The Melbourne track’s moisture suited Sydney contender Satono Glow perfectly as she notched a strong success at Flemington.

The Group 3 Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes (1200m) on Saturday promised a head-to-head between punters’ pick Gin Twist ($2.10) and Jadzia ($3.10).

Both fillies carried experience racing down Flemington’s straight, an advantage that often translates to better results next time.

Rain overnight and on race day created a heavy track that was the big question mark.

In the end, it favoured Satono Glow ($4.20), who scored by three lengths with Jamie Melham aboard from the $41 shot Salann, Gin Twist third by a nose.

Jadzia dropped back after leading briefly with Gin Twist, crossing the line fifth and eight lengths behind the victor.

Prior to Saturday’s event, Melham felt optimistic that Satono Glow could outrun her preferred stablemates owing to her fondness for give in the ground, confirmed by her winning debut at Warwick Farm March 11.

“I was confident but with fillies down the straight for the first time, you don’t want to leave it too late because they can promise the world and then get lost,” Melham said.

“Credit to the team educating this little filly. She was a bombproof ride today and I feel that the Sydney horses normally go well in the wet as they are used to being trained on the softer tracks up there.

“She loved the wet today and the way she got through it, this horse was a very easy ride in the end.

“Her attitude really impressed me. She’s a small horse to the eye but the feel she gave me, she felt like she had a really big stride underneath her and she settled like she will get further in time.”

Jade Lys, on behalf of John O’Shea and Tom Charlton, mentioned no set agenda for the filly, but expects her to head back to Sydney, scouting races during The Championships period.

“We couldn’t have been happier with her since her last start,” Lys said.

“She won in the soft last start, so we were not worried about the rain today.”

Visit leading betting sites to check racing betting markets for the Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes.

This had been billed as Thomas Tuchel’s final tune-up of his top stars before World Cup selection. Instead, like against Uruguay, the test of Japan centred around an audition. Please welcome to the stage Phil Foden, playing the role of Harry Kane.

Going purely off his club form, struggling for minutes at Manchester City, there would usually be serious questions over whether Foden will get a seat on Tuchel’s Dallas-bound plane this summer. Tuchel, however, has repeatedly made the point that he sees him as an alternative to his free-scoring captain.

He stuck to those words by slipping Foden into a false-nine role upon Kane’s late withdrawal – who became England’s eighth injury casualty this international break. The FA has led us to believe that Kane’s problem is minor, but what if the next one isn’t? And what if the next one falls between the dates of 11 June and 19 July?

It is the worst case scenario for Tuchel. Kane is probably the only one of England’s “world class” crop who, as of this moment, is playing at peak form and looks like a World Cup winner. And unlike pretty much every other position, there is not an obvious option in reserve.

So it wasn’t the worst thing in the world that against Japan, we got to see a glimpse of what Tuchel’s crisis-plan might be should he find himself without the country’s all-time record goalscorer on the biggest stage of them all.

We knew we were entering pretty fresh territory in this regard. At Euro 2024, the back-up roles were filled by Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney; neither of whom even made Tuchel’s 35-man bumper squad for the March internationals. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was one of three ultra-fringe players who were sent home after Uruguay, though he was unlikely to ever be considered a starter. In the end, Foden was chosen ahead of the only remaining out-and-out striker, Dominic Solanke, to lead the line.

This less felt like a golden opportunity and more Foden being thrown to the wolves. The 25-year-old, even when in top form, has always come under allegations of being a system player – he has never been exceptional for England in the 10 or on the left, only Pep Guardiola. To stick him in a position that he has barely ever operated in before only felt like it would only end one way.

To his credit, Foden was a willing runner and pressed the Japanese back four to an intensity that Kane rarely ever reaches. He darted into positions and drew a smart foul early on the left flank, giving England a free-kick in a dangerous position.

But in and around the box, Foden was a passenger. His movement and positional sense was, understandably, a shadow of his captain – when the ball would break loose and spell danger for Japan, Foden was not there to pounce.

He is not the marksman nor is he the physical presence England are conditioned to playing with. Nico O’Reilly dinked a delightful cross towards his City teammate on the edge of the six-yard box as the Three Lions searched for an equaliser following Kaoru Mitoma’s 23rd-minute opener – the goal that ended up proving the difference on this World Cup send-off. But Foden was soundly outmuscled by Crystal Palace’s slight midfielder Daichi Kamada to the header; problem solved, easily.

After a toothless first-half, Foden was still on the pitch for the restart, though there was early confusion whether he had swapped positions with either Morgan Rogers or Anthony Gordon as he operated in a very false nine. By the hour mark, he’d been hooked for Solanke. Three minutes later, England had their first shot on target of the game.

Solanke, whose starting role among the third-stringers against Uruguay sounded more like a warning to his World Cup chances, did show more signs of promise. As a proper No 9, he was still able to drop into space – a la Kane – and produced a lovely flick to set Rogers running into the box. He later nodded back a deep Ben White cross into the path of Marcus Rashford – whose introduction off the bench got a huge cheer – whose effort was the closest England came to a leveller after the break.

Maybe the Tottenham striker should be Tuchel’s answer to a Kane crisis – though of course, half an hour in a friendly is not exactly definitive evidence.

The real winners of Tuesday night might just be Watkins and Toney, who could now be in line for late recalls for the squad that matters most. With no clear striking alternative and no more chances for trial and error, Tuchel will be justified in covering his back and selecting more than one forward in reserve.

That should probably force him into the tough decision to leave one of his five stellar No 10s at home this summer. After this ill-fated audition, that may be Foden.

Marcus Rashford is on loan at Barcelona from Manchester United with the La Liga giants holding a £26million option to sign him permanently this summer

Manchester United are reportedly confident they can secure a permanent sale of Marcus Rashford this summer. The forward made clear his wish to leave Old Trafford last summer, eventually sealing a season-long loan move to Barcelona.

Rashford has thrived during his time at the Nou Camp, notching 10 goals and 13 assists for the La Liga giants. Throughout the campaign, speculation has been swirling over whether Rashford will make his move to Barcelona permanent or return to United once his loan spell concludes.

Barcelona hold an option to sign Rashford on a permanent basis for £26million, though recent reports indicate the Spanish giants are yet to reach a decision on the England international’s future.

A fresh report from Sky Sports has now claimed that United are targeting more than £100million in player sales this summer. Rashford is amongst those United are keen to sell permanently, with Barcelona still eyeing a move for the winger once his loan deal expires.

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The La Liga giants can acquire Rashford for £26m this summer, though there are suggestions that Barcelona may look to renegotiate the terms, either pushing for a reduced fee or opting for a further loan arrangement instead.

However, the aforementioned report states that United have no plans to renegotiate with Barcelona over the £26m fee, and are “confident” they could agree a higher fee with another club if they need to.

It has also been claimed that United and Rashford are prepared to work in the summer to ensure the England international manages to secure a permanent move away from Old Trafford.

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Rasmus Hojlund, Manuel Ugarte, Andre Onana and Joshua Zirkzee are among the players United are reportedly looking to sell in order to raise funds for their own new signings this summer. Rashford has previously made no secret of his desire to remain at Barcelona beyond the length of his loan deal.

“Of course, what I want is to stay at Barca,” Rashford previously told Sport. “It’s an end goal, but it’s not the reason why I’m training hard and giving it my best.

“The purpose is to win. Barca is a huge, fantastic club, built to win titles.”

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Olympic bronze medallist and six-time world champion Indian boxer M C Mary Kom on Sunday said she is considering a move into professional boxing.

The 43-year-old, who became the first Indian woman boxer with an Olympic medal when she bronze in the 2012 London Games, is past the age eligibility to compete on the amateur circuit.

“What can I say about the high points? Winning six World Championships was incredible. Although I reached a stage where age restrictions prevented me from competing further in amateur boxing for the country, a new opportunity has surfaced in Professional Boxing,” she said on the sidelines of Sundays on Cycle event.

“I am currently taking some time to consider it. I am working hard and trying to make a comeback to show people what I can still do.

Widely considered one of the greatest amateur boxers, Mary Kom also underlined her commitment to grassroots development through her academy in Manipur.

“Personally, I am very involved with my academy. I travel back and forth quite often, sometimes it becomes difficult due to the current situation in Manipur; things can get tough there.

“However, I remain deeply committed. Even when I can’t be there physically, I manage and oversee the academy through phone calls. My dream is to stay fit for as long as I can, regardless of age.” she said.

As India eyes hosting major global events such as the 2030 Commonwealth Games and possibly the 2036 Olympics, Mary Kom stressed the importance of sport in building international recognition.

“Sports development is absolutely essential. Without sports, it is difficult for a country to build a global reputation. Sports are what propel a nation forward,” she said.

She also praised government efforts to strengthen sports infrastructure and promote talent identification, particularly through initiatives such as Khelo India and Fit India Movement.

“While we shouldn’t compare it directly to the scale of the IPL yet, boxing infrastructure has improved significantly, the government has introduced fantastic facilities through movements like Khelo India and Fit India. There is a growing concern for fitness across the nation now.” 
Kom highlighted the inclusion of tribal youth in national programmes, pointing to developments in Chhattisgarh.

“Regarding the Tribal Games in Chhattisgarh previously, these were localized, but now the government is elevating them to a national level under the Khelo India banner,” she said.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya are taking great initiatives to support tribal athletes. In the past, there wasn’t enough awareness regarding tribal sports talent. But now, with seven disciplines currently active in Chhattisgarh, that is changing.

India’s Sheetal Devi has been named ‘Para Archer of the Year 2025’ by World Archery, adding to her extraordinary achievements, which also include a historic world championship crown.

The 19-year-old from Jammu & Kashmir became the first and only female armless archer to win gold at the World Para Archery Championships by claiming the top honours in the women’s compound individual event in Gwangju, South Korea last year.

Born without arms, Sheetal skilfully uses her feet, legs, and shoulder to draw the bow and shoot. She also secured a complete set of medals at the World Championships, winning the women’s team silver and mixed team bronze.

“India’s Sheetal Devi took the honour in the para archer of the year category after another breakthrough season that included a world title in Gwangju,” said World Archery.

Beyond her World Championship gold, Sheetal also boasts of a Paris Paralympics bronze in the mixed team event, along with individual silvers from the 2022 Asian Para Games and the 2023 Asian Championships in Bangkok.

“Nominated alongside the best para archers in the world… and now named the best para archer by @worldarchery – this one feels deeply personal. A heart filled with gratitude, with emotion, with everything this journey has held. Thank you,” Sheetal, who is also an Arjuna awardee, posted on ‘X’ on Monday.

“The 2025 World Archery Awards honour the season’s most exceptional athletes and officials for their excellence, fair play and dedication to the sport,” it added.

The awards, launched in 2011, honour excellence and outstanding contributions to the sport, celebrating the athletes and support staff who have defined the international archery season.

This year, the awards were presented across eight categories, including ‘Archer of the Year,’ which went to Emircan Haney of Turkey; ‘Young Archer of the Year,’ awarded to Baptiste Addis of France; and ‘Best Team of the Year,’ claimed by Korea’s recurve men’s team.