Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald admits thinking about selecting his six wild cards is starting to give him sleepless nights.
Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm have already secured places in Donald’s side via the European Points list, with Viktor Hovland qualifying on the World Points list.
Tyrrell Hatton and Tommy Fleetwood currently occupy the other two spots on the World Points list, with Robert MacIntyre holding the third and final place on the European Points list with two qualifying events remaining.
MacIntyre and Alexander Bjork will partner Donald in the first two rounds of this week’s Czech Masters, with three of Donald’s vice-captains tasked with assessing the performance of several other contenders.
Nicolas Colsaerts will partner Pablo Larrazabal and Adrien Dumont de Chassart at Albatross Golf Resort, with Edoardo Molinari playing alonsgide Yannik Paul and Rasmus Hojgaard and Francesco Molinari drawn with Nicolai Hojgaard and Ludvig Aberg.
“I’m not sure if it was the jet-lag last night or lots of things building up, but I was up for a couple of hours in the middle of the night,” Donald said.
“Lots of things whirring through my head – who I should be talking to, next steps, all that sort of stuff.
“It’s becoming more and more as the week gets closer. A lot to digest, I’m trying to take it day by day, but it’s an important week. I’m excited to be very close to finalising those 12 guys.”
Next week’s Omega European Masters is the final qualifying event, with Donald naming his wild cards on September 4.
“There are definitely some spots open,” the former world number one added.
“I was looking at the statistics this morning and someone as low as 23rd on the European Points list, if they won this week and next, still has a statistical chance of making that top three on the list.
“All to play for, I’d say, and these guys should be chomping at the bit to show up and have some good weeks. It’s great to see that commitment. It doesn’t go unnoticed.
“Everyone in their right mind should have playing a Ryder Cup as a goal of theirs. People who have played never want to miss one once they’ve been a part of it. Rookies want to understand how special the event is.
“A lot of guys who should be playing are playing this week and I’m excited to see how the week unfolds.”
Keely Hodgkinson welcomed another showdown with Athing Mu after the defending 800m world champion showed her hand.
American Mu had kept her rivals guessing over whether she would turn up in Hungary after her coach, Bobby Kersee, last month suggested she may skip the World Championships.
But the 21-year-old, who forced Hodgkinson to settle for silver in Eugene last year, won her heat in one minute 59.59 seconds in Budapest on Wednesday.
Hodgkinson eased into Friday’s semi-finals after winning her heat in one minute 59.53 seconds and is eager to take another shot at Mu.
“Yeah, I saw here in the warm-up. It’s good that she’s here. Hopefully all three of us (Hodgkinson, Mu and Mary Moraa) will make it to the final and it will be a good race,” she said.
“I was just jogging and she passed me and I was like ‘oh, she’s come’ because nobody knew. That’s the first time I knew, I knew she was on the start list. I didn’t know she was here.”
Hodgkinson also had to contend with temperatures over 30 degrees at 10am in Hungary.
World Athletics had already moved the women’s 5,000m heats to Wednesday evening because of the soaring heat and Hodgkinson admitted it has been a battle.
She said: “The conditions are awful. Mixed in with the 6am does not bode well for me.
“But I’ve got it done; I’m glad it’s the only morning round. I like to be back at 12 and done but I also like my sleep.
“Anti-doping came for me yesterday as well, at 6am at the door, so I was not happy. But as I say, first round out the way.
“It’s just (about) keeping cool. Even when I came the other night on Sunday to watch and just being sat there in the heat, it’s draining.”
Jemma Reekie joined Hodgkinson in the semi-finals after running one minute 59.71s and feels she is in a better place to challenge the best, following the split from coach Andy Young this year.
She said: “I expected Mu to be here and I want Mu to be here. I want them all in that final and I want me in that final. I want to run the best against the best in the world.
“It’s so nice compared to last year. Last year, I wasn’t ready. This year. I’m more than ready.
“I’m better than I’ve ever been. But you can’t take these heats and semis for granted.”
In the men’s 200m, Zharnel Hughes – who won 100m bronze on Sunday – breezed through to the semis in 19.99s.
“It was like a Sunday jog,” he said. “I’m inspired, after getting that medal it makes you want more. It makes you more committed and dedicated to see what more you can do.
“The job’s not done yet. I’m not disrespecting anyone, I’m just letting you know I am in shape. I am feeling well and I am looking forward to going through the rounds.”
Daryll Neita and Dina Asher-Smith overcame their 100m disappointment by reaching the women’s 200m semi-finals.
Asher-Smith finished eighth in the 100m final on Monday but won her heat in 22.46s and Neita, who failed to make the final, came second in her heat in 22.39s.
New 100m world champion Sha’Carri Richardson was the fastest qualifier in 22.16s.
Neita said: “I had to have a memory of a goldfish, the 100m didn’t go to plan, we will review it after the Championships. We all know I’m capable of much better things.
“It’s patience this game. I know where I’m at and what I need to work on. Doubling up before next year (Olympics), I’m getting a great rehearsal.”
Defending champion Highfield Princess will have 15 horses to beat after 16 runners were declared for a red-hot Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes at York on Friday.
John Quinn’s star mare stormed to victory in this race in the midst of a phenomenal Group One treble last term and although she may have not reached the same heights this year, she has still performed with real credit and looked back to her very best when scoring at Goodwood earlier this month.
She will lock horns with both of her Ascot conquerors on the Knavesmire with Archie Watson’s King’s Stand champion Bradsell and Charlie Hills’ Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes winner Khaadem featuring amongst those declared.
Frankie Dettori will partner Twilight Calls in his final Nunthorpe, with Henry Candy’s five-year-old attempting to replicate his grandsire Kyllachy and win this prestigious sprinting prize following a luckless run at the Royal meeting.
Course and distance scorer Regional could provide Ed Bethell with the biggest win of his career if securing a hat-trick in this high-class event, while Mick Appleby’s two-year-old Big Evs was supplemented at a cost of £40,000 and adds further spice to the mix.
Ascot Gold Cup hero Courage Mon Ami heads the seven declared for a competitive renewal of the Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup Stakes.
John and Thady Gosden’s four-year-old announced himself as the new star of the staying division at Royal Ascot but now heads to York having suffered his first defeat when behind runaway scorer Quickthorn in the Goodwood Cup.
The six-year-old employed bold front-running tactics when thriving on the Sussex Downs, just as he did when romping away with this prize 12 months ago, and trainer Hughie Morrison will be hoping for more of the same.
Marco Botti’s Giavellotto returns to the scene of his Yorkshire Cup victory earlier in the season, while Andrew Balding’s Coltrane is an ultra-consistent performer at this level.
Ten go to post for the day’s feature two-year-old action and Kylian is a warm order to give Karl Burke a first Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes victory.
The Group Two contest is run over six furlongs, with Vintage Stakes hero Haatem (Richard Hannon), Action Point (Archie Watson) and Ballydoyle’s Windsor Castle runner-up Johannes Brahms others to note.
Billy Vunipola has joined Owen Farrell in being banned for the start of England’s World Cup campaign after receiving a three-week suspension for his red card against Ireland.
Vunipola was sent to the sin-bin for a dangerous tackle on Andrew Porter in Saturday’s 29-10 defeat in Dublin, but the offence was upgraded to a red by the bunker review system.
An independent disciplinary hearing reduced the entry-level ban of six games to three because of mitigating factors and the Saracens number eight could shave an additional match off the total if he attends tackle school.
It means he will miss Saturday’s final warm-up fixture against Fiji at Twickenham and the pivotal World Cup opener against Argentina on September 9.
The decision comes the morning after Farrell was given a four-match ban for his dangerous tackle on Wales flanker Taine Basham on August 12 and is another grave setback for Steve Borthwick.
England’s head coach must now plan for the opener against Argentina without his captain and talisman as well as the only specialist number eight in the squad.
Vunipola will be available for the clash with Japan in Nice on September 17 when he completes tackle school but Farrell will not be back until the final group games against Chile and Samoa.
PA SPORT BIRTHDAYS
Sam Torrance (golf) – former European Ryder Cup captain, born 1953.
Karl Maier (speedway) – German who won four long track world titles, born 1957.
Michael Thomas (soccer) – former Arsenal, Liverpool and England midfielder who scored a title-clinching goal for the Gunners in 1989, born 1967.
Tugay (soccer) – former Blackburn and Turkey midfielder, born 1970.
Denilson (soccer) – former Brazil winger who cost a then world-record fee of £21.5million when Real Betis signed him from Sao Paulo in 1998, born 1977.
Stephen Bate (cycling) – gold medallist in the individual pursuit and road time trial at the 2016 Paralympics, born 1977.
Jurgen Macho (soccer) – former Sunderland and Austria goalkeeper, born 1977.
Jose Bosingwa (soccer) – former Chelsea, QPR and Portugal full-back, born 1982.
Maya Yoshida (soccer) – Japanese defender who played 154 times for Southampton in the Premier League, now at LA Galaxy, born 1988.
ON THIS DAY IN SPORT
1957: Jimmy Greaves scored on his Chelsea debut against Tottenham.
2001: Liverpool beat Bayern Munich 3-2 in Monaco to win the European Super Cup, their fifth trophy in six months.
2008: Cricket’s Champions Trophy – which was scheduled to be held in Pakistan – was postponed. South Africa had already withdrawn due to security concerns, and other countries were considering doing likewise.
2011: Manchester City signed France midfielder Samir Nasri from Arsenal on a four-year deal.
2012: The United States Anti-Doping Agency stripped Lance Armstrong of his seven Tour de France titles and banned him from cycling for life.
2016: Republic of Ireland captain Robbie Keane announced his retirement from international football after the friendly with Oman on August 31.
2017: Harry Maguire received his first England call-up, for the World Cup qualifiers against Malta and Slovakia. He would go on to play a starring role in the Three Lions’ run to the semi-finals in Russia the following summer.
2018: Tottenham and France captain Hugo Lloris issued an apology after being charged with drink-driving following a routine patrol stop in central London.
2022: Scottish mountain biker Rab Wardell died just days after winning the
Scottish MTB XC Championships.
PA SPORT SELECTIVE TV GUIDE
Today (Thursday, August 24)
CRICKET: The Hundred, Birmingham Phoenix Women v London Spirit Women – Sky Sports Mix, Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Cricket 1430, Birmingham Phoenix Men v London Spirit Men – Sky Sports Mix, Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Cricket 1800.
GOLF: DP World Tour, Czech Masters – Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Golf 1200; PGA Tour, The Tour Championship – Sky Sports Golf 1700.
HORSE RACING: Ebor Festival, York – ITV1 1330.
ATHLETICS: World Championships, Budapest – Eurosport 1 0600 and 1730, BBC Two England 1730, BBC One 2000.
SNOOKER: European Masters – Eurosport 2 1430 and 1900.
TENNIS: US Open qualifiers – Sky Sports Arena 1600, Sky Sports Main Event 2130.
CYCLING: Benelux Tour – Eurosport 1 1415; Women’s Tour of Scandinavia – Eurosport 1 1615.
Tomorrow (Friday, August 25)
FOOTBALL: Premier League, Chelsea v Luton – Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League 1900; LaLiga, Las Palmas v Real Sociedad – Viaplay Sports 1 and LaLiga TV 1800, Celta Vigo v Real Madrid – Viaplay Sports 1 and LaLiga TV 2025; Bundesliga, RB Leipzig v Stuttgart – Sky Sports Football 1920; Ligue 1, Nantes v Monaco – TNT Sports 1 1945.
MOTOR RACING: Formula One, Dutch Grand Prix first practice – Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports F1 1100, second practice – Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports F1 1445.
ATHLETICS: World Championships, Budapest – BBC Two England 0845 and 1730, Eurosport 1 0900 and 1745, BBC One 1900.
GOLF: DP World Tour, Czech Masters – Sky Sports Golf 1200, Sky Sports Main Event 1300; PGA Tour, The Tour Championship – Sky Sports Golf 1700, Sky Sports Main Event 1715.
HORSE RACING: Ebor Festival, York – ITV1 1330.
RUGBY UNION: International, New Zealand v South Africa – Sky Sports Mix 1925.
RUGBY LEAGUE: Super League, Hull Kingston Rovers v Leigh Leopards – Sky Sports Action 1930.
TENNIS: US Open qualifiers – Sky Sports Arena 1600, Sky Sports Main Event 2245.
SNOOKER: European Masters – Eurosport 2 1430 and 1900.
CYCLING: Benelux Tour – Eurosport 1 1415; Women’s Tour of Scandinavia – Eurosport 1 1200.
PA SPORT QUIZ
1. The US Open venue is named after which former tennis player?
2. Which Scottish golfer was picked as a wildcard for the Solheim Cup?
3. Where will the Tour de France start in 2024?
4. In which year did former bowler Katherine Sciver-Brunt make her England debut?
5. Which team are currently bottom of the Betfred Super League?
6. Who does quarterback Aaron Rodgers now play for in the NFL?
7. England forward Rachel Daly spent six years with which NWSL team before moving to Aston Villa?
8. Who is the only other driver alongside Max Verstappen to have won Formula 1 races this season?
9. Name the two co-captains for Wales at the upcoming Rugby World Cup.
10. Where in the world would you find the Hagley Oval cricket ground?
ANSWERS: 1. Billie Jean King; 2. Gemma Dryburgh; 3. Florence, Italy; 4. 2004; 5. Wakefield; 6. New York Jets; 7. Houston Dash; 8. Sergio Perez; 9. Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake; 10. Christchurch, New Zealand.
Josh Rojas hit a two-run homer and the Seattle Mariners matched a season high with their eighth straight win, 6-3 over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday.
The eight-game streak is the second this month for the Mariners, who moved a season-high 16 games over .500 by improving to 33-13 since July 1.
They moved within one game of AL West-leading Texas and remained one game ahead of Toronto in the race for the third and final wild-card spot.
Rookie Bryan Woo allowed one run and three hits over four innings after he was reinstated from the injured list earlier in the day.
Six relievers followed with Justin Topa getting four outs for the win and Andres Munoz striking out Luis Robert Jr. for his eighth save.
Seattle went ahead to stay on RBI singles by Mike Ford and J.P. Crawford in the second inning, and Rojas homered after Ford drew an eight-pitch walk in the fourth.
The Mariners again played without star center fielder Julio Rodriguez, who was scratched because of an illness after he missed Monday’s win for rest.
Before their eighth loss in 10 games, the White Sox fired executive vice president Ken Williams and general manager Rick Hahn, cutting ties with their baseball leadership amid a hugely disappointing season.
Nationals keep Yankees reeling
Josiah Gray pitched six strong innings, CJ Abrams hit a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning and the Washington Nationals beat the New York Yankees 2-1, extending their longest losing streak in over 40 years.
The last-place Yankees dropped their ninth straight game for the first time since 1982 and fell 10 ½ games back of the final AL wild card spot.
New York had just two hits – both by rookie Ben Rortvedt – and scored their only run on his third-inning home run.
Gray allowed one hit and one run in six innings while walking five and striking out four.
Turner’s walk-off hit lifts Phillies
Trea Turner delivered a two-run single in the ninth inning to lift the Philadelphia Phillies to a 4-3 win over the struggling San Francisco Giants.
Giants closer Camilo Doval was called on to protect a 3-2 lead in the ninth but hit leadoff batter Bryson Stott and gave up a one-out single to Brandon Marsh, putting runners on the corners.
After Marsh stole second and Kyle Schwarber was intentionally walked, Turner lined a shot off Doval’s glove and into center field to score the tying and winning runs.
The Giants have lost 12 of 16 to fall behind the Cubs and Arizona into a tie with Cincinnati for fourth in the wild-card race.
The Chicago White Sox fired front office executives Ken Williams and Rick Hahn Tuesday, moving on from the longtime leadership pairing amid another disappointing season.
Williams had been Chicago’s executive vice president for 11 seasons after previously serving as the club’s general manager for 12 years. Hanh took over the GM role when Williams was promoted in October 2012.
The club announced the change in leadership by releasing a statement on social media, ending a disappointing era for the White Sox, who entered play Tuesday in fourth place in the AL Central with a 49-76 record.
The White Sox have not won a postseason series since their World Series title in 2005 and have made just three playoff appearances in that span.
“This is an incredibly difficult decision for me to make,” White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. “Ken is like a son to me, and I will always consider him a member of my family.
“I want to personally thank Ken and Rick for all they have done for the Chicago White Sox, winning the 2005 World Series and reaching the postseason multiple times during their tenures.”
The club said in the statement that the search for a new head of baseball operations will begin immediately, and the White Sox hope to fill the position before the end of the season.
Jeremy Haber and Chris Getz served as assistant general managers under Hahn, but the White Sox did not say if internal candidates would be considered for promotion.
Chicago snapped an 11-year playoff drought in 2020 and followed by winning the Central with a 93-69 record in 2021.
Several key contributors from that 2021 squad moved on to other teams, while others – such as Tim Anderson and Yoan Moncada – have since regressed.
The result was an 81-81 season last year and a disastrous 2023 season that is on pace for 98 losses.
This year’s team got out to a 7-21 start – including a 10-game April losing streak – and never made a serious run to get back into playoff contention.
The Los Angeles Angels need a miracle to make the playoffs.
They'll turn to a familiar face in hopes of making an improbable postseason push.
The Angels activated Mike Trout from the injured list ahead of their game against the visiting Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday.
The three-time AL MVP had missed 38 games with a broken right hand sustained on a swing while fouling off a pitch in a game against the San Diego Padres on July 3.
The 32-year-old had surgery a few days later to remove a fractured hamate bone, and was initially projected to miss anywhere from four-to-eight weeks.
In 81 games this season, Trout is batting .263 with 18 home runs, 44 RBIs and has an .862 OPS.
His OPS is his lowest since his 2011 rookie season, but he still ranked fifth in the AL among all batters with a minimum of 325 plate appearances at the time of his injury.
Just prior to getting hurt, Trout was selected as a starter in the All-Star Game for a 10th consecutive time.
Los Angeles was two games out of a playoff spot through games on July 2, but has gone just 16-23 since to drop nine games behind the Seattle Mariners for the AL's final wild-card spot.
The Angels last made the playoffs in 2015, and their eight-season drought without a postseason berth is tied with the Detroit Tigers for the longest active streak in MLB.
Great Britain’s Matt Hudson-Smith targeted global glory after smashing the European 400m record.
The 28-year-old continued his bid to improve on last year’s bronze medal by reaching Thursday’s 400m final at the World Championships.
He ran an impressive semi to win in 44.26 seconds, a new personal best, on Tuesday in Budapest. He also broke the event’s 36-year European record, set by Thomas Schonlebe in 1987.
“I will be happy when I get that medal, as for (the record), that is just job done,” said Hudson-Smith.
“Coach told me to execute 300m and make sure the job was done, and then when I knew I was clear, I was saving something for the final, and I did that. I just need to get that medal now.
“My coach told me beforehand to enjoy it. He said ‘have you done this before?’ and ‘do you feel like you deserve to be here?’
“I have worked too damned hard to not get to the final. So I am really happy to have made it and it is all about getting that medal on Thursday.”
Wayde van Nierkerk, the 2016 Olympic and double world champion, needed a fastest loser spot after coming third in his heat.
There was also pride for Laura Muir, despite a sixth-placed finish in the 1500m final.
The Scot ran three minutes 58.58 seconds as defending champion Faith Kipyegon took the title at the National Athletics Centre.
Muir has endured a difficult build-up to the Championships when, along with Jemma Reekie, they split with long-term coach Andy Young in March.
She was surprisingly beaten by Katie Snowden to the British title last month but was fifth at the bell in an intense race before settling for sixth.
“I feel I lost a lot of time with the (coaching) disruption,” she said. “I wasn’t clawing it back but I needed to get into a new rhythm and reset. It took a lot out of me and we saw that in some races this year. It’s looking positive.
“It’s been very, very hard. It’s very different. I’ve been used to a certain situation for 12 years. It’s different but it’s very positive. It’s going to take time. You can’t rush these things.
“It’s not an excuse for the way I ran today. I’m proud of the way I ran. I did the best I could.”
Snowden and Melissa Courtney-Bryant were eighth and 12th respectively, while Max Burgin opened his 800m campaign with a comfortable second place in his heat.
The Brit clocked one minute 14.43s and team-mates Dan Rowden and Ben Pattison joined him in the semi-finals.
Burgin said: “It feels like a long time coming. It has been frustrating missing all these major championships over the last couple of years, so it feels great that I have finally made it.
“I made it to the start line and got into the semis, so it’s already an improvement on last year.
“I am in good shape and hopefully I will have more to give in the next round. I felt as good as I did in London (Diamond League) today, so it is a good sign.”
Cindy Sember also reached the 100m hurdles semi-finals in a time of 12.83s but Jessie Knight failed to make the 400m hurdles final.
Canada’s Woodbine racetrack’s handle on Sunday’s 13-race card of CAN$18.12 million was a record for a King’s or Queen’s Plate card at Woodbine, surpassing the previous record of CAN$18.00 set in 2019.
“The first King’s Plate in 72 years was an incredible event in every way,” Woodbine Entertainment CEO Jim Lawson said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“It resulted in an all-time wagering record. Thank you to our customers and to the Woodbine team for hosting an iconic social and sporting event.”
There were several factors that contributed to the record, including a field of 17 in the King’s Plate, the cancellation of racing at Del Mar (California) on Sunday, a rare pick five carryover, and mandatory payouts on both the Jackpot High 5 and the Jackpot Pick 6.
With Patrick Husbands aboard for champion trainer Mark Casse, Paramount Prince won the 164th running of King’s Plate at 8-1 odds by a length and a half over his more fancied stablemate Elysian Field (9-2), giving the 50-year-old Barbadian rider his third winner in the CAN$1 million Plate Classic, after Wando in 2003 and Lexie Lou in 2014.
The record day was big for Barbados as jockey Rico Walcott and trainer Renico Lafond also had stakes wins on the card.
Great Britain’s Matt Hudson-Smith targeted global glory after smashing the European 400m record.
The 28-year-old continued his bid to improve on last year’s bronze medal by reaching Thursday’s 400m final at the World Championships.
He ran an impressive semi to win in 44.26 seconds, a new personal best, on Tuesday in Budapest. He also broke the event’s 36-year European record, set by Thomas Schonlebe in 1987.
“I will be happy when I get that medal, as for (the record), that is just job done,” said Hudson-Smith.
“Coach told me to execute 300m and make sure the job was done, and then when I knew I was clear, I was saving something for the final, and I did that. I just need to get that medal now.
“My coach told me beforehand to enjoy it. He said ‘have you done this before?’ and ‘do you feel like you deserve to be here?’
“I have worked too damned hard to not get to the final. So I am really happy to have made it and it is all about getting that medal on Thursday.”
Wayde van Nierkerk, the 2016 Olympic and double world champion, needed a fastest loser spot after coming third in his heat.
There was also pride for Laura Muir, despite a sixth-placed finish in the 1500m final.
The Scot ran three minutes 58.58 seconds as defending champion Faith Kipyegon took the title at the National Athletics Centre.
Muir has endured a difficult build-up to the Championships when, along with Jemma Reekie, they split with long-term coach Andy Young in March.
She was surprisingly beaten by Katie Snowden to the British title last month but was fifth at the bell in an intense race before settling for sixth.
“I feel I lost a lot of time with the (coaching) disruption,” she said. “I wasn’t clawing it back but I needed to get into a new rhythm and reset. It took a lot out of me and we saw that in some races this year. It’s looking positive.
“It’s been very, very hard. It’s very different. I’ve been used to a certain situation for 12 years. It’s different but it’s very positive. It’s going to take time. You can’t rush these things.
“It’s not an excuse for the way I ran today. I’m proud of the way I ran. I did the best I could.”
Snowden and Melissa Courtney-Bryant were eighth and 12th respectively, while Max Burgin opened his 800m campaign with a comfortable second place in his heat.
The Brit clocked one minute 14.43s and team-mates Dan Rowden and Ben Pattison joined him in the semi-finals.
Burgin said: “It feels like a long time coming. It has been frustrating missing all these major championships over the last couple of years, so it feels great that I have finally made it.
“I made it to the start line and got into the semis, so it’s already an improvement on last year.
“I am in good shape and hopefully I will have more to give in the next round. I felt as good as I did in London (Diamond League) today, so it is a good sign.”
Cindy Sember also reached the 100m hurdles semi-finals in a time of 12.83s but Jessie Knight failed to make the 400m hurdles final.
Jamaican trainer Jason DaCosta landed his first stakes race of the current USA season on Monday when his gelding Gamboling Ghost scored a surprise win in the US$100,000 Whistle Pig Stakes for 2YOs at Parx Racing track in Pennsylvania.
Ridden by Colombian Jairo Rendon, the 8-1 bet Gamboling Ghost came from off the pace to take command inside the final sixteenth, pulling clear in the end to win by three lengths for owners Calypso Stable.
Gamboling Ghost clocked 1:07.62 in the 5-1/2-furlong sprint for his second win in three lifetime starts. The 17-1 shot Chilling Hassie was second.
DaCosta’s other entry Poker Partner was the 8-5 favourite but he stumbled badly at the start and also suffered interference down the backstretch and placed last in the 10-horse field. Currently the champion and leading trainer in Jamaica, the 38-year-old DaCosta is having a prosperous summer, coming off feature race wins at Caymanas Park three consecutive weeks this month, the Oaks with Mamma Mia, the Reggae Trophy with She’s My Destiny and the Arthur Jones Memorial last weekend with Is That a Fact.
DaCosta has 55 wins so far this year at Caymanas Park and 20 wins in the USA, scoring victories at Thistledown, Presque Isle Downs, Charles Town and Mahoning Valley.
Owen Farrell will miss the start of the World Cup after the England captain was banned for four matches by an appeal committee for his dangerous tackle against Wales
Farrell will be unavailable for the crucial Pool D matches against Argentina and Japan, with this month’s warm-up games against Ireland and Fiji also included in the suspension.
World Rugby had appealed against the decision of a disciplinary panel to downgrade Farrell’s red card for a high tackle at Twickenham on August 12 to yellow.
Owen Farrell will miss the start of the World Cup after the England captain was banned for four matches by an appeal committee for his dangerous tackle against Wales
Farrell will be unavailable for the crucial Pool D matches against Argentina and Japan, with this month’s warm-up games against Ireland and Fiji also included in the suspension.
World Rugby had appealed against the decision of a disciplinary panel to downgrade Farrell’s red card for a high tackle at Twickenham on August 12 to yellow.
Prince Khalid Abdullah – owner of such superstars as Frankel, Dancing Brave, Zafonic and Enable – has been posthumously inducted into the Qipco British Champions Series Hall of Fame.
Prince Khalid is just the second person to be recognised within the Hall of Fame’s Special Contributor category, following in the footsteps of the late Queen, who was inducted in 2021.
He was chosen by an independent panel of industry experts in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the sport, his achievements through his breeding and racing operation Juddmonte leaving a lasting legacy, its champions far too many to mention but also including Warning, Arrogate, Rainbow Quest, Dansili and Kingman and many others.
Prince Khalid’s induction will be officially marked through a special presentation moment at York on Wednesday, on the same day as the Juddmonte International, a race the organisation has supported since 1989.
Douglas Erskine Crum, chief executive of Juddmonte, said: “Prince Khalid was an owner-breeder like no other, with his numerous cherished champions, including perhaps the greatest thoroughbred of them all in Frankel.
“Through his racing and breeding operation, Juddmonte, the Prince has left a legacy which, now under the direction of his sons, Prince Fahad, Prince Saud and Prince Ahmed, continues to have a massive influence on the sport globally, at the same time as giving great pleasure and entertainment to his family.
“Prince Khalid would have been very pleased to be recognised by the British horse racing industry in this way and, on behalf of his whole family, I thank British racing and the Qipco British Champions Series Hall of Fame for this exceptional accolade.”
Trained by the late Sir Henry Cecil, Frankel won all 14 of his races, including 10 at Group One level which featured the Juddmonte International.
“He’s the best I have had. I am lucky to have this horse,” Prince Khalid would say of the colt in a rare interview, flashing his warm smile in between questions.
“Let us hope another like him comes along in the future,” he added.
James Harden didn't hold back in besmirching the Philadelphia 76ers, and now it's going to cost him.
The NBA fined Harden $100,000 on Tuesday for comments he made about his status with the 76ers.
While Harden famously called 76ers team president Daryl Morey "a liar," the league is punishing the 2017-18 NBA MVP for publicly saying he would not perform the services called for under his player contract unless he was traded. The league confirmed with Harden that he berated Morey because he believed the 76ers would not grant his trade request.
A $100,000 fine is the maximum the NBA can fine a player.
Harden picked up his $35.6million player option for the 2023-24 season in late June with the understanding that Morey would work out a trade, according to reports.
It was reported last week that the 76ers told 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.
That prompted Harden to blast 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 in a video that went viral last week. "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."
The 76ers were reportedly involved in trade talks with both the Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks, but nothing came about of those discussions.
Harden, who turns 34 on Saturday, was a solid complement to NBA MVP Joel Embiid this past season, averaging 21.0 points and a league-leading 10.7 assists to help the 76ers to the third-best record in the Eastern Conference.
Philadelphia was knocked out in the conference semifinals for a second straight year after losing to the rival Boston Celtics in seven games, and Harden's play in the postseason was 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 playoff games.
For his career, Harden has averaged 24.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.5 steals in exactly 1,000 regular-season games.
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 22.
FootballThe Lionesses returned home and vowed to come back stronger.
Peter Crouch had a win.
CricketAlex Hartley called it a day.
Formula OneGeorge Russell was ready to return to action.
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were on the water.
SnookerSix-time world champion Steve Davis turned 66.
GymnasticsMax Whitlock returned.
York’s flagship meeting has plenty in store as the racing world descends on the city for the Sky Bet Ebor Festival.
The headline race on the opening day of the four-day event is the Juddmonte International, a Group One contest that is one of the highlight of not only the Ebor fixture but of the whole Flat calendar.
This year’s race has attracted a field of just four, but among them is arguably one of the best and most popular horses in training in Aidan O’Brien’s Paddington.
The colt has won a string of Group One events that includes the Irish 2,000 Guineas, the St James’s Palace Stakes, the Coral-Eclipse and the Sussex Stakes and now aims to add a fifth success at the top level to an already stellar CV.
He will face John and Thady Gosden’s Mostahdaf, a four-length winner of the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot, plus his stablemate Nashwa and Andrew Balding’s Dante hero The Foxes.
“It looks a fascinating renewal, Paddington is seeking a fifth successive Group One and he’s taking on Mostahdaf, who was so impressive at Royal Ascot,” said William Derby, York’s chief executive and clerk of the course.
“I think they’ve won something like 14 Group races between them and the filly, Nashwa, adds a different dimension and of course The Foxes was so impressive in the Al Basti Equiworld Dante – it’s an interesting shape to the race and it’s filled with quality.”
On Thursday there is a superb race in prospect in the Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks, with 10 high-quality fillies declared including Irish Oaks heroine Savethelastdance and Bluestocking, runner-up at the Curragh.
Al Husn, successful in the Nassau Stakes, joins the fray, as does Ribblesdale Stakes winner Warm Heart and Middleton Stakes victor Free Wind.
“I’m delighted, especially as it’s Pertemps first sponsorship of the Yorkshire Oaks and it’s such a fascinating contest,” said Derby.
“The first two in the Irish Oaks take on the older horses, it looks really exciting. Al Husn is a Group One winner from Goodwood and it looks a real highlight of Ladies Day at the Ebor Festival.”
The Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup promises to be a compelling renewal as many of the Goodwood Cup cast reassemble on the Knavesmire, including runaway winner Quickthorn and the Ascot Gold Cup champion Courage Mon Ami.
“It could be a Goodwood Cup rematch! I’m delighted that we have the Gold Cup winner from Royal Ascot looking like he’s coming, that division looks really open post Stradivarius so it will be interesting to see how it shapes up,” Derby said.
“Quickthorn did a similar job in the Lonsdale last year as he did at Goodwood so it will be interesting to see if they let him get an easy lead this time around.”
On the same day the five-furlong Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes is a race worth anticipating, with John Quinn’s locally-trained supermare Highfield Princess bidding to retain the title she won 12 months ago.
She is joined by a host of Northern-based rivals including the two-year-old Big Evs, Mick Appleby’s Royal Ascot and Goodwood star who was supplemented for the race following the latter of those triumphs.
Derby said: “In the Coolmore Nunthorpe Highfield Princess is a real local favourite, she’s trained 10 or 12 miles from the track and she won it last year as part of a hat-trick of Group Ones.
“The interesting addition is the two-year-old Big Evs, with a huge weight advantage, who tries to be the first two-year-old since Kingsgate Native in 2007 to overhaul his elders.
“It looks a really interesting race with lots of Yorkshire strength as well as the rest of fastest horses in the country.”
The final day of the meeting is the home of the valuable City of York Stakes and the namesake of the fixture, the Sky Bet Ebor Handicap, a wide-open contest held on what will likely be a final visit to York for the retiring great of the game that is Frankie Dettori – who also happens to be last year’s winner.
“We’ve got the Sky Bet City of York Stakes as well for £500,000, it is the most valuable Group Two and we’re really trying everything to see if that can be upgraded to Group One status,” said Derby.
“The Sky Bet Ebor is really open, as you’d expect for such a high value, highly-rated handicap. Twenty-two runners and each you could make a case for!
“It’s Britain’s richest Flat handicap and it looks really interesting as to whether Real Dream for Sir Michael Stoute can make amends for us all missing out on poor Desert Crown – that would be an amazing end to the week.
“It will also probably be Frankie Dettori’s last raceday at York so we’ll be looking forward to celebrating that. There’s a great deal to look forward to.”
Tommy Fury insisted he will end YouTube boxing by beating KSI on October 14, but the Briton’s fighting talk at a press conference was overshadowed by his father’s explosive antics.
Fury, the half-brother of unbeaten heavyweight world champion Tyson, returns to the ring for the second time this year after his decision victory over Jake Paul in February.
The 24-year-old was speaking in front of the media in London to promote the bout, only for the event to end prematurely after John Fury was angered by undercard fighters Logan Paul and Dillon Danis’ lewd war of words.
John Fury had enough, flipping over a table and kicking another to spark a melee on stage at OVO Arena Wembley.
Before the drama, Tommy Fury said: “I said that I’d end this (YouTube boxing) in 12 months.
“I fought Jake Paul in February and I’m fighting this man in October (KSI) and he will be done and YouTube boxing will be done. I only need one round (to win).”
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