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Golden Straand victorious again in 2026, primed for stakes grade

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Jockey in blue silks rides a dark brown racehorse with number 2 on a grassy track at Hawkesbury Race Club, another horse close behind in the background.

The rising sprinter Golden Straand maintained his momentum surge and is crafting a strong argument for stakes racing after a stylish conquest at Hawkesbury on Saturday.

Golden Straand tracked the leaders from behind early, with jockey Nash Rawiller carving the inside run as the potent four-year-old entire surged to the front in the Blakes Marine Benchmark 78 Handicap (1100m).

Handler Matthew Smith could opt to advance Golden Straand methodically through the ranks, though the speedster’s talent far exceeds the norm.

“Golden Straand is building a very good record and he’s winning his races with authority,” Smith said.

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“He’s run fast time again (1m 02.82s) and he’s carried a big weight (60kg). I’ll talk to Nash to see what we should do next but he’s a promising sprinter.

“Do we keep working through the grades or maybe look at a race like the (Listed $200,000) Luskin Star Stakes (1300m) at Scone in two weeks? It’s a good problem to have.”

As the $1.80 favourite, Golden Straand earned his second success in as many runs this prep, defeating Wanaruah ($13) by a half-length to secure Snitzel’s quinella. Couples Retreat ($9.50) trailed by just over a length for third.

A four-year-old entire in Gerry Harvey’s colours, Golden Straand has five wins from 10 career starts, and stakes glory would markedly increase his commercial breeding appeal.

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He has won four of six this season and set a Warwick Farm record of 1m 08.3s over 1200m in the spring last year.

Smith explained that Golden Straand always had the potential but is developing his racing smarts.

“He did a few things wrong early in his career,” Smith said. “But he’s starting to settle better in his races and he’s finding the line.

“There’s still improvement to come with this horse – he’s got a future, that’s for sure.”

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Draymond Green refuses to let Charles Barkley bury the Warriors, delivers cutting Rockets jab on air

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Wednesday night on “Inside the NBA was less of a pregame show and more of a roast session as Draymond Green joined the desk.

The Golden State forward started going at it with Charles Barkley as the Mound Round of Rebound poked fun at the sinking ship that is the Warriors dynasty.

ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

Draymond Green wearing number 23 reacts during a basketball game at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento

Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors reacts during a game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif., on April 10, 2026. (Rocky Widner/NBAE)

The tension started when Sir Charles decided to eulogize the Dubs while looking Green dead in the eye.

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“It’s over for the Warriors. No disrespect. It ends for every old team,” Barkley said.

“You had your run; you get old; you let Klay go. You and Steph are on the backside of your careers; it just passed you by.”

WARRIORS’ STEPH CURRY GETS CANDID ABOUT EVENTUAL NBA RETIREMENT

Barkley kept his foot on the gas.

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While he gave the Warriors credit for “one of the greatest runs ever,” he made it clear that Father Time remains undefeated in the paint.

“Sports … listen, sports are for young people,” Barkley added. “You hope to have a great long career, but sports … nobody wins when they’re 37, 38.”

Charles Barkley and Chris Webber speaking to Draymond Green on basketball court

NBA TV analysts Charles Barkley and Chris Webber speak to Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green after Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, on June 7, 2017. (John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated)

In predictable fashion, Draymond was unable to stomach the banter.

He waited for the opening and went for the jugular, referencing Barkley’s infamous sunset years in Texas.

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“Yeah, I mean, I think the goal is just to not look like you in the Houston Rockets uniform,” Green fired back.

The jab was a direct hit on Barkley’s ring-chasing era in Houston, where the Hall of Famer was famously a shell of his MVP self.

Green then shifted into a rare moment of veteran self-awareness and admitted the Warriors are in a transitional phase, but insisted the pedigree matters more than the box score.

“I think understanding what is success at this point is key for us,” Green explained. “Knowing and understanding that it may not be realistic to win a championship, but can we continue to build to that so that once we leave this organization, it’s still in a great space?”

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Despite Draymond’s talk about maintaining a winning pedigree, this year was a harsh wake-up call for the Golden State faithful.

Draymond Green and head coach Steve Kerr reacting during a basketball game at State Farm Arena

Draymond Green and head coach Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors react during the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Ga., on March 21, 2026. (Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

The Warriors’ season went out with a whimper as they finished 10th in the West and were bounced immediately in the play-in tournament.

Barkley might think the light is fading, but Draymond is clearly going to keep swinging on his way out.

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Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela 

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Is Rue trapped with the DEA agents?

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In Euphoria season 3, Rue Bennett is placed under a DEA informant agreement after being detained during a traffic stop and confronted with evidence tied to her drug-related activities. The episode, titled “Kitty Likes to Dance,” shows her operating under federal surveillance while continuing to move within criminal environments linked to Laurie’s network.

Episode 4 also builds tension at the Silver Slipper club, where a violent raid further complicates Rue’s position. By the end of the episode, Rue is effectively trapped between DEA monitoring and criminal suspicion, with limited ability to disengage from either side.


Euphoria season 3 episode 4 recap: What does Rue’s DEA deal mean?

Euphoria season 3 (Image via Prime Video)Euphoria season 3 (Image via Prime Video)
Euphoria season 3 (Image via Prime Video)

In the third season of Euphoria, Rue is challenged by DEA agents after evidence links her to several narcotics enterprises that are part of Laurie’s network. In episode 4, she is questioned with specific evidence of her involvement, which means she doesn’t have many legal choices. The agents give her a choice that is not framed as voluntary participation but as a way to avoid a long prison sentence in federal prison.

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Rue agrees to become an informant. This is a big change. This choice means that she is always being watched. Her phone has been changed so that it may be monitored, and she has been told to keep in touch with drug dealers while also giving information to federal authorities. This arrangement makes it possible for Rue to work in a criminal ecology while also reporting on what is going on there.

The episode shows that this setup isn’t stable. Rue is now working between two systems that both punish failure. If she is caught in the drug network she’s trying to get into, she could get hurt. If she fails the DEA, she could face legal problems. This dual pressure determines her future position.


How does the Silver Slipper raid change everything?

After Laurie and her friends get into a fight with Alamo’s gang, the end of Euphoria season 3 episode 4 takes place at the Silver Slipper club, where they break in and start a fight. In season 3 of Euphoria, things become worse and Rue, Magick, and Big Eddy become hostages.

The attackers want to get into a secret safe that has money and narcotics in it. The group shoots Big Eddy and makes him tell them where it is before taking the stuff and running away. The raid in Euphoria season 3 shows that factions are no longer just threatening each other; they are now using violence against each other.

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After the event, the video from the CCTV cameras is looked at. Even though the identities are covered, a detail about the getaway driver links Faye to the robbery. Rue reacts to this knowledge at the review, which makes Magick even more suspicious. The event makes the dispute worse by including more groups instead of fixing it.


Is Rue trapped between the DEA and criminal networks in?

In Euphoria season 3 episode 4, Rue is caught in both the DEA’s investigation as well as the criminal networks. While the DEA requires details from her, she cannot share any because Laurie’s crew would kill them off for doing that.

In addition, the fact that she continues engaging with people associated with drugs in the midst of DEA observation increases the chances of being exposed. She is put into a difficult position through the raid at Silver Slipper because she is now connected to another network of criminal organizations through knowledge.

Having knowledge of influential people, she is put in a difficult position where it is hard for each group to determine her loyalty to them. Magick’s suspicion as well as DEA observation puts her under increased pressure, while at the same time the threats posed by the criminals continue increasing.

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Watch Euphoria season 3 on HBO Max to follow how Rue’s situation continues to develop in the next episodes.