After launching the season with a winning treble at Rosehill, jockey Tim Clark is now setting his sights on claiming the first Sydney stakes race of the new term with Gangsta Granny.

Clark is scheduled to partner with the Hawkes Racing mare once more in Saturday’s Group 2 Missile Stakes (1200m), aiming to build on his recent successful start.

“It was a good day last week. I got some nice winners that weren’t totally expected, so that’s always nice, and for a variety of trainers too,” Clark commented.

The top jockey’s sole previous ride on Gangsta Granny resulted in a third-place finish behind Stefi Magnetica in last year’s The Invitation (1400m).

This particular race remains a significant memory for Clark, and he is eager to make amends for his previous effort.

“I didn’t quite have the best of luck when I rode her in The Invitation, so I’m looking to redeem that,” he explained.

“She trialled up well on Friday at Randwick. I gave her a nice hit-out there. She’s drawn soft in one, so she will get the right run.

“She’ll probably need a bit of luck at the right stages, but you know with her, every time she goes out there she is going to try her best and give her all.”

Gangsta Granny has maintained exceptional consistency, never finishing outside the top three placings across her twelve starts.

Clark attributes this remarkable consistency to a combination of her inherent tenacity and the astute race programming executed by Team Hawkes.

Although Gangsta Granny has mainly competed in fillies and mares’ races over the past year, securing two Group 3 victories and five black-type placings, Clark is confident she can contend with the colts and geldings in the Missile Stakes (1200m).

“She’s a strong mare and obviously the Hawkes team have placed her really well throughout her career,” Clark stated.

“Now is the time to test her at that little bit better level to see where she measures up.

“It’s always nice to get the call up to ride one of their horses because invariably, they’re in the right races. They do place them well, and I’m looking forward to teaming up with them on Saturday.”

On Thursday, Angel Capital was listed as the $2.60 favourite for the Missile Stakes, with Gangsta Granny at $3.80 and Ninja at $3.90.

Betting sites are offering competitive racing odds for the Missile Stakes, so get your bets on now.

New Iowa State coach Jimmy Rogers is nothing if not confident.

The Cyclones were picked last in the Big 12 preseason media poll, return no starters and had 55 players transfer after Rogers was hired to replace Matt Campbell, who took 24 of the best with him to Penn State.

Rogers admitted to reporters in Ames, Iowa this week that he was the one who picked the Cyclones, in an On3.com anonymous coaches poll, to make it to the Big 12 championship game in his first season.

“What would you think if I didn’t vote on us? You’d wonder why I’m the head coach at Iowa State,” Rogers said. “I was brought in to win. Very self-aware. They didn’t hire me to come here and not be competitive. I wasn’t hired for my disposition. I was hired to create a program that competes and wins and that’s the goal. We’re not signing up for second place.

“So I know that’s a bold statement, and they’ll print it everywhere. But the reality is this: the players have to believe in what you say, and you have to act on how you believe. I believe that we can win.”

Rogers is replacing the all-time wins leader at Iowa State, which went 8-4 overall and 5-4 in the Big 12 in Campbell’s final season. The Cyclones played in seven bowls in Campbell’s 10 years — they opted out of a bowl last season — and appeared in the Big 12 championship game in 2020. The program hasn’t won a conference championship since 1912.

Tight end Tyler Fortenberry said Rogers’ prediction surprises no one on the team. He said Rogers’ abundance of confidence comes from the success he was part of as an assistant and head coach at South Dakota State of the Football Championship Subdivision. In his only year at Washington State, he led a team with 75 newcomers to a 6-6 record and a bowl bid.

“Coach Rogers does a good job in team meetings making sure we’re not focused on what Twitter says, what Instagram says or what the media says about what we’re going to finish,” Fortenberry said. “They all have us 16th. If you buy into that and believe what the media has to say, you’re not going to get anywhere in life.”

Reporting by the Associated Press.

Gianni Infantino’s alleged lover was given a severance payment over the affair by Uefa while he was its general secretary, according to a Daily Telegraph investigation, external.

A spokesman for the now Fifa president was reported to have told the paper Infantino “strongly denies these categorically untrue allegations”.

Uefa, for whom Infantino was general secretary from 2009 to 2016, issued a statement confirming “a departure payment was made to the individual in question”.

The allegations come as Infantino fights for his future as Fifa president following his aborted plans to sell off stakes in the World Cup to private investors.

BBC Sport has contacted Fifa and Infantino for comment.

The Telegraph reported that Uefa paid a six-figure sum to the woman, who had an alleged relationship with Infantino, who is married, during his time at European football’s governing body.

“Fifa president Gianni Infantino strongly denies these allegations, and they are categorically untrue. Any insinuation of inappropriate conduct or violation of statutes or regulations is defamatory,” a Fifa spokesman told the Telegraph.

“No employee at Uefa and Fifa has ever raised a complaint regarding Mr Infantino’s behaviour because there never was an incident where he was involved.”

Uefa confirmed a payment was made to the woman in question and that it covered the fees for her to complete an MBA course at a local business school.

It said all payments were in line with regulations at the time, but those regulations have since been tightened and “reflect those found in a modern, high-profile organisation”.

A gun charge against Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star James Harden has been dismissed, according to court records.

The charge was dropped on Thursday by Harris County Criminal Court Judge Alex Salgado in Houston, Texas, at the request of the Harris County district attorney’s office.

Harden completed an alternative resolution program, which allows defendants to avoid a criminal conviction through community service, though the specific terms were not detailed.

Harden was arrested on June 13 in Houston after police found a handgun in his vehicle. The California native was accused of “unlawfully, intentionally and knowingly” having a gun in his vehicle, which was unholstered and “in plain view,” according to a copy of the complaint obtained by The New York Post.

Texas law classifies having a gun “in plain view” in a vehicle without a license as a misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine.

Sources told the outlet that the shooting guard had been at a Houston hookah lounge with friends before the early morning arrest. Harden was released after paying a $100 bond.

The 36-year-old guard finished his 17th NBA season in May, when the Cavaliers were swept by the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals. He averaged 23.6 points per game during the regular season.

Harden has indicated he wishes to remain with the Cavaliers, but declined a $42.3 million option for next season in favor of a longer contract, which is not yet finalized.

An 11-time All-Star and eight-time All-NBA selection, Harden was named MVP in the 2017-18 season while with the Houston Rockets.

The start of the NFL season isn’t too far away now but there is still time to get some rankings in ahead of the 2026 season. The good folk over at Pro Football Focus have been doing just that. I previously looked at where PFF ranked the Vikings’ offensive playmakers; this time, I will be looking at the Vikings offensive line.

Where Vikings Offensive Line Players Land in PFF Rankings Ahead of 2026

PFF has been ranking the top 32 players at each position and the offensive line is split into tackle, guard, and center. When it comes to the Vikings offensive line, four of the team’s five starting linemen made it into the rankings. The one who missed out was Donovan Jackson who didn’t do enough in his rookie season to crack the top 32 for guards. Jackson did have a decent rookie season and showed the potential to be able to rise up any guard rankings with continued development.

The positioning of the players in their respective rankings tells a story that we already know. Minnesota’s strength is on the edge with their offensive tackles, while the interior of the offensive line remains a concern despite the amount of money and draft capital that has been thrown at it in recent years. The Vikings IOL comes into the season relatively inexperienced either in terms of years in the league or playing time at a new position.

Brian O’Neill – OT Rank – 14th

O’Neill played a career-low 734 snaps in 2025, but turned in some of his best work when he was on the field. His 81.6 PFF grade was the 12th-best mark among qualified tackles. O’Neill dominated on the ground with a career-high 84.5 PFF run-blocking grade that ranked eighth among that same group. Assuming O’Neill and running mate Christian Darrisaw are healthy, they should be the foundation of a premier offensive line in Minnesota.

Brian O’Neill recently signed a new four-year contract extension worth $96 million, which puts him in range of finishing his career as Vikings. Consistency in both pass protection and run blocking has made him a foundational piece of the Vikings offensive line for several years.

Christian Darrisaw is the Vikings’ best tackle, but O’Neill has been a solid presence on the right side for Minnesota ever since he was drafted in the second round of the 2018 draft. O’Neill has been healthier and more available as of late and his ranking at 14th is about right even if the Vikings fan in me wants to push him closer to the top 10.

Christian Darrisaw – OT Rank – 18th

At his peak, Darrisaw is one of the best tackles in the NFL. Unfortunately, he has yet to play all 17 games in a given season and suited up on fewer than 600 snaps in each of 2024 and 2025. He posted a career-low 65.6 PFF grade last season, but recorded an 80.0-plus grade in three consecutive seasons prior to that. Still just 27 years old, Darrisaw should have ample opportunities to prove himself an elite player once again.

Before his devastating knee injury that occurred during the 2024 season, Darrisaw was firmly in the conversation when picking the best five tackles in the game. His knee injury lingered into last season where he never looked quite right after returning to the field. The good news is Darrisaw has said he is back at 100% heading into the 2026 season. Minnesota will hope he returns to his elite level of play we saw pre-injury, where he could handle the best pass rushers in the game.

Will Fries – OG Rank – 31st

Fries didn’t quite live up to the five-year, $87 million contract he signed last offseason in his first year with Minnesota. His 61.8 PFF grade was much more in line with the level of play he showed in 2022 and 2023. Perhaps he can recapture the excellent form he displayed in 2024, but that performance came across fewer than 300 snaps. It’s possible, but Fries will need to show meaningful improvement this season to justify his hefty contract.

The best thing to say about Will Fries’ first season in Minnesota is that he was healthy. He was the only lineman who managed to play in all 17 games. His play was solid but the Vikings aren’t paying him to be solid and just scrape into a top 32 rankings. He got a huge contract on the back of a few very good games before a broken leg ended his 2024 season.

It was a big risk and Minnesota will be desperately hoping that a year to settle in, a more consistent group alongside him, and a new offensive line coach – Keith Carter – are a recipe for Fries to find the kind of form that earned him his big contract again. As one of the last major bits of business of the departed Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, there is a valid concern that the former GM has left the Vikings with an expensive flop but there is still time for Fries to prove himself and become a cornerstone of the Vikings offensive line.

Blake Brandel – OC Rank – 25th

The Vikings have no clean answers at the center position heading into 2026. Brandel, along with Michael Jurgens and rookie Gavin Gerhardt, stand as the team’s current options to fill the role, none of which provide a proven track record at the NFL level. While Jurgens and Gerhardt have more experience at the position dating back to college, Brandel has seen more action across his six NFL seasons, including a stint as the Vikings’ starting left guard in 2024.

Blake Brandel has been the utility man of the Vikings offensive line over the past few years. Starting as a swing tackle, moving to a starting guard role, and now to the starting center. I’ve seen rankings where Brandel doesn’t make the 32, and with his lack of games at the position that’s fair enough. PFF gives him credit for being a good lineman here with a 25th place in the rankings. How Brandel fares with all the different aspects that come with being at the center of the line will have a big impact on the Vikings’ fortunes this season.

Proud UK Viking. Family Man. Enjoy writing about my team. Away from football an advocate for autism acceptance.

Advertisement

Sporting CP get underway in the new Portuguese Primeira Liga campaign when they visit the Estadio Jose Gomes to face Estrela Amadora on Saturday. Having lost each of the previous 10 meetings between the two teams since September 2007, Pepa’s men will be keen to end their 19-year hoodoo against Sporting and cause an early league upset.

It was another hugely disappointing league run for Estrela last season, with the Amadora-based outfit finishing 15th in the table for a second straight year and avoiding relegation by the skin of their teeth.

Pepa’s side managed just six wins from their 34 Primeira Liga games to collect 30 points, finishing above 16th-placed Casa Pia in the relegation playoff spot on goal difference.

However, if their pre-season form is anything to go by, optimism is brewing for Estrela heading into the new term, having picked up four wins and one draw from six pre-season matches.

On the other hand, Sporting CP enjoyed a hugely promising pre-season campaign, winning each of their five warm-up games, including victories over Strasbourg, AS Monaco, and Nottingham Forest, while scoring a staggering 17 goals and conceding twice.

Rui Borges’ men will look to maintain this fine form heading into the new campaign, as they aim to put together a strong early-season run and charge for the title, following last season’s disappointments.

Finishing second and losing the league race to rivals Porto, Sporting Lisbon were left stunned in their final game of the season when they fell to a 2-1 extra-time defeat against second-tier side Torreense in the Taca de Portugal final.

Estrela Amadora vs Sporting CP Head-To-Head and Key Numbers

• Sporting Lisbon have been imperious in the history of this fixture, having picked up 16 wins from the last 18 meetings between the two teams.
• Estrela have managed just one win in that time, while the two teams have also settled for a share of the spoils once.
• Estrela are without a win in their last seven Primeira Liga games, losing five and claiming two draws since a 4-0 victory over Casa Pia in March.
• Sporting CP have lost just one of their last 30 league games since September 2025, while picking up 22 wins and seven draws in that time.

Estrela Amadora vs Sporting CP Prediction

Sporting CP have consistently shown their quality and superiority in this fixture, and given the gulf in class between the two teams, they remain firm favourites to come out on top at the Estadio Jose Gomes. We predict another one-sided affair this weekend, with Borges’ men coming away with a comfortable victory.

Prediction: Estrela Amadora 0-3 Sporting CP

Estrela Amadora vs Sporting CP Betting Tips

Tip 1: Result – Sporting CP to win

Tip 2: Over 2.5 goals – Yes (There have been at least three goals scored in seven of the last eight meetings between the two teams)

Tip 3: Over 4.5 cards – No (There have also been fewer than five bookings in seven of their last eight clashes)