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Ichnusa clinches back-to-back wins at Caulfield in 2026

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Jockeys in colorful silks ride racehorses at full gallop on a grass track, with banners and rails in the background.

The Ciaron Maher stable presented a strong pair in a Caulfield three-year-old race, with the less fancied runner ultimately emerging victorious.

Maher’s team fielded both the $2.40 favourite Decalogue and the $6.50 outsider Ichnusa in the Sportsbet Feed Handicap (2000m) on Saturday.

Decalogue’s chances were diminished by its tendency to over-race, finishing the event in fifth place. In contrast, Ichnusa charged along the outside to claim a half-length win over Our Chief ($5), with Dirnaseer ($9) securing third position, a further three-quarters of a length behind.

While the Maher camp had anticipated a win from Decalogue, Ichnusa’s performance was not entirely unexpected.

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This marked Ichnusa’s second race start, following a debut victory over 1600m at Seymour.

Jack Turnbull, National Assistant Trainer for Ciaron Maher Racing, explained that the stable had been patient with Ichnusa, acting on the counsel of part-owner and breeder Rick Jamieson.

“I thought he did a really good job as he travelled in patches,” Turnbull conveyed.

“The race was run at a farcical tempo. He was on the bit, he was off the bit, and he was running in and out.”

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“He’s got such a big action and he’s such a talented horse and does it so easily.”

“His half-sister is Suntora which gets over a trip, and he is bred to get a mile-and-a-half and beyond.”

“Looking at genes, he’s a TT which suggests he’s going to be better for further development, and time.”

“When we were training him in his earlier stages, Rick was very keen for us to be patient and let him grow out, strengthen, and this is reward for that.”

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Turnbull stated that the stable would assess Ichnusa’s recovery post-race before determining its next race.

Although Decalogue’s finishing position was disappointing, Turnbull felt the gelding’s effort was fair.

“He’s a bold travelling horse and when Jabez (Johnstone) wanted to come back and get cover, they were running trackwork times and that is not his go,” Turnbull commented.

“It is disappointing the race was run like that and if he was able to get out and run his own race, I’m sure he would have run much better.”

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“He’s tricky in that he needs things to go his way, he needs galloping room but needs to take a sit.”

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Pochettino agrees new USA deal until 2030

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Mauricio Pochettino has agreed a new deal to remain as manager of the United States men’s national team until 2030.

The former Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea boss has been in charge since September 2024 and led the USA to the last 16 of the 2026 World Cup on home soil.

The co-hosts topped their group after wins over Paraguay and Australia before beating Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0 in the last 32.

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Their World Cup run ended with a heavy 4-1 defeat by Belgium.

Under the new agreement, Pochettino and his coaching staff will have a bigger role within US Soccer. They will also advise and support the organisation on areas including youth development, coaching education, professional league partnerships and the wider national team pathway.

“Working together with US Soccer over the past two years, it has become clear to us that there is tremendous potential to make the men’s national team programme even stronger,” Pochettino said.

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“We are excited by the opportunity to bring all our experience and knowledge to even more areas of US Soccer while helping strengthen the pathways for players, coaches and teams across the federation.

“We want to try to have a lasting impact on the sport in the country that has welcomed us so warmly and for that impact to extend beyond results on the field.”

US Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone praised the work done by Pochettino and his staff.

“Mauricio has built a culture where players trust the group, trust the process and trust each other,” she said.

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“We saw the impact of that belief in the way the team grew, competed and performed on the world’s biggest stage.

“That culture, and the staff who helped build it, are exactly what we want to continue investing in for the men’s national team now and for the future.”

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5 players who are switching states ahead of India’s 2026-27 domestic season ft. Shashank Singh

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The annual pre-season transfer window in Indian domestic cricket allows players to switch state associations as outstation or guest recruits under the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regulations.

State teams are permitted up to three guest players to strengthen their squads ahead of the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaigns. These transfers are driven by players seeking more game time, specialized roles, or leadership opportunities, while developing state teams aim to recruit veteran talents to bolster their squad depth.

The upcoming 2026-27 season features several notable moves, with prominent domestic regulars and IPL players shifting allegiances. Let’s take a look at five such moves.

#1 Shashank Singh

The Punjab Kings (PBKS) all-rounder Shashank Singh will turn up for Puducherry in the 2026-27 season after shifting base from Chhattisgarh. The Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh (CSCS) has already issued an NOC to the player.

Singh alleged that the state association didn’t support him while he was recovering from an injury that he suffered last season. He further claimed that the association questioned his commitment, saying that the batter only wanted to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The 27-year-old added that CSCS officials didn’t give him any clarity over why he was left out of the Chhattisgarh Premier League and the team’s pre-season camp.

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Singh has played 21 first-class games for Chhattisgarh over the last seven years. He has also represented the state in 31 List A and 42 T20s.


#2 Yash Dayal

Royal Challengers Bengaluru fast bowler Yash Dayal will represent Chhattisgarh in the upcoming domestic season. He has already joined the team’s pre-season camp in Alur.

Dayal has not played any competitive cricket since the IPL 2025 final, after which he faced charges relating to sexual assault. The left-arm pacer was retained by Gorakhpur Lions for the upcoming UP T20 League. However, he didn’t feature in the 18-member squad the franchise announced following the auction.

The 28-year-old has represented Uttar Pradesh in 27 first-class, 23 List A, and 71 T20s, picking up 186 wickets across formats, including two five-wicket hauls.

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Dayal will look to start fresh for Chhattisgarh in the upcoming season and make his way back to the scheme of things.


#3 Dharmendrasinh Jadeja

Chhattisgarh is looking to build a strong squad for the upcoming domestic season. As a result, they have roped in Saurashtra‘s veteran left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja.

The 35-year-old spinner has been a stalwart in the domestic circuit, picking up 423 wickets in 100 first-class matches, including seven 10-wicket hauls and 26 five-fors. Jadeja also has 121 List A and 65 T20 wickets under his belt.

Jadeja is also a very handy batter in the lower order, accumulating almost 2900 runs across formats. He also has 10 fifties under his belt.

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Jadeja’s addition will certainly boost Chhattisgarh’s squad depth as they look to put in a spirited performance next season.


#4 Prasad Pawar

Mumbai wicketkeeper-batter Prasad Pawar has signed with Puducherry to play alongside Shashank Singh as a guest player in the upcoming domestic season.

Prasad has struggled for game time in the Mumbai squad, with Hardik Tamore playing as the first-choice wicketkeeper-batter. As a result, Prasad has decided to shift base to Puducherry in search of more playing time.

Prasad made his List A debut in 2021, while his first-class and T20 debuts came in 2023. Overall, he has represented Mumbai in 27 matches, scoring 591 runs, including one hundred and fifty each.

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#5 Jayant Yadav

An offspinner from Haryana, Jayant Yadav, has decided to join Chhattisgarh for the 2026-27 domestic season. He brings truckloads of experience along with him, having represented India in six Tests and two ODIs while picking up 17 wickets in total.

Yadav has 96 first-class, 74 List A, and 95 T20s under his belt, picking up 272, 68, and 61 wickets, respectively, including two 10-wicket hauls and 15 five-fors. He is also very handy with the bat in the lower order, scoring 4781 runs, including three hundreds and 22 fifties. The 36-year-old cricketer also has one Test hundred and fifty each to his name.

Chhattisgarh will rely heavily on the spin duo of Yadav and Jadeja to bring laurels for the team in the upcoming season.