Andy Murray has become the eighth man to register 200 grand slam victories in the Open era.
The 36-year-old reached the milestone following his latest win over France’s Corentin Moutet in the US Open first round.
Here, the PA news agency takes a closer look at Murray’s career record at tennis’s biggest tournaments.
Elite club
Murray has joined an illustrious list by reaching 200 grand slam wins, headed by his three main career rivals in Roger Federer (369), Novak Djokovic (355) and Rafael Nadal (314).
That trio are more than 80 wins clear of anyone else, with Jimmy Connors in fourth (233), ahead of Andre Agassi (224) and Murray’s coach Ivan Lendl (222).
The Scot is just three wins behind Pete Sampras (203) in seventh and will move above the 14-time major champion with a run to the quarter-finals at the US Open.
Tim Henman is his closest challenger among British players, with 98 grand slam victories.
Home comforts
Murray has been most successful on the grass courts of Wimbledon, with 61 wins out of 74 matches yielding two titles.
He has consistently risen to the occasion on home soil, reaching 10 successive SW19 quarter-finals between 2008 and 2017, and has often spoken about how he enjoys the support of the crowd.
However, the 36-year-old also thrives when playing the role of pantomime villain and has a remarkable record of 18 victories from 19 matches against homegrown players in the Australian, French and US Opens.
Overall, he has 49 victories in New York – the scene of his first major triumph in 2012 – to go with 51 in Melbourne (where he is a five-time runner-up) and 39 at Roland Garros.
Near misses
Murray’s career record at grand slams suggests that he should have more than three titles to his name.
He has a winning record at each stage of major tournaments apart from the final, where he has won three and lost eight of his 11 matches.
Murray has had the privilege and misfortune of playing in a golden era of men’s tennis, with all but one of his finals having been played against Federer or Djokovic.
In total, he has won five and lost 20 of his grand slam meetings with the ‘Big Three’, with eight defeats coming against Djokovic, seven versus Nadal and five at the hands of Federer.
This compares with 195 wins and 34 losses against his remaining 137 opponents.
Stan Wawrinka, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Fernando Verdasco and Roberto Bautista Agut are the only other players to have beaten Murray more than once at grand slam level.
The Scot’s best record is against Frenchman Richard Gasquet, who he has faced five times without defeat.
Injury nightmare
Murray would almost certainly have passed 250 grand slam wins had it not been for a career threatening hip injury.
Shortly after turning 30, Murray – ranked number one in the world at the time – lost to Sam Querrey in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon 2017 and proceeded to sit out the next four grand slams while recovering from surgery.
He had won at least 12 grand slam matches every year in the previous decade, but has managed only 12 in total since the start of 2018.
By comparison, Djokovic – who is just a week younger than Murray – has won 118 matches and lifted 11 titles in the same period.
Despite injury curtailing his prime years, the Scot has continued to show his indomitable fighting spirit.
Eight of his 23 major matches since 2018 have gone to five sets, with Murray emerging victorious on five of those occasions.
Two of his deciding-set wins came back-to-back at this year’s Australian Open, when he followed up a four-hour 49-minute victory over Matteo Berrettini with a staggering comeback from two sets down against Thanasi Kokkinakis in a match that finished at 4am local time.
Tuesday's deadline has come and gone, and Johnathan Taylor is still with the Indianapolis Colts.
The Colts were unable to work out a deal for the disgruntled running back, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Media, and ended up placing him on the physically unable to perform list, which makes him ineligible for at least the first four games of the 2023 NFL season.
A trade could still be arranged prior to the NFL's trade deadline of October 31, but Taylor still can't play in the season's first four weeks, even if he is dealt to a new team.
Indianapolis opens the season against the Jacksonville Jaguars on September 10, and the earliest Taylor could play is in Week 5.
The Miami Dolphins were reportedly the team most serious in making a deal for Taylor, but ultimately the Colts didn't feel any trade offers were of fair value.
The Colts granted the 24-year-old permission to seek a trade just over a week ago as the team and the 2021 NFL rushing champion remained locked in an ongoing contract dispute.
Taylor, the runner-up for the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year in 2021, is entering the final season of his rookie deal and is scheduled to earn $4.3 million in 2023.
The fourth-year pro ran for a franchise-record 1,811 yards in 2021, but was slowed by injuries last year and was put on the PUP list earlier this summer as he recovers from ankle surgery that ended his 2022 campaign in December.
Ankle issues limited Taylor to 11 games last season, which he finished with 861 rushing yards and four touchdowns while averaging 4.5 yards per attempt.
Taylor averaged 5.5 yards per carry during his sensational 2021 season in which he also tied for the NFL lead with 20 total touchdowns while playing in all 17 games.
Since entering the NFL as a second-round pick of the Colts in 2020, Taylor's 33 rushing touchdowns are tied for second in the NFL and his 3,841 rushing yards are the fourth most of any player, trailing only Derrick Henry, Dalvin Cook and Nick Chubb.
Cameron Norrie turned to defending champion Carlos Alcaraz to help him into the second round at the US Open.
The British number one practised with the world number one on Monday before dismantling Alexander Shevchenko of Russia 6-3 6-2 6-2.
It was just the sort of performance Norrie needed after losing his previous three matches on the hard courts.
And the 16th seed credited Spanish superstar Alcaraz for his improved display.
“We had a really good practice and I think it really set the tone yesterday and I was able to put it into my match today,” he said.
“He’s always enjoying the practice and bringing a lot of flair and excitement to the practice court.
“It was not an easy match. Shevchenko has had a good year so far. I know his game quite well, I’d practiced with him a few times.
“I was able to play longer points and win some of the tough games. It was a nice match to play in the first round to get a lot of rhythm.”
Norrie will face qualifier Yu Hsiou Hsu, the world number 237, in round two after his surprise win over Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis.
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 29.
FootballHarry Kane got into the spirit ahead of Oktoberfest.
Manchester City took their silverware on tour.
An important lesson for a young Kevin Nolan.
TennisPetra Kvitova was pleased.
Formula OneWhat an achievement from Michael Schumacher 19 years ago.
Max Verstappen was pleased with his fixed Hungarian Grand Prix trophy after Lando Norris accidentally smashed it.
Mini mullet for a young Valtteri Bottas.
James Hunt was remembered.
Is Logan Sargeant still waiting for a lift?
Rugby unionWales put some miles in on the bike.
South Africa were preparing to begin their defence of the World Cup.
Katie Boulter says she is feeling the love in New York after securing a first-career win at the US Open.
The British number one certainly looked at home on a packed Court Six at Flushing Meadows as she raced past France’s Diane Parry 6-4 6-0.
Boulter hit 31 winners and illustrated her confidence on the big stage by saving a break point as she served for the match, before finishing Parry off with a 106mph ace.
“I felt the love out there today, which was really, really nice,” said the 27-year-old.
“It was such a good atmosphere. What I love about it the most is those front courts where they have all the matches going along all the time.
“It’s a challenge for me to focus and stay in the moment, and not hear all the other courts going on, which is what I did unbelievably well today.
“The fans got me over the line. I don’t know if they were British, American. I think they were everything, which was super nice.
“There were a lot of GB flags, which made me feel very at home, which was very nice.
“I did appreciate it out there. You know, it’s when you hear, like, little kids screaming your name, that’s when it pushes you. It makes you think for a second, ‘hey, this is where I want to be and these are the matches that I want to play’.”
The ever-popular Sir Busker could return to action in the Superior Mile at Haydock in early September.
Trained by William Knight in Newmarket, the gelding is an admirable campaigner who reached new heights this time last year when winning the York Stakes and then running a massive race at the same track to come home third in the Juddmonte International.
He then went to ply his trade in the Middle East as spring approached this term, but an eye infection turned a brief stay into a longer one as he required surgery to save his vision.
The procedure was a success and he returned to work earlier in the campaign, just missing out on his aim of returning to the Ebor meeting again to contest the Strensall Stakes.
An alternative target has been pencilled into his diary by owner Kennet Valley Syndicates, however, with the Group Three Superior Mile on the agenda for the seven-year-old.
Sam Hoskins, racing manager to the group, said: “He’s great, he had a bad eye infection out in Dubai and that’s why we haven’t seen him this summer.
“He nearly got to the Strensall at York last week, but he just blew up in a piece of work a week before and William Knight just said he didn’t want to rush him to get there.
“He is nearly ready to go, he could run in the Superior Mile which is the Group Three at Haydock on Sprint Cup Day – September 9.
“I’m sure he’d probably come on for the run a bit, but it’ll be great to see him back on the course.
“He owes us absolutely nothing, we’ll have to see how we get on this autumn, but he’s been showing his usual zest for life. Hopefully he can run a nice race there and we can start to make plans for the future.”
British number one Katie Boulter roared to a first-round win at the US Open with a commanding victory over Diane Parry.
The 27-year-old hit 31 winners in a hugely impressive, efficient display to win 6-4 6-0 in an hour and 22 minutes.
Boulter illustrated her confidence on the big stage by saving a break point as she served for the match, before finishing Frenchwoman Parry off with a 106mph ace.
“It was tight in the first set and I just tried to stay with her, but at the end I played some great tennis which is good for me going into the second round,” she said.
“It’s so good for me.
“This is where it really counts and I’m happy to get through and keep pushing.”
The Buffalo Bills were hopeful Von Miller would be healthy enough to suit up in Week 1.
Turns out, the earliest he'll play is Week 5.
The Bills are keeping the three-time All Pro on the PUP list ahead of Tuesday's deadline, meaning he's ineligible for at least the first four games of the 2023 NFL season.
Miller, 34, has been working his way back from a torn ACL suffered in Week 12 of the 2022 season, and it had been reported last week that the Bills weren't ruling out the eight-time Pro Bowler returning for the September 11 season opener against the New York Jets on Monday Night Football.
He's been training with the team throughout training camp, though has yet to partake in a fully-padded practice and the Bills ultimately decided to give him more time to recover from the surgery he underwent last December.
The earliest he could possibly begin his 12th NFL season is Week 5 against the Jacksonville Jaguars on October 8 in London at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Miller, who signed a six-year, $120million contract with the Bills in March 2022 after helping the Los Angeles Rams win the Super Bowl, finished his first season with the Bills tied with Greg Rousseau for the team lead with eight sacks despite playing in just 11 games. His 48 quarterback pressures were one fewer than Rousseau's for the team lead, and his pressure-rate of 20.8 was highest on Buffalo.
The league's active leader with 123.5 sacks, Miller has recorded eight consecutive seasons of eight or more sacks - the longest active streak in the NFL.
With Miller out, the Bills will rely on Leonard Floyd, who signed with the team over the summer, and Rousseau to generate a pass rush.
Justin Thomas has admitted he is “very, very fortunate” to be given a wild card for this year’s Ryder Cup in Rome.
Thomas failed to qualify for the FedEx Cup play-offs on the PGA Tour and admitted it had been “humiliating and embarrassing” to card a second round of 81 in the US Open in June.
The two-time major winner also shot an opening 82 in the Open at Royal Liverpool and finished 15th in qualifying, behind both Cameron Young and Keegan Bradley and just one place above the in-form Lucas Glover.
However, United States captain Zach Johnson hailed Thomas as the “heart and soul” of American teams after selecting the former world number one along with Sam Burns, Rickie Fowler, Brooks Koepka, Collin Morikawa and Jordan Spieth to face Europe at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club next month.
The wild cards join automatic qualifiers Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman, Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa and Xander Schauffele on Johnson’s team, who will attempt to win on European soil for the first time since 1993.
“I have had a lot of sleepless nights thinking about what could happen and wanting to be on the team, wondering if I was or I wasn’t, and then I just came to the realisation that it was out of my hands and I couldn’t do anything about it,” Thomas said.
“After getting the call yesterday (Monday) from Zach I couldn’t sleep because I was so excited. It’s cool to be part of this team.
“You can want something too bad. I’m sure all of us have tried to win golf tournaments too much and have tried to force the issue, and there were potentially times this season I did.
“I’m very, very fortunate to be here and Zach has been very vocal and made it sound great that we are all equal on this team. I feel I’m just as important as everybody else and my team-mates have voiced that the same way.”
Johnson had earlier been fulsome in his praise of Thomas, who won four points from five matches on a losing side in Paris in 2018, including victory over Rory McIlroy in the opening match of the singles.
“Justin Thomas is one of the most talented players on the PGA Tour in my opinion,” Johnson said.
“He has been, without question, the heart and soul of US Ryder Cup teams, our emotional leader.
“Overall (he has) a fantastic Ryder Cup record. His passion for the Ryder Cup is very evident. In my mind he is born for this and you just don’t leave JT at home.”
Johnson admitted the topic of selecting LIV Golf players such as Dustin Johnson – who went 5-0 at Whistling Straits two years ago – and Bryson DeChambeau did come up, but that Koepka had been the only one to “seize the opportunity” of playing well in the majors.
Koepka only slipped out of the automatic qualifying places in the final event, having finished second in the Masters and winning his fifth major title in the US PGA Championship at Oak Hill.
“A five-time major champion, he is built in my mind for the biggest of stages and there’s no bigger stage than the Ryder Cup,” Johnson said.
“It was a pretty easy pick, a very natural fit. He basically earned his way onto the team. Brooks is great in the team room.”
Johnson’s selections came a month after one of his vice-captains, former Masters champion Fred Couples, said on his own radio show that Homa, Spieth and Young would be given wild cards if they remained outside the automatic places.
Homa subsequently qualified and Spieth was duly selected but Young, who finished just 61 points behind Spieth in the standings, was left out.
“Cam, phenomenal player, a better person, he was nothing but class,” Johnson said of calling Young with the bad news.
“I know what was said (by Couples), but I think that was a while back, it was kind of in jest.”
Regional is set to be stepped up in trip for the Betfair Sprint Cup after running with credit in the Nunthorpe at York last week.
Having won a handicap on the Knavesmire in May before successfully stepping up in class in the Listed Achilles Stakes at Haydock the following month, the five-year-old was kept fresh for a tilt at Group One glory by trainer Ed Bethell.
He was beaten only two and a half lengths into fifth place, and Bethell is now keen to bid for another top-level prize over an extra furlong.
He said: “He ran a really good race. I was really happy with how he got on and he wasn’t beaten far.
“The complexion of the race changed when the winner went off like a scalded cat and fair play to the winner, he kept going and it was a fair performance.
“We’re pretty quick and we jumped well, but we just weren’t as quick as the winner into our stride. If you took him out of it, the complexion of the race would probably have changed dramatically, but it’s a horse race, he set a relentless gallop and won fair and square.
“It looked as if we need to step up to six furlongs maybe at that level. He just got run off his feet the whole way, but on the whole I’m delighted with how he ran and I think we’re possibly going to target the Sprint Cup at Haydock.
“Hopefully it stays dry and we’ll see how we get on.”
United States captain Zach Johnson has selected Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth, Collin Morikawa, Sam Burns and Rickie Fowler as his wild cards for the 44th Ryder Cup in Rome.
Thomas failed to qualify for the FedEx Cup play-offs and admitted it had been “humiliating and embarrassing” to card a second round of 81 in the US Open in June.
The two-time major winner also shot an opening 82 in the Open at Royal Liverpool, but has still been selected by Johnson ahead of the likes of Keegan Bradley and Cameron Young.
The wild cards join automatic qualifiers Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman, Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa and Xander Schauffele on Johnson’s team, which will attempt to win on European soil for the first time since 1993.
“Justin Thomas is one of the most talented players on the PGA Tour in my opinion,” Johnson said.
“He has been, without question, the heart and soul of US Ryder Cup teams, our emotional leader.
“Overall (he has) a fantastic Ryder Cup record. His passion for the Ryder Cup is very evident. In my mind he is born for this and you just don’t leave JT at home.”
Koepka, who is the only LIV Golf League player to make the team, slipped out of the automatic qualifying places in the final event, having finished second in the Masters and won the US PGA Championship at Oak Hill.
“A five-time major champion, he is built in my mind for the biggest of stages and there’s no bigger stage than the Ryder Cup,” Johnson said.
Wordsworth will be pointed towards the Club Godolphin Cesarewitch Handicap at Newmarket having recently joined David Pipe ahead of dual-purpose duties.
He finished second at Royal Ascot, third in the Irish Derby and also runner-up in the Grand Prix de Paris when at his peak as a three-year-old, with the son of Galileo also going close in the Sagaro Stakes and Curragh Cup when tried in staying contests by former trainer Aidan O’Brien last year.
Since leaving Ballydoyle, Wordsworth has appeared twice for Irish handler Josh Halley, finishing fourth in His Majesty’s Plate at Down Royal before rattling the crossbar when jumping hurdles for the first time at Ballinrobe.
He has now switched to Pond House with further endeavours over timber on the agenda for the winter, but before that he will line-up in the Newmarket marathon on October 14 for which he is a general 20-1 chance and where Pipe will bid to replicate his father, Martin, who won the race in both 2000 and 2002.
“He ran over hurdles the other day in Ireland and finished second and he’s only just recently arrived,” said the trainer.
“He has an entry in the Cesarewitch and that will be the plan.
“He is rated very highly and a nice addition to the team. He’ll be a dual-purpose horse for us and it’s nice to have him on board.”
Claressa Shields believes Savannah Marshall's move into mixed martial arts is good for women's sport and wishes her rival well, despite the "love-hate" relationship between the duo.
Unified middleweight champion and two-time Olympic gold medallist Shields, one of the biggest names in women's boxing, made her MMA debut in 2021 after signing with the Professional Fighters League (PFL), where she has a 1-1 record.
British boxer Marshall, Shields' long-term rival who beat the American as an amateur in 2012 before losing by unanimous decision when they met last year, signed with the PFL last week.
Marshall then declared her intention to face Shields in her new discipline, saying: "It doesn't look like a rematch in the ring is coming off, so I've had to chase her into another sport."
There has been no love lost between the fighters in the past, with Shields calling Marshall "delusional" and "disrespectful" after the Brit called for a rematch earlier this year.
While Shields initially had misgivings over Marshall's MMA switch, she believes the move will benefit the sport and even claims to have offered her rival tips to aid her transition.
"Any time I fight Savannah Marshall is a good time for me," Shields told Stats Perform. "Whether it's in boxing for the rematch or in MMA. I mean, if she wanted to go the track and race, I am down for it!
"The satisfaction of beating her makes me very happy. I have a love-hate relationship with Savannah. I love that she's a competitor. I love that we had our experiences together.
"She keeps mentioning the amateur loss, but it was, what, 11 years ago? Other than that, I think it was very clever and very inspiring for her to come and sign with the PFL.
"When I heard about it, [I thought], 'man, she is just obsessed with me'. But [then] I asked her, 'why are you here?'
"She was like, 'I want to fight you in a cage, and I want to be bigger in boxing too. I want to build my brand'.
"Hearing her say those things… It's like, now you're on the same mental that I'm on, because I've been doing this and I've been saying this.
"We both agree that women's boxing is big but it's not as big as women's MMA and we get paid more in MMA, [with] equal TV time, equal fight time, equal promotion.
"There's just way more eyes on us and we can get the bang for our buck. So, the fact that she came over here, I thought it was a good move.
"We can still do our fight in boxing for the rematch, and we can still fight in the cage. When we're done, they're going to writing like documentaries and stuff about our beef!
"But I don't have beef with her right now. I will save that for when she's my opponent again. Right now, I just wish her well. I even gave her some tips. Boxing and MMA, they are like apples and oranges. I just gave her a few tips on what I think she should do."
Asked about the development of women's sport in recent years, Shields hailed the progress already made but called for more female representation across sport's governing bodies.
"Well women's sports right now are being viewed more than ever in today's time," She added. "I think we need the CEOs, the CFOs, the people in charge to just be equal and whatever you want to do, do it for the women. It's not that hard.
"But people saying, 'the women need to do this or do that'… We're already doing everything that we're doing. It is the same as the men.
"It's really about the people in charge making those financial decisions with their budgets and just being fair. We are working our way up there.
"I'm a fan of the Olympics because I went and I just liked to see how women are represented on track and field, represented in boxing, represented in MMA, represented in soccer.
"We are putting in our time, and Coco Gauff just won the [Cincinnati Open] trophy in tennis. Women's sports right now are really on an up and up and it's going to get better."
Former UFC champion Francis Ngannou is "crazy" for agreeing to switch to boxing for October's bout with Tyson Fury, according to unified middleweight champion Claressa Shields.
Ngannou, who relinquished his UFC Heavyweight title as part of his move to the Professional Fighters League (PFL) earlier this year, will make his professional boxing debut against the WBC Heavyweight champion in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 28.
Fury's decision to face the unranked Ngannou has been criticised by many boxing fans after the Gypsy King failed to reach an agreement on a unification bout with Oleksandr Usyk earlier this year.
Shields made the opposite switch from boxing to mixed martial arts in 2021 and has a 1-1 PFL record, meaning she is well-versed in the differences between the disciplines.
Ngannou will be a huge underdog when he steps into the ring for the first time, and while Shields is excited to see him in such a high-profile fight, she knows he is at a major disadvantage.
"It's going to be very interesting fight," Shields told Stats Perform. "Francis left UFC because of low pay. He wasn't being paid properly as a champion, which I felt terrible for – he had a couple of injuries and everything.
"I think him coming to the PFL, they can offer him a nice cheque and really honour that he was a UFC champion and that he's going to work hard to be PFL champion.
"I'm happy that Francis is getting his just [reward], fighting against Tyson Fury in boxing. I think he's just so crazy.
"All the girls in MMA, I think, are very, very smart. If they were to come to box me inside the ring, I would destroy them, truth be told."
Ngannou is, however, known for his punching power and is being trained for the bout by Mike Tyson, which Shields hopes may help the Cameroon-born fighter keep things interesting.
"Francis has great hands, but in boxing and in MMA, distancing and everything is completely different," she added.
"I just feel like I just want to see it. I'm excited about it, and Francis is training with Mike Tyson, so we may see some things we weren't expecting to see.
"I just know that Tyson Fury is a really great boxer. He's strong and I believe Tyson's going to win the fight, but I can't wait to see what Francis does to move from the cage."
Fury has previously discussed the idea of competing in MMA, but Shields is sceptical, adding: "I heard Tyson talking about it, but I don't think he would get inside the cage.
"Inside the cage, under MMA rules, he gets kicked, [opponents] take you down to the ground and knee you and things like that. I just don't see Fury doing it. But he's crazy, so you never know."
Elsewhere, Anthony Joshua says "positive" talks have taken place over a heavyweight meeting with Deontay Wilder following the Brit's one-punch knockout of Robert Helenius earlier this month.
While Shields is fond of both fighters, she feels compelled to back fellow American Wilder if the bout is made.
"I am a fan of both," she said. "Deontay Wilder's like a big brother to me and Anthony Joshua's the heavyweight I have a crush on because he is so gorgeous!
"But it has to be the American Deontay. Even though I think Joshua has better skill, I think Deontay Wilder has just got dynamite in both hands and we've seen Joshua get knocked out before.
"I know I'm going to be cheering for Deontay Wilder, he's like my brother."
Grand Prix de Paris hero Feed The Flame will target the Prix Niel as he prepares to set his sights on the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
The Pascal Bary-trained three-year-old has won three of his four runs since taking to the track for the first time in April.
He was an impressive five-and-a-half-length winner on debut at ParisLongchamp when running over a mile and two and half furlongs and stepped up incrementally later that month to strike again at the same track.
At Chantilly in early June he made the leap up to Group One company when contesting the Prix du Jockey Club and was far from disgraced on his first attempt at stakes level when finishing fourth of 11 runners.
That experience clearly served him well on his next start, as he then landed the Grand Prix de Paris back at Longchamp, a Group One over an extended mile and a half that he won by a length from Adelaide River and Oaks heroine Soul Sister.
That performance will pave to way to the Prix Niel at Longchamp in early September, which will in turn lead to the Arc as both races are run over the same course and distance.
Only Ace Impact and Hukum are in front of Feed The Flame in the Arc market, which is one of the few races to have so-far eluded his decorated handler.
“Tres bien, he is very well,” said Chantilly-based Bary.
“He’s to run on the 10th of September in the Prix Niel.
“He needs that (run over course and distance) before the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
“He knows the course very well now, he has won there three times.”
The unwavering commitment to task, team spirit and the desire to stand out, were the unifying threads linking Guyana's tale of overachievement at the just-concluded Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) Senior Championship at the North Sound Courts in the Cayman Islands.
Simply put, the Guyanese left nothing to chance and now they are reveling in the fact that they not only retained the overall championship but had a host of other accolades that sweetened the deal in what was a clear demonstration of the gulf in class –certainly on this occasion –between them and their regional counterparts.
Along with the overall title, Guyana also clinched the men’s and women’s team events, as well as the men’s and women’s vets’ titles. They also finished tops in the women’s doubles thanks to Ashely Khalil and Ashley de Groot, and in the men’s and women’s over 40 contest courtesy of Jeranzo Bell and Nicolette Fernandes respectively.
"After a week of intense competition, we are incredibly proud that the blood, sweat and tears that went into putting Guyana back on that top podium once more, proved worthwhile," Guyana squash said in a social media post.
"Our successes become more meaningful when we have a massive community backing us every step of the way. Thanks to our coach Ramon [Chan-A-Sue] and the family and friends of Guyana squash for your endless support. Also, our sponsors without whom, none of this would be possible. Your contributions towards our team success would never go unrecognized," the post added.
In key team final matches, Guyana defeated hosts Cayman Islands 3-2 on their way to the men’s title, while their female counterparts, had a come-from-behind 3-1 win over Barbados for the women’s honours.
The Guyanese had earlier captured the women’s doubles gold through Khalil and de Groot, who bettered the host pair of Jade Pitcarin and Marlene West, but Fernandes and Khalil had to settle for silver and bronze in the women’s singles behind Barbadian Margot Prow.
Another Barbadian Khamal Cumberbatch topped the men's singles event, ahead of homeboy Cameron Stafford with another home player Julian Jervis, edging Guyana's Alex Arjoon for bronze.
Stafford and Jervis later teamed up to stop Cumberbatch and Shaw Simpson, in the men’s doubles final. Jamaica's Bruce Burrowes and Julian Morris took bronze.
Jamaica's duo of Tahjia Lumley and Jessica Davies, topped the mixed doubles contest, leaving Guyana's Jason-Ray Khalil and Fernandes to settle for silver. The Bajan pair of Darien Benn and Jada Smith-Padmore claimed bronze.
Connections of Gregory remain positive about his chances of victory in the Betfred St Leger, despite his short-priced defeat at York last week.
Having maintained his unbeaten record in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot, John and Thady Gosden’s colt was a warm order to cement his Classic claims with Group Two success in the Great Voltigeur Stakes.
But having cut out much of the running on the Knavesmire under Frankie Dettori, Gregory ultimately had to settle for third place, although he was staying on again at the line.
The son of Golden Horn remains at the head of ante-post lists for the Doncaster showpiece with some bookmakers and hopes remain high within his camp.
Richard Brown, racing adviser to Gregory’s owners Wathnan Racing, said: “We said after Ascot that his main target would be the Leger and that this (Great Voltigeur) was the obvious race to take en route.
“We’d love to have won it, but they went pretty hard up front – those early fractions were pretty fierce. We were initially disappointed, but then you see where the two horses that went with him finished and where he finished.
“Frankie looked after him when his winning chance had gone and actually when he stood up on him, the horse ran on again on his own.
“Back up to a mile and six (furlongs) in the Leger is going to be much more his game. I’ve been in racing long enough not to be overly optimistic as things go wrong and maybe he’s not good enough, but I think he’s going to go there with a big chance.”
Gregory is the 3-1 market leader for the Leger with Paddy Power, with his York conqueror Continuous a 4-1 shot and Desert Hero, who carries the colours of the King and Queen, next in line at 11-2.
Brown added: “He’s come out of the race in great shape, John and Thady are very happy with him, it’s all systems go and we’re looking forward to it.
“It looks like it could be a very good renewal and with the royal runner as well, it’s exciting for racing.”
Kevin Philippart De Foy has a French outing planned for the promising Shadwell filly Alshinfarah.
The two-year-old, who is owned and was bred by Sheikha Hissa’s thoroughbred operation, made a winning debut when taking a Doncaster maiden by half a length in July.
After that she headed to Haydock for a seven-furlong novice and won comfortably under a penalty when defeating William Haggas’ Remaadd by a length and a quarter.
That victory was then made to look even more impressive when the latter horse triumphed by a very taking four and a half lengths in a Goodwood maiden at the weekend.
Philippart De Foy now has a trip to France pencilled in for Alshinfarah, with the Prix d’Aumale at Longchamp the target should the ground be suitable.
The trainer said: “She is in very good form, William Haggas’ horse won at Goodwood and that was good to see.
“The filly is entered in France in the Prix d’Aumale at Longchamp next week, it’s a one-mile fillies’ Group Three.
“She is quite well related so the goal now is to try to get some black type.
“It seems to be a good place to go, it’s the right timing and as long as there is decent ground we will be aiming there.
“She is very straightforward, Jim (Crowley) was pleased with her. It was the first time he’d sat on her and she gave him a great feel, it would be great if she could step up again and try to do something nice in a better race.”
Alshinfarah’s victories mark the beginning of a relatively new relationship between Shadwell and the Newmarket-based trainer, who is understandably pleased to have provided the major owner with some success already.
He said: “It’s good to start on a positive note, we are lucky to have those colours on the yard this year and hopefully there is more success to come.”
Philippart De Foy has another nice prospect in Inquisitively, a two-year-old who won the Listed Julia Graves Roses Stakes at York on the final day of the Ebor meeting.
The colt has new Hong Kong-based owners and will ultimately head east, but before then he has engagements closer to home and could run at Town Moor later in the term.
The trainer said: “Inquisitively will be entered at Doncaster in two and a half weeks, and providing the ground doesn’t go soft he will run there in the Flying Childers.”
Last year’s St Leger hero Eldar Eldarov will bid to add the Irish equivalent to his CV when he heads to the Curragh on day two of the Irish Champions Festival.
It promises to be a big weekend for Roger Varian, who is poised to saddle crack middle-distance colt King Of Steel in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on September 9, while 24 hours later his star stayer will attempt to get back to winning ways and register his first success since his Doncaster Classic triumph 12 months ago in the Comer Group International Irish St Leger.
The son of Dubawi was due to run at the Curragh in the Group Three Leger trial there earlier this month, but got worked up in the early stages of the journey to Ireland and was subsequently declared a non-runner.
Connections will now be hoping for a smoother trip when Eldar Eldarov heads to the Kildare track for his intended outing on September 10.
“He wasn’t travelling very well and we don’t know why because he’s never had that problem before,” explained Chris Wall, racing manager for owners KHK Racing Ltd.
“He got upset travelling and they thought rather than carry on to Ireland they would bring him home. I think they had got into north Wales just beyond Chester.
“The worry was if you put him on the ferry and it deteriorated into something like colic then you are in the middle of the sea and you can’t do anything about it. He just got his knickers in a twist about something so they brought him home.
“The target for him is to go to the Irish St Leger and that is very much still on the cards at the moment. He’s grand and it’s all systems go for that.”
Wall also revealed that the KHK Racing-owned Sakheer is unlikely to take up his engagement in Haydock’s Betfair Sprint Cup on September 9, but hopes to see the Zoffany colt back in action at Ascot in the Qipco British Champions Sprint on October 21.
Also trained by Varian, last year’s Mill Reef winner was not disgraced in the 2000 Guineas earlier this year, but having failed to truly stay the mile has been off the track since his first run back over sprinting distances in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.
“He’s had a few niggly things after Ascot, but he’s back in work and we’re hoping to run him in something this autumn,” said Wall.
“I don’t think he’ll be ready for the Haydock race, that’s not far away now so he won’t make that. But we hope we might have him back for a run perhaps in the Champions Sprint and we’ll go from there.
“It’s been one of those years really where things haven’t quite gone his way, but we hope we can get him back on track and if not we’ll have to hope things go right for him next year instead.
“It’s a tough year at three and if you miss your slots early, which he did, then you haven’t much else and any obvious route back into things. It’s tough, but we haven’t given up on him yet.”
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