Basilinna’s owners are pursuing yet another ‘win and you’re in’ race opportunity at the Mornington meeting.

Basilinna qualified for the Melbourne Cup ballot last season via her success in the Andrew Ramsden (2800m) at Flemington in May.

Trainers David and Emma-Lee Browne are open to targeting the Andrew Ramsden again, but prioritise the Listed Mornington Cup (2400m) on Saturday first.

Winning the Mornington Cup offers a ballot exemption to the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) scheduled for October.

The mare has had a brace of runs this preparation – 1800m and 2000m – and according to David Browne, the Saturday 2400m trip is a superior match for her.

Nevertheless, the trainer thinks she could be one start away from full fitness, impacted by a bone chip that cut short her prior spring and barred her from last year’s Melbourne Cup.

“She’s got a good soft draw so she should be able to sit in a good spot,” Browne said.

“Then we’ll need some luck getting out and hopefully there’s a bit of rain as that will help her out as well.

“A Soft 6 or 7, I would be happy, but if it stays a Soft 5, it’s still good for her.”

Browne has been happy with the mare’s two efforts this campaign, even though she was outclassed in those events.

She ended up last on her return in the Peter Young Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield, then eighth in the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) on March 28 at Flemington.

“I thought her run in a high-pressure race, against very good company, was excellent last time,” Browne said.

“She beat the horses she needed to beat, and that’s all you can ask.

“She feels better than she ever has, so we’re pretty happy in that way but the hardest thing with her is she has been one run behind.

“When you take a chip out like we had to last year, that puts you behind because she was a bit burly to start with, so that is why we had to go to the Australian Cup to play a bit of catch up and get a run into her.

“The first two weren’t suitable races for her to go in, but I thought she did a good job.”

Following this weekend, Basilinna’s path forward is unclear.

She could head to the Listed Warrnambool Cup (2350m) on May 7, or the Listed Andrew Ramsden at Flemington on May 16.

“If she went to Warrnambool, that might pull her up for the campaign as it is a pretty quick back-up to Flemington,” Browne said.

“I think we’ll play that last one by ear, whether we do both or pop her out.”

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Esteemed trainer and former world champion Robert Garcia has revealed who he believes is the “fresher man” between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

The two pound-for-pound icons are set to enter a professional rematch on September 19, headlining a Netflix event at The Sphere, Las Vegas.

Their first encounter, which took place over a decade ago, saw Mayweather claim a comprehensive points victory, before taking his record to 50-0 with a 10th-round finish over Conor McGregor in 2017.

Pacquiao, however, has fought as recently as July 2025, boxing to a contentious draw against then-WBC world welterweight champion Mario Barrios.

This saw him end a near four-year layoff, which followed his points defeat to Yordenis Ugas, while Mayweather has not fought professionally since defeating McGregor.

Instead, the 49-year-old has been involved in several exhibition matches, a trend he is expected to resume with Mike Tyson and Greek kickboxer Mike Zambidis.

Whether these two non-competitive affairs actually materialise, it remains to be seen, but Mayweather has nonetheless agreed to face Pacquiao in September.

Speaking with BoxingScene, top coach Garcia has opined that, while being the marginally younger man, Pacquiao is perhaps approaching their rematch with more miles on the clock.

“Manny takes training camps very [seriously]. We see him running in the mountains, and running around so many fans and boxers.

“He doesn’t want to be the last one [to finish], so he’s running hard. At 47 [years old], that’s not easy. But he wants to prove to everybody that he’s still a great athlete.

“When it comes to sparring, I guarantee you he’s sparring hard. Whoever they bring in for sparring wants to look good against Manny.

“On the other side, Mayweather is doing this without even showing it to the world. I guarantee you he’s staying in shape… and I think he’ll be the fresher man.”

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Initially, it was reported that Mayweather-Pacquiao 2 would be a professional bout, only for Mayweather to later claim that it would instead be an exhibition.

Since then, though, Pacquiao has insisted it will be a fully-sanctioned contest, presenting him with the opportunity to exact his revenge.

Indian cricket’s talent pipeline has given the selectors an opportunity to think big. With the IPL continuing to churn out match-ready performers, the Board of Control for Cricket in India is planning on building a 30-35 player pool capable of fielding two competitive T20 sides simultaneously. Plans beyond a single core squad have to be framed immediately as India faces overlapping international commitments later this year, with the Asian Games clashing with a T20 series against the West Indies.

A BCCI official told NDTV, “The Asian Games and India vs West Indies T20 Series are going to be at the same time. So we have to look at two T20 teams playing. It is important from now to have a pool of 30-35 cricketers who can be called up for International assignments. For the upcoming Ireland tour, like most tours to UK, a bigger pool of players will be kept in the squad. This will extend for the Asian Games.”

The Board is actively planning for parallel assignments this year and in the future as well since cricket is now a part of multi discipline sporting fixtures as well, including the Olympic Games in 2028. The emphasis is on depth, flexibility, and readiness. These are the qualities increasingly demanded in a packed global calendar.

The upcoming Ireland tour is expected to serve as a testing ground. Tours like these have traditionally been used to blood fringe players. This tour could now feature an expanded squad, mirroring the long-term vision of a larger talent pool extending through the Asian Games. India are also set to play Afghanistan in a 3-match T20I series in September, though the schedule for the tournament is yet to be finalised.

The names under consideration reflect the IPL’s growing influence. In the batting department, talents like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Priyansh Arya and Angkrish Raghuvanshi have caught the selectors’ attention with their fearless strokeplay. The likes of Rajat Patidar and Ayush Badoni are also on the selectors’ radar.

The all-rounder slot, often the backbone of T20 balance, could see opportunities for players like Shashank Singh, and Anukul Roy, the cricketers who bring versatility and adaptability.

On the bowling front, there is a mix of youth and experience. Ravi Bishnoi continues to be a standout in white-ball cricket, while Khaleel Ahmed (depending on availability), Prasidh Krishna, Ashok Sharma, and Kartik Tyagi offer them with pace options.

Behind the stumps, Dhruv Jurel is among the leading contenders. It is likely to be a team led by Punjab Kings Captain, Shreyas Iyer.

With IPL throwing up a massive pool of youngsters, Indian cricket is preparing to utilise their services by making a parallel force capable of winning and defending titles. Keeping up with the demands of international cricket and coping up with the challenges of changed international fixtures will require two strong T20 teams, that could soon become a necessity.

It is a message to all youngsters this IPL season that BCCI is not just looking for the best 15, but the best 35.

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Kyren Wilson produced a superb fightback from 6-2 and 7-3 down by winning seven frames in a row to deny 19-year-old Stan Moody a memorable victory on his World Championship debut at the Crucible.

English teenager Moody led 6-3 at the mid-session interval and was on course to become the youngest player to win a match at the famous Sheffield theatre since a 19-year-old Ronnie O’Sullivan beat Dave Harold and Darren Morgan before falling to Stephen Hendry in 1995.

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In a thrilling match, arguably the best of the championship so far, 2024 champion Wilson punched the air in delight when he won the 17th frame on a black-ball finish to seal a 10-7 success after Moody had missed a chance to extend the match.

“Just too many bad frames,” said Moody. “I had the match won at 7-3 but then I missed the red to go 8-3 and he won it with three snookers.

“I felt comfortable out there, but bad frames like that hurt. But I will come back stronger. Hopefully I will be here next year. I just try to learn what shots to play at the right time and to miss less balls.”

Moody, 44th in the world rankings, had to win two matches to qualify.

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On the day before his final qualifying match, last Tuesday, he had been in hospital with tonsillitis. But Moody discharged himself before playing, going against medical advice, and beat China’s Jiang Jun 10-9, with a century in the deciding frame, to earn his Crucible spot.

Higgins and Ding advance into last 16

Four-time champion John Higgins had led 4-0 against Ali Carter on Sunday, only for the Englishman to win five frames in a row to hold the overnight lead.

Higgins, 50, made breaks of 63 and 81 to go ahead, before Carter’s 106 in frame 12 made it 6-6, although the Scot won four of the next five frames to advance 10-7.

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That sets up a last-16 match against either seven-time champion Ronnie O’Sullivan or Chinese debutant He Guoqiang.

“That’s the first time here I’ve been 4-0 up and then gone 5-4 behind so it was not a great sleep,” said Higgins. “But I tried to forget about that and get on with my game.

“There’s nobody that has more respect for Ali as a snooker player than me, I’ve played him so many times and sometimes he has been cueing like a dream.

“Deep down when my name was pulled out against him I was not happy – you know you’re in for a mammoth game so I’m over the moon I got the win.”

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Carter, beaten by O’Sullivan in the 2008 and 2012 finals, has now gone out in the first round in the Crucible in four years in a row.

“I made a couple of mistakes and got punished severely, just a little bit of a run of the balls – I’m as sick as a dog,” said Carter.

Ding Junhui, the 2016 runner-up, completed a 10-5 win over David Gilbert, having held a 7-2 lead following Sunday’s opening session.

In an all-Chinese last-16 tie, Ding will take on Zhao Xintong, who became the country’s first world champion in 2025.

China’s 10th seed Wu Yize made one century and five half-centuries in a one-sided session to lead compatriot Lei Peifan 8-1.

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Mick Price, the trainer, harked back to his pre-training experience by personally parading The Speed Machine at Mornington.

Trained by Mick Price alongside Michael Kent Jnr, the two-year-old gelding turned tricky at saddling time, leading Price to take charge of strapping duties prior to Saturday’s Mornington Sires (1000m).

The approach succeeded brilliantly as The Speed Machine ($3), ridden by Thomas Stockdale, dashed to the lead and held on by a half-neck from favourite Luna Vega ($2.50), with Zynaro ($11) 2-½ lengths adrift in third.

Price noted that red earmuffs are fitted to The Speed Machine for the pre-race parade and removed at the barriers.

Observing the gelding as half-asleep, Price dispensed with the headgear post-saddling.

“His father (Hanseatic) used to have a bit of feist about him,” Price said.

“His father used to always have two strappers on him, and I did take the red earmuffs off him while we were saddling him up, because I thought he was half asleep.

“But I found out the wrong way. He was not asleep and I had to do my own work.”

The Speed Machine has won both his starts, including a 1000m victory in a four-runner field on debut at Morphettville Parks last month.

Price doesn’t see him as solely a 1000m specialist and plans to test him at 1200m eventually.

The colours belong to Kempinsky, victor of The Vase at Moonee Valley and second in the Group 1 Victoria Derby at Flemington back in 2003.

“We’ve had horses together for 30 years, but we haven’t had a lot of starters over that time,” Price said.

“He buys them, I move them on, but this one, he’s a keeper.

“He a fast horse, and he’s a strong horse, and he’s very sound, an easy horse to train.”

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