Progressive gelding Axius has an unknown top end according to rider Tim Clark, who is keen to discover more when the sprinter tackles stakes level at Randwick.

Saturday’s Group 3 Liverpool City Cup (1300m) awaits the four-year-old, resuming post his standout triumph in January’s Magic Millions Sprint (1200m) at the Gold Coast with Clark steering.

“He’s been a horse that has been threatening to do something like he did,” Clark said.

“He’s a big, tough, headstrong Justify gelding who really enjoyed riding the back of that good speed at the Gold Coast.

“It was a dominant performance up there and he still gets into this race with a very light weight.”

Axius gets the minimum 53.5kg impost for Saturday, as handicapper Coal Crusher shoulders the top weight of 58kg.

Facing him is The Instructor, who trailed Axius at the Gold Coast but has performed creditably since, including a near-miss in Group company locally and a solid fourth behind champion Autumn Glow in the Apollo Stakes (1400m).

Clark eyes a positive showing from Axius relative to The Instructor’s form.

“He’s an interesting runner to see where he measures up,” Clark said of his mount.

“He beat The Instructor home at the Gold Coast and meets him better at the weights on Saturday.

“This race on Saturday is probably going to decide his future plans through the autumn and the winter and how high they can aim with him. But he has barely put a foot wrong during his career, and they’ve been very patient with him, so they’re getting the rewards now.”

Axius, under Ciaron Maher’s guidance, carries nominations into the Sydney autumn carnival’s Group 1 T J Smith Stakes (1200m) and Doncaster Mile (1600m).

Check the racing betting markets ahead of the Liverpool City Cup.

Super Eagles goalkeeper Amas Obasogie has strongly denied allegations of match fixing levelled against him by his Tanzanian club, Singida Black Stars SC, following his recent suspension.

The club suspended Obasogie for three months after conducting an internal investigation into alleged misconduct. According to reports in Tanzania, the action was taken as part of efforts to maintain discipline and protect the integrity of the team. Ugandan midfielder Khalid Aucho was also handed a three-month suspension for misconduct, including absence from duty and failure to meet team obligations.

In a letter dated February 27, Obasogie firmly rejected the claims and insisted that his mistakes on the pitch should not be seen as deliberate wrongdoing.

Titled “REBUTTAL TO THE ALLEGATION OF MATCH FIXING”, the goalkeeper wrote:

“I, Amas Obasogie, respectfully address the Management, Coaching Staff, Players, Supporters, Members of the Press, and the entire football community regarding the allegation of match fixing that led to my temporary suspension by Singida Black Stars SC.

“I state clearly and unequivocally that I have never engaged in match fixing and will never do so. The goals conceded in the CAF Confederation Cup match against Flambeau du Centre and the NBC Premier League fixture against Namungo FC were the result of footballing errors, not deliberate misconduct. I accept full responsibility for my performance; however, mistakes on the field must not be mistaken for match manipulation.

“As a national team goalkeeper representing the great nation of Nigeria, I fully understand the severe consequences of match fixing. My integrity, reputation, and career are invaluable to me. I have sworn never to bring the game of football, my club, or my country into disrepute. I am ready and willing to appear before any disciplinary committee to defend myself and clear my name.

“I remain fully committed and dedicated to Singida Black Stars SC. This club means a great deal to me, and I hold deep respect for its leadership, technical crew, my teammates, supporters, sponsors, and every stakeholder associated with it. My focus remains on contributing positively to the team, maintaining our momentum, and working tirelessly to help the club achieve its ambitions of winning trophies both in the league and in continental competitions.

“I respectfully urge that my errors in those matches should not be translated into allegations that question my character. I remain loyal, disciplined, and determined to continue serving Singida Black Stars SC with honour and professionalism.”

Obasogie’s response centres on the argument that poor performances should not automatically lead to accusations of corruption. He admitted making errors in matches against Flambeau du Centre and Namungo FC but stressed that they were genuine football mistakes.

The suspension leaves the Super Eagles goalkeeper facing an uncertain period. He was part of Nigeria’s squad at the last Africa Cup of Nations, where the team finished third, and he has been in contention for future national team invitations.

As investigations continue, Obasogie has maintained that he is ready to appear before any disciplinary panel to defend his name, insisting that “my errors should not be translated into allegations that question my character.”

When the Minnesota Vikings moved on from Kirk Cousins, it was largely due to the process the veteran quarterback has always followed. Despite never truly elevating those around him, he has consistently been good enough to get paid,

One More Contract Could Move Cousins Past Tom Brady

Cousins left the Vikings to chase an absurd payday offered by the Atlanta Falcons. It was logical and sensible. It also very expectedly did not work out. Now a cut candidate, he could reverse course and challenge the narrative.

Last offseason, it was reported that Aaron Rodgers wanted to join the Minnesota Vikings and was willing to do it on the cheap. He signed with Pittsburgh for more than $13 million after Minnesota rebuffed his (and Dianni Russini’s) advances. He, too, is a free agent this offseason, and it should be expected that the same desire to play in Kevin O’Connell’s offense exists.

Kirk Cousins has already played in said offense, and he has a level of rapport with the organization. Whereas Minnesota rebuffed the opportunity to complete Brett Favre’s career arc once again, Cousins represents an opportunity to bring a welcomed veteran home. The question becomes whether or not he’ll stand in the way of it happening.

The Atlanta Falcons are going to pay Cousins not to play for them. That sets up a situation where his contract should be far down the list of his concerns. With a guy constantly chasing the bag, though, that’s unlikely ever to be the case. Minnesota probably will have interest in bringing their former starter home, but anything north of what Rodgers played for last season should be laughed at.

Cousins once laughably said, “It’s not about the dollars, but it is about what the dollars represent.” That’s a mindset he’s carried throughout his career, and it’s earned him generational wealth. Expecting him to turn that off seems like a long shot, but it would also showcase an ability to read the room.

You can bet that the Vikings will be projected to land Cousins until he signs elsewhere. It’s a logical assessment until the contract demands get in the way, and that’s something that he’s completely in control of.

Ted Schwerzler is a Minneapolis based blogger that covers the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. Sharing thoughts constantly on Twitter, … More about Ted Schwerzler

Expressing surprise at the comments about a tie Celtic lost 4-2 on aggregate, O’Neill said: “So he is picking our team? Well done old Danny. He’s only in less than a year.

“I have to laugh. He’s made a comment about the picking of our team? Absolutely extraordinary. He hasn’t been in Glasgow long.

“There’s no need for him commenting on my team.”

However, what appeared to get O’Neill most irritated was the Rangers boss’ suggestion that: “I was a little bit surprised after 1-0 that they’re [Celtic] not trying to win this game, 2-0, 3-0, to have a chance. They keep the result until the end.”

The Northern Irishman replied: “He wants to be involved in some of these games.

“I didn’t see it like that. We were driven back because they are a very good team and in the top four of the Bundesliga.”

All that after Rohl had insisted: “I think, in general, it makes no sense to speak too much about the other side, we have to focus on ourselves.”

Hence the battle lines have been drawn for a Glasgow derby that could be of crucial importance to the destination of the Scottish title.

Heart of Midlothian are four points clear of Rangers at the top of the Premiership and Celtic two points further back with a game in hand.

O’Neill does not think the comments will add any fuel to what is usually a fiery fixture.

He should know. Although it will be his first league Old Firm derby since a 2-1 win at Ibrox in April 2005, he has won eight of his last 10 against Rangers, losing just two, and also led them to a 3-1 League Cup semi-final win over Rohl’s side in November.

That was in his first spell as interim manager, but Rangers reversed the scoreline at Celtic Park in January, a result that went some way to ushering in his second after the sacking of Wilfried Nancy.

Celtic’s first-ever win in Germany came after a 2-1 loss at home to Hibernian dented their domestic title hopes.

“We are running out of games,” O’Neill admitted. “We have been trying to catch up for quite some considerable time and we’re still trying to do that.

“Losing to Hibs was a setback, but it wasn’t mortal and we’re still there.”

Now he is relishing a “really great fixture” he “never expected” to be involved in again.

“He [Rohl] possesses a fine team over there and it is going to be tough for us to get a result,” O’Neill admitted.

“In normal circumstances, you would like the full week to prepare, but we’ve gone to Ibrox and won before after we have played midweek games.”

Former United States women’s soccer star Megan Rapinoe criticized the U.S. men’s hockey team for their reaction to President Donald Trump’s phone call in the locker room following their gold medal win over Canada at Milan Cortina, calling the players and president “a clown” over what she said was a “trash” remark about the women’s gold medal hockey team.

Rapinoe, an outspoken critic of Trump, spoke at length about the postgame interaction with the president during the latest episode of her podcast with WNBA great Sue Bird, “A Touch More.”

Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe look on in the first quarter between the United States and France in the men’s basketball gold medal game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena on Aug. 10, 2024. (Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports)

The retired soccer star took issue with Trump’s call, specifically his joke that he would also “have” to invite the women’s team to the State of the Union address, which took place on Tuesday, and the men’s reaction to the remark. 

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“The United States’ men’s hockey team in their utter moment of glory, childhood dreams come true, one in a lifetime accomplishment, sensational – ruined it for themselves because they allowed themselves to be totally co-opted by a clown. And now, you’re a clown. You look like a clown,” she began.

 Rapinoe did not play a clip of the remark, adding, “We’re not going to platform that trash.” 

She went on to admit that she understands the environment and how the team could “get yourself wrapped in this moment,” but expressed her disappointment in the men’s team not respecting their counterparts – or themselves. 

“… And then you just gave this whole moment over to this person, who you know is just only going to use it for him, going to totally co-opt it.” 

Gold medalists Quinn Hughes and Jack Hughes of Team United States celebrate after the Men’s Gold Medal match between Canada and the United States on day 16 of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on Feb. 22, 2026, in Milan, Italy. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

She continued, “Why don’t you respect you more than to have that moment be taken by someone, who for no reason at all, just takes a huge swing and a jab at women who did that exact same thing that you did.”  

Rapinoe also took issue with FBI Director Kash Patel’s presence in the locker room, recalling her playing days and how she would’ve handled those situations differently. 

“Kash Patel is in the locker room, he’s partying, he’s chugging beers – I’m not like decorum over everything, that’s not what I need out of my FBI director, like what are we doing? That’s just, whatever besides the point.” 

She later added, “I would have never… those people would never be allowed in our locker rooms.”

Bird added that her biggest issue with the interaction was seeing it knowing the relationship between both the men’s and women’s teams, which she called “genuine.” 

“This person, who happens to be the president of the United States, makes a joke that is and feels dismissive, and I don’t get the part where the men’s hockey team is actually close with the women’s hockey team,” she said.

“If my friends were being dismissed in this way, why would I laugh ever? Period. Take the rest of it out. That’s what I don’t get.”

Gold medalist Hilary Knight of Team United States celebrates after the medal ceremony for Women’s Ice Hockey after the Women’s Gold Medal match between the United States and Canada on day 13 of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on Feb. 19, 2026, in Milan, Italy. (Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)

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U.S. women’s hockey star Hillary Knight addressed the controversy on ESPN, calling the joke “distasteful,” but defended the men’s players. 

“I think there’s a genuine level of support there and respect,” she said. “I think that’s being overshadowed by a quick lapse. I think the guys were in a tough spot, so I think it’s a shame this storyline and narrative has kind of blown up and overshadowing that connection and genuine interest in one another and cheering each other on.”

The women’s hockey team declined an invitation to the State of the Union address, but USA Hockey said in a later statement that the team would “soon” visit the White House to celebrate their gold medal success “based on their schedules once their seasons conclude.”

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Walking into Brighton’s Elite Football Performance Centre, I was swiftly approached by a member of the club’s communications team. “Have you got the frames?” he asked this bemused writer, who only had his phone, laptop and notepad with him. It turns out he was after a different Will; not from The Independent, but from Guinness World Records. We were both here for James Milner.

For Milner, his record-breaking 654th Premier League appearance was just another game. “Massive victory on the road, delighted for the boys and travelling fans, thanks for the support,” read his very ordinary Instagram post, with the comments limited, after Brighton’s hard-fought win at Brentford. No self-congratulations, no fuss. It was very run-of-the-Milner.

The 40-year-old had his priorities straight. “I’ve always just tried to get on with my job and keep my head down really,” Milner said, ironically surrounded by journalists – and the aforementioned GWR dignitary, adorned in the trademark blue blazer and tie – who had all congregated on the south coast to discuss his remarkable milestone. “I know obviously there’s been a lot of talk around this sort of thing, but for me, I just want to do my job and [was] especially pleased to get the win, that was so important for us at the weekend. So to contribute to that, that’s always number one.”

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Of course, Milner meant no disrespect and emphasised he was incredibly grateful for the tidal wave of congratulations that had come his way. “I’ve had so many amazing messages, you want to thank people and there’s nice posts like the clubs have done,” he stressed. But it was Gareth Barry, the man whose record Milner had surpassed, who seemed to really get the “no biggie” vibe.

“He sent me a message after the game and then it was his birthday yesterday, so I sent him a message saying happy birthday,” Milner said. “He just said congrats, and he said he’s going away and golfing somewhere, so that sounded good to me.”

You don’t get many football bingo cards more filled out than Milner’s (and that’s not a quip at his age).

Across a Premier League career that has spanned 23 years, 109 days and counting, the Englishman has won every trophy under the sun, including three Premier League titles and one Champions League during his glory-laden stints with Manchester City and Liverpool. He even has an Intertoto Cup to his name with Newcastle.

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He’s been deployed in every outfield position possible. “I’d say I needed goalkeeper to play every single one,” he joked.

Milner collected three framed world records on the day of our visit: one for most Premier League appearances (654), another for longest time between first and last Premier League goal (22 years and 248 days), and a third for most consecutive Premier League seasons of any player (24). He’ll get a fourth in 217 days, at the time of writing, if he surpasses Teddy Sheringham as the oldest outfield player in Premier League history. But while that box remains one of the few unmarked, so does another: retirement.

“I think things change very quickly in football, and I think when you get to my age, things change very quickly as well,” Milner admitted when asked if he will be around long enough to become the top flight’s eldest ever statesman.

“When I look at where I was last year, not being able to lift my foot for six months, to where I am this year, it’s easier to turn around and say, ‘Yes, I’d love to do another year.’

“I’m pretty open at this moment in time – whether I will or whether I won’t, I’m not sure. We haven’t had any conversations, so obviously the club have to be interested as well. It’s all right me saying I want to play another year if the club don’t want you.”

Whether it’s sooner or later, and whether it’s his decision to make or Brighton’s, Milner is under no illusions: “I know the end’s getting closer.” The veteran, however, asserts that he doesn’t “fear” retirement, even if the question of “when’s the right time?” does play on his mind. “I feel like I still can do it now, but do you go to the point where you can’t? Is that too long?”

As such, Milner is in the thick of considering his life after football, all while keeping a piece of advice from former boss Jurgen Klopp in the back of his mind. “Jurgen always said, whenever you finish, you need to have a rest and a break straight away,” he reflected. “I think that’s pretty appealing at this moment in time.”

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The workhorse deserves his break, but knowing his character, it will only last so long.

“I think most people say you miss the structure and what you’re training for every day. You’re going in the gym and it’s hard, it’s for a reason, it’s for the next game and things like that,” Milner said with a sense of pre-emptive nostalgia, before reassuring that his world-class engine will not be detuned in retirement.

“When you haven’t got that, I think I’d probably look towards doing marathons or something like that to give me something to go for again.”

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Milner will leave football with arguably the most fabled work ethic in the English game. At Liverpool, the yearly pre-season lactate test under Klopp – which tasked players with doing laps of their training ground – came with an award named after him, having won it at a canter for every season he was at Anfield, even into his mid-thirties.

He boasts longevity that with the modern fixture schedule will be nigh-on impossible to replicate, fuelled by a drive to prove his doubters wrong – something his dad used to play on.

“He knew what I was like and he used to say, ‘you don’t work hard enough, you’re not gonna make it’,” Milner remembered. “He knew what he was doing and it [his drive] probably comes from that, to be fair.

“He’d never say it in a horrible way or anything like that, but he knew what I was like, and he’d be like, ‘you’ve got no chance of scoring the goal from there’, and then like two shots later it’s in the top corner. He knew how to get the best of me.”

Silencing the sceptics is part of the reason Milner is still going today. “Some things don’t change,” he laughs.

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It’s that burning desire to push himself that has him now pondering a career in management. Milner has been earning his coaching badges but knows the hellfire that the job can pose.

“There are some times I think it’d be great and I’d love to put my stamp on a team, and I think I could do this and that,” he says. “But it’s such a hard gig, isn’t it? It’s so hard. Even the amount of press you’ve got to do to be honest – press conference before the game, after the game, like eight times a week.

“It’s one that the competitive guy in you thinks, ‘yeah, I wouldn’t mind giving that a go and taking on’. I know it’s difficult but… and I feel like I’ve got a fantastic knowledge of people I’ve worked under, from back to your Terry Venables and your Sir Bobby Robsons, and then you go through to the current manager now.

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“I’ve got a great array of different managers from different countries and different personalities to lean back on, so in one way I think it’d be a big shame to lose all that knowledge and experience I’ve built up, to not be able to use that.”

There are no guarantees on next steps from Milner, who wants to focus on the present. But incredibly, his career could yet be charged with some footballing firsts.

A win over Borussia Dortmund on Saturday would send Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich 11 points clear of their opponents and all but seal back-to-back Bundesliga titles for the Belgian coach.

While the football is his focus, Kompany’s powerful, forthright and eloquent monologue on racism and victim-blaming last week struck a chord beyond the game.

The 39-year-old condemned Benfica coach Jose Mourinho for his suggestion that the alleged racist abuse by Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni that compelled Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. to walk off the pitch was provoked by Vinicius’s celebration of a goal. Kompany then went on to share his own experiences of racist abuse as both player and coach.

“I go to Club Brugge [while coaching Belgian side Anderlecht in 2021]. And I played for the national team; I was the captain for the national team. Me, my staff, we get called brown monkeys and so on. And after I complain, I see how all these politics happen again to kill the story. So, no consequences, no nothing. And I have a voice. What do you think for the people without a voice?”

Kompany’s upbringing in Brussels and his father’s influence

Kompany’s decision to use that voice to speak out has its roots in his parents and upbringing.

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“I come from Brussels, and we speak so many different languages. Just in Brussels alone, you could be speaking French, Dutch, maybe a little bit of Arabic or Lingala from Congo, Italian, Spanish, it’s all mixed,” he told UEFA.com in 2024. “And you find that unless you communicate with people, nobody will do what you want them to do, and that’s a big part of what we learn. I take it with me when I communicate with the group [of players].”

While a multicultural city helped Kompany develop his sense of social justice and awareness of discrimination, such notions also come from his father.

“Where I come from is my dad,” he once said. “His experiences give me strength.”

Pierre Kompany fled what was then the Belgian Congo (now DR Congo) in 1975 as a political refugee after serving 13 months in jail for his involvement in a student protest against the ruling regime. He was elected to the Brussels parliament in 2014 and became the country’s first Black mayor four years later.

Racism a part of Kompany’s childhood

As a young man, Pierre married Vincent’s mother, Jocelyne, a white Belgian who died in 2008, something that shaped his own politics.

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“My dad wasn’t accepted in the family at the beginning,” explained Vincent in a 2019 Guardian interview. “My mother comes from the most rural village you can imagine and when she arrived, in the 70s, with my dad, straight from Africa, it was a shock. It was ignorance. My dad always ended up being accepted because of his personality. It was normal for us to go to youth tournaments and be called monkeys; parents shouting it. That would nearly cause a fist fight with my mother. We were taught to be stronger.”

That family trait of standing up for their rights and beliefs is something that has been a feature of Kompany’s career. After leaving Belgian giants Anderlecht for a two-year spell as a player in Hamburg, he became the on-field leader of a routinely successful Manchester City side, winning four Premier League titles. Kompany gained admirers both within and outside City, before returning to Anderlecht to take his first steps in coaching.

Kompany’s coaching rise with help from his friends

His upbringing is even reflected in his choice of coaching staff. Childhood friend, Rodyse Munienge, is on the staff at Bayern. Floribert N’Galula, who also came through Anderlecht’s academy and played professionally in Belgium, has followed Kompany to Anderlecht, Burnley and is now with him at Bayern Munich.

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Kompany was not Bayern’s first choice for the coaching role in 2024, having overseen Burnley’s relegation from the Premier League but has been a success so far. Bayern have lost just three league games since the start of last season and are on course for a league and cup double with a first Champions League title —  the only thing that appears to offer any Bayern coach more job security —  since 2020 very much a possibility.

After Vinicius and his teammates got the better of Benfica in their Champions League playoff on Wednesday, Real Madrid could meet Bayern at the quarterfinal stage. Among the hype such a fixture would produce would be two men, in Kompany and Vinicius, prepared to make a stand against racism regardless of the personal cost.

Edited by: Jonathan Harding