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‘Son of a b***’: Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla launches fresh attack on Kylian Mbappe, refuses to back down in racist row | Football News
Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla has escalated her bitter feud with France captain Kylian Mbappe, launching a fresh verbal attack on the World Cup winner and refusing to apologise for the racist remarks that have sparked widespread international condemnation.The Paraguay opposition lawmaker, who earlier described Mbappe as a “colonised Cameroonian,” has now branded the Real Madrid forward a “son of a b***,” accusing him of disrespecting Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill after France’s 1-0 victory in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16.The controversy has become one of the biggest off-field talking points of the tournament, with Mbappe, French authorities, FIFA officials and the United Nations all weighing in as the war of words intensified ahead of France’s quarter-final clash against Morocco.
Amarilla doubles down on explosive accusations
Speaking on the Senate floor, Amarilla showed no signs of retreating from her earlier remarks, insisting that Mbappe deserved criticism for allegedly refusing to shake Gill’s hand after the final whistle.“When Orlando Gill, a boy who was surely setting foot in a World Cup for the first time, in Europe for the first time, was playing before the world and extends his hand with all the humility of a Paraguayan, and this son of a b*** refuses to shake his hand and yells in his face, that is not French. A Frenchman would never have done that,” Amarilla was quoted as saying by Marca.The senator then contrasted Mbappe’s alleged behaviour with what she described as France’s cultural legacy.“France is Rousseau, Descartes, Montesquieu, Victor Hugo, Simone de Beauvoir, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. I refuse to reduce all that great France and that enormous cultural, artistic and democratic legacy to Mbappe,” she said.Amarilla also mocked the French superstar while referring to an open letter she had written in both French and Spanish.“What would I say to Mbappe now? That he should read my letter. I wrote it in French and in Spanish. Let him read my letter, if he knows how to read.”She further warned the striker not to “mess with Paraguayans,” invoking the 2020 detention of Brazilian great Ronaldinho in Paraguay before threatening legal action against Mbappe over what she described as gender and political violence.Meanwhile, Paraguayan President Santiago Pena distanced himself from the senator’s comments, reiterating that his government opposes “all kinds of discrimination” and remains committed to defending human rights and free expression.
How the Mbappe-Amarilla feud spiralled
The public clash began after France eliminated Paraguay 1-0 in the Round of 16.Soon after the match, Amarilla sparked outrage by calling Mbappe a “colonised Cameroonian” who was “pretending to be French,” while also describing him as “embittered, nouveau riche, arrogant and ugly.” She further claimed France had won “by a fluke” and alleged that Mbappe and his teammates looked nervous throughout the contest.Mbappe hit back on social media, branding Amarilla “a despicable woman” who was “not worthy of her position,” prompting the senator to intensify her rhetoric rather than apologise.The French Football Federation, French President Emmanuel Macron and FIFA President Gianni Infantino all condemned Amarilla’s original remarks, while the United Nations Human Rights Office described them as “racist and dehumanising,” urging governments, sports bodies and public officials to take stronger action against racism and hate speech in sport.
‘Kylian is in a good place mentally’
Despite the growing controversy, France coach Didier Deschamps insisted the issue has not affected his captain ahead of the quarter-finals.“Kylian is in a good place mentally. He’s ready for tomorrow,” Deschamps said, making it clear that Mbappe remains focused on France’s quest for another World Cup title despite the storm raging away from the pitch.
Veteran trainer Les Bridge received a belated birthday gift at Rosehill as Aye Aye Captain returned to her best form. Jockey Kerrin McEvoy confessed he was indebted to the stable for a positive result after a questionable recommendation last start.
Aye Aye Captain had previously failed to impress when the favourite on a heavy surface, a decision McEvoy had urged Bridge to proceed with.
However, on firmer footing in Saturday’s Congratulations Chris Waller Handicap (1400m), the mare executed perfectly. Aye Aye Captain, sent to post at $3.30, fought tenaciously to win by a neck from Ticklebelly ($5), rewarding the patience of her connections.
McEvoy conceded he had some ground to make up after the mare’s previous outing.
“I must admit, he wasn’t too happy with me the other day when I convinced him to run on the heavy track,” McEvoy said.
“I could tell when I rang him after the races he was a bit flat on me.
“Anyway, he’s waited for today, freshened her up, and her work during the week was good.
“She settled better for me today, and the better ground suited her.”
The victory continues the extensive history between McEvoy and Bridge, a partnership stretching back almost a quarter of a century. Their first success together was with Miss Zoe in the 2002 Emancipation Stakes, followed by their career-defining win when Classique Legend captured The Everest in 2020.
“My first winner (for Bridge) was a good mare of his way back in the early 2000s, Miss Zoe. This was when I was just out of my apprenticeship,” McEvoy revealed. “Then when I moved to Sydney, I didn’t ride a lot for Les early on. Carmel (Size) linked me up when she knew she had a smart one in Classique Legend, and I’ve been doing a bit ever since with Les.”
The heavily supported favourite, Enviable ($2.50), performed poorly, fading to last after racing on pace. James McDonald informed stewards the mare travelled well but offered no response when asked for an effort in the straight. A post-race veterinary examination was expected to reveal any underlying issues behind the disappointing performance.
Check out the latest betting markets for the race.
MANILA, Philippines—Barangay Ginebra import Riley Grigsby got his first taste of the “Manila Clasico” rivalry on Sunday in the PBA Governors’ Cup at Araneta Coliseum. As expected, Grigsby felt the atmosphere of one of the biggest sports rivalries in the country. “I’ve heard about what this game means to fans. You feel the energy. I
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Hatred. Brotherhood. Envy. Glory.
It’s those words that have described the relationship of Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. The two entered WWE as members of The Shield and came into SummerSlam on Sunday night as enemies. Reigns put the World Heavyweight Championship on the line against Rollins for possibly the final time of their careers.
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Roman Reigns celebrates during SummerSlam at U.S. Bank Stadium on Aug. 2, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minn. (WWE via Getty Images)
Reigns and Rollins went blow-for-blow to start the match before it turned into an all-out brawl in the stands. Reigns delivered the first major blow to Rollins. He caught Rollins trying to spear him through the barricade and powerbombed him through an announce table.
Rollins struck back quickly and delivered his own powerbomb on Reigns through the other announce table. As the two rushed back into the ring, Rollins hit a pedigree on Reigns and tried to pick up the win there, but Reigns kicked out of the pin.
Rollins went back to the well and avoided a spear to hit a stomp. Still, he could not get the pin on Reigns.
The crowd at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis watched closely as the two mammoth wrestling stars played a chess match to gain the smallest advantage. Rollins hit a superplex but Reigns locked in a Kimura lock. Rollins, losing steam, stood back up and nearly hit a Falcon Arrow. Reigns slipped out and speared Rollins – one, two … so close.
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Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns fist bump during SummerSlam at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., on Aug. 2, 2026. (WWE via Getty Images)
Reigns resorted to smack talk, reminding Rollins that he’ll always be No. 2 to him. But as Reigns bounced off the ropes, Rollins hit Reigns with a spear. Still, he couldn’t get the win.
In shades of WrestleMania, both men were putting on an instant classic in front of thousands of WWE fans. The two men, who know each other like the back of their hands. Reigns took a page out of Rollins’ playbook, hitting him with a buckle bomb and a stomp. Rollins got his arm up at the last possible second.
As the two went punch-for-punch, the referee went down. Reigns, in a nod to Dean Ambrose (now Jon Moxley), hit a Paradigm Shift. He went to spear Rollins but Rollins pulled the referee in between them. It was anybody’s game now. Rollins looked at the title as he stepped over the carnage strewn across the outside ring area.
Rollins took a steel chair, which he used to betray Reigns 12 years ago. Reigns hit Rollins with a quick punch before Rollins could use the chair. Reigns looked at the chair. Rollins waited for Reigns to use the chair, but he cast it aside.
In a sign of mutual respect, Reigns demanded the two finish it in the middle of the ring without the weapon.
More stomps and spears from the two men without a referee kept the match going. The two former brothers locked eyes one last time. Reigns then delivered one last spear.
Roman Reigns faces Seth Rollins during SummerSlam at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., on Aug. 2, 2026. (WWE via Getty Images)
Reigns pinned Rollins to retain the World Heavyweight Championship.
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For Reigns, it seems like the ghosts of his past have finally been dispelled. The two competitors looked at each other from the corner. Reigns put out his fist in a final Shield callback. Rollins obliged, leaving his Shield mask in the middle of the ring.
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Brie Bella was noticeably grabbing her right shoulder during a six-woman tag team match at WWE SummerSlam on Saturday night as she appeared to suffer an injury.
Bella was seated next to the steel steps when her opponent, Jacy Jayne, hit a running senton on her. At that moment, she began to clutch her shoulder and kept rubbing it during the rest of the match with her sister Nikki Bella and Paige.
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Brie Bella faces Fallon Henley during SummerSlam at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., on Aug. 1, 2026. (WWE via Getty Images)
Nikki Bella attacked Paige at the end of the match, signaling a villainous turn to their characters. She provided an update on Brie in an interview on Busted Open Radio on Sunday before the second night of the premium live event began.
“She’s doing OK. She is in a lot of pain,” Nikki Bella said of Brie. “They are still determining what’s going on. Brie will share that whenever. … I’ve been told to ‘zip it.’”
WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque told reporters after Night 1 that the injury “seems pretty bad.”
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Brie Bella makes her entrance during SummerSlam at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., on Aug. 1, 2026. (WWE via Getty Images)
“Yeah, she’s injured,” he said. “I don’t have an update yet. We’ve taken her. She was here, got some treatment done here, has been taken to the hospital to get some scans done. Don’t have a clean answer on it yet.
“I know she hurt her shoulder. It seems pretty bad, but I don’t have an answer yet. Hopefully we will soon. Hopefully, it won’t be as bad as we thought it was, but that’s the nature of the game.”
The Bellas and Paige teamed up against Jayne, Lainey Reid and Fallon Henley. Jayne scored the pinfall over Paige to give her team the win.
Brie Bella made her stunning return to WWE at the Royal Rumble in January and then was set to team with her sister at WrestleMania 42 before Nikki Bella suffered her own injury.
Brie Bella, Paige and Nikki Bella look on during SummerSlam at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., on Aug. 1, 2026. (WWE via Getty Images)
Instead, she teamed with Paige as they won the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship.
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Now, it’s unclear when Brie Bella will be able to return to the ring.
Newly-crowned Taipei Open champion Tanvi Sharma and a fit-again Kidambi Srikanth will look to continue India’s impressive run on the international circuit when they spearhead the country’s challenge at the Korea Masters Super 300 badminton tournament, beginning in Asan, Korea on Tuesday. Tanvi, the 17-year-old from Punjab, produced a sensational performance to clinch her maiden BWF World Tour title after defeating Vietnam’s sixth seed Thuy Linh Nguyen in the final of the Taipei Open on Sunday. The historic triumph made her only the second Indian women’s singles player to win the Taipei Open, joining Saina Nehwal (2008).
She also became only the fourth Indian women’s singles shuttler to secure a Super 300 or higher-level title, joining an elite club comprising Saina, PV Sindhu and Devika Sihag.
The feat has put her in the spotlight and expectations will be high from the Indian this week as she opens her campaign against a qualifier.
India has six players in the men’s singles and 10 in the women’s singles main draws of the USD 250,000 event.
In the men’s singles, third seed Srikanth, a 2021 World Championships silver medallist, looked in good rhythm as he reached the final of the US Open but was forced to withdraw from the Canada Open the following week due to a fitness issue.
Now back to full fitness, the former world No. 1 will begin his campaign against Israel’s Daniil Dubovenko.
Kiran George has drawn a qualifier in the opening round and could face eighth seed Wang Po-Wei of Chinese Taipei in the pre-quarterfinals.
Saneeth Dayanand faces a daunting opener against top seed Yudai Okimoto of Japan, while Rounak Chouhan takes on fourth seed Jeon Hyeok Jin of South Korea.
Tharun Mannepalli will face South Korea’s Yoo Tae Bin, while Mithun Manjunath meets China’s Zhu Xuan Chen. Should both Indians win their opening matches, Srikanth and Mithun will square off in an all-Indian second-round clash.
In the women’s singles, seventh seed Malvika Bansod also has a favourable start against a qualifier, while Tanya Hemanth has been handed a difficult first-round clash against top seed Hina Akechi of Japan.
Aakarshi Kashyap will face South Korea’s Kim Min Ji, while Shriyanshi Valishetty takes on Chinese Taipei’s Pai Yu Po. Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj and Ashmita Chaliha will each open against a qualifier.
Eighth seed Anmol Kharb opens against Hong Kong’s Lo Sin Yan Happy, Mansi Singh will face South Korea’s Kim Joo Eun, and fifth seed Isharani Baruah takes on South Korea’s Lee So Yul.
Among the other Indians, women’s doubles pair Sonali Singh and Ritika Thaker will face a qualifier, while Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra will take on the second-seeded Japanese pair of Ririna Hiramoto and Kokona Ishikawa.
In the men’s doubles, Krishna Prasad Garaga and Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy will face the fourth-seeded Thai pair of Chaloempon Charoenkitamorn and Worrapol Thongsa-Nga in the opening round.
Bhargav Ram Arigela and Viswa Tej Gobburu have been drawn against Malaysia’s Aaron Chia and Aaron Tai, while Achutaditya Rao Doddavarapu and Pochana Arjun Reddy will begin their campaign against the second-seeded pairing of Choi Sol Gyu of South Korea and Goh V Shem of Malaysia.
In the mixed doubles, sixth seeds Ishaan Bhatnagar and Shruti Mishra will face fellow Indians Sathwik Reddy Kanapuram and Radhika Sharma in an all-Indian opening-round clash, guaranteeing India a place in the second round. Seventh seeds Dhruv Rawat and Maneesha K will open their campaign against Malaysia’s Loo Bing Kun and Noraqilah Maisarah.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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With room for just four, who would be on the Mount Rushmore of NFL kickers?
A case can be made for Browns legend Lou Groza. He is part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 1974, largely as the left tackle in Paul Brown’s Cleveland dynasty years, but also as “The Toe,” a kicker who led the NFL in career scoring when he retired.
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The other three are easy. They are the only NFL kicking specialists elected to the Hall — Jan Stenerud (Class of 1991), Morten Andersen (Class of 2017) and Adam Vinatieri (Class of 2026).
There’s some Groza grit in Vinatieri, to whom Bill Parcells declared, “You’re a football player, not just a kicker,” after he chased down former Heisman winner Herschel Walker and planted him during a return. The 6-foot, 200-pound Vinatieri was a high school linebacker.
The other two on this Rushmore were only ever kickers in all of their football days.
Stenerud played youth soccer in Norway and came to the USA on a skiing scholarship. Andersen grew up in Denmark and was a 17-year-old exchange student when Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis talked him onto the football team.
New England Patriots Adam Vinatieri celebrates winning Super Bowl XXXVI with owner Robert Kraft at the Louisiana Superdome, Feb. 3, 2002, in New Orleans.. The Patriots defeated the Rams 20-17.
Vinatieri hails from South Dakota, where his high school in Rapid City was a short drive from the real Mount Rushmore. He was a football quarterback and linebacker in addition to kicking. He wrestled, played basketball and ran track.
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His all-around scholar-athlete résumé earned an appointment to the United State Military Academy. He went to West Point but soon returned home, where for three years he was the punter and placekicker for the South Dakota State Jackrabbits.
The NFL wasn’t interested in a talented but inconsistent prospect from NCAA Division II. Vinatieri spent 1995 without a team and in heavy training.
He kicked and punted well in NFL Europe for the Amsterdam Admirals in the spring of 1996, earning a tryout with the New England Patriots. Parcells picked him over 39-year-old Matt Bahr, a former Browns kicker.
Vinatieri was an entrenched Patriot by 1998, when Phil Dawson spent the season on the practice squad, prior to joining the Browns in 1999 and eventually breaking Groza’s Cleveland scoring record.
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The Patriots replaced head coach Pete Carroll with Bill Belichick in 2000.
In the Super Bowl capping Belichick’s 2001 season, Vinatieri broke a 17-17 tie with the Rams with a 48-yard field goal as time expired.
Adam Vinatieri kicks the game-winning field goal for the New England Patriots against the St. Louis Rams as time expires in Super Bowl XXXVI at the Louisiana Superdome, Feb. 3, 2002, in New Orleans. The Patriots won 20-17.
In a Super Bowl against Carolina two years later, he connected from 41 yards with four seconds left to break a 29-all tie.
After he helped beat the Eagles in a third Super Bowl the next year, the Patriots made him their franchise player for 2005, costing them $2.5 million.
Adam Vinatieri, K – 1996-2005 New England Patriots, 2006-2019 Indianapolis Colts | (Times as a Semifinalist: 2 – 2025-26 )
In 2006, Belichick deemed the new franchise-tag price, $3 million, too high for a kicker and let Vinatieri walk after 10 seasons, at age 33.
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He went to the Colts as a free agent and instantly popped up in another Super Bowl, making three field goals in a 29-17 win over the Bears.
Adam Vinatieri kicks a field goal for the Indianapolis Colts against the Chicago Bears in the third quarter of Super Bowl XLI, Feb. 4, 2007, in Miami.
Letting Vinatieri go worked out for Belichick as a business decision.
Rookie fourth-round draft pick Stephen Gostkowski replaced Vinatieri in 2006 and spent 14 seasons with the team, kicking in three Super Bowl wins.
Vinatieri stabilized the Colts placekicking position for a long, long time. At one point, he made an NFL-record 44 field goals in a row.
Vinatieri announced his retirement on the Pat McAfee Show on May 26, 2021.
“It all started on a snowy day in Foxborough,” Vinatieri says now, as if he has told his story before.
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A blizzard blew through the hills south of Boston on Jan. 19, 2002.
“I’m sure it looked pretty,” Vinatieri says. “It was pretty hard to play in.”
Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri celebrates his game-tying field goal in the fourth quarter against the Raiders in an AFC playoff game at Foxboro Stadium, Jan. 19, 2002. Vinatieri later kicked a game-winning field goal in overtime of a 16-13 win.
Jon Gruden’s Raiders seemed to clinch a 13-10 playoff win when Tom Brady fumbled with 1:47 left. The call was overturned amid loud protests that led to “the tuck rule.” Still, Vinatieri had to make a 45-yard field goal in impossible conditions.
“We could barely run, let alone kick a field goal of that length,” Vinatieri’s Patriots teammate Mike Vrabel said.
“When you watch it now, it’s amazing that he made it,” said Dawson.
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The amazing make sent the game to overtime, when Vinatieri put through a shorter one for the win.
New England Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri celebrates atop his teammates shoulders after his game-winning field goal in overtime defeated the Oakland Raiders in their AFC divisional playoff game, Jan. 19, 2002, at Foxboro Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts.
His Super Bowls were indoors or in warm weather, in New Orleans, Houston, Jacksonville and Miami. He missed the Colts’ loss to New Orleans in Super Bowl XLIV because of injury, replaced by Matt Stover. It was the last career game for Stover, then 42.
Stover’s story is similar to Vinatieri’s. He was a high school receiver who kicked for the Browns for five years and then for the Ravens for 13 years after the move to Baltimore.
The current top 10 in NFL career scoring is:
1, Vinatieri, 2,673 points; 2, Morten Andersen, 2,544; 3, Gary Anderson, 2,434; 4, Jason Hanson, 2,150; 5, John Carney, 2,062; 6, Stover, 2,004; 7, George Blanda, 2,002; 8, Jason Elam, 1,983; 9, John Kasay, 1,970; 10, Robbie Gould, 1,961
ORG XMIT: 01/10/04 — AFC PLAYOFFS — New England Patriots host the Tennessee Titans at Gillette Stadium –Patriot’s kicker, Adam Vinatieri kicks the game winning field goal in the final minutes of the Titans Patriot playoff game. Photo by Glenn Osmundson
Blanda was a quarterback and kicker. The others were kickers exclusively.
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Browns fans saw Vinatieri kick against Cleveland 10 times.
One was in Belichick’s memorable return to Cleveland, before anyone suspected he would build a Patriots dynasty. Dawson kicked four field goals to Vinatieri’s one in a 19-11 Browns win. Vinatieri wound up 8-2 against the Browns.
He didn’t take himself too seriously, as reflected by one of his pet sayings: “I never get to bake the cake. I get to put the icing on once in a while.”
Vinatieri, 53, treasures his time in New England and is still a Patriots fan, in addition to holding allegiance to the team that kept him longer, the Colts.
Adam Vinatieri Kicker
He and his wife, Valerie, have three children. The oldest, A.J., is entering his senior year as a punter at Lindenwood University in Missouri. The family lives in Zionsville, Indiana, about 15 miles northwest of downtown Indianapolis.
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The three oldest players in NFL history were Blanda, 48; Morten Anderson, 47; and Vinatieri, 47.
“As I aged, I went from being the rookie to the vet, then the big brother, then the dad, and by the end probably the grandpa in the locker room,” Vinatieri said.
He was taken quite seriously by his peers, who entrusted him to a prominent role in the NFL Players Association.
One of the most respected members of the expansion-era Browns was Dawson, who spent 14 seasons in Cleveland before kicking elsewhere. He was 44 when he ceremonially “retired as a Brown” in 2019.
Dawson’s role model was Adam Vinatieri.
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Reach Steve at steve.doerschuk@cantonrep.com
The Canton Repository sports department can be contacted via email at sports@cantonrep.com.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: There was a little bit of Browns legend Lou Groza in Adam Vinatieri
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Fantasy Baseball Week 20 Preview: Two-start pitcher rankings highlight Troy Melton, Logan Henderson
Here’s how this week’s two-start slate stacks up
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott registered their first win of the new 2026 racing season when Steel Strike triumphed in the National Jockeys Trust Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
The quick-starting galloper Felix Majestic, appreciating the firmer track conditions, set a demanding pace, establishing a significant four-length lead over his chasers, with Steel Strike in pursuit.
Leading jockey Tim Clark remained composed on Steel Strike, but it took the entirety of the Rosehill straight to reel in the brave Felix Majestic in a hard-fought finish.
“It was a great set-up for him today,” Bott shared. “Tim wanted to be aggressive early and put himself into the picture.”
“We thought it would be a truly run race and I think he enjoyed having something to chase. He was usually the one creating the pace last preparation and that left him vulnerable late but it all fell into place for him today.”
Steel Strike ($8), campaigned by Scott Darby’s syndication company Darby Racing, finally collared the tenacious Felix Majestic ($12) just before the finishing post, securing victory by a half neck. Silvanito ($11) claimed third place, a further half length behind.
The $2.70 favourite, Tarzing, was under pressure a considerable distance from home and could only manage sixth position.
Clark celebrated his birthday with a winning double, having earlier saluted the judge on Funshow, sharing riding honours with Zac Lloyd.
Steel Strike, a five-year-old son of Exceedance, was having his 10th career start and recorded his second career win.
“I think this horse will be a very good buy for Darby Racing,” Bott stated. “The plan is to just take Steel Strike through his grades and potentially get him out to 1600m.”
Waterhouse and Bott concluded the 2025/26 season with 132 wins across all tracks, including 69 metropolitan victories, placing them second on the Sydney premiership ladder behind Chris Waller, who secured 183 wins and earned nearly $18 million in prize money.
Their standout performer from the previous season was Sir Delius, a triple Group 1 winner who claimed the Underwood Stakes, Turnbull Stakes, and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
Sir Delius is currently being prepared for a spring campaign and impressed Bott with a strong second in his Randwick barrier trial on Friday, behind Oh Diamond Lil, with Autumn Glow finishing third. Get the best Australian betting sites for all the upcoming racing action.
Lindsay Park’s shrewd decision to acquire former New Zealand galloper Touchdown continues to reap benefits, with the progressive five-year-old gelding showcasing another commanding performance at Flemington.
The Ben, Will and JD Hayes-trained gelding has now recorded five wins and three placings from a mere nine career starts, achieving a decisive victory in the Melbourne Cup Carnival On Sale (1620m).
Following a noteworthy second over 1400 metres at Sandown upon his return, Touchdown advanced further in his second-up run.
Co-trainer Ben Hayes shared his thoughts: “Although he didn’t win at Sandown, it was still a great run. We had to go back from the draw on a heavy track first-up and he was super through the line. He really came through it well. This time he had to do a bit more work than we thought but it was an easy watch in the end and he was strong through the line and there were nice spacings back to second and third.”
Sent off as the $1.95 favourite, Touchdown triumphed over Danny O’Brien’s Fahrr Flung ($12) by two lengths, with Kaleo ($5.50) a further 2¼ lengths back in third.
Hayes is confident that the lightly raced import still has considerable untapped potential as the stable gradually escalates his race starts.
“I think there is a lot more to come and he is an exciting horse going forward,” Hayes stated. “It is always good when they run well at this place and there are a lot of nice races to win. We’re not going to get too carried away with him yet and we’ll go through the grades with him but he may end up in a nice race in the spring.”
The victory also represented jockey Blake Shinn’s second winner of the day on his comeback meeting after a substantial spell due to injury.
Shinn believes Touchdown possesses the qualities to mature into an even better horse as he is tested over greater distances.
“He’s a raw talent, I feel and he’s not the furnished product,” Shinn commented. “I love that he’s got a great length of stride and I think he’ll get better as he gets further.”
Check out the racing odds for the next big event.
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