With Ciaron Maher preparing Gringotts for a potential third consecutive Big Dance victory, a stablemate that ran behind him in the $3 million feature last year is slated to conclude its season on a winning note at Randwick.
Gringotts, making his first public appearance since finishing fourth to the burgeoning talent Sheza Alibi in the Doncaster Mile (1600m) in April, ran second in a Gosford barrier trial on Wednesday.
“The trial couldn’t have been any better. He seems to have come back very well,” said Jo Gerard-Dubord, Maher’s assistant trainer.
“He will have a second trial and at this stage we’re likely to start him in the Winx Stakes and work towards the Big Dance.
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“He’s won it for the last two years, and he will get the same weight.”
Lugh, who finished third behind Gringotts and fellow stablemate Vivy Air in the 2025 Big Dance (1600m), will compete at the mile distance for the first time since then in Saturday’s ATC Thank You Trainers Handicap (1600m).
Benefiting from two recent starts – a third place first-up over 1300m behind Cool Jakey and a fourth in his last outing over 1400m behind Mickey’s Medal – Lugh is anticipated to be a strong contender.
“The other day he just raced like a horse who wants further,” Gerard-Dubord commented.
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“When they picked up and quickened, he looked like he was going to drop off, then late he was coming back again.
“With the extra run under his belt and stepping up to a mile, he’s ready to run a big race.”
Still relatively inexperienced, Lugh has a record of five wins from 11 starts. Gerard-Dubord noted that connections are keen to have him back at Randwick for a feature race on Melbourne Cup day later this year.
“I’d love to get him to a Big Dance or Little Dance. He’s a gelding and he’s got a rating where he can get into those big prizemoney races,” he expressed.
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The stable will also present Rock Empire in the same race. This gelding is making its debut for the yard after a closing sixth over 1200m at Rosehill on July 4.
Despite a considerable increase of 400m in distance due to a lack of suitable options, Gerard-Dubord reported that Rock Empire is fit and pleasing the team at its home base.
Considering the racing odds for Lugh in the ATC Thank You Trainers Handicap? Discover the top Australian betting sites for your bets.
Any hopes of seeing that clash were nearly ended after AJ was dropped twice in the opening round of the bout, though he was able to recover and claim the second round knockout to come out on top and prevent a stunning shock upset from taking place.
Posting on social media, Paul praised AJ for earning the win, after returning to action following the tragic car crash he was involved in at the end of last year which took the lives of his two close friends.
“Happy for Joshua with that win after all he’s been through. Remembering Sina and Latz with this one.”
Happy for Joshua with that win after all he’s been through.
The win for Joshua should now tee up for meeting with Fury later this year, after ‘The Gypsy King’ held up his end of the bargain by also securing a win in his warm-up bout on Friday, securing a seventh round retirement win against Mariusz Wach.
The 2026 3M Open comes to an end on Sunday with the final round at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minn. You can find full 3M Open tee times for Sunday’s final round at the bottom of this post.
Koivun shot a 10-under 61 on Saturday, and he leads at 20 under. This is Koivun’s 13th start on the PGA Tour and third since he turned professional last month.
Koivun and Grillo tee off at 1:40 p.m. ET on Sunday. Scottie Scheffler plays alongside Brian Harman for his final round (12:50 p.m.) and begins the day six off the lead.
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You can watch Sunday’s final round of the 2026 3M Open from 1-3 p.m. ET on Golf Channel and then on CBS from 3-6 p.m. ET. PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ will provide exclusive early streaming coverage starting at 8 a.m. ET on Sunday, in addition to featured group and featured hole coverage.
Check out the complete Round 4 tee times and pairings for the 3M Open below.
Usyk nearly suffered his own shock defeat in May when he was pushed to the limit by kickboxing star Rico Verhoeven, and two months on it was nrw teammate Joshua’s turn to come close to a massive upset loss that would have stunned the heavyweight division.
Joshua and Usyk now train together, having famously had two battles for the unified world heavyweight title in 2021 and 2022, and the Ukrainian has had his say on his stablemate’s victory over Prenga.
Speaking to TalkSport, two-time undisputed champion Usyk praised Joshua, insisting ‘AJ is back’ before predicting that Joshua will now claim a knockout win over long-term rival Tyson Fury in his next bout.
“Anthony Joshua is next undisputed champion. First round it’s a test but AJ is back.
It’s boxing, [the] big upper cut is good, it’s a knockdown. AJ [come] back and win.
“Greedy Belly [Fury] will speak now and say weak chin, Greedy Belly get out. AJ wins [against Fury], [he will] knock him out.”
Feb 11, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (3) in the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is set to reunite with former teammate LeBron James after agreeing to a buyout with the Memphis Grizzlies and planning to sign a one-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, ESPN reported on Saturday.
Caldwell-Pope, 33, who played with James on the 2020 NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, must clear waivers before signing with Philadelphia.
Per the report, the Grizzlies and Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul — Caldwell-Pope’s agent — finalized the buyout on Saturday, a day after Sixers agreed to sign James to a two-year, $8 million deal.
Caldwell-Pope, who also won an NBA title with the Denver Nuggets in 2023, missed the last 31 games of the 2025-26 season after surgery to fix a misalignment on his right pinkie finger. He finished with averages of 8.4 points, 2.7 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 21.3 minutes in 51 games.
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A 13-year veteran selected eighth overall by the Detroit Pistons in the 2013 NBA Draft, Caldwell-Pope has averaged 11.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 29.2 minutes with the Pistons, Lakers, Washington Wizards, Nuggets, Orlando Magic and Grizzlies in 963 games (784 starts).
Nigeria’s Roland Ezuruike has won the country’s first medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games after claiming silver in the men’s Lightweight Group A Para Powerlifting event.
Ezuruike produced a strong performance and came close to winning the gold medal. He made two successful lifts before attempting a Games record 190kg on his final lift.
However, he was unable to complete the record attempt and settled for the silver medal.
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The Nigerian para powerlifter finished the competition with 153.9 points, earning Team Nigeria its first podium finish of the Games.
His silver medal gives Nigeria a positive start to its medal campaign as the country’s athletes continue to compete for honours in Glasgow.
Nigeria’s Esther Nworgu has won the country’s first gold medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games after a brilliant display in the women’s lightweight para powerlifting event.
Nworgu lifted 123kg to score 119 points, securing the gold medal and giving Team Nigeria its first title of the Games.
The victory completed a memorable one-two finish for Nigeria, with Esther Oyema taking the silver medal. Oyema produced a best lift of 125kg to finish with 115.5 points.
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England’s Olivia Broome claimed the bronze medal after lifting 119kg to score 106.6 points.
Nworgu also set two Commonwealth Games records, highlighting her dominance in the competition and making her one of the standout athletes in Glasgow.
The result once again showed Nigeria’s strength in para powerlifting, a sport in which the country has enjoyed great success at major international competitions.
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A Paralympic silver medallist, Nworgu delivered a calm and confident performance to top the field, while the experienced Oyema added another international medal to her impressive career.
The gold and silver medals provide a major boost to Team Nigeria’s campaign as the country continues its quest for more success at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
We’re just over one week away from the Aug. 3 trade deadline here in Major League Baseball, so the rumor mill is churning. One big problem is how many teams are still technically in the pennant race. Only eight of the 30 teams are more than four games out of a playoff spot right now, which generally would mean there are eight sellers and 22 buyers.
The imbalance has created quite a seller’s market. A good number of teams are in limbo, too, which means a lot comes down to how these teams fare in the last week before the deadline.
The Nationals have been one of the most pleasant surprises in all of baseball this season, sitting 52-52 heading into Saturday, which has them just three games out of a playoff spot. The new front office still has a long-term plan and won’t blow that up in the midst of a season hovering around .500, but they plan to balance things by making some additions in front of the deadline while still remaining open to some selling.
Those additions may be light in scope and could be outweighed by what the Nationals also sell — they still have an eye on their long-term plan, after all — but the intent to make additions of any kind is notable.
The report mentions All-Stars Foster Griffin and C.J. Abrams as players garnering interest from other teams while also noting that the big-league club needs pitching help, both in the rotation and the leaky bullpen.
It’ll be fun to see the balancing act from new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni.
In related news, “extension talks … fizzled quickly,” between Griffin and the Nats (via New York Post).
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Griffin, 30, was one of the best free agent additions this past offseason, signing a one-year, $5.5 million deal with the Nationals in returning to the majors after a stint in Japan. He’s 11-2 with a 2.68 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 111 strikeouts in 117 ⅓ innings.
This isn’t a rumor, but it’s noteworthy because Juan Soto is such a gigantic name. He’s been placed on the injured list due to a calf strain and it’s “more significant” than his calf injury earlier this season (via Fox Sports). The Mets expect him to be out for at least three weeks.
He hasn’t pitched in the majors since a four-start stint with the Brewers in 2024, in which he pitched to a 5.40 ERA. He spent 2025 in Triple-A with the Royals organization, going 2-1 with a 3.53 ERA in seven starts. He hasn’t pitched in affiliated ball this season and is 38 years old.
Dec 14, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) calls signals during the first half against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
Hakeem Adeniji was in town for a good time, not a long time (Trooper!). The ex-Vikings o-lineman has moved around the NFL quite a lot.
Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 offered the news of a Baltimore tryout: “#Ravens working out veteran offensive lineman Hakeem Adeniji today, per a league source. Former @KUAthletics standout has played for #Cowboys #Browns #Vikings #Bengals with 55 career games played, 16 starts.”
Ex-Vikings Lineman Could Become a Raven
Given his age, Mr. Adeniji should still have some good ball in his legs and lungs.
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The 28-year-old lineman stands at 6’4″ and weighs roughly 300 pounds. Originally, Adeniji put in work with the Cincinnati Bengals — a division rival of the Baltimore Ravens. The Bengals are a team constantly hungry for help up front so failing to stick around there is a pretty discouraging. Joe Burrow must go home some days wondering he’s a quarterback or a crash-test dummy, but that’s a discussion for a different day.
Still, we’re considering a 6th Round selection, so hanging in the NFL for several years is reasonably impressive since nothing is guaranteed for somebody chosen so late. Hakeem Adeniji isn’t perfect but keeps getting chances.
Playing for the Ravens would mean getting grafted onto a high-end roster with a legit chance to push for the Super Bowl. His main utility would likely be as a depth option who could get slotted into several different spots when a need arises.
Meanwhile, the Vikings have continued their long pilgrimage to arrive at strong depth along the offensive line. Recent efforts have featured options such as Justin Skule, who struggled in such a large role last season.
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The latest moves were for Ryan Van Demark and Caleb Tiernan. The veteran free agent add and drafted rookie are going to get tasked with fill-in duty when a need arises.
Nov 28, 2021; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon (28) celebrates his third quarter touchdown with guard Quinton Spain (67) and guard Hakeem Adeniji (77) against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports.
Part of what makes the tryout with the Ravens a bit more fascinating is that the Ravens will be visiting Minnesota in a few weeks to do joint practices. They will then have a preseason battle inside of U.S. Bank Stadium. So, showing some upside in that tryout could plausibly lead toward coming back to the Twin Cities, if only for a few days.
Another former Viking working in Baltimore is safety K’Von Wallace. Former Baltimore player Josh Oliver, the hulking tight end, is shining as Minnesota’s TE2.
The Super Falcons have arrived in Rabat, Morocco, ahead of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), making a memorable entrance as they gear up to defend their continental crown.
The Nigerian team travelled to Rabat after completing a successful 10-day training camp in Casablanca, where they fine-tuned preparations for the tournament. The players arrived in high spirits, with smiles all round as they boarded their team bus for their hotel.
For the first time, the Super Falcons wore custom-designed traditional departure outfits, making a bold statement before the competition. The squad was dressed in matching green-and-white tie-dye African gowns, complemented by neatly tied traditional headwraps, celebrating Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage while projecting unity and confidence.
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The colourful appearance underscored the positive atmosphere in the camp and the renewed support surrounding the team as they prepare for another shot at continental glory.
Nigeria, the defending champions and Africa’s most successful women’s national team, will play all their Group C matches in Rabat. Their campaign begins against Malawi on Tuesday, 28 July, before facing Zambia and Egypt in the remaining group-stage fixtures.
The Super Falcons are chasing a record-extending 11th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title as they look to reaffirm their dominance on the African stage.
Arsenal have emerged as shock contenders to land Real Madrid superstar Vinícius Júnior as his contract stand-off at the Santiago Bernabéu continues.
The Premier League champions are reportedly monitoring the situation closely as they look to add world-class quality to their attacking ranks.
Gunners Eye Sensational Swoop
According to The Athletic, Arsenal are exploring a stunning move to sign the Real Madrid winger if the 26-year-old Brazilian star fails to agree a new contract in the Spanish capital, having become one of the most feared attackers in world football during his eight seasons with Los Blancos, but with his future now plunged into uncertainty as he enters the final 12 months of his current deal while the Gunners, buoyed by their recent Premier League success, search for marquee signings to solidify their place at the top of the European game.
While the interest is still considered to be at an early stage, the idea has reportedly received approval at all levels within the North London club. There have been no formal club-to-club talks yet, but Arsenal are positioned to strike if Real Madrid decide to cash in on their prized asset rather than risk losing him for nothing next summer.
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Contract Deadlock In Madrid
Entering the final 12 months of his contract after eight seasons in Madrid, Vinicius remains locked in contract negotiations with no resolution in sight. This impasse leaves Real Madrid in a tricky situation, reluctant to risk losing their prized forward on a free transfer — particularly with a hefty loyalty bonus coming due next season. According to OK Diario, the stalemate centres on the Brazilian’s demand for a €20 million net annual salary, a figure Los Blancos are hesitant to offer to protect their tight wage structure.
Even as Real Madrid endured a recent trophy drought, Vinicius has remained a standout performer since arriving from Flamengo in 2018. The forward netted 22 goals across all competitions during a 2025-26 campaign that saw Los Blancos finish second in La Liga – eight points behind Barcelona – for a second consecutive season without silverware. He carried that impressive form to the international stage this summer, scoring four goals in five appearances for Brazil before Carlo Ancelotti’s side was knocked out by Norway in the World Cup round of 16.
Building On Premier League Success
Arsenal’s interest in Vinicius Jr comes at a time when the club is looking to build on its recent success. Having finally secured the Premier League trophy, Arteta is keen to ensure his squad does not stagnate. The addition of a player with the pedigree of Vinicius, who has made 375 total appearances for Real Madrid while registering 128 goals and 100 assists, would provide the Gunners with an elite edge that few clubs in the world can match. His experience in high-pressure matches and the Champions League is exactly what the Arsenal hierarchy craves.
During his time at the Bernabeu, Vinicius has built an enviable trophy cabinet with Real Madrid. His impressive haul includes three La Liga titles, two Champions League trophies, and a Copa del Rey triumph, among numerous other domestic and international honors.
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