There are less than 100 days to go until the Women’s T20 World Cup, and England, the hosts, have been stuck in limbo. Next week’s training camp in Abu Dhabi was hastily cancelled over the weekend when Iran began bombing the UAE after US-Israel strikes. The ECB has been searching for alternative venues – not ideal for a team who have not been in the same room, let alone played together, for five months.
On Friday the ECB confirmed a new plan to head to South Africa, for intra-squad games in Pretoria to sharpen their skills and lay claim to spots in the line-up.
It is an unusual approach. England were the only major nation not to play in a bilateral series over the winter, and the squad have been scattered all over the world since reaching the semi-finals of the ODI World Cup in India last October.
Some joined ECB skills camps in Oman and South Africa, which offered a break from chillier days bowling in tents at the National Cricket Performance Centre in Loughborough. Meanwhile 15 English players, including most of the ECB’s centrally contracted stars, played in Australia’s Big Bash League, and a handful went on to play in the more lucrative Women’s Premier League in India.
The long time apart may be no bad thing for England, giving players a chance to repair after the intensity of a World Cup. But the lack of competitive action is also a symptom of modern cricket’s economics: international fixtures do not generate the income and interest of franchise leagues, where players can make double or treble the money of their central contract salary in just a few weeks.
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The England captain, Nat Sciver-Brunt, racked up more than 300 runs playing for the Mumbai Indians. “We’ve had five months between international duties, which is pretty unusual,” she says, “but I think it will probably become a bit more common now with the windows for franchise cricket.”
Nat Sciver-Brunt is waiting to find out England’s new schedule (Bradley Collyer/PA) (PA Wire)
Sciver-Brunt is speaking inside one of the changing rooms at Edgbaston on a drizzly March morning, having entered the room with a shiver after some on-pitch media duties. It has been nearly a year since she took on the captaincy and she seems comfortable in her new skin as the figurehead of the team, despite the expectations that come with the role – England have won all four Women’s World Cups staged at home (1973, 1993, 2009 and 2017).
“So, no pressure for me,” she laughs.
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Are England ready to win another home World Cup? It was only a year ago that they were bageled by Australia in the Ashes, a defeat so damaging it brought down the hierarchy. Head coach Jon Lewis was sacked and Heather Watson lost the captaincy after nine years.
In came Charlotte Edwards and new skipper Sciver-Brunt. Edwards naturally commanded respect given her playing career and success coaching T20 franchise teams, and she set about raising standards in the field and in the gym. She also shifted the team’s culture by delivering some blunt post-match debriefs.
“I think the openness that we have as a group, and honesty in reviews, that was something I really saw a change in our team [over the past 12 months],” says Sciver-Brunt. “Hopefully we can take that a step further and be more comfortable being uncomfortable with each other.”
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England head coach Charlotte Edwards and captain Nat Sciver-Brunt are the new duo in charge (John Walton/PA) (PA Wire)
England have the raw ingredients: batting power in Sophia Dunkley and former captain Knight at the top of the order, the pace of Issy Wong, a world-class spinner in Sophie Ecclestone. There is perhaps an overreliance on Sciver-Brunt’s all-round skills, but this England side have a promising blend of battle-hardened experience and bright-eyed talent.
There have been green shoots since the Ashes, winning an ODI and T20 series against West Indies last summer before losing a competitive series with India. Then came that deep World Cup run, beating India in the league stage when an unburdened Knight scored a century, although ultimately England were well beaten in the semi-finals.
Sciver-Brunt is as experienced as almost any player in the world but is still learning the art of captaincy, and she took plenty from her first World Cup in charge – in particular, that long tournaments are a marathon, not a sprint. “You don’t have to be your best right at the start,” she says. “Obviously, you need to win a few games to get to the knockout stages, but you might not win every game by 10 wickets. You might scrape a few games by three or four wickets. But trying to be your best when it really matters is important.”
England have fixtures against New Zealand and India in May, but this period in Pretoria will be crucial before the county game swings into action next month.
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Sciver-Brunt will be crucial to any English success this summer (AFP via Getty Images)
England open the T20 World Cup against Sri Lanka here at Edgbaston on 12 June, before games against Ireland, Scotland, and New Zealand. The group should be easily navigable, but there is the sense that this might be the most competitive tournament yet. India are the ODI world champions, New Zealand are the defending T20 champions, England have home advantage and Australia are Australia. South Africa and the West Indies are improving, too.
Yet Sciver-Brunt knows this is a rare opportunity. It will likely be her only home World Cup, in any format, as England captain, and it offers the chance to write fresh history and leave a lasting mark on the game, just as England’s rugby and football teams did last year. Again – no pressure, then.
“As a fan, I was captured by what they [Lionesses and Red Roses] were doing. And yes, they both went on to win, and obviously that helps. But I think creating that chance to build a new fanbase is also a brilliant opportunity … What a chance we have to grow the game in England. And, as players, to experience that home crowd feeling and the energy that gives you. It’s going to be a really special time.”
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One moment in England’s sporting history is even more inspiring to Sciver-Brunt. She was part of that extraordinary 2017 World Cup final which ended with Knight lifting the trophy, a game which undoubtedly fuelled the wave of talent now coming through England’s ranks. When they finally come together as a group this month, after time apart and uncertainty over recent days, Sciver-Brunt knows who she will be seeking out for advice in her quest to reach the final at Lord’s on 5 July.
“That was really early on in Heather’s captaincy career as well so I’ll certainly be drawing on her experience, what made that so special from a captain’s point of view, and how she dealt with all that. That will be one of my first coffees, whenever we get together.”
Get your tickets to see the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup here.
Trained by Trent Busuttin alongside Natalie Young, Newlook had posted no placings from five prior Australian appearances, but the soft track suited him to dominate.
The Chairman’s spoils include Sydney Cup ballot exemption and no penalty, so Newlook enters on a plum 50kg mark.
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A $8.50 chance with Rachel King aboard, Newlook powered home down the track’s centre, scoring by 1¼ lengths ahead of Campaldino ($7) who was the same clear of Juja Kibo ($3.70 equal favourite), from Travolta ($3.70 equal favourite) in fourth spot close up. King took heart from Newlook’s late surge to fifth last time in the Manion Cup.
“I was confident he would take good improvement from his last start, he was only second up there,” King said.
“He still probably blew out at the 50m, I thought I was going to win easy at the furlong but he just got a little bit tired.’
“But he’ll take good improvement again, I galloped him during the week and was confident he would run well over this distance.”
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A Chairman’s Quality-Sydney Cup double would make Newlook the 10th such achiever, after Circle Of Fire (2024), The Offer (2014), Jessicabeel (2010), No Wine No Song (2008), Henderson Bay (2002), Linesman (1997), King Aussie (1990), Major Drive (1987) and Marooned (1986).
Last June’s Brisbane Cup conqueror Campaldino proved on song for the Sydney Cup courtesy of his determined second.
Campaldino conveniently drops to 52.5kg from 59kg for the 3200m Randwick feature next week.
Rider Tim Clark admired Campaldino’s recent Sydney Cup pipe-opener.
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“He bounced back to form today,” Clark said.”Then next Saturday with a few kilos less he is going to be hard to beat.”
Craig Williams on Ciaron Maher’s Juja Kibo expects sharpening for the 2026 Sydney Cup.
“He has run really well again and ahead of his ‘Grand Final’ next week,” Williams said. “It is all part of Ciaron’s preparation with today’s run into the Cup in seven days.’”
Chennai Super Kings’ captain Ruturaj Gaikwad (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
Ruturaj Gaikwad admitted his own failure at the top hurt Chennai Super Kings as they slumped to a heavy loss against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, elaborating on key moments in the post-match press conference. CSK were rocked early in the chase of 250, collapsing to 30 for 3 after losing Ruturaj, Sanju Samson and Ayush Mhatre. That early damage proved decisive despite a spirited response later. Reflecting on the fightback, Ruturaj said in the post-match conference: “Well, even I was surprised, to be honest. Great fight by Sarfaraz, Prashant Veer, Jamie Overton, even to some extent Shivam Dube. So I think, maybe I would have, contributed more top of the order, you never know, we would have chased it down. So definitely it’s on me today.” He highlighted how the efforts of Sarfaraz Khan, Prashant Veer and Jamie Overton kept CSK in the contest briefly, but admitted the game had already slipped due to the poor start. Ruturaj also elaborated on a crucial moment in the field that could have shifted momentum. Virat Kohli was dropped early, and RCB capitalised fully. Speaking about that phase, he said: “We would have had, as you rightly said, if we would have taken early chance of Virat Kohli, I think that was, I mean, maybe we would have had momentum to ourselves. But I think, we still had the game in our hands till the 13th, 14th over, and that’s when the momentum really shifted.” That shift came dramatically at the death, when Tim David tore into the CSK attack. Ruturaj pointed out that they almost had an opportunity to dismiss him earlier. On that moment, he said in the press conference: “Well, you’re right, KP. I think, Anshul almost got a wicket of him. Unfortunate to be illegal delivery, but yeah, after that, he just smacked all around the park and, as you rightly said, hats off to him.” RCB’s late surge, powered by Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar and David, took the game away completely. For Ruturaj, the takeaway was clear. Missed chances, an underwhelming start with the bat, and a brutal finish from the opposition combined to seal CSK’s fate.
United, along with Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal, are among the clubs who have been contacted about the potential availability of Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior, 25. (Teamtalk, external)
Tottenham defender Luka Vuskovic, 19, currently on loan at Hamburg, has suggested he could return to White Hart Lane despite interest from major clubs in Europe. (The Standard, external)
Bayer Leverkusen will try to retain star forward Yan Diomande, 19, with a deal for a further year, despite numerous clubs being interested in signing the Ivorian. (Fabrizio Romano, external)
Lucknow Super Giants’ captain Rishabh Pant, right, with Mohammed Shami (PTI Photo)
Mohammed Shami delivered a clinical spell to guide Lucknow Super Giants to a five-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad, later explaining the tactical shift behind his success. The veteran pacer returned outstanding figures of 2 for 9 in his four overs, including a remarkable 18 dot balls, setting the tone early as LSG ripped through SRH’s top order. The hosts eventually recovered to 156 for 9, but the total never looked enough. Speaking after being named Player of the Match, Shami revealed that his decision to rely more on slower deliveries came from observing trends from the previous season. “Last year I was here, a lot of slower balls were bowled. That was in my mind, the bowlers and the opponents bowled a lot of slower balls, so I thought why not I try it too,” Shami said at the post-match presentation. His impact was immediate. Shami struck in the opening over to remove Abhishek Sharma for a duck and soon sent back Travis Head, leaving SRH rattled early. Ishan Kishan also fell cheaply, as the innings spiralled during the Powerplay. At 22 for 3 and then 26 for 4, SRH were staring at a collapse before Nitish Kumar Reddy and Heinrich Klaasen stitched together a crucial 116-run stand to revive the innings. Shami stressed that the victory was important after a setback in the previous game and spoke about the need to maintain rhythm and fitness through consistent cricket. “We are very happy because we had lost the previous match at home, so it was very important for us to win this match to build momentum. Once you get that start, the winning momentum continues. (on his preparation for this IPL) If you like cricket, and if you want to play at any level, then it is important to be in touch with the game,” Shami said. He also underlined the importance of preparation and adaptability, highlighting how staying match-ready helped him execute his plans effectively. “If you want to perform at a good level, it’s very important to maintain your fitness. First, you have to be fit then you can show your skill. Regarding domestic cricket, my plan was to be in touch with the game, so that I can be in the flow. That’s why I played all the matches. (on his changes to his bowling today) Without skill and without experience, nothing works. It’s about quickly adapting to the conditions and reading them is very important,” he added. Despite SRH’s late recovery, LSG stayed in control during the chase, with the skipper leading from the front with an unbeaten 68 to seal a comfortable win.
Kym Davison, the trainer from Albury, has savored his maiden city triumph on a premier occasion of the Sydney autumn carnival in 2026, accomplishing it almost accidentally.
He acted as a standby instead, and obligated to stay in Sydney for any possible withdrawals, Davison elected to pay the entry fee for the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) as a fallback option.
“First city winner, so not a bad one to crack the ice with,” Davison said.
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“I was hoping to be in the next race, but great consolation.
“I saw this race and said, ‘well, we’re going up there anyway, so we’ll go and have a throw at the stumps’.”
Autumn Break ($8) duly obliged, prevailing by a nose over Kilman ($31) prepared by Chris Waller, who controlled the race until the final stride, as Matias ($6.50) trailed by a short head for third.
The result offered solace in a distressing phase for the Davison household, with Kym’s brother succumbing to his illness just a week prior.
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“It’s been a hard week. We lost my brother a week ago,” he said.
“He had been unwell for a while. But you’ve got to pick yourself up.”
Davison, managing eight horses in his Albury stable, will now spell Autumn Break with intentions of targeting The Kosciuszko (1200m) early in his next campaign in October.
“The Kosciuszko, he’d go alright in that,” he said.
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“His first start was over 1200, and he should have won that Highway (Handicap) here, that was 1200 first-up, so we’ll try to push onto that if we can.”
Discover leading betting sites offering racing odds for the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes.
Even in a crushing 43-run loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Chennai Super Kings quietly ticked off a major milestone that adds an interesting layer to the evolving scoring trends in the IPL.Most 200-plus totals in the IPL37 – CSK36 – RCB33 – PBKS32 – MI30 – KKRCSK’s 207 all out while chasing 250 at the Chinnaswamy took them to 37 totals of 200-plus in IPL history, the most by any team. They have now edged past RCB, who are on 36, with Punjab Kings (33), Mumbai Indians (32) and Kolkata Knight Riders (30) following behind.What makes the stat intriguing is the timing. In an era where 200-plus scores are becoming increasingly common and often not enough to guarantee wins, CSK’s record came in a match where they were comprehensively outplayed. Chasing a massive 250, they still managed to cross 200, but the gap in quality and execution was evident throughout the contest.The night belonged entirely to RCB’s power-packed batting unit. Devdutt Padikkal laid the platform with a well-paced 50, but it was the late assault that completely blew the game open. Rajat Patidar and Tim David dismantled the CSK bowling attack with a ruthless fourth-wicket stand. Patidar’s unbeaten 48 off 19 balls and David’s brutal 70 off 25 lifted RCB to a towering 250 for 3, with 97 runs coming in the last five overs.In response, CSK never really found stability. Early wickets left them struggling at 30 for 3, and the chase was effectively over in the powerplay itself. Sarfaraz Khan showed intent with a quick half-century, while useful contributions from the lower middle order helped them go past 200, but the target remained far out of reach. The match summed up the modern IPL perfectly. Big scores are frequent, momentum shifts quickly, and even crossing 200 does not carry the same weight it once did. On this occasion, CSK ended up on the wrong side of the result, but still moved to the top of a high-scoring chart that continues to grow with every season.
Feb 28, 2026; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers guard Honor Huff (3) is interviewed after the game after defeating the BYU Cougars at Hope Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images
Honor Huff scored 38 points and made eight 3-pointers to help West Virginia rally for an 89-82 overtime victory over Oklahoma in the College Basketball Crown championship game on Sunday in Las Vegas.
Chance Moore added 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Mountaineers (21-14), who trailed by 13 points in the second half before rallying. Brenen Lorient scored 15 points in the program’s first postseason tournament title since winning the 2007 NIT.
Nijel Pack led Oklahoma (21-16) with 24 points and seven assists, followed by Tae Davis’ 19 points and Xzayvier Brown’s 13.
Oklahoma scored the first six points of overtime, taking an 82-76 lead on Pack’s layup.
Jasper Floyd then hit his first 3-pointer of the game, followed by Huff’s triple to tie the score with 2:14 remaining. After Pack missed a 3-pointer, Floyd hit another trey to give the Mountaineers an 85-82 lead.
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West Virginia got stops on its next two possessions and Huff drilled four straight free throws to seal the championship win.
Oklahoma pushed its four-point halftime lead to 10 on Pack’s 3-pointer, forcing a West Virginia timeout less than four minutes into the second half.
Brown’s jumper extended the margin to 13, before Huff’s three-point play and Moore’s layup cut the deficit to 59-51.
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Lorient’s basket at the 5:23 mark pulled West Virginia within three. Derrion Reid and Davis scored on Oklahoma’s next two possessions, giving the Sooners a 71-64 lead.
From there, Huff scored five straight points and Lorient made a layup to tie the score at 71 with 1:45 remaining.
After an Oklahoma timeout, Pack and Huff traded triples. Davis then turned the ball over and committed a foul on Huff, who drained two free throws with 33 seconds left.
Davis’ ensuing layup tied the score at 76. Huff missed a go-ahead 3-pointer on the other end, sending the game to overtime.
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The Mountaineers connected on eight of their first 10 3-point attempts, including Huff’s three straight triples to build a 26-11 lead.
Oklahoma answered with a 16-2 run, cutting its deficit to a point on Pack’s mid-range jumper with 5:25 left in the first half.
After Moore’s layup snapped a four-plus minute West Virginia scoring drought, the Sooners scored nine straight points, taking a 36-30 advantage. Davis closed the first half with a three-point play to give Oklahoma a 41-37 halftime lead.
The decision on whether Gin Twist forges ahead to another start or enters a spell phase hinges on her performance in a track gallop.
Lindsay Park’s two-year-old filly is a potential runner in Saturday’s Listed Redoute’s Choice Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield, contingent on a satisfying showing in Monday’s gallop.
She was the hot favourite dispatched in the Group 3 Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes (1200m) at Flemington March 28, leading early before stopping to take third.
Ben, Will and J D Hayes prepare Gin Twist, who was accounted for by more than three lengths by the Sydney mare Satono Glow.
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Ben Hayes mentioned optimism surrounds the filly’s readiness for Saturday, as she exhibits no adverse aftereffects from the race.
“We’ll make a decision on Monday whether she runs or not after she does some work,” Hayes said.
“We feel that one, she raced a bit fresh last week and two, she didn’t handle the heavy track, but she has pulled up fine.
“It is a good opportunity for her and if she doesn’t work well, we won’t run her, but if she works well, we’ll run her.”
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The filly had previously claimed the Listed Festival Stakes (1000m) victory at Flemington on February 28, and was next in line as third emergency for Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill on March 21.
Lindsay Park refrained from interstate travel for her, aware a start was improbable.
Hayes is of the view that Gin Twist copes with 1200m and merits another attempt on a good track.
“I think she is a very fast horse, and 1200 metres is her limit,” Hayes said.
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“But it is hard to judge her off that run over 1200 metres, which was down the straight, and on a heavy eight (track).
“We can find out if she can the trip and then we’ll know how to place her next prep.”
Secure the best value with betting sites offering markets for the Redoute’s Choice Stakes.
Liv Morgan broke character to comment on her relationship with WWE star Rhea Ripley. Both Ripley and Morgan will be challenging for major titles at WrestleMania 42.
In an interview with Esteban Ramirez, Liv Morgan broke character to comment on her relationship with Rhea Ripley. The Judgment Day star noted that she knew her former rival was going to be a star while they were in NXT together and left Ripley her locker when she got called up to the main roster.
Thanks for the submission!
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“Rhea and I have quite a bit of lore. I remember back in the Performance Center when I saw her, I knew that she was gonna be a star. It was just very evident to me. So when I had gotten called up to the main roster, I had left Rhea my locker. I told her, ‘You can have my locker, you can move your stuff into my locker.’ She didn’t even have a locker yet,” said Morgan.
The Women’s Royal Rumble winner added that they will always be connected and compared their rivalry to Batman and The Joker.
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“I came back on the Liv Morgan Revenge Tour and took everything that she loved including Dominik, the Judgment Day and the Women’s World Championship. So I feel like we are both the heroes and villains in each other’s stories. She is the Batman to my Joker, and I am the villain in her hero’s story, and she is the villain in my hero’s story,” she added. [H/T: WrestleTalk on X]
You can check out the interview in the video below:
Morgan will be challenging Stephanie Vaquer for the Women’s World Championship at WrestleMania 42.
Liv Morgan comments on recent WWE injury
WWE RAW star Liv Morgan recently discussed her injury last year that caused her to miss several months of WWE television.
In an interview with Brad Gilmore, the 31-year-old noted that the injury was devastating for her last year as she was on an upward trajectory. The WWE veteran added that she was upset about the situation during her hiatus last year.
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“I do feel like in the moment that I got injured, I was on a very upward trajectory. And so the injury obviously devastated me. I was very, very angry the whole entire time I had off time,” she said.
Liv Morgan says she was “angry the whole time” when she was recovering from shoulder injury: “I was mad the whole entire time,” Morgan said. “I got injured in a moment [when] I had multiple things going on for me. I was really enjoying and loving what I was doing. So to have all
Only time will tell if Liv Morgan can defeat Stephanie Vaquer to become champion once again at WWE WrestleMania.
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It’s all square between Marhoona and Tempted with one victory apiece, though one will claim superiority in their first encounter since the Golden Slipper of last year on The Championships’ Day Two at Randwick.
Both coming off Group 1 triumphs, Marhoona and Tempted gear up for the Arrowfield 3YO Sprint (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday, after juvenile meetings split by Tempted’s 2025 Reisling Stakes (1200m) win and Marhoona’s Slipper.
Still, Tempted’s placing trailing superstar Ka Ying Rising in The Everest (1200m) then Group 1 capture in the Surround Stakes (1400m) marks her as strong favourite, opposite Marhoona’s $11 quote.
Marhoona’s preparer Michael Freedman knows the size of the job but has no complaints about his filly’s form.
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“We did beat her in the Slipper, and she beat us in the Reisling,” Freedman said of the rivalry with Tempted.
“She is obviously a very, very good filly and she will take a bit of beating here next Saturday.
“I think Marhoona is going as well as she ever has. We’ll see when barriers come out, that can play a part, but she is in good order.
“Zac Lloyd has picked up the ride on her.”
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Marhoona put paid to any Golden Slipper legacy issues last time, upsetting hardened sprinters for The Galaxy (1100m) success at Rosehill.
The trainer described the result as proof of her resilience and fight, praising the youngster’s record in minimal outings.
“She is such a tough, game filly. She’s not overly big, but she hates getting beaten,” he said.
“It was a big thrill to come out and win a race like that with her after winning the Slipper.
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“She won a Listed in the spring as a three-year-old, so it’s great credit to her. She’s only had eight lifetime starts and she has won two Group Ones.”
Pallaton from the same barn could enter the Arrowfield, fitted with blinkers post his colt-like display finishing out of contention in the Star Kingdom Stakes (1200m).
The stable will watch Profoundly, Saturday’s Adrian Knox Stakes champ, for her shot at the ATC Australian Oaks (2400m) barring any issues this week.
Visit leading betting sites to find the top racing betting markets ahead of the Arrowfield 3YO Sprint.
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