Tonight will just be Neeraj Chopra’s third javelin event of 2026, with the 28-year-old spending the first half of the year recovering from injuries. His first event of the year was the previous Diamond League in Doha, where he narrowly missed out on the Top 3, finishing fourth.
In his second event, the Commonwealth Games 2026, he won silver!
Indian javelin ace Neeraj Chopra produced his best performance in more than a year but was pipped to the post by the rising Sri Lankan star Rumesh Pathirage for the top spot by a mere nine centimeters in the Lausanne Diamond League meet on Friday. The 28-year-old Chopra’s 88.05m throw in the second round, which fetched him the second spot in the nine-man star-studded field, was his best after the 88.16m he recorded while winning the Paris Diamond League in June 2025. It was also his season’s best throw.
However, the 23-year-old Pathirage continued his juggernaut this season as he overtook Chopra with his third-round throw of 88.14m.
The gap between the best throws of the two was just 0.09m.
Grenada’s Anderson Peters was third with his sixth and final round effort of 86.69m.
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(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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Even for experienced IndyCar drivers, competing on a circuit set against the backdrop of the U.S. Capitol proves remarkable.
“We get to race at a lot of cool cities, but this one is by far the best that we’ve ever had, and I can say that very truthfully,” Kyle Kirkwood noted on Friday. “Going by the Capitol building, the views here, all the architecture of all the buildings around here, all the museums, it’s stuff that you dream of.
“It’s a serious honor and privilege.”
The Freedom 250 Grand Prix taking place this weekend is the second major sporting event hosted by President Donald Trump in Washington to mark the nation’s 250th birthday celebration, following a UFC fight card staged on the White House’s South Lawn in June.
IndyCar practice and qualifying are scheduled for Saturday, along with an IROC race (Finn Gomez/Getty Images)
IndyCar racing — an open-wheel counterpart to NASCAR — doesn’t have quite the same association with the right-wing “manosphere” or the MAGA movement, but series owner Roger Penske received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Trump in 2019 and led the effort to put together this race in the District of Columbia.
For the drivers, it’s a welcome moment in the spotlight.
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“What’s been the coolest part of this week? Honestly, the media covering us,” Kirkwood said. “It’s cool to see IndyCar in this light. We don’t get these opportunities very often outside of the Indy 500, and to have an event that is sought after as much as the 500 is something that’s special.”
Washington has little history with high-level motorsports. In 2002, the parking lot at RFK Stadium on the city’s east side was transformed into a course for an American Le Mans Series event.
The Freedom 250 is downtown in one of D.C.’s prime tourist areas. If you’re not in a race car, it’s not the greatest weekend to be driving around the area given all the road closures, but if the weather holds up, the setting has the potential to be spectacular.
“As a boy from the Netherlands that just got his green card, it is really cool,” said Rinus VeeKay, who has six top-10 finishes this season. “We didn’t get too much U.S. history in school … but learning so much about it here, seeing all the monuments and museums and just how every building kind of has a special purpose here around the city, is very cool. Getting to see the White House, this is stuff you see in movies.”
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The Freedom 250 is downtown in one of DC’s prime tourist areas (Finn Gomez/Getty Images)
The White House is not part of the D.C. course, although after Turn 1, the track does include a lengthy straightaway along Pennsylvania Avenue, heading northwest away from the Capitol. Then there’s a sharp left turn between the National Archives and the main Justice Department building, followed by a couple quick 90-degree turns as the track navigates the city’s grid system.
After a straightaway takes drivers across the National Mall, they turn left onto Independence Avenue, passing the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum. and the Eisenhower Memorial before heading north on 3rd Street to the finish line, which is just west of the Capitol.
“I think it’s more exciting when you actually get on the grounds and see what you’re about to do. I mean, when is this ever going to happen again?” said Josef Newgarden, a driver for Team Penske. “I hope it’s great visibility. That’s probably the biggest thing that it could bring to us — is visibility to people that aren’t maybe as familiar with IndyCar racing.”
IndyCar practice and qualifying are scheduled for Saturday, along with an IROC race. The IndyCar race is Sunday and set for 250 miles (147 laps) — the second-longest street circuit race in IndyCar history.
The 1.7-mile track includes seven turns in all. The Air & Space Museum and National Gallery of Art are both inside the course’s perimeter, with a fan zone between them. The track is shorter and has fewer turns than several others on the IndyCar schedule, but it’s not much different from the 1.6-mile, nine-turn circuit used in downtown Detroit.
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“It’s short and snappy, but you know what? We don’t know. We haven’t driven on it yet,” driver Marcus Armstrong said. “We’ll find out tomorrow. It might even be wet tomorrow. There’s a lot of crosswalks, a lot of paint on the track, so that could be super slippery.”
Joe Pride, the trainer of Ceolwulf, has solid grounds to believe the four-time Group One champion can regain his top form this preparation, following the premature end to his autumn campaign.
The highly-rated miler was spelled after only two starts last time in, owing to a combination of foot issues and a minor bleed. He is now slated to make his comeback this Saturday in the Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick.
Pride is not anticipating a victory on his return but is looking for a spirited performance from the gelding as he heads towards his main objective, a third consecutive win in the King Charles III Stakes (1600m).
“He needed a good rest, and he’s now had that rest,” Pride remarked.
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“We’ll see a better version of him this spring, and it has always been a good time of year for him. He’s won his four Group Ones all in the spring, and I don’t think it’s coincidental.”
Ceolwulf’s only occasion featuring in the placings first-up was on his debut. Last year, however, he showed competitive spirit in the Winx Stakes (1400m), finishing fourth to Via Sistina after a late closing effort.
Facing a formidable line-up on Saturday, Pride will be content to see him hitting the line with vigour. A downgrade in track conditions from the current soft 7 rating would also be beneficial for the horse.
“I think it’s going to come down to track conditions on the day. If it ends up being a bit wet and a few of the key chances come out, he could end up being a top three chance,” Pride stated.
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“But I’ve certainly learned not to expect too much of him early in his preparations. He’s never won first-up. He’s run some nice races, but that’s all I need to see from him, a nice return, and he’ll build into the preparation as he always does.”
The regular rider, Chad Schofield, will guide Ceolwulf, who was listed as a $34 chance on Thursday. The betting markets are dominated by the outstanding mares Autumn Glow ($1.85 favourite) and Sheza Alibi ($3.10).
Sheza Alibi was initially anticipated to resume in the Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield next week, but connections elected to change their minds and enter her for the Sydney event.
Co-trainer Katherine Coleman indicated that the Doncaster Mile champion is on schedule to participate at Randwick, with training partner Peter Moody preparing to travel with the Victorian mare on Thursday night.
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“Pete and her strapper Mitch are heading up with her tonight (Thursday)…and hopefully they can get the job done,” Coleman told Sydney’s Sky Sports Radio.
“She’s by no means screwed down going into Saturday. We’ve been pretty vocal the grand final this time around is the Golden Eagle, so there is plenty of water to go under the bridge before we get there and that’s when we want to be peaking.
“Definitely plenty of improvement to come out of having the trip away and the run on Saturday, but she goes there in really good order.”
Stay updated with the latest racing news and odds at racing odds.
Fans hailed the performance of midfielder Martin Odegaard as Arsenal opened their Premier League title defence with a statement 3-0 verdict over Championship winners Coventry City at the Emirates on Friday (August 21).
The Gunners broke the deadlock through Kai Havertz in the 15th minute before Bukayo Saka doubled their advantage eight minutes later. Martin Odegaard applied the coup de grace three minutes after the break as Mikel Arteta’s side laid down a marker to the rest of the competition.
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Having also scored in the 3-0 FA Community Shield against Manchester City in Cardiff last weekend, Odegaard scored for the second game running, earning plaudits from fans:
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“Martin Odegaard back to his brilliant best. Make your apologies as loud as your disrespect. You know who you are,” one tweeted.
“Odegaard seems like he’s really enjoying football since the World Cup Felt totally opposite last season Huge for us,” another commented.
“The World Cup transformed Odegaard and reshaped his mentality. Eze might get benched for many games this season,” one commented.
“Some ungrateful Arsenal fans wanted him out,” another posted.
“Martin Odegaard, there are statements to be made this season,” one tweeted.
The loss meant that Frank Lampard has won just one of his last 18 Premier League games as manager, losing 13, and failing to keep a clean sheet in 17 straight matches, with his Coventry team losing on their return to the competition after 25 years.
What’s next for Arsenal?
Arsenal FC vs Coventry City – Premier League 2026/27 – Source: Getty
Following their comprehensive opening-day victory in the Premier League as they seek back-to-back league titles for the first time in nearly a century, Arsenal return to action after 10 days.
Mikel Arteta’s side next travel to Aston Villa for their first away game of the campaign before hosting Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea six days later at the Emirates, hoping to continue their winning run.
Last season, the Gunners ended a 22-year league title drought since registering a historic ‘Invincibles’ triumph under the legendary Arsene Wenger. Fast forward two decades, they finished runners-up three straight times before winning the title again last season.
Reinier de Ridder kept his foot on the gas for nearly his entire UFC middleweight run. Four wins in seven months drove him to the edge of title contention until his body forced him to slow down. Now, De Ridder is refueled and ready for a new challenge.
De Ridder makes his UFC light heavyweight debut against Roman Dolidze at UFC Fight Night on Saturday, joining a growing list of middleweights exploring new opportunities at 205 pounds. His UFC rise happened fast. He’d already beaten former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker and highly-touted prospect Bo Nickal by the time he met Brendan Allen. A fifth win in less than a year could have put him within reach of a title shot.
“I pushed my body too far,” De Ridder told CBS Sports. “Too many weight cuts and training camps in too short a time period. Now able to feed myself during camp, I’m pushing hard twice a day for eight weeks. I’m going to show that on Saturday.”
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De Ridder believes the schedule caught up with him. He took nearly six months off before returning against Caio Borralho at UFC 326, hoping the extended break would correct the problem. Physically, he felt better but still limited. Mentally, the Allen fight hadn’t completely left him.
“I still had some doubt in my mind,” De Ridder said. “Maybe scared of getting tired as I did in the Brendan fight.”
Borralho swept the scorecards, giving De Ridder consecutive losses after he’d come so close to a middleweight title shot. At 35, De Ridder doesn’t want to start the climb over while squeezing his 6-foot-4 frame down to 185 pounds.
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He isn’t alone. Dolidze made the same decision, giving De Ridder an opponent familiar in size while he grows into the division. De Ridder isn’t trying to become a full-fledged light heavyweight again overnight.
“I’m very happy with this matchup because it gives me more time to put on mass,” De Ridder said. “I’ll try to put on more kilos after the fight.”
Other former middleweights have already made noise at 205. Paulo Costa is approaching the top five after knocking out Azamat Murzakanov, while Whittaker stopped Nikita Krylov to enter the ranks. De Ridder might have the highest ceiling of the group.
Unlike Costa and Whittaker, De Ridder has already built a championship career around fighting men this size. He held ONE Championship titles in two divisions, competing under a different weight-class structure that allowed him to fight considerably heavier than he has during his UFC run. He also won’t surrender the size that most middleweights do moving up.
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“I’ll be the same height as the 205 guys,” De Ridder said. “Relative to most light heavyweights, I’ll be a little bit taller.”
It’s part of what makes this middleweight migration interesting. Whittaker brings speed and experience. Costa brings enormous power and has always been one of the division’s most physically imposing fighters. De Ridder brings length, grappling and the experience of succeeding at higher weight classes.
“Paulo only does well against southpaws,” De Ridder said, before acknowledging with a grin that he is one himself. “Maybe he wants to fight me.
“I think Robert looked so good and quick. I hope he does very well.”
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All four middleweights moving up have reached points where the road to a UFC title at 185 pounds has been blocked. Continuing to make a difficult weight becomes less appealing when the payoff isn’t immediately obvious. De Ridder knows how close he was before everything went sideways.
“There were many options at middleweight before I lost those dumb fights. I was almost there before I messed myself up,” De Ridder said. “At 205, I think if I do well in this way and put Roman away spectacularly, I’ll fight a top 10 guy next.
“It’s all in my hands. If I do well and put guys away like I know I can, I think I’ll be close to fighting for a title soon.”
India’s fifth-seeded men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty suffered heartbreak at the BWF World Championships 2026 on Friday as they went down 18-21, 9-21 against third seeds Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang of China in the quarterfinals at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.
The defeat ended Satwik and Chirag’s hopes of adding another World Championships medal to their tally, having previously reached the semifinals in 2022 and 2025. Their exit also means India will finish the home edition with just one medal, secured by women’s doubles pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand after their quarterfinal victory earlier in the day.
Satwik-Chirag let opening game slip after taking lead
Satwik and Chirag, playing only their second match of the tournament after receiving a bye in the round of 64 and a walkover in the round of 32, made a slow start as Liang and Wang raced into a 3-0 lead.
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The Indians responded with flat smashes to level the score at 5-5, only for the Chinese pair to switch to body-line shots and move 8-5 ahead. Satwik and Chirag quickly fought their way back to 8-8 before consecutive errors from Liang and Wang helped the Indians take an 11-10 lead into the mid-game interval.
The contest remained tight after the break, with Satwik and Chirag managing to stay ahead until the closing stages. Liang and Wang began keeping their shots lower and reduced the deficit before eventually moving 19-18 ahead.
The Indians then committed back-to-back errors as the Chinese pair took three straight points to close out the opening game 21-18.
Chirag felt their game plan had worked for most of the opener but said losing it from a strong position changed the direction of the match.
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“The first game was very good. We were leading until 18, and I think the game plan we had set was working very well. But after we lost the first game, I think they came back much harder in the second game,” Chirag said.
Satwik said the battle for control in the opening exchanges of each rally had been crucial, particularly against a Chinese pair comfortable playing at a high pace.
“They like to play the faster game. They were very good in the first four shots. Whoever controlled the first four shots was winning. In the first game, we were controlling those exchanges, but they got confident after a few points,” Satwik said.
The Indians also found it difficult to finish rallies despite creating opportunities. Liang and Wang repeatedly absorbed their attacks before turning defensive positions into attacking ones.
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“Their defence was also very good. In a lot of the points where we thought we would get a finish, we couldn’t. They were not just retrieving but also converting those balls into attack,” Chirag said.
Chinese pair take complete control in second game
Liang and Wang carried that confidence into the second game, taking an early 3-1 lead before Satwik and Chirag responded to level the score at 3-3.
The match then began to move rapidly away from the Indians. The third seeds reeled off five consecutive points to move 8-3 ahead, repeatedly keeping the shuttle flat and denying Satwik and Chirag the opportunity to settle into their attacking game.
The Indians tried to respond with pickup shots, but Liang and Wang continued to control the exchanges at the net and took an 11-5 lead into the mid-game interval.
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Satwik said the approach from the Chinese pair was different from what they had expected after studying their previous matches.
“Maybe we weren’t expecting that because they usually want to block and get the lift. Whenever we watched their match videos, they wanted to block and come forward because they are very good at attacking,” Satwik said.
“But today, they were playing all-around, just pushing again and again. It was difficult to lift from our side because we were on the second side and playing against the drift. It was difficult to control, but that’s how they play.”
Satwik and Chirag picked up back-to-back points immediately after the interval, but any hopes of a comeback were quickly halted as Liang and Wang responded with four straight points to stretch their advantage to 15-7.
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The Indians managed their eighth point before the Chinese added another two. Satwik and Chirag picked up one more point, but Liang and Wang then reeled off four consecutive points to close out the second game 21-9.
Satwik said the Indians did manage to create attacking opportunities in the second game, but the Chinese pair’s defence and control of the front court prevented them from converting those chances.
“In the second game, it’s not that we didn’t get any lifts. We got quite a few, but we weren’t able to finish them as much as we would have wanted to,” he said.
“They were defending really well and also dominating the front court. Even when we were getting those lifts, we tried playing soft drops and then eventually killing the shuttle, but we weren’t able to convert those opportunities well.”
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With Liang and Wang sealing the contest in straight games, Satwik and Chirag’s hopes of adding another World Championships medal came to an end.
“I think we were close to them, but we could have been a little tighter from our side. We’ll go back and learn from what we missed,” Satwik said.
The defeat also confirmed that India will finish the BWF World Championships 2026 with one medal, courtesy of Treesa and Gayatri’s run in the women’s doubles event.
In the summer of 1993, Manchester United won the title and then signed Roy Keane in a British record transfer. In 2001, United won the title and then bought Ruud van Nistelrooy. In 2008, the summer after winning the Premier League and Champions League, they signed Dimitar Berbatov not because they really needed him but because they could.
Each time, Alex Ferguson took steps not just to maintain the gap to their rivals but to grow it. Each time, United defended their Premier League crown.
Even before kick-off here at the Emirates Stadium, there was that familiar sense of a title-winning manager screwing down the lid on the Premier League trophy they owned. Mikel Arteta’s newest signing, Ezri Konsa, was paraded on the pitch to a standing ovation – quite the flex to sign the second best right-sided centre-half in the Premier League while the best, William Saliba, is sidelined with injury.
And after a few minutes of this opening 3-0 win over Coventry City, it was clear that Arteta had strengthened his attack too. Christos Tzolis impressed in pre-season games and topped most of Arsenal’s fitness metrics. Here he buzzed into action on the left wing, legs whirring with the urgency of a man fleeing a swarm of bees, all fast-twitch jolts and excitable energy, exactly the sort of opponent Coventry’s right-back Milan van Ewijk didn’t want to face on his first Friday night live on Sky Sports.
Arsenal had a plethora of attacking options on the field: Kai Havertz led the line, Bukayo Saka started on the right and Martin Odegaard flitted in and out of the right half-space. But for all the passing lanes on offer, the gameplan became a simple one: when in the final third, seek Tzolis.
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Christos Tzolis sprints down the wing during Arsenal’s win over Coventry (AP)
The Greek loitered on the left touchline patiently waiting for a pass, and then he was off, surging towards the box, feinting left and right, dropping his shoulder and shifting his marker off-balance before exploiting the space he’d created. There were no stepovers or needless touches, just concise and efficient wing play, and it was devastatingly effective.
Tzolis had a hand in Arsenal’s first goal when his diligent press won the ball high up the pitch, before Riccardo Calafiori crossed for Havertz to sweep home. Four minutes later Tzolis turned creator with a low, left-footed cross which Coventry goalkeeper Carl Rushworth could only tip into the path of Saka, who knocked the ball into a half-empty net. It may not register as an official assist, like his two in the Community Shield last weekend, but there were plenty of signs that Tzolis will rack up productive numbers playing for his new team.
“I love this kind of energy every time he’s on the ball,” Arteta said. “I think he’s earned [the fans’ appreciation]. I think the way he has performed in the last few games has been phenomenal. What he transmits as a player, so direct, so incisive, constantly he wants to make things happen, and he has an incredible variety of actions in the last 30 metres to decide and to make the right decisions, even when the spaces are sometimes really, really small.”
Christos Tzolis and Cristhian Mosquera applaud the Arsenal fans (PA)
Coincidentally, Tzolis made his Premier League debut in this stadium five years ago during a loan spell at Norwich City. It was a period of harsh learning in which his manager, Daniel Farke, hailed Tzolis as one of the brightest young players in Europe, but later publicly berated him for taking and missing a penalty at Anfield despite not being the manager’s designated penalty taker. Tzolis admitted his confidence was shot by the end of a move in which he made only six starts.
His breakthrough came during another loan at German side Fortuna Dusseldorf, and his performances earned him his move to Club Brugge two years ago. The last campaign was one of abundance for Brugge before this summer’s £34m switch to Arsenal, in which he scored 20 goals and recorded 29 assists. Brugge won the title and Tzolis was awarded Belgium’s player of the season.
Since that ill-fated spell at Norwich, Tzolis has recorded 122 goal contributions in 145 games. Even accounting for a career spent largely outside the big-five leagues, they are astonishing numbers.
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Tzolis cuts inside and lets fly during the first half (Getty)
It remains to be seen what competition Tzolis faces for his place at the Emirates. Arsenal’s very public pursuit of Vinicius Jr ultimately failed but would have immediately relegated Tzolis to understudy. Gabriel Martinelli was not in the Arsenal squad here despite being fit to play, and while the Brazilian’s ostracism secures Tzolis’s place in the short-term, it might suggest Arteta wants another new wide player. Juventus’s Kenan Yildiz remains a transfer target.
But Tzolis owns the left forward spot right now, and his task is to make himself undroppable no matter the competition. His determination to score was clear, taking a match-high four shots, none of which went particularly close. He may well end up setting new records for cutting inside and letting fly, which teammates won’t always thank him for. Calafiori may question his life choices when his fifth lung-bursting underlap is ignored.
But Tzolis’s track record suggests he could be the remedy to Arsenal’s limitation last season, in games against stubborn defences when they lacked the type of player to unlock the door. It is only one game of a long season, but there is a sense at the Emirates that Arteta has already begun work tightening Arsenal’s grip.
Strong Group-Pilipinas after a game in the 2026 Williams Jones Cup in Taiwan. –SGA PHOTO
From one of the most prestigious tournaments in the region, this year’s edition of the William Jones Cup has left a bad taste in the mouth when a new format benefited the home team with a direct slot to the semifinals despite having one of the worst records in the tournament.
The Chinese Taipei Basketball Association (CBTA) is reeling from social media backlash, effectively forced to admit before issuing a public apology for the new format on Thursday as Chinese Taipei-Blue suffered a 43-point mangling from Strong Group-Philippines.
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The Philippine representatives will be missing post-classification round play despite finishing with a 5-1 card, while the Taiwanese national team, even with a 1-5 record, has advanced
“SGA, the two-time champion from the Philippines that was placed in the same group as Chinese Taipei Blue, may have been the biggest victim of this year’s new format,” the statement said.
“The association humbly accepts the [negative] feedback and criticism from all parties, and we will review and improve the tournament format and scheduling for next year.”
The Philippines has a rich history in the tournament with several of its national teams winning. Squads coached by Ron Jacobs, Tim Cone and later on Chot Reyes ruled the tournament that, back in the day, was invaded by formidable US selections and several national teams like Iran and South Korea.
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Incidentally, with SGA-PH missing the semis, the squad missed the chance to complete a ‘three-peat’ and duplicate what only the Iranians, led by Hamed Haddadi, pulled off from 2009.
Originally, the top two teams in both groups were given the tickets to the next phase, before an announcement was made that, as hosts, the Taiwanese were seeded into the crossover Final Four.
Coach Charles Tiu said blowing out Taipei was the mission.
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“We wanted to really blow out Taipei to show that we were the ones who deserved to be playing for the championship,” Tiu said. “We’ve really hit our stride and are playing at a high level right now.
“It’s just so, so unfortunate that this is the way things are set up.”
SGA-PH wound up tied with KBL team Wonju DB, which owned the better quotient over SGA at +6 because of their two meetings that the two teams split.
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In the other group, UC Irvine and Chinese Taipei White advanced to the semifinals.
American raider Bacio (3/1 favourite) led from the stalls to claim a notable victory in the Group 1 Coolmore City Of Troy Nunthorpe Stakes at York on Friday.
Trained by Wesley Ward, who had come close to winning this sprint Group 1 before, the Juan Hernandez-ridden son of Maclean’s Music broke smartly from the gates, and led all the way.
When ridden by Hernandez inside the final furlong, the three-year-old quickened clear and was never in danger, as he took out a length-and-three-quarters victory for owners Myracehorse, Gladwell, Dailey and Dejablu.
Only beaten once in his racing career to date over five furlongs, when second at Santa Anita in October 2025, the chestnut colt had won his previous race in Britain, in the Palace Of Holyroodehouse Handicap at Royal Ascot in June.
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This afternoon, the Rossa Ryan-ridden Starlust (25/1) was second for Ralph Beckett, while Rumpstar (22/1) was third, under Rob Hornby, a nose behind the runner-up.
Al Nayyir takes Lonsdale Cup
Al Nayyir (9/1) outstayed Illinois to win the Group 2 Weatherby’s Lonsdale Cup over 2 miles and 56 yards.
The 8-runner race saw William Buick keep the Tom Clover-handled eight-year-old in mid-division for much of the contest, before making significant headway at the one-furlong pole.
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The Ryan Moore-ridden Illinois, who had been prominent throughout, claimed the lead with two furlongs to run. The son of Galileo wasn’t headed until the dying strides of the race, and had to settle for second at 13/2.
Mount Atlas (4/1), for the inform Andrew Balding, took third under P J McDonald, two-and-a-quarter lengths behind the runner-up.
Arapaho Gold wins Gimcrack
The race favourite, Marco Polo (13/8), could only manage eighth place in the Group 2 Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Gimcrack Stakes for Aidan O’Brien, Ryan Moore and the Coolmore partners.
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Arapaho Gold (2/1) was a three-quarters-of-a-length winner for Connor Beasley and Michael Dodds, with Final Objective (18/1) second under James Doyle.
Another winner for Colin Keane
Colin Keane bagged another York winner this afternoon when partnering Joseph O’Brien’s Benjamin Hornigold (16/1) to victory in the £100,000 British Stallion Studs EBF Convivial Maiden Stakes (GBB Race).
Named after an English pirate, the son of Blackbeard had two lengths to spare over Dover Street (40/1) and Pat Dobbs, with Sole Ambition (33/1) third for Kieran Shoemark.
The Walter Cup is missing — or at least the replica version of the trophy that belongs to the Professional Women’s Hockey League champion Montreal Victoire, the league told The Associated Press on Friday.
Without going into detail, the PWHL issued a statement saying the trophy “did not arrive as expected at its latest stop,” and added “we are working closely with the shipping company to locate it.”
The trophy was supposed to be shipped to Lethbridge, Alta., to spend the day with Victoire forward Dara Greig, a person with knowledge of the plans told the AP on the condition of anonymity because those details were not revealed by the league. The container arrived, but without the Walter Cup inside, leading to Greig postponing her day with the trophy on Thursday, which included a public event at the city’s VisitLethbridge.com Arena on Thursday.
It’s unclear where the Walter Cup was last seen. And unlike the NHL and the Stanley Cup, the PWHL does not have a person dedicated to travel with its trophy when it goes on the road to be with players.
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The missing Walter Cup in question is not the one presented to teams on the ice upon winning the championship. That one is permanently housed at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
The missing version is instead a close replica issued to championship-winning teams to keep for themselves.
The replica, like the original trophy, is made of sterling silver and designed by Tiffany & Co. It weighs about 35 pounds (16 kilograms) and measures about 24 inches (61 centimetres) in height and 13 inches (33 centimetres) wide.
The cup rests on two rods, resembling hockey sticks. On the cup are engraved six W’s representing the league’s six original franchises. The base of the cup represents a puck on which the championship teams are etched.
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Montreal clinched the cup by defeating Ottawa in Game 4 of a best-of-five series in May to become the PWHL’s first Canadian team to win title. Minnesota won the PWHL’s first two championships.
The trophy is named after PWHL founder and primary financier Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter and his wife Kimbra.
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