Aeliana’s spring had her pressing Via Sistina on resumption, missing only Mr Brightside next out, and lining up in the Cox Plate, but Chris Waller wasn’t completely happy with her condition.

She produced thrilling runs in competition, though the elite trainer noted she never seemed right visually.

“She ate well through the spring, her bloods were good, but she never looked well,” Waller said.

“She looked light.”

Her eating and form remained solid despite her appearance, prompting Waller to believe growth was ongoing.

Now, post-break and paddock stint, she’s back 15kg heavier and presenting much better.

“I’m much happier. She’s perfect,” he said.

“She will be very hard to beat on Saturday, as we saw first-up in the Winx (Stakes) last spring. She almost beat Via (Sistina).

As long as we didn’t overtax her. That’s my only fear, but there was no sign of it. We pulled up after the Cox Plate, and she was a bit unlucky there.”

She joins five stablemates in Saturday’s Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Randwick: exciting mare Autumn Glow and hardy gelding Lindermann among them.

The stable pinches hopes on that group of three, with Wootton Verni, Soul Of Spain and River Of Stars set to gain fitness.

Autumn Glow is the market elect at short odds, Aeliana third and Lindermann fourth, the latter after a fine spring claiming three from five.

Waller advised not to dismiss Lindermann lightly, with Nash Rawiller in the saddle.

“He’s pretty forward because first and second-up is his chance to beat the better ones,” Waller said.

“You’ve got Nash on, there’s always a Nash factor. He can always pull something out of his hat.”

For the Apollo Stakes in 2026, punters should check betting markets for the race at top online bookmakers.

The post Aeliana the embodiment of health ahead of Apollo Stakes return first appeared on Just Horse Racing.

Barcelona have an option to purchase Marcus Rashford for £26m – and the forward has made it clear he does not want to return to Manchester United

Manchester United have told Barcelona that they will not re-negotiate Marcus Rashford’s fee.

Rashford is on a season-long loan at the Spanish giants, who have the option to buy him for £26million at the end of the campaign. And according to the Daily Mail, United are said to be puzzled by speculation they are prepared to negotiate the fee.

The report also claims that Barca must pay the agreed figure in full, and United hope that selling Rashford and wiping his salary off the wage bill will contribute to some significant savings this summer.

The forward has largely impressed at Spotify Camp Nou, scoring 10 goals and claiming 13 assists in 34 games.

Rashford has not played for United since December 2024 and lost his ‘10’ squad number to Matheus Cunha under former coach Ruben Amorim during the summer.

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Before that Amorim said he would rather name his 63-year-old goalkeeping coach as a substitute than a player who does not give his all, in response to a question about Rashford.

The forward spent the second-half of last season on loan at Aston Villa and was forced to train at a separate time from United’s first-team players in the summer before he joined Hansi Flick’s side.

Although Rashford has made clear that he wants to join Barca permanently in the summer, Flick revealed last month that the forward’s long-term future with the Spanish giants remains uncertain.

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“(Sporting director) Deco and I always speak about our team and what we can do,” the German said when quizzed about Rashford.

“Marcus’ performances have been really good until now, but we have to manage it. It’s Deco’s job and the club’s job to work on next season so we have to wait.

“We still have plenty more time, there are many months, many days, many weeks ahead of us, and that’s how it is.”

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Our senior Manchester United writer Tyrone Marshall answers your questions on the club and what is going on at Old Trafford right now, ahead of the team’s return to action at Everton on Monday

05:00, 18 Feb 2026

Manchester United are in the middle of a 13-day break between fixtures at the moment and the gap is the chance for the dust to settle on Michael Carrick’s start as head coach.

United grabbed an injury-time equaliser against West Ham last week to ensure it was five games unbeaten for Carrick and they remain in pole position for a return to the Champions League. Carrick will look to continue that momentum against Everton on Monday night.

But it’s been another chaotic week at OId Trafford, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s comments about immigration creating a storm inside the club and setting alarm bells ringing outside it. You’ve been sending in plenty of questions again this week and we’ve answered them below.

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We run weekly question and answer sessions, so click here to submit your questions, and we’ll answer them next week. Here are the answers to some of this week’s questions:

When will the past great Manchester United players stop provoking players on podcasts?

This has been a pretty big issue at Old Trafford this season. It reared its head again when Ruben Amorim mentioned people listening to Gary Neville’s opinion in his fateful press conference at Leeds, although it was believed that was an issue to people above him listening to Neville’s podcast.

We’ve also had Lisandro Martinez’s very public feud with Paul Scholes as an example of an issue that is becoming a little divisive. It is certainly something people at United are aware of.

No club dominates the public landscape quite like this one and there is an army of former players in media roles now, not just on TV and radio but increasingly in the podcast sphere, which represents a new challenge. You can be a little looser on podcasts than in mainstream media and we are seeing that happen.

The best way to shut them up, if that is what United’s players want to do, is to focus on winning games. The criticism has died down during Michael Carrick’s five games in charge and it will remain quiet if they stay on track for the Champions League.

For me, it doesn’t make sense that United could deny Carrick an opportunity because they need a big-name manager. It should be about the feeling within the club and the players and the players are happy with Carrick, so should Carrick not get the job?

This is an interesting point and it will be fascinating to see how much weight is given to the opinion of the players during this process, because both publicly and privately, they are speaking warmly of Carrick. He has put a smile back on the faces of a lot of those players and Bruno Fernandes has been very vocal in his support of the 44-year-old.

United insist they are planning a “thorough” recruitment process to get the right person in charge of the 2026/27 season, and Carrick has certainly put himself in the frame for that, but I wouldn’t expect any decision until much later in the season, and possibly beyond the end of the season.

But if the players are asked, then I think Carrick will get a lot of support, especially if results continue as they are. They have enjoyed his coaching sessions, the style of football and the subtle changes he has made behind the scenes.

We haven’t had an academy graduate hit the ground running since Mainoo and Garnacho. Could Amass solve the left-back issue? What has happened to Wheatley and are there any others with true potential?

One thing I would say is that it’s not easy to make it as an academy graduate at United. We have seen plenty get a chance recently and some of those will come again, but you’re right that Mainoo is the last to come through and really establish himself.

Amass is an interesting one. With Tyrell Malacia leaving this summer and Patrick Dorgu often playing further forward, there could be a first-team spot available. His momentum has stalled, however. He has played just 15 minutes of football in a little over six weeks, having picked up a hamstring injury since swapping Sheffield Wednesday for Norwich.

Wheatley had his moment in the first team, but is now focusing on development through loan spells. His step up to Bradford City and a League One promotion battle is a new test, but having been starting games at Northampton, he is now coming off the bench for the Bantams.

Sekou Kone is a better player than Carlos Baleba, so can he not be Casemiro’s replacement?

That is a huge statement and one that is almost impossible to justify. Baleba has had a difficult season and it does feel like he has lost his way a little since United’s attempts to sign him in 2025, but he remains a good Premier League performer and has plenty of experience under his belt.

At 22, he has played 102 games for Brighton and 82 of them have been in the Premier League. He also has 15 caps for Cameroon and is clearly a player who is going to go on to bigger and better things.

United have high hopes for Kone, but his adaptation from football in Mali to life at Old Trafford hasn’t been easy. He is 20 now but has no serious experience under his belt and clearly isn’t ready to be in the first-team squad.

There is hope that his loan with Lausanne Sport might do him some good, but he has been left out of their Conference League squad and has managed just 10 minutes in three games in the Swiss Super League so far.

What’s happening with Shea Lacey? That kid has a lot of potential.

We saw from Lacey’s first-team cameos in January that there is a serious player there. His last three appearances in Premier League 2 have delivered six goals, which suggests the 18-year-old might already be growing out of development football.

He hasn’t made the bench for the last couple of first-team games, and interestingly, he wasn’t in the squad when the Under-21s played Derby on February 6. I’m not aware of an injury issue at the moment but his last football was more than two weeks ago, when he scored a hat-trick against West Brom.

He is partly a victim of the lack of first-team games this season, because he would have got more minutes in cup competitions and would have made the bench for European games, when you can name more substitutes. It will be interesting to see if United keep his development in-house next season or opt for a loan, but they rate him very highly.

Why not try Amad as a striker?

Amad did play as a striker, or a false nine at least, during his time at Sunderland, but I don’t see it happening at the moment for United. The reality is that Bryan Mbeumo is better if you want a No. 9 who offers a bit more movement and link-up play. If you want an out-and-out striker, you’d pick Sesko.

If Sesko does come into the team, I would think it is Amad’s place that is vulnerable. His levels have dropped recently but he is still a relatively young player and that is to be expected every now and again. A couple of games as an impact sub might be a good thing for him.

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says he is “happy” to interact with fans but there are times when he has felt “exposed” and “not very comfortable”.

A video recorded after the Gunners’ FA Cup win over Wigan on Sunday showed a man repeatedly asking for Arteta’s autograph as he and his wife waited in traffic outside Emirates Stadium.

Arteta refused to open his window and several more people crowded round the vehicle. They then stepped back while the man followed the vehicle as it crept forward, saying he wanted Arteta to sign an Arsenal jersey for his son.

“I always try to be very respectful,” said Arteta. “I love to sign and photograph as much as we can. I think it’s part of our role.

“But there are certain things in terms of security that we have to respect. Especially when certain people are doing it, they are not doing it for the right reasons.”

Arteta and his wife were also videoed while sat in traffic following a Champions League game in October,, external with his wife described as being “frustrated” and “annoyed” as someone took a selfie next to the vehicle.

“The last time my wife was there, what was in the media was totally wrong and unfair,” Arteta added.

“I prefer to talk about the incredible other people that come around genuinely, because they want to have that interaction, and I think everybody who knows me, [knows] how happy I am to do that.

“But there are moments and context when that is not the case. And then we need somebody there to protect us as well because, if not, we will get exposed, you cannot move from your car and you don’t feel very comfortable there.”

It is understood that as part of Arsenal‘s security guidance, the manager, players and coaches are advised not to roll their vehicle windows down when driving.

The world has not known much about Russian figure skater Adeliia Petrosian – though that could be about to change.

One of the most controversial athletes at these Winter Olympics finally took her bow to a medley of Michael Jackson hits and duly underlined her medal credentials as he crooned about being misunderstood.

The teenager’s involvement at these Games is layered with controversy and intrigue, and it is hard to know whether a podium finish this week is something the International Olympic Committee would welcome or dread.

The 18-year-old lies fifth heading into Thursday’s decisive free skate but, given she possesses the ability to land jumps her rivals cannot, this is far from over, especially after the drama of the men’s competition.

Japan’s Ami Nakai narrowly leads the way ahead of teammate and three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto with American Alysa Liu, the currently world champion, in bronze followed by Japan’s Mone Chiba. However, margins are tight and mistakes may well decide it.

Skating is about more than technical skill and Petrosian’s artistry ranks her behind her principal rivals. But her trademark triple axel and quadruple jump firepower are elements others may struggle to match — an enticing prospect ahead of Thursday’s free skate at the Assago Forum.

“I would like to keep that a secret,” she said, when asked about her plans for her next appearance here.

“I am very happy with my skate. At first I was worried — not about my skate, but about my emotional state. This was the most important start of my life.

“I’m feeling really calm, and I hope this will help me with my free skate because this [short programme] has already helped me.

“The audience was very warm and very loud, and every time I thought it could not get louder, it did.”

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At the practice rink, Petrosian has been watched closely by the contentious coach Eteri Tutberidze, who remains one of figure skating’s most divisive figures.

Tutberidze was the mentor of Kamila Valieva, the face of the Beijing Games for all the wrong reasons when, aged just 15, she failed a drugs test.

How Tutberidze is accredited here defies logic: she is officially a member of the Georgian team delegation and is not permitted to coach Petrosian, who instead is formally guided by Daniil Gleikhengauz, dubbed “Eteri’s shadow” by skating insiders.

Credibility is being stretched to breaking point.

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The continued exclusion of Russian athletes amid the war in Ukraine means Petrosian, a three-time national champion, has had almost no opportunity to test herself abroad.

In fact, the only senior-level competition she has skated outside Russia was the qualifying event in Beijing that secured her entry into Milan as a neutral competitor.

Valieva was dubbed “Miss Perfect”, despite ultimately being anything but. Petrosian, by contrast, is simply “Miss Mystery”.

She’s proved she can do it in Omsk, Chelyabinsk, Saint Petersburg and Krasnoyarsk but what about on a wet Tuesday in Milan under the bright lights of the world stage?

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Her opening short programme showed her class — a little cautious, perhaps — but only five skaters have scored higher in competition this season.

It was clean: a double axel, a triple lutz, a triple flip and a triple toe loop. The only blemish was minor deductions in spins and step sequences.

In two days mystery may give way to clarity or just to further complication. This is figure skating after all.

TNT Sports on discovery+ will be the go-to destination in the U.K to watch everything of Milano Cortina 2026 live all in one place, with over 850 hours of action from every sport, venue, and medal event.’

Russian athletes will compete under their own flag at the Paralympics for the first time in more than a decade, and the country’s national anthem will be played for any gold medalists.

Tuesday’s announcement stands as another indicator that Russia and its national identity will be fully restored in Olympic circles well ahead of the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.

In a statement, the International Paralympic committee said Russia’s National Paralympic Committee had been awarded six slots for the upcoming Milan Cortina Paralympic Games.

It will mark the first time a Russian flag has been flown at the Paralympics since the 2014 games in Sochi, Russia. The country’s athletes were initially banned because of a state-sponsored doping program, and the sanctions against Russia have continued since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

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Should a Paralympic athlete win gold, it will be the first time the Russian anthem has been played on the stage of a major global sporting event since the invasion.

Russia’s close ally, Belarus, has also been banned since 2022 but will have four slots at Milan Cortina.

“The IPC can confirm that NPC Russia has been awarded a total of six slots: two in Para alpine skiing (one male, one female), two in Para cross-country skiing (one male, one female), and two in Para snowboard (both male),” the statement said.

“NPC Belarus has been awarded four slots in total, all in cross-country skiing (one male and three female).”

In September, the IPC voted to lift partial suspensions of Russia and Belarus.

However, IPC President Andrew Parsons told AP in November that there would be no athletes from those countries at the Milan Cortina Games because the sports’ governing bodies had maintained their bans.

The following month, an appeal from Russia saw the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturn a blanket ban imposed by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation — paving the way for Russians to compete as neutral athletes at the 2026 Olympics, and with their own flag and anthem at the Paralympics.

The Russian Olympic Committee has been suspended since 2023 by the International Olympic Committee for breaking the Olympic charter by using an administrative land grab to incorporate regional sports bodies in occupied eastern Ukraine.

That decision is under an IOC legal review after the Russian Olympic body amended its statutes and could be overturned within months.

Following a system used in Paris in 2024, Russian athletes are competing at the current Olympics as individual neutral athletes — using the French acronym AIN — and without their flag, anthem or team colors.

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Russian media reported that Aleksey Bugaev, a three-time Paralympic champion in Alpine skiing, is one of the athletes who has been given a slot along with cross-country skiers Ivan Golubkov and Anastasiia Bagiian, who have both won medals at world championships.

All three returned to competition last month, and both Bugaev and Bagiian have since won World Cup titles.

The Milan Cortina Paralympics is set to take place from March 6-15.

Sean Strickland and Anthony Hernandez are set to collide in a pivotal middleweight main event at UFC Houston on Feb. 21. For Strickland, the bout represents a chance to steady himself after falling short in his most recent title rematch against Dricus du Plessis.

For Hernandez, it is the biggest opportunity of his career, carrying an eight-fight winning streak into a matchup that could decide the next contender at 185 pounds. With contrasting styles and high stakes, the fight has quickly become one of the division’s most meaningful crossroads.

Ahead of Saturday’s headline bout, let’s explore Hernandez’s ethnicity:

What is Anthony Hernandez’s ethnicity

Anthony Hernandez is a Mexican-American fighter, often identifying himself within the Chicano community, and he has spoken openly about how deeply he connects with his Mexican roots. Born in Dunnigan, California, Hernandez has described his upbringing as strongly shaped by Mexican culture. He said that he grew up in an environment where that identity was central to his family life.

On his father’s side, Hernandez is first-generation American, with family members who crossed the border into Texas under difficult circumstances. On his mother’s side, he is second-generation. That blend has shaped how he views himself, both as an American athlete and as someone who feels a responsibility to honor where his family came from.

Hernandez’s connection to his heritage has been especially visible in the lead-up to this fight, after he revealed frustrations with the UFC regarding his desire to represent Mexico. He claimed the promotion initially created obstacles when he wanted to walk out under the Mexican flag, requiring extensive documentation such as his grandparents’ birth certificates.

In an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, he said:

“Dude, I don’t get special treatment. That’s why I’m on a f*cking eight-fight win streak. There’s no special treatment here. I have to go earn everything, unfortunately. And it’s how my life has always been so f*ck it.”

He added:

“I had to like jump through some hoops real quick, and had to find my f*cking grandparents’ birth certificates and show that they’re from Mexico and that I can represent…Man, it’s where my blood’s from. My dad’s from there, my mom’s family is from there, that’s my heritage. Yes, I’m American. Yes, I’ve been here, but everything we’ve had and sh*t, we’ve had to earn.”

Check out the full interview below:

For Hernandez, the situation felt like an unnecessary burden, particularly given his status as one of the division’s most consistent rising contenders.

That controversy became even more charged once Strickland inserted himself into the conversation in his usual provocative fashion. Strickland posted a photoshopped image online portraying himself as an ICE agent opposite Hernandez in Mexican attire. Strickland faced immediate backlash for his post.

While Strickland is no stranger to stirring reactions, the dynamic has amplified the stakes for the upcoming clash. Hernandez has largely kept his focus on competition.

He has built his surge through relentless grappling pressure, setting divisional records for completed takedowns and wearing opponents down with pace and control. The winner in Houston could move directly into title contention.