San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has been medically cleared to participate in training camp after undergoing offseason surgery on his throwing elbow, general manager John Lynch said Tuesday.
“Brock’s cleared and ready to go,” Lynch said. “He’s been cleared. He’s going to be without restrictions. Having said that, we’re sticking to and adhering to a plan. He got after it the last couple days and we upped his pitch count. We believe in that plan.”
Lynch said the club will continue to work Purdy back in gradually, not allowing the second-year quarterback to throw more than two days in a row.
After throwing Monday and Tuesday, Purdy will not participate when the 49ers hold their first practice Wednesday.
After going 5-0 as the starter down the stretch last season, Purdy projects to open this year under center for the 49ers. Trey Lance – who has recovered from two surgeries to repair a broken right ankle – and Sam Darnold will also take snaps at quarterback.
Purdy was a seventh-round draft pick in 2022 out of Iowa State and was unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight last season after injuries to Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo.
Purdy took the reins in the first quarter of a Week 13 game against the Miami Dolphins, guiding the 49ers to a 33-17 win before ending the regular season with five straight wins as a starter.
After playoff victories over the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys, Purdy threw just four pass attempts in the NFC Championship game against the Philadelphia Eagles before being knocked out of the game with a right elbow injury.
With journeyman Josh Johnson and running back Christian McCaffrey taking snaps, the 49ers’ 2022 season ended a game short of the Super Bowl.
Purdy completed 67.1 percent of his passes in his rookie campaign, finishing with 1,374 yards, 13 touchdowns and four interceptions. He added three touchdown passes and no interceptions during the postseason.
Two-time major winner Justin Thomas insists great things are coming despite his recent poor form as he prepares for the 3M Open this week.
Thomas made a miserable exit from the Open last week at Hoylake after not making the cut, shooting a score of 11 over par, and questions over his form have been asked recently.
The American is also fighting for his place in the Ryder Cup which gets underway at the end of September.
Thomas has been a key member for Team USA for the last two editions but has missed four cuts in his last six tournaments and is currently 13th in the qualification standings.
But Thomas thinks good things are around the corner and told a press conference: “I really feel like great things are coming.
“Obviously I’ve had not very many results or not much positives to show. I’ve played a lot better golf than I feel like the scores and finishes have shown. I mean, it was just a couple events ago in the Travelers I finished in the top 10.
“I’m doing a lot of things pretty well. I’ve got to kind of just get over that hurdle. Feel like I’m very, very close, I am. Hopefully this is the week that it all clicks and comes together.”
Thomas requires a late push to qualify for the FedEx Cup play-offs as he sits five places outside the top 70, alongside fellow big name Shane Lowry who is also pushing for a position.
Thomas continued: “I feel like I’m just right there to kind of break it through – a little inner confidence or mojo, if you will.
“I’m not going to get that at home sitting on the couch, so I just kind of need to play my way through it a little bit.
“First off, this is an unbelievable opportunity for me, kind of behind the eight-ball, and my end goal is to make the Tour Championship like it is every year.
“It’s not like I’m just playing to try to get into the first play-offs event. I want to be in Atlanta and I’m going to have to get there somehow.”
Longtime Boston Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron is retiring from the NHL after a Hall of Fame career.
A day after turning 38 years old, Bergeron announced he was retiring on Tuesday after 19 seasons in the NHL - all with the Bruins.
In a letter posted to the Bruins' official website, the team's captain wrote that he steps away with no regrets.
"For the last 20 years I have been able to live my dream every day," Bergeron said. "I have had the honour of playing in front of the best fans in the world wearing the Bruins uniform and representing my country at the highest levels of international play. I have given the game everything that I have physically and emotionally, and the game has given me back more than I could have ever imagined.
"It is with a full heart and a lot of gratitude that today I am announcing my retirement as a professional hockey player."
The 38-year-old Bergeron was still playing at a high level last season, registering 27 goals and 31 assists in 78 games to win the Selke Trophy for a record sixth time as the league's best two-way forward.
Bergeron helped the Bruins win the 2011 Stanley Cup and led them to the Cup Final on two other occasions.
Selected by Boston in the second round of the 2003 draft, Bergeron ends his career with 427 goals and 613 assists in 1,294 games.
He ranks third in Bruins franchise history in goals scored, fourth in assists and third in games played.
"As I step away today, I have no regrets," he said. "I have only gratitude that I lived my dream, and excitement for what is next for my family and I. I left everything out there and I'm humbled and honored it was representing this incredible city and for the Boston Bruins fans."
Bronny James, the 18-year-old son of LeBron James, was hospitalised after going into cardiac arrest during a basketball practice at the University of Southern California, according to a family spokesperson.
The spokesperson said in a statement Tuesday he is now in stable condition and out of the intensive care unit.
The incident occurred Monday morning, when he collapsed on the basketball court, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.
Bronny, whose name is LeBron James Jr., was reportedly unconscious when the ambulance arrived at USC's Galen Center, and rushed to the hospital where he was treated by the medical staff.
"We ask for respect and privacy for the James family and we will update media when there is more information," the statement said.
Considered one of the top high school recruits in the United States, the younger James made the decision in May to play college basketball at USC over Ohio State and Oregon.
The 38-year-old LeBron has said previously that he would like to play in the NBA along with his oldest son Bronny, and announced two weeks ago that he will return for his 21st pro season and sixth with the Lakers.
The NBA's all-time leading scorer and four-time league MVP is coming off another stellar season in 2022-23, averaging 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists in 55 games.
Jamaican Formula Woman driver Sara Misir locked eyes with a competitor that looked too familiar. Among the thirteen karters, who participated in the third Caribbean Junior Karting Academy Trophy (CJKAT) was a lone female, Trinidad and Tobago's Naomi Jade Garcia.
After three days of competition between July 21 and 23, at the Palisadoes International Raceway, the 14-year-old finished ahead of the pack. Garcia emerged as the new Caribbean Junior Karting Champion, with Jamaica's Zander Williams and Matthew Warmington, finishing second and third, respectively.
When asked how pleased she was to see Garcia atop the podium, Misir, the Caribbean's only Formula Woman driver, Misir, welcomed the fearless personality of a young female in what is deemed, a male-dominated sport.
"She has been incredible all weekend. So focused, fearless and full of personality on the track. It was great seeing her outclass the competition and hoisting the trophy,” Misir said.
Misir also had a one-on-one with Garcia after the victory, as she imparted knowledge to the promising female prospect.
"I urged her to stay focused as we need more women and girls in motorsports. The level of physicality required to get to the very top of the sport is a pretty steep curve. Still, with her level of will and determination, and of course, given more opportunities to compete at a high level, anything is possible,” she reasoned.
CJKAT is the Caribbean's version of the CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy, the first rung on the ladder of the FIA's single-seater path to Formula One. CJKAT allows more opportunities for Caribbean hopefuls to race. The regional series caters for a more comprehensive age range than in Europe, where the limits are 12 to 14 years.
Misir, 25, is the Caribbean's only competitive female race car driver. She competed as part of the Formula Woman Team for McLaren Customer Racing in the British GT Cup Championship in races at Snetterton, Oulton Park and Silverstone.
Ben Earl insists England’s players appreciate Steve Borthwick’s personal touch having previously endured the experience of learning about World Cup selection on a WhatsApp group.
Borthwick’s predecessor, Eddie Jones, used the messaging app to inform the 31 who would be taken to Japan four years ago if they had been chosen, with their names appearing in a newly-created group revealing the good news.
It was seen by some as a brutal way to discover whether a player’s World Cup dream had been made or broken, while WhatsApp was regularly employed during the Jones era to communicate team selection.
Since replacing Jones in December, Borthwick has adopted a more tactful approach to interacting with his squad and that will be needed on August 7 when he names the 33 who will be involved in this autumn’s global showpiece.
“With Steve it has been very much personal and that’s been great,” said Earl, the Saracens flanker hoping to be a part of England’s World Cup campaign.
“I know a lot of players have enjoyed that side of it and not having to stay up late at night waiting to be added to a WhatsApp group, which I know a few people have experienced. That has been a really nice change.
“Obviously we are all dying to be involved. But if it’s not your day, it’s not your day. And then you’ve got to crack on.”
Earl is competing for a World Cup spot within an ultra-competitive back row contingent, England’s most recent 40-man training squad featuring eight specialists across the three positions.
Additionally, Courtney Lawes, Maro Itoje and George Martin are options at blindside flanker as well as second row, increasing the rivalry for a ticket to France.
To underline the challenge facing the players is the decision made a week ago to leave out Sam Underhill, one of the stars of the 2019 World Cup and one half of the ‘Kamikaze Kid’ combination that took Japan by storm.
“Within our structured gameplan, there is still massive scope to be the player you want to be. That’s the magic of our back-row make-up,” Earl said.
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“There’s not one player who is the same as another. Every player has a strength and we’re all window-shopping, picking each little bit from each other and picking one another’s brains.
“The amount of experiences that the back-rowers have had this year is unbelievable. Jack Willis won the Top 14, Lewis Ludlam captained his club, Tom Pearson could have been player of the season in the Premiership and then you have Billy Vunipola and Alex Dombrandt, who have unbelievable international experience.
“Everyone is offering their little bit as best they can. There is obviously an elephant in the room with the competition, but it’s the healthiest and best environment I’ve been in.
“I guess not many nations will have our competition. In 2019 Sam Underhill was probably one of the players of the tournament, so that just goes to show how competitive it is.
“Sam trained brilliantly and it was a shock to us all that he was no longer involved. That really struck home with us.”
Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from July 25.
FootballFootball mourned Chris Bart-Williams.
Becks has still got it.
Cristiano Ronaldo enjoyed Japan.
Anthony Elanga was on the move.
Man City went dark.
Burnley went bright.
Cheltenham went….mint
Wilfried Zaha was ready for the next chapter.
Roy Hodgson looked cool.
CricketRicky Ponting addressed talk of his uncanny resemblance with Open champion Brian Harman.
View this post on InstagramStuart Broad loved the celebappeals.
Barmy Army were not happy with the Manchester weather.
Something to celebrate.
Kevin Pietersen played I spy.
A lovely moment.
Rugby UnionJason Robinson was in the gym.
Formula OneMercedes poked fun at Red Bull’s broken Hungarian Grand Prix trophy with a pic of their own from 2013.
George Russell was raring to go.
DartsAdrian Lewis reeled in the big fish.
Jaylen Brown may not even be considered the best player on his own team, but he is now the highest-paid player in NBA history.
Brown agreed to terms on a five-year supermax contract worth up to $304million with the Boston Celtics on Tuesday.
The deal, which is fully guaranteed and includes a trade kicker that would further increase Brown's salary if he's traded, surpasses the $264million contract signed by two-time league MVP and NBA champion Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets last summer.
Brown is a two-time All-Star and was named to the All-NBA second team this past season - his first such honour.
He averaged career highs of 26.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists - ranking second on the Celtics in all of those categories to Jayson Tatum, who was named to his second consecutive All-NBA first team following this past season.
The Celtics have reached the conference finals in five of Brown's seven pro seasons - including a trip to the 2022 NBA Finals in which they lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games.
Brown averaged 24.6 points on 54.1 per cent shooting and 47.1 per cent from 3-point range in Boston's first two playoff series this past season, but struggled with his shot in the Eastern Conference finals against the Miami Heat and the Celtics were eliminated in seven games.
Against the Heat, he averaged 19 points on 41.8 per cent shooting and connected on just 16.3 per cent of 43 3-point attempts. He misfired on 8 of 9 3-pointers in Game 7.
The third overall pick by Boston in the 2016 NBA Draft, Brown has career averages of 17.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists.
The bar was raised for Bermuda’s team to the Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) Junior Championships and Head coach Micah Franklin believes they not only cleared it, but more importantly, exceeded all expectations.
For Franklin, who has ambitions to expand squash in Bermuda, the performance of the team, which was the largest ever fielded by the British Overseas Territory, augurs well for the future of the sport, provided they remain consistent.
Barbados reclaimed the overall team title, they last won in 2021, as they outclassed and dethroned Guyana in both boys and girls team finals at the just concluded tournament in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Franklin admits that his 17-member team of nine boys and eight girls, lacked the experience and calibre of the top two nations, which is why their third and fourth place finishes in the respective categories were even more rewarding.
“I think that the team performed well beyond what I expected from them and when you take into account the fact that the top two nations Barbados and Guyana are way above us at the moment, it makes our coming third place in the boys’ category and fourth place on the girls’ side, a really great accomplishment,” Franklin told Sportsmax.tv.
“So, I’m very pleased with all of my players’ performances. They fought hard in difficult conditions and gave me everything. As a coach that’s all I can ask for. I was pleased with the manner in which they represented themselves and their country with pride and honour,” he added.
Franklin, a former player, who was Bermuda’s flagbearer at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, is excited about the prospects, particularly where the players’ continued development and progress is concerned.
This, as Mason Smith won Bermuda’s first Under-11 medal, while Benjamin Sherratt, Somers Stevenson, and Owen Rosorea, were all runners-up in their respective categories, fulfilling their own personal goals.
“Every player went in with separate aspirations and some of them were able to achieve those objectives which is a huge step in the right direction and for sure we expect Mason, Benjamin, Somers, Owen and others to keep progressing over time, as they continue to transition from one each group to the next,” Franklin shared.
On that note, he declared an unwavering desire to steer Bermuda Squash onto a new path, and the outstanding display by the team at CASA, has solidified the platform on which to do that.
“Based off of the results I see a bright future for Bermuda squash. Our younger age groups have given me a lot of hope in the next generation because like I said before, the overall goal and ambition for Bermuda Squash is to achieve full inclusion from all ages, races and genders. We want to prioritize squash first and let everything else fall into place,” Franklin noted.
While he continues to do the groundwork, the coach said the players can get some much-needed rest and recovery before their next assignment.
“After the much-deserved break, we will kick things back in the fall. We will be looking to send a group of players to the United States and Canadian Junior opens, where we hope to continue building on the momentum, we have achieved so far this year,” Franklin ended.
An upbeat Jamaica senior team of mostly junior golfers departed the island on Sunday for the 66th Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship in the Trinidad & Tobago between July 27 to 29.
The four female members of the team are Jodi Munn-Barrow, juniors Emily Mayne, Mattea Issa and the only new comer Anoushka Katri, who played in the U15 category this year on the junior team.
Many-time national representative Jodi Munn-Barrow, president of the Jamaica Golf Association (JGA) and the secretary of the Caribbean Golf Association, expects Jamaica to do well in this year.
"I expect the team to perform well. They know each other. Most of them played last year together. The camaraderie is high. Everybody really wants go out there and make Jamaica proud and that's all we can ask of them. It's very good to see that six of the ten players are juniors so that's very good for our programme," said Munn-Barrow.
In terms of her own game she said, "well from my side, I am hoping to bring some experience to help the girls as best as I can, of course to go out there and try my best."
Mayne who captained the team that carried home George Teale Trophy last year said "I am hoping to play well. I am hoping to bring home a trophy again as last year the women's team won the trophy. So, I am just hoping that we can really build some team spirit and help everyone play well so we can bring home the trophy."
The male members of the team are Justin Burrowes - captain, Zandre Roye who returns to the team after a number of years; juniors Rocco Lopez, Aman Dhiman and Ryan Lue. The sixth player, William Knibbs is already in Trinidad & Tobago and will participate in the two practice rounds prior to the start of the championship. The male team placed fourth in 2022.
"I think I am pretty prepared. The last four five months I have not been in Jamaica. I changed my base to the States. I have been playing golf every single day, practicing every single day. I have been really working on my short game which always need a bit of work. I am looking forward to this week. I am always honoured to represent my country," said Burrowes.
Junior golfer, Lopez, will be following his coach's instruction "to not expect anything, just go out there and try my best and whatever happens, happens but I expect to play well because I have been practicing very hard and I am excited to play."
Dr. Mark Newnham, the team manager was upbeat about the team's chances to do well this year.
"This year I think we have the perfect team, perfect of young enthusiastic hungry talent with the right mix of experience. I am not going to call anybody older but let's say wiser, so we have that perfect mix. We are looking forward to building on the success of last year. Our women's division took home the top prize so we are just looking forward this year to representing and doing better than last year."
He also said that the men are motivated to put on a special performance this year, led by Burrowes who plans to go pro next year and wants to go out with a bang as an amateur.
The team received sponsorship support from the Jamaica Olympic Association.
Charlie Fellowes is convinced Marbaan will put up a bold show in his bid for back-to-back wins at the Qatar Goodwood Festival next week following a frustrating run at Royal Ascot.
The Oasis Dream colt shone in the Group Two Vintage Stakes on the Sussex Downs last summer before failing to land a blow in successive Group Ones before the end of his juvenile year.
He made a promising start to his three-year-old campaign by finishing fourth in the Commonwealth Cup Trial at Ascot and second to subsequent July Cup runner-up Run To Freedom at Salisbury, but beat only one home in the Commonwealth Cup itself at the Royal meeting last month.
Fellowes is adamant the three-year-old is better than he showed in Berkshire, though, and is targeting redemption in the Group Two Lennox Stakes on Tuesday.
“I was disappointed with Ascot because I don’t think we saw the real Marbaan. Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong,” said the Newmarket handler.
“Ascot is a horrible place to try to make the running and I don’t think Marbaan is the sort of horse you want to make the running with – all of his best performances have come when he’s been ridden with a little bit of cover.
“He was my one real frustration after Ascot, all my other horses ran well, and I’m just convinced it was because of the way the race panned out.
“The plan is to go back to Goodwood for the Lennox. I’m convinced he’s got the speed for six furlongs, but we’re going to go back up to seven and he has won over course and distance.
“He worked on Tuesday morning, he’s in great order and I know there’s a big performance in him this year.”
Clive Cox looks poised to send Diligent Harry to the Jenningsbet Hopeful Stakes at Newmarket next month on the back of his fine run at Newbury on Saturday.
The five-year-old was beaten a head by Commanche Falls in the Group Three Hackwood Stakes and was subsequently raised 2lb to a mark of 109 by the handicapper.
Though he came with a well-timed run under Richard Kingscote and had his head in front inside the final 110 yards, he was pipped on the line in the six-furlong contest.
Diligent Harry beat Royal Ascot’s subsequent Buckingham Palace Stakes scorer Witch Hunter in the All-Weather Sprint Championships Conditions Stakes at Newcastle in April, and was beaten just over three lengths by Equality in the Group Three Coral Charge at Sandown when dropped to five furlongs on his penultimate run.
“It was a very pleasing run on Saturday and I’m pleased that he has come out of it well as well,” said Cox.
“I think that run at Sandown, trying five furlongs on a stiffer track, the rain came pretty much the last half hour before racing which made the going a little bit different still. I was much happier with the run on Saturday.
“With a bit of luck, the Hopeful might be a possibility. He seems to have come out of the race well and if he continues to give that impression, we will be looking at that.”
Five times a winner and twice runner-up from his nine all-weather starts, Diligent Harry is 0-10 on turf, although Cox feels a good prize deserves to fall his way.
The Lambourn handler added: “He is proven over six furlongs, even though he is lacking that success on the turf, and he has run some mighty races in defeat.
“It would be nice to see him win a decent race. He is back up to 109 this morning, so the handicapper thought it was a good run as well.
“Listed and Group races are certainly within his compass and after winning the All-Weather Final earlier in the year, he has continued to produce top-end results.”
Mark Foster believes new 200m freestyle world champion Matt Richards is “fearless” and could thrive under the pressure of having a “target on his back”.
Richards ensured his status as a marked man after clinching glory at the World Aquatics Championships in Japan by edging out Olympic champion Tom Dean.
The 20-year-old produced an outstanding finish on Tuesday to pip fellow Briton Dean to gold in a time of one minute and 44.30 seconds, while previous title holder David Popovici – the race favourite – had to settle for fourth.
Former world, European and Commonwealth champion Foster is excited by the depth of British swimming talent and Richards’ potential for further development.
“He’s got a lot of speed,” the 53-year-old told the PA news agency. “I think we’re going to see a lot more out of him on the 100m (freestyle).
“Tom’s a fast swimmer but Matt’s faster and got a little bit more easy speed to go out (from the start).
“He’s a bit fearless. He’s improving a lot, he’s improving very fast, which is really exciting. How much more can he improve?
“But the interesting thing is going from being ‘Dave’ who is a relay swimmer to suddenly beating the Olympic champion and becoming world champion himself – now he’s got a bit of target on his back.
“That’s going to be the interesting thing to see how he copes with that. It might even push him to go faster.
“I’m really excited to see what he can do, not just on the 100 freestyle but the 200 freestyle and also those relay events, which are just key for us.”
Richards’ stunning performance in Fukuoka came a year and a day before the start of Paris 2024.
Alongside Dean, he was part of the triumphant men’s 4×200m freestyle relay at the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics in 2021, where Britain enjoyed their most successful Games in the pool by winning eight medals, including four golds.
Foster has tipped Team GB’s swimmers to surpass that record-breaking total next year in the French capital.
“From what I’ve seen at the moment, we’ll do better,” he said.
“There’s no guarantees in sport but if I were to list medals that I think we will get, I’d give us more than leading in to Tokyo.
“Eight is a good figure to start from but how much we get above that, I don’t know. I think it will be beaten. If we get there or thereabouts that’s a great result but I think we’ll go a couple more.
“For me, it’s really exciting that it’s not just one or two events that we’re good at.
“Even if we come fifth or sixth in an event, we’ve got someone in there, whereas historically – I’m going back to when I swam – we had a handful of swimmers that could do something. Now we’ve got three handfuls.”
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Richard Fahey is now among the leading trainers in the country – but 25 years ago he was still trying to make his way in his new career.
A jump jockey in his youth, Fahey at the time was a dual-purpose trainer based at Butterwick, near Malton and began training in 1993.
It took a while for him to make an impact, though, and he looked a long way from his current base at Musley Bank from where he trains around 200 horses, and sent out a then record-equalling 235 winners in 2015.
Nowadays he is known for the exploits of Group One winners like Ribchester, Perfect Power, The Platinum Queen and current stallion sensation Wootton Bassett.
But 25 years ago all his eggs were in the Superior Premium basket.
A useful two-year-old without making a significant impact, he won a Listed race first time out at three at Haydock before missing most of the summer. He came back to be third in the Ayr Gold Cup at 33-1, hinting that he loved the hustle and bustle of a big sprint handicap.
He failed to make much of an impact in the first half of 1998 before massively outrunning his 40-1 odds when third to Selhurstpark Flyer in the Wokingham at Royal Ascot, just the second time he had been ridden by a young 5lb claimer by the name of Robert Winston.
Winston kept the ride when he won next time out, before Kieren Fallon stepped in for another win at Haydock.
Goodwood came next where he was reunited with Winston, and sent off 14-1 in a 29-runner Stewards’ Cup, he came home a length and a half clear of Ansellman.
“It seems a long time ago, we also had the third that year with Eastern Purple I remember,” said Fahey.
“What I can remember is there was a false rail and it rained a lot, so if you weren’t drawn anywhere near the far side there was a favourable strip of ground.
“I think the first three were all drawn very high (which are low numbers now following a change in 2011), so that obviously helped but Superior Premium was obviously a very talented horse, he went on to win the Cork And Orrery at Ascot (now the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes).
“Another way you could look at it was if he’d got beaten at Goodwood, I was probably a bad trainer!
“He was only 3lb higher at Goodwood than he was at Ascot and he won twice in between. That might have been because I was only a small trainer at the time. You certainly wouldn’t have got handicapping like that maybe 10 years ago, but I do feel in the last couple of years they are being a kinder.
“There was a time if you won a race you would get hit hard, but they seem to have settled down a bit.
“He was a really good winner for us, obviously our first major one and definitely the first highlight of my career. He wasn’t just a flash in the pan, he carried on doing it for a good few years and he was the Saturday horse all trainers need and he helped me a lot.
“We even took him over to Sweden to win a Listed race, to Taby, which has closed down now and whether it was broken I don’t know, but he broke the track record there.”
Despite the distance from his Malton base, Fahey has enjoyed plenty of other good winners on the Sussex Downs.
“Lady Bear was a talented mare, she won the Golden Mile for us there, we’ve had some good winners there,” said Fahey.
“The Platinum Queen won for us there last year, Garswood won the Lennox (2013), it’s a specialist’s track and it’s very nice to have winners. I think you need a horse with pace, that seems to help with the undulations.”
They have not all been good memories, however. Arguably the best horse Fahey has trained to date has been multiple Group One winner Ribchester.
However, he had two attempts at winning the Sussex Stakes and came up just short twice.
“We took him as a three-year-old after he had won the Jersey and he was third, beaten a neck and a short head (by The Gurkha and Galileo Gold),” said Fahey.
“Then when we went the following year, the weather was atrocious. They had had a load of rain, but it was also blowing a gale if I remember.
“I was on my way to the stewards’ room to tell them he was a non-runner, but on my way there someone rang me to tell me Aidan O’Brien had taken Churchill out and they were joint-favourites.
“It wasn’t really the soft ground I was particularly worried about, it was just the general conditions – there was inches of water in the parade ring and a strong wind blowing them all over.
“Here Comes When beat him and I remember going into the toilets after the race, taking my shoes off and wringing out my socks into the sink, that’s how wet it was.”
Kevin Stott has full faith in King Of Steel ahead of his August Rodin rematch but is mindful that the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes is not a two-horse race.
The Roger Varian-trained colt was second under Stott in last month’s Derby, finishing half a length behind Auguste Rodin at huge odds of 66-1.
The grey, who is a strapping son of Wootton Bassett, looked the winner at the two-furlong pole but was eventually collared by the Aidan O’Brien-trained challenger.
Auguste Rodin went on the win the Irish Derby with a rather more laboured performance, whereas King Of Steel was imperious at the Royal meeting when cruising to a three-and-a-half-length win in the King Edward VII Stakes.
As a result the rematch is much anticipated, but the two rivals are not the only big names in a stellar line up for Saturday’s Group One held at Ascot.
Last year’s hero and subsequent Hardwicke Stakes winner Pyledriver will line up, as will 2022 Derby victor Desert Crown – who is set to be ridden by William Buick – and his Brigadier Gerard conqueror Hukum.
Much of the conversation revolves around the clash between this year’s Derby one-two and though Stott is hopeful he can reverse the form, he is still holds great respect for the other contenders.
“It’s probably the Flat race of the season so far, you’ve got all the best horses in there – proven ones and upcoming ones,” he said.
“If it’s a 12 or 15-runner field then it’s going to be really, really exciting. There’s not long left now, he did a nice piece of work this morning and it’s all systems go.
“It’s by no means a two-horse race. There are some very high quality horses in there and especially if we are going to have ease in the ground, there are a lot of horses with very good form on slower ground.
“First and second in the Derby going at it again for the first time since the Derby is obviously a massive thing for everyone.
“You don’t know when you have so many good horses pitched against each other, it’s exciting and it’s very open. Auguste Rodin and King Of Steel are getting a bit of weight from the other horses as they are only three and the others are older and more experienced.”
Stott was visibly disappointed after King Of Steel’s Derby defeat, feeling he could have won had he timed his challenge differently, but having had time to reflect, he is more accepting of how the race panned out.
He said: “I still look at the replay now and again from the Derby and go over it again and again. I’ve got to the stage now where I wouldn’t change anything that I did, we just got run down by the better horse on the day.
“I had no pressure on me, I was just riding him to run well, to see what we had, to see if the home work was backing up in a race.
“Between the two and the three (furlong) pole I was in front by two and a bit lengths and the next thing you know I was screaming for the finish line.
“Unfortunately we just got run down by a very good horse on the day, hopefully we can turn the form around but we have to, first of all, beat some other very good horses in the race.
“It’s not just a race between the two three-year-olds, but I like to think that if it does come down to a battle again from the furlong pole, then hopefully our fella will pull it out.
“I’ve got a lot of faith in the horse, but then again Aidan O’Brien is the master of the world that we live in and even though Auguste Rodin’s win in the Irish Derby wasn’t as visually flattering as the English Derby, he is probably one of the nicest horses that Aidan has trained.”
The final field for the race has yet to take shape and Stott is avoiding getting too attached to fixed tactical plans as the declarations and the going could change the complexion of the contest.
“You can sit down and analyse it and you’ve got plan A and plan B, but within a second that can just disappear and within a second you can have to go for plan F,” he said,
“You go through it all the time, you’re thinking about what’s going to happen and sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t.
“Just to be part of a race like this and to ride a horse of this calibre is very exciting.”
Saquon Barkley and the New York Giants reportedly settled on a one-year contract worth up to $11million, ending the star running back's brief holdout.
The deal was agreed upon on Tuesday, one day before the Giants open training camp for the 2023 NFL season.
Barkley's new contract is worth $10.1million fully guaranteed and includes a $2million signing bonus.
The deal also adds $900,000 in incentives, which can be earned if he reportedly reaches 1,300 yards rushing, 11 touchdowns and 65 receptions.
The 26-year-old Barkley ranked fourth in the NFL with a career-high 1,312 rushing yards in 2022, while scoring 10 touchdowns and sharing the team lead with 57 receptions in 16 games.
Just last week, Barkley had said sitting out the 2023 season was an option after he and the Giants failed to reach a long-term deal by the NFL deadline of Aug. 17.
He'll now be back on the field for the Giants as they prepare for their Week 1 game against the Dallas Cowboys on September 10.
Barkley is coming off a bounce-back season following injury-marred years in 2020 and 2021.
He finished seventh in the NFL in scrimmage yards with 1,650 and earned a Pro Bowl selection - his first since 2018, when he was also named the Offensive Rookie of the Year.
In 60 career games, the former No. 2 overall pick has 4,249 rushing yards, 1,820 receiving yards and 37 total touchdowns.
The Yorkshire Oaks is the preferred next target for Rosscarbery after she came off second best in a clash with Emily Dickinson at the Curragh on Saturday.
Paddy Twomey’s mare has won three times at Group Three level and last summer came within a neck of claiming Group One glory in the Prix Jean Romanet, narrowly failing to reel in Aristia.
Having finished fourth over 10 furlongs in the Pretty Polly Stakes on her penultimate start, Rosscarbery stepped up to a mile and three-quarters for last weekend’s Curragh Cup – but after travelling strongly to the front, she was oustayed by the hot favourite.
A return to Deauville for a second tilt at the Romanet is not being ruled as the five-year-old’s next objective, but Twomey views the Yorkshire Oaks on August 24, over the intermediate distance of a mile and a half, as the ideal aim.
“She ran great on Saturday over a trip that is probably as far as she wants to go in ground that was more favourable to Emily Dickinson than her – she likes a bit of faster ground,” said the trainer.
“We sort of have the Yorkshire Oaks and the Prix Jean Romanet in mind, that’s why we ran her at the weekend as it fitted in perfectly in our schedule.
“Out of those, the preference is probably for the Yorkshire Oaks. The Romanet is the Sunday before and she was second in that last year.
“I think a mile and a half at York would be her ideal track and trip and very suitable for her, so that’s what we have in mind.”
Matt Richards led a sensational British one-two in the men’s 200 metres freestyle final to secure Great Britain’s first medals of the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan.
The 20-year-old came on strong down the home stretch, leaping from third after 150 metres to clock one minute and 44.30 seconds and pip team-mate and Olympic champion Tom Dean, who also finished well.
Dean prevailed ahead of fellow Briton Duncan Scott at the Tokyo Olympics but settled for silver after finishing just two hundredths of a second behind Richards, despite being fifth on the final turn.
“I am pretty tired but over the moon, it was a stacked field,” Richards said in quotes to BBC Sport. “It’s amazing to come away with the GB one-two again.”
South Korea’s Hwang Sun-woo claimed bronze as Romania’s David Popovici, who was the overwhelming favourite to retain his title, finished fourth after fading badly in the final 50 metres.
Simca Mille could bypass Saturday’s King George VI And Queen Elizabeth II Qipco Stakes if conditions are not suitable.
The Stephane Wattel-trained four-year-old has won twice at Group Two level – at ParisLongchamp and Chantilly – this term, latterly producing an eye-catching turn of foot to land the Grand Prix de Chantilly by an easy three and a half lengths under Alexis Pouchin.
It promises to be a high-class renewal of the King George, which features this year’s Derby one-two Auguste Rodin and King Of Steel, along with 2022 Epsom hero Desert Crown and defending champion Pyledriver.
However, with an unsettled forecast and ground that is officially described as good to soft, soft in places on the round course, a decision on Simca Mille’s participation will be made on Thursday morning.
Wattel said: “The ground might be a concern. A final decision will be made on Thursday morning.
“We have prepared toward this race for a long time. I know the competition is very, very high and it will be a fantastic race.
“I don’t mind competing with the very difficult competition – if the horses are better, then they are better – but I want to have the best conditions for my horse to handle correctly, which at the moment is a concern.
“It is going to be a fantastic race and it will be great for the public and fun for all the sportsmen to see such good horses, but for Simca Mille, he needs fast ground and I doubt we will get fast ground.
“It is difficult to put a percentage on it, and I don’t want to say too much about it. A final decision will be made on Thursday morning. I am not the only one (to make the decision).”
Should last season’s Group One Grand Prix de Paris neck runner-up not take his place in the King George line-up, he could head to Germany or stay closer to home.
Wattel added: “He is entered in the Grosser Preis von Berlin (at Hoppegarten on August 13) in Germany, which is a Group One, but I would say I will be very happy, even if it is only a Group Two, he has the Grand Prix de Deauville (August 27), which for a Deauville-based trainer is an important race also.
“He has had fantastic results at Longchamp, so we will keep an eye on the Arc, if the ground is suitable for him.
“My concern is to have too difficult a race in the King George and leave his race there, on ground that is not his optimum.”
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