With a plethora of options for Australia’s elite short-course gallopers this weekend, Sydney trainer Matthew Smith is keen to capitalise on the opportunities for his top two 1000-metre horses.

Headwall is being prepared to defend his Concorde Stakes title at Randwick. Concurrently, Smith’s preference is to send Way To The Stars to Melbourne to contest the Moir Stakes.

However, Way To The Stars’ eligibility for the $750,000 Group 1 event at Sandown is subject to the prevailing weather conditions.

Following unplaced runs in the July Sprint (1100m) and Missile Stakes (1200m), Way To The Stars showed his form with a victory in a 1045m trial at Randwick last Friday. Smith is hopeful that this recent race fitness will prove beneficial on Saturday.

“We had a plan with him, give him an 11 and 12 (hundred-metre race) get him as fit as we could and send him down there and see what happens,” Smith commented.

“We might catch some of those out first-up, but he’d need to get the right track condition.

“He’ll probably go if it’s not too wet.”

Way To The Stars, a son of Reward For Effort, has a record of two wins and three placings from ten starts on Soft tracks, but has recorded six of his eight career victories on Good tracks.

Sandown’s track was rated a Soft 7 on Monday morning. Although no significant rainfall is forecast for Melbourne this week, there is a possibility of showers each day from Tuesday through to race day.

Fair conditions are anticipated in Sydney throughout the week. Smith is excited about Headwall’s return to racing, his first start since winning the $1 million Concorde Stakes last year, which this year will be run at Group 2 level for the first time.

The seven-year-old sustained a pastern injury soon after his last victory, leading to him being sidelined last spring. Nevertheless, he has undergone an extensive preparation for his return and performed well in two trials during August.

“It’s going to be a really good race, but he’s going as good as what he was last year going into the race and he’s been in work for a while, he’s fit and well,” Smith added.

Betting markets are already heating up for this major sprint contest at online bookmakers.

Racing over 1000 metres is not a completely new distance for Tempted, but the star mare will be tackling it for the first time in a while this upcoming weekend.

The Ciaron Maher-trained four-year-old is set to resume her campaign in the $1 million Group 2 Concorde Stakes at Randwick, which will represent only her second start over the 1000-metre trip.

Her sole previous outing at this distance was a winning debut in a two-year-old fillies maiden at Warwick Farm. Prior to that, her only other race shorter than 1200m was a narrow second place to The Playwright in the 1100m Group 3 Widden Stakes at her second career start.

Eight of her ten subsequent starts have been at 1200m, a distance considered her preferred trip. However, her two trials this preparation, held over 900m and 822m, have led Maher to believe she will possess sufficient sharpness to win this Saturday.

“She’s a sharp filly, very sharp,” Maher stated.

“It certainly wouldn’t surprise me (if she won), without knowing what’s there but, knowing her, she’s pretty sharp.”

Tempted was one of 20 entries for the Concorde Stakes, with defending champion Headwall, Beadman, Marhoona, and Mazu leading the list of possible rivals.

The Concorde Stakes is the initial step on a path towards the 1200m The Everest for Tempted, who finished second to Hong Kong superstar Ka Ying Rising in last year’s $20 million event, beating all other competitors.

The daughter of Street Boss has been undefeated since that race, winning the Group 1 Surround Stakes (1400m) and the Group 3 Eskimo Prince Stakes and Arrowfield Stakes, both at 1200m. Maher is keen for her to confirm her status as Godolphin’s leading contender for The Everest.

“I suppose there’s a little bit to take place, we haven’t even run the Concorde yet, so there’s a bit to play out in the three-year-olds as some of them could step out,” Maher commented.

“But she’s very good. I’m rapt with her. Her prep so far has gone smoothly and if she lines up in the sort of form she’s in, I’m sure she’ll run very well.”

Maher indicated that Tempted is likely to target the Group 2 Premiere Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on October 3, following this Saturday’s race, with The Everest to be run a fortnight later. With Tempted resuming over a shorter distance, the online bookmakers are anticipating a strong performance.

Carlos Alcaraz passed the first test of his US Open comeback with a routine straight-sets win over Roman Safiullin.

The Spaniard, back to defend his title after more than four months out with a wrist injury, won 6-4 6-4 6-4 on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Alcaraz, who missed both the French Open and Wimbledon, only had a light tune-up in the mixed doubles with Serena Williams as preparation for the singles at Flushing Meadows.

He double-faulted on his first point in their first match and, still wearing a heavy protective sleeve, he did the same against Safiullin.

But, barring a break of serve at the start of the second set which was quickly retrieved, it was like the 23-year-old had never been away.

He said: “I missed it. I miss the crowd energy, I miss competition. I missed everything. So I’m just really happy that I was able to compete again.”

On his injury, he added: “There were some doubts in the match, I’m not going to lie. I’ve been thinking about ‘am I going to last the best of five, am I going to last playing four sets, five sets? I don’t know’.

“So I had a little bit of doubt but I tried to forget everything and tried to enjoy and focus on the things that I had to do and improve.

“I was thinking about ‘let’s see what’s going to happen in the match’ so I’m just happy that I won in straight sets and got another win. Physically I felt really well.”

Aryna Sabalenka also got her title defence – and her bid to stay at world number one – off to a solid start.

The Belarusian, aiming for a third consecutive Flushing Meadows crown, eased into round two with a 6-2 6-4 victory over Colombia’s Camila Osorio.

Sabalenka’s recent run of indifferent form has left Elena Rybakina within striking distance of knocking her off top spot for the first time in 99 weeks.

After completing a rare ‘Sunshine Double’ at Indian Wells and Miami earlier this year, the 28-year-old looked untouchable.

But since then Sabalenka had lost seven of her 24 matches including early exits – by her standards – at the French Open and Wimbledon.

Suddenly Rybakina, who plays 17-year-old American wild card Thea Frodin on Tuesday, is only 434 points behind.

Sabalenka, defending 2000 points this fortnight, will play Russian qualifier Polina Iatcenko – she of the 53mph second serve which accounted for Mexico’s Renata Zarazua – in round two.

She said: “I’m trying to focus on myself. I’m enjoying my time in New York and I’m ready to go out here and do anything it takes to get the wins. I’m ready for the fight!.”

Last year’s runner-up Amanda Anisimova is also through after a straightforward 6-1 6-3 win over fellow American Ashlyn Krueger.

Meanwhile, American Emma Navarro came through a three-setter held over from Sunday against France’s Lois Boisson – and her celebration quickly went viral.

As the camera panned round to show her smiling and waving to the crowd, Boisson was angrily smashing her racket to smithereens in the background, the perfect illustration of the agony and ecstasy of sport.

The New York Yankees recorded a blowout win over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday, beating their arch-rivals 16-1. Along with the players, it seems the Red Sox radio announcers also got extremely frustrated with the events on the field.

In the eighth inning, Jazz Chisholm Jr. stole second and third base while Austin Wells was batting, even though the Bronx Bombers were up by six already.

Frustrated by the late stolen bases, which violated baseball’s ‘unwritten rules,’ WEEI play-by-play announcer Will Flemming labeled Chisholm “bush-league” and suggested Red Sox pitcher Jovani Morán should “drill” or throw at Wells in retaliation.

Flemming drew intense criticism for his controversial comments in the aftermath of the game. He posted to X on Monday, apologizing for his statements.

“Since I have been receiving nonstop calls and threats, I felt like it was important to hop back on here and say: My comments during yesterday’s broadcast crossed a line. I’m emotional and a fan at heart and that bled into the broadcast.”

“I meant no disrespect to the Yankees players or organization. I could and should have used different words. These rivalry games get me fired up; I apologize for letting the emotion of the moment get the best of me,” Flemming wrote.

Reacting, fans seemed to have varying opinions. Some continued to take shots at Will Flemming, claiming he should be held accountable for his controversial comments.

“You should be fired. Violence is unacceptable. Grow up,” a fan wrote.

“You deserve to lose your job bro not even the Yankees announcers talk trash not even a bit to the Red Sox,” another fan commented.

“Apology NOT accepted!” another fan replied.

Others, meanwhile, sympathized with announcer.

“We all get heated; good on you to say so. Shame on those threatening you. That’s ridiculous,” a fan responded.

“Respect, Will,” another fan shared.

“There is no need for you to apologize. It’s baseball,” another fan posted.

Yankees starting pitcher makes feelings clear about Red Sox announcer’s apology

Soon after Will Flemming posted his apology to X, popular content page “Talkin’ Yanks” posted about it to Instagram.

Along with hundreds of fans, Yankees starting pitcher Cam Schlittler also made his feelings clear on the matter, summing his thoughts up with a single emoji.

“🤡,” Cam Schlittler commented.

Having won the series against the Red Sox over the weekend, the Yankees take on the LA Angels in Anaheim for their next challenge.