Richard Hannon expects Chindit to thrive for dropping back to seven furlongs in Saturday’s BetVictor Hungerford Stakes at Newbury.
The five-year-old has had three starts over a mile so far this term, winning the Paradise Stakes at Ascot before pushing Modern Games close when second in the Group One Lockinge Stakes at the Berkshire venue in May.
A subsequent spin in the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot ended in disappointment and Hannon took him out of the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood on account of the testing conditions earlier this month.
The handler is anticipating better ground at Newbury though, and is backing the son of Wootton Bassett to put last year’s eighth place in the race well behind him.
Hannon said: “He’s only had three races this year, this will be the first for his new owner (Villoo Poonawalla Greenfield Farms).
“I’m delighted with the form he is in – he loves Newbury, he’s won the Greenham and finished second in the Lockinge. It looks like coming back to seven furlongs will be ideal for him and hopefully he has an excellent chance.
“He worked very well on the grass on Sunday. The forecast is looking dry leading into the weekend so we are hopeful it will be quick ground.”
Charlie Fellowes is also keeping an eye on the weather as he seeks decent ground for his challenger Marbaan.
The three-year-old bounced back to from when coming home third in the Lennox Stakes over this seven-furlong trip at Goodwood, with Fellowes giving him extra credit as the good to soft ground did not play to the colt’s strengths.
He said: “He ran a cracker at Goodwood in a strong race, the first two horses are clearly Group One horses. We decided to ride him with a bit of patience and he finished well on ground that was probably softer than ideal.
“I think the seven furlongs at Newbury will suit him, we are on weather watch though, I wouldn’t want the ground to be getting too soft. He is definitely better on better ground.
“He looks a picture and is in really good order, his Goodwood run has done him the world of good and I would think he would be very competitive if conditions are in his favour.”
Ornellaia is set to have her sights raised after opening her account in impressive fashion at Goodwood.
Trained by Dominic Ffrench Davis, the daughter of Night Of Thunder gave a respectable account when third behind subsequent Princess Margaret Stakes winner Sacred Angel in a hot Newmarket maiden on debut.
She then confirmed the promise of that encouraging first appearance and gave a real glimpse of her class when upped to seven furlongs on the Sussex Downs, striking clinically by two lengths.
The Amo Racing-owned youngster is now on course to make the step up to Group company at Deauville on August 19, while she also holds entries for a plethora of top two-year-old contests later in the campaign.
“We went to Newmarket on debut knowing she would benefit from the experience and we were encouraged when the winner went on to win the Princess Margaret,” said Tom Pennington, racing and operations manager for the owners.
“I was a bit disappointed to see the Godolphin filly that finished second (Dubai Treasure) get beat at Yarmouth, but we knew our filly had a good deal of ability and we went to Goodwood pretty confident she would get the job done at seven furlongs being by Night Of Thunder and with there being some cut in the ground. She went and did it nicely.
“She’s in the Prix du Calvados at Deauville and that is on the radar at the minute, but she’s also in a lot of nice races. She’s in the Moyglare (Curragh, September 10), she could go to the Prestige at Goodwood (August 26) at the end of the month and she’s potentially a very nice filly who we think is probably Group class.”
Max Scherzer struck out a season-high 11 batters in seven dominant innings, Adolis Garcia hit his 30th home run of the season and the Texas Rangers routed the Los Angeles Angels 12-0 Monday for their 11th win in their last 13 games.
Scherzer allowed only one hit – an infield single in the second inning to Mike Moustakas – and walked one batter in his best outing of the year. Two of Scherzer’s 11 strikeouts came against Shohei Ohtani in the first ever matchup between the two superstars.
At 39 years old, Scherzer improved to 12-4 this season and 3-0 since being acquired by the Rangers at the trade deadline.
Garcia’s two-run home run in the seventh inning gave him 30 this season and upped his AL-leading RBI total to 91. Marcus Semien hit a two-run homer and had five RBIs.
With the win and the Houston Astros’ loss to the Miami Marlins, the Rangers (71-48) expanded their lead in the AL West to 3 ½ games.
The Angels (59-61) continued their slide down the AL wild card standings and have been outscored by a combined 35-8 over their last four games.
Rays’ Glasnow sharp in victorious return
Tyler Glasnow returned from a two-week absence due to back spasms to throw six strong innings and lead the Tampa Bay Rays to a 10-2 win over the San Francisco Giants.
Glasnow allowed three hits and one run while striking out seven in his first start since July 31. The 6-foot-8 right-hander reached 98 mph on the radar gun and improved to 4-1 with a 1.63 ERA over his last six starts.
The Rays’ offence did its job by piling up a season-high 18 hits, including Christian Bethancourt’s first home run since May 20.
Every Tampa Bay starter had at least one hit, and six different players had multiple hits.
The Rays were without shortstop Wander Franco, who was placed on the restricted list while he is being investigated for allegedly having an improper relationship with a minor.
Lopez, Fried lift Braves over scuffling Yankees
Nicky Lopez starred in his role as a fill-in, Max Fried collected a win in his first home start in over three months and the Atlanta Braves handled the New York Yankees 11-3.
Lopez tallied three hits and three RBIs while starting in place of second baseman Ozzie Albies, who is expected to land on the 10-day injured list with a hamstring strain.
Fried went six innings in his Truist Park return, allowing eight hits and two runs.
Fried was activated from the 60-day injured list on Aug. 4 for a pair of road starts before returning home. His last start in Atlanta had come on May 5.
The NL-leading Braves (76-42) remained hot, winners in six of their last eight games.
The Yankees (60-59) had 11 hits but grounded into three double-plays, and the loss dropped them 5 ½ back of the Toronto Blue Jays for the final AL wild card spot.
Dalvin Cook is teaming up with former NFC North rival Aaron Rodgers on the New York Jets on a one-year contract, multiple media outlets reported Monday.
The former Minnesota Vikings running back can earn up to $8.6million, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The Vikings cut Cook in June for salary cap space, making him an unrestricted free agent.
While Cook, a former star at Florida State, had previously discussed signing with the Miami Dolphins, he visited a Jets practice on July 30 and later told NFL Network that New York was “right at the top of the list” of prospective teams.
“It’s a unique situation because I think [the Jets] are building something special over there,” Cook told NFL Network. “When you look at it, you always want to be around a great QB, you always want to be around somebody you can pick his brain and just learn from. A-Rod is a four-time MVP. So, just being around a guy like that you can learn a lot more and just develop as a player.
“That’s what I’m looking to do.”
A four-time Pro Bowl selection, Cook joins a backfield that also includes Michael Carter and talented second-year man Breece Hall.
Hall led the Jets in rushing last season despite suffering a torn ACL in his left knee in Week 7. He remains on the Physically Unable to Perform list and has not resumed practising.
Cook, 28, has rushed for at least 1,100 yards in each of the last four seasons, peaking in the 2020 campaign, when he produced 1,918 yards from scrimmage and 17 total touchdowns.
Over the last four seasons, Cook’s 6,423 scrimmage yards are second only to Derrick Henry’s 6,914.
Ezekiel Elliott has found a new home.
The 28-year-old running back is expected to sign with the New England Patriots on a one-year deal worth up to $6million, according to a report from NFL Media on Monday.
The 2023 NFL regular season is less than a month away, and Elliott has been a free agent since the Dallas Cowboys released him in March.
Drafted fourth overall by the Cowboys in 2016, Elliott was a two-time rushing champion in Dallas, including in his rookie year when he tallied a career-best 1,631 yards over the ground.
He also won a rushing title in 2018 and is a three-time Pro Bowl selection, but hasn't earned that honour since 2019.
After averaging 96.52 rushing yards per game and 4.62 yards per attempt in his first four seasons, he's averaged 60.79 yards per game and 4.01 yards per carry in the last three years.
He still has a nose for the end zone, tallying 12 rushing touchdowns in 2022 - only four players had more - but wasn't a threat to break off a long run, averaging a career-low 3.79 yards per carry.
Of the 31 players with at least 175 carries last season, Elliott's rushing average beat out only Leonard Fournette's mark of 3.53.
He struggled mightily to move the ball in Dallas' two playoff games last season, rushing for a mere 53 yards on 23 attempts.
In March, he became expendable when the Cowboys designated Tony Pollard as a franchise player for the 2023 season.
Pollard emerged as the Cowboys’ best running back and earned his first Pro Bowl nod with an outstanding 2022 campaign in which he rushed for 1,007 yards and scored 12 total touchdowns. His 5.22 yards per rush attempt ranked second in the NFL among players with at least 175 carries.
Elliott now joins a Patriots backfield led by Rhamondre Stevenson, who rushed for 1,040 yards and five touchdowns in 2022 with an average of 4.95 yards per rush - fifth highest among qualifiers.
Elliott's first regular-season game with New England will come against a familiar foe, as the Patriots open the season September 10 against the reigning NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles, a divisional rival of the Cowboys.
In Week 4, Elliott will get to face his former team with New England visiting Dallas on October 1.
Al Riffa faces a big ask as he heads to Deauville to take on the unbeaten Prix du Jockey Club champion Ace Impact in the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano on Tuesday.
Raiders have won five of the last six renewals of the 10-furlong Group Two contest, however, the last two victories for the home side have been provided by trainer Jean Claude-Rouget and his latest contender will be a warm order to follow in the footsteps of stablemate Al Hakeem, who won this prize en route to finishing fourth in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe 12 months ago.
Ace Impact finds himself favourite for Europe’s richest middle-distance prize on October 1 following his emphatic French Derby triumph earlier this summer and this contest represents a key step on the road to ParisLongchamp for the son of Cracksman.
He will run for the first time in the colours of the Chehboub family’s Gousserie Racing, who purchased 50 per cent of the colt from Serge Stempniak following his Chantilly triumph.
Pauline Chehboub, racing manager for the operation said: “Ace Impact is in good form and should run well tomorrow.
“We are targeting some exciting Group Ones in the autumn, so tomorrow’s race is important.”
However, despite the presence of Ace Impact, Al Riffa’s trainer Joseph O’Brien is undeterred and feels his charge is well placed to run a big race following his comeback second at the Curragh in the International Stakes.
“We’re hoping for a good run,” said O’Brien.
“Obviously it looks a very good race, but he is in good shape and we think he can run a really good race.”
Al Riffa is a Group One winner in his own right having claimed the National Stakes as a two-year-old and is one of three making the trip from Ireland alongside Aidan O’Brien’s Victoria Road and Greenland.
Both Ballydoyle challengers are capable of playing a part, with the former accounting for Blue Rose Cen before scoring at the Breeders’ Cup during a four-race winning streak last season – a record the Saxon Warrior colt will be attempting to extend on his belated seasonal return.
Meanwhile, stablemate Greenland already has winning form in France this term having landed the Prix Greffulhe at Saint-Cloud in May.
Andre Fabre has won this race more times than anyone else and relies on Compiegne Listed winner Birr Castle, while Ponty (Hiroo Shimizu), Cambronne (Rouget) and Andreas Wohler’s German raider Straight complete the line-up.
Liam Williams has no plans to call time on his Wales career as he prepares for a post-World Cup stint in Japan that will sideline him from the Guinness Six Nations next year.
The Wales full-back is firmly on course to play in a third World Cup, with head coach Warren Gatland naming his 33-player squad next Monday.
After that, though, 32-year-old Williams will feature for Japanese club Kubota Spears in a domestic league that runs from December to May.
Williams won his 85th cap in Wales’ World Cup warm-up defeat against England at Twickenham, delivering a high-class display which was all the more impressive given that he had not played since March.
“I haven’t said I am retiring any time soon,” Williams said, ahead of next Saturday’s appointment with world champions South Africa in Cardiff.
“I will be in Japan for two years and we will see where that takes us and whether I am still available or not.
“I will speak to ‘Gats’ probably after the World Cup and towards the end of the season out there (in Japan).
“If they (Wales) want to take me to Australia for the summer tour next year, I will be available for that, but that is up to them.”
Gatland has hinted that he will include only four back-three players in the World Cup squad, which undoubtedly intensifies competition during the final week before selection.
It would be a huge surprise if Williams does not make the final cut, though – and start Wales’ opener against Fiji in Bordeaux on September 10.
“I said to myself that I haven’t played since March so I am going to go out and have a decent game and have a bit of fun,” Williams added, reflecting on events at Twickenham.
“I was just happy to stick that shirt on again. It has been a little while.
“You can’t really replicate the game intensity when you are training. You can go as hard as you want, but you can’t get the intensity of a game – especially with the rucks and amount of contact you take.
“I felt pretty good in the game. I was just glad to last 80 minutes.
“I am getting on a bit now, I am 32, and I’m just trying to enjoy my last couple of years.
“It is about going out there with a smile on my face, play hard, try to win and, most importantly, I am playing for my country.”
Whatever happens regarding Williams’ Wales prospects after the World Cup, he is enthused by a crop of young backs that have emerged in recent months.
Players like Tom Rogers, Mason Grady, Max Llewellyn, Joe Roberts and Sam Costelow have been part of Gatland’s training squad and Williams believes the future is bright.
“I think it will be great for Wales for years to come,” he said. “These young boys coming through is great – we definitely needed that.
“Sam Costelow has been great, as has Max (Llewellyn). Mason is like a freak of nature, there’s ‘Tommy Rog’ and I thought Joe Roberts was class on the weekend.”
James Harden sure didn't mince his words when speaking about Philadelphia 76ers team president Daryl Morey.
In a video that went viral Monday, Harden blasted Morey at a promotional event in China.
"Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organisation that he’s a part of," Harden said at the event. "Let me say that again: Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organisation that he’s a part of."
Harden's comments were a response to the 76ers telling Harden's agent, Mike Silverman, that Morey was unable to find a trade for the 10-time All-Star and the franchise wouldn't deal him unless it could find a trade that would help the team contend for a championship.
Harden picked up his $35.6million player option for the 2023-24 season in late June, and then immediately requested a trade.
The 2017-18 NBA MVP could have declined the option and become a free agent, but was hoping by exercising his option it would facilitate a trade.
There were reportedly some discussions with the Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks, but those trade talks stalled.
Acquired in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets in February 2022, Harden re-signed with the 76ers last summer on a two-year, $68.6million contract that included the opt-out clause, taking less money in order to remain with one of the Eastern Conference's top contenders.
Harden, who turns 34 later this month, was a solid complement to NBA MVP Joel Embiid, averaging 21.0 points and a league-leading 10.7 assists in the regular season to help the 76ers to the third-best record in the Eastern Conference.
In the playoffs, however, he was maddeningly inconsistent.
He had a pair of 40-point performances but averaged just 15.1 points on 30.0 per cent shooting with 8.4 assists in his other nine games, and Philadelphia was knocked out in the conference semifinals for a second straight year after losing to the rival Boston Celtics in seven games.
Philadelphia fired head coach Doc Rivers following the playoff exit and replaced him with former Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse.
The 76ers had no comment on Monday, and Harden seems unlikely to attend training camp, which begins in October.
For his career, Harden has averaged 24.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, seven assists and 1.5 steals in exactly 1,000 regular-season games.
If his playing days with the 76ers are done and he is traded, Harden would be joining his fourth team in four seasons.
Longtime Boston Bruins center David Krejci announced his retirement on Monday in a statement released by the team.
“After 15 full NHL seasons I have decided to retire from the best league in the world,” the 37-year-old Czech Republic native said.
“When I was drafted in 2004, I had no idea that I would be working with such incredible and driven people who would lead us to 3 Stanley Cup Finals, and winning the ultimate goal in 2011.”
Krejci made his NHL debut in January 2007 and spent his entire NHL career with the Bruins.
He returned to Boston last season after playing for Czech club HC Olomouc in 2021-22.
In the history of the Bruins franchise, Krejci ranks fifth in games played (1,032), 13th in goals (231), fifth in assists (555) and ninth in points (786).
“David, for 16 seasons you displayed an unmatched combination of creativity, poise, and wit – with an uncanny knack for coming up clutch – while remaining humble and determined through all your success,” the Bruins said in a statement.
“You are a special player, person, and teammate who has made a lasting impact on our organization and our city.
“For all you’ve done for the Boston Bruins, THANK YOU.”
Boston will head into the 2023-24 campaign without its top two centers from a season ago after captain Patrice Bergeron also retired last month.
Cheveley Park Stud’s Chris Richardson has reflected on a “special moment and a great triumph” as Inspiral oozed class in the defence her Prix Jacques le Marois title at Deauville.
The four-year-old is now a four-time winner at Group One level, and was arguably at the peak of her powers on the Normandy coast as she scooted clear of big-race favourite Big Rock following an inspired ride from Frankie Dettori, who was registering a record-extending eighth success in the showpiece event.
The victory was made all the more spectacular coming just 11 days after Inspiral had failed in her bid to topple Paddington in Goodwood’s Sussex Stakes, and Richardson, who is managing director of Cheveley Park, was full of praise for both Dettori and the training heroics of John and Thady Gosden following the filly’s quick turnaround in fortunes.
He said: “Unbelievable, it was fantastic and it’s full marks to every aspect of the team really.
“Frankie really looked after her at Goodwood and as I’ve said before, when he made his move on Inspiral to get the rail, her burst was short lived and he accepted it and just let her come home – and full marks to John for having the courage to say let’s go back 11 days later too.
“It all worked in her favour and I think it was probably one of the best performances of her career.”
Last year Inspiral prevailed by a neck from David Simcock’s Light Infantry, but this time around a stellar cast of milers had assembled and what made the triumph all the more remarkable was Dettori’s ingenious ploy of taking the filly all the way over to the far side of the track from her position in stall one to find the perfect position to mount a winning challenge.
“It was sensational and to be as brave as Frankie was to go from basically draw one to draw 12 and come down the outside having gone a lot further than everybody else, I think even he was as wide-eyed surprised that she just kept on motoring,” added Richardson.
“She loves a fast pace which she got and the ground had dried up enough and she has proved now that she goes on fast ground, good ground and good to soft ground.”
The Marois serves as a ‘win and you’re in’ race for the Breeders’ Cup Mile and a trip to Santa Anita in November is just one of a plethora of options now available for Inspiral, who also holds entries closer to home in the Matron Stakes (Leopardstown, September 9), Sun Chariot Stakes (Newmarket, October 7) and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on British Champions Day (Ascot, October 21).
However, with all connected with the daughter of Frankel revelling in her latest triumph, the dust will be allowed to settle on her successful French raid before plans for later in the season are firmed up.
Richardson added: “Sadly Mrs (Patricia) Thompson (Cheveley Park owner) couldn’t be there, but Richard her son came with me and had a really special day. He was thrilled just like his mother and it was a great lift for everyone really. It was a special moment and a great triumph for all concerned.
“There is lots to think about now. John and I just thought on the plane home we would see how she is in a week to 10 days time. Mrs Thompson is also coming up this week, so we can discuss what plans we might want to consider.
“She has plenty of entries and if the Breeders’ Cup is something Mrs Thompson is prepared to consider then who knows, she might end up there. We will enjoy this moment and enjoy the next few weeks of planning.”
Roger Varian is considering a possible tilt at the Comer Group International Irish St Leger with Eldar Eldarov having been pleased with his latest outing in the Goodwood Cup.
Last year’s St Leger hero started the season with an encouraging performance when second in the Yorkshire Cup, but had a point to prove on the Sussex Downs having disappointed slightly in the Ascot Gold Cup.
Although unable to land a blow on runaway winner Quickthorn in the Goodwood contest, the Carlburg Stables handler was content with the son of Dubawi’s fourth-placed finish where he reversed Knavesmire form with Giavellotto and was also ahead of John and Thady Gosden’s Gold Cup champion Courage Mon Ami.
“It was a muddling race and a frustrating race to watch, but I thought he ran right back to form,” said Varian.
“He was a head behind Andrew Balding’s horse (Coltrane) and reversed the form with the Marco Botti horse who beat him of course at York. We were giving him weight that day whereas off levels we beat him the other day.
“It’s hard not to say that within a 1lb or two, Eldar wasn’t back to somewhere near his best so that is encouraging.”
Running plans are still to be finalised for the four-year-old’s next move, but Varian indicated he would be keen to have a crack at adding the Irish St Leger to the Doncaster equivalent already on his CV.
However, the decision is still to be made whether Eldar Eldarov heads to the Curragh on September 10 fighting fresh or whether he tunes up in either Sunday’s Comer Group International Irish St Leger Trial over course and trip, or next week’s Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup Stakes at York.
“I would really like to run him in the Irish St Leger, so it is working out whether he has a run before then,” said Varian.
“He does have a few options in the next 10 days if he was to run again, or do we go to Ireland with a fresh horse? We just need 48 hours or so to make up our minds.”
Tom Pidcock may be both the world and Olympic mountain bike cross-country champion after Saturday’s success in Glentress Forest but he knows he remains an “outsider” in the discipline’s tight community.
Pidcock underlined his supremacy in Saturday’s cross-country Olympic race at the UCI Cycling World Championships as he shrugged off mechanical problems to comfortably beat Sam Gaze, with 10-time world champion Nino Schurter taking bronze.
But after a weekend of recriminations over preferential grid placements given to a handful of star riders – something Pidcock condemned despite benefitting from – and complaints over his aggressive racing style, the 24-year-old admitted his titles do not give him full membership of the club.
Pidcock secured bronze with a late lunge into the final corner of Thursday’s race, sending Luca Schwarzbauer to the ground, and the German then complained that “no mountain biker would do this at all, like a pure mountain biker, (of) the community”.
Pidcock had defended his riding style after the race by quoting Ayrton Senna, saying “if you no longer go for a gap, you’re no longer a (racer)”.
Asked about Schwarzbauer’s comments on Monday, Pidcock told PA Media: “For sure I am an outsider. I don’t know everyone super well. I know the people I see frequently and race against and the British guys, but I am an outsider.
“I don’t do all the races. I don’t know everybody. I only know a few teams that I’ve worked with in the past, but I am an outsider and when I’m at a race I feel that.”
Schwarzbauer called Pidcock “unsportsmanlike” after their coming together, but for Pidcock the incident was forgotten almost immediately as he turned his focus to his primary target – Saturday’s XCO race.
“I was more annoyed I had to wait an hour for the podium,” he said. “I forgot about it after five minutes.
“But I wanted to make sure I didn’t have any regrets from the short track going into the race because that would have annoyed me. I went in to try and get a medal in front of the home crowd so that’s what I did.”
Before the race Schwarzbauer had been one of 20 signatories to an open letter complaining about a UCI decision to adopt a World Cup rule and elevate road racing stars Mathieu van der Poel and Peter Sagan to the fourth row of the race, rather than the 13th row as their UCI ranking should have placed them.
Pidcock also benefited as he was moved up from the fifth row but, speaking at the race, called the move “bull****” given he had sacrificed three weeks of his preparations for the Tour de France to race in the Novo Mesto World Cup and secure enough UCI points to ensure a decent starting position.
Hunting points will be his mission again when he shows off the rainbow stripes at the World Cup in his adopted home of Andorra later this month and – after he races the Tour of Britain on the road – World Cups in north America in late September and early October.
Those World Cups mean Pidcock will skip the Il Lombardia road race, but his eyes are firmly on defending his Olympic mountain bike title in Paris next summer, after which the 24-year-old knows it might be time to put away both the mountain bike and cyclo-cross bike to focus purely on the road.
“I think the plan with the team is I commit to mountain bike until Paris and after that we have a talk,” he said.
“I sacrificed three weeks of prep for the Tour to do the mountain bike. If I want to ever try and really win the Tour I would have to focus on that, but at the moment it’s working quite well.”
:: Tom Pidcock is a Red Bull athlete. To find out more visit his athlete profile on RedBull.Com
Double Olympic bobsleigh pilot Mica McNeill, who defied a funding cut to secure a best-ever British women’s bobsleigh finish of eighth place in Pyeongchang in 2018, has announced her retirement from the sport.
McNeill has not returned to the sport since a disappointing performance in Beijing last year and said she had reached her decision with “no regrets” as she focuses on launching a new career as an athlete agent.
McNeill launched a crowdfunding campaign from a garage in Consett in her native County Durham to fund her bid to reach Pyeongchang after the women’s programme had its funding controversially cut one year out from the Games.
Along with team-mate Adele Nicoll, McNeill also achieved a second place finish in a World Cup event in Sigulda, Latvia, in January 2022, the first time British women had stood on a World Cup podium in 13 years.
McNeill told the PA news agency: “I’ve been doing this sport for 13 years and, after taking some time to reflect, I realised that while I could have done another Olympic cycle, it is time to start another journey.
“It was a difficult decision because the nature of every athlete is that you think you can go on for ever. I find it very hard to watch races but I have had to fight my inner athlete and rein myself in.”
McNeill’s career in the sport coincided with a period of unprecedented turmoil within the domestic governing body, which had its funding significantly cut in 2017 due to allegations of bullying, racism, sexism and discrimination within the sport.
Launching her GoFundMe campaign in direct response, McNeill accused the British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association of “mismanagement”, but now believes the fight she put up to preserve her Olympic dream can pave the way for others to succeed.
McNeill’s retirement announcement comes less than a week after her former team-mates’ unprecedented success in the first post-Beijing season prompted funding body UK Sport to announce an £850,000 funding boost for the bobsleigh programme.
“I was involved in some of the hardest battles for British bobsleigh so it’s tough to see the funding arriving now, but obviously it’s also nice to see because the sport is in a much better place,” added McNeill.
“It will be a case of looking back and thinking what if, but I have no regrets or negative feelings.
“I feel like while the battles I went through definitely affected my performance, I learned so much both within the sport and in life lessons that I wouldn’t have got if it wasn’t for those tough times.
“I do think what we went through as a women’s programme helped shape the new federation and the sport in general to make sure we don’t make the same mistakes again, and I think we have left it with a clearer path.”
McNeill is set to launch her own company, The Athletes’ Agency, before the end of this month and has every intention of being trackside at the 2026 Winter Games in Italy, either in her new role or within the coaching set-up.
“I have a huge passion for bobsleigh so it’s not something I could ever walk away from,” she added.
“I would love to help other bobsleigh athletes to achieve and even if that means being stood on the sidelines watching the sleds coming round the bend, that’s going to make me happy.”
Frankie Dettori expects Mostahdaf to offer up a stern test for Paddington when the duo clash in the Juddmonte International Stakes at York on Wednesday week.
The weighing-room legend will deputise for the suspended Jim Crowley aboard Mostahdaf on the Knavesmire, and is relishing the opportunity for a final success in the 10-furlong highlight ahead of his retirement at the end of the year.
Mostahdaf took his form to a new level with a four-length triumph in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot and Dettori has been acquainting himself with the son of Frankel at John and Thady Gosden’s yard.
He told Nick Luck’s Daily Podcast: “I rode him the other morning and he is a beautiful specimen of a horse. He’s strong and has got a lovely stride. He doesn’t overdo himself in the mornings, but we know exactly what he can do and I’m excited.
“What he did in the Prince of Wales’s, I was pretty taken, so he’s going to be there with every chance.”
Mostahdaf will provide a fresh challenge for the Aidan O’Brien-trained Paddington, who has emerged as this year’s leading three-year-old.
The Siyouni colt has won each of his six starts this term, graduating from a handicap victory to Listed success before reaching new heights in claiming the Irish 2,000 Guineas, St James’s Palace Stakes, Eclipse and Sussex Stakes.
Having won on ground from heavy to good and shown his stamina for 10 furlongs and speed for a mile, Paddington seemingly has few chinks in his armour and Dettori is well acquainted having finished behind him a couple of times.
However, he is backing Mostahdaf to put up a bold challenge, with his mount an 11-4 chance with Betfred, while Paddington is the 11-10 favourite.
Dettori said: “He’s a good horse. The Sussex was a non-event, but Paddington is still good – he put Chaldean to bed in the St James’s Palace, when I was second, in good style and he beat Emily (Upjohn), so he is the best three-year-old around at the moment.
“But I think this is his test now, he’s taking on a four-length winner of the Prince of Wales’s. It’s going to be a different race to what he’s faced (before), but I have no doubt he is a good horse because it looks like he only does what he has to do and he looks like he’s still got something in the locker.
“We will give him a race and see what happens.”
Defending champion Jumby is one of 13 confirmed for the BetVictor Hungerford Stakes at Newbury on Saturday.
Eve Johnson Houghton’s five-year-old ran on strongly to down Dubai Poet in the Group Two contest 12 months ago and will return to the Berkshire track in good order following some pleasing efforts of late.
Although a tilt at Group One level for the Lockinge Stakes was ultimately a step too far, he returned to winning ways in the John of Gaunt Stakes at Haydock before again hitting the frame when second to Audience in the Criterion Stakes.
“He’s in great form, he just wants firm ground which seems to be missing at the moment,” said Johnson Houghton.
“Hopefully there is no more rain forecast so the ground should quicken up a bit. The faster the ground, the better he goes.”
A strong-cast could be in opposition and William Haggas’ 2021 winner Sacred could provide the sternest test having last been seen rattling the crossbar in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Witch Hunter also got on the scoresheet at the Royal meeting and is one of three in the mix for Richard Hannon who could also saddle Lockinge second Chindit and recent Goodwood scorer Magical Sunset
Roger Varian could be doubly represented by both New Endeavour and Olivia Maralda, while John and Thady Gosden’s Mostabshir is another notable name among those still in contention to make the final line-up.
In the supporting BetVictor Geoffrey Freer Stakes, beaten Derby favourite Arrest is the star name in the 11 entries, with William Haggas’ Klondike also catching the eye.
Andy Murray has been restored to Great Britain’s Davis Cup team as they take on Australia, France and Switzerland in Manchester next month.
Murray, who was integral to Britain ending a 79-year wait for glory in the team competition as they triumphed in 2015, was left out of their 3-1 qualifying win on the Colombian clay in February.
British captain Leon Murray suggested the surface was not conducive for Murray, who had at the time played just three matches on clay since 2017, and the former world number one has returned to the fray.
He takes his place alongside Cameron Norrie, Dan Evans and Neal Skupski for the Finals Group Stage at Manchester’s AO Arena from September 12-17 as they attempt to qualify for November’s knockout stage.
Only two of the four nations will advance from Group B for the quarter-finals in Malaga.
“We can’t wait to play Davis Cup in Manchester in front of a huge home crowd,” Smith said.
“It’s been a long time since we played in the North West and I’m sure we are going to feel and hear a lot of energy from the fans.
“We have a great team with a lot of Davis Cup experience who will be ready to give it everything in a tough group with Australia, Switzerland and France.”
Live In The Dream is the latest sprinter set to line up in a top-tier running of the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes later this month.
York’s Group One contest is shaping up to be a red-hot affair with the likes of defending champion Highfield Princess, King’s Stand winner Bradsell and a whole host of sprinting talent on course for the Knavesmire.
And Adam West’s charge looks well worth his place in the field judged on his efforts earlier in the campaign.
Having struck twice in handicaps early season, the four-year-old took the step up to Pattern level in his stride, placing in both the Palace House Stakes and the Temple Stakes at Haydock before being given a mid-season break by his handler.
He returned at Deauville earlier this month where he was only beaten a length when fourth in the Prix du Cercle, and West believes that outing in conditions which were far from ideal, will have blown away plenty of cobwebs ahead of his first outing in Group One company.
“I feel like the elements were against him a little bit and we had a rough journey over there ourselves,” explained West.
“The horses went OK and we had horrendous rain for the two-year-old we took over which made it really hard work and then we had really drying tacky ground with a strong headwind for Live In The Dream.
“We probably ran six furlongs rather than five and he was only beaten a length and had a good blow so it will see him right. But I do just feel we were a little hard done by.
“He’s come on really well, the French cuisine has obviously suited him and he enjoyed it. It was something different and the horse has never been abroad and it has really picked him up. I look forward to getting him out again because he looks a good 10 kilos better than what he went over there looking.”
Prior to that comeback run in France, West had been eyeing up a possible trip oversees with the Steve and Jolene De’Lemos-owned speedster.
However, there has now been a slight rethink and it is all systems go for York on August 26 where a bold showing could tee-up further big-race entries.
“We couldn’t quite pick up enough money to head to America, so we’ll head to the Nunthorpe now, the entry is in and we’ll take our chance there,” continued West.
“We’re not expecting to trouble the market principals, but if we can pick up a nice bit of place money it might be able to fund something next year.
“I’m not sure Dubai will be on the radar or anything like that, but it might be able to fund some bigger targets and hopefully he will be able to stick it out a bit better.
“We’re not admitting defeat for the international prospects, but we will probably just rein in targets and hunt pots on a bit of a smaller scale and then see what we can do and pick up some place money in some of the bigger ones.”
England scrum-half Jack Van Poortvliet will miss the World Cup to undergo surgery on an ankle injury sustained against Wales on Saturday.
The 22-year-old Leicester back was forced off in the first half of the 19-17 Twickenham win and has been replaced in Steve Borthwick’s 33-man World Cup squad by Northampton’s Alex Mitchell.
England head coach Steve Borthwick said: “It’s really bad luck for Jack and we send him our very best wishes for a swift and successful recovery.”
Mitchell joins Ben Youngs and Danny Care as Borthwick’s scrum-half options for the World Cup in France next month.
The 26-year-old was unfortunate to miss out on the original squad after making four impactful replacement appearances during the 2023 Six Nations Championship, injecting energy and tempo into England’s play.
Borthwick faces another issue at half-back as England wait for the outcome of the disciplinary hearing that will determine the length of Owen Farrell’s ban after his Twickenham red card.
Farrell’s shoulder-led challenge to the head of Taine Basham was upgraded from a yellow card to red by the ‘Bunker’ review system and he could now miss England’s World Cup opener against Argentina.
The England captain must now appear before a video disciplinary hearing that begins on Tuesday morning to find out the length of his suspension.
The mid-range sanction for a dangerous tackle is six games and – given he received a three-match ban for the same offence in January, on top of five matches in 2020 and two in 2016 – it is doubtful he will be treated leniently by the disciplinary process.
England complete their World Cup warm-up with games against Ireland and Fiji before launching their group campaign against Argentina in Marseille on September 9.
Farrell now seems likely to miss out against the toughest opponents in Pool D, while his participation against Japan, Chile and Samoa is also in question.
England continue their World Cup build-up against Ireland at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on Saturday.
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