Katsina United have come under criticism for returning to action less than 72 hours after the tragic death of their player, Chinedu Ozor, during a pre-season match.
Ozor collapsed and died on Tuesday during Katsina United’s game against Niger Tornadoes in the Gusau/Ahlan Pre-Season Tournament.
Just 48 hours later, the club announced that it would play another match on Thursday against Cynosure U21. The game eventually ended in a 1-1 draw.
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The decision to continue with the match has sparked criticism from football fans, with many questioning why the club and organisers could not allow the team a short break to mourn Ozor and recover from the shock of his death.
The Gusau/Ahlan Pre-Season Tournament is not a league competition where points and fixtures are at stake. Fans argue that the organisers could have postponed the match for a day or two to give the players time to grieve and regain their emotional strength.
For many supporters, the biggest concern is that some of Ozor’s teammates may still be struggling to come to terms with what happened.
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It also meant that some of the players had to return to the same football environment where their teammate collapsed and died only two days earlier.
One fan wrote: “This is not a league match. Why the rush? Give the players time to mourn their teammate and recover from the shock.”
Another said: “Football should come second at a time like this. The organisers could easily have given Katsina United a few days off.”
A supporter questioned the decision to play so soon, saying: “Less than 72 hours after losing a teammate on the pitch, these players are expected to play again. This is unfair to them emotionally.”
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Another fan wrote: “The Gusau/Ahlan tournament is only a pre-season competition. What would have been lost by postponing Katsina United’s match for two days?”
A different supporter added: “The club may have had reasons for accepting the fixture, but the organisers should have shown more compassion. These are human beings, not machines.”
Some fans also criticised the decision to return to the pitch at the same venue where Ozor’s tragic incident happened, saying the players should have been given more time away from football.
Katsina United, however, acknowledged the pain surrounding the team’s return and said before Thursday’s match that their thoughts remained with Ozor’s family, teammates and loved ones.
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The club said it was mourning with the family and praying for strength and comfort during the difficult period.
The criticism comes as Katsina United continue to make arrangements to transport Ozor’s remains to his hometown for burial.
The tragic death has left the Nigerian football community in mourning, with many fans now calling for greater attention to the emotional wellbeing of players following traumatic incidents.
For the critics, the issue is not about stopping football altogether. Their argument is simple: this was only a pre-season tournament, and a short break to mourn a fallen teammate would not have hurt the competition.
Copa América returns to Its Four-Year Cycle in 2028
The Copa América is going back to a four-year cycle, meaning the next edition will be in 2028.
The tournament has been on a less predictable schedule in recent years. After the 2016 Copa América Centenario, the competition was played in 2019. Then, with the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 edition was played in 2021. Argentina then won the 2024 tournament in the United States.
Now, the Copa América will settle back into the familiar four-year rhythm.
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The return to a regular cycle should make the competition easier for fans and national teams to plan for and give South America’s biggest international tournament a more familiar place on the football calendar.
Teddy Bridgewater got chosen at the beginning of the Mike Zimmer era. The 1st-Round Vikings passer was supposed to be the long-awaited savior under center but a knee injury robbed him of his ability to prove capable of doing so.
What followed has been a winding NFL journey that has now ended.
Mr. Bridgewater has decided to call it quits, doing so after a dozen seasons as a pro quarterback. The news got covered over on ESPN, a spot that offered up some what the passer had to say on social media about his decision. “It’s so crazy 10 years ago around this time, I suffered one of the most gruesome knee injuries the game itself, it’s players and some doctors had ever seen. Everything football related since 2016 had been fueled by the ‘experts’ predicting that I would never play football again. We really showed them by playing 10 more seasons!”
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1st-Round Vikings Passer Calls it a Career
Truth be told, Bridgewater wasn’t a particularly impressive athlete. Nor, for that matter, did he have the world’s best arm.
Where he could shine was due to his intangibles. Nobody questioned his compete or toughness. A well-liked teammate, Bridgewater was a natural at forming strong relationships with coaches, teammates, and fans. Quite possibly, he could have been a game-manager at QB1 for the Minnesota Vikings for a long time had things gone differently with his knee injury.
Dec 6, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) passes in drills before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
Bridgewater’s motivation for retiring has much to do with that knee.
The QB in his own words: “this wheel of mine can no longer deal with something so simple as standing around on the turf field. This thing just doesn’t recover the same way it did years ago so I rather officially hang it up. It’s finally run its course and when the body speaks to me, I have to listen so that I can be in one piece and available for my children as they grow up. The game of football was beyond great to me and owes me nothing at all.”
As a Viking, Teddy Bridgewater‘s best season arrived in 2015. He led the Vikings to an 11-5 record behind a healthy completion rate coming in at 65.3%. His then boasted 3,231 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. The sophomore’s passer rating finished off at 88.7.
For context, J.J. McCarthy had a 72.6 passer rating in 2025 while Kirk Cousins has a career passer rating sitting at 96.8. Bridgewater, at least per a specific metric, was a decent bit better than the 2025 version of McCarthy but not as good as the average Cousins season.
He was, essentially, a strong game manager who could have been plugged into Mike Zimmer’s vision for the Minnesota Vikings. Be a magnetic leader who can elevate in the clutch but seldom be asked to overcome the world. Elite defense, elite running, and solid quarterbacking: that was what was coming for the Vikings.
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Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) scrambles during first-half action against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Dec. 14, 2025. McCarthy moved outside the pocket to extend the play as Minnesota searched for rhythm on the road in the early stages of the matchup. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images.
Oddly enough, the most recent version of the Vikings hoped that J.J. McCarthy — himself a 1st-Round Vikings passer — could put together a 2025 season that mirrored what Bridgewater did. Oddly enough, injury played a starring role in undermining that ambition for McCarthy.
Teddy Bridgewater’s career involved 83 career NFL games (and many more from the sidelines as a backup). He went 33-32 within his 65 starts. Added together, the former 1st-Round Vikings passer tossed for 15,182 yards, 75 touchdowns, and 47 interceptions. He’ll go out with a very healthy 66.3% completion rate.
Kate O’Connor got her heptathlon challenge off to a good start on Friday morning.
With two events down for decision in the morning session, O’Connor set a PB in the 100m hurdles and equalled her PB in the high jump.
The Newry-born woman began by taking fourth place in a PB time of 13.30 seconds in the 100m hurdles.
Then she turned up the heat on her competitors in the high jump. Coming in to the event at 1.68m, she cleared on her first attempt at 1.68m, 1.71m, 1.74m and 1.80m.
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She then went for a season’s best clearance of 1.83m, which she duly jumped, to earn 1,1016 points and move into the overall lead.
O’Connor then failed on her first two attempts at 1.86m, but with Poland’s Adrianna Sulek-Schumbert clearing the height on her first attempt, she moved ahead of O’Connor and into the heptathlon lead.
The Dundalk resident then equalled her personal best when clearing 1.86m on the third attempt, before going in search of a new PB when the bar was raised to 1.89m.
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With both O’Connor and the Polish heptathlete attempting the 1.89m height, both failed on their respective three attempts to end the morning session with Sulek-Schumbert one point ahead of O’Connor.
The heptathlon shot put will begin at 5.35pm, and the 200m will be the final event of the day for O’Connor – that will be at 8.55pm.
Men’s 1500m
A fourth place finish in heat 2 of the men’s 1500m, in a time of 3:41.86, saw Andrew Coscoran qualify for the final. His team mate, Cathal Doyle, didn’t have as much luck, as he came down in the first heat, finally competing the course in 4:36.28.
In Heat 1 of the Women’s 4 x 400m Relay, the Ireland team of Sophie Becker, Jenna Breen, Clíodhna Manning and Arlene Crossan came home in eighth place in a time of 3:32.56.
The men’s 4 x 400m relay team of Andrew Egan, Jack Raftery, Joe Doody and Seán Doggett were fifth in their heat, and 10th overall, in a season’s best time of 3:01.76.
The Irish men’s 4x400m relay team reflect on the European Championships experience, saying that their season’s best effort in their heat ‘exceded their expectations’ #rtesport#EuropeanAthleticspic.twitter.com/odpO956m9B
Marcus Rashford looks increasingly likely to stay at Man Utd beyond the summer transfer window.
Marcus Rashford is smiling in almost every photo in this week’s Manchester United training gallery.
Rashford did not expect to be in this situation when he signed for Barcelona on loan, which included an option to buy. Nor did United, who hoped Barcelona would exercise their option to sign him for £26million.
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Barcelona, however, might have done United a favour if Rashford can play at his best under Michael Carrick, which seems possible given their history. “He’s a very good player. Marcus can offer us so much,” said Carrick this week.
Everyone will be smiling if Rashford can perform consistently. But it’s a big ‘if’. Rashford was consistently inconsistent in the years leading up to his departure from United, but the concerns around his potential reintegration are more centred on his discipline.
Rashford had plenty of chances before Ruben Amorim finally decided he’d seen enough. There was the trip to a nightclub after an embarrassing defeat against Manchester City, which Erik ten Hag branded “unacceptable”, and the boozy jaunt to Belfast, for which Ten Hag wanted to exile Rashford before deciding it would be detrimental to the team’s success.
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Ten Hag was privately furious with Rashford for that particular incident. Rashford soon ran out of chances as Amorim decided enough was enough. But there has been another twist.
Carrick is probably the only United boss who would have considered reintergating Rashford. He appears to have happily thrown the academy graduate a lifeline at a time when it’s a risk to do so.
Carrick is building a good thing at Old Trafford. He won more points than any other manager in the Premier League during his interim stint, and wants to improve again in a season in which United will return to the Champions League.
There is optimism about where Carrick could take this team – hopefully to a first league triumph since 2013 – but welcoming back a player whose commitment wasn’t good enough threatens to damage the spirit in the dressing room.
Everything has been fine since Rashford’s return, and Carrick has been pleased with his application in training, while his teammates clearly seem happy about him being part of the squad again.
Noussair Mazraoui was asked about United’s new signings by ITV after the Leeds pre-season friendly on Wednesday night, and he said Rashford would be a “big one”. Rashford was not mentioned in the question, but it spoke volumes that Mazraoui namechecked Rashford in his answer.
Mazraoui looked sheepish as he realised his quote would make headlines. “Of course, he could leave,” he clarified, but it looks increasingly likely that Rashford will stay.
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Rashford contributed 14 goals and 14 assists across all competitions for Barcelona, and he looked sharp for England during the World Cup, so United will be boosted if he can perform to those levels.
It almost seems inevitable that Rashford will do well this season, but it will be difficult to say whether reintegrating him, if it happens, was the right decision, as history has shown he can get embroiled in disciplinary issues at any moment.
Hopefully Rashford has turned a corner and wants to make the most of an unexpected second chance at his boyhood club. Hopefully there will be no discipline issues. Hopefully he bangs in the goals and all is forgotten.
There is one good reason to think that’s possible, and it’s down to the environment Carrick has created since his return to United. He exudes calmness, the team feels settled and there are no signs of turbulence ahead.
That is important context when analysing Rashford’s situation, as he put some of his struggles down to being in an “inconsistent environment for a very, very long time” when he spoke about his career last year.
“So it’s even more difficult to be consistent,” he added. “I think consistency is what I need to bring into my game and I’m looking to do that. Obviously, I want to be at my best, not sometimes, but as often as possible.
“When people talk about consistency, in order to be consistent in anything, not just sports, you need consistent variables like in your life. And in the way you train, and we’ve just had so many changes so far in my career.
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“But, like I said, I have to look forward, and that’s definitely one of the things that I’d want to put right and improve on, to be at my best more often. Because when I’m at my best, I really enjoy everything about the sport, so, yeah, being there is a special thing for me.”
Rashford must take responsibility for the chain of events that led to his United departure, but there is undoubtedly blame on both sides, with instability having been rife at United over the last few years.
Everything is different now that Carrick is in charge. He has brought calm back to the club, and his depth of understanding, combined with his personality, might be why the Rashford plan does not go wrong if he stays at the club.
Ireland’s Kate O’Connor sits in second place after two events of the women’s heptathlon at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham.
The Newry-born 25-year-old claimed gold at the Commonwealth Games and made a good start to her bid for further success on Friday, one point off Poland’s Adrianna Sulek-Schubert who leads with way with 2135 after the morning session.
Germany’s Sophie Weissenberg sits in third on 2074, while Switzerland’s Annik Kalin is a further 20 points back.
O’Connor recorded a personal best in the 100m hurdles, finishing fourth in heat two with a time of 13:30 to come in 11th overall.
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The race was won by Lithuania’s Beatrice Juskeviciute with a season best 13:09, ahead of Italy’s Sveva Gerevini and Weissenberg.
In the high jump, O’Connor again produced a personal best of 1.86m which was matched by Sulek-Schubert.
The heptathlon resumes on Friday evening with the shot put at 19:35 BST with the 200m to follow at 20:55.
Andrew Coscoran secured his place in the final of the men’s 1500m, finishing fourth in his heat with a time of 3:41.86, while a disappointed Cathal Doyle lodged an appeal after falling in his heat, yet finished the race.
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Both Ireland’s men’s and women’s 4x400m relay teams missed out on a place in their respective finals with the men just one second off the national record.
The World Test Championship is back, and India are on the road once again! They haven’t had to travel far, though, since Sri Lanka are the hosts of a two-Test series across Galle and Colombo. The first Test will start on Saturday, August 14 at the picturesque Galle International Stadium.
Both teams won’t be at full strength. The home side will be without star batters Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis, while India will miss the services of Jasprit Bumrah and Sai Sudharsan. Nevertheless, an interesting series filled with talented names beckons.
Sri Lanka haven’t won a home Test against India in a while. In fact, it’s been quite a few years since the two-time World Test Championship finalists even toured the island nation. It’ll be interesting to see how the two teams fare.
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India’s updated squad for the Test series against Sri Lanka:Shubman Gill (c), KL Rahul (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain, Auqib Nabi.
Sri Lanka’s squad for the Test series against India:Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Lahiru Udara, Nishan Madushka, Kamindu Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Sonal Dinusha, Niroshan Dickwella, Ramesh Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Keshara Nuwantha, Milan Rathnayake, Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka.
SL vs IND 2026: Conditions in Galle a relative unknown as India start favorites
Sri Lanka v India Test Series Previews – Source: Getty
The Galle International Stadium used to produce turners, but its nature has been unpredictable in recent times. It has become more batting-friendly in recent years, while a bit of rain is also on the forecast for the first Test.
Taking those factors out of the equation, it’s still easy to say that India are the favorites for this contest. The challenge posed by Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis is a notable one on a turner, but their numbers haven’t been particularly impressive on flatter surfaces. Moreover, the Sri Lankan pacers don’t have a great record in home conditions.
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India’s batting unit has a few weaknesses, but their bowling makes up for it. The returning Ravindra Jadeja adds balance, while Manav Suthar and Kuldeep Yadav are incredibly threatening bowlers. The pace attack has performed well, too.
Sri Lanka have had some plucky displays in the longest format in recent times, but India can be expected to come out on top in the opening game of the series.
Prediction: India to win the 1st Test vs Sri Lanka.
Nigerian clubs taking part in the 2026/27 CAF inter-club competitions have been given August 15 as the deadline to submit their squad lists for the first preliminary round.
The deadline applies to all clubs competing in the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup, including Nigeria’s representatives Rangers International, Rivers United, Shooting Stars and El-Kanemi Warriors.
Rangers and Rivers United will represent Nigeria in the CAF Champions League, while Shooting Stars and El-Kanemi Warriors will campaign in the Confederation Cup.
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The clubs are expected to register all eligible players and submit their squad lists to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) before the deadline.
Failure to meet the deadline could affect the clubs’ participation in the opening round of Africa’s two major club competitions.
The roster for PWHL Detroit‘s inaugural season is taking shape before the historic first regular-season game in late November.
General manager Manon Rheaume announced Friday morning the signing of Olympic goaltender star Andrea Brändli to a three-year contract and Port Huron defender Casey Borgiel to a one-year contract.
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Brändli and Borgiel are the first of the team’s six-player draft class to sign and brings Detroit’s roster to 18 players under contract with two goaltenders, seven defenders and nine forwards.
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Andrea Brandli of Team Switzerland celebrates winning the bronze medal after the team’s 2-1 overtime victory in the Women’s Bronze Medal match against Sweden on Day 13 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy.
Brändli, 29, is a three-time Olympian who backstopped Switzerland to a bronze medal victory in February and was named best goaltender and a tournament All-Star with a 1.94 goals-against average and a .953 save percentage.
“Andrea comes with a really good pedigree and her success at the Olympics,” Rheaume told The Detroit News. “We’re really fortunate to have a second goalie signed (Alice Philbert) that’s also participated in the Olympics for France. It’s very exciting to have that scenario.
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“I look at the Islanders when you have both goalies together (Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov) and you can go with either one in the playoffs. You never know what’s going to happen. Minnesota also shares their goaltending (Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt) the last few years.”
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Borgiel, 22, joins her hometown team following two seasons as the top scoring defender at Colgate University, most recently tallying four goals and 21 points in 36 games during the 2025-26 campaign.
She’s a product of Detroit’s Little Caesars program, winning back-to-back national titles in 2021 and 2022.
Detroit PWHL General Manager Manon Rheaume hugs Casey Borgiel of Colgate University as Borgiel is selected by PWHL Detroit as the #22 overall draft during the 2026 PWHL Draft on Wednesday, June 17, 2026 at the Fox Theatre in Detroit.
“I actually saw her skate before Little Caesars,” Rheaume said. “She played with my son and I think she was the only girl on our team. She kept up with everyone and she played physical against those boys.
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“When she made the transition to the girls game, she continued to play the same way. She didn’t change her physicality. She’s just a solid defender who moves the puck well and brings stability to our blueline.”
Brändli is one of nine on the team who competed in Milano Cortina counting Americans Cayla Barnes, Hannah Bilka, Britta Curl-Salemme and Hilary Knight, Canada’s Daryl Watts, France’s Philbert, Germany’s Nina Jobst-Smith, and Japan’s Akane Shiga.
“Akane (Shiga) is a very skilled player who sees the play well,” Rheaume said. “She put 10 pounds of muscle on in the last few years and did very well in Europe. We like her hockey IQ and feel she can be helpful.”
Borgiel is one of four Michigan-area players on the roster joining Mellissa Channell-Watkins (Plymouth) and forwards Shiann Darkangelo (Brighton) and Taylor Girard (Macomb).
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The PWHL schedule hasn’t been released yet for the 12 teams, including Detroit and three other expansion teams.
Last year, the schedule was released Oct. 1 with play beginning in late November. This year, the women’s world championships will be held in Denmark from Nov. 6-16. The season is expected to start shortly after the worlds.
Dec 14, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; A fan of the Minnesota Vikings before a game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images.
The young fella got scooped up in the 5th Round of the 2025 NFL Draft, a lofty spot for a fullback without a single college carry. Kevin O’Connell has been telling anyone within earshot that he feels good about where the run game is heading. At this stage, Coach O’Connell saying that this year will be different for the run game has become an annual tradition, but the insertion of an upside rookie FB may spark a new turn.
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Vikings Rookie Max Bredeson as a Puzzle Piece
On the Vikings’ website, the depth chart begins with an explanatory note: “Minnesota opted to list 12 positions on offense to account for the use of three receivers in 11 personnel (a running back and tight end) or the use of a fullback in 21 personnel (a running back, fullback and a tight end with two receivers).”
For a long time, the Vikings have favored 11 personnel. The football lingo refers to using a trio of receivers alongside a single tight end and single running back (the other players are assumed as five offensive linemen alongside a single quarterback). Pretty standard stuff for the modern NFL that’s all about passing.
Jan 1, 2024; Pasadena, CA, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) and tight end Max Bredeson (44) during the first half against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2024 Rose Bowl college football playoff semifinal game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
But then there’s the carve out: the Vikings explicitly create a subcategory for Mr. Bredeson rather than see him lumped into the running backs more broadly. Doing so addresses the nuance between fullbacks and running backs while shoehorning the young thumper into the starting lineup.
#Vikings FB Max Bredeson said today that his game offers “versatility and violence.”
Great combo.
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Earlier in the day, OC Wes Phillips described Bredeson’s ability as a receiver as being “adequate” (lol).
Consider where the nine-person draft class gets listed:
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DT Caleb Banks: Second String
LB Jake Golday: Second String
DT Domonique Orange: Second String
OT Caleb Tiernan: Second String
S Jakobe Thomas: Third String
FB Max Bredeson: First String
CB Chuck Demmings: Third String
RB Demond Claiborne: Fourth String
C Gavin Gerhardt: Third String
Over and over again, the Vikings seek to insulate the young fellas even as it’s easy to see where things are trending. Putting Demmings behind Dwight McGlothern appears to be very unlikely at this stage. McGlothern’s virtue, though, is that he has been in town for a little while whereas Demmings is brand new. Making the young fella earn it is a touch old school but still smart.
It’s just a video of a rugged dude walloping a bag, but Max Bredeson is going to surprise people with how many snaps he earns.
He’s somebody who can make a difference without touching the ball. That’s the key. Look for him to earn a nice workload. https://t.co/rgsx2AI3EH
At the beginning of August, Alec Lewis (The Athletic) sent along a specific thought about the young fullback: “Another non-QB Vikings thing from today: Max Bredeson was very much in the offensive mix. A pretty telling and impressive thing for a rookie FB to be as a part of it as he was this early given complexity of the system.”
Jan 6, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; Michigan Wolverines tight end Max Bredeson (44) looks on during a practice session before the College Football Playoff national championship game against the Washington Huskies at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports – Credit: USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
Last year, Bredeson played as a tight end a good portion of the time. He is, nevertheless, a fullback in Minnesota. Look for the Vikings to shuffle him around to gain an edge when there needs to be some added ruggedness. His versatility is going to get put to good use.
Max Bredeson is listed as being 6’2″ and weighing 252 pounds. He is 23.
Chris Waller’s ambition to claim an early victory in Sydney’s three-year-old features may fall to Central Europe, with his other two contenders for The Rosebud facing uncertainty about their participation.
Hidrix, carrying the topweight, is reportedly being saved for the San Domenico Stakes (1100m) in two weeks after drawing barrier 17. Separately, the Perth-based filly Striking Alibi might be redirected to the Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) next week, having drawn gate 12.
“We were probably only going to run (Hidrix) if he drew perfectly, just because of the weight,” said Waller’s assistant trainer, Charlie Duckworth.
“Striking Alibi has been really sharp in all of her work since coming to us. She has been pretty pushbutton in terms of she has settled in well and done everything right.
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“Just the draw might mean she could wait and go against the fillies next week instead.”
There are no such reservations about commencing Central Europe’s three-year-old season, with the colt drawing barrier seven.
The Frankel colt has shown promise in his two previous starts, both at Group level, including a narrow second to stablemate Campione D’Italia, who went on to win the ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes, in the Skyline Stakes (1200m) in February.
While the stable expects him to perform better over longer distances than the 1100m of The Rosebud, the confidence of star jockey James McDonald has swayed them to target the Listed sprint instead of a lesser race on the program.
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“We had him nominated in the 1300 as well but James was confident off his trials and trackwork that 1100 was fine. He’s been sharper than he was last time in, so that’s a positive,” Duckworth commented.
“He’s a beautiful colt, incredibly well bred. We’ll learn a bit more on Saturday.”
If Central Europe performs well in his initial races, he is being targeted for the Golden Rose, for which he is currently sharing the fourth line of betting at $11.
Four horses have been withdrawn from The Rosebud field: Tornado Valley, Outspan, Oh Yes She Did, and Scintillation. All are anticipated to race in stakes events at Caulfield.
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Central Europe is on a clear path towards the Golden Rose if he performs well in The Rosebud, with current odds of $11. You can compare the latest racing odds at online bookmakers.
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