We didn't get a win, but I really believe that we grew tonight," he said.
"That's the message I've been telling them since I took over. I just want them to grow."
Ryder Cup winner Robert MacIntyre trolled his American hosts at the Valspar Championship in Florida after labelling his caddie’s bib with the scoreline from Europe’s victory in Rome.
The Scot, who was unbeaten with two-and-a-half-points in the Marco Simone Country Club in September, took advantage of a quirk of the tournament which allows players to choose their own wording for their bagman’s attire.
MacIntyre opted for EUR 16.5 – 11.5 USA, a reference to America’s crushing defeat as Luke Donald’s side won back the trophy, for Mike Burrows’ bib.
However, Englishman Burrows was not even on MacIntyre’s bag for the Ryder Cup as they did not pair up until a month later.
MacIntyre’s choice understandably received mixed responses. Ryder Cup Europe posted on X: “He’s only gone and done it. We approve” but their USA counterparts wrote “Never too soon to start thinking about Bethpage in 2025”, while the official PGA Tour account simply said “Too soon?”
Unfortunately for the 27-year-old left-hander he could not rediscover the form he showed in Italy, with just two birdies and a bogey in a one-under opening round which left him six off the lead set by Kevin Streelman.
The Scot’s two American playing partners Kevin Roy and Chandler Phillips both outscored him, shooting six under and three under respectively.
MacIntyre is making his ninth appearance on the PGA Tour this season and has missed the cut in half of his previous events, including last week’s Players Championship.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc saw off Max Verstappen in practice for the Australian Grand Prix – as Lewis Hamilton claimed “something was wrong” with his Mercedes after he finished only 18th.
Verstappen is bidding to match his record of 10 consecutive wins at this weekend’s race in Melbourne.
But Leclerc could pose a threat to the all-conquering Dutchman, following an impressive practice lap that put him nearly four-tenths clear.
Leclerc’s Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz – back in his cockpit following British teenager Ollie Bearman’s stand-in drive in Saudi Arabia a fortnight ago – ended the running in third, with Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso fourth and fifth, respectively, for Aston Martin.
George Russell took sixth for Mercedes, 0.674 seconds behind Leclerc, but team-mate Hamilton finished ahead of only Haas’ Kevin Magnussen on a troubling day for the seven-time world champion.
Hamilton, 39, ran off the road in the first running at a sun-cooked Albert Park, and his struggles continued into the day’s concluding session, with a best lap that put him 1.5 sec off the pace and nearly a second behind Russell.
“What times are people doing?” Hamilton asked over the radio. After he was informed of leader Leclerc’s pace, he replied, “Yeah, something is wrong.”
Only 19 drivers took part in the second session following Alex Albon’s high-speed crash in the opening session.
The London-born Thai driver lost control of his Williams on the exit of Turn 6 before smashing into the wall on the inside of the track and rebounding across the circuit.
Albon’s right-front wheel tore off his machine under impact, with debris from his Williams littering the track.
Albon came to a standstill and was able to get out of his cockpit. “Sorry,” he said over the radio before he was taken away in the medical car.
“Muchos debris,” said Lando Norris. “Is he alright? It looked pretty large.”
Albon, 27, was taken to the medical centre for precautionary checks as the session was red-flagged to clear his destroyed machine.
Williams said he would not participate in the second practice due to the damage to his car, and it is uncertain if he will be able to take part in the remainder of the weekend with spare parts limited to the British team.
Elsewhere, home favourite Oscar Piastri finished seventh, two positions ahead of Norris in the other McLaren who had topped the time charts earlier in the day in front of a record 124,000-strong crowd.
Kevin Lankinen turned aside 33 shots for his first shutout in almost three years and the Nashville Predators extended their point streak to a franchise-record 16 games with a 3-0 win over the Florida Panthers on Thursday.
Filip Forsberg scored two goals and assisted on one by Gustav Nyquist as the Predators improved to 14-0-2 in their last 16 games since a regulation loss to Dallas on Feb. 15.
Nashville surpassed a 15-game point streak (14-0-1) from Feb. 17-March 19, 2018.
Lankinen stopped five shots in the first period, 16 in the second and 12 more in the third for his first shutout since March 25, 2021, for Chicago against Florida.
Sergei Bobrovsky made 34 saves for the Panthers, who have lost three straight – two by shutout – but remained three points behind Boston for the Atlantic Division lead.
Panarin powers Rangers past Bruins
Artemi Panarin registered his third hat trick of the season and Jonathan Quick stopped 24 shots to lead the New York Rangers to a 5-2 victory over the Boston Bruins in a matchup of Eastern Conference heavyweights.
Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad also scored for the Rangers, who have won six of eight to move within one point of Boston for the top seed in the East.
The win was the 391st of Quick’s career, tying him with Ryan Miller for the most by an American goalie.
Panarin’s three goals extended his career high to 41 and gave him a personal-best 97 points.
Jake DeBrusk and Justin Brazeau had goals for Boston, which had won three straight and five of six.
Hurricanes win in overtime to stay hot
Seth Jarvis scored 1:28 into overtime and Frederik Andersen remained unbeaten since returning to action as the Carolina Hurricanes edged the Philadelphia Flyers, 3-2.
Jarvis scored a goal in his fifth straight game to give the Hurricanes their fifth straight win.
Jordan Martinook and Jalen Chatfield also had goals as Carolina improved to 14-3-1 in its last 18 games and remained four points behind the Rangers for the Metropolitan Division lead.
Scott Laughton and Travis Konecny scored for the Flyers, who moved four points ahead of Washington in the race for third place in the Metropolitan.
Jalen Green scored 26 points and Dillon Brooks added 23 before he was ejected as the Houston Rockets stretched their winning streak to seven games with a 127-117 win over the Chicago Bulls on Thursday.
Jock Landale had 17 points and Aaron Holiday added 14 off the bench for Houston, which has gone 9-1 in March to get within 2 ½ games of Golden State for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference.
Chicago’s DeMar DeRozan and Brooks were ejected for their part in an on-court scrum in the third quarter.
With 6:02 left in the third quarter, DeRozan committed a foul on Green that caused Brooks to become upset. DeRozan turned and subsequently elbowed Brooks in the chin, which prompted the melee.
Ayo Dosunmu scored 35 points on 13-of-18 shooting and DeRozan finished with 16 on 4-of-15 shooting as Chicago failed to win a third straight.
Jokic notches triple-double in Nuggets’ win
Nikola Jokić recorded his 22nd triple-double of the season with 30 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists as the surging Denver Nuggets topped the New York Knicks, 113-100.
Jokic’s triple-double was the 127th of his career, a total bettered only by Russell Westbrook (198), Oscar Robertson (181) and Magic Johnson (138).
Michael Porter Jr. had 31 points on 13-of-16 shooting with eight rebounds and Jamal Murray added 23 points to help Denver win for the 13th time in 15 games. The Nuggets are percentage points behind Oklahoma City for first place in the Western Conference.
Porter also had three 3-pointers to give him 193 on the season and break Dale Ellis’ single-season team mark set in 1996-97.
Jalen Brunson scored 26 points for the Knicks, who had a four-game winning streak stopped.
Streaking Magic handle Pelicans
Paolo Banchero had 20 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists for his second career triple-double and the Orlando Magic defeated the New Orleans Pelicans, 121-106, for their fifth straight win.
Banchero missed his first 10 shots, two of them free throws, but rallied to finish 9 of 18 from the field.
Jalen Suggs added 22 points and Franz Wagner had 18 for Orlando, which clinched its second winning season in 12 years by winning for the 18th time in 23 games.
Trey Murphy III scored 21 points and Zion Williamson tallied 20 points and seven rebounds but also had a season-high eight turnovers.
New Orleans, which had won seven of eight, lost forward Brandon Ingram early in the second half to an apparent left knee injury.
Alex Albon walked away from a high-speed crash in opening practice for the Australian Grand Prix.
The London-born Thai driver lost control of his Williams on the exit of Turn 6 before smashing into the wall on the inside of the track and rebounding across the circuit.
Albon’s right-front wheel tore off his machine under impact, with debris from his Williams littering the track.
Albon came to a standstill and was able to get out of his cockpit. “Sorry,” he said over the radio before he was taken away in the medical car.
“Muchos debris,” said Lando Norris. “Is he alright? It looked pretty large.”
The one-hour running was suspended for 10 minutes, with McLaren’s Norris topping the time charts.
The British driver finished just 0.018 seconds clear of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, with George Russell third for Mercedes and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc fourth. The top four were separated by less than half-a-tenth.
Russell hauled his Mercedes towards the front of the order in the closing moments, but team-mate Lewis Hamilton struggled with the handling of his Silver Arrows.
The seven-time world champion ran off the road at the opening bend on his first lap on the speediest soft tyres and ended the session only ninth.
Carlos Sainz, back in his Ferrari after missing the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix with appendicitis, was eighth.
The second practice session at Melbourne’s Albert Park will begin at 4pm local time (5am GMT).
World champion Luke Humphries was at his clinical best to seal a hat-trick of Premier League wins on Thursday.
The world number one saw off Peter Wright and Nathan Aspinall before impressively defeating Michael Smith 6-2 in the final in Dublin.
It gave Humphries control at the top of the table, following victories in Brighton and Nottingham.
The 29-year-old won the first four legs to take control of the showdown against Smith and wrapped up victory with double 16.
“The last three weeks have been fantastic,” Humphries told Sky Sports afterwards.
“The standard has been high. I’m not unbeatable but I’m putting in that stage of performance where it takes something big to beat me and nobody has done that so far.
“I’m just happy with the way I’m playing and if I keep playing like this then it will take a tough performance to beat me – that’s all I ask of myself.
“If someone beats me and I play well then I’m not too disappointed but the last three weeks have been a dream.
“I’m really pleased with the fashion I’ve won the last three nights.”
Humphries extended his lead to seven points as Michael van Gerwen was beaten 6-5 by Gerwyn Price, who ended a run of four successive quarter-final losses.
Luke Littler had a night to forget when he lost to Smith – for the third time – in the first round of night eight.
The 17-year-old succumbed 6-4, having led 3-1, his second quarter-final exit of the season.
It leaves him fifth in the standings after Aspinall gained two points for edging Rob Cross 6-5.
“It’s my first year in the Prem. Some weeks have gone to plan and some weeks have not,” Littler said.
“But it’s all about getting the points on the board. Obviously this is the halfway point, whatever happens from now until the end is the crucial part.”
Karl Burke’s Got To Love A Grey has another Chantilly start pencilled in after a taking victory in the Listed Prix Ronde de Nuit.
The three-year-old, who is by Dark Angel, was twice a winner as a juvenile and picked up early black type when landing the Listed Marygate Fillies’ Stakes at York last May.
She was then a creditable fifth in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot, but met with a setback after that run and therefore it was her last start of 2023.
At Chantilly on Monday she returned to action after a 271-day absence from the track, defeating previous Group and Listed winners in heavy ground to prevail by a length and a half.
That performance was over a five-and-a-half-furlong trip and the filly is now booked in for a course-and-distance return as the Group Three Sigy is intended to be her next outing.
“It was a great training performance as she was off since the Queen Mary, she had a minor injury that was nothing serious and just needed time,” said Mike Prince of owners Middleham Park Racing.
“We always had that race in mind to get her back ready, it’s good Listed form for a filly and she didn’t carry a penalty for her Marygate win, so it seemed an ideal starting point.
“She was gutsy, it was pretty heavy ground but she’d won on soft at Nottingham so that didn’t seem to stop her.
“The plan was that if she won or ran well then we’d go back for the Sigy, I know Karl’s got quite a few for the race – he’s pretty well stocked for sprint fillies!”
Beyond the Prix Sigy, connections are likely to embark on a fact-finding mission as to the filly’s ideal trip as her pedigree would suggest she will be effective over longer distances.
“It will be an interesting one, I think she’s versatile ground wise so what we need to find out is what her optimum trip is,” Prince explained.
“She shaped on Monday like she’d certainly get six furlongs and her pedigree suggests that she might actually get seven and potentially a mile.
“You’d say at this point she probably shows too much speed for a mile, but after the Sigy we’ll probably step her up to six and explore black type races – it’ll be Group races now as she’ll be carrying Listed penalties.
“We could try her over further later in the season but if she goes well over six, then it could be a case of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’.
“In the Sigy she’ll be up a notch in terms of her opposition and that’ll tell us what route we should go. If she were to win it would be Group Twos and Group Ones, but we’ll take it from there. There should be lots of fun times ahead.”
Joe Mazzulla is taking nothing for granted despite seeing his Boston Celtics team overcome the Milwaukee Bucks in what could be a prelude to a playoff game.
The Celtics won 122-119 on Wednesday, with the Bucks - who sit second in the Eastern Conference, but 11 games behind runaway leaders Boston - unable to get over the line in the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Jayson Tatum scored 31 points for the Celtics, who have now won seven games on the bounce.
Mazzulla, however, does not necessarily see the win as a preview of what could come in the postseason.
He said: "Nothing's guaranteed in life.
"We may see them; they may see us; we may not. You never know what's going to happen.
"I know both teams are developing an identity and there's obviously a DNA there that both teams have. But you don't want to overthink things. And you don't take anything for granted."
Payton Pritchard chipped in with 19 points for the Celtics, while Derrick White had 23 and Jaylen Brown finished with 21.
"Everybody always had talked about his shooting," Mazzulla said of Pritchard.
"But I think this year, in particular, he’s been impacting by his rebounding, impacting by his defense, his pace.
"He's just becoming a really well-rounded player who knows he can have a positive impact on the game in many different ways, and it's a huge asset for us."
Pritchard, meanwhile, said he was motivated by an insult dished out to teammate Luke Kornet by the Bucks' Patrick Beverley, who seemingly mocked the Boston man for his height.
"It kind of lit a fire under me," said Pritchard.
"He's trying to clown one of our teammates. So I definitely took it a little personally."
Fergal O’Brien’s Dysart Enos is on track to shine at Aintree after a late setback scuppered her Cheltenham Festival hopes.
The six-year-old has a flawless record under rules and capped last season with Grade Two success in a highly competitive renewal of the Nickel Coin bumper at Aintree when beating Jeremy Scott’s Golden Ace.
Her hurdles career has been equally prolific and in three starts over obstacles she has been a straightforward winner every time, making her a real prospect for the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Festival.
An overreach injury prevented her from lining up at the meeting in a totally luckless week for the O’Brien stable, who lost Highland Hunter and were disappointed to see the well-fancied Crambo underperform in the Stayers’ Hurdle.
Dysart Enos’ setback was a minor one, however, and she is now on track to return at Grade One level in the Top Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree next month.
“She’s back riding out and she’s got her shoe back on, it was just an overreach the day before the Festival at the bottom of the gallops,” said O’Brien.
“It was nothing major, but it was enough to stop her as she was lame on the bulb of her heel, hopefully now we can roll on to Aintree.
“I do try to be philosophical about these things, as disappointed as I was, it was hard telling Paddy (Brennan) and the owners but sometimes these things happen for a reason and you have to tell yourself that.”
Golden Ace was the winner of the race in the absence of Dysart Enos, a boost to their Aintree bumper form and no surprise to O’Brien as he already held that mare in high regard.
“I did a few previews before Cheltenham and I said I thought Jeremy Scott’s horse would not be far away, I loved her two runs at Taunton and the fact that she didn’t have a penalty like us, she ticked a lot of boxes,” he said.
“It’s the two-mile Grade One we’re going for (at Aintree) and I think that’s where Jeremy’s going with his too, so we’ll get our chance again.”
Crambo will also be given another shot at Aintree as he is headed for the Liverpool Hurdle in a bid to return to the form he showed earlier in the season.
“Crambo will go to Aintree, we couldn’t really make head nor tail of his disappointing run,” O’Brien.
“With the disappointment of Dysart Enos not getting there because she was lame in the morning and Crambo running a bit flat, it wasn’t our finest week.
“Johnny Burke looked after him and he’s won over two and a half (miles) round Aintree, so hopefully with the sun on his back he’ll run more respectably than he did at Cheltenham.”
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