Gavin Cromwell’s Brides Hill remains unbeaten this season after a smooth success in the Pertemps Network Lady Protectress Mares’ Chase at Huntingdon.
The seven-year-old has been in the money twice in her native Ireland this term, taking a Listowel novice event by eight lengths in September and then winning by a head at Fairyhouse last time out.
She already had Listed form on her CV and was incredibly well-fancied to win for a third time after travelling over to England and starting as the 10-11 favourite under Keith Donoghue.
That faith in the mare proved well placed as she made light work of the contest to stride to an unchallenged six-length win ahead of Dr Richard Newland and Jamie Insole’s La Renommee.
Though members of the Brides Hill Syndicate may not have previously been able to place Huntingdon on a map, their journey was made worthwhile as they returned nearly £30,000 better off after taking the first-place prize fund.
Co-owner Pat Murphy said: “That couldn’t have gone any better. She was brilliant. The horse running out in front (Sacre Coeur) helped her and we have ended up winning it by a mile and that is all that counts.
“In fairness to Gavin Cromwell, he is the man that picks the races for us and he targeted and told us about three months ago he was going to come for it. We were saying ‘where the hell is Huntingdon?’
“She did have some nice form in the book last season. We were over in Perth at the end of last season and we were disappointed with that (when falling at the first fence), but we got her sorted out and here she is.
“We were reasonably confident, but you can never be over-confident. She did what we expected her to do, but Gavin is a good trainer.”
Following the race, Brides Hill was cut from 25-1 into 8-1 for the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival by the race sponsor, though Murphy said that an outing in the Grade Two contest was not set in stone.
He added: “That is a matter up for debate. I’m not going to make any comment on that, as I don’t want to put any pressure on anybody.
“It could be that we go there, but we don’t know that for sure. We will see how she comes out of the race.”
Bob Olinger could bid to continue his resurgence in the Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on Sunday week.
The nine-year-old was considered one of the sport’s brightest potential stars after landing the 2021 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, but there have been more than a few bumps in the road during the subsequent three years.
Henry de Bromhead’s charge was fortunate to double his Festival tally in the following season’s Turners Novices’ Chase following the dramatic final fence exit of Galopin Des Champs and last term it looked as though his career was on the decline.
However, having made a winning start to the current campaign in Navan’s Lismullen Hurdle in November, he made a successful return to Cheltenham in the Relkeel Hurdle on New Year’s Day and could now take on defending champion State Man in the feature event on day two of the Dublin Racing Festival.
“He was brilliant (at Cheltenham) and it was great to see him somewhere near his best,” De Bromhead said after winning the Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park on Thursday.
“He’s really good at the moment, he worked well this morning. I think we’re leaning towards the Irish Champion Hurdle, but nothing has been confirmed as yet.
“He didn’t look far off it (his best) in Cheltenham in fairness to him and I’d say he jumped the best he’s ever jumped, so we’re definitely getting there.”
Ain’t That A Shame secured the big prize he has long promised in an attritional renewal of the Goffs Thyestes Handicap Chase at Gowran Park.
Having been placed in the Munster National at Limerick and the lucrative Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown last season, Henry de Bromhead’s charge was a leading fancy for the Grand National at Aintree last spring but trailed home last of 17 finishers.
That effort looked to have taken its toll on the Robcour-owned 10-year-old, as he was well held in the Kerry National on his first start of the current campaign and then pulled up in the Troytown at Navan, but he bounced back to his best to plunder one of the Irish calendar’s feature handicaps in Kilkenny.
A 14-1 shot in the hands of Rachael Blackmore, Ain’t That A Shame initially raced in midfield before taking closer order with a circuit to run.
He moved to the lead travelling strongly in the home straight and although he was briefly headed by Glengouly on the run-in, Ain’t That A Shame fought back to plunder the lion’s share of the €100,000 prize fund by two and a half lengths.
“Our other horses were shorter in the betting today but Rachael stuck with Ain’t That A Shame, which I thought was a brave move,” said De Bromhead. “She really believed in him and I’d say Davey Roche (assistant trainer) had a lot to do with that as well.
“I was saying last week ‘will we be calling you Wrong Choice Rach?’ – but she didn’t find that very funny! Anyway, she was absolutely spot-on and fair play to her.
“He had a good run on nicer ground at Leopardstown last year, although he did seem to stop at Aintree. Even today, we were coming here a bit grey and weren’t sure, even though he seemed great at home.
“He also seemed great at home before pulling up in the Troytown Chase and the stewards have just asked me for the reason for his improvement in form, but we genuinely didn’t know (what happened at Navan) and were very disappointed. I suppose they are allowed to have a bad day though.”
He added: “It was great to have dad (Harry) here the first day we won this race (in 2017), as it was the 25th year since he won the race, and it is great to have mum here now. It is brilliant to get it for Robcour and it was some ride from Rachael.
“We all come out of hibernation at this time of year and it really is a race that stops a county and is great for the south east.”
James Bowen is relishing the opportunity to ride Jonbon after injury has ruled out Seven Barrows stable jockey Nico de Boinville.
De Boinville broke his collarbone in a fall at Doncaster last month and returned to action at Lingfield on Sunday after a spell on the sidelines.
He took up a total of 11 rides, including a winner at Warwick on Monday, but after his narrow loss aboard Ilfu Un Mome at Chepstow on Wednesday, the rider decided to rule himself out of the weekend’s action.
“Nico was sore after yesterday, so he won’t be riding this weekend,” said De Boinville’s agent Sam Stronge.
“We’ll just take it day by day and see how it is next week. It’s unfortunate, we obviously tried to do our best as quickly as we could, and after riding for a couple of days he obviously wasn’t quite right.
“The sensible thing to do when you’ve got big rides like that (Jonbon) is to not let everybody down. It’s a very difficult decision, but we’ll take it day by day and hopefully he’ll be back next week.”
In De Boinville’s absence, the ride on Jonbon in Saturday’s rescheduled My Pension Expert Clarence House Chase at Cheltenham will go to Bowen, often the deputy for trainer Nicky Henderson.
“I’m really lucky to get on him and I can’t wait to ride him. Fingers crossed, he can get the job done,” said the jockey.
“I was thinking I might get on him last weekend, but Nico got back and then it was called off.
“He is the best horse in the race and odds-on shots are the ones you want to be riding. You just need the right horse to ride in these Grade One races and hopefully I can get the job done, but it is also up to him as well.
“I think it gives you great confidence when the owner and trainer are willing to put you on a horse like Jonbon. If they are happy enough for you to ride, that is what gives you the most confidence going out there.”
Monkfish threw his hat into the Stayers’ Hurdle ring with a battling comeback victory in the John Mulhern Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran Park.
It is fast approaching four years since the Willie Mullins-trained chestnut edged a thrilling Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
The following season, he looked a potential superstar in the making after winning three Grade Ones in his first four races over fences, including the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase back at Prestbury Park.
However, he suffered a shock defeat at the hands of stablemate Colreevy at the 2021 Punchestown Festival and was subsequently sidelined for two years.
He came within half a length of making a successful return at Fairyhouse last spring, but was well beaten back in Grade One company at Punchestown and had another nine-month absence to overcome ahead of this three-mile Grade Two.
A 13-8 shot in the hands of Paul Townend, Monkfish was settled at the rear of the four-runner field for much of the way before being delivered with his challenge in the home straight.
There was little to choose between the quartet on the run to the final flight, but it was the 10-year-old who finished strongest to score by five and a half lengths from the front-running Supreme Novices’ Hurdle hero of six years ago, Summerville Boy.
Sponsors Paddy Power reacted by slashing Monkfish’s Stayers’ Hurdle odds to 16-1 from 66-1, although the champion trainer’s son and assistant Patrick insists plans are fluid at this stage.
Mullins said: “He hasn’t missed any training (this season), we just hadn’t got him out, so we were happy his fitness would hold up. We thought he was a Gold Cup horse once upon a time, but that is a great start to his season and hopefully he can build on it now.
“We were supposed to start him at Tramore on New Year’s Day but he got a little bang, so we decided to wait for this. He is in the Gold Cup and Stayers’ Hurdle but all options are open and it will be a case of what race suits, when he is ready.
“We won’t rush him back and Cheltenham is only seven weeks away, so he’ll probably go straight there. The decision regarding which race he runs in will be a Willie special.
“Ruth Dudfield does a fantastic job in keeping him sound and we’ll just hope he is OK in the morning. Touch wood, at his age, he will stand up to it.”
High-class bumper performer Captain Cody made the most of what looked a gilt-edged opportunity to make a successful debut over hurdles at Gowran Park.
A runaway winner of a National Hunt Flat race at Limerick 12 months ago, the Willie Mullins-trained six-year-old went on to finish a creditable sixth in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival before disappointing when well fancied for a Grade Two contest at Aintree in the spring.
Making his first competitive appearance since failing to fire on Merseyside, Captain Cody was a 2-11 favourite for the Connolly’s RED MILLS Irish EBF Ladies Auction Maiden Hurdle and came home with 10 lengths in hand without being asked a serious question by Jody Townend.
“He jumped a bit rusty at times but when it counted, over the last two, was very good,” said the champion trainer’s son and assistant Patrick Mullins.
“He seems to love this heavy ground, Jody will be delighted to get a win on him and it’s onwards and upwards for him now.”
Captain Cody was cut from 50-1 to 25-1 for the Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham by Betfair and Paddy Power.
Henry de Bromhead’s Champagne Mahler was a 14-1 winner of the Langtons Kilkenny Handicap Hurdle under Darragh O’Keeffe, with Emmet Mullins-trained hotpot Benjis Benefit (4-6) a disappointing fourth.
Of the winner, De Bromhead said: “I was disappointed with him the last day in Cork but he obviously struggled with the trip (two and a half miles).
“We initially thought he was crying out for a longer trip but dropped him back today, he loved the ground and jumped really well. He is a fine big horse and a real chaser.”
Wes Unseld Jr. will no longer serve as the head coach of the Washington Wizards and will move into a front office advisory role, the team announced on Thursday.
Washington is 7-36 this season, the second-worst record in the NBA behind the Detroit Pistons (5-39).
"After several thoughtful conversations with Wes, we determined together that a change was needed for the benefit of the team,” Wizards president Michael Winger said.
“Wes embodies the characteristics we value in our organisation, and his vast basketball experience will be an asset to the front office as we progress toward our long-term goals.
“We are thankful that he will continue his contributions to our organisation and community.”
Winger said Washington would name an interim head coach for the remainder of this season later Thursday before beginning its search for a full-time replacement after the 2023-24 campaign.
Unseld Jr. began his NBA coaching career as an assistant with the Wizards in 2005 before being an assistant with the Golden State Warriors, Orlando Magic and Denver Nuggets.
The son of Hall of Famer Wes Unseld returned to Washington in 2021 for his first head coaching job and went on to post a 77-130 record with no play-off appearances.
“I am grateful to have served as head coach of the Washington Wizards,” Unseld Jr. said. “I look forward to this new opportunity to work toward our organization’s continued progress.”
England’s Callum Shinkwin claimed a two-shot lead in the Ras Al Khaimah Championship after threatening to record just the second sub-60 round in DP World Tour history.
Shinkwin covered his first 14 holes at Al Hamra Golf Club in 10 under par, meaning he needed to play the remaining four in three under to match Oliver Fisher’s 59 in the 2018 Portugal Masters.
However, the 30-year-old – whose run of eight successive birdies from the 16th to the fifth was just one short of the world record shared by James Nitties and former Open champion Mark Calcavecchia, could only par the sixth before dropping a shot on the next.
Shinkwin bounced back to two-putt from 70 feet for birdie on the par-five eighth and parred the ninth to complete a superb 62, equalling the lowest round of his career.
At 10 under par he enjoyed a two-shot lead over compatriot Richard Mansell and South Africa’s Brandon Stone, who missed a putt for a 59 in the final round of his Scottish Open victory in 2018.
“I just kept going, making birdie after birdie and didn’t think about 59, to be fair,” Shinkwin said.
“It’s not easy to get a 59 on a par 72 but I was a bit gutted about seven. It’s quite an easy tee shot with no wind, but (with) a little bit of wind I just had to fiddle one in there.”
Shinkwin’s 62 equalled his lowest round on Tour at the 2016 Shenzhen International and he added: “That’s a long time ago, that was eight years ago.
“That was on my mind, I wanted to beat that by one because when you have a record you want to keep beating them. But eight years down the line, I’ve shot 62 again, I’m happy.”
Mansell also had an outside chance to shoot 59 when he followed a back nine of 29 – which included three birdies and two eagles – with birdies on the third, fifth and seventh, only to double bogey the par-five eighth after hitting his drive into a bush.
“Obviously you get to a downwind par five, you’re 10 under par with two to play and you do that, it’s frustrating,” Mansell said. “But overall a good start.
“I played brilliant today. I had one bad hole. The stuff I’m working on, I’m going to choose to focus on the good stuff because there was a lot of that today.
“The areas of my game that I’ve worked really hard at the past couple of months are starting to show for me.”
Defending champion Daniel Gavins covered his first 11 holes in eight over par before birdies on the 14th and 18th saw him sign for an opening 78.
Enemy lowered the colours of some big names as he showed plenty of resilience to hold off 11-8 favourite Military Order in a thrilling finish to the BetUK Winter Derby Trial Conditions Stakes at Southwell.
In a classy contest at the Rolleston venue, it was Charlie Appleby’s Military Order who was fancied to get his career back on track in a race that also featured Dante scorer The Foxes and Royal Ascot winners Claymore and Sir Busker.
In the early stages, it was Claymore who led the field along, with Military Order content to race in his slipstream on his first start since being gelded.
Enemy, meanwhile, was ridden patiently at the rear of the field by Rossa Ryan and still had the whole pack to pass when things began to get serious entering the home straight.
Military Order was arguably travelling best as he edged his way to the front entering the final two furlongs, but Ryan was beginning to wind Enemy up to top gear and came to make his challenge inside the final furlong.
Enemy was soon flying home and, running on strongly, he bravely held on by a head after a tussle with last year’s Godolphin Derby runner in the closing stages.
The 17-2 winner has predominantly plied his trade over further of late and, having gone close over two miles at Newcastle last time, his trainer Ian Williams was thrilled to see him put in such a brave effort down in trip against some quality operators.
“It was a huge performance and we were a bit concerned running him over a shorter trip, but he has been a class performer at this trip on his day,” said Williams.
“That is probably a step up on what he has done before and will lead to some nice chats with his owner about what we do next. Over this trip, that was a good performance.
“We didn’t send him to Meydan this winter and we just needed a race to give him a blow in and see where our options were. We’ll see what our options are now and I’m not sure what we will do until I have spoken with the owners.
“He’s a horse who has travelled in the past and can travel, so lots of options remain open. He is entered in the Red Sea (Turf Handicap) in Saudi, which he was second in last year, but the owners aren’t mad keen, so we will just have to see.
“He’s beaten some good horses there and over that trip it was a massive performance.”
It was Andrew Balding’s The Foxes who picked up the final spot on the podium, a length and three-quarters further back, and connections were thrilled with the Dante hero’s first outing since running in the Juddmonte International Stakes last summer.
“It was a good run and a prep run and we are pleased,” said Pippa Tuthill, assistant racing manager to owners King Power Racing.
“We’ll see how he comes out of this and make a plan from there. He’s a fun horse and we’re hoping to have a fun season with him going forward.”
Charles Leclerc is confident “the best is yet to come” after signing a contract extension with Ferrari.
Leclerc was one of a raft of Formula One drivers heading into the final year of his contract, along with Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz, but the Scuderia announced on Thursday that the Monegasque has agreed a new long-term deal.
The 26-year-old, who made his F1 debut with Sauber before joining the Italian team in 2019, has won five grands prix including a famous home victory for Ferrari at Monza in his maiden season.
Leclerc finished fifth in the standings last season as Ferrari, who have not won a drivers’ title since 2007, continued to trail Red Bull and Mercedes but he is confident that he is in the right team to achieve his dream of winning the world championship.
“I’m very pleased to know that I will be wearing the Scuderia Ferrari race suit for several more seasons to come,” Leclerc said.
“To race for this team has been my dream since I was three years old: I used to watch the Monaco Grand Prix from the window of a friend’s apartment and I would always look out for the red cars.
“This team is my second family ever since I joined the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2016 and we have achieved a lot together, fighting through thick and thin over the past five years.
“However, I believe the best is yet to come and I can’t wait for this season to start, to make further progress and be competitive at every race.
“My dream remains that of winning the world championship with Ferrari and I’m sure that in the years ahead, we will enjoy great times together and make our fans happy.”
The 2024 season gets under way in Bahrain on March 2, with Ferrari hopeful their car will be able to fight with a Red Bull team who have dominated the sport for the last two seasons.
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur added: “We are determined to give Charles a winning car and I know that his determination and commitment are elements that can make the difference in helping us reach our goals.”
Kerry National winner Desertmore House will look to tee up a potential crack at the Irish Grand National in the Finlay Ford At Naas Novice Chase on Sunday.
Martin Brassil’s nine-year-old has come of age this season, winning twice at Kilbeggan before landing the valuable prize at Listowel against far more experienced rivals over fences.
He needs one more run over the bigger obstacles to qualify for Fairyhouse at Easter and Brassil then has his eyes set on Aintree next season for a horse who runs in the same colours as Numbersixvalverde, Brassil’s past Irish National and Aintree hero.
“Desertmore House runs in Naas on Sunday in a Grade Three Chase,” he said.
“He’s a novice. He has no penalty because he won two handicaps. He’ll be nice enough in that race but I’m hoping the ground won’t be as soft as it is, he’s more of a spring ground horse.
“He needs to run six times over fences to make an entry for the National and I just have that in the back of my mind – the Irish National is the main aim this year and Aintree next year.”
Another nice horse in Brassil’s Dunmurray yard is bumper winner Goldinthemountains, who won what is traditionally a hot race at Leopardstown over Christmas
“We’ll probably keep him for the Punchestown Festival, the winners-of-one bumper there. The owners (Sean and Bernardine Mulryan) are local to the track and like runners at that meeting,” said Brassil.
“He’s a nice horse to look forward to. You could run him before that but he’s a lovely, big horse we are just going to mind – and he’ll be hurdling this time next year.”
Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka will take on first-time grand slam finalist Zheng Qinwen for the Australian Open crown on Saturday.
Sabalenka reversed the result of the US Open final, beating Coco Gauff 7-6 (2) 6-4, while 12th seed Zheng ended the run of qualifier Dayana Yastremska with a 6-4 6-4 victory.
Britain’s Alfie Hewett is one win away from defending his wheelchair title and will again face Japanese teenager Tokito Oda for the trophy.
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The men take centre stage on Friday, with Novak Djokovic putting his 33-match unbeaten run at Melbourne Park on the line in a semi-final clash against fourth seed Jannik Sinner.
In the night session, familiar foes Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev will do battle for a place in the final.
Britain’s Neal Skupski goes for a fourth grand slam title alongside American Desirae Krawczyk in the mixed doubles final, with the pair taking on Hsieh Su-wei and Jan Zielinski.
Paul Nicholls views Saturday’s Paddy Power Cotswold Chase as the “perfect race” for his star novice Stay Away Fay.
The Ditcheat handler has saddled five previous winners of the recognised Cheltenham Gold Cup trial, with See More Business triumphing in 1998 and 2001 before the subsequent victories of Taranis in 2010, Neptune Collonges in 2011 and Frodon in 2019.
Stay Away Fay, a winner at last year’s Cheltenham Festival in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, has run just twice over fences, making a successful debut at Exeter before outstaying Giovinco in the Grade Two Esher Novices’ Chase at Sandown last month.
Nicholls is well aware his charge has plenty on his plate as he takes on more seasoned campaigners this weekend, but he is happy to roll the dice.
“He has got to go somewhere before the Cheltenham Festival and this gives him more time than if he goes to the Reynoldstown (Novices’ Chase) at Ascot and has a hard race. He has worked well and schooled well since Sandown and we are looking forward to it,” he said.
“This race has always been on my mind for him. For a horse like him it is the perfect race. He might have to take on some better ones, but apart from Royale Pagaille there are no real Gold Cup horses in there.
“This would do him good and it is all good experience and that is what you need. He has not been over fences around Cheltenham and that is why we are quite keen to do it.
“He is fit, stays well and he is in good order and we think he will run a nice race.”
While Nicholls has given Stay Away Fay an entry in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, he is currently planning to revert to novice company come the big meeting in March.
He added: “I’ve given him an entry in the National Hunt Chase and Gold Cup, but I would say he would be one for the Brown Advisory at the Festival after this.”
Stay Away Fay is set to face five rivals over an extended three miles and a furlong, with last year’s winner Ahoy Senor and Betfair Chase hero Royale Pagaille heading the field.
The Real Whacker won his first three starts over fences at Cheltenham last season, including a Festival win in the Brown Advisory, but has not troubled the judge in two starts so far this term.
Jamie Snowden’s Coral Gold Cup winner Datsalrightgino and the Willie Mullins-trained Irish raider Capodanno complete the line-up.
Aryna Sabalenka has her sights on a second straight Australian Open title after a successful revenge mission against Coco Gauff.
Gauff denied Sabalenka a second grand slam title of the year with victory in the US Open final last summer but her winning run at the majors came to an end with a 7-6 (2) 6-4 defeat under the roof on Rod Laver Arena.
Sabalenka will now be a big favourite to successfully defend her title at Melbourne Park on Saturday when she takes on first-time slam finalist Zheng Qinwen, who defeated Dayana Yastremska 6-4 6-4.
Sabalenka has been in tremendous form this fortnight, not losing more than three games in any set prior to this semi-final meeting.
Gauff’s stellar powers of defence, which turned the tables in New York after she had lost the first set, ensured she got significantly closer than any of Sabalenka’s previous opponents, but it was still not enough.
“It was (an) incredible match,” said the second seed. “She’s a great player, always tough battles against her. I think the key was that I was able to stay focused no matter what. I just kept trying my best, kept fighting for it.
“Of course I’m super happy to be in another final of the grand slam. Hopefully I can do a little bit better than the last time.”
Gauff made a poor start, with five double faults in her first three service games helping Sabalenka open up a 5-2 lead.
But Gauff’s ability to get one more ball back in play better than anyone else in the women’s game had put Sabalenka into meltdown mode in New York and she threatened the same here.
Sabalenka failed to serve out the set at 5-3 and Gauff saved a set point in the next game before making it four games in a row, the crowd gasping as the Belarusian pushed a forehand wide with the whole court at her mercy.
Gauff was two points away from taking the set but Sabalenka refused to let history repeat itself and forced a tie-break, where she put on a display of awesome power that even the athletic American could find no answer to.
The second was nip and tuck but Sabalenka got the crucial break at 4-4 and served out the victory to become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2016 and 2017 to reach successive finals here.
Gauff looked emotional leaving the court but she rated her performance as better than in the US Open final, saying: “I felt like it wasn’t a great match for me. Yes, I won. I think I played better tonight.
“I wish I could have made more first serves. I think that was the difference. She had a higher first-serve percentage, and it’s tough to also go for the second when you double-faulted a couple times.
“I put myself in the position to serve out the set. At the end of the day, it came down to a couple of points. Same in the second.”
The 19-year-old immediately found perspective at the end of her final slam as a teenager, saying: “I watched these matches growing up, watching Serena (Williams) and (Maria) Sharapova lose these matches.
“When you’re in it, it feels like the end of the world. But then, when you look at history, they didn’t let one match define their career.
“I’m going to dwell on it tonight but, as (coach) Brad (Gilbert) told me as soon as the match was over, the sun is going to rise tomorrow and you have a new chance to live a good day. Tomorrow I’m going to try to go to the movies or something, be proud of myself.”
Twelfth seed Zheng has kept her head while the more fancied players in the top half of the draw have fallen around her.
Yastremska was trying to emulate Emma Raducanu by reaching a grand slam final as a qualifier but she came out second best in a big-hitting encounter.
Zheng, who has not yet faced a top-50 opponent, is the first Chinese player to make it to a slam decider since Li Na won the title here a decade ago.
The 21-year-old said: “It feels unbelievable. I’m super excited to have a such a great performance today and arrive in the final.”
Oisin Murphy is relishing the prospect of being reunited with Mawj when she lines up in the Jebel Hatta at Meydan on Friday.
Globetrotting Murphy has kept himself busy overseas this winter, having most recently plied his trade in Florida.
He will jet into Dubai to link up with the horse that provided him and trainer Saeed bin Suroor with Classic honours last season, before returning to America for the big-money Pegasus World Cup meeting at Gulfstream Park on Saturday.
After outbattling Tahiyra to scoop the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, Mawj missed the height of summer with a setback before travelling to America herself, where she added to her top-level tally at Keeneland before being cruelly denied by a nose in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita.
She now returns to the nine-furlong trip over which she won the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup in Kentucky last October and bids to maintain her unbeaten Meydan record in this Group One event.
“I’m really looking forward to riding her and she obviously had a great year last year,” said Murphy.
“She has won over a similar distance at Keeneland in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and she seems to be nicely drawn in the middle, so it will be interesting to see how the pace sets up.
“She can take a lead or make the running – she is very happy doing lots of things, so I’m looking forward to it.”
Spirit Dancer gave Richard Fahey and famous co-owner Sir Alex Ferguson a day to remember when striking in Bahrain in November and having flourished over the last 12 months, now tries his hand in Group One company for the first time.
“We’ve always liked him and he’s relatively lightly raced, but we’re getting a good go with him now as he’s been a bit of a backward horse who has taken time to mature physically and mentally,” said Fahey.
“We’re not surprised he’s improving, but he will need to improve again now.”
Charlie Appleby has won this race three times in the past eight years and after rattling the crossbar with third-placed Master Of The Seas 12 months ago, he now saddles three seeking to get his hands back on the trophy.
Stable jockey William Buick has elected to partner Al Rashidiya winner Measured Time, with the son of Frankel and half-brother to Breeders’ Cup Turf hero Rebel’s Romance winning four of his five career starts.
“Measured Time was an impressive winner of the Al Rashidiya and has done well physically since,” the Moulton Paddocks handler told the Godolphin website.
“This will obviously be more of a test, with Mawj and San Donato in the field, but he heads into it in great order.”
Measured Time is joined in the race by the reliable Ottoman Fleet and Highland Avenue, who were both behind their stablemate in Meydan’s pre-Christmas Group Two.
Appleby added: “Ottoman Fleet has proved ultra-consistent over this trip and doesn’t know how to run a bad race. He deserves to be in the line-up and I’m sure he will give his usual running.
“Highland Avenue has been competitive at Group level and was unlucky to get stuck wide in the Al Rashidiya. Hopefully he can get a better run around this time, which will help his chances.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard expressed their surprise at the firing of Bucks coach Adrian Griffin after Milwaukee won its first game since the decision.
There was a third triple-double in four games for Giannis as Milwaukee ended the Cleveland Cavaliers’ eight-game winning streak on Wednesday with a 126-116 home victory.
Antetokounmpo had 35 points, a season high-tying 18 rebounds and 10 assists for his seventh triple-double this season. He came up one assist shy of having four consecutive triple-doubles after he had 31 points, 10 boards and nine assists in Saturday’s win at Detroit.
Joe Prunty served as Milwaukee’s interim head coach after Griffin was fired on Tuesday despite the Bucks leading the Central Division with a 30-13 record, putting them second in the Eastern Conference. The team was finalising negotiations with Doc Rivers to take over.
Lillard added 28 points and Khris Middleton had 24 for the Bucks, winners of six in seven, as Cleveland lost despite Donovan Mitchell scoring 23 points and Jarrett Allen having 21 and 12 assists.
Two-time MVP Giannis was not expecting the decision to fire first-year coach Griffin, but stressed he trusted the front office.
"Their job is to create the best team possible and the best atmosphere around the team possible that they believe gives us a better chance to win a championship," Giannis said to ESPN.
"But yeah, I do think [firing coach Griffin] was a surprise.
"I've got to trust the front office, I've got to trust the ownership group that they consider the bigger picture. My job is to be the best version of myself, to lead this team out there and help win games."
Giannis had expressed concerns over the Bucks’ performances this season but stressed he had no personal issues with Griffin.
"I loved the guy, I invited him to my wedding," Antetokounmpo said. ""I was coached by him and we did very, very, very well.
"When somebody is being hired, the GM might come and ask, 'What do you think about that? What do you think about this?' or whatever and not just me – players and people that he trusts their advice.
"But at times they make it seem like it's the players that are making the decision.
"For a coach like Griff, from Day 1, everything was about togetherness. He was always leading this group into the direction we set at the beginning of the year.
"Him not being here, at the end of the day, we’re humans. It hurts everybody. But we’ve got to keep on moving forward. We have a goal in our head, which is to be the best basketball team that we can be."
Lillard had a similar view to Giannis that the news was unexpected, though has agreed the Bucks could be playing better.
"There's been a lot of expectations on our team," he said. "Things have been expected to look a certain way. We've had a bumpy road to our success, which is sometimes a part of the process.
"I was surprised. But it's part of the game. People get traded, people get waived, people get fired, and that's never something you want to see."
The Bucks never trailed in a win which avenged their 40-point loss in Cleveland last week and the teams will play again on Friday.
"Our experience really worked in our favor in this situation,” added Lillard. "We have all experienced a lot of things.
"I think this was different for everybody, but we just understood we had a game tonight, and it was going to be a tough game against a really good team that kind of handled us the last time we played them."
Aryna Sabalenka took her revenge against Coco Gauff to make it back-to-back Australian Open finals.
Gauff denied Sabalenka a second grand slam title of the year with victory in the US Open final last summer but her winning run at the majors came to an end with a 7-6 (2) 6-4 defeat under the roof on Rod Laver Arena.
Sabalenka will now be a big favourite to win a second-straight title at Melbourne Park on Saturday.
The second seed has been in tremendous form this fortnight, not losing more than three games in any set prior to this semi-final meeting.
Gauff’s stellar powers of defence, which turned the tables in New York after she had lost the first set, ensured she got significantly closer than any of Sabalenka’s previous opponents, but it was still not enough.
Sabalenka came out firing, winning the first seven points and immediately breaking the Gauff serve.
Nerves were on show from both and Gauff hit back to level, but five double faults from the American in her opening three service games proved very costly and Sabalenka opened up a 5-2 lead.
Gauff’s ability to get one more ball back in play than anyone else in the women’s game had put Sabalenka into meltdown mode in New York and she threatened the same here.
Sabalenka failed to serve out the set at 5-3 and Gauff saved a set point in the next game before making it four games in a row, the crowd gasping as the Belarusian pushed a forehand wide with the whole court at her mercy.
Gauff was two points away from taking the set but Sabalenka refused to let history repeat itself, forcing a tie-break, where she put on a display of awesome power that even the athletic American could find no answer to.
Gauff kept her nose in front on serve in the second set and a real test of Sabalenka’s nerve arrived when she trailed 0-30 in the eighth game.
But the 25-year-old responded with four exceptional points, broke Gauff in the next game and served out the victory to become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2016 and 2017 to reach successive finals here.
Nico de Boinville will miss Friday’s action at Sandown and the plum ride on Jonbon at Cheltenham on Saturday to give himself more time to fully recover from the broken collarbone he suffered in a fall at Doncaster last month.
The leading jockey returned from nearly a month on the sidelines at Lingfield last Sunday and has since taken up a total of 11 rides, including a winner at Warwick on Monday.
However, having suffered a narrow defeat aboard 11-8 favourite Ilfu Un Mome at Chepstow on Wednesday – his only ride on the card – De Boinville has made the difficult decision to withdraw from the upcoming action, meaning James Bowen will take over aboard Jonbon in Saturday’s Clarence House Chase.
“Nico was sore after yesterday, so he won’t be riding this weekend,” said De Boinville’s agent Sam Stronge.
“We’ll just take it day by day and see how it is next week. It’s unfortunate, we obviously tried to do our best as quickly as we could, and after riding for a couple of days he obviously wasn’t quite right.
“The sensible thing to do when you’ve got big rides like that (Jonbon) is to not let everybody down. It’s a very difficult decision, but we’ll take it day by day and hopefully he’ll be back next week.”
Novak Djokovic puts his 33-match unbeaten Australian Open run to the test against Jannik Sinner on Rod Laver Arena on Friday.
The world number one has not been beaten at Melbourne Park since a fourth-round loss to Chung Hyeon back in 2018, with only two opponents in the intervening six years managing to push him to five sets.
Djokovic appears to have recovered from the illness that was troubling him at the start of the fortnight, but was tested in a four-set quarter-final win over Taylor Fritz and, if anyone is going to end his streak, Sinner appears a prime candidate.
The 22-year-old beat Djokovic twice in successive weeks at the end of last season at the ATP Finals and Davis Cup, where he led Italy to the title, and is the only player in the men’s draw yet to drop a set.
“This is what I practise for, to play against the best players in the world,” said Sinner. “Obviously he has an incredible record here, so for me it’s a pleasure to play against him, especially in the final stages of the tournament where things are a little bit more interesting.
“I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be tough. This, I know. I will control the controllable, which is giving 100 per cent, having the right attitude, fighting for every ball. And then we see the outcome. More than this, I cannot do. It doesn’t really matter who my opponent is.”
Sinner reached his first slam semi-final at Wimbledon last summer but lost in straight sets to Djokovic, who is tantalisingly close to a record-breaking 25th major title.
This has not been one of his more straightforward paths through the draw in Melbourne, but his desire to continue racking up the biggest titles remains unquestionable.
“I’m aware of the streak that I’m on and the amount of matches that I have won in my career on the Rod Laver Arena,” said Djokovic.
“I don’t want to let that go. The longer the streak goes, the more that kind of confidence, also expectations, build, but also the willingness to really walk the extra mile.”
The second semi-final pits two very familiar opponents against each other in the shape of third seed Daniil Medvedev and sixth seed Alexander Zverev.
Medvedev is bidding to reach his third final at Melbourne Park in the last four years while Zverev crashed the top-four party by defeating Carlos Alcaraz on Wednesday for his best victory at a slam.
Medvedev and Zverev, who are certainly not the best of friends, have played each other 18 times previously but strangely never at a slam.
Russian Medvedev leads the head-to-head 11-7 having won five of the six matches they played last season, but Zverev took time to get back to his best after a serious ankle injury.
“A lot of matches were extremely close,” said the German, who lost his only grand slam final at the US Open in 2020.
“A lot of the times it came down to him being extremely confident last year, him playing some of the best tennis of his life, and me coming back from injury and not having the confidence in deciding moments and not being able to finish matches.
“He’s obviously extremely difficult to play. No question about it. He’s one of the best players in the world right now. But I’m happy in the position I am, and I’m going to do everything I can to win that match on Friday.”
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