Ambassadorial’s form has surged since he entered the Melbourne Cup-winning yard run by Tony and Calvin McEvoy, with his latest highlight being a triumph in the Easter Cup (2000m) at Caulfield this Saturday.

Achieving a hat-trick of wins, the gelding sired by Fiorente registered his top achievement to date, winning at $4 favouritism for jockey Logan Bates, the apprentice.

The victor edged Sea What I See ($6) by 1½ lengths, leaving Immediacy ($17) a mere short half-head adrift in the runner-up position? No, third.

“A big thank-you to Anne Peacock and Jane Chapple-Hyam for sending us the horse and giving him the opportunity with us,” Tony McEvoy said.

“He’s been such a pleasure (to train). There will be no problem rehoming him as everyone in the stable just adores him.

“He’s such a gentleman and what a magnificent racing pattern he has.

“He’s gone from strength to strength.”

McEvoy joked that part of the gelding’s improvement had come from a change in approach.

“We’ve decided not to train him,” he said.

“We’re still charging training fees – I hope Jane didn’t hear that, but we’re keeping him really fresh.

“He’s a very light-fleshed, athletic horse and doesn’t require a lot and if you look at his CV, he has been with trainers that do train them, so we decided to make a change.”

Trained earlier by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, and subsequently by Alex Rae, the horse now has three successes and two podium finishes from five efforts with the McEvoys.

Plans call for testing his staying ability, positioning the Mornington Cup (2400m) on April 18 as a key upcoming race.

“He’s a gelding, he’s perfectly sound and he’s in rare form,” McEvoy said.

“What we need to know is whether he runs a mile-and-a-half. If he does that, it opens a brand-new chapter for him.”

The stable sealed a memorable card with a double as Rue De Royale took the Geoff Murphy Handicap (1200m).

Following that, a tilt at the Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville next month is under consideration for the winner.

Keep tabs on Ambassadorial’s staying prospects and compare betting sites offering the keenest markets for the Easter Cup.

By now, NFL free agency is about a month old, and all attention among fans and front offices has fixated on the draft, which is about two and a half weeks away. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings have six free agents from the 2025 roster who remain in limbo.

A few former Vikings from last season are still waiting for their next NFL opportunity.

This happens every offseason, so consider this the 2026 edition.

Familiar Ex-Vikings Names Remain on the Market for Now

Needing employment, these are six Vikings from last year’s roster still hunting.

Brett Rypien (QB)

Rypien’s situation is a stark contrast to last year, when he was the Vikings’ QB2 during the offseason. Now that the Vikings are pursuing other quarterbacks, Rypien will likely seek opportunities elsewhere. He realistically projects as a QB3 or QB4, where his experience and backup capabilities would be valuable.

For the Vikings, it’s Kyler Murray, J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer instead.

Fabian Moreau (CB)

Moreau provided quietly effective, albeit largely unnoticed, play for the Vikings in 2025. As a veteran corner, he capably handled his assignments, holding opponents to an impressive 54.2 passer rating in 11 games, a noteworthy figure for a CB3. Given their need for reliable depth at the position,

Minnesota would benefit from re-signing him as CB4 insurance. A reunion feels mutually beneficial. Stay tuned.

Harrison Smith (S)

Although the Vikings officially released Smith last month, his career in Minnesota may not be over. He was re-energized at the end of 2025, playing his best ball in December and January.

The Vikings will open him back with open arms if he’s not ready for retirement. The prospect of the Vikings contending in 2026 with Kyler Murray while Smith is absent feels incongruous. What if they won the Super Bowl without him? Should send shivers down your spine.

The Viking Age‘s Adam Patrick noted on Smith last month, “It seems safe to assume that if Smith comes back for the 2026 season, it will be in a Minnesota uniform and not with another team. The All-Pro defender has spent his entire NFL career with the Vikings, and there haven’t been any indications that he would want to join another franchise.”

“What are the chances of Smith returning for another season in Minnesota? Well, Brian Flores remaining the Vikings’ defensive coordinator for at least another year doesn’t hurt. Smith has expressed multiple times in the past how much he loves playing in Flores’ defense, and Minnesota’s defensive play-caller would obviously love to have his top safety back on the field in 2026.”

Jeff Okudah (CB)

Okudah struggled to find his footing in Minnesota. Injuries hampered his performance, and opponents frequently targeted him with success.

His career has veered significantly from the high expectations that accompanied him as a top three draft pick in 2020. The consistent talent that made him a coveted prospect has been elusive, giving the Vikings little incentive to re-sign him.

His career may be on the verge of irrelevance.

John Wolford (QB)

Wolford served as the emergency quarterback last season, providing a veteran option during periods of injury and roster instability. While valuable in the short term, this role rarely offers long-term security. As Minnesota moves in a different direction in 2026, Wolford will likely seek practice squad opportunities or emergency depth roles with another team.

Justin Skule (LT)

Skule presented a compelling case for re-signing early in the offseason. Given Christian Darrisaw’s recovery from a significant knee injury and the unpredictable nature of offensive line recoveries, tackle depth is crucial. Furthermore, Brian O’Neill’s age underscores the need.

Skule provided solid snaps for the Vikings in 2025, demonstrating the reliability and composure expected of a swing tackle. But Minnesota signed Ryan Van Demark from the Buffalo Bills, effectively ruling out a Skule contract.

Our Kyle Joudry wrote about Skule two weeks ago, “In saying ‘yes’ to OT Ryan Van Demark, the Vikings seem to be saying ‘no’ to OT Justin Skule. The decision is to move on, at least if the expected occurs. In fairness, the decision to say goodbye to Justin Skule isn’t totally shocking.”

“At any point, Minnesota could have re-signed him in January, February, or the early portion of March since he was an in-house employee. And then there was Kwesi Adofo-Mensah seemingly tipping the team’s hand, publicly explaining (before being fired) that the team would look to improve at OT3.”

Matt Nelson (LT)

Nelson represents the type of roster depth typically considered when planning the practice squad. His quiet presence in free agency reflects the league’s perception of his limited role. While not without value, his opportunities are restricted, and he appears destined to remain on the fringes of rosters.

Minnesota, in theory, could sign him as a depth guy after the draft.

Jade Cargill is the SmackDown Women’s Champion, but she has had her work cut out since stepping into a feud with Rhea Ripley. Cargill has aligned with Michin and B-Fab in recent weeks, but it seems she had much bigger issues on this week’s show.

Following the event, Cargill shared a picture of her trousers that ripped on WWE SmackDown, which meant that she was forced to go with Plan B, and she then came out in shorts instead.

Cargill was still very much part of SmackDown despite the mishap and was able to stop at ringside for the match between Rhea Ripley and Michin, before she then tried to step up to Mami, but Iyo Sky came out and made the save, after weeks of Cargill getting the upper hand on her WrestleMania opponent.

Wardrobe issues have become common with the women in WWE over the past few years, but it seems that Cargill was able to prevent hers from happening in front of the live cameras.

As noted, Cargill was spotted in shorts on the show instead, but it seems that she did initially have plans to match her team of B-Fab and Michin in yellow before her trousers ripped and she was unable to fix them in time.

Jade Cargill has her work cut out at WrestleMania

Jade Cargill has never been up against anyone like Rhea Ripley in her short career, and it’s clear that numbers will not help her at WrestleMania now that Iyo Sky has been added to the match.

It was announced on SmackDown that Sky will be in Rhea Ripley’s corner for the match to ensure that B-Fab and Michin are non-factors. The two women have been close friends for a long time, and now it seems that Sky will be the one stepping up for Rhea.

Cargill has been able to climb the ranks in WWE relatively fast since making the move over from AEW, but this means that she hasn’t been able to face many challenges, and Ripley will be the hardest of her career.