The stable of Ciaron Maher has been on the hunt for a suitable slot to send Kings Valley back to extended distances.

This slot materialises in the Listed Mornington Cup (2400m) on Saturday.

Kings Valley was the initial standby when the entries were announced Wednesday, yet he slipped into the field of 14 when Plymouth pulled out.

Jack Turnbull, the Maher stable’s National Assistant Trainer, commented that Kings Valley’s settling pattern early on will be key to his success.

A month back, he won the Bairnsdale Cup (1600m), and his latest was a ninth in the Group 3 Easter Cup (2000m) at Caulfield, April 4.

“We thought his run was good,” Turnbull said.

“We had to go back from the gate and the way the track was playing it made it difficult and tricky, but the work he put in, we were very pleased with how he went.

“The thing is this week, we’re up in trip from that 2000 (metres) to the 2400 (metres) and the question mark will be whether he relaxes.

“He can be fierce, but he’s not a slow horse. He’s got a very good turn of foot, so we’ve got to work him down a bit into the run.

“I think if he stays on, and relaxes, he’s a good chance as this is his future.”

He notched a win at Sandown over 2100m before, with this being only his second go at 2400m since fifth of six at Caulfield last October.

Kings Valley went into a break immediately post that run and has returned sharply.

“I think he’s got the profile, he’s got the page, and everything else to get 2400 (metres), but it has been a matter of when,” Turnbull said.

“Arguably we could have waited and gone to another benchmark race, but it’s a Caulfield Cup qualifier, a rich race and it gives us a chance.

“We’ve drawn a good gate to smother him up and I think he can run a forward race for us.”

Visit trusted betting sites for the latest racing odds on the Mornington Cup.

If you’re an NBA player and think you might one day get a random text from Shaquille O’Neal, don’t get your hopes up.

O’Neal, 54, doesn’t reach out to NBA players from the past or present for one reason.

“None. I don’t like athletes or superstars because they’re a–holes,” O’Neal told the New York Post.

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Shaquille O’Neal watches the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves in game four of the western conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center on May 28, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports)

The Basketball Hall of Famer said he denounced himself as a celebrity years ago for a similar reason.

“I denounced myself from being a celebrity about 10 years ago because those people are weird. I’m not weird,” O’Neal said.

The New Jersey native said he wants to treat people with respect and just be a regular guy. O’Neal, despite his prowess as a basketball player, went to school after his playing career.

NBA STAR HITS BACK AT NYC MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI FOR BLAMING HIM OVER EXPENSIVE PLAYOFF TICKETS

Dec 14, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Shaquille O’Neal arrives on the red carpet before the Emirates NBA Cup semifinal game at T-Mobile Arena. (Candice Ward/Imagn Images)

O’Neal left LSU after his junior year to play in the NBA but returned to finish his bachelor’s degree. He also has an MBA and Ph.D in education, but people don’t think he actually earned the “Dr.” before his name.

“The funniest thing I get is, ‘Oh it’s honorary.’ I say, ‘No, it’s not. I had to go to school and write papers and do all that stuff,” O’Neal said.

“I’m very super successful without that, but I wanted to stress to my children and children around that education is very important.”

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Shaquille O’Neal looks on before the game between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks in game one of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden on June 6, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. (David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports)

O’Neal talked about the NIL era and how young athletes want the money first but don’t have the education on how to the manage the money.

O’Neal thrived on the court, winning four NBA titles across his 19 seasons and making 15 All-Star teams, and appears to be thriving off the court as well.

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Like in many more serious walks of life, Covid came through the UK and Ireland’s golf travel industry like a wrecking ball, with a crushing effect on the courses, hoteliers and transportation providers that are propped up by North American golfers traveling east.

Livelihoods were on the brink. I was in the middle of it myself. Two whole seasons — 2020 and 2021 — of rescheduling trips for patient clients and incredibly understanding suppliers, who all worked to make sure dream trips were realized, albeit two years later in some cases.

On the ground, 2022 wasn’t much better. While most golfers went ahead with travel plans, barely a week passed where there wasn’t some sort of testing hiccup: calls hours ahead of arrival with reports of a positive Covid test; the isolation measures that came with it. Added to that, we were basically cramming three years of trips into one — serious stress in itself.

Since those dark days at the dawn of the decade, the industry has roared back like never before. Green fees at marquee courses have risen 10 to 15 percent year over year (a story for another time), with little or no sign of the demand dropping off. The golf travel industry is predicted to be worth a stunning $42 billion by 2030. So what are the implications for your buddies trip? In short, very small windows of opportunity. Such is the gold rush for tee times among tour operators that booking windows for 2027 will slam shut much sooner than you think.

By the time you read this, overseas travelers may have already missed the boat at bucket-listers like Portrush and Royal County Down. West coast Scotland, featuring World Top 100s Trump Turnberry, Royal Troon and Prestwick, might still be for the taking — but call your tour operator of choice now, because by the end of Q2 in 2026, much of 2027 will be sold out on one of golf’s most sought-after triple threats.

The overriding message is that for the most in-demand venues, you now need to plan 18 months ahead. Still banking on a 2026 trip? There is one place you can go and play World Top 100 courses every day, stay in world-class accommodations, fly direct from anywhere in the U.S. and be blown away off the course: England. And no one is talking about it.

Next time.

Discover England, Scotland, Ireland and beyond in 2027 and beyond with 8AM Travel. Contact discovery@8amtravel.com today.

Hoops fans won’t have to wait until next March to fill out brackets with the arrival of the 2026 NBA playoffs bracket challenge. The premise is the same as the college version as you’ll make NBA picks on who will advance through each round. However, with your NBA bracket picks, you also make NBA predictions on how many games each series will last. Once the play-in tournament completes the NBA playoffs bracket, the postseason will start in earnest on Saturday with four Game 1s, followed by the remaining series openers on Sunday. OKC is the +100 favorite to repeat as champs, per the latest NBA futures odds from FanDuel Sportsbook, but the Thunder were pushed to seven games in multiple series last year. 

The respective No. 2 seeds, the Celtics (+550) and Spurs (+550), are next in line, while the East’s top-seeded Pistons are at +1800, behind the Nuggets (+1200) and Cavaliers (+1300). The Lakers, who will not have Luka Doncic (hamstring) or Austin Reaves (oblique) slot in at +25000, though Houston’s Kevin Durant (knee) is listed as questionable for Game 1. Before making any NBA bracket picks, be sure to check out the 2026 NBA playoff predictions from SportsLine expert Mike Barner.

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Barner is one of the most respected voices in the industry, and his work has appeared in Sports Illustrated and on Yahoo, RotoWire and KFFL. He’s also been featured on ESPN Radio. He digs deep into the data, examining team trends and projecting game outcomes. If there’s anybody who can spot an edge in a matchup or identify a player in position to break out, it’s him.

Barner’s expertise has been on full display lately as he enters Friday’s action in the 2026 NBA playoffs on a 101-60 run (+2926) on NBA picks. He is coming off a dominant 2024-25 NBA season, finishing 239-178-2 and returning $3,209 to $100 bettors. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.

Now, he has analyzed the 2026 NBA bracket from all angles and just locked in his coveted picks and series predictions. He is only sharing his NBA picks and analysis at SportsLine.

Top 2026 NBA bracket predictions

We can tell you one of Barner’s series picks is the third-seeded Knicks to defeat the No. 6 Hawks in six games in the East’s first round. New York won two of three regular-season matchups and have won five of the last six meetings overall. However, the Hawks have greatly improved since trading for CJ McCollum, and their 19-5 record since Feb. 22 is the third-best in the league. Yet, he’s the only Hawks rotation player with significant postseason experience, so while Atlanta will make this a competitive series, the Knicks being familiar with this type of atmosphere gives them the edge. Additionally, New York won its first round series in each of the last two years in six games.

“The Hawks caught fire over the second half of the season, vaulting from a Play-In contender all the way into the sixth seed. They are a long team that can give Jalen Brunson trouble, especially with Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker leading their defense at guard. However, they don’t have the superstar scorer to turn to late in a close playoff game. The Knicks should still advance.” Barner told SportsLine. See more predictions at SportsLine.

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How to make 2026 NBA playoff bracket picks

Barner has locked in his NBA picks for every series and is predicting multiple upsets in both the East and West playoff brackets. See what they are over at SportsLine.

Who advances through the NBA playoffs bracket, and how many games does each series last? Visit SportsLine now to get Mike Barner’s picks for the NBA bracket 2026, all from the expert who has crushed his NBA picks, and find out.

2026 NBA Finals winner odds

See picks at SportsLine.

Odds via FanDuel (subject to change)
Oklahoma City Thunder +100
San Antonio Spurs +500
Boston Celtics +500
Denver Nuggets +1200
Cleveland Cavaliers +1300
Detroit Pistons +1800
New York Knicks +2200
Houston Rockets +7000
Minnesota Timberwolves +8000
Charlotte Hornets +10000
Atlanta Hawks +12500
Philadelphia 76ers +20000
Los Angeles Lakers +25000
Portland Trail Blazers +75000
Phoenix Suns +75000
Orlando Magic +75000
Golden State Warriors +75000

Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti addressed Italian players in the dressing room after the Azzurri’s World Cup play-off elimination: ‘He knew what we were going through,’ said Manuel Locatelli.

Juventus midfielder Locatelli held a press conference on Saturday to comment on his contract extension until 2030.

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Click here to read the full press conference.

The Italian midfielder also answered a question about his coach Spalletti, who was appointed at the end of October and has recently signed a new deal until 2028.

Locatelli was part of the Italy squad last month, alongside his Juventus teammates Andrea Cambiaso and Federico Gatti.

UDINE, ITALY – MARCH 14: Luciano Spalletti, Juventus manager, reacts during the Serie A match between Udinese Calcio and Juventus FC at Stadio Friuli on March 14, 2026 in Udine, Italy. (Photo by Timothy Rogers/Getty Images)

“The weeks after the penalty [against Sassuolo] and the missed World Cup were better,” he said.

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“The coach immediately spoke to us Italians and said he was sorry. He knew what we were going through. He knows what it means to represent the national team.

“But he told us we had to put it behind us right away. The thing about football is that the next match gives you the chance to react, and we tried to do that.

“I think with the national team, we didn’t know each other very well, even on a personal level. When he [Spalletti] arrived, I made myself fully available,” continued Locatelli.

BERGAMO, ITALY – MARCH 26: Manuel Locatelli, Federico Gatti and Gianluigi Donnarumma of Italy interact after the FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers KO play-offs match between Italy and Northern Ireland at Stadio di Bergamo on March 26, 2026 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

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“When he arrived, he spoke to me in his office on the first day, and what he said was very meaningful. He knew I had become important for Juventus, he asked different things of me, and I’m at his disposal. The nice thing is that he showed trust in me right away.”

Italy have failed to qualify for the World Cup for the third time in a row.

Spalletti had been the Italy coach from 2023 until last June, when he was sacked after a 3-0 defeat against Norway in the first match of the World Cup qualifiers.

Oleksandr Usyk has revealed why he may no longer pursue a third instalment of his enthralling rivalry with Tyson Fury.

Usyk handed Fury the first and second defeats of his professional career, simultaneously claiming the Briton’s WBC heavyweight world title to become the first undisputed four-belt champion in the history of the division.

Shortly afterwards, Fury retired from the sport for a fifth occasion, but made a successful comeback against Arslanbek Makhmudov this month following a 16-month lay-off, calling for both a clash with Anthony Joshua and Usyk during the aftermath.

Along with Fury voicing his intentions to face Usyk for a third time, the Ukrainian has also previously named ‘The Gypsy King’ on his three-fight pre-retirement plan.

Yet, in an interview with Daily Mail Boxing, Usyk revealed that he may no longer target a third triumph over Fury, instead hoping to help Joshua overcome his bitter rival in their long-awaited grudge match.

“My plan has not changed, I have three fights. But, now I understand that Tyson has not signed [for a fight] with ‘AJ’.

“If ‘AJ’ and ‘Greedy’ [Fury] sign contract, I just stay back, ‘okay, [you are fighting each other instead], because I want to help AJ beat Tyson Fury.”

Joshua is set to make his ring return in July as part of a two-fight deal that will see him fight Fury later in the year should he win. The pair of British sporting icons will likely have a rematch if the contest is competitive.

Meanwhile, Usyk will attempt to defend his WBC heavyweight world title against Rico Verhoeven at the Pyramids of Giza on Saturday, May 23.