Marco Botti has expressed his pride in Giavellotto’s brave run in defeat at York, with connections now mulling over a possible tilt at the Melbourne Cup later in the year.
The Yorkshire Cup champion was returning to the scene of his finest hour when lining-up in the Lonsdale Cup and lost little in defeat as he fought out the finish with the Ascot Gold Cup first and second, Courage Mon Ami and Coltrane.
It was Andrew Balding’s consistent performer who came out on top on the Knavesmire, with Botti’s four-year-old giving way to the stronger stayers late in the day as he finished two lengths adrift in third.
However, the Newmarket-based handler was far from despondent as his long distance star showed his qualities once again.
Botti said: “It was a good run and he was beaten by two proper stayers who finished first and second in the Gold Cup. They are the best stayers around and maybe they just outstayed him.
“I always thought one-mile-six would be Giavellotto’s optimum trip. He gets the two miles but when he runs against the proper stayers, maybe the final furlong gets a bit hard work.
“It was no disgrace to finish third behind two proper stayers and he is a horse who has been consistent and tries his best all the time. For sure he handles York quite well.”
Giavellotto holds entries in the Comer Group International Irish St Leger (Curragh, September 10) and the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot on British Champions Day (October 21).
However, Botti is hoping to get the go-ahead from owner Francesca Franchini of Scuderia La Tesa Limited to travel to Australia for the ‘race that stops a nation’ at Flemington on November 7.
“He’s a horse who wouldn’t want the ground too soft. He is in the Irish St Leger, but we thought by then you don’t know what the ground will be,” explained Botti.
“We are still discussing about the Melbourne Cup and I’m pretty sure we will enter him and then finalise the plans. Otherwise in England it will just be Champions Day as the only goal left for him.”
He went on: “I would be in favour (of going for the Melbourne Cup). The fact he went to Dubai and is a horse who travels well and I also think the track will suit him – it is similar to York, a left-handed track.
“I think he will get in. He won a Group Two so he should make the cut for the Melbourne Cup, but then it is up to the owners as it is quite an expensive trip to take on and as we know the rules are quite strict before the race. The vetting can be tricky but he is a sound horse.
“If we take that route, hopefully all goes to plan, and I would be in favour if the owner wanted to go.”
If a trip to the Southern Hemisphere doesn’t come to fruition, Botti hopes to explore other options overseas for Giavellotto during his five-year-old campaign as he envisages his stable star improving further with experience.
“He’s a nice horse to still have in the yard and we have been able to win a Group Two this year,” he added.
“He’s a nice horse to have and maybe campaign abroad next year, whether that be Dubai or Saudi Arabia. We’re not planning too far ahead but he’s definitely a horse who has scope to get even better.”
Liam Smith questioned Chris Eubank Jr’s intelligence as the pair bickered ahead of their rematch this weekend.
The British fighters meet for a second time at Manchester’s AO Arena on Saturday, seven months on from Liverpudlian Smith’s fourth-round stoppage victory over his middleweight rival.
Both were in bullish mood as they held a fractious press conference in the city on Thursday, with Eubank predicting he will gain revenge with a “beautiful, artistic display of savage boxing”.
Eubank has brought in a new coach in Brian McIntyre and introduced other changes to his training regime in preparation for the contest.
McIntyre has hailed Eubank, 33, as an intelligent fighter, but 35-year-old Smith scoffed at that suggestion when they met with media.
The former WBO super-welterweight champion said: “You class Chris as an intelligent fighter? That is one thing Chris is not!”
“I’m definitely more intelligent than you, my friend,” Eubank responded.
Smith, who has a career record of 33-3-1, said: “Results speak for themselves!
“You are trying to convince people you’re intelligent? You’ve been fit, you’ve been durable, you have an engine, but you’ve never been classed as intelligent.”
“You have one form of fighting, I have many,” said Eubank. “So, if we are going to talk about intelligence there is no competition.”
Eubank, who now has 32 wins and three defeats to his name, is so confident of victory that he says he has banned his camp from even taking a towel to the ring.
Eubank’s former coach Roy Jones Jr had appeared ready to throw in the towel immediately prior to the referee’s decision to halt the first bout.
“We are not going to look for the easy way out,” said Eubank. “If it gets rough, if it gets hairy, we are there for the long haul. We are going to get through it.
“If there is going to be a towel involved in this fight it will definitely be coming from the other corner.
“What happened in the last fight was not supposed to happen. Even to Liam – he may not admit it – but he was not expecting the fight to finish how it finished. Nobody was.
“I know I am the better fighter and I am going to go out there and prove it on Saturday.
“The preparation I have had has been excellent and the performance I am going to have is going to be exquisite, supernatural. It is going to be a beautiful, artistic display of savage boxing.”
Smith was incredulous at Eubank’s remarks and claimed the outcome would be similar to that of the first fight.
He said: “All week it was, ‘Chris couldn’t be hurt’. I was like, ‘Never say never’.
“I told everyone, ‘Don’t think anyone can’t be hurt because they have got a good chin’. I do still think he has got a good chin, but he got hit, looking at the floor, and he went.
“The same will happen again. If he makes the same mistakes, I will punish him.”
A return to France on Arc weekend and a trip to the Breeders’ Cup will come under consideration for Tiger Belle following her front-running success in the Prix d’Arenberg at ParisLongchamp.
The Ado McGuinness-trained filly was a 7-1 shot stepping up to Group Three level following a narrow Listed success at Naas and was smartly away in the hands of Cristian Demuro.
Karl Burke’s Dawn Charger finished with a flourish, but Tiger Belle saw her off by a neck, with Graceful Thunder the same distance further away in third for George Boughey.
McGuinness said of the winner: “She’s a very tough filly and I’ve said all along she’s very fast, one of the fastest fillies I’ve ever had.
“She’s improving with every run, she’s a lovely filly to have and I’m delighted for the guys that own her (Shamrock Thoroughbreds).”
The County Dublin-based handler confirmed Tiger Belle could carry new colours on her next start if a suitable offer arrives as he targets a potential step up to the highest level.
“No one rang us after she won in Naas, but she is for sale and hopefully someone might buy her now. We’d love to keep her, but the lads that own her are an investment syndicate and we have to sell to survive,” McGuinness added.
“We have plenty of options for her now. She could run at the Breeders’ Cup over five or we have the option of going for the Prix de l’Abbaye if we wanted.
“She obviously handles the track. I think the key to Longchamp is the draw, but her gate speed is very fast, she kills the race halfway through and they just struggle to catch her.”
Francis Meynell could be immediately upped in grade at Doncaster’s St Leger Festival having made a successful introduction at Navan.
Michael O’Callaghan’s speedily-bred Blue Point youngster cost 125,000 guineas at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year and went some way to justifying that price-tag with a taking display in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.
Sent immediately to the front by Leigh Roche, he barely saw another rival as he defied inexperience to produce an ultra-professional performance and register a running-on three-quarters of a length success at 8-1.
His trainer was suitably impressed and is now eyeing a trip to Town Moor on September 15 for the Carlsberg Danish Pilsner Stakes, the Group Two contest most commonly known as the Flying Childers.
“He’s a horse I’ve taken my time with. He’s quite enthusiastic at home so we went back to basics with him and we’ve slowly let him get himself ready for this,” said O’Callaghan.
“He’s going to improve plenty. It’s more so his mind that made him look so professional today, but I think he’ll improve a lot from what he’s done at home.
“It looked like a good race on paper beforehand and Leigh said he thought that he was only in second gear.
“I thought if he was able to win his maiden today and he looked nice that I might pitch him into something like the Flying Childers.
“He’s quick, he’d get six furlongs I’d say, but he has a lot of speed and there is no point trying to tame it.
“I not trying to talk him up but I honestly don’t know where the bottom of him is.”
Earlier on the card Aidan O’Brien’s Pop Star (100-30) highlighted his potential when downing 1-3 favourite Yosemite Valley to shed his maiden tag at the third time of asking.
Off the track since finishing second at Navan just over a year ago, the son of Sioux Nation showed plenty of pace to make up for lost time and potentially earn a shot at something bigger and better next time.
“We thought a bit of him last year and he got a setback, he’s missed a lot of time off the track,” said winning rider Seamie Heffernan.
“Pat Martin trained the mother, she was very genuine and she won a heap of races.
“In the last 20 yards was quite green but I was more than happy with him.
“He’s quick, five or six furlongs. If he gets seven furlongs, he’s definitely a stakes horse.”
Also on course for a sterner test in his next outing is Michael Mulvaney’s Bid For Chester (7-2) who thrived dropping back in trip to break his duck at the fifth attempt in the Navan Racecourse Nursery Handicap.
“He fired a warning shot the other day and Chris came in a said he was a bit green when he went for him,” said Mulvany.
“When he came through them today the hill suited him.
“Hopefully now he’ll go to the sales race, the Goffs Sportman’s Challenge in Naas on September 14th. That was the plan all year.”
Derby third White Birch is set to return to the track at Leopardstown during the Irish Champions Festival following a mid-season break.
Trained by John Murphy, the colt acquitted himself with real credit in the first half of the season and it was at Leopardstown where he won the Ballysax Stakes on his seasonal bow before podium finishes in both the Dante and the Derby at Epsom.
The only blot in the son of Ulysses’ copybook came when misfiring at the Curragh in the Irish Derby prior to his break, but he is now reported to be in rude health ahead of his impending return to the track.
He holds entries in Leopardstown’s Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes and the Prix Niel at ParisLongchamp, but connections are favouring the Group Three Paddy Power Stakes at the Dublin track for White Birch’s comeback outing.
“He’s in super shape and he’s had a couple of weeks of a break,” said George Murphy, assistant trainer to his father.
“We’re just building him up slowly to run probably next weekend. He’s in the Champion Stakes, the Kilternan Stakes (Paddy Power Stakes) and the Prix Niel in France.
“There’s no concrete plan which we will go for next, but he will run in one of those races.
“I think at the moment it is likely we will go to the Kilternan Stakes.”
White Birch has plied his trade at the highest level in his most recent outings, contesting Classics on both sides of the Irish sea.
However, he will be dropping back to Group Three company if contesting the Paddy Power Stakes, with Murphy explaining it is the mile-and-a-half distance that is the biggest determining factor when selecting the horse’s next target.
He added: “There is going to be nothing easy about a race on Champions Weekend, but I think a mile and a half is his most suitable trip and it just happens to be a Group Three.
“That’s the race that suits him that weekend other than the Prix Niel in France which he also has the option of as well.”
White Birch’s appearances are set to be limited this autumn as his training team already have one eye on a four-year-old campaign.
However, there is the possibility the colt may take an enterprising trip to Germany before the end of the season for a crack at Munich’s Grosser Preis von Bayern in early November, a Group One contest won two years ago by Sir Mark Prescott’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe heroine Alpinista.
“He’s entered in the Grosser Preis von Bayern and there is the potential he may go there – that’s a bit later in the year,” said Murphy.
“There’s a couple of other races but we’re probably not going to over-race him in the autumn.
“He’s grown quite a lot and we’re kind of looking forward to next year with him really.
“There’s a nice programme throughout the year for older horses and he’s shown throughout this year he is more than happy to travel. He should have a big future next year, please God.”
A return to France on Arc weekend and a trip to the Breeders’ Cup will come under consideration for Tiger Belle following her front-running success in the Prix d’Arenberg at ParisLongchamp.
The Ado McGuinness-trained filly was a 7-1 shot stepping up to Group Three level following a narrow Listed success at Naas and was smartly away in the hands of Cristian Demuro.
Karl Burke’s Dawn Charger finished with a flourish, but Tiger Belle saw her off by a neck, with Graceful Thunder the same distance further away in third for George Boughey.
McGuinness said of the winner: “She’s a very tough filly and I’ve said all along she’s very fast, one of the fastest fillies I’ve ever had.
“She’s improving with every run, she’s a lovely filly to have and I’m delighted for the guys that own her (Shamrock Thoroughbreds).”
The County Dublin-based handler confirmed Tiger Belle could carry new colours on her next start if a suitable offer arrives as he targets a potential step up to the highest level.
“No one rang us after she won in Naas, but she is for sale and hopefully someone might buy her now. We’d love to keep her, but the lads that own her are an investment syndicate and we have to sell to survive,” McGuinness added.
“We have plenty of options for her now. She could run at the Breeders’ Cup over five or we have the option of going for the Prix de l’Abbaye if we wanted.
“She obviously handles the track. I think the key to Longchamp is the draw, but her gate speed is very fast, she kills the race halfway through and they just struggle to catch her.”
Johnny Murtagh is planning to pitch the lightly-raced Cadeau Belle into Group One company in next week’s Coolmore America ‘Justify’ Matron Stakes at Leopardstown.
The three-year-old looked progressive in winning her first two starts, in a Gowran maiden and a Navan Listed heat, before being upped to Group Three level for the Valiant Stakes at Ascot in July.
Sent off the 15-8 favourite that day, Cadeau Belle was keen from the off and eventually finished last of the nine runners in the mile affair.
Murtagh hopes the application of a hood can help manage her eager attitude and is favouring sending the daughter of Harry Angel for the top-level event, rather than taking up her alternate entry in the Group Two Dullingham Park Stakes.
He said: “I’m not sure what happened to her the last time, I really fancied her going to Ascot. (Jamie) Spencer said she was too keen and boiled over at the start, she has a hood on now so I think we might go for the Matron.
“I know it’s going to be a good race, but it’s the kind of race I had in mind all the time. We will probably let her take her chance there.
“She’s been working well again, the hood is on and that should help her relax.”
Ladies Church could also fly the Group One flag for the yard in the Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Flying Five Stakes.
The four-year-old was a Group Two winner last year but has yet to sparkle in three runs this term, with Murtagh thinking soft ground had gone against her twice while last week’s Nunthorpe had a lightning early pace.
The trainer said: “I ran her on soft ground twice this year and she didn’t really like it. I fancied her a little bit going to York last week but they went so fast she never really got on the bridle. She will go for the Flying Five.”
Mashhoor recorded a hat-trick earlier in the season, taking the notable scalp of Al Riffa in the Group Three International Stakes, but he found it tough going in the York Stakes on his latest run, coming last of five – albeit beaten just four lengths by Alflaila.
The five-year-old will now switch back up in trip for the Paddy Power Stakes.
Murtagh said: “Mashhoor is going to run in the mile-and-a-half Group Three at Leopardstown. He has a 3lb penalty and I know it will be tough, but he’s in good form and came out of the race at York really well.”
Angels Wrath and Take Heart are both in the mix for the Irish Stallion Farms EBF ‘Northfields’ Handicap over 10 furlongs, with Murtagh rating the latter as one of his best chances of victory at the two-day Irish Champions Festival.
He said: “Take Heart is a nice horse in the mile-and-a-quarter Northfields Handicap at the Curragh. I think he’s rated 92, he’s a three-year-old who might sneak in at the bottom of it. I think he’d be one of our better chances – he’s really going well at the moment.
“Angels Wrath will run in the mile-and-a-quarter handicap on the Sunday. She’s been Listed-placed and we’re trying to get a stakes win with her, it’s just tough. She’s 96 rated and I think maybe the mile-and-a-quarter handicap will suit her well.”
Kerkiyra holds an entry over the big weekend, but Murtagh has another target in mind for the four-year-old, who won the ‘Northfields’ last year.
He said: “I was going to run in the mile-and-a-quarter handicap but I might keep her for the Group Three the following week in Gowran, the Denny Cordell Lavarack & Lanwades Stud Fillies Stakes.
“She stayed to try to get a stakes win with her. She ran well the first time but it knocked the stuffing out of her a bit and it’s taken a while, so she’s coming back and is hopefully capable of winning a Listed race.”
Shartash, winner of last year’s Railway Stakes, is another who will be looking away from the Irish showpiece event, with a Curragh trip later in September on the cards after he fluffed the start in the Phoenix Sprint recently.
Murtagh said: “Shartash messed up the last time in the stalls, I thought he might win the last day and then go to the Haydock Sprint Cup. We might keep him for the Renaissance, a Group Three.”
Lewis Hamilton will extend his record-breaking career in Formula One beyond his 40th birthday after signing a new contract with Mercedes.
The Silver Arrows confirmed ahead of this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix that Hamilton, 38, will continue to drive with them for 2024 and 2025.
It is anticipated that the new deal will earn Hamilton in the region of £50million-a-year.
The announcement ends speculation surrounding the seven-time world champion’s future on the grid with his current deal up for renewal at the end of the year.
Mercedes will stick with their all-British line-up until at least the end of 2025 with George Russell, 25, continuing to partner Hamilton.
“We dream every day of being the best and we have dedicated the past decade together to achieving that goal,” said Hamilton, who started his career back in 2007.
“Being at the top does not happen overnight or over a short period of time, it takes commitment, hard work and dedication and it’s been an honour to earn our way into the history books with this incredible team.
“We have never been hungrier to win. We have learnt from every success but also every setback. We continue to chase our dreams, we continue to fight no matter the challenge and we will win again.
“I’m grateful to the team who have supported me both on and off the track. Our story isn’t finished, we are determined to achieve more together and we won’t stop until we do.”
Equality is headed to the Curragh after holding his own when finishing sixth in the Nunthorpe at York.
The five-year-old, who is trained by Charlie Hills, was a 50-1 shot on his first attempt at Group One level and was far from outranked when beaten just over three lengths.
The Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Flying Five Stakes on September 10 is now the aim as the bay has proved himself to be at home alongside the top sprinters over five furlongs.
Sam Hoskins, racing manager for owners Kennet Valley Thoroughbreds, said: “We were delighted with him, he ran a great race for sixth. He was probably just on the wrong side of the draw and not near enough to the pace on the far side, but he hit the line really strong and Danny Muscutt was very complimentary about him.
“The one thing it did prove is that he was up to the Group One level, so hopefully he can take the syndicate to more Group One races going forwards.
“I don’t think there’s that much between them at that level over five furlongs at the moment.
“The plan is to go to the Flying Five at the Curragh next time and that might not be totally dissimilar to the test he faced at Sandown when he won the Coral Charge.
“A stiff five furlongs might just suit him well and if he gets a better draw there, then he should have an each-way squeak.”
Hills had a sprint winner at the meeting in Equilateral, who took the Sky Bet And Symphony Group Handicap aged eight to prove the trainer’s ability to keep seasoned sprinters sweet.
Hoskins said: “Charlie showed earlier in the with Equilateral that he can keep those sprinters going on for a while.
“Hopefully there’s lots more fun to come for us, he’ll stay with us forever and it’d be great to think that we could dream of winning a Group One one day.”
Runaway York winner Dragon Leader has another valuable sales race waiting for him after his taking victory in the Goffs UK Harry Beeby Premier Yearling Stakes at the Ebor meeting – his third win from three runs.
The Clive Cox-trained son of El Kabeir has the Weatherbys Scientific £300,000 2-Y-O Stakes at Doncaster in his sights now, a race in which he will carry a light weight as the concept of the contest is to assign runners a burden that corresponds to the median price of their respective sires’ yearlings sold at auction in 2022.
“It was thrilling, absolutely thrilling,” Hoskins said of the success.
“He’s been coming along nicely and won those two races early on, but that was amazing last week.
“There were lots of syndicate members up there and they were over the moon, it’s what we dream of.
“Our syndicate was set up in the late 1980s to try to win the Cartier Million sales race, so it’s kind of a full circle to win a big sales race – that was absolutely brilliant.
“The plan is to go for the big Weatherbys Scientific two-year-old sales race at Doncaster, because he’s by El Kabeir he’s got quite a low median price so he’s actually got bottom weight in the race which is really exciting.
“You’d hope he’d have a strong chance in a good field, then we can just see how we get on in that and decide what’s happening in the future.”
Cody Bellinger’s infield single in the eighth inning scored the go-ahead run and lifted the Chicago Cubs to a 3-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday in a key NL Central matchup.
The Cubs won the final two games of the series after dropping Monday’s opener to get back within three games of the Central-leading Brewers.
Chicago moved a season-high nine games over .500 and is three games behind Philadelphia, which owns the top wild card.
The Cubs sacrificed runners to second and third in the eighth, but Christopher Morel was thrown out at home on Ian Happ’s fielder’s choice for the second out.
Mike Tauchman moved to third and scored when Bellinger’s sharply hit ball up the middle glanced off the right ankle of reliever Joel Payamps and to third baseman Andruw Monasterio, whose throw to first was late.
Kyle Hendricks allowed only an unearned run and four hits over six innings while striking out six and walking two.
Adbert Alzolay hit Mark Canha with the bases loaded in the eighth to force in the tying run but worked a hitless ninth to earn the win.
Mariners close out red-hot August
J.P. Crawford delivered a two-run single in the seventh inning and the Seattle Mariners rallied for a 5-4 win over the Oakland Athletics for their franchise-record 21st win in August.
Seattle rallied from 3-0 and 4-3 deficits to finish 21-6 in August, surpassing the previous franchise record of 20 victories in a month.
The Mariners have won 13 of 15 and will head into September tied with Houston for the AL West lead. The last time Seattle entered September with a share of first place was in 2001, the last time it won the division.
Teoscar Hernandez hit a three-run homer in the third inning to forge a 3-3 tie.
The Mariners pushed across two runs in the seventh against reliever Kirby Snead.
Dominic Canzone doubled before Mike Ford singled and Dylan Moore walked to load the bases. After a strikeout, Crawford dropped a soft liner into left field to make it 5-4.
Astros complete first sweep at Fenway
Framber Valdez took a shutout into the sixth inning and the Houston Astros won their fifth straight game, 7-4 over the Boston Red Sox.
Michael Brantley had two hits and two RBIs and Alex Bregman, Jeremy Pena and Martin Maldonado each added two hits and one RBI as Houston earned its first-ever sweep at Fenway Park.
The Astros are tied with Seattle atop the AL West as they seek their sixth division title in seven years. Houston has won two World Series since 2017, added another two AL pennants and twice lost in the AL Championship Series.
Boston lost for the fifth time in six games and dropped 6 ½ games behind the final wild-card spot.
Novak Djokovic is safely into the third round, but there were a couple of big shocks on day three of the US Open.
Seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas was knocked out in five sets by Dominic Stricker, a qualifier ranked 128 in the world.
Then, in the night session, fifth seed and last year’s runner-up Casper Ruud fell foul of China’s world number 67 Zhang Zhizhen.
British qualifier Lily Miyakazi’s run came to and end in the second round.
Here, the PA news agency looks back at day three at Flushing Meadows.
Pic of the dayShock of the day
Chocolate-loving Dominic Stricker caused a major upset at the US Open by knocking out seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.
The chubby-cheeked 21-year-old qualifier from Switzerland, ranked 128 in the world, stunned two-time grand slam finalist Tsitsipas with a 7-5 6-7 (2) 6-7 (5) 7-6 (8) 6-3 victory to reach the third round.
The former French Open junior champion recently admitted his coach had told him to cut down on chocolate and cookies.
Yet it was Athens-born Tsitsipas who was left feeling sour after a four-hour slog on the Grandstand Court.
Brit watch
Miyazaki’s US Open adventure was ended in the second round by Olympic champion Belinda Bencic.
The 27-year-old came through three matches to qualify at Flushing Meadows for the first time and then picked up a maiden grand slam win against Margarita Betova in round one.
But the world number 198 found 15th seed Bencic, of Switzerland, too tough a nut to crack as she bowed out 6-3 6-3.
Miyazaki still leaves New York with the consolation prize of having virtually doubled her earnings for the year with a £98,000 pay day for winning her first-round match.
There were victories in the doubles for Jamie Murray, with Michael Venus, Joe Salisbury alongside partner Rajeev Ram, Lloyd Glasspool with Harri Heliovaara. and British pair Julian Cash and Henry Patten.
Quote of the dayFallen seeds:
Women: Petra Kvitova (11), Victoria Azarenka (18), Beatriz Haddad Maia (19), Magda Linette (24)
Men: Casper Ruud (5), Stefanos Tsitsipas (7), Francisco Cerundolo (20), Chris Eubanks (28).
Who’s up next?
Andy Murray kicks things off on Arthur Ashe against Bulgarian ninth seed Grigor Dimitrov. Fellow Brits Dan Evans, Cameron Norrie, Jack Draper and Katie Boulter are also in action along with Jodie Burrage, who faces the match of her life against second seed Aryna Sabalenka on Louis Armstrong.
The Cincinnati Bengals got Joe Burrow back on the practice field Wednesday for the first time since the star quarterback injured his right calf early in training camp.
Burrow had been sidelined since straining his calf on a scramble during a July 27 practice. The 2022 Pro Bowl selection took part in throwing drills Wednesday without the compression sleeve on his lower right leg that he had been wearing during his recovery period.
"It was really great to have him back out there," Bengals center Ted Karras told reporters afterward. "He's the leader of this team and I'm just really happy he's back."
Burrow's return bodes well for his chances of being ready for Cincinnati's season opener against the AFC North rival Cleveland Browns on Sept. 10.
The 2020 No. 1 overall pick had his rookie campaign cut short after 10 games by a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, but has not missed a game due to injury over the last two seasons while leading the Bengals to the playoffs both years.
Burrow delivered a breakout 2021 season in which he threw for a franchise-record 4,611 yards and 34 touchdowns and helped the Bengals to their first Super Bowl appearance since 1988. The 2019 Heisman Trophy winner set another team record with 35 touchdown passes in 2022 while compiling 4,475 passing yards and completing 68.3 per cent of his throws.
"Joe has a supreme command of the operational aspect of our offence, (so) it is ratched up a little bit," Karras said of Wednesday's practice. "Not that we're not going hard with anyone else out there, but when [number] nine's back there you can feel the difference."
Cincinnati finished 12-4 last season to capture its second straight AFC North title before again reaching the conference title game, which the Bengals lost 23-20 to the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
Jamaica's Olympian Keanan Dols made the difficult decision to retire from competitive swimming due to a chronic knee injury. But Dols is not leaving without hope, as he is taking the lessons learnt in the pool over the years and applying them to the next chapter of her life.
At 25 years old, Dols –who was born in Savanna-la-mar before moving overseas where he grew up in Sarasota, Florida –would have loved to parade his skills at another Olympic Games for the Caribbean Island, but opted not to go against his bodies will.
As such, he swapped his swim trunks for the coaching cap, joining the staff at Villanova University, where he will assist in shaping what he hopes will be the next generation of top-class swimmers.
"Coaching has been the plan for a few years now. Initially I was planning to start coaching after Paris (Olympic Games), but I’ve dealt with some chronic knee issues over the past few years, as well as some hip issues this past season so I made the decision to retire after the college season and begin my move into coaching," Dols told SportsMax.tv from his base in the United States.
"I learnt a lot during my time as an athlete and those experiences have definitely eased the transition as I can draw on that knowledge of the sport and rely on the people who have helped me along the way. I spent some time as a volunteer assistant with the University of Kentucky and Stanford university which were invaluable experiences that aided my decision," he added.
During his career which started in 2015, Dols represented Jamaica at numerous regional and international events, where he won several medals and established a number of national records. however, the biggest highlight of his career was the 2020 Tokyo Olympics where he swam the 200m butterfly and 200m individual medley (IM), respectively.
He last sported the national colours at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England and subsequently transferred from Pennsylvania to University of Kentucky to finish off a career which he now reflects on with a great sense of pride.
"I’m definitely very proud of my career. There were ups and downs, but every experience was great as they came with lessons and also served as motivation along the way, so I’m very proud of everything I’ve accomplished. If I could change anything though, it would probably be taking a bit better care of my injuries as they came along," Dols noted.
Still, getting to the high point of his career was by no means easy and required unwavering self-motivation, so while reflecting on his journey, Dols also had some encouraging words.
"When working to achieve your dreams, it is important not to limit yourself. Set your goals as high as possible and even after you achieve them, you have to keep setting the bar higher, always strive to raise the standard of your previous performance," he reasoned.
That said, Dols, who has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s in supply chain management, is eager to serve as a great young mentor to Villanova's athletes both in and out of the pool, as his attention to detail is expected to be a great asset to the school's programme.
"I’m extremely excited to be joining the staff at Villanova. It’s a great opportunity to learn and grow as a coach and I’m excited to get to coach a great group of young athletes, who are people first and athletes second," he said.
"I’m very much looking forward to this season and I feel that I bring some high-level international experience and good perspective on elite level training to make a difference," Dols ended.
Chocolate-loving Dominic Stricker caused a major upset at the US Open by knocking out seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.
The 21-year-old qualifier from Switzerland, ranked 128 in the world, stunned two-time grand slam finalist Tsitsipas with 7-5 6-7 (2) 6-7 (5) 7-6 (6) 6-3 victory to reach the third round.
Stricker is a former French Open junior champion who recently admitted his coach had told him to cut down on chocolate and cookies but it was Tsitsipas who was left feeling sour after a four-hour slog on the Grandstand Court.
“You know, I came out today pretty well today and felt good from the first set,” said Stricker.
“Over four hours it was a tough battle and I’m just super happy right now. I’m going to enjoy the rest of the day and recover tomorrow.
“It’s such a great day for me and such a great win. It gives me a lot of confidence. I believe a lot in me now.”
Remarkably, Stricker could have been on the plane back to Bern last week having faced a match point in the second round of qualifying.
He has now achieved his best result at a grand slam, having bettered his run to the second round at Wimbledon earlier this summer.
Tsitsipas served for the match at 5-3 in the fourth set, and the Greek said: “That hasn’t happened to me before. It’s the first time for me.
“Usually I’m much tougher mentally, and I have shown it by coming back. Even though sometimes I get broken serving for the match, let’s say, I still find ways in the tie-break or perhaps in the fifth set. Today was not the case.”
Second seed Novak Djokovic is safely through to round three after demolishing Spain’s Bernabe Zapata Miralles.
The Serbian, chasing a 24th grand slam title, dropped just six games in a 6-4 6-1 6-1 victory.
Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from August 30.
FootballThe PFA awards were announced.
The original teenage star beat the new kid on the block as Coco Gauff knocked 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva out of the US Open.
Gauff, who burst onto the scene when she beat Venus Williams on her way to the fourth round at Wimbledon aged 15, ousted the Russian rookie 6-3 6-2.
The sixth seed, still only 19, had to come from behind to beat Laura Siegemund in a drama-filled three-setter on Monday, but she had a far more gentle work-out this time on Arthur Ashe.
Gauff is fast becoming a live contender for the title this year having won 13 of her 14 matches since losing in the Wimbledon first round to fellow American Sofia Kenin.
She lost a first-set tie-break against Andreeva at this year’s French Open but came back to win in three.
Gauff said: “I just learned then to be aggressive, because if you give her something she is going to take advantage.
“She has a great future in front of her – I think she is going to be back on this stage many more times.”
There was another home success in New York when Taylor Townsend beat Brazilian 19th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia 7-6 (1) 7-5.
Lily Miyazaki’s US Open adventure was ended in the second round by Olympic champion Belinda Bencic.
The 27-year-old came through three matches to qualify at Flushing Meadows for the first time and then picked up a maiden grand slam win against Margarita Betova in round one.
But the world number 198 found 15th seed Bencic, of Switzerland, too tough a nut to crack as she bowed out 6-3 6-3.
Miyazaki still leaves New York with the consolation prize of having virtually doubled her earnings for the year with a £98,000 pay day for winning her first-round match.
A break early in the first set and two in the second set proved her undoing, although she did break the Bencic serve late on, prompting the 26-year-old to fling her racket to the ground.
But ultimately Bencic, a former semi-finalist, was too strong for the Tokyo-born debutant and broke again to seal the victory.
Miyazaki was supported once more by fellow Brit Jodie Burrage, who faces world number two Aryna Sabalenka in her second-round match on Thursday.
Burrage, who beat Anna Blinkova in straight sets on Tuesday night, said: “It’s a massive match. Probably one of the biggest ones I would have played in my career.
“But I’ll go out there and enjoy it like I always do. I’ll take the confidence from the matches I played this week and the last few weeks and months. Like everything, it’s lessons I’ve been learning from.”
Burrage feels her run here and to the second round at Wimbledon have earned her the respect of her peers in the locker room.
“I hope so. I hope that’s the reputation I’m getting,” she added.
“A few more of the girls, I start hitting with them, then you know them a little bit more. In the locker room, as well, it really is a place where you can chat to people and get to know people a little bit more.
“I’ve been speaking to Jessie Pegula a little bit because she’s in my bit of the locker room. Mostly we’re talking about the adidas outfit, what we’re wearing. Those little things start the conversations.
“But, yeah, hopefully they are building respect for me and finding who I am out as a player – hopefully not too soon because I think that surprise is helping me at the moment.”
British number one Katie Boulter has a big chance to move into the third round as she takes on Chinese world number 114 Wang Yafan.
Kyle Sinckler was inspired to play for England by the 2003 World Cup final – despite being forced to miss Jonny Wilkinson’s drop-goal in order to study maths.
Sinckler was 10 years old when he watched on television as Martin Johnson’s side were held 14-14 by Australia at the end of 80 minutes, ushering in a period of extra time that was ultimately settled by Wilkinson’s boot.
But the enthralled Sinckler never got to see the greatest moment in English rugby history as his mum Donna had ordered him to study.
“Watching 2003 was a massive motivator for me. I remember when the final was on, I had a maths tutor,” the Bristol prop said.
“Obviously it went to extra time and then my mum – honestly I don’t know, she’s so ruthless that woman sometimes – she literally turned the TV off and took me to my maths tutor.
“So I had to do my maths lesson and I found out afterwards that we’d won! Honestly, it was full-time and she said ‘you’re going to your maths tutor’. I said: ‘You’re joking!’
“But she was adamant: ‘Nope. I’m paying my money. I’m working hard to pay for your maths tutor so you’re going.’
“I was like: ‘You are so evil, ridiculous!’ Don’t even start with that woman! Nuts. Nuts!
“Before that I was literally glued to the TV, it was so inspiring for me watching that. It gave me, I guess, the hope that I wanted to emulate that one day.”
England are desperately short of form for their latest attempt to claim a second world title having lost five of their last six Tests.
They open France 2023 with a tricky clash against Argentina, who sit two places higher in the global rankings in sixth.
“It’s the real deal straight away. Every Test match you play it’s tough. I’ve never had an easy Test match in my life,” said Sinckler, who is expected to overcome a chest injury in time to face the Pumas.
“It pushes you to the limit and that’s why it’s called a Test – it does test you. But if you want to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best.”
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