Saturday racing tips

The Flat is back with the Lincoln meeting at Doncaster and I’ve got five to follow for Saturday’s racing tips, including an each-way contender in part 1 of the spring double.

Doncaster tips: Saturday Lincoln meeting

Spycatcher can retain Cammidge Trophy

A field of 12 goes to post for this Listed sprint, with the winners of the 2024 renewal, Montassib and last year’s race, SPYCATCHER both back for more and it’s the latter who earns the vote.

Admittedly, William Haggas has had his recent runners performing closer to their optimum than Karl Burke’s string has but we’re back on turf now and the latter can often be a strong starter himself.

Spycatcher won the race in the absence of Montassib a year ago, as the Haggas-trained runner was away from the track from October 2024 until last September. He faced a stiffish task in the Champions Sprint at Ascot last October and was then beaten almost five lengths by Spycatcher over C&D (heavy) at the November meeting.

That win now means that the selection has to concede 5lb to his chief rival but there are still reasons to think there’s a good chance of that. He acts on the forecast good to soft ground, he goes well when fresh and his two C&D successes read well in terms of his penchant for this track. At his price on betting sites at the time of writing, he looks an each-way bet to nothing, with a decent chance that he’ll win it again.

Spycatcher (13.50, Doncaster) – 1pt each-way @ 4/1 (BOYLE Sports)

Empirestateofmind has the potential to hit the right key in Spring Mile

A typically open renewal of this traditional early season cavalry charge. Several will fancy their chances and there should be plenty of pace on this straight mile, with an interesting runner from a high draw being EMPIRESTATEOFMIND.

He’s a big price, on account of a couple of lesser efforts at the back end of last season. However, his strike rate is reasonably good, he acts on good ground or slower and this is his optimum trip.

He’s back on the mark from which he won an Ayr handicap last summer and, with the Quinn yard’s runners in decent nick, he could run a big race at a big price. He looks a small stakes each-way play. Try to get five places on horse racing betting sites if you can.

Empirestateofmind (14.25, Doncaster) – 0.5pts each-way @ 33/1 (bet365)

Docklands can deliver in Doncaster Mile Stakes

A quality field of just five line-up and the pick of them is DOCKLANDS on both official ratings. He also looks the pick in terms of his form profile, dropping back in grade to Listed level here, having dined at the top table in Group 1 company on his last six starts.

He was good enough to win the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot, and he has run with great credit in three others. He finished behind the reopposing Qirat when Ralph Beckett’s runner produced that famous shock success in the Sussex Stakes last July but overall, his profile is, as the ratings suggests, superior.

They race off level weights and although he’s yet to win after a break, he has gone very close more than once and I don’t think his efforts when fresh are a great concern. He looks capable of picking up this first prize of over £34,000 and getting 2026 off to a flyer.

Docklands (14.57, Doncaster) – 3pts win @ 7/4 (BetfredLadbrokes)

Greek Order a tasty each-way option in the Lincoln

Only one favourite has obliged in the last decade in this traditional first leg of the spring double, while half of the ten winners in that period carried double figure SPs.

William Haggas and Charlie Appleby have both trained two of those ten successful runners, while three of the last four winners have come from a single figure draw. I have a huge amount of respect for the Haggas-trained Eternal Force, who is towards the head of the market on betting apps and tries to complete a protracted four-timer here. He still looks well treated and comes out of stall six, so a big run looks on the cards.

However, at a sporting price and drawn lowest of all, GREEK ORDER is back on a handy mark himself. Although exposed, he’s proven over the trip, has run well when fresh on several occasions and he acts on any ground, so conditions on the slow side won’t be a problem.

He sees out further than this, which with the pace on here will be no bad thing, while he represents an in-form trainer in Michael Bell. I think he’s probably overpriced and I’ll be having an each-way play to as many places as I can find. If the first-time visor works the oracle, then he could be bang there at the business end.

Greek Order (15.32, Doncaster) – 1pt each-way @ 16/1 (William Hill)

Uttoxeter tips

Masters Legacy can end a three-year drought at Uttoxeter

An open-looking handicap chase where several come into it having won last time out, and all four of them are respected in siding against them with MASTERS LEGACY.

Trained by Philip Hobbs and Johnson White, the 11-year-old can’t have been the easiest to train, given the gaps between his appearances on the track at times. He’s had wind surgery on three occasions and when you consider that, it’s easy to see why there’s an inconsistency about his CV.

Having said that, at his best, he’d be a shoo-in from this mark of 114 and he wouldn’t need to be at that level to win this. He sees out three miles well, acts on good ground or slower and his return from nearly a year off saw him finish fourth in an Ascot handicap chase last November, form which looks good in the context of this race.

It’s fair to say he ran a stinker at Hereford around three weeks later and perhaps that race came too soon for him. His record shows that he can (although not always) go well when fresh and he’s been given 108 days off since that latest run, which could pay dividends.

A further 4lb drop won’t do any harm and with headgear on for the first-time, he may prove good enough to end a drought of over three years. I certainly think if he’s anything like that Ascot run in terms of performance, he looks likely to be in the shake-up and he can be backed each-way.

Free horse racing bets

Each Saturday, Virgin Bet run a money-back offer relating to one of the races being shown on ITV Racing that day. This week, that race is the 14.08 at Kempton.

If you decide to have a wager on that race at Kempton and your selection doesn’t win, you’ll receive your stake back in free bets.

There’s no need to opt in to the offer, just place a wager on the race and if your selection doesn’t win, you’ll receive a free bet refund, up to a maximum of £10.

Only the win part of any each-way bets will be credited back to Virgin Bet punters.

Responsible gambling

If you plan to have a bet on the racing, make sure to gamble responsibly.

It’s vital that bettors take steps to remain in control of their time and budget when using gambling sites. The same applies whether you’re using the betting sites UK, slot sites, casino sites, casino apps, or any other gambling medium.

Even the most knowledgeable racing punter can lose a bet, so always stick to a budget and never chase your losses.

It’s particularly important not to get carried away by any free bets or casino bonuses you might receive, both of which are available in abundance on gambling sites, but must be approached with caution.

You can stay in control by making use of the responsible gambling tools offered, such as deposit limits, loss limits, self-exclusion and time-outs.

You may also want to visit the following free organisations to discuss any issues with gambling you might be having:

We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

One of badminton’s all-time greats, Carolina Marin on Thursday announced her retirement due to a persistent knee injury, bringing the curtain down on a glittering career that has an Olympic gold medal and three World Championship titles.

In a video message shared on her social media accounts, captioned “My journey ends here”, the former World No. 1 Spaniard said the recurring injury had forced her to take the difficult call, opting to prioritise her long-term health over a final appearance on court.

“My journey in professional badminton has come to an end and therefore I will not be competing in the European Championships in Huelva,” Marin said.

“I wanted us to see each other for the last time on a track, but I don’t want to put my body at risk for that. I said many times, and I am consistent with my decision.” 
Marin shared one of modern badminton’s most compelling rivalries with India’s two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu, with the duo producing several memorable encounters over the years.

She famously defeated Sindhu in the final of the Rio 2016 Olympics and again in the summit clash of the 2018 World Championships.

The 32-year-old was set to feature in next month’s European Championships in Huelva, Spain, an event that was meant to mark her farewell on home soil.

“I wish I had gotten the opportunity to end my career in a different way, but sometimes in life, things don’t always go the way that we want it to and we have to accept that.” 
Marin retires with an illustrious record, having won world titles in 2014, 2015 and 2018, seven European crowns, and the Olympic gold at Rio 2016.

Her last competitive appearance came at the Paris 2024 Olympics, a remarkable return after overcoming two anterior cruciate ligament tears in 2019 and 2021.

“In the end, I did retire on a track, in Paris, in 2024, only then we did not know,” she said.

“Thank you for never letting me fall, for being by my side, and for supporting me in the hardest moments. Thank you for your unconditional love,” Marin added.

Although she will not compete in Huelva, Marin said she will still be present at the championships.

“In a way, I will be retiring at Huelva, not with a racquet in my hand, but by giving back all the energy to the city where I was born and to experience an unforgettable week,” the Spaniard said.

“I leave feeling very proud of everything I have achieved in the sport. Not just the titles, but also earning the respect of the sports world both on and off the court,” she said.

The No. 11 Texas Longhorns’ Cinderella story in the NCAA Tournament came to a heartbreaking end on Thursday night, as Trey Kaufman-Renn’s tip with 0.7 seconds left on the clock gave No. 2 Purdue a 79-77 lead to advance to the Elite Eight. 

It was a thriller to the end in this Sweet 16 matchup between a team that needed to play in the First Four to kick off the tournament, and one of the higher seeds in March Madness. 

The Longhorns’ Dailyn Swain made a clutch and-one layup with 11 seconds left that allowed him the opportunity to tie the game at 77 apiece if he made his free throw. He nailed it with the pressure on, but the Boilermakers had 11 seconds to get up court and potentially win the game. 

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Trey Kaufman-Renn of the Purdue Boilermakers dribbles the ball against the Texas Longhorns during the first half in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at SAP Center on March 26, 2026, in San Jose, California. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

It was Braden Smith finding his way to the lane and putting up his own layup. However, the ball didn’t have the correct English off the glass, as it started to roll off the rim. 

But Kaufman-Renn, who positioned himself underneath the basket, tipped home the game-winning bucket, giving himself 20 total points to help Purdue move on and keep their tournament dreams alive. 

8TH-GRADER STANDS ALONE WITH LAST PERFECT WOMEN’S NCAA BASKETBALL BRACKET

There was some discourse on social media, though, as an overhead shot of Kaufman-Renn’s tip showed a potential foul, as he was hooking the arm of the Longhorns player jostling for the rebound. 

Either way, no whistle blew, and the Boilermakers were celebrating, while the Longhorns couldn’t believe their season came to a close in that fashion. 

Trey Kaufman-Renn of the Purdue Boilermakers shoots the game-winning shot against the Texas Longhorns during the second half during the second half in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at SAP Center on March 26, 2026, in San Jose, California. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

This was a back-and-forth game throughout the 40 minutes on the court, as both teams traded the lead, especially in the second half. The largest lead any team had was Purdue at only seven points, while Texas’ lead never got higher than four. 

But it’s because both teams were shooting well, with Texas making 52% of its shots (29-of-56), while Purdue poured in 48% (30-of-62).  

Looking more into the box score, every Boilermakers starter had at least 10 points, while Fletcher Loyer (18), and Braden Smith (16) doing crucial work in the backcourt to help the winning cause. 

Meanwhile, Texas’ Tramon Mark left it all out on the court, shooting 11-of-15 for 29 points, including 5-of-7 made from beyond the arc. Swain also just missed a double-double with nine rebounds, while tallying five assists. 

Trey Kaufman-Renn of the Purdue Boilermakers celebrates with teammates after making the game-winning shot against the Texas Longhorns during the second half in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at SAP Center on March 26, 2026, in San Jose, California. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

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Purdue now awaits the winner of Arkansas and Arizona to see who they must play to earn a spot in this year’s Final Four, which will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. 

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Robbie Griffiths understands clearly that Legacy Bound excels at delivering victories.

Barrier seven is the starting position for Legacy Bound in Saturday’s Listed VRC Sprint Classic (1100m) on Flemington’s turf, where he looks to better his local record and claim triumph number five.

Having raced four times before at Flemington, the three-year-old Ole Kirk gelding notched two wins and a third, plus a fourth from the innermost barrier as the placegetters drew wider.

Three outings there – encompassing his pair of wins – spanned 1100m, with the third at 1200m coming in the Coolmore Stud Stakes in spring, trailing Tentyris and My Gladiola.

Those rivals launched their seasons in the Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington a month ago, occupying the quinella.

Saturday omits Tentyris, but includes My Gladiola, a rival Griffiths sees as potentially problematic.

“She had the upperhand in the Coolmore, but she came from off the speed and we did more work up the front, and she might be better than us, who knows,” Griffiths said.

“She was also fantastic in Lightning, and she gets the weight advantage on us here.

“Probably on facts and figures, she beats us, but it doesn’t always work out like that, as we all know, and he’s got a great win record.

“Whether that’s because he’s been in easier races than hers, who knows.”

Legacy Bound opened his campaign victorious over 1100m at Flemington March 7, with Griffiths confirming solid recovery.

“He certainly hasn’t gone backwards,” Griffiths said.

“He went into the race in good order. He won, he came out of it in good order.

“He’s gone forward, but he only does as much as he has to in training, so we just keep him ticking over, but he had a good gallop on Monday morning.

“The stats on his sectional times from his first-up indicated he would have run really well in the Newmarket, if that means anything.

“He’s a winner, he’s won down the straight a couple of times now and let’s hope we can do it again.”

Plans include heading to Adelaide for Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville in May with Legacy Bound, Griffiths indicated.

Discover sports betting options for the VRC Sprint Classic via racing odds.

Under-fire Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) chair Richard Collier-Keywood will step down from his role this summer at the end of his three-year term.

Collier-Keywood has been in position since 2023 but will exit on 16 July after deciding not to seek a second term.

The announcement comes ahead of an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on Monday, 13 April at which he is due to face a vote of no confidence.

“I have been reflecting with the board on what should happen next,” said Collier-Keywood.

“We wanted to make this announcement to enable the recruitment process to start and before the EGM is held so everyone goes into the EGM process with the benefit of the same knowledge.”

More to follow

The Minnesota Vikings did not add newcomers at the defensive tackle spot in free agency, and in fact, let two starters go at the position, thrusting the DT spot to the top of the team’s list of roster needs, according to NFL.com.

The Vikings still look light at defensive tackle.

Dan Parr from that site outlined all of Minnesota’s roster concerns this week, and defensive tackle took the cake.

DT Stands Out on Minnesota’s To-Do List

The Vikings have more roster needs than usual because of former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s abnormally poor drafting habits.

NFL.com: DT Foremost Roster Need for Vikings

The Vikings have nine picks next month to address roster holes, with four in the Top 100. Per Parr, a new defensive tackle should be a priority.

He wrote Tuesday, “Biggest needs: DL, OL, S, WR, CB. Minnesota heads into the draft looking to replace starting defensive linemen Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, who were both released after one year with the team. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores might be relying on a rookie at safety, with six-time Pro Bowler Harrison Smith potentially headed for retirement after 14 years with the franchise.”

“Ryan Kelly already announced he’s retiring, so head coach Kevin O’Connell needs a new center. The Vikings’ receiver depth also took a hit when the Raiders signed Jalen Nailor, who tied for the team lead in touchdown catches with four last season.”

And that assessment pretty much nails it, though some consider cornerback a more urgent need.

The Current DT Corps

With Allen and Hargrave subtracted from 2026 festivities — Allen now works for the Cincinnati Bengals, and Hargrave decided the Green Bay Packers were the right choice — the Vikings have youth in the DT pipeline, although the talent is mainly late-round picks and undrafted dudes.

Here’s the DT group without Allen and Hargrave:

• Jalen Redmond
• Levi Drake Rodriguez
• Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins
• Elijah Williams
• Taki Taimani
• Jaylon Hutchings

The Vikings could also pound the free-agent pavement, as interior defensive linemen like Christian Wilkins and DJ Reader remain available on the open market. Wilkins, especially, makes sense because Flores selected him as his very first draft pick in Miami seven years ago, when Flores served as the Dolphins’ head coach.

Which Rookie DTs from the Draft

Now, to the fun part. Let’s pretend that the Vikings spend one of their four Top 100 draft picks on a defensive tackle, with the caveat that DTs often take longer to develop than EDGE rushers and cornerbacks.

The list would look like this on April 23rd and 24th:

• Peter Woods (Clemson)
• Kayden McDonald (Ohio State)
• Caleb Banks (Florida)
• Lee Hunter (Texas Tech)
• Christen Miller (Georgia)
• Domonique Orange (Iowa State)
• Gracen Halton (Oklahoma)
• Darrell Jackson Jr. (Florida State)
• Dontay Corleone (Cincinnati)

Woods, McDonald, Banks, Hunter, and Miller will likely be picked before the end of Round 2. The rest are options from Round 3 to 4.

Pro Football Focus‘s Gordon McGuinness recently mock-drafted McDonald from Ohio State to Minnesota: “The Vikings released interior defenders Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, so they could do with some additional support on the inside. McDonald is a monster against the run, having earned a 91.2 PFF run-defense grade this past season to rank first among all interior defenders in college football.”

More Playing Time for Others?

Finally, pretend that Minnesota does not sign Wilkins from free agency and prefers a late-round DT solution. Well, it will mean the Vikings have big plans for their unsung contributors like Rodriguez or Ingram-Dawkins. Both have shown flashes of promise, but prolonged auditions have eluded them.

Our Adam New noted on the DT spot last week, “The rise of Jalen Redmond has given the Vikings a starter in the middle of their defensive line. He should be in line for a lengthy contract extension soon, but the situation outside of Redmond is unclear. Just a year removed from signing both to big-money contracts, Minnesota opted to release Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave after disappointing seasons.”

“It leaves a young trio of Levi Drake-Rodriguez, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, and Elijah Williams making up the depth chart. Adding to that group with a rookie would require an exceptional draft prospect. I thought Caleb Banks was that guy, but yet another foot injury leaves the doubts lingering. The brain trust in Minnesota will have to weigh up the risk/reward of drafting Banks.”

It’s also worth noting that Minnesota’s defense ranks second in the NFL per all major efficiency metrics since Flores arrived in town three years ago. Whatever he lands on as a solution for replacing Allen and Hargrave will probably work.

The draft is 27 days away.

Twitch streamer Marlon “mar3lg” Lundgren Garcia recently called famous YouTuber Darren “IShowSpeed” “weird” after the latter claimed that Marlon had kissed him during a livestream. The incident took place on March 26, 2026, during IShowSpeed’s YouTube broadcast titled “MANAGER SPEED + BALLER LEAGUE WEEK 2,” at around the 27:35 mark.

In the clip, both Marlon and IShowSpeed briefly stood up. Moments later, at approximately 27:58, IShowSpeed stated that Marlon had “really just kissed” him. Marlon, however, denied the claim and doubled down by calling Speed “weird,” prompting a chaotic exchange between the two.

The moment quickly went viral after X user @FearedBuck shared a clip of the interaction the same day, capturing the confusion and back-and-forth that followed:

“(“Yo, bro, don’t disrespect my club, bro. Real sick, G,” said IShowSpeed.) We’re just gonna do- (“Nah, bro. We can stand up. We can stand up, our face is not even in the camera right now,” said IShowSpeed.) Exactly, it don’t even matter right now. (“So we could kiss right now and chat won’t even know,” said IShowSpeed.) All right, let’s do it then. (“All right, bet,” said IShowSpeed.) [Timestamp – 27:35]

“Yo. (“Yo, he weird as f***. Oh my mama, he weird as f***. He really just kissed,” said IShowSpeed.) You are so dead. (“Oh my God,” said IShowSpeed.) Yo, who that was? Yo, tell who kissed who first.(“Ooh, s***. Yo, say what lie he,” said IShowSpeed.) Yo. (“Say what lie, bro,” said IShowSpeed.) You weird but I’m not gonna lie to you. (“Say what lie, he just kissed me like that,” said IShowSpeed.) He weird. Your dad just kissed me off camera.”

“That was hot”: PlaqueBoyMax responds to IShowSpeed-Marlon viral clip

During his Twitch livestream on March 26, 2026, streamer Maxwell “PlaqueBoyMax” Elliot Dent reacted to the viral clip involving IShowSpeed and Marlon at the 29-minute mark. Responding to the incident, PlaqueBoyMax described the moment as “hot” and appeared supportive of the interaction.

On the same day, X user @scubaryan_ circulated a clip capturing his reaction, in which PlaqueBoyMax stated:

“That was hot. You feel me? Real shit. Like good job, guys. Y’all being y’all selves, bro, y’all being proud of who y’all are. Well, I’m proud of y’all, bro.” (Timestamp – 00:29:00)

In other news, a new report suggests that IShowSpeed could make a surprise appearance at WrestleMania 42, though there is no official confirmation yet.