Following a light workout at Cranbourne and subsequent x-rays, the favoured Big Sky has been withdrawn from Victoria’s flagship two-year-old event.

The colt from the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable was primed as the choice for the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) on Saturday, though Price voiced concerns over the colt after his Friday morning canter at Cranbourne.

Thursday’s Racing Victoria vet barrier check had cleared Big Sky, as it did for all 20 declared runners.

Price’s optimism faded rapidly, however, within the next day as issues emerged with the colt’s stride.

“I had a little canter with him this morning and his action is not what it should be,” Price told SENTrack.

“We know by looking at the data, on Tuesday morning his stride was a little shorter than it should be, but I was looking more at knees this morning and we have had them x-rayed.

“There’s a little bit of immaturity near front, off-front, there’s enough there to say I need a second opinion of what’s going on with that knee.

“We think we can see a small little flake of bone in there.

“I’m not sure we need to do, but what I do know is that horse will not be running on Saturday and will be going to the paddock.”

Price noted that his approach remains consistent across the board, irrespective of whether it’s a premier Group 1 for juveniles or an ordinary mile maiden.

“I wouldn’t ask any horse to do anything I wasn’t 100 per cent happy with, especially a two-year-old baby,” Price said.

“He’s very talented, he might be a Group 1 horse as a three-year-old.

“Regardless of anything in the future, he will not run tomorrow, and the information is ‘black and white’.

“It is disappointing, but it would be disappointment times ten if I was to run him and get a poor result, number one, and to see him pull-up poorly number two.

“He’s a young horse and we need to look after him.”

Markets reacted swiftly, elevating stablemate Guest House to the fore at $4.60, in front of Unit Five ($5.50) and Closer To Free ($6.50).

After vet reviews, the filly Torture trained by Ben, Will and J D Hayes was barred from racing, but Tough Romance from Tony and Calvin McEvoy secured approval.

Phillip Stokes’ first emergency Stretan Ruler was stood down Thursday to contest the Group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill Saturday.

Visit leading betting sites to check the updated betting markets for the race.

Caulfield-bound Closer To Free faces no penalty from trainer Danny O’Brien for his novice status ahead of Victoria’s elite two-year-old showdown.

His qualification for Saturday’s Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield stemmed from a debut romp in the Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) held on February 7.

Prior to that, O’Brien snapped up the colt post a Caulfield Heath barrier trial conquest nine days earlier under Adrian Corboy’s watch.

Post-debut, Closer To Free has shown further maturation, leaving O’Brien relaxed about the colt’s sophomore appearance on Saturday.

Devil Night mirrored this path last year, capturing the Blue Diamond on his second start following a Prelude second two weeks prior.

“The narrative around his trial was that he was wound up, but Adrian told me he was three or four weeks behind with him because he got cast in his box over Christmas and he missed a couple of weeks work,” O’Brien said.

“When he came to the trials here, he said there was a lot of improvement in the horse and when I saw him in the yard before the Prelude I thought ‘he’s right, you might need another gallop’, but he came out of it really well and will be finding a couple of lengths on Saturday on top of what he’s already shown.”

Saturday’s race poses no issue for O’Brien due to Closer To Free’s light resume.

“The profile of these two-year-old races has changed over the last 15 or 20 years,” O’Brien said.

“The two-year-olds are not having as many starts as they used to before Christmas and ultimately, they get one or two post-Christmas before running in the Blue Diamond and even the Golden Slipper.

“I don’t think that is a disadvantage. I know when Star Witness won it, it was only his third race start, one start in December, one start in January, and then into to the Diamond.”

Discussing Australia’s breeding evolution, O’Brien notes a departure from rushing juveniles to the track.

“When I first started in racing, there probably wasn’t the number of shuttle stallions standing,” O’Brien said.

“It was more the colonials, they were a bit hardier, a bit more get up get going early, whereas nearly every stallion in Australia now has some form of shuttle blood.

“There has been a gradual shift, so I don’t think there is any disadvantage and he has been very well educated and we can thank Adrian for that.

“He’s got a very natural brain and there will be no horse that will handle the parade better than him.

“He’s so relaxed.”

Discover leading betting sites offering racing odds for the Blue Diamond Stakes.

The winner of May’s thriller between heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley and challenger Daniel Dubois could well be targeted by a returning Tyson Fury.

Wardley will mark the first defence of his WBO title at the Co-op Live Arena, having become champion in November when the belt was vacated by Oleksandr Usyk.

The Ipswich man, who stopped Justis Huni and Joseph Parker in 2025, has said he wants a proper first outing as champion to prove to fans he has earned the belt – he had wanted to fight Usyk for it, but the Ukrainian did not share that interest.

As for Dubois, he has managed to get the Ukrainian in the ring, twice, losing on both occasions. Most recently, he was stopped inside five rounds at Wembley Stadium, losing his own world title. This shot at Wardley’s belt in his first fight back represents both an excellent opportunity and a dangerous career move.

Watching on from ringside will be Fury, who ends a year-long retirement in April against Arslanbek Makhmudov. He has made it clear he will target the winner, however can’t split them when predicting who that will be.

Speaking on the FurociTV YouTube channel, ‘The Gypsy King’ praised the matchmaking, ultimately recognising the fight as a pick ’em with a high chance of ending early in either man’s favour, giving Dubois a 50% chance of becoming a two-time champ.

“I think Wardley’s a good fighter and I think the Daniel Dubois fight is a very good fight. Great fight for British boxing – two British heavyweights knocking lumps off each other. These are two big punchers. Whoever lands first with the big shot will win.”

“These guys are 6 foot 4, 6 foot 5 wrecking machines. Look how they’re built – they’re built like Greek gods carved out of stone. They’re training, young, ambitious … They’re both in their prime, both fresh, both young – it’s a real fight, it’s not like one is past it and one isn’t. I think the fans are the real winners here. They get to see a 50/50 fight between two big heavyweights for the world title.”

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Fans, analysts and fighters are split on the contest. While Dubois may well be the hardest puncher Wardley has faced, he has also been stopped on three occasions himself – something the gritty and courageous champion is well known to take advantage of. All of the above makes it one of the best heavyweight fights of the year so far, and perhaps entire.

Hardik Pandya and partner Mahieka Sharma.

As Mahieka Sharma celebrated her 25th birthday, her boyfriend, cricketer Hardik Pandya, made the day extra special with a heartfelt post on Instagram. The all-rounder shared an unseen video of the couple, capturing candid moments of laughter, hugs, and hand-holding as they enjoyed an outdoor setting lit up with fireworks. The clip ended with the pair releasing a floating lantern. Hardik captioned the video, “Happy birthday, my princess .” He added a touching note: “Thank you for coming into this world 25 years ago. You are the most amazing person I know. I love you .” Mahieka responded sweetly, writing, “You’re my best gift this year .”The couple has been seen together on multiple occasions. Earlier this year, they attended the United in Triumph event in Mumbai, holding hands and smiling for the cameras while twinning in black outfits. Hardik had confirmed their relationship in October 2025, just weeks after dating rumours surfaced. They have also been spotted at Mumbai airport and shared vacations together.Hardik was previously married to actor Natasha Stankovic. The pair tied the knot in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic and welcomed their son Agastya on July 30, 2020. Their separation was confirmed in July 2025 after months of speculation. In a joint statement, they said: “After four years together, Natasha and I have decided to mutually part ways. We tried our best and gave it our all, and we believe this is in the best interest of both of us. This was a tough decision to make, given the joy, mutual respect, and companionship we shared as we built a family together.”

Team USA women’s hockey captain Hilary Knight’s massive third-period goal that sent the gold medal game against Canada to overtime had historic implications Thursday night in Milan.

Knight became the greatest women’s hockey scorer in Olympic history when she tipped home Julia Edwards’ shot at the blue line with just 2:04 left on the clock while the U.S. had an empty net, to tie the gold medal game at one goal apiece. 

Finally, Team USA was able to erase the shutout against Canada, and it ultimately worked in their favor. 

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Hilary Knight (21) of the United States celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal in the third period during the women’s gold medal match against Canada at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games Feb. 19, 2026, in Milan, Italy.  (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

In overtime, Megan Keller dangled around a Team Canada defender and tossed a backhand toward the net that got through Ann-Renée Desbiens’ right arm and trickled into the net for the gold medal victory. 

Knight’s goal broke the U.S. women’s record for career goals while representing the Stars and Stripes, which was previously held by Natalie Darwitz and Katie King. She now has 15 for her career.

USA WOMEN’S HOCKEY TEAM BRINGS OLYMPIC GOLD BACK HOME IN OT THRILLER OVER CANADA

Knight also broke the record for most career Olympic points in Team USA women’s hockey history with her 33rd point, breaking the record previously held by Jenny Potter, who had 11 goals and 21 assists in her career.

This only adds to the illustrious career Knight has had for Team USA. The victory in Milan marked her second Olympic gold medal and fifth overall. And, yes, that is yet another Olympic record. 

Hilary Knight of the United States celebrates her goal during the women’s gold medal match against Canada at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games Feb. 19, 2026, in Milan, Italy. (RvS.Media/Monika Majer)

Knight, 36, also became the third Olympic hockey player, man or woman, to have five medals in a career.

There’s a reason why Knight wears the “C” on her chest, having tallied 12 gold medals over her career between the Olympics and world championships. She has registered 81 goals and 70 assists throughout her long career. 

Back home, Knight’s resume in the PWHL includes tying for the league lead in points during the 2024-25 campaign with 29 while playing for the Boston Fleet. 

Hilary Knight of the United States during the second period of a women’s playoffs semifinal match against Sweden at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games Feb. 16, 2026, in Milan, Italy. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

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And in the Seattle Torrent’s first-ever season this year, she is tied for sixth in the league with seven assists. 

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Stable bosses John O’Shea and Tom Charlton await a possible entry for recent signing Sam Hawkens into the Parramatta Cup, but Sydney Cup hopeful gelding Athabascan is already locked in for the event.

Trained before by William Haggas, the import Sam Hawkens is next in line should there be a scratching for the Saturday 1900m showdown, and Charlton wants to kick off his Australian tenure after solid trial efforts.

“From the start of the week, it looked like every horse above him was going to accept and that’s how it has panned out,” Charlton said.

“It is what it is. If he gets a run, he’ll run really well.

“He is an absolute gentleman and he’s a horse we really like.”

Sam Hawkens, a winner in Europe stretching to 2800m, had his only Australian run last spring in Randwick’s St Leger Stakes (2600m), fading to be unplaced when sent off favourite.

Following that, he left Haggas to join O’Shea-Charlton and has taken time to adapt locally.

In two sharp recent gallops, the five-year-old has impressed, setting sights on the Sydney Cup (3200m) endgame while Charlton predicts a sharp return.

“His best form in England was over a mile-and-a-half plus, so for him to trial sharply is great,” he said.

“His riders, James (McDonald) and Zac (Lloyd), have been quite complimentary and are saying he’ll be competitive over a mile.

“That gives us confidence he has come back well and he’s going to be a horse for the future, especially when he gets out over a trip.”

Fellow stable resident Athabascan eyes the Sydney Cup (3200m) this autumn carnival too, chasing a breakthrough after placing second to Circle Of Fire in 2023 and fifth behind Arapaho last year.

“He seems as enthusiastic and happy as ever,” Charlton said of Athabascan.

“He will improve from the run, but he can run a solid race and hopefully set himself up for some races down the line.”

Discover the leading racing betting markets ahead of the Parramatta Cup action.

Two-division world champion Tim Bradley has offered a no holds barred take on Saturday’s showdown between Mario Barrios and Ryan Garcia, believing that it should be an easy night’s work for the underdog.

Barrios has held the WBC welterweight world title since June 2024, but he has not won a world title contest in six and a half years, dating back to his WBA super-lightweight world title win against Botirzhon Akhmedov on the Spence-Porter undercard.

Since being upgraded to full champion at 147lbs, ‘El Azteca’ has defended the belt twice but he has done so solely via draws, coming away from his clash with Abel Ramos with a split-draw, before his majority-draw against Manny Pacquiao last year.

The 30-year-old has opted to appoint Joe Goossen as his new lead trainer as he gears up for this major main event with Garcia, who Goossen trained for three fights, including his first career defeat to Gervonta Davis in April 2023.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Bradley revealed that he will be questioning the quality of both Barrios and Goossen if they fail to overcome ‘fake trash’ Garcia this weekend.

“Mario Barrios, if you don’t get this done, man, damn. This should be easy for you, easy.

“[Joe] Goossen, if you don’t get this done, you worked with this man, Ryan Garcia, you worked side-by-side with this man for several fights. If you don’t get this done with Mario Barrios, you are a sorry a** trainer too.”

“Ryan Garcia is fake trash. Doo-doo butter. Yeah, Ryan, you trash. You ain’t got no right hand, you take your left hand away and it is over with.”

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“All it takes is somebody that is tough, somebody that is smart. Take that left hand away from your a** and you are done, bro. Put your a** in that scary [Philly] shell, where you turn your back? You are done, my boy. You ain’t got no boxing skills, no real skills.”

Barrios-Garcia takes place this Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and will be available to watch live on DAZN PPV, with two additional world title contests to take place on the undercard.