Ka Ying Rising, premier speed merchant, maintained his dominance with victory in Sunday’s Hong Kong Champions Sprint, setting the scene for his old companion to chase a renewed winning streak this Saturday.

Following his first loss in Australia, Ka Ying Cheer is primed to return to form at Bendigo.

The one-time Hong Kong sprinter holds entries in benchmark 84 contests over 1100m and 1300m, the one he picks ending a break since his sixth at Caulfield on April 11, which concluded three consecutive wins.

His Australian initiation was a February 5 1100m Class 1 capture at Pakenham, succeeded by a Seymour benchmark 66 over 1100m February 20, and a March 21 benchmark 78 triumph at 1200m in Caulfield.

Ka Ying Cheer, under Leung Shek-Kong—who also handles Ka Ying Rising—quarantined alongside the world’s finest sprinter prior to The Everest last year, choosing to remain Down Under at Lindsay Park thereafter.

Ben Hayes, in operation with brothers Will and JD, described him as a superb stable boost, cognizant of heightened class in his initial local campaign, but Saturday’s race selection fits well presently.

“I think he will bounce back,” Hayes said.

“He managed to win three in a row and kind of just got to his grade, but he’s working nicely going into it.

“He didn’t run badly (last start), but he just needs things to go right.

“He’s deep into his prep now and he has won three in a row and he’s up to good city class races. That’s probably where he’s at from now on.”

Two fellow stable runners join Ka Ying Cheer in both his races: Stoli Bolli across the board, Nervous Witness in 1100m company, Laa De Shaa potentially at 1300m.

Bendigo’s key attractions are the Golden Mile (1600m) with Von Hauke, Osipenko and Hughes entered, and the Bendigo Guineas, both Listed affairs worth $200,000.

Find competitive racing betting markets for the Golden Mile.

FIFA has approved the return of the Afghanistan women’s national football team to international competition. This will be their first opportunity to play in official events in five years.

The team has not competed since 2021, when the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan and imposed restrictions that affected women’s participation in sport. Many players were forced to leave the country or stop playing.

Now, with FIFA’s decision, Afghan women footballers will once again have the chance to compete on the international stage.

Former captain Khalida Popal described the team as more than just a football side:

“Our team has always been known as an activist team. But this opportunity… will be the time for us to also show some skills and develop the youth talent in the diaspora.”

She also spoke about the wider meaning behind their return:

“The team will be a symbol of resilience… if we can still be the voice for them… and show them our support that you are not forgotten, then we will continue to use our platform.”

Many of the players are now based outside Afghanistan, with a large number living in Australia. Selection camps are being held internationally as the squad prepares for its return.

The team is expected to play again in June, although opponents and venues have not yet been confirmed.

While they will not be eligible for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, they could still take part in qualification for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

This return gives Afghan women a chance to be seen, to play again, and to represent others who cannot.

In a shocking story, Texas Tech transfer QB Brendan Sorsby has gone to rehab for a gambling addiction.

Alleged bets on college football put his college career in doubt Today’s episode of Locked On College Football is a crossover with ‘Locked On Big 12’ host Drake Toll.

Where would the Red Raiders stand if the charges prove to be true?

The Pac-12 and Big 12 have both made more than a few realignment moves in the last several years.

Could more be on the way and is there a connection between the 2?

00:00 Discussing Brendan Sorsby’s gambling
03:58 Texas Tech football eligibility issue
07:57 Big 12 football analysis
14:56 Discussing college football player prospects
16:54 Big 12 players’ NFL readiness
20:59 Big 12 expansion speculation
22:55 Discussing potential league realignments
26:15 Conference realignment pressures
29:29 Big 12 football future

/ @lockedoncollegefootball  

Prominent Queensland galloper Antino has been officially retired after a concerning issue emerged when he pulled up following his state comeback last Saturday.

His debut back in Queensland since the four-length track-record thrashing in last year’s Group 1 Doomben Cup saw the seven-year-old gelding grind out a fourth placing – 2-1/2 lengths adrift of $91 longshot Kronenbourg – in the Listed Brisbane Handicap at 1600m.

The tendon in the Tony Gollan stable’s right foreleg showed heat and inflammation come Sunday, with further checks uncovering a more critical problem.

“Further veterinary examinations this morning confirmed sustained that injury during the race,” Gollan said in a statement on social media late on Monday afternoon.

“After consultation with the ownership group, the decision was made to retire Antino from racing.

“It is with tremendous sadness we have had to make this decision, given the thrills and excitement he has provided the racing industry, from fans to our staff and owners.

“Antino will enjoy a well-earned retirement after his rehabilitation from injury.”

As a son of Redwood, he departs the track with 13 victories in 33 runs, seven runner-up or third placings, and $3,465,065 in winnings.

Last year’s four-length Doomben Cup masterclass in 2:00.88 was his second Group 1 hit for the NZ$27,000 acquisition, who also dominated the 2024 Toorak Handicap (1600m) by 6-1/2 lengths.

Visit betting sites for racing betting markets on key events like the Doomben Cup.

VikingsTerritory piloted a new exercise in 2026: selecting Minnesota Vikings draft picks in real-time as if we were the general manager. It’s not necessarily a “mock” draft; it’s a “what we would have done in the heat of the moment” alternate draft.

VT’s version of the Vikings’ draft is a completely different animal.

For example, we would not have drafted Caleb Banks in Round 1; instead, we would have embraced, in our estimation, the best player available on the board.

Our Alternate Vikings Draft Class Is Here. Hold Us Accountable.

Important note: for the purposes of this exercise, we ignore who and what the Vikings drafted. For instance, the Vikings drafted a DT in Round 1; we did not. Our draft or roster still needed a DT. The Vikings did not.

And one more caveat: we would not have traded Jonathan Greenard to the Philadelphia Eagles. It’s hard to understand how a team that is paying its starting quarterback $1.3 million has such profound salary cap trouble. Finally, you will notice this draft does not have defensive tackles: we would’ve signed Christian Wilkins, who has ties to Brian Flores, in post-draft free agency.

R1: Makai Lemon (WR)
Who the Vikings Picked: Caleb Banks (DT)

We — and the rest of the NFL world — were shocked that Lemon slid to the Vikings’ spot, ultimately landing with the Philadelphia Eagles. To us, he was the best player available at No. 18. Done. Pick the best football player.

Justin Jefferson, in theory, could request a trade next offseason if the Vikings don’t reach the playoffs in 2026, and Jordan Addison is one incident away from a suspension or outright roster release.

This one was not complicated for us: Lemon was the VikingsTerritoryGM selection. By a mile.

R2: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (S)
Who the Vikings Picked: Jake Golday (LB)

If you followed the pre-draft cycle intently, it was actually astonishing that McNeil-Warren slid to Minnesota’s spot at No. 49.

And then, of course, they didn’t pick him. He went to the Cleveland Browns. In our after-the-fact draft, this was the biggest no-brainer of them all. Easy peasy — get EMW on the team.

R3: Jaishawn Barham (EDGE)
Who the Vikings Picked: Domonique Orange (DT)

The Greenard trade went down — for better or worse — on Friday night, and it’s not reversible. We decided to leave the knowledge of the real-life trade intact and pick Barham from Michigan as a stab at a competent replacement plan.

Barham landed in Dallas.

We do, however, love the Orange pick.

R3: Connor Lew (C)
Who the Vikings Picked: Caleb Tiernan (OT)

Lew is 20 and could have sat for a year behind Blake Brandel if necessary. Instead, Minnesota evidently had a keen eye for little-known Gavin Gerhardt, who would be chosen in Round 7.

The Auburn product Lew landed with the Bengals and will eventually battle Ted Karras for the starting job. He also plays next to former Vikings guard Dalton Risner.

R3: Jonah Coleman (RB)
Who the Vikings Picked: Jakobe Thomas (S)

We pounded the table and then some for Minnesota to draft a serious running back this cycle, and in fact, we’ve been asking for that since the 2023 NFL Draft. They never listen.

Demond Claiborne might turn into the next De’Von Achane, but we preferred Coleman, who wound up with Sean Payton in Denver inside the largest RB committee of them all.

R5: Chandler Rivers (CB)
Who the Vikings Picked: Max Bredeson (FB)

Rivers is going to be a baller, but Kevin O’Connell wanted a fullback. Because Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers remained 100% healthy in 2025, we fear the injury bill is coming due. So, Rivers was the pick to prepare that grim prediction.

Rivers is a Raven — he’ll probably cook there.

R5: Taurean York (LB)
Who the Vikings Picked: Charles Demmings (CB)

Perhaps our most significant (only?) gaffe: we would’ve taken York in real time, but he ended up not getting drafted by anybody and was signed by the Denver Broncos in undrafted free agency. If we have a big miss in this exercise, it might be this guy.

R6: Domani Jackson (CB)
Who the Vikings Picked: Demond Claiborne (RB)

Speaking of needing cornerbacks, we doubled up. The Green Bay Packers — yes, them — took Jackson in Round 6, so it will be easy for Vikings fans to determine if our website nailed this hypothetical pick. If Jackson earns playing time, the Vikings will see him twice per year.

R7: Aamil Wagner (OT)
Who the Vikings Picked: Gavin Gerhardt (OL)

Finally, for offensive line depth, we did not invest a 3rd-Rounder in Tiernan; we figured the combo platter of Walter Rouse, Ryan Van Demark, Blake Brandel, and Wagner would be enough.

How’d we do overall? That can be answered in 2028 or 2029 when rookies show their true colors and staying power.

US President Donald Trump interrupted his speech during a White House banquet to ask Rory McIlroy to stand and praised the golfer for his “unconquerable courage”.

The president was speaking during a state visit by the King and Queen and broke off to address McIlroy, who was one of those in attendance at the dinner.

McIlroy successfully defended his Masters title earlier in April, becoming only the fourth man to win back-to-back at Augusta, as he sealed a one-shot victory.

Trump said: “The entire world has been uplifted by this distinct and special character we share. This unstoppable daring, this unconquerable courage. It really is, it’s unconquerable.

“Speaking of that, where’s Rory McIlroy? Can you stand up Rory, will you, please?

“That was unconquerable courage. That was very good Rory. I don’t know if that helps him talking about how wonderful the speech… but I had to interrupt my speech because I watched that man win a tournament that was a tough one.

“Congratulations, very proud of you.”

Former New Zealand and Mumbai Indians (MI) seamer Mitchell McClenaghan believes the franchise’s top order could undergo a reshuffle against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH), with Suryakumar Yadav potentially dropping to No. 5. The two sides will clash in Game 41 of IPL 2026 on Wednesday, April 29 at the Wankhede Stadium.

Speaking during the Star Sports segment ‘Game Plan,’ the 39-year-old said MI will need to put up a strong batting performance against SRH and suggested that Will Jacks could slot into the top four, which might push Suryakumar down the order. He said:

“They need to score runs against SRH. That’s what it is. It’s going to be a batting shootout, and they need to make sure they have enough batting. So Will Jacks adds into that. It’s just how do you fix the order? Does Will Jacks go up to the top? And then you might look at a different top four and have the ability to maybe slide Suryakumar down to five.”

He further noted that Danish Malewar did not utilise his opportunity in the absence of Rohit Sharma, managing just two runs in as many games. McClenaghan stated that if Rohit returns to the side, having missed the last three games due to a hamstring injury, it would solidify the top order.

MI could then open with him alongside Quinton de Kock or Ryan Rickelton, followed by Will Jacks and Naman Dhir, while players like Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav handle the finishing duties. He said:

“I think the big dip in that has been that they’ve lost Rohit Sharma, and Danish has come in and, unfortunately for the young fella, it hasn’t worked out for him. But if Rohit Sharma is available again, then that solidifies your top order. So you’ve got the ability to either go with Quinton or Rickleton at the top with Rohit Sharma, and then Will Jacks comes into that fixture as well. So that gives you a very aggressive top three.

“And then that’s where I’d consider maybe even playing Naman Dhir at four, just to be able to give yourself the ability to take on that powerplay when the conditions are best for you to score some runs, and then you set yourself up for your experienced players like Sherfane Rutherford, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya to be able to finish the innings,” he added.

MI have not endured the best of seasons so far, sitting ninth with two wins from seven games.

“If he works a little more on his footwork, it will definitely help” – Cheteshwar Pujara’s big remark on MI’s star batter

In the same discussion, former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara stated that if Suryakumar Yadav works a bit on his footwork, it will help the right-hander. Pujara also added that, at times, Suryakumar has tried to play too many shots early on and should allow himself a little more time before accelerating. He said:

“I can’t pinpoint one thing, but I remember his (Suryakumar Yadav) dismissals against Rabada where there was enough gap between bat and pad. I think if he works a little more on his footwork, it will definitely help him. But it’s just about having that positive mindset because he is a player who knows how to play in the T20 format. It’s just about having one big knock.

“Sometimes he is also trying to play too many shots early on. That’s why he has gotten out in a couple of games where he was just looking to strike the ball in the first three or four deliveries. If he allows himself a little more time, because he is another player who, after 10-15 deliveries, can always bring that strike rate up,” he added.

Across seven innings, Suryakumar has scored 157 runs at an average of 22.42 and a strike rate of 142.72, including one fifty.