Max Verstappen completed a practice double for Sunday’s Mexican Grand Prix by edging out Lando Norris.
After leading the way in the first running at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, Verstappen – who has won 15 of the 18 rounds so far – set the fastest time in the day’s concluding running.
The Red Bull driver finished 0.119 seconds clear of McLaren’s Norris, with Charles Leclerc a quarter of a second back in his Ferrari.
Home favourite Sergio Perez finished fifth, three tenths behind Red Bull team-mate Verstappen, while Lewis Hamilton took seventh for Mercedes, a third of a second down.
Verstappen has dominated this year, and wrapped up his third successive world championship in Qatar earlier this month.
And the Dutchman will head into the remainder of the weekend in the breathless Mexico City air as the man to beat.
The high-altitude venue, which sits 2,200 metres above sea level, can often throw up anomalies, and Valtteri Bottas was a surprised fourth for Alfa Romeo, with Daniel Ricciardo sixth in his AlphaTauri, just three tenths off the top.
Hamilton finished a close second to Verstappen in the United States a week ago before he was disqualified for running an illegal floor on his Mercedes.
But despite his post-race exclusion, Hamilton hoped his speed in Austin would enable him to challenge Verstappen here.
However, the seven-time world champion failed to challenge the top of the leaderboard on Friday, finishing 11th and seventh respectively in the two sessions.
George Russell, who sat out the opening running as Mercedes blooded academy driver Frederik Vesti, finished 10th, half-a-second behind Verstappen.
Earlier on Friday, Ollie Bearman made history by becoming the youngest British driver to take part in a Formula One weekend.
Bearman, 18, competing for American outfit Haas, ended his F1 debut in 15th, only 1.6 sec slower than Verstappen and three tenths adrift of Nico Hulkenberg – a veteran of 200 grands prix – in the other Haas.
Bearman also finished one place ahead of double world champion Fernando Alonso.
F1 teams must run a rookie driver at least twice during the season and Chelmsford-born Bearman was handed his chance to impress, breaking the British record previously held by Norris.
Norris was three months shy of his 19th birthday when he took part in practice for McLaren in Belgium in 2018 before he was promoted to a race seat the following season. Bearman turned 18 in May.
The teenager, a member of the Ferrari academy, has taken four victories in F1’s feeder series Formula Two and is sixth in the standings ahead of next month’s season finale in Abu Dhabi.
England held their nerve to overcome Argentina’s determined fightback and finish the World Cup in third place with a tense 26-23 victory at the Stade de France.
Ben Earl and Theo Dan touched down but England will rue allowing a 13-0 lead to slip away, the Pumas clearly out to avenge their rout when the teams met in the pool stage seven weeks ago.
The remaining points for England in an arm-wrestle of a contest in which ‘Kamikaze Kids’ Tom Curry and Sam Underhill excelled were supplied by Owen Farrell’s flawless kicking, which ultimately proved the difference between the sides.
England have now finished in the World Cup’s top three on five occasions, with only Saturday’s finalists New Zealand and South Africa managing more podium appearances.
Argentina were roared on by the neutrals in a 77,674 crowd and with only pockets of Red Rose supporters present, it was the most partisan atmosphere Steve Borthwick’s side have faced at the World Cup.
Farrell was booed repeatedly and Ben Youngs drew the same reaction when he jogged off with half an hour left, even though the nation’s most capped player was making his 127th and final appearance.
The evening was not much fun for Henry Arundell, who ran in five tries against Chile yet was passed the ball only once here, reducing one of England’s most dangerous runners to the role of bystander until he was withdrawn with 15 minutes left.
Having produced among the worst semi-final appearances in World Cup history against New Zealand, Argentina were far hungrier as they looked to emulate their previous best tournament performance of third place in 2007.
It was the Pumas side who edged Wales in the last eight that ultimately turned up at the Stade de France, although it took them time to get going
England initially picked up where they had left off in Marseille by scoring freely, a short pass from Marcus Smith slipping Earl through a gap and there was no stopping the number eight from 15 metres out.
It was part of a bright start by England, who kicked intelligently and were accurate in everything they did, enabling them to build a 13-0 lead when Farrell added two penalties.
Argentina were already on the ropes but they took heart from making headway through the white defence until they were sent hurtling backwards at a scrum in front of the posts.
Emiliano Boffelli got the Pumas off the mark with a penalty but it was all they had to show for period of ascendency, their prospects not helped by two knock-ons at key times.
England’s own play had become more ragged and when Farrell kicked away possession and a penalty was conceded, Argentina went on the rampage with a sweeping attack that ended when Tomas Cubelli went over.
The officials declined to check for an obvious forward pass during the move but there was nothing controversial about the Pumas’ second try when Dan missed a tackle that allowed Santiago Carreras to glide into space and finish with class.
Dan’s redemption was instant as from the restart he changed down Carreras’ clearance, gathered the ball and scored.
As chants of “Argentina, Argentina” sounded around the Stade de France and the Pumas vigorously celebrated winning a penalty, there was a sense of occasion of the match even if play was stop-start and often ugly.
Farrell and Nicolas Sanchez traded penalties and with neither side able to seize control of the game, an edgy climax approached.
Sanchez missed what should have been a routine penalty and England were not troubled again, closing out the match in the right half of the pitch.
Max Verstappen set the fastest time in practice for the Mexican Grand Prix as teenager Oliver Bearman made history by becoming the youngest British driver to take part in a Formula One weekend.
Verstappen denied Williams’ Alex Albon top spot by just 0.095 seconds at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City as home favourite Sergio Perez finished third, three tenths back.
Lando Norris was fourth for McLaren – half a second behind Verstappen – with Lewis Hamilton only 11th, one second off the pace in his Mercedes.
Bearman, 18, competing for American outfit Haas, ended his F1 debut in 15th, only 1.6 sec slower than Verstappen and three tenths adrift of Nico Hulkenberg – a veteran of 200 grands prix – in the other car. Bearman also finished one place ahead of double world champion Fernando Alonso.
F1 teams must run a rookie driver at least twice during the season and Chelmsford-born Bearman was handed his chance to impress, breaking the British record previously held by Norris.
Norris was three months shy of his 19th birthday when he took part in practice for McLaren in Belgium in 2018 before he was promoted to a race seat the following season. Bearman turned 18 in May.
The teenager, a member of the Ferrari academy, has taken four victories in F1’s feeder series Formula Two and is sixth in the standings ahead of next month’s season finale in Abu Dhabi.
He is also expected to be given a second run for Haas at the Middle Eastern venue.
Hamilton was disqualified from last weekend’s United States Grand Prix after running an illegal floor on his Mercedes.
Hamilton finished a close second to Verstappen to provide him with hope he could challenge the all-conquering Dutchman here.
But the seven-time world champion struggled for pace at the venue which sits 2,200 metres above sea level.
Hamilton’s team-mate George Russell was forced to miss the first running with Danish junior driver Frederik Vesti taking over. He finished 19th.
In all, five young drivers were fielded in the running with Bearman the fastest.
Elsewhere, Charles Leclerc finished fifth, with Oscar Piastri sixth for McLaren. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, sidelined from Thursday’s media sessions with a stomach bug, ended the running in seventh.
Tyson Fury likened his boxing showdown against former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou to Novak Djokovic taking on a table tennis player in the Wimbledon final.
Fury is the prohibitive favourite for the 10-round fight to be held under boxing rules although he will not be defending his WBC title while it is unclear whether this counts towards his professional record.
Unbeaten in 34 contests, with 33 wins and one draw, Fury scoffed at suggestions of a monumental upset in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, ahead of taking on an opponent who has never before boxed professionally.
“It’s like a tennis table champion facing Djokovic in the Wimbledon final – it’s totally different,” Fury said. “Let’s just say this, boxing is a gentleman’s sport, boxing is the sweet science.
“It’s not two men brawling in the middle of a ring, it’s not who is the biggest and strongest will win, it’s whoever’s got the most boxing skill.
“I’ll knock him spark out. We don’t get paid for long, I’m going to make it nice and short for him.”
Fury was 19st 11lbs on Friday, equalling how much he weighed for his trilogy bout against Deontay Wilder two years ago, but he kept his tracksuit, trainers and cap on when stepping on to the scales.
Ngannou is accustomed to having to weigh in at 18st 13lbs or under in the UFC but without any restrictions in boxing, he scaled 19st 6lbs while wearing white jeans, a shirt and trainers.
The fighters took off their tops for the customary staredown, with the 6ft 9in Fury leaning into and towering over the 6ft 4in Ngannou, who initially refused to meet his opponent’s gaze. But Ngannou brushed off Fury using his chest before they prodded each other and exchanged words on stage.
“So many people play mind games, but this can’t get to me,” Ngannou said. “I’ve been in the game so long now, I consider it a part of the game. It’s nothing personal.”
Ngannou, who holds the world record for the hardest punch ever recorded and is being trained by heavyweight great Mike Tyson for the bout, added: “If that overhand right touches Fury, he’ll go down.”
What Ngannou can bring to the boxing ring is shrouded in mystery but the Cameroonian-Frenchman has won his last six MMA fights and left the UFC in acrimonious circumstances as its heavyweight champion.
Talks with the UFC collapsed as Ngannou claimed his appeals for better health insurance and sponsorship deals were rejected and he has since signed with rivals, the Professional Fighters League.
He is set to earn a career-high payday against Fury, who has been roundly criticised for taking on a novice boxer instead of looking to unify the four major world titles in boxing’s blue riband division.
A clash against Oleksandr Usyk, the WBA, IBF and WBO titlist who will be ringside on Saturday night, has been agreed and could happen as early as December 23, but Fury only has eyes for Ngannou for now.
“I don’t want to look forward anywhere, I’m only looking forward to tomorrow and that’s it,” Fury added.
“(After Saturday’s fight) I’m going to take a week off, I don’t want to hear from anyone about boxing, let me have some time with my family then I’ll come and take on the little guy (Usyk).”
Andre Drummond believes reaching 10,000 career rebounds would cement his place as the best rebounder in NBA history, with the Chicago Bulls center closing in on the milestone.
Drummond has 9,968 total rebounds to his name following the Bulls' 124-104 defeat against the Oklahoma City Thunder in their 2023-24 season opener on Thursday.
Having led the NBA in rebounds four times in 11 seasons, Drummond looks certain to reach five figures in the coming weeks, with just 32 more required.
A struggle for regular minutes has limited Drummond's chances of climbing the NBA's all-time rebounding charts, topped by legendary duo Wilt Chamberlain (23,924) and Bill Russell (21,620).
However, Drummond has previously claimed to be the best rebounder in league history, a belief he reiterated when asked about the importance of hitting the milestone.
"It puts a lot in perspective for myself and just for the public," Drummond told Stats Perform. "I always tell everybody I feel like I'm the best ever to do it.
"Despite me having – or being about to have – 10,000 rebounds, I think my body of work and my percentages and numbers help prove that.
"Honestly, it just shows the amount of work I put in. Every year I set a goal to be the best rebounder, each and every season.
"To have the honour of reaching 10,000… not too many people have the chance to do that. So I am with a group of high-calibre guys."
Drummond led the league for rebounds in 2015-16 and in three successive seasons between 2017-18 and 2019-20. His 2017-18 average of 16 per game remains his best across a single regular season.
The 30-year-old – who finished Chicago's first game of the new season with five rebounds – has the highest total rebound percentage in NBA history (24.85%).
While Drummond believes his statistics put him right up there with the very best, he also feels honoured to simply be mentioned alongside the likes of Chamberlain and Russell.
"To be associated with Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain, it's a no-brainer not to feel good about yourself," he added.
"Those are the guys who paved the way for guys like myself; strong, brute-force players that do all the dirty work for teams. To be in the same breath as those guys is truly an honour."
Trainer Neil King was thrilled to see his stable star Lookaway continue his resurgence with an all-the-way victory in the Sky Bet Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham on Friday.
The six-year-old was an expensive purchase at £170,000 after winning an Irish point-to-point, but looked a smart recruit in winning a Huntingdon bumper and a Grade Two at Aintree last year.
It was therefore disappointing he failed to make a major impact on his first three starts of hurdles last season – but having got the show back on the road with a couple of spring wins at Uttoxeter, he was given another opportunity at Grade Two level on his return from a summer break.
Ridden by Jack Quinlan, partnering his first Cheltenham winner, Lookaway was sent straight to the lead from flag-fall and after being challenged from the home turn, he found more in the straight to prevail by two and three-quarter lengths from Kamsinas.
King said: “We were under a severe cloud last season when he wasn’t winning his races.
“He was a very well-handicapped horse coming into this race and it was a tough decision whether to go into a handicap or stay the novice route, but I just felt against we should for time being stay against novices.
“I think he can get up to Grade One level. I’m absolutely over the moon as he has got the most wonderful owner attached to him.”
Idalko Bihoue provided his connections with some compensation following the recent loss of stable star I Like To Move It with a dominant win in the 2023 Thoroughbred Census Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase.
High-class hurdler I Like To Move It, who like Idalko Bihoue carried the colours of Anne-Marie and Jamie Shepperd, was fatally injured on his chasing debut at Uttoxeter three weeks ago, with trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies describing it as “the worse racing day of my life”.
Idalko Bihoue (5-1) fell on his chasing bow at Warwick, but got his act together with a seven-length success at Prestbury Park under the trainer’s son, Sam.
“That was absolutely lovely. We thought he would do that the first time at Warwick, but he was too keen. He was very sensible around here and he is a really nice horse,” said Twiston-Davies.
“He is very exciting. We can’t go in a big handicap yet as he needs another run. There are very few ordinary novice chase races now so he will probably have to have another novice handicap run then we would have a think.
“This is lovely. I think that was the worst racing day of my life (losing I Like To Move It) and this all helps put it back together again.
“The owners have been very good supporters and they sponsor the yard. It very much makes this victory important.”
Our Champ provided jockey Freddie Gordon with the perfect 18th birthday present in the opening Foundation Developments Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle.
Gordon, riding for his father, Chris, had not previously ridden a winner at Cheltenham and could hardly have broken his duck in more impressive fashion.
Having made a successful debut for the yard at Plumpton last month, the five-year-old was a well-backed 9-2 joint-favourite to follow up and streaked clear up the hill to score by seven and a half lengths.
Gordon said: “This is what dreams are made of coming here on my 18th birthday. My dad has let me have a spin, more for a day out, and then he has gone and done that which is amazing.”
The triumphant trainer hinted the Grade Two Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle at Kempton in February, which he has previously landed with Highway One O Two in 2020 and Aucunrisque in 2022, could be a target for his latest runaway winner.
He added: “It’s the boy’s 18th today so I got it right for once – that is his 18th birthday present.
“The horse came to us and went to Plumpton and won nicely there and I thought before the handicapper gets hold of him, let’s come here for the owners and he has done it really well.
“He is only a five-year-old and he is still a novice, so I might look at some of those novice graded races as the season goes on – we might have a look at the Dovecote at Kempton.
“I came here pretty confident for me as I’m always pessimistic. I rode him myself the other day in a bit of work against a very good horse in Aucunrisque and they worked extremely well.”
Andre Drummond believes London would be a "good place" to move an NBA team and feels now is the right time to expand the league.
The NBA has introduced an in-season tournament for the new campaign, with the Final Four set to be played in Las Vegas in December, leading to some reports the NBA could be looking to expand and place a new team in the Nevada city.
Across the Atlantic, London has also been touted as a potential home to a new franchise.
The NBA last expanded in 2004, taking the number of teams up to 30, and Drummond says it is time to expand again, with London one of the locations the Chicago Bulls center highlighted as a fitting place to put a new team, citing the travel of football teams playing in Europe as an example of how it could work.
"I think it's time [to expand]," Drummond told Stats Perform. "We should do it.
"Even London, because London is close enough. London is like an eight-hour flight. So London will probably be a good place to have a team.
"How far do soccer players travel for games? If they can do it, why can't we? Then we'll be able to shorten the season and then have no more 82-game [campaigns]. Think about it."
London aside, Drummond pointed to Las Vegas and Seattle as ideal locations for new franchises.
Seattle has not had a team since the SuperSonics, winners of the 1979 NBA championship, were moved to Oklahoma City following the 2007-08 season.
"I think we do so much stuff in Vegas already," Drummond added. "Why not just give them a team?
"We bombard their city for almost two months every year, so we might as well put a team there.
"I think Seattle should get the team back. I think their fan base is crazy. I mean, I missed it. I came in two years after but just watching their games there was wild."
The decision to bring in an in-season tournament has split opinion, and Drummond is unsure if there was a need for its introduction, though he says he and his Bulls team-mates are going to take it seriously.
Asked for his views on the tournament, Drummond replied: "I still don't understand it to be honest. I have no idea what it's about.
"Everybody gets a big trophy if you get to the final. So, I guess it gives us an incentive to not have star players sit out because we're playing for something now.
"I think everybody has the mindset to want to win. I don't think anybody is going to take this tournament lightly, there is a big incentive, and we all get something out of it, so why not play?
"We're already doing it so we might as well just play to the best of our ability."
Saturday’s Kameko Futurity Trophy will evoke memories of yesteryear with Godolphin and Coolmore going head-to-head in the final Group One of the season, through Ancient Wisdom and Diego Velazquez.
The late 1990s and early 2000s saw endless clashes between the two superpowers, which arguably peaked in the summer of 2001 when Galileo and Fantastic Light served up two treats in the King George and Irish Champion Stakes, winning one each.
Godolphin paid €2,000,000 for Dubawi colt Ancient Wisdom, while Coolmore went to 2,400,000 guineas for Diego Velazquez
It cost connections £17,500 to supplement Autumn Stakes hero Ancient Wisdom into the contest earlier in the week, and Charlie Appleby is confident his youngster can take another step forward from that impressive Newmarket success.
He said: “He won the Emirates Autumn Stakes in good style. He appreciated the ground and step up in trip. He has come out of the race very well and had an easy bit of work at Newmarket on Saturday where he showed his wellness.
“He has obviously done well for the break he had after Ascot, physically he has done very well from then until now.”
He added on the Godolphin website: “He showed at Newmarket that a mile on testing conditions suited him, so he ticks a few boxes in a race where stamina is going to play a part. It’s a competitive field and we are looking forward to seeing how he gets on.”
With Ryan Moore suspended Aidan O’Brien quickly snapped up the services of James Doyle, who has ridden two Group One winners for the stable this year through Warm Heart.
Speaking on news of his booking for Diego Velazquez, who is a son of Frankel, Doyle told Sky Sports Racing: “It’s very exciting and I’m looking forward to it.
“We haven’t seen much of him, but the two starts we have done he looks very progressive and warms to the task.
“I don’t think he’s encountered ground like we’ll have so we’ll just have to see.”
Roger Teal saddled Dancing Magic to finish fourth in this race 12 months ago and connections are represented by Dancing Gemini this time around, who takes the step up to Group One company following a taking success at the track in the Flying Scotsman Stakes.
That four-and-a-quarter-length triumph came on soft ground and although not enamoured by the thought of heavy ground for his talented colt, Teal is hoping his agile nature will help him deal with the testing conditions.
“We are very happy with him, he came out of the Flying Scotsman Stakes very well,” said Teal.
“He beat what was in front of him that day and he beat them in style, it was faster than the Group Two the next day. It was a good performance, he did it very convincingly.
“It was pretty soft the day he won at Doncaster. It is not ideal for any horse, I don’t think any trainer would choose the conditions if they could. The way he travels, he is quite light on his feet so hopefully he doesn’t get bogged down too much.”
David Menuisier added a third Group One to his CV when Sunway claimed the Criterium International last weekend and bids to quickly add to his tally with Devil’s Point, who was third in the Solario Stakes at Sandown before racing at Saint-Cloud most recently.
He was not disgraced when an honourable fourth behind Criterium International runner-up Alcantor on that occasion and is one in the line-up set to relish the deep ground.
“He came out of the race at Saint-Cloud really well, the form of the race was franked in Group One Criterium International,” said Menuisier.
“The ground was potentially not quite soft enough for us last time, so I would expect him to improve a few lengths on what he did in the Prix Thomas Bryon and he was an unlucky loser in the Solario Stakes at Sandown before that.
“The horse is top notch and with the softer ground this weekend hopefully he can run a really good race.”
John and Thady Gosden will rely on God’s Window who was likeable winner of a soft-ground maiden during the St Leger Festival and is now upped to the highest level for just his second start.
He will be ridden by Kieran Shoemark, who said: “He won his maiden nicely there on pretty soft ground on Leger day so the ground is not a concern.
“He definitely appreciates a cut in the ground but heavy ground is different altogether.
“He gave me a good feel on his debut, I felt when I crossed the line he was only just getting going and he ran all the way to the bottom of the hill.
“Diego Velazquez was impressive last time, Ancient Wisdom was impressive in the Autumn Stakes so it’s a good race, as it should be.”
Less than a length back in second in that contest was Redhot Whisper with his trainer Ben Brookhouse planning this outing ever since finishing third at Leicester on debut.
He said: “He came out of the race at Doncaster in good order, he seems to take to his racing really well.
“We aimed him at this race after running very well in his maiden, which was a very expensive maiden and he was beaten by a very smart horse. He was finishing off nicely that day and was giving away three pounds to the eventual winner.
“His preparation has gone very pleasingly, very straightforward to this point. We think he will see out the trip and will love the ground. We think he is still progressing.”
Deira Mile completes the field on his first start for Owen Burrows.
Plans to run Paddington in the Breeders’ Cup Mile have been dashed and the multiple Group One winner has been retired.
Despite disappointing in testing ground at Ascot on British Champions Day, the Aidan O’Brien-trained colt was an intended runner at Santa Anita next weekend.
However, Coolmore announced on Friday that due to an “elevated temperature and a respiratory infection” the decision had been taken to miss the meeting and the son of Siyouni has run his last race.
Paddington won his first six races this season, progressing from a handicap to winning four Group Ones including the St James’s Palace Stakes and Coral-Eclipse.
“To do what he did takes a very special horse,” said O’Brien.
“In terms of his attitude and determination he was very similar to Giant’s Causeway but Paddington was a much quicker horse.
“He had great tactical speed but could quicken off it. He’s an unbelievable specimen who stands over an incredible amount of ground. He got physically stronger and heavier from race to race which is a very unusual thing in a thoroughbred.”
Auguste Rodin, though, is firmly on course for what is shaping up to be a top-class edition of the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
The dual Derby and Irish Champion Stakes winner has enjoyed a break since his victory at Leopardstown, with O’Brien reporting the Deep Impact colt in good heart ahead of his date at Santa Anita on Saturday week.
The mile-and-a-half contest is also the destination for Juddmonte International winner Mostahdaf, as well as Champion Stakes victor King Of Steel.
Speaking on a Breeders’ Cup teleconference on Wednesday evening, O’Brien said: “We’re very happy with him, everything has gone well. He’s had a nice long lead up into this race and it’s a race we always thought would really suit since the last day.
“Obviously Leopardstown is a flat, left-handed track and we thought and hoped it would set him up nicely for the Breeders’ Cup given we’ve had our eye on it all year. Hopefully everything goes well for the next few days.”
The Ballydoyle handler will be well represented in California, with Cherry Blossom and Pearls And Rubies in the Juvenile Turf Sprint, Content (Juvenile Fillies Turf), Johannes Brahms (Juvenile/Juvenile Turf), Mountain Bear (Juvenile Turf), River Tiber (Juvenile Turf), Unquestionable (Juvenile Turf), Warm Heart (Filly & Mare Turf), Bolshoi Ballet (Turf), Broome (Turf) and Aesop’s Fables (Turf Sprint) all nominated.
Another who will not be travelling is 1000 Guineas fancy Opera Singer, winner of the Prix Marcel Boussac.
“Opera Singer had a busy enough season here,” explained O’Brien.
“After her last piece of work she worked very well but was a little bit quiet after it. The season was long here. We just felt to be fair to her, with a few to next year, it was the best thing to do not to ask her to travel.”
Carissa Robinson led the way with a double-double as the Lady Eagles secured a seven-point win over the Lady Panthers in Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) action at the National Stadium on Thursday.
A tense first quarter saw the Eagles close with a narrow 8-6 lead before each team seemed to get more comfortable in the second. The Eagles took that one 12-9 to lead 20-15 at halftime.
An 11-11 tie in the third quarter set up an exciting finish with the eagles taking the final stanza 9-7 to secure a 40-33 victory.
Robinson led all scorers with 17 points and an impressive 17 rebounds while also dishing out six assists. Jovianne Donaldson had eight points, three rebounds and four steals while Asia Williams had seven points and eight rebounds.
Tissia Parker had nine points for the Panthers while Sasha Dixon had eight points, 17 rebounds, four blocks, seven steals and six assists.
Officials at Doncaster are hopeful Saturday’s high-profile card will go ahead despite calling a second precautionary inspection for 7.30am.
With the ground already heavy, further overnight rain on Thursday evening left some areas of the track saturated and forced the abandonment of racing on Town Moor on Friday.
An initial 3.30pm precautionary check was announced to assess the prospects for Saturday’s card, due to feature the Kameko Futurity Trophy – the final Group One of the British season.
With his team having spent much of Friday moving rails to avoid the worst of the ground, clerk of the course Paul Barker is hopeful that he will be able to give racing the go-ahead on Saturday morning.
He said: “The picture is a lot more positive than this morning. We have had 1.4mm of rain today, but it’s been a brighter afternoon and we have a little bit of breeze as well.
“The precautionary inspection is there really because the forecasters haven’t been great to us in the last three or four days and we just want to make sure everyone is happy in the morning.
“We’ve moved a mile of rail on the home straight to avoid the area that was a challenge this morning. It’s been a great effort by the ground staff to take out that problem and the rest of the ground, at the moment, is OK.
“Fingers crossed we get here in the morning, the rain gauge is empty and we’re good to go.”
Saturday’s meeting at Newbury has already been called off due to a waterlogged track.
With Friday’s fixture cancelled on Thursday, an inspection was called for 2pm on Friday ahead of Saturday’s meeting but clerk of the course George Hill was able to make an early call after a further four millimetres of rain.
“The weather at this time of year means it’s either overcast or even if the sun comes out for a bit, like yesterday, it’s only up for about five hours,” said Hill.
“Our back straight remained in the shade so it’s very difficult. All the racecourses are suffering.
“We walked it this morning and it had improved a little but not enough and then we got another 4mm on top, so unfortunately it was an easy decision to bring the inspection forward.”
Newbury’s Saturday card was set to feature two Group Threes, the BetVictor Horris Hill Stakes and the BetVictor St Simon Stakes, as well as the Listed Highclere Thoroughbred Racing Stakes.
The British Horseracing Authority has announced both the Horris Hill and the St Simon Stakes will be rescheduled to Newmarket’s two-day meeting next week, with original entries for both races cancelled and entries for the replacement racing closing at noon on Tuesday, October 31.
The UWI Runnin Rebels secured a blowout win over the Rae Town Raptors in 2023 National Basketball League action at the National Stadium on Thursday.
The Rebels won the first quarter 14-8 before the Raptors turned things around with a 14-8 second quarter of their own to leave the teams tied at 22 going into halftime.
A strong third quarter for the Rebels, however, meant they led 39-30 going into the final quarter. Their dominance continued, winning the fourth 19-7 to complete a 59-37 victory.
Matthew McGowan led the way for the Rebels with 18 points and seven rebounds while also adding three steals and two assists. Omari Greene provided good support with 16 points and 11 rebounds while Jacquaine Freeman had 14 points.
Tijonny Forbes had 14 points and 13 rebounds for the Raptors.
Action will continue on Saturday with the Raptors facing the Falmouth Saints before the Upper Room Eagles take on the Central Celtics.
Max Verstappen has told the boo brigade to show him some respect as the triple world champion prepares to enter the lion’s den at Sunday’s Mexican Grand Prix.
Verstappen has beefed up his security for Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez’s home race at the high-altitude Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez venue in Mexico City.
Verstappen, who was jeered by Perez’s supporters a week ago in Austin, Texas, is prepared for another hostile reception this weekend – and he will be flanked by multiple security guards in the paddock.
Organisers of the event – which is set to attract a crowd of nearly 400,000 over the three days – have appealed to fans for tolerance by launching the #Racepect initiative. Verstappen was jeered by Perez’s travelling fans in Miami earlier this year, while Lewis Hamilton was also booed here last year.
“The hashtag doesn’t need to suit me,” said Verstappen. “It needs to suit the behaviour of the people and it is good to raise awareness because the behaviour of the crowd at some places can be better.
“In Austin, it was against me. Supporting your favourite driver is fine, but you also have to respect the competition.
“It is not only in Formula One, but is a general problem in a lot of sports that needs to be looked at and needs to be improved.”
Perez’s fans remain unhappy Verstappen did not help the Mexican secure second place in last season’s championship after he ignored a team order at the penultimate round in Brazil.
Perez has won only twice this season – his last victory in Azerbaijan on April 30 – with Verstappen racing to his third title in as many years.
But the Dutchman added: “The rivalry with Sergio is made up. We get on really well. As a driver you try to be first or faster, but we have a lot of respect for each other and we appreciate each other’s performances.
“For me, I feel very safe. I have had a great reception so far, and it is good to be back.”
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner and motorsport advisor Dr Helmut Marko will also be accompanied by security guards. Last month, Marko, 80, referred to Perez’s background when discussing his driver’s inconsistent form.
He said: “Let’s remember that he (Perez) is South American and so he is not as focused as Max Verstappen or Sebastian Vettel was.”
Marko apologised for the remarks, but Hamilton believes Perez deserves greater support from within Red Bull.
The seven-time world champion said: “As a driver, I understand the psychological and mental pressures weigh so heavily on you. It is difficult to put into words.
“Sergio has carried himself really well, but I don’t think his team has been massively supportive – one spokesperson in particular has not been really great in helping him.
“If I heard (Mercedes team principal) Toto (Wolff) talking negatively about me it would be tough. It is a difficult environment for him, but he has dealt with it to the best of his ability.”
My Mate Mozzie and Encanto Bruno both breezed to victory to provide trainer Gavin Cromwell and jockey Keith Donoghue with a double on the opening day of the new season at Cheltenham.
Having won a Grade Three over hurdles, as well as being narrowly beaten in the Grade One Royal Bond two years ago and in the Galway Hurdle this summer, My Mate Mozzie’s ability was not in question ahead of the squareintheair.com Novices’ Chase.
However, he has on occasion been a weak finisher, including when beaten by 50-1 shot The Big Chap at cramped odds on his debut over fences at Fairyhouse three weeks ago.
Despite the doubts, My Mate Mozzie was a 4-7 favourite to reward those who kept the faith with victory and ultimately got the job done with consummate ease.
French recruit Jetronic took the field along for much of the two-mile contest on his British debut for Paul Nicholls, with Al Zaraqaan his nearest pursuer and My Mate Mozzie settled third of the four runners in the hands of Keith Donoghue.
Jetronic and Al Zaraqaan were both still in there pitching approaching the last, but My Mate Mozzie threaded between the pair under a motionless Donoghue and got up to beat the former by three lengths.
Coral make My Mate Mozzie a 33-1 shot for the Arkle Trophy at the Festival in March.
Cromwell said: “It was good. He jumped out a little bit to his right, and he made a couple of little novicey mistakes, but I’m happy with the result anyway.
“He arrives in all of his races travelling very well, and he has got beaten odds-on in running trading very short on a few occasions, but thankfully he didn’t today.
“On ratings he should have won at Fairyhouse no matter what way you rode him, but I think he really needs to be ridden to arrive late on and he probably only just barely sees out the two miles.”
Cromwell will consider a return to Cheltenham for the Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial on November 17, but future plans are ground dependent.
He added: “He could possibly come back here for the Arkle Trial next month, but it will all be ground permitting. I don’t think you would run him on ground that’s too soft. We will give him a little break in the middle of the season then bring him back in the spring.
“He will have to get another bit of experience along the way somewhere and step forward plenty from that to be competitive at the Cheltenham Festival, but we wouldn’t rule it out.”
Encanto Bruno won in similarly dominant style on his debut for the Cromwell team in the Trustatrader Novices’ Hurdle.
The five-year-old won a bumper at this meeting last year for John McConnell before going on to contest the Champion Bumper and returned to the Cotswolds as the 11-4 favourite, despite being pulled up on his most recent appearance at Galway.
Encanto Bruno cruised into contention under an ice-cool Donoghue before kicking two lengths clear of Gordon Elliott’s Mel Monroe, with the Henry de Bromhead-trained Tag Man making an Irish one-two-three.
Cromwell added: “He was keen quite early, and he jumped a few of them quite big, but he travelled very strongly and won very well.
“Although he goes quite well at home I’d say he is a far better racehorse than he is a workhorse, which is always the way you like to have it. I’m delighted with that, and it was a good performance.
“He is a pretty straightforward horse and I’m delighted to have him. It was one of those runs (when he pulled up the last day) that you leave behind you as there was something amiss and I wouldn’t read into that.
“He is versatile, as he has won over two and a half miles today, and although he doesn’t show much pace at home he could certainly come back to two miles as he was quite keen at home.
“He is a lovely horse to look forward to. I think he will be a lovely horse when he jumps a fence too.
“We will go away and have a think about it and have chat with the owners and Keith (as to what we do next).
“I don’t think he would like deep Irish winter ground so he would be more for the spring.”
Betfair left Encanto Bruno unchanged at 25-1 for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and 33-1 for the Ballymore.
Cromwell added: “We will have to look at a better race next and when life gets harder that’s when we will see how good he is.”
Tyson Fury has no chance of losing to Francis Ngannou in the pair's exhibition fight this weekend.
That is according to former boxer turned promoter Oscar De La Hoya, who promised to quit his job if Ngannou pulls off a shock victory.
MMA fighter Ngannou, who has won 17 of his 20 professional fights, is making the move into boxing to face WBC heavyweight champion Fury in a lucrative exhibition bout in Saudi Arabia.
De La Hoya, though, is giving Ngannou little hope.
"As a boxing expert, as a fight expert, as a promoter now and as a boxing historian, if Ngannou beats Tyson Fury then I'll quit my job," De La Hoya told Stats Perform.
"And I love boxing, so I don't plan on quitting!
"I think Tyson, inside a boxing ring, he's been in there with [Wladimir] Klitschko, he's been in there with [Deontay] Wilder, there's nothing that Ngannou can do to even make Tyson flinch. It's not going to be a good night for Ngannou."
Hall of Fame fighter De La Hoya is promoting Ryan Garcia, with whom he has had something of a complicated relationship.
Garcia is going up against Oscar Duarte, and like his promoter, he does not see Ngannou having a chance against Fury, hitting out at the "crossover" fight.
"I'm sorry, I don't want to be disrespectful, but I don't see any reality where Ngannou wins," Garcia told Stats Perform.
"There's just no way. I'm a big fan of Fury and I think he's just an unbelievable fighter. He's beaten the best in boxing.
"I'm not going to think that a UFC guy is going to come in and beat him. It's just fun for the fans, man.
"It's like these crossover TV shows where you get to watch your favourite cartoon being in another cartoon. That's all."
Auguste Rodin is firmly on course for what is shaping up to be a top-class edition of the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
The dual Derby and Irish Champion Stakes winner has enjoyed a break since his victory at Leopardstown, with Aidan O’Brien reporting the Deep Impact colt in good heart ahead of his date at Santa Anita on Saturday week.
The mile-and-a-half contest is also the destination for Juddmonte International winner Mostahdaf, as well as Champion Stakes victor King Of Steel.
Speaking on a Breeders’ Cup teleconference, O’Brien said: “We’re very happy with him, everything has gone well. He’s had a nice long lead up into this race and it’s a race we always thought would really suit since the last day.
“Obviously Leopardstown is a flat, left-handed track and we thought and hoped it would set him up nicely for the Breeders’ Cup given we’ve had our eye on it all year. Hopefully everything goes well for the next few days.”
Despite disappointing in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on Champions Day, Paddington, a multiple Group One winner this season, is heading for the Mile.
“Paddington has had a very busy season, he turned up time after time and he wasn’t having a big break between them but he kept producing in all the top races,” said O’Brien.
“He went from the Irish Guineas and on from there. The last day at Ascot he was just a bit fresh and ran too keen in very deep, heavy ground and Ryan (Moore) just looked after him so it was one of those races you could put a line through.
“He seems to have come out of the race very well, he’s fast, he’s tough he’s hardy and tactical as well so we’re looking forward to him.”
The Ballydoyle handler will be well represented in California, with Cherry Blossom and Pearls And Rubies in the Juvenile Turf Sprint, Content (Juvenile Fillies Turf), Johannes Brahms (Juvenile/Juvenile Turf), Mountain Bear (Juvenile Turf), River Tiber (Juvenile Turf), Unquestionable (Juvenile Turf), Warm Heart (Filly & Mare Turf), Bolshoi Ballet (Turf), Broome (Turf) and Aesop’s Fables (Turf Sprint) all nominated.
One who will not be travelling, however, is 1000 Guineas fancy Opera Singer, winner of the Prix Marcel Boussac.
“Opera Singer had a busy enough season here,” explained O’Brien.
“After her last piece of work she worked very well but was a little bit quiet after it. The season was long here. We just felt to be fair to her, with a few to next year, it was the best thing to do not to ask her to travel.”
LeBron James said it was an "easy" decision to play beyond a planned limit to his gametime after helping the Los Angeles Lakers to Thursday's come-from-behind victory over the Phoenix Suns.
The Lakers had planned to limit James' time on court to around 30 minutes per game in the early stages of the season, with the NBA's all-time leading scorer having missed a total of 111 games since joining the team in 2018, most of them through injury.
James played just 29 minutes – well below his 2022-23 average of 35.5 per game – as the Lakers began the new season with a 119-107 defeat against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday.
Head coach Darvin Ham suggested that would become the norm, but with the Lakers trailing the Suns by 12 points going into the fourth quarter, he was forced to rethink that plan.
Following a conversation with Ham, the four-time NBA champion played the entire fourth quarter and led the Lakers to a 100-95 victory, ensuring they avoided a 0-2 start to 2023-24.
James ended the game with 21 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in 35 minutes, and he had no hesitation in staying out there to get Los Angeles back in the contest.
"He [Ham] asked me if I could go the [whole] quarter, and I looked at the time and the score and what was going on in the game, and it was an easy answer for myself," James said after the win.
"I know how much work I've put in to be able to play quarters or whatever the case may be.
"I understand that we definitely have a system in place, but tonight called for me to go outside the box."
The Lakers outscored Kevin Durant's Suns 28-11 in the fourth, with James racking up 10 points alone, vindicating Ham's decision to leave the 38-year-old on the floor.
"We were dragging our feet there for the better part of the first half, and things weren't clicking," Ham said. "He [James] has that spirit, that intensity to put the team on his shoulders.
"I had timeouts to play with, so I went to him, I said, 'How we feeling? What do we want to do?'
"He answered my question and you guys saw the results. So we used a couple of our timeouts to get him some breathers."
James' team-mate Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 30 points after going scoreless through the second half against Denver last time out.
That performance led to Davis receiving fierce criticism from some quarters, but James made it clear that Los Angeles were not affected by the noise surrounding the eight-time All-Star.
"We don't give a s*** about criticism of AD," James said. "We don't care. Nothing bothers us. AD doesn't care. I don't know if guys have figured that out.
"AD does not care. He's not on social media, so he doesn't see none of it. He rarely talks, unless it's to us, so we don't give a s*** about it, and he definitely doesn't.
"He just goes out and does his job, and we're happy to have AD."
South Africa have been urged to inspire the next generation of Siya Kolisis by claiming World Cup bragging rights in rugby’s greatest rivalry.
Each side has lifted the Webb Ellis Trophy on three previous occasions heading into Saturday’s final at the Stade de France, ensuring one of them will be crowned the most successful nation in the tournament’s history.
For the Springboks it is the opportunity to continue bringing together the country’s disparate communities, a motivation Kolisi insists provides the ‘why’ for the defence of their title.
“I believe we are a purpose-driven team, we’re not a trophy-driven team,” South Africa’s first black captain said before England were edged 16-15 in the semi-finals.
Kolisi himself grew up in poverty in a Port Elizabeth township yet has risen to become one of the game’s biggest stars and a standard bearer for the Springboks’ evolution from a symbol of apartheid to unifying force.
“This is what we live for. It’s about the people who are dreaming to be in our position in the communities back in South Africa,” assistant coach Mzwandile Stick said.
“We just want to do everything in our power to make sure we are reuniting those people.
“For a guy like Siya, coming from where he did… wow. No doubt in 20 years there will be a lot of Siya Kolisis, boys who have got here irrespective of background.
“It is like a fairytale story when you talk about Siya, but it surely does change people’s lives, whatever their background, if you have your head in the right place, if you have a goal and keep chasing it.
“The All Blacks have won the World Cup three times, we have won it three times, so this game is almost bigger than just a World Cup final.
“We just want to make our people proud because the messages we get are very special.”
How much South Africa have left in the tank after titanic knockout matches against France and England is the biggest unknown heading into the Paris showdown.
New Zealand, in contrast, routed Argentina in the semi-finals without breaking sweat and, as well as having the luxury of bringing key personnel off early and avoiding any injuries, the schedule has given them an extra day’s rest.
When the rivals last met in August the All Blacks were crushed 35-7, but they have rebuilt impressively since then and are favourites to avenge that bleak Twickenham evening.
“It has been very difficult journey,” said wing Will Jordan, who needs one more try to break the record of eight tries scored at a single World Cup.
“It has taken a huge amount of drive to turn it around to get it right. It’s a special group here and we have always been committed towards being the best team we can be.
“In 2022 we were a bit astray but we have come out of the fire a bit and I guess the big thing for us now has been the consistency has been found.
“We have been able to put back-to back performances together, which is probably what was missing before.
“The challenge for us against South Africa is to be able to go three big games in a row. It’s been a challenging period but it’s where we want to be now.”
Flooring Porter is the star attraction at Cheltenham on Saturday as the dual Stayers’ Hurdle winner returns to the Cotswolds to make his debut over fences.
Gavin Cromwell’s stable star produced two tremendous front-running performances to lift the three-mile hurdling crown in 2021 and 2022, but could finish only fourth when bidding for the hat-trick in March.
The eight-year-old subsequently finished third at Aintree before failing to make an impact in the French Champion Hurdle, and Cromwell feels the time has come to switch to the larger obstacles.
“He’s jumped well at home so hopefully he can transfer that to the track,” he said.
“He was running well last season, but he didn’t win at all and we just thought he still had a bit of time on his side and he can always go back (over hurdles) if it doesn’t work out for him over fences.”
Flooring Porter will be a warm order to dispatch of three rivals in the William Hill Lengthen Your Odds Novices’ Chase, with Henry de Bromhead’s Toss Again and the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained pair of Weveallbeencaught and Broadway Boy taking him on.
Cromwell added: “It’s a small field, but it’s not a bad race and while I won’t say he has to put his best foot forward, he’ll have to be doing things right to be winning.”
Proceedings get under way with the £60,000 Epic Value At William Hill Handicap Chase, in which Laura Morgan saddles the top-weight Notlongtillmay.
The seven-year-old enjoyed an excellent novice campaign over fences last term, winning his first three races before finishing second to Stage Star in the Turners Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
Other contenders for the two-mile contest include Gary Moore’s Haddex Des Obeaux, Emma Lavelle’s Red Rookie and course-and-distance winner Before Midnight, who made an encouraging debut for Fergal O’Brien when fourth over hurdles at Chepstow a fortnight ago.
“I was very impressed with him at Chepstow – I didn’t expect him to run as well as he did,” said O’Brien.
“He does have form on soft and heavy ground from a long time ago, but I expected him to need it a bit, maybe finish fifth or sixth and come on for the run, but he was actually bang there turning in.
“He probably ended up having a harder race than we hoped for, but he’s come out of that very well, he seems very well in himself and Ben Sutton came in and schooled him on Thursday morning and he jumped very well, so we’ll take our chance.”
Tiger Roll (2014), Sceau Royal (2016), I Like To Move It (2021) and Pied Piper (2022) are among the recent winners of the Masterson Holdings Hurdle and another intriguing renewal looks in store.
Blueking D’Oroux and Spirit D’Aunou are the top two in the market for Paul Nicholls and Gary Moore respectively, while Lucinda Russell sends recent Kelso scorer Bois Guillbert from Scotland.
She said: “He took in those junior hurdles last year which are a great initiative and it taught him so much. He won two of them, he ended up with a mark of 116 and he’s won off that mark at Kelso this season, so they’re being realistic about their marks.
“He’s still a novice, which is great, and we’re running him in a four-year-old conditions race here. It’s a huge step up in grade, but I think it’s worthwhile doing that with him and it will give us an idea about what we do next.”
Last year’s winner Lord Accord bids for back-to-back victories in the Epic Jumps Season At William Hill Handicap Chase, while Noel Meade’s Bugs Moran, the Willie Mullins-trained We’llhavewan and Ringdufferin and Gortmillish from Gordon Elliott’s yard lead a strong Irish contingent in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle.
Cromwell houses the hot favourite for the William Hill Epic Weekend Free Bet Novices’ Hurdle in Antrim Coast, who impressed when opening his account over obstacles at Punchestown last time out.
Cromwell said: “He’s a nice horse and he put up a nice performance in Punchestown the last day.
“Obviously we’re stepping up a bit further in trip, but we’re chasing a bit of nice ground and if he takes a step forward, he definitely has a good chance.”
The Cheltenham & South West Racing Club Open National Hunt Flat Race brings the Showcase meeting to a close and there are plenty of interesting protagonists, including Kim Bailey’s Huntingdon scorer The Kemble Brewery, Ben Brookhouse’s point-to-point recruit Martin Plage and Mullins-trained newcomer Catch Yourself On.
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