Mating Call, the filly, may still be impacted by the elite competition she encountered last year, but she holds the capability to push past it toward an eventual Australasian Oaks opportunity.

Her joint trainers Dan Clarken and Oopy Macgillivray are more than satisfied with her evolution following stakes assignments in Melbourne, positioning her first run back in the M&J Chickens Handicap (1300m) at Morphettville Parks on Saturday as a favorable test, though lugging 60kg could prove somewhat demanding.

“She’s had a jump-out and two barrier trials because I wanted her fit and pretty well primed up to be very competitive first-up,” Clarken said.

“The weight is a little bit of a worry but she certainly is a talent so she probably deserves to get it.”

In Melbourne without a win, Brazen Beau’s progeny still shone brightly, highlighted by a Racing and Sports rating surpassing 105 for third, half a length shy, in the Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m), claimed by Getta Good Feeling who subsequently captured the Inglis Sprint (1200m).

She posted a 103 rating when fifth across the line in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) to Ole Dancer, entering Saturday’s Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill as a $7 prospect.

“Since being in Melbourne she has definitely grown up,” Clarken added.

“Her runs over there were terrific and she has matured into a better type of horse and is more tractable.

“She trialled in earmuffs once and then trialled at Oakbank the other day without them and she was good so in that respect she has matured.

“Over the spring she was a bit timid around other horses.”

A precise plan is set for the filly: the Listed Clare Lindop Stakes (1600m) on March 28, the Group 3 Auraria Stakes (1800m) next, culminating in the $1 million Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) at Morphettville on April 25.

Mating Call is quoted at $3.80 on Saturday against the $3.10 favourite Sir Myka from Travis Doudle.

“From the soft draw (barrier two), she should be able to perch herself up there and I think there is reasonable speed in the race so she should be able to find herself a nice spot there,” Clarken said.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if she just goes straight past them.”

Visit betting sites for competitive sports betting on Mating Call’s upcoming assignment.

Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif slammed Mehidy Hasan Miraz after a controversial run-out involving Salman Ali Agha during the second ODI between Bangladesh and Pakistan at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on Friday.The unusual dismissal sparked a major debate on social media, with Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz facing criticism for what many termed an unsportsmanlike act. Former India batter Kaif was among those who strongly condemned the incident.

Slamming the act, Kaif said: “This is so not done. No desperation of getting wickets can justify this run out. That too from a captain. Youngsters please remember, even if the World Cup final is on the line never do what the Bangladesh skipper did. Sports without fair play is no sports.”The incident took place in the 39th over of Pakistan’s innings when the visitors were rebuilding after losing three early wickets. Agha and Mohammad Rizwan had steadied the innings with a 109-run partnership for the fourth wicket.On the fourth ball of the over, bowled by Miraz, Rizwan gently pushed the delivery down the ground. The ball rolled towards Agha, who had backed up and was standing outside the crease at the non-striker’s end.As the ball struck his pads, Agha instinctively bent down, picked it up and attempted to hand it back. Miraz, however, quickly grabbed the ball and dislodged the bails with Agha still outside the crease before appealing for a run-out.The on-field umpire referred the decision to the third umpire after the appeal was made, and the replay confirmed the dismissal in Bangladesh’s favour.The decision left Agha visibly frustrated as he walked back to the pavilion, with television visuals showing the Pakistan batter expressing his displeasure after the call.The incident also triggered brief exchanges between players from both teams on the field. Rizwan was seen having a discussion with the Bangladesh players, while Litton Das defended the appeal made by Miraz.The rare run-out quickly became the biggest talking point of the match, dividing opinion among fans online. While many supported Agha and criticised the spirit of the dismissal, others argued that the Pakistan batter should have ensured he returned to his crease.Meanwhile, Pakistan were eventually bowled out for 274 in 47.3 overs, with Maaz Sadaqat top-scoring with 75. Having already lost the first ODI, Pakistan needed a victory in the second match to keep the series alive.

George Russell won a breathless sprint for Mercedes on Saturday at the Chinese Grand Prix, with the first 100km dash in the new era of Formula One witnessing a late safety car and multiple lead changes. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was second and his teammate Lewis Hamilton, who won the sprint in Shanghai 12 months ago, crossed the line third to complete the podium. A safety car on lap 13 of the 19 saw the entire field dive into the pits for fresh tyres, with leader Russell emerging still in front. Kimi Antonelli in the second Mercedes had been third but served a 10-second penalty in the pit lane for causing an earlier collision which dropped him to seventh place and he eventually finished fifth.

World champion Lando Norris was fourth in his McLaren and his teammate Oscar Piastri sixth.

Liam Lawson in his RB and Oliver Bearman in the Haas were seventh and eighth respectively to round out the points scorers.

The Ferrari of Hamilton earlier had a brilliant launch off the start line, moving from fourth to second and then swapping the lead with Russell twice on the opening lap.

Hamilton emerged in front early on the second lap as his teammate Leclerc put pressure on Russell.

Antonelli in the second Mercedes had a disastrous start, dropping from the front row alongside pole-siter Russell all the way down to seventh.

Russell and Hamilton were having a ding-dong battle at the front, trading places at the front multiple times in the opening five laps, with Leclerc hot on their heels in third.

Russell eventually began to pull away in front leaving the Ferrari pair to squabble for second. 

Hamilton’s tyres had taken a lot of punishment in the early skirmishes and Leclerc took advantage by passing his Ferrari teammate late on lap nine.

The McLaren pair of world champion Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri had settled into fourth and fifth but were a considerable distance behind the front three.

Antonelli began to claw his way back through the field after his poor start but received his 10-second time penalty for causing a collision on the opening lap.

The 19-year-old Italian passed both McLarens and closed in on the Ferraris from fourth and by lap 11 he had overtaken Hamilton before the safety car two laps later and his penalty relegated him.

Four-time champion Max Verstappen had fumed on Friday that the “whole day has been a disaster” after coming eighth both in practice and in sprint qualifying.

His mood will not have been improved by a dreadful start as his engine revs dropped and found himself down in 13th at the halfway stage of the sprint.

He eventually placed ninth, out of the points.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola spoke for nearly five minutes as he defended his team selections following the Champions League defeat to Real Madrid.

Pep Guardiola launched a staunch defence of his Manchester City team selections during a passionate press conference ahead of the Premier League trip to West Ham on Saturday.

The Blues boss made several bold calls for the midweek Champions League last-16 first leg tie with Real Madrid, which City lost 3-0. He defended the XI after the game but went further on Friday in an answer that saw him mimic gunfire to articulate shots fired, bring up his decisions for the 2021 Champions League final defeat to Chelsea and sign off his monologue with ‘good answer’.

Guardiola was asked if he welcomed the chance to explain his selection thinking on the back of the calls in Madrid, having often spoken about the team being viewed as the correct one if City win and the wrong one if the Blues lose.

What followed was the City boss in full flow as he spoke passionately for nearly five minutes about why he opted to field an attacking XI in midweek, the hypocritical nature of how line-ups are viewed and how he felt the selection was close to coming off against Real despite the end result. Here’s the answer in full.

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“I can explain to you,” he said. “I said to you after the game in Madrid that there is a logical reason for that, the momentum of the players and many things.

“Listen, I played a final of the Champions League without Fernandinho and Rodri as holding midfielder against Chelsea, do you think that’s normal? No, honestly. Gundogan played in that moment, do you think that is normal? I was destroyed in that moment.

“They are right but in that moment I know how Rodri was playing and Fernandinho was playing, it was not the Rodri that we met after, and in the other positions there are a lot of times many decisions coming for many, many, many reasons, for how you handle the pressure and the other ones, I can explain that but they’re going to convince you for the next time? Forget about it. I want to stay to my players. To you, not one second.

“Now, my argument or reason is (to) justify the team selection. It’s because I lost, I lose the game, we lose the game. If you win, ah, genius. How many times I hear, ‘Pep is a genius’ for the team selection? Not waste my time.

“Convince you, why I put, I tell you that. Why I put that player, I want a threat, I want to have people arriving to the goal, I want people to make (grunts) when we arrive with the wingers. I see the game against Newcastle.

“Against Newcastle, Savinho was the man of the match, and we need a game at the Bernabeu, not just to play, to make the Bernabeu feel that we are there. And we did it in the first 20 minutes. A lot of times. Jeremy arriving at time, pass back, four players in the box. I want that type of game.

“If I put another type of players, more control, we don’t have that threat. And I know, no, I want in the first game to try to do it. What would happen if from those chances when they didn’t arrive we scored one goal or two goals? And we were there, we’re close. One moment, a pass back to Bernardo, Bernardo alone with no keeper, he didn’t make a contact. Bernardo, one of the most gifted players that we have, in the six-yard box. Bernardo here, scored at the Etihad at the stadium, the year we won 4-3 from the edge of the 18-yard box, and put the ball into the corner. What (would have) happened in that game with 0-1 there? We don’t know.

“And after the emotion is involved, like Ruben and Bernardo said. It happens, it’s football. But my players are extraordinary, and they were extraordinary in many things. You can say whatever you want. I will convince you now when the selection tomorrow, if I want to rotate the team? If we win, it will be perfect, Pep.

“What happened in Newcastle? Did you read the comments before the game, (about) my team selection, in the social media? Did you read it? Yeah, you read it. ‘What they’re doing, Pep, in the FA Cup, how lack of respect for that competition’.

“How can people say that when we arrive how many times in finals, semi-finals of the FA Cup in the last four or five years? No team. No team in England the last 10, 15, 20 years have been more times in the semi-finals. What a lack of respect. ‘How is Rodri not playing, how is Bernardo not playing, how you don’t play this player, how you don’t play the other one, how do you leave Erling at home?’. 1-3.

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“You see the performance of Newcastle against Barcelona, right? You see? It’s difficult. Easy place to go. Easy place. But I’m there to convince you? No, you judge. And after that, oh, Pep, how brilliant you have been against Newcastle.

“It’s the same in Madrid. There is a reason why. The forms and see the players and see that play with that player and play that position. So Bernardo…. I know Bernardo played better in the build-up in a low block with Rodri than being in the final third. I know that.

“Bernardo, with his composure, in Bernabeu, with Marc (Guehi) it’s the first game, Antoine is the first game and many things I need Bernardo there. I need that because he played a thousand million times there because I know how he is in the bad moments, how he behaves.

“But I had to explain it before and after? After 10 years? I would not convince you one second, any one of you, anyone. Why? Because we lost and that’s all and it’s right, 3-0, destroyed, yeah, it’s normal. It’s not personal, believe me, it’s all the managers. All the managers, all the managers.

“It’s not the first time I played in that competition, the Champions League, 17 years playing in that competition, and every time I lose, boom, my God. Pew, pew, pew (mimics shots fired) A lot. Is it new? No, it’s okay.

“The storm passed in one day, now West Ham, go to the second and prepare for Tuesday. And if Tuesday we will be out, we’ll be ohhhh. I have a lot of fans in the media, don’t worry. Supporters, a lot of fans, I have a lot, so it will happen. It’s okay, it’s fine. I have to do my job and my best, honestly. Knowing that if we win, it’s good, and if we lose, it’s bad. Okay? Good answer.”

Kevin O’Connell needs a few things out of his quarterbacks. Most commonly, Coach O’Connell highlights a need for accuracy, meaning his recent idea about Kyler Murray is worth noting.

ESPN’s Kevin Seifert passed on the skipper’s recent comment: “When you actually dive in and really study, snap in and snap out, Kyler’s experience at the position, you do see a lot of really, really great qualities that fit into some of the things that we ask our quarterbacks to do. I think Kyler’s an accurate player.”

Kevin O’Connell Confirms Kyler Murray is Accurate

To begin, consider a basic thought exercise.

A passer throws the ball on 1st Down. He launches the pigskin 50 yards down the field, dropping it into the receiver’s mitts with a defender over the top and another close behind. The same passer throws the ball on the next play, completing a 2-yard pass to the running back who was in green grass without a defender in sight. Are both passes equally as accurate?

In each instance, the quarterback went 1/1 on his pass. There is, nevertheless, a context that needs to be considered beyond the basic statistics. Completing the first pass required sensational skill; completing the second pass requires the sort of skills that get featured in Pop Warner.

A quarterback who puts the ball directly into the receiver’s hands is one who allows for yards after the catch. That’s a form of accuracy that is vastly batter than putting the ball at the receiver’s shoestrings. Maybe the ball still gets completed, but the chance at extra yardage after the catch gets kneecapped due to the ball being inaccurate.

The basic point is as follows: looking at completion percentage alone isn’t enough. Important, but not the end of the conversation.

So, begin the conversation with the completion percentage for Murray before moving on from there. Consider how things look since being drafted at No. 1 in the 2019 NFL Draft:

• 2019: 349/542 — 64.4%
• 2020: 375/558 — 67.2%
• 2021: 333/481 — 69.2%
• 2022: 259/390 — 66.4%
• 2023: 176/268 — 65.7%
• 2024: 372/541 — 68.8%
• 2025: 110/ 161 — 68.3%

At the risk of being a touch obvious, note that sample size matters. Go ahead and consider these past two seasons. Murray completing north of 68% of his passes in 2024 is more impressive upon considering that the pass total came in at 541 attempts rather than just 161 attempts from 2025 that featured a similar completion percentage.

Digging down a touch further could involve highlighting expected completion percentage from NFL Next Gen Stats. Murray comes in at first overall from 2025 with an xCOMP% sitting at 69.3%. In 2024, Murray was down at tenth overall with an xCOMP% coming in at 66.6%. Still good. Very good, even.

Now, it’s worth recalling a point made earlier: watching the film to contextualize the numbers is needed. Doing so allows the curious fan, writer, analyst, and coach (among others) to see if the numbers are an accurate reflection of the passer’s ability.

Factors such as the pass protection (or lack thereof), play calling prowess (or lack thereof), talent at receiver (or lack thereof), the depth of the passes (or lack thereof), and a variety of other factors all need to get assessed.

Last season, Kevin O’Connell spent a ton of time discussing the issue in relation to J.J. McCarthy. Feet and eyes, Kevin O’Connell will say, when talking about what a passer needs to do while working through progressions. So, too, will one hear about the merits of being able to stretch a team vertically, how a pass can actually be an extension of the running game, and how the NFL is a completion league. Likewise, there was talk about developing different pitches beyond just a fastball, such as being able to layer throws.

Listen long enough and Kevin O’Connell may even be given the chance to reflect on his NFL career. As a player, O’Connell failed due to not being accurate enough.

Adding it all together makes it hard to escape the conclusion that Kevin O’Connell sees all QB play coming back to accuracy. There needs to be an emphasis on avoiding turnovers, toughness, leadership, arm strength, and tremendous mental bandwidth. Kevin O’Connell, though, consistently talks of the need for accuracy, the keyword he just attached to Kyler Murray.

The Vikings’ head coach thinks that the new add at QB has the factor that’s needed above all.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

It’s been a quiet week for the Minnesota Vikings, who entered free agency with few in-house free agents and left the first few days with only two fresh signings. Cornerback James Pierre and quarterback Kyler Murray are the only reinforcements through five days of free agency.

On Friday, the club also said goodbye to a depth player. Interior offensive lineman Zeke Correll was shown the door, according to the NFL transaction wire. Last year’s rookie has had an unfortunate tenure with the franchise.

Correll was not a prominent member of the roster, buried behind several other blockers, but it’s still a strange time to say goodbye to a player, without any roster pressure or financial incentives.

Either way, Correll is now part of Minnesota’s history books and will not compete for a roster spot throughout the summer.

Initially, Correll joined the club last offseason, entering the league as an undrafted rookie out of NC State, where he played his final collegiate season. From 2019 through 2023, he was active at Notre Dame. His college résumé is actually quite extensive.

Correll played over 2,000 snaps at Notre Dame as well as another 824 at NC State, where he was the full-time starting center. After starting his career at guard, he moved to center in 2022. Ironically, that’s exactly the spot the Vikings are looking for a new starter.

Well, it won’t be Correll. Minnesota, meanwhile, moves forward with only one true center on the roster. Last year’s signee and four-time Pro Bowler Ryan Kelly announced his retirement this month. He suffered three concussions in his only season with the franchise and leaves a massive hole in front of presumable QB1 Kyler Murray.

When he was out last year, the Vikings turned to a combination of Blake Brandel and Michael Jurgens.

Jurgens, a 2024 7th-rounder, was the original backup center, but suffered an injury shortly after Kelly and it cost him his spot in the lineup. The Vikings then elevated versatile backup Brandel, who had never played center before.

Outside of some early struggles as a snapper and communication errors, he found his footing and was quite solid, especially for an inexperienced player at the position. Brandel has now played at every single one of the five offensive line spots and his versatility could actually be a reason to keep him as the top alternate rather than handing him the full-time job.

Jurgens played thousands of snaps at center at Wake Forest. Whether the Vikings trust him with the starting gig remains to be seen. Of course, the Vikings could sign another center or wait for the draft to find their new man in the middle of an hopefully healthier line.

Back to Correll. After signing with the Vikings, he was a long shot to make the 53-man roster like all undrafted players, but the practice squad was a realistic goal at a thin position. Remember, Brandel had zero center experience at that time.

In the first preseason game, Correll received his first opportunity to shine, but it turned out to be his last one, too. The blocker suffered a fractured ankle and was quickly ruled out for the season, as he was placed on IR. He lasted 12 snaps.

Now hopefully recovered, he hopes to earn a spot on someone’s 90-man roster to compete for his place in the league throughout the summer. Correll is 25.

Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.

Janik Eckardt is a German sports nerd, who likes numbers and stats. He chose the Vikings to be his … More about Janik Eckardt

Team USA is moving on in the 2026 World Baseball Classic bracket. The Americans held on for a 5-3 win against Canada on Friday night at Daikin Park in Houston. Team USA’s win sets up the biggest game of the tournament so far: USA vs. the Dominican Republic on Sunday in the semifinals. 

The Dominican Republic improved to 5-0 in the WBC on Friday night, smashing Korea with a 10-0 rout. Team USA and D.R. are the two biggest favorites to win the WBC title, but only one will reach the title game. Paul Skenes will get the ball for the Americans against the loaded Dominican Republic lineup.

Italy, Puerto Rico, Japan and Venezuela are on the other side of the bracket, and they’ll all play quarterfinal matchups on Saturday. Italy, which went 4-0 and took down Team USA earlier this week, will face Puerto Rico. Venezuela will try to knock out Shohei Ohtani and reigning champion Japan.

The quarterfinals are being held Friday and Saturday, the semifinals will be Sunday and Monday, and the 2026 World Baseball Classic championship game is set for Tuesday. The semis and title game will be held at Marlins Park in Miami.

Here’s a look at the 2026 World Baseball Classic bracket:

2026 World Baseball Classic bracket

Team USA’s advancement out of pool play was more nerve-wracking than expected, but the Americans are through to the semifinals thanks to Italy’s win over Mexico on Wednesday night. Team USA lost to Italy on Tuesday and had to sweat out Wednesday’s result. A narrow Mexico win would’ve sent the Americans packing.

Team USA finished in second place in Pool B, going 3-1 in group play. The U.S. easily beat Brazil and Great Britain before a close win over Mexico. The Americans then shockingly lost to Italy on Tuesday and set up a scenario where their quarterfinal fate was out of their hands. Italy, though, finished off a perfect round of pool play by beating Mexico to earn first place in Pool B. Italy’s win over Mexico prevented the knockout spots from being determined by the complicated WBC tiebreaker rules.

World Baseball Classic knockout scores, schedule 

All games are available to stream on fubo (Try for free).

Quarterfinals

Friday, March 13
Dominican Republic 10, Korea 0 (7)
United States 5, Canada 3

Saturday, March 14
Italy vs. Puerto Rico, 3 p.m. ET, FS1
Japan vs. Venezuela, 9 p.m. ET, Fox

Semifinals

Sunday, March 15
Dominican Republic vs. United States, 8 p.m. ET, FS1

Monday, March 16
TBD vs. TBD, 8 p.m. ET, FS1

Championship game

Tuesday, March 17
TBD vs. TBD, 8 p.m. ET, FS1

FanDuel considers Team USA to be the favorite to win the WBC (+125 odds). The Dominican Republic is second (+200), ahead of Japan (+400) and Venezuela (+1000). The Americans are considered -162 favorites in the head-to-head matchup with the Dominican Republic, with Skenes likely to be opposed by Luis Severino.

Japan took down the United States in the 2023 title game, with Ohtani famously striking out then-Angels teammate Mike Trout for the final out. Will the bracket provide a rematch? Or will the star-studded Dominican lineup or another team make a run at the trophy this year? We’ll find out in the coming days.

The tensions between Sami Zayn and Cody Rhodes continued on SmackDown, as the segment once more ended with Sami getting frustrated. However, a new feud also started in the process.

This week on SmackDown, in a backstage segment, Sami Zayn congratulated Cody Rhodes and said that he did exactly what he claimed he would, which was to reclaim the Undisputed WWE Championship. Sami also wished Randy Orton well, and this became a point of tension, with Sami telling Cody that he looked up to Randy Orton and not to The American Nightmare. The reason for this, according to Sami, is that Orton is a 14-time World Champion and a legend, whereas Cody Rhodes is his friend. This is why he considers himself an equal to Cody despite the fact that he is a World Champion and Sami isn’t. Cody once again suggested that Sami was trying to “position himself” for a title shot after WrestleMania 42, and Sami responded by saying that he couldn’t believe Cody thought so low of him.

Cody then told Sami Zayn that he doesn’t need to look up to him – he just needs to look at the (WWE) Title. As he walked away, Sami once again found himself throwing bottles and smacking objects in frustration. After this, Zelina Vega and Aleister Black came swooping in, asking Sami whether he thought that maybe the World Title wasn’t meant for him. Sami told Aleister Black that he needed to stay far away, essentially kickstarting a new feud.

It’s going to be interesting to see what comes of this tense set of exchanges between Sami and Cody. One would imagine that they will eventually make up and become friends again, or one of them, presumably Sami, decides to turn and betray the other. Either way, the Aleister Black feud might just play into that.