Charlie Appleby appears to have another Classic contender on his hands after Arabian Crown strolled home in the Ghaiyyath Zetland Stakes at Newmarket.
The Godolphin handler and jockey William Buick had already unleashed a potential Derby horse in Autumn Stakes winner Ancient Wisdom earlier on the card and Arabian Crown looks sure to be on their shortlist for the main events next term.
The son of Dubawi had won two of his three previous starts, recently graduating to Listed glory at Salisbury and he was sent off the 10-11 favourite to make the leap to Group Three glory.
Arabian Crown raced keenly enough in company with Gasper De Lemos in the early stages of the 10-furlong heat, but the market leader was clearly well in control from some way out, with each of his three rivals all under pressure.
Buick merely had to keep his mount up to his work to come home five and a half lengths clear, with Paddy Power making him a 12-1 chance for the Derby from 33s.
Appleby also struck in Friday’s Oh So Sharp Stakes with Dance Sequence on what was an important two days for the Godolphin team.
He said: “It’s all to do with the two-year-olds this year and this was a big weekend for us. The three horses we were confident about were the filly yesterday (Dance Sequence) and the two colts today and they’ve all gone and won their races. We’ve got some nice horses going into the winter.
“This horse, on his pedigree and what he’s achieved, probably has more of a Derby profile (than City Of Troy), but on what we saw in the Dewhurst, City Of Troy is a fantastic racehorse.
“He will be Guineas-bound whereas we’ll be going more down the Derby route. Whether he’s a Dante horse or we look at one of the other trials, that will be our sort of route.
“He’s a very hard horse to assess this fellow, as he’s not a workhorse. James (Doyle) rode him work last week and he was out the back of the gallop, whereas the other fellow (Ancient Wisdom) does travel and has more natural pace.
“This horse picked up well today and quickened. He’s won a Listed race and a Group Three and officially and on paper he’s the better horse.”
The Shunter repelled all challengers to fulfil a long-term plan in the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch at Newmarket.
Trained by Emmet Mullins, the 10-year-old is more famed for his exploits over obstacles, having won at the Cheltenham Festival and been placed at Grade One level in novice chase company.
Back on the level though, The Shunter teamed up with James Doyle in the two-and-a-quarter-mile contest which offered over £103,000 to the winner.
Doyle rode The Shunter (14-1) with restraint in the early exchanges, making stealthy headway before pushing to the front two furlongs out.
Top weight Tashkhan had been prominent throughout but he was eager for a battle, pushing The Shunter all the way through the closing stages while Pied Piper, another National Hunt runner moving back to the Flat, made a late grab for glory inside the distance.
However, The Shunter dug deep to prevail by three-quarters of length from Pied Piper, with Tashkhan (25-1) a further head back in third and 100-1 shot Bashful Boy grabbing fourth.
Mullins admitted this race had been the plan for almost a year, with future plans yet to be decided.
He said: “It was a brilliant performance from horse and rider. I’d say James didn’t know what to make of the instructions going out as I said the horse has probably got more ignorance than ability, but he’ll keep pulling it out and keep fighting.
“It’s a bit surreal it’s come off. This race has probably been on the radar since he finished fourth in the November Handicap in Naas last year. We always thought there could be a big pot in him on the Flat and patience has paid off.
“He’s been in great order at home and he’s very tough, which he has shown down through the years.
“All options are open again. He was entered in last year’s Grand National and we scratched him at the 11th hour, but everything is an option.”
Aidan O’Brien hailed City Of Troy as the best two-year-old he has trained following a sensational display in the Native Trail’s Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket.
O’Brien expressed some doubts about the soft ground in the lead up to the race but the decision to run the colt proved the right call.
Under Ryan Moore, the unbeaten juvenile set the early pace as the 8-15 favourite and the triumph looked inevitable when he surged clear of his seven rivals two furlongs from home before crossing the line three and a half lengths ahead.
Rob Burrow has become a rugby union fan after watching his friend Kevin Sinfield help steer England into the World Cup quarter-finals.
Burrow and Sinfield were team-mates at league outfit Leeds Rhinos for 14 years until fate placed them on a different path when Burrow was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2019.
Sinfield has since raised over £8million for MND charities by completing a series of remarkable endurance events, including running seven ultra-marathons in seven days.
The duo were celebrated at the Pride of Britain Awards on Sunday, winning the special recognition award, although Sinfield was unable to attend the ceremony because of his World Cup commitments.
England face Fiji in Marseille on Sunday and Sinfield has been preparing the defence – with inspiration from his closest friend.
“For me it’s important to understand why you’re here and then try and channel that and use it in the right way,” Sinfield said.
“Everybody’s different. For me it’s for family, it’s my family the most. But also there’s my good mate Rob, who’s probably partly why I’m here.
“He’s been watching the games at home and he’s becoming a bit of a fan, so he’ll be tuning into the quarter-final.”
When asked if Burrow is now a union convert, Sinfield said: “Yeah he is, yeah.
“I haven’t spoken to him that much – he’s been to that many different award dinners the last couple of weeks, it’s hard trying to keep track!
“He was on holiday the weekend before, so we just chat about general stuff, but he’s been following the games. He’s been really enjoying it. He would have made a great scrum-half, by the way.”
Ancient Wisdom made light work of the Emirates Autumn Stakes for William Buick and Charlie Appleby.
The bay was the 2-1 joint favourite for the one-mile Group Three and was ridden patiently on soft ground that he seemed to relish.
Coming out of the dip on the Rowley Mile he began to gather pace and was easily able to pull away from his rivals to secure a three-and-three-quarter-length victory over Chief Little Rock.
Ancient Wisdom had been off the track since finishing third to subsequent Group One scorer Rosallion in July and Appleby, who was winning the race for the fourth successive year, was delighted to see the Dubawi colt leave that run well behind him.
He said: “We were disappointed we were beaten at Ascot, but the form worked out so well you couldn’t really be disappointed in it.
“I’ve held my hands up – I probably mismanaged him by running him here at Newmarket on his second start. He broke his maiden at Haydock and I thought I’d take him to Newmarket thinking I’d get a bit more experience and I was probably just forcing him a bit too much.
“After Ascot we said we’d give him a nice break and come here for either this or the Zetland, thinking he’ll be a nice middle-distance type for next year.”
On whether he views Ancient Wisdom as a Derby contender, the trainer added: “There’s a lot of water to go under the bridge, but I think a mile and a quarter will be well within his compass and I personally feel he’ll appreciate going a mile and a half.
“It’s nice to see some of these two-year-olds coming to the fore. You can go through the season wondering where the next star or nice horse is going to come from, hopefully over the last 24 hours we’ve started to unearth a couple.
“He’s a Dubawi and with those middle-distance type Dubawis, I personally think you can’t force them too much in the early part of their three-year-old career.
“Something like at Dante (at York) might be a target for him, whether we take in a race before a Dante we’ll just see where we are in the spring.”
Betfair cut Ancient Wisdom to 12-1 from 33s for next year’s Derby.
Matthieu Jalibert admitted the return of talismanic captain Antoine Dupont has given France a huge boost ahead of Sunday’s mouth-watering World Cup quarter-final against defending champions South Africa in Paris.
The 26-year-old scrum-half will lead Les Bleus into their last-eight tie just over three weeks after suffering a broken cheekbone against Namibia that placed his remaining involvement in the tournament in jeopardy.
Stand-off Jalibert is relishing the prospect of having his half-back partner back alongside him as he believes Dupont’s presence will give the Boks something extra to worry about.
“The whole team is very happy to have him back,” said Jalibert. “We’re happy to have him with us, knowing that he’ll be able to start this quarter-final. It’s always a pleasure to play with him. It’s easy to adapt to his game and to play alongside him.
“It gives us a lot of confidence. We know he’s capable of making a big difference, and that he inspires fear in opponents.
“It gives us more space around him. It’s always an asset to have him with us. Even if he’s wearing a scrum-cap, he’s at 100 per cent of his ability.”
In addition to having their on-field leader back, the French are drawing inspiration from the backing of a partisan home support.
The South Africans revealed this week that they have been training with noise coming through the speakers to simulate the effects of the French crowd in order to reduce the chances of being intimidated when they run out at a packed Stade de France.
Les Bleus have not lost on home soil since being defeated by Scotland behind closed doors in the Six Nations two and a half years ago and full-back Thomas Ramos is “not surprised” their opponents are taking measures to counter the impact of what is sure to be an intoxicating atmosphere.
“The South Africans remember Marseille last year,” he said, referencing Les Bleus’ 30-26 victory in November. “The atmosphere was incredible. There was a lot of noise.
“It was almost impossible to hear each other on the pitch. That’s what they remember, and they must have seen the games against New Zealand (on the opening night of the World Cup) and in the Six Nations.
“The atmosphere is expected to be strong from the French public. It’s no surprise that South Africa train with a lot of noise.”
After the tournament began amid a late-summer heat wave last month, temperatures are notably cooler in the French capital this weekend.
“It doesn’t necessarily change anything,” Ramos said of the more autumnal conditions. “It might be a bit better.
“When you want to make passes and the ball is slippery, it’s not always easy to set up your game. We saw that in the previous match (against Italy in Lyon last week).
“The conditions will be different, but it will help us feel better throughout the match.”
With the two sides barely separable in the top three of the world rankings, French team manager Raphael Ibanez is hoping home advantage gives Les Bleus a slight edge as they bid to eliminate the three-time winners.
“It’s a big game,” said Ibanez. “Playing South Africa, who won the competition four years ago, at the Stade de France in the final stages in front of our home crowd, we couldn’t dream of anything better.
“I think that we have an advantage, playing at Stade de France, in front of a public that will be there to support and encourage us.”
England and Fiji clash for the eighth time when they meet in the World Cup quarter-finals in Marseille on Sunday with Steve Borthwick’s men strong favourites to reach the last-four stage of the tournament.
Here, the PA news agency examines five talking points heading into the Stade Velodrome showdown.
Moment of truth
Who are the real England? Outside title contenders who have rebuilt during an impressive group stage? Or fading heavyweights ready to be exposed by the first high-quality opposition they face? These questions have pursued them throughout the World Cup and only against a dangerous Fiji side will the answer come. It is England’s defining moment – win and they advance into the semi-finals with their reputations intact, lose and a four-year cycle of disappointment and upheaval meets a gloomy conclusion.
Last dance
Aside from the prize of a semi-final against France or South Africa, England are motivated by the understanding that for up to a third of the squad this World Cup is their last chance to lift the Webb Ellis Trophy. Jonny May and Courtney Lawes have stated as much, while other long-standing servants to the English game such as Danny Care, Ben Youngs, Dan Cole and Manu Tuilagi are approaching the end of their international odysseys. Borthwick will begin rebuilding at the next Six Nations, but the head coach will be hoping his veterans have one big knockout phase left in them.
Pantomime villains
If England reach the semi-finals they will have done so at the expense of the darlings of the World Cup, ending the fairy tale scenario of a Pacific Islands team appearing in the penultimate stage for the first time. Number eight Billy Vunipola has acknowledged his side are “public enemy number one” but points out that historical anti-English sentiment means they are well versed in fighting against popular opinion. On the favourites’ side is that the vast numbers of Red Rose fans who have followed their team in France will be out in force again, turning the Stade Velodrome into a home venue.
War on the floor
England’s headline selections have been Marcus Smith ousting Freddie Steward at full-back and Owen Farrell replacing George Ford at fly-half, but the back row is expected to be the key battleground. Fiji are breakdown masters led by Levani Botia, who is exceptional over the ball, and Borthwick has noted their ability to win penalties in this area of the game. While England’s response will be a team effort, Lawes, Tom Curry and Ben Earl have crucial roles to play on the floor knowing the Islanders must not be allowed to gain a foothold there.
Can lightening strike twice?
Fiji are a significant step up in opposition for England, who were drawn in the kindest of the four World Cup groups. Fresh in the minds is their 30-22 victory at Twickenham in August, their first ever win against the Red Rose and a highly impressive performance. They grew progressively worse during the group phase, culminating in a shock defeat by Portugal, but one of the greatest and best prepared teams in Fiji’s history has the capacity to deliver a special moment for a rugby-mad nation of 925,000 people.
Victor Wembanyama scored 23 points in 23 minutes in his second preseason game to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 120-104 win over the Miami Heat on Friday.
The No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, Wembanyma was 10 of 15 from the field with four rebounds, three assists, three blocks and four of San Antonio's 13 turnovers.
The 7-foot-4 center from France began his NBA career with 20 points in 19 minutes in the Spurs’ preseason opener against Oklahoma City on Monday.
Devin Vassell had 21 points and Jeremy Sochan added 10 points, six boards and three assists for the Spurs.
Jamal Cain was 6-of-8 on 3-pointers and led the Heat with 24 points and 10 rebounds.
Jonathan Kuminga scored 26 points on 9-of-12 shooting and Stephen Curry had 18 points as the Golden State Warriors edged the Los Angeles Lakers, 129-125.
Rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis scored the go-ahead basket on a tip-in, then blocked a shot by former Indiana Hoosiers teammate Jalen Hood-Schifino at the other end.
Every Lakers starter scored in double figures, led by 17 points from Taurean Prince, who went 4 of 5 from 3-point range.
Austin Reaves had 16 points, Anthony Davis added 13 with six rebounds and four assists and LeBron James and D’Angelo Russell contributed 12 points apiece.
Sidney Crosby scored twice on the power play in the second period and Tristan Jarry stopped 20 shots as the Pittsburgh Penguins earned their first win of the season with a 4-0 victory over the Washington Capitals on Friday.
Evgeni Malkin had a goal and three assists and Reilly Smith also scored to help the Penguins rebound from Tuesday’s season-opening loss to Chicago.
Washington lost its debut under new coach Spencer Carbery and was shut out for the first time in 49 season openers.
Backup Charlie Lindgren made 31 saves in place of Darcy Kuemper, who was away while his wife gave birth to the couple’s first child.
Coyotes edge Devils in shootout
Karel Vejmelka was perfect in the shootout and the Arizona Coyotes recovered after giving up a two-goal lead in a 4-3 win over the New Jersey Devils.
Nick Bjugstad and Nick Schmaltz scored in the shootout and Vejmelka turned away attempts by Timo Meier and Jesper Bratt to give Arizona a win in its season opener.
Bratt had two goals and an assist in regulation, and Dougie Hamilton scored one goal and set up another for New Jersey, which was coming off a 4-3 win over Detroit in its season opener.
The Jamaica Golf Association (JGA) launched the prestigious 56th Jamaica Open Golf Championship earlier this week at the Constant Spring Golf Club in Kingston.
The championship will be held at the picturesque Tryall Golf Club in Hanover for the fourth consecutive year from October 29 to 31 with tee off at 7:00 am each day. The Pro-Am tournament is scheduled for Saturday the 28, the day before the championship starts and will feature the majority of the pro and the amateurs playing in teams, to share skills, generate camaraderie and introduce the course to the overseas based golfers.
The player categories include pros, amateurs and some of the island's outstanding juniors. Just under 50 players have completed their registration already including the defending champions, professional golfer Patrick Cover and amateur golfer Justin Burrowes.
Cover will be battling for his third win having copped the coveted trophy in 2019 when it was first played at Tryall and in 2022. Burrowes, on the other hand, already has three wins, having won the amateur section in 2019, 2021 and 2022.
So far entries have been received from the United States of America (USA), Canada, Australia and the Caribbean, namely Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados, and, of course, host country Jamaica. The playing format will be stroke play, 18 holes each day for a total of 54 holes.
This year's winner will bag USD$20,000 while the overall purse is over USD$100,000.
The JGA president Jodi Munn-Barrow, who spoke at the launch said that one can expect “a week of exciting golf as usual. Our defending champion in the professional Patrick Cover as well as our amateur champion Justin Burrowes, both have confirmed. They are going be under tight competition. Justin will have competition from the US and the Caribbean amateurs coming up to play him as well as our local amateurs. And of course the professional field is always good and they always have a very high level of golf."
Nunn also said the date was changed this year for a number of reasons.
“The dates that we were first considering were too close to the Thanksgiving holiday which tends to be more expensive, more issues with flights in and out of the US to Jamaica. In addition, an earlier date gives us a little bit extra daylight so we can start earlier or end later, especially if there is an issue that we have to delay play, then we have a little bit extra daylight to deal with, also if we get a larger field we can accommodate more golfers.”
Gordon Hutchinson, a former president of the JGA announced that administrator aficionado David Mais is the honouree.
“This year we thought that there were administrators who had made tremendous contributions and they should not be forgotten and David Mais is the one that first comes to mind. He has done a yoeman’s job over the years. He has never been a president of the JGA but he has assisted every president from the 80s come right up to the present, in administering golf tournaments to ensure that they are run properly,” said Hutchinson.
Mais was thrilled with the announcement.
“I am very thrilled, very excited (and) feel very honoured. I do appreciate the significance of what the Jamaica Golf Association has done because I follow some amazing people with this award, people like Seymour Rose, Biah Maragh, (Norman) Marsh, (and) Jasper Markland.
“They have contributed so much to the game. I am the first of the administrators to be awarded and so I hope that others will take this as a sort of opportunity for them to say that the work that we do behind the scenes and on the golf course, people are now beginning to understand how much work it is and how much responsibility you bear.”
Aqua Bay Resort returns as presenting sponsor for the fourth consecutive year. The other sponsors include TEF, Tryall, JTB, Digicel Business, Jamaica Tours, Grand Palladium, SDF, Fidelity Motors, Coldwell Bankers Reality Jamaica and Ultra Financiers Ltd.
Sam Matavesi has been named on the bench for Fiji’s World Cup quarter-final against England, despite his father Sireli dying earlier in the week.
Matavesi left the Islanders’ camp in Marseille to attend the funeral in Cornwall, where Sireli had settled after a tour by the Fiji Barbarians in the 1980s, but returned on Thursday.
The Northampton hooker is set to appear in the second half of Sunday’s Stade Veldrome clash, with head coach Simon Raiwalui confident he is ready for the occasion.
“We had a setback during the week with Samuel Matavesi’s father passing away. He came back in this morning. He was adamant that he wanted to be here,” Raiwalui said.
“He’s a fantastic young man, very good on his details, so there are no worries there. It’s just a matter of him grieving, but I have no doubt that he will be ready to play.”
Fiji will have the support of neutrals willing a team from the Pacific Islands to qualify for the semi-finals for the first time and Raiwalui insists they are not yet ready to leave the World Cup.
“It’s massive for our country. We came to this tournament to succeed, we got through the first part and we want to continue,” he said.
“We are a nation of 900,000 people that lives and breathes rugby, and I don’t know how many Fijians worldwide.
“We had massive support from the French, from the people who come to the ground. We really want to enjoy the occasion and show our best rugby.”
“First and foremost I’m proud to be a Fijian but I’m also proud of the so-called developing nations, pushing for the global game, how we can improve it and get more opportunities, how we break that barrier down.
“This World Cup has been a fantastic example of other teams coming in and playing fantastic rugby and putting on a spectacle for the world. We are proud of where we come from and we want to embrace that.”
Alsakib looks set to head for Qatar during the winter after continuing his steep upward trajectory in the £120,000 bet365 Old Rowley Cup at Newmarket.
The grey son of Kingman had won three of his four previous starts for Andrew Balding, most recently landing a valuable handicap at Ascot last month.
With James Doyle in the saddle, Alsakib was the 100-30 favourite to defy a 9lb rise and land another lucrative prize on the Rowley Mile and he eventually reeled in Shadow Dance to prevail by half a length.
“He’s a lovely horse who has done nothing but improve and stays well, which has slightly surprised me,” said Balding.
“At Goodwood (finished third over a mile and a quarter) it looked like he might stay a bit further and he’s now unbeaten over a mile and a half. He’s definitely going the right way.
“I doubt we’d go again this season in England. The hope, certainly for the owner, is that he might run in the Qatar Derby in December. That would be dropping back to a mile and a quarter, but that was always the intention after putting him in training with me, so we’ll look towards that.
“If he comes back next year, anything is possible.”
Devoted Queen made an impressive start to her career in the first division of the Godolphin Under Starters Orders Maiden Fillies’ Stakes.
A Kingman half-sister to the high-class One Ruler, Charlie Appleby’s youngster was the 15-8 favourite to make a successful debut and quickened up smartly to beat Vicario by two and a quarter lengths in the hands of William Buick.
Appleby and Buick were completing a double following the earlier success of Dance Sequence in the Group Three Oh So Sharp Stakes, and the trainer said: “She (Devoted Queen) is a nice filly, her work has been good at home and she’s from a family that we know.
“There was confidence coming into her today, but as Will said beforehand, she’s a filly for the future and he wanted to ride her the right way round and get the most out of her that way.
“I think we’ll just see how she does mentally before we decide if we run her again this year. She’s a filly who does everything a little bit on her nerves at home, which is why she wore the red hood to post today. We’ll see how she comes out of it and decide whether we give her one more run or put her away.”
Division Two of the seven-furlong contest went to the stoutly-bred Glimpsed (13-8), trained by Ralph Beckett and ridden by Rossa Ryan.
The Night Of Thunder filly is a sibling to several Pattern race performers for owner-breeder Julian Richmond-Watson, including the Group One-winning stayer Scope.
Get The Music On was the 6-4 favourite following a narrow defeat on her Lingfield introduction, but Glimpsed’s stamina kicked in late on and she got up to score by a length and a quarter.
Beckett’s assistant Joe Tuite said: “She’s not the biggest, but she’s well-bred and very tough and showed a great attitude.
“Her work has been good and we’re pleased she’s transferred that to the racecourse.
“She does what it says on the tin, there’s stamina in her pedigree and I’m sure she will stay further.”
The concluding Newmarket Pony Academy Pride Stakes was run in near darkness and driving rain – and it was Gary Moore’s 9-1 shot Novus who emerged from the gloom to secure Group Three honours by two lengths from Veil Of Shadows.
Winning jockey Tom Queally said: “I couldn’t see much, and I knew I was going to give her a great ride because no one else could see anything either!
“All she’s done all year is improve and it’s remarkable because she’s had a few little niggles along the way. She wasn’t quite right a few weeks ago and Gary has done a great job with her.
“She loves dig in the ground and on the dam’s side there’s stamina, so we were quietly confident that would make a difference and it did.”
The New York Giants will be without starting quarterback Daniel Jones Sunday night when they visit the Buffalo Bills.
Jones, who left the Giants’ 31-16 loss to the Miami Dolphins last weekend with a neck injury, was ruled out Friday by New York coach Brian Daboll.
Veteran Tyrod Taylor will make his first start since 2021 in Jones’ place.
Jones was hurt when he was sacked by Miami’s Andrew Van Ginkel, the sixth time he was sacked during the game. Jones has been sacked 28 times this season, the second most in the league (Sam Howell, 29).
Jones missed six games in 2021 with a neck injury, but the fifth-year pro told reporters this week that his current ailment is unrelated.
Jones, who signed a four-year, $160million contract extension in March, has struggled this season with a career-low 71.7 passer rating. After throwing just five interceptions last season, Jones has thrown six already this year.
The Giants (1-4) have lost three straight games and are in last place in the NFC East. New York will also be without left tackle Andrew Thomas, rookie center John Michael Schmitz, outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari and backup tackle Matt Peart on Sunday.
Star running back Saquon Barkley, who has missed the last three games with an ankle injury, returned to practice this week and is expected to have a chance to play against Buffalo.
Sam Tomkins feared his hopes of a fairytale finale to his glittering rugby league career had been dashed when he limped away from Catalans Dragons’ Betfred Super League win over Leigh in Perpignan in February.
The 34-year-old made a painful early morning phone call to Catalans head coach Steve McNamara to concede his decision to extend his career beyond last year’s World Cup in order help the French side towards a second Grand Final had been in vain.
Eight months later, having defied both his own initial fears and those of series of specialists who had delivered dark verdicts on his injured knee, Tomkins is preparing for the final game he always dreamed of, against the club he helped inspire to three previous Grand Final crowns.
It has become increasingly hard to deny that it has been written in the stars for Tomkins, especially since he rolled back the years with a nifty sprint through the defensive line of four-time defending champions St Helens to score the match-winning try in their play-off semi-final last week.
“It’s funny how things turn out,” smiled Tomkins. “My last game for Wigan was winning a Grand Final here in 2018 and now my last ever game on the pitch is against Wigan. I understand how lucky I am to be in this position.
“Everybody has their own personal story of what trophies mean to them. I’ve got a story for every one, but this different. This would be the first Super League title for the club, and the last time I’ll ever lace up my boots.
“The fairytale isn’t playing on Saturday – it’s winning on Saturday.”
Tomkins initially needed some convincing to bring an end to his glittering Wigan career and move to France in 2019, uprooting his young family to join McNamara, the former Bradford coach who harboured persuasive ambitions of turning Catalans into a permanent member of the sport’s elite.
Now his young family speak fluent French and he has no immediate desire to return to the UK, investing in property and a potential vineyard in Perpignan and accepting an offer from club owner Bernard Guasch to continue in a role as a club ambassador.
It is a measure of Tomkins’ gratitude for his improbable late-career surge, and his desire to take the club one step further than their previous Grand Final appearance two years ago, that he was swiftly disabused of the conviction that the match against Leigh could be his last.
“We played against Leigh and I had a sleepless night after that game,” recalled Tomkins. “In the early hours of the morning, I called the coach and just said, ‘I can’t do it.’
“In terms of rugby, it was the toughest conversation I’ve ever had. Steve said to just come in the office and we’d chat through it. I was adamant at the time – I know my body and I just said I couldn’t do it.
“I told them they’d be better off bringing in someone else who can play every week. But the club said they didn’t want to do that. They said they’d rather have me here for the important games, and that for me was humbling.
“The performance and medical staff put together a great plan that meant I’ve played more rugby this year than I ever imagined.
“I will forever be in debt to them for the work they’ve done in my last season that means I’ll be able to finish on the biggest stage.”
Tomkins, however, is adamant the inevitable emotion of the occasion will count for nothing unless he is able to lift his current club to what would be an unprecedented first Grand Final win for the French side.
Catalans went toe to toe with Wigan during the regular season, leading the standings for a long period and eventually finishing second on goal difference, before raising their game to sink Saints in front of a near sell-out at the Stade Gilbert Brutus.
Over six planes full of Catalans fans will travel to Old Trafford and both French and Catalonian television channels will broadcast the game live, testament to the strides made by the club in the two years since they came up short against Saints at the same venue.
“We learned a lot a couple of years ago and we certainly learned that you can go to a Grand Final and play really well and can still not be enough,” said McNamara, who has made winning a personal mission since he moved to the club in 2017.
“The experience you gain is the same whether you win or lose and that puts us in a different place.
“We are up against a club who have been one of the juggernauts of rugby league for the last hundred-odd years, but that is how it should be in a Grand Final, and we know we have got to be outstanding.”
Marcus Smith has been backed to deliver on the biggest night of his career after England gambled by picking the Harlequins magician at full-back for Sunday’s World Cup quarter-final against Fiji.
Smith will make only his second professional start in the number 15 jersey and, while he has also banked a number of influential cameos as a replacement, he remains a converted fly-half who is unproven in the position at the highest level.
England believe he will continue to thrive in his new role, providing a cutting edge in attack and a second ball-playing option, and have sacrificed the ultra dependable Freddie Steward to accommodate him.
Another seismic selection sees Owen Farrell replace George Ford at fly-half even though the Sale ringmaster has excelled at the World Cup, delivering man-of-the-match displays against Argentina and Japan.
All eyes will be on Smith, however, in the hope that he can reproduce the fireworks seen in the group match against Chile when he ran in two tries.
Harlequins team-mate Joe Marler has known the 24-year-old since he arrived at Twickenham Stoop as a teenager and quickly realised he was a special talent.
“Marcus is a big-match player. I’m really happy for him to get his opportunity to start again in a World Cup. He’ll thrive,” Marler said.
“He’s shown it off the bench in the moments we’ve needed him and I hope he can do that from the start.
“At the club he was confident early on, even to the point where I turn around and say ‘I’m going to have to say something to this guy, he’s gobbing off at me’. I’ve been at the club 10 years and he’s gobbing off at me.
“I was like ‘he’s a jumped up, entitled, little, private school kid’. And then when you realise how good he is at rugby and why he’s doing what he’s doing, I was like ‘I’m going to listen to him because he’s going to get us into positions where we can win more rugby games because he knows what he’s talking about’.
“He’s done it consistently at club level and now it’s about now doing it consistently at international level. What better place to do that than starting in the quarter-final?”
Farrell will dovetail with Smith in attack with the pair each operating at first and second receiver at different times. England’s captain has noted his team-mate’s appetite to take on the opposition.
“I’m impressed with how much Marcus wants to get after it – how much he wants the ball, how much he wants to make a difference,” Farrell said.
“From what I’ve seen so far the bigger the occasion, the more he wants to do that. It’s not like Marcus hasn’t played in big games – he’s won the Premierships.
“He wants to have a big impact on the game and so far he’s been doing that. I see it being no different this weekend.”
England field eight survivors from the starting XV that took on South Africa in the World Cup final four years ago and it could be a final appearance for several members of Borthwick’s squad – providing additional motivation against Fiji.
“There are definitely a number of us that won’t play for England again after this tournament,” Marler said.
“We have been together a number of years, we have built friendships and bonds. We want to give this our all and finish on a high.
“You never know when your last game is. You’ve got to make the most of what you can.”
The Cleveland Browns have ruled out quarterback Deshaun Watson for Sunday's game against the undefeated San Francisco 49ers due to a lingering injury to his right shoulder.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed Friday that P.J. Walker will be activated from the practice squad to start in Watson's place against 5-0 San Francisco.
Watson has been bothered by a right shoulder contusion that also caused him to miss Cleveland's most recent game, a 28-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Oct. 1. The three-time Pro Bowl selection did not practice at all this week despite the Browns coming off a bye in Week 5.
Stefanski said after the Baltimore game that Watson had been medically cleared to play but did not feel he could perform at a necessary level.
“He knows his body. He has played through serious pain before, very serious injuries,” Stefanski said on Oct. 2. ”It wasn’t a matter of pain tolerance or anything. He just did not feel like he had his full faculties.”
Walker started five games for the Carolina Panthers last season and finished the campaign with 731 passing yards, three touchdown passes, three interceptions and a 59.4 per cent completion percentage. The four-year veteran was released by the Chicago Bears in August and signed with Cleveland's practice squad shortly after.
The 28-year-old received the starting nod after rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson struggled in place of Watson against the Ravens. The 2023 fifth-round pick threw three interceptions and managed just 121 yards on 19-of-36 passing.
Classy hurdler Pied Piper will bid to continue the Irish domination of the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap at Newmarket on Saturday.
Formally owned by the late Queen when twice a winner on the Flat for John and Thady Gosden, it is over obstacles where the now Gordon Elliott-trained five-year-old has made his name, finishing second and third respectively at the last two Cheltenham Festivals.
With attentions turned to the level once again following a long summer absence, Pied Piper finished third on his comeback run at Killarney in late August and the Cullentra House handler has managed to snare the prized booking of Ryan Moore ahead of this main autumn objective.
“It’s very interesting and we’re really looking forward to it,” said Joey Logan, racing manager for owners Caldwell Construction.
“He’s in great form and his prep up to this has been very good, so Gordon is very happy with him.
“He is on a nice mark (96) and he’s after having a good break from jumping last year. He’s come back a bigger, stronger and fresher horse. It’s a big ask in a big field but we’re very happy with him.
“It’s going to be a messy race and it’s a big field as we all know, but hopefully Ryan will be in a nice position and will be happy. We’re very lucky and Gordon has done a great job, we’re really looking forward to having Ryan Moore riding him.”
The Irish have won four of the last five runnings of the Cesarewitch, with Elliott’s great rival Willie Mullins responsible for three of those victories.
Jockey bookings would suggest the William Buick-ridden Lot Of Joy is the pick of the Closutton quintet this time, with Rachael Blackmore getting the leg up aboard Jackfinbar, while hoping to join his uncle on the roll of honour is Emmet Mullins, who will saddle Cheltenham Festival winner The Shunter – who he describes as “Mr Versatility”.
The Grand National-winning trainer is keeping his eye on the weather and said: “Hopefully they get all the rain that is due and he could run a big race.
“He is a very versatile horse and he proved that when picking up the bonus by winning over both hurdles and fences in the space of two weeks. He’s Mr Versatility and obviously this is another avenue we can explore with him.
“He always runs his race and has been training well and hopefully is there to take his chance.”
Noel Meade is another Irish handler more commonly associated with training over jumps and has assembled a two-strong raiding party headed by Galway Hurdle runner-up and Irish Cesarewitch fourth Jesse Evans.
“He’s actually better off in this race than he was in the Irish Cesarewitch,” explained Meade.
“He seems in good shape but had a hard race in the Irish Cesarewitch, so we will have to hope he has recovered from that. But he seems OK and the little bit of work he has done has been good and we’re happy with him.
“He likes fast or fastish ground but the trip is a little bit of an unknown with him. He gets two miles all right, but two-miles-two, I don’t know, we will see.”
Jesse Evans will be joined in the line-up by stablemate Sheishybrid, who tuned up for this by finishing second over track and trip in the Cesarewitch Trial Handicap.
“She was second in the trial there and she is a good bit better off with the one that won it,” continued Meade.
“She stays all day and she will get two and a half miles. She will get the trip no problem and seems to have come out of the race well the last day. The quicker the ground, the better.”
Getting the better of Sheishybrid in the Cesarewitch trial was Andrew Balding’s Grand Providence, who will once again be partnered by Hayley Turner as she edges her way towards 1,000 career winners.
The jockey said: “She’s got a nice light weight and is proven at the distance at the track. Staying has really brought out the best side of her.”
Hughie Morrison saddled Vino Victrix and Not So Sleepy to finish second and third respectively in this 12 months ago and both are back for another crack at the prestigious handicap.
Not So Sleepy arrives after making all in Newbury’s Autumn Cup last month and will now have the burden of a 4lb penalty, while Vino Victrix returns to the Rowley Mile off a mark 2lb lower than when second to Run For Oscar in 2022.
“Sleepy didn’t help his chances by winning that handicap the other day, but that was very pleasurable and now he has a penalty,” said Morrison.
“We haven’t been trying to be cute with Vino, just nothing has really come for him this year. If he comes back to form, he could run into a place again.
“It would be nice to have a nice, big winner at the end of the season, but we’ve had a great year and can’t be greedy.”
Battle-hardened stayer Tashkhan registered his first victory in over two years when thriving in the mud at Chester recently and his handler Brian Ellison is hoping conditions will allow for another bold showing off top-weight here.
“I’m praying we get enough rain and it looks like it’s coming,” said Ellison. “We need it and the owner is keen on running, but obviously he won’t run unless the ground is right.
“He was good last time, top-weight in a handicap and giving weight away and a beating to in-form horses. It was good and we were over the moon with him really, he’s bouncing at the moment.
“I wouldn’t say he has to step up, but the ground is more important to him than the horses he runs against – he needs that soft or heavy ground.”
David Pipe’s Wordsworth was purchased with this race in mind and was seen to good effect over hurdles at Bangor 10 days ago, while Gary Moore’s Goshen and the Alan King-trained Tritonic are other names jumps fans will be familiar with.
The latter will attempt to give King and owners the McNeill family a second win in the race after combining with Grumeti in 2015 and Tritonic’s jockey Rossa Ryan believes he will be right in the mix.
He said: “I love him and I would put a line through Goodwood. It was sticky ground there and he didn’t like it.
“It either needs to stay dry and become nice, good ground or it stays raining and becomes loose. I think in the middle of that, he’s not in love with it.
“Alan’s are in good form and he will have a chance, he won’t be bringing him for the sake of it.”
Aidan O’Brien expects City Of Troy will gain some valuable experience as he makes his eagerly-anticipated return in the Native Trail’s Dewhurst Stakes.
The son of Justify made a winning debut at the Curragh in July and then blew the field away to take the Superlative Stakes by six and a half lengths later in the same month.
The National Stakes was then bypassed due to unsuitable ground and while the going was officially described as soft on Friday, connections are happy to take up their Rowley Mile engagement as they look to get another run in before the end of the campaign.
City Of Troy currently heads the betting for next year’s 2000 Guineas and Derby, with O’Brien viewing the Dewhurst as a perfect ending to the colt’s campaign.
O’Brien said: “He’s ready for his third run. Obviously he was due to the go the Curragh three weeks ago and that didn’t work, but everyone is happy with him.
“We always loved him and he’s done everything we’ve asked him so far. This should be a lovely run to finish him off for the year and give him more experience.
“Everything is well with him. He is a beautiful moving horse.”
Also entered is Owen Burrows’ Alyanaabi, a Shadwell-owned colt who was last seen winning the Group Three Tattersalls Stakes over course and distance in late September.
Of that performance, Burrows said: “I felt he had to quicken at a few stages in the Group Three last time. He had to quicken down the hill and he had to quicken going up the hill.
“I’m not concerned if there is lack of pace in the race as this horse has won over six furlongs, so if it did turn into a sprint late on I wouldn’t be concerned. He is pretty versatile.
“We always felt he was this level and the fact I pitched him in a Listed race on his second start (Pat Eddery Stakes) instead of going for a novice race under a penalty suggested that.
“He has always shown a fair level and it wasn’t out of the realms of possibility he would be rocking up in a race like this.”
Charlie Hills’ Iberian was a winner last time out when taking the Champagne Stakes under Tom Marquand, the same jockey who takes the rides at Newmarket on Saturday.
He said: “I’m looking forward to riding him and obviously he will have to take another step forward, but he holds all the credentials for a horse that you are going into a race like that on.
“It’s a different task but one he looks ready to go and tackle.
“I was very impressed (at Doncaster) like everyone else who was watching him and he showed a good turn of foot, which is what you need over seven in a Group One. There’s obviously been Group One winners behind him, albeit on different ground. He’s in top order so fingers crossed.”
On the threat of City Of Troy, the rider added: “We’ve only seen him on a racecourse twice and he’s off a three-month absence since the Superlative. While he was impressive in that, if ever there is a day to take on a horse like that, this is it. Circumstances are probably as ever in our favour as they can be and I’m looking forward to it.”
Juddmonte and Andrew Balding have supplemented Mill Reef winner Array into the race where he will be ridden by James Doyle.
Juddmonte’s Barry Mahon said: “It’s a big task, but he’s in good form and won the Mill Reef well.
“No Nay Never’s progeny seem to excel at two and there wasn’t a whole lot left for him this year, so the owners were keen to give it a go and so was Andrew and we said we’d give it a rattle.
“I think we’re confident enough about the trip – Oisin (Murphy) was pretty confident that he’d stay the seven the last day.”
Eve Johnson Houghton has an entrant in Indian Run, a dual winner this term who made his Group debut when landing the Acomb Stakes at York by a length and a half in August.
“He’s got a big day and obviously it’s a hot race, it’s a championship race,” the trainer said.
“He goes there in great form and we go there very hopeful. He’s done everything we’ve ever asked of him, so let’s hope he keeps on going that way.”
Completing the field is John and Thady Gosden’s Eben Shaddad, third in the Tattersalls Stakes, Richard Hannon’s Vintage Stakes winner Haatem and O’Brien’s Henry Adams.
Steve Borthwick has urged his England players take advantage of a precious moment in their careers by claiming a place in the World Cup semi-finals.
A dangerous Fiji side block England’s path to a last-four appointment with France or South Africa at Stade Velodrome on Sunday and for many of Borthwick’s squad it is last dance territory.
Courtney Lawes and Jonny May have publicly stated this will be their final World Cup, while other senior players such as Danny Care, Dan Cole and Manu Tuilagi are approaching the end of their Test careers.
It provides additional motivation to avenge August’s shock defeat by Fiji and former England captain Borthwick knows from personal experience of how rare these moments are.
“You’ve got to take the opportunities that are presented to you. Rise to the occasion of this game because you never know what’s around the corner,” head coach Borthwick said.
“As a rugby player I thought I had an opportunity in 2003 and didn’t get picked. I went in 2007 and thought I’d be there in 2011, but I wasn’t so I played in one tournament.
“I want the players to embrace this challenge and have the time of their lives representing England. I want them to have a fantastic memory of this World Cup.
“There’s a lot of players here who have experienced knockout rugby before. There’s a lot of players who have lifted a lot of trophies at different times in their careers.
“It is quite clear that this is knockout rugby. I think that these players will embrace this challenge and I think they will really rise to the occasion.
“That’s my expectation and I think that’s what they have done throughout this tournament. I am expecting them to rise again on Sunday against Fiji.”
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