The 2026 St Leger Stakes is set to be a very special occasion, as this year marks the 250th anniversary since the historic event first took place at Doncaster in 1776.

One of the Flat season’s biggest races just grows that little bit more in prestige, making the Classic an even more desirable prize for those competing.

Although the entry list for the September race is yet to be confirmed, it has not stopped discourse about potential candidates and who are the ones to watch. And a name those scanning racecards will have an eye on is Aidan O’Brien.

After making it three successive St Leger wins in 2025, the Irishman will be widely backed this September, especially with free bets Ireland offers available. Right now, his biggest candidate for success is seemingly three-year-old horse Christmas Day, who is looking to build on an impressive 2026.

Christmas Day to extend O’Brien’s St Leger streak?

Why the Great Voltigeur Stakes could shape Christmas Day’s St Leger fortunes

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East Zone vice-captain and teenage batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been toiling in the nets ahead of the upcoming Duleep Trophy campaign starting August 23, according to a report. After helping India beat Zimbabwe in a T20I series last month, Sooryavanshi was quick to transition into red-ball mode to prepare for the multi-day inter-zonal tournament. He has been named deputy to wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan, who will lead East Zone.

As per a report in Cricbuzz, Sooryavanshi is currently at the Rajasthan Royals performance centre in Nagpur, training alongside a few of his RR teammates. As part of a 10-day training camp organised by RR, Sooryavanshi is fine-tuning his red-ball game.

“Currently, the franchise is holding a 10-day camp for its players, with Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma, Shubham Dubey, Ravi Singh and Sushant Mishra besides Sooryavanshi among those in attendance. Of that group, Sooryavanshi and Deshpande will feature in the Duleep Trophy, representing East Zone and West Zone respectively. Sooryavanshi is his side’s vice-captain,” the report said.

While Sooryavanshi has proved his mettle in white-ball cricket, the upcoming multi-day tournament provides an opportunity to show that he is equally comfortable in the longer format and prove his doubters wrong.

Speaking about the 10-day camp, RR stated that the main purpose behind the training facility is to allow players to remain match-fit for their return to competitive cricket.

“The camp combines technical skill development, strength and conditioning, workload management, recovery and performance analysis through individually tailored training programmes. The objective is to ensure players return to competitive cricket physically prepared, technically refined and ready for the demands of the domestic season,” RR said in a statement, as quoted by Cricbuzz.

The facility also provides access to multiple soil-specific batting tracks, which allows players to prepare for different domestic conditions.

“The period before the season begins is one of the most valuable opportunities for players to invest in their game. Every player arrives with different objectives, whether that’s refining technical skills, building physical conditioning or preparing for the demands of the domestic season. The High Performance Centre allows us to create individualised programmes while training together as a squad, ensuring every player is best prepared for the challenges ahead,” said batting caoch Vikram Rathour said.

“The High Performance Centre was established with a long-term vision of creating a world-class environment where our players can develop throughout the year. Our focus is on the overall cricketing development of every player, which extends far beyond the IPL season in April and May,” Romi Bhinder, the franchise’s head of operations, said.

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“Winning World Cup Most Beautiful thing”: Golden Ball Winner Rodri

Today, Friday, is Nations Cup of Ireland Day at the Gallagher Dublin Horse Show at the RDS, the 100th anniversary of the Nations Cup at the Ballsbridge venue.

Arguably the sports most famous and prestigious prize is on offer, the Aga Khan Perpetual Trophy.

The Jessica Kurten-managed Irish team will be first to jump this afternoon as the home side bids to win the trophy for the first time since 2022.

The Irish side will comprise of Derry’s Daniel Coyle and Farrel, his brother Jordan, riding Chaccolino, Cork’s Shane Sweetnam partnering Coriaan Van Klapscheut Z, with Meath’s Cian O’Connor riding Kentucky TN.

Three of the riders on the Ireland team this afternoon are ranked in the top-25 in the showjumping world rankings. Shane Sweetnam is the highest ranked at number three. Daniel Coyle stands at number 20 in the rankings, five spots ahead of Cian O’Connor on 25.

The other teams competing in the Nations Cup competition today are Britain, Switzerland, Germany, The Netherlands, USA, Belgium and France.

The Parade of Teams will begin in the Laya Arena at 1.45pm.

The first round of the Nations Cup of Ireland will be from 3pm to 4.15pm, with the second round following immediately at 4.30pm. The winning side should be know shortly before 6pm this evening.

Equiraitings.com make Ireland third favourites to win this afternoon, giving them an 18% chance to add to their previous 24 Aga Khan Trophy wins. The Irish showjumping team has also achieved 12 podium finishes here at the RDS since 2010, more than any nation has achieved at any venue.

The U S are pre-competition favourites by Equiraitings.com. The Robert Ridland-managed team is rated with a 23% chance of victory, followed by Otto Becker’s Germany on 22%. The Americans last won the Nations Cup of Ireland in 2024, while the Germans last lifted the Aga Khan Perpetual Trophy in 2007.

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Magnolia Hotshots’ Ian Sangalang blocks Meralco Bolts’ Chris Banchero during a game in the 2026 PBA Governors’ Cup. –PBA IMAGES

MANILA, Philippines—Magnolia emerged victorious over Meralco in a rain-pestered matchup, 105-88, in the 2026 PBA Governors’ Cup at Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Friday night.

The Hotshots took advantage of the long break prompted by venue issues inside the Manila sporting complex to move up to 3-3 in Group B.

“When the game stopped, we all talked heading into the fourth quarter and said, whoever gets a good start [in the fourth] will have a bigger chance of winning because the other side will be cold,” Ian Sangalang said in Filipino after dropping a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds.

“We needed to dig deep because we rested for a while and fortunately, we were able to do it.”

Still no resumption of play here inside the Ninoy Aquino Stadium between the Bolts and the Hotshots.

The game was halted before the start of the fourth quarter due to rook leakage from strong rains. #PBA50 | @MeloFuertesINQ pic.twitter.com/ifQIwrJiOA

— INQUIRER Sports (@inquirersports) August 7, 2026

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Magnolia held a slim 71-70 lead over Meralco at the end of the third quarter.

However, water from roof leaks reached the hardwood due to strong Habagat rains, delaying the game for almost 30 minutes.

When the action resumed, Magnolia came out firing.

The Hotshots opened the fourth period with a strong 19-5 run capped by a basket by Zavier Lucero with 5:11 to play to build a 90-75 lead over Meralco.

Meralco managed to cut the deficit to 10, 95-85, but Jerom Lastimosa’s and-one play with 2:20 remaining effectively put the game out of reach.

KJ Buffen led Magnolia on offense with 27 points while Lastimosa and Lucero added 17 and 10 points, respectively.

The Bolts dropped their fourth straight game to fall to 2-5, despite 24 points from Antonio Hester. Jayson Brickman and Chris Newsome added 19 and 17 points, respectively, while the returning CJ Cansino chipped in 15.

Bob Arum has offered his honest assessment amid accusations that Keyshawn Davis ‘ducked’ his WBO world title opportunity against Devin Haney.

The pair were ordered to collide for Haney’s welterweight belt, with Arum’s Top Rank actively pursuing a deal for its fighter, Davis, to secure his shot at becoming a two-weight world champion.

Despite having never fought at 147lbs, the American did claim the WBO lightweight title by dethroning Denys Berinchyk with a fourth-round stoppage last year.

Rather perplexingly, he was then named as the WBO mandatory challenger at 147lbs after exceeding the 140lb limit against Nahir Albright, who he unanimously outpointed in May.

This therefore positioned him for a stab at Haney’s belt, only for Davis to reject a reported $3m deal that was proposed by Top Rank.

As a result, their contest went to a WBO purse bid hearing, with Top Rank trumping Teofimo Lopez’ Takeover Promotions with a sum of $8.55m.

This would have seen Davis pocket a total of $2.14m, as per the sanctioning bodies’ policy of a 75/25 split in favour of the champion.

The self-proclaimed ‘Businessman’ ultimately withdrew himself from the fight, however, with veteran promoter Arum subsequently telling Dan Rafael that he was left baffled by the whole saga.

“Listen, I’m an old man. I don’t know what the thinking is. I don’t have any goddamn idea. We went out and tried to make this fight for him because he shot his mouth off that this was the fight he wanted. And when we made the fight, he doesn’t want it.”

Following the Davis debacle, Haney is now searching for a new opponent after having not fought since his title-winning performance against Brian Norman Jr in November.

MLB fans have plenty of action to take in on Friday, Aug. 7 with 15 games on the diamond, headlined by Atlanta Braves visiting the New York Yankees, AL Central contenders going at it when the Cleveland Guardians face the Chicago White Sox and the Boston Red Sox trying to get their ninth win in a row and maintain their image as the league’s hottest club. SportsLine MLB expert Adam Thompson has scanned Friday’s matchups and provides his best bets for the day’s slate.

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An analytics-driven exploiter of matchups, Thompson specializes in NFL, NBA and MLB betting. He also has delivered consistent winners in college basketball, horse racing and golf. Over the past two seasons, Thompson is up over 70 units in MLB and over 60 units in the NBA at sports betting apps. You can find more of his picks at SportsLine, and in the member-exclusive SportsLine Discord server, a community of sports betting enthusiasts and SportsLine experts.

Here are Thompson’s best bets and analysis for Friday’s MLB games.

Best MLB picks for Friday, Aug. 7

Mets money line vs. Pirates (+120)

So far, pretty good for Mets rookie left-handed pitcher Zac Thornton. After a subpar debut on May 20 against the MLB’s top-scoring Nationals, Thornton has given up seven earned runs in five starts. Thornton, and a bullpen with a 1.65 ERA the last two weeks, combine to face a fumbling Pirates lineup that’s scored exactly two runs in four of five.

The Mets scored 13 runs on Thursday to complete a sweep at Cleveland. They scored six runs in all three games vs. a slew of decent Guardians arms. Carmen Mlodzinski will open for the Pirates, and he’s embraced that role. But we prefer the hitting trends of the road side, and Thornton can shut down a team that has the worst OPS against left-handers over the last 15 days.

Red Sox -1.5 vs. Athletics (-114)

The poor Athletics have lost 11 of 12. They were just swept by the Reds, suffering three one-run defeats. So at least they’re competing, despite owning the second-worst record in MLB. This matchup does not look as favorable.

Boston has been the hottest team in baseball over the last month and comes in with a seven-game win streak. Over the last two weeks, the Red Sox OPS at home is .845 and .811 against right-handers. Those splits are roughly 300 points higher than what the A’s are doing.

Payton Tolle (6-6, 3.30 ERA) has been solid, and he should get run sport as the surging Sox lineup faces Jack Perkins (0-4, 7.44 ERA last seven games) and a bullpen with a 6.26 ERA since mid-July.

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Yankees money line vs. Braves

Banking on the Yankees to do anything offensively sounds crazy. The pinstripes have scored over two runs in a game just once all week, and it was in a 13-7 blowout loss to the Cardinals. Things are rough in the Bronx right now. But things are even rougher for Tyler Mahle on the road. The Braves starter is 0-6 with an 8.04 ERA in nine road games, and has been far worse under the lights (5.95 ERA in 11 games) as well.

The Braves are on a roll, though their last seven wins have all come at home. The last nine games on the road have produced just four wins. Max Fried can limit his former team; in his three starts since his return from the IL, he’s given up four runs on eight hits with 18 strikeouts.

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Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho is reportedly furious after the club failed to reach a transfer agreement with Rodri. According to reports, the Manchester City midfielder has opted to sign for Barcelona instead.

Fresh off captaining Spain to World Cup glory in 2026, Rodri’s future has been one of the biggest talking points of the summer transfer window. The 30-year-old has one year left on his contract with City but is keen for a new adventure after seven years at the Etihad.

Madrid were reportedly in talks with Manchester City and were leading the race for the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner. But negotiations between the two clubs stalled, allowing rivals Barcelona to step in.

Rodri has now reportedly agreed to join the reigning La Liga champions following talks with coach Hansi Flick. The sudden move has angered Real Madrid fans, with club president Florentino Pérez and manager Mourinho among those left furious.

According to SPORT via (Forbes), the Portuguese manager voiced his frustration to club executives after learning of Rodri’s potential move to Barcelona. Despite missing out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball winner, Los Blancos reportedly have no plans to recruit another midfielder due to a lack of reliable options in the market.

Real Madrid have already solidified their squad this summer with the signings of experienced stars in Marc Cucurella, Bernardo Silva, Denzel Dumfries and Ibrahima Konate. The La Liga giants also recently completed the club record signing of Yia Diomande from RB Leipzig for a reported €140 million.

Acquiring the services of a midfield maestro like Rodro would have been another major statement of intent in their bid to return to the echelon of Spanish and European football.

Rodri’s agent sheds light on failed Real Madrid move

Following his decision to join Barcelona, Rodri’s agent Pablo Barquero opened up on the midfielder snubbing Real Madrid. He confirmed that Los Blancos made strong efforts to sign the Manchester City star, even offering an irresistible deal, but the player opted to join their rivals instead.

“Real Madrid made an unrefusable offer to Rodri after the World Cup. Madrid were serious about going after Rodri and put everything on the table so that he would play for Madrid. From their president down to the general director, everyone worked so that Rodri could play for Real Madrid, Barquero said (via GOAL).

“The conversations were positive and they have been negotiating over these past two weeks, but Rodri has made the decision to choose another offer, and he’s told them his decision,” he added.

Rodri joined Manchester City from Atletico Madrid in 2019, becoming an integral player in Pep Guardiola’s setup and establishing himself as one of the best defensive midfielders in the world. Since then, he has won four Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League, the Ballon d’Or and, most recently, the FIFA World Cup.