Aaron Bain, the trainer based in Angaston, is confident that Officiate, a gelding with Stakes-placed form, will prove to be a profitable asset in the long run, even though recouping his purchase price is still a goal.

The four-year-old, who initially began his racing journey with Chris Waller, is slated to compete in Saturday’s Hahn Handicap (1569m) at Morphettville Parks, aiming for his first win since transferring to South Australia.

The son of Justify has earned over $16,000 from placings in his first two starts for Bain and Ned Taylor. This weekend, he is chasing a $27,300 winner’s cheque, and Bain expressed his surprise at acquiring him for $60,000 via Inglis Digital in May.

“We probably didn’t think we’d be able to get him for that, to be fair,” he said.

“I knew a few people from Chris’s and reached out and they said he was sound, happy and healthy and he’s been all of that.”

“The way he’s performed in a lot of those class races was going to be good enough to measure up in Adelaide for a couple of seasons and target some better races.”

“There was a lot of upside from our perspective.”

The $700,000 Yulong paid at Magic Millions’ 2YO Horse In Training Sale for the horse, who previously sold for $300,000 as a yearling, dwarfs Bain’s purchase price.

He arrived at Bain’s with only one win, but his placings in the Listed Super Impose Stakes (1800m) and his inclusion in the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) last spring and the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) earlier this year highlight his ability.

His South Australian career kicked off with a third over 1250m on July 11, followed by a second placing to Centu Cavaddi over 1600m at Morphettville a fortnight later.

Bain kept the gelding race-ready with a 600m jumpout at Murray Bridge on August 6.

“He’s in a great spot, we’re just drawn a little bit tricky for the Parks track, but he probably brings in a class factor and he should be going close,” Bain remarked.

Officiate drew barrier 10 in the 12-runner field but will start from barrier eight after scratchings, with Jackson Murphy booked to ride. The gelding is currently $7 in the betting, with Michael Hickmott’s Extinguish the $4.80 favourite.

Check out the latest racing odds for this event.

Spain great Xavi Hernandez was hired as Netherlands coach on Wednesday, becoming the first foreign-born leader of the national team in nearly 50 years.

Xavi was a member of the Spain team that beat the Dutch in the World Cup final in 2010, marking their third defeat in the title match.

The 46-year-old Xavi, who has been out of work since leaving his job as Barcelona coach in May 2024, takes over from Ronald Koeman after his departure following the World Cup.

The former midfielder said he felt a “special connection to Dutch football” after coming through a Barcelona academy influenced by Johan Cruyff and Rinus Michels.

“You could say that I am a bit of a son of Dutch football,” said Xavi, who has signed a deal through to the 2030 World Cup. “Other great coaches, especially Louis van Gaal, under whom I made my debut at Barcelona, ??and Frank Rijkaard, also played an important role in shaping me as a player and coach.”  The last foreign-born coach of the Netherlands was Ernst Happel from 1977-78.

Xavi said the Dutch soccer culture – “attacking football, based on possession, with creativity, passion, and conviction” – appealed to him. 

“Of course, the most important goal is and always will be to win, but I prefer to do so in a way that reflects those characteristics and that people can enjoy,” he said. “The potential for this is there, as well as a solid foundation to build upon.”  Nigel de Jong, director of elite football at the Dutch federation and an opponent of Xavi in the 2010 World Cup final, said Xavi’s vision of “dominant and attractive football, combined with the flexibility that modern elite football demands” would serve the team well.

“Xavi believes in those basic principles, has embraced that vision, and made it his own,” De Jong said. “All of that, combined with his personality and the way he knows how to connect with players and get the best out of a group, makes him the right choice for the coming years.”  After playing for 17 years at Barcelona, Xavi finished his career at Al Sadd before becoming the Qatari team’s coach from 2019-21.

The Netherlands exited the World Cup in the Round of 32 after losing to Morocco in a penalty shootout.

In a transfer window that could become one like no other at Manchester City, one aspect of the Blues’ summer business has gone under the radar.

City are set for a significant few weeks in the transfer window, with Rodri and Tijjani Reijnders likely to depart, with replacements sought for both. City are also continuing to work on a deal for teenage sensation Ayyoub Bouaddi and want to sign a winger – a move that will be hastened should Savinho leave amid longstanding interest from Tottenham.

But in among all the transfer chatter, the Blues have quietly tied down four of their key players to long-term contracts. Jeremy Doku became the latest to extend his Etihad stay, following Phil Foden, Abdukodir Khusanov and Josko Gvardiol in penning fresh terms.

Of the quartet, Foden is the oldest at 26 and all could be a significant part of City’s future under new boss Enzo Maresca.

While contract extensions will inevitably fail to make the same headlines as signings, the fact City have been able to tie down four players who are arguably all coming into their prime in a summer where Pep Guardiola has left the club is real marker.

Gvardiol was linked with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich but has pledged his future to City while Foden, Khusanov and Gvardiol could be vital players over the coming years. That, coupled with Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi joining in January when both would have known there was at least a chance Guardiola would depart within a matter of months, is proof of City’s pulling power and their futureproofing.

It’s not just about what players can offer on the pitch; the personality, mentality and character away from the field are also key factors for the Blues. Director of Football Hugo Viana places great emphasis on the person as well as the player and it’s been telling that he’s spoken of the make-up of Gvardiol, Khusanov, Foden and Doku in the past few weeks.

“None of what he (Foden) has achieved would be possible without the focus, dedication and humility to work hard in every moment and absorb all of the knowledge available to him through our coaches and players,” said Viana on the City playmaker.

Viana said Khusanov is growing “into a brilliant young man” while Doku was labelled “a fantastic person” with a “first-class attitude”.

On Gvardiol, the Portuguese said: “The way he conducts himself is also very impressive. This is a young man determined to be the best he can be – an approach that is totally aligned with our overall vision.”

It’s a vision made easier to achieve by retaining your best talent and allowing a group to grow together. For all the player churn in the past two years at the Etihad, the nucleus of a squad that can define the next City era is emerging.

Amy Hunt is halfway to achieving her target of four golds at a single European championships after beating Dina Asher-Smith to win the women’s 200 metres final in Birmingham.

Asher-Smith, who took bronze, got out to the faster start but Hunt – who is known for the back end of her race – was neck-and-neck with her fellow Briton after the bend then pulled ahead, crossing the line in 22.19 seconds.

Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke took silver in a national record 22.28s, and Asher-Smith rounded out the podium in 22.29s.

Success Eduan, the third Briton in the final, who beat Hunt on the same track at the British Championships in June, was sixth in 22.66s.

“Two out of four, baby!” Hunt said on the BBC. “Honestly, the 100m is the hardest mentally and the 200 is the hardest physically.

“I’ve had a lot of health things going on this year, some really, really low blood pressure, and it’s meant the 200s have been really scary.

“I’ve been nearly fainting after a lot of my 200s this year, so I just had to go into that one and get on the bend and be really brave, but it was an amazing race.”

The addition of a mixed 4×100 relay opened the possibility for Hunt to gun for a European quadruple in Birmingham, unprecedented for a British athlete.

The Cambridge English literature graduate, who stormed back on to the scene with world silver last year, has now done all she can on an individual basis to make that happen on home soil, and also plans to participate in the 4×100 women’s relay.

It was the fourth successive evening of British gold in Birmingham, a championships that has been hit hard by criticism over sparse crowds.

But on Thursday the Alexander Stadium, which seats approximately 23,000 people, attracted 20,082 spectators to watch Hunt win her second major senior title three days after storming to her first.

It was by far the best-attended session of the championships so far, even despite a 90-minute shutdown to the M6 northbound near Birmingham caused by thick smoke from one of the fires raging across the West Midlands.

Even after it re-opened, just before 7:00pm, with reduced speeds in place in both directions, the closure resulted in 150-minute delays and six miles of congestion, and a traffic incident pushing back start times due to the late arrival of athletes.

Earlier, Mark English became the first Irishman to win 800m gold at the European Athletics Championships after he claimed the title with a perfectly timed run to come home in one minute 45.26 seconds.

The final proved too fast for Ben Pattison, who came home in sixth, and there was bad news for Max Burgin, who was forced to pull out of the race due to an injury in the warm-up.

British record-holder Zharnel Hughes won his 200m semi-final in 20.05 seconds to qualify for Friday’s medal race while Ebuka Nwokeji, who had qualified from the morning heats, did not advance.

Elise Thorner finished fifth in a women’s 3,000m steeplechase won by Germany’s Gesa Felicitas Krause.

Rory McIlroy made a run of costly late bogeys as he slipped to a four-over-par opening round at the FedEx St Jude Championship in Memphis.

The Northern Irishman had been aiming to rebuild some momentum heading into the PGA Tour Play-offs, following a run of disappointing results after his successful defence of his Masters title in April – which included tied for 40th at The Open at Royal Birkdale.

McIlroy, currently 12th in the FedExCup standings, was in a marquee pairing at TPC Southwind alongside world number one Scottie Scheffler on his return to the event he skipped last year.

A bogey on the par-five third was soon recovered with a birdie at the par-three fourth, before another dropped shot at the eighth saw him head into the turn at one over.

McIlroy sank a 15-foot birdie putt on the 11th, but a wayward tee shot off the 16th out to the right saw him make another bogey. His second at the 17th then bounced away past the green towards the stands, meaning a drop before eventually taking five.

There proved little relief on the 18th as McIlroy sent his tee shot into the water and then came up short in his approach, meaning a double bogey and a round of 74.

Scheffler, returning to action for the first time since finishing runner-up at the 3M Open, finished at two under, his only bogey coming on the 15th.

“I felt like I hit a lot of quality shots with my irons,” he said. “I did a good job of being patient and not trying to force it too much.

“I feel like I was right on the edge of having a good day, so I felt like patience-wise, I did a pretty good job.”

Jordan Spieth – who has not produced a top-10 finish on the PGA Tour this season – was among five Americans to set the first-round lead at five under after making four birdies on the back nine. Michael Thorbjornsen, Kurt Kitayama, Jake Knapp and Michael Kim also started with 65s.

England’s Tommy Fleetwood is part of a group who are a shot back, having chipped in from the edge of a bunker at the third for an eagle.

“I feel good,” he said. “I didn’t really play very good in the practice days, my game’s not really been that great. I have been showing a lot, like some good and some really not so good.

“I hit it great off the tee today. Still my iron play was iffy, but I did a good job of managing it for the most part.”

Ireland’s Shane Lowry sits at one under, making a double-bogey five on the par-three 11th where his tee shot went into the water, before recovering some ground with successive birdies from the 15th.

Defending champion Justin Rose struggled to three over, with two double bogeys at nine and 16.

Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre also had an opening round to forget, finishing at 12 over.

Freshly-crowned European sprint double-champion Amy Hunt revealed she battled through fear of fainting after reeling in Dina Asher-Smith to win the women’s 200 metres final in Birmingham.

The 24-year-old was the favourite in Thursday’s final, watched by 20,082 fans – the biggest crowd at the European Athletics Championships so far – and crossed the line in 22.19 seconds, nine hundredths of a second quicker than Irish silver medallist Rhasidat Adeleke’s new national record and one tenth ahead of Asher-Smith.

Hunt, who is targeting an unprecedented British four golds in one championships and won the 100m on Monday, yelled “Are you not entertained?” at the camera – a reference to the Russell Crowe epic film Gladiator – before opening up about her behind-the-scenes health battle.

“Two out of four, baby!” Hunt said on the BBC. “Honestly, the 100m is the hardest mentally and the 200 is the hardest physically.

“I’ve had a lot of health things going on this year, some really low blood pressure, and it’s meant the 200s have been really scary.

“I’ve been nearly fainting after a lot of my 200s this year, so I just had to go into that one and get on the bend and be really brave, but it was an amazing race.”

Asher-Smith, who took bronze, got out to the faster start but Hunt – who is better known for the back end of her race – was neck-and-neck after the bend then pulled ahead.

Success Eduan, the third Briton in the final, who beat Hunt on the same track at the British Championships in June, was sixth in 22.66s.

The addition of a mixed 4×100 relay alongside the women’s-only edition has opened the possibility for world silver medallist Hunt to gun for a European quadruple, unprecedented for a British athlete.

Asked later what it meant to make it halfway to her ambitious target, Hunt, from Newark, told reporters: “I can’t even put it into words because I’ll start crying.

“It means so much. This year has not been that easy and to do such an iconic thing in Birmingham, as close to my home as I’m ever going to get…

“To handle all the pressure – this is the first time I’ve ever come into a major champs expected to win not just one event, but two – to be able to showcase all the work I’ve done, all the work my coaching staff, my family, everything that everyone has put into me – this medal is for everyone.”

Asher-Smith said: “I would have much rather had a different colour, but any medal is a medal, isn’t it? I think that’s my (ninth) European medal in my career.

“It says a lot to come back year-on-year and perform, and to be one of the fastest women in the world, whatever is going on in your life and still being there, I’m happy with that.”

Asher-Smith still has the potential to become the most decorated athlete in European Championships history, should she participate in both relays. The current record belongs to Poland’s Irena Szewinska, who won 10 between 1966 and 1978.

Mark English won Ireland’s first individual men’s gold medal at the European Championships as he finished first in the 800m.

Terrion Arnold, the former Detroit Lions first-round pick, is no longer a free agent.

Arnold and the Seattle Seahawks have reached a deal to bring him into the fold with the reigning Super Bowl champions, according to multiple reports.

The Lions, who selected Arnold with their first-round pick in 2024, released him in June after he was arrested in Tampa, Florida, on felony charges connected to a robbery and kidnapping from February.

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Terrion Arnold of the Detroit Lions stands on the sideline during the national anthem before a game against the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field Dec. 5, 2024, in Detroit. (Getty Images)

The Seahawks were among the teams that Arnold visited earlier this week as he looked for his next chapter in the league. He also visited with the Houston Texans, New York Giants and New Orleans Saints.

But the Seahawks, who already tout a superb defense on paper, are who Arnold wants to play with next. In fact, during HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” GM John Schneider was even seen discussing the potential of signing Arnold to the roster.

Head coach Mike Macdonald also noted the “great tryout” Arnold had while in Seattle.

LIONS RELEASE TERRION ARNOLD AFTER BOND SET AT $1 MILLION IN ARMED ROBBERY, KIDNAPPING CASE

“It’s a situation where there’s other things that are surrounding it,” Macdonald told reporters this week. “We’re aware of that. But we’re working through the situation right now. But it was a great visit. I really enjoyed meeting him, and I think he enjoyed being here, so we’ll see where it goes.”

Arnold is facing eight felony charges from allegations he orchestrated the abduction and beating of three men in February.

Prosecutors said in June that Arnold arranged for the men to be pistol-whipped after he suspected them of stealing $100,000 in cash and luxury goods from him. He was described as the “primary conspirator” of the incident, and Hillsborough County Judge Christopher Sabella set his bail at $1 million.

Terrion Arnold of the Detroit Lions runs onto the field before a game against the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field in Detroit Nov. 27, 2025. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

However, Arnold’s attorney, R. Timothy Jansen, said in Hillsborough County Court this summer his client will be “absolutely denying these allegations.” His agency, EAG Sports Management, added there is “no credible evidence” against him in this case.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell also noted in March that the team did not believe Arnold was involved in this case based on the information they had at the time.

Teams that were looking into adding Arnold to their roster needed to do their due diligence on the matter. No trial date has been set in his case.

The charges against him carry a sentence of up to life in prison. And the NFL must decide whether Arnold should be placed on the commissioner’s exempt list.

If a team is willing to sign him now, it must mean he should be free to play, at least at some point, this season.

Terrion Arnold of the Detroit Lions looks on during the second half of a game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis., Sept. 7, 2025. (Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)

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Arnold was expected to be a starting corner for the Lions this season, making his release a big one for the depth chart. He recorded his first career interception last season in Week 9 against the Minnesota Vikings, though he was only able to play eight games because of a shoulder injury that required season-ending surgery.

Arnold played 16 games during his rookie season in 2024, tallying 10 passes defended and 60 combined tackles.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Iga Swiatek claimed her first title of the season with a dominant 6-2 6-3 win over Elena Rybakina in the final of the National Bank Open in Toronto.

The Polish seventh seed gained an early advantage in the first set when the world number two gave up a break point on back-to-back double faults.

That was all the room Swiatek needed as she continued her stellar form from earlier in the tournament to race away with the opening set.

Unforced errors continued to cost Rybakina into the second set, as two missed backhands gifted Swiatek another break.

Rybakina was able to stave off one championship point, but Swiatek converted on her second opportunity to clinch her first title since last September.

Speaking at the post-match awards ceremony, Swiatek dedicated her victory to “everyone who is dealing with unfair judgement and hate”.

She said: “Just keep pushing, keep growing, keep focusing on yourself because you know what’s best for you.

“Always remember what’s ahead and what might be possible.”

In the men’s draw, American Ben Shelton retained his crown by eclipsing compatriot Brandon Nakashima 6-3 7-6 (4) in Montreal.

Shelton did not drop a set throughout the tournament and is just the fourth man this century to go back-to-back at the event, joining Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

He told atptour.com: “For me to play the way that I played this week to go through this draw speaks to the work I have been putting in.

“It also speaks to my mental toughness, my ability to focus through everything that was going on this week.”

Precious Zaragosa.–PGT PHOTO

Precious Zaragosa believes she grew a lot after close shaves in the recent National Amateur Strokeplay and Match Play Championships—coming up short taught her quite the lessons.

That is why she looks forward to helping Team South in the Junior PGT Elite Finals set for next week at Pueblo de Oro in Cagayan de Oro, where she will be playing for the love of her roots in Davao.

“I’ve learned a lot playing in those two tournaments and coming up short,” the 15-year-old Zaragosa told the Inquirer over the phone after practice at Teakwood. “I’ve learned to be patient but, at the same time, take advantage of the chances you get.”

Zaragosa finished second behind Lisa Sarines in the Strokeplay before winding up second in the Match Play Championship behind Grace Quintanilla in their marathon finals that literally went down to the last hole.

“I had a 12-foot putt for birdie (to take the match to a 37th hole) that didn’t even graze the cup,” Zaragosa said. “It was a painful defeat in a way. But I was still proud of the way I played.”

Zaragosa banners the girls’ 15-18 South team together with Tashanah Balangauan and Cebu bets Apple Gotiong and Lois Lane Go, as they face a formidable North crew led by Strokeplay champion Lisa Sarines, her twin Mona, Rafa Anciano and Kendra Garingalao.

A former junior national champion, Zaragosa actually resides in Canlubang, Laguna, where her father, swing coach Boyet, learned the game at Apo Golf in Davao but later became a standout of many Sugar Barons teams in the PAL Interclub in the 1990s and 2000s before deciding to move to Laguna for good.

But she has chosen to play the JPGT Visayas and Mindanao Series, even if that means flying to venues for tournaments.

“Davao is where I hail from, and this is the region I want to represent,” she said with pride. “That is where my parents are from, and I am super proud of where we come from.”

Team North will be defending the title, and Zaragosa believes that it will be closer than the 26.5-21.5 loss the South endured last year.

“We have a little advantage when it comes to course familiarity,” she said. “But we (Southerners) still have to play well to maximize that advantage.”