James McDonald’s presence at Wyong on a Sunday is a rarity, but he was there for Steel Will, and the colt will now be assessed as a potential carnival contender at Rosehill.

Though not sold through the auction ring, Steel Will is exceptionally bred, being a son of I Am Invincible out of Pittsburgh Flyer, the dam of two-time Group 1 victor September Run.

After a commanding win by more than six lengths at Wyong, the three-year-old colt returns to metropolitan racing for Saturday’s Kia Ora Bloodlines to Headlines Handicap (1300m). Chris Waller’s assistant, Charlie Duckworth, indicated this race is his opportunity to prove he warrants a place among the elite colts.

“James said, ‘I’m going to go and ride it on a Sunday’ so that was a big tick,” Duckworth revealed. “I know it was only a provincial race, but he won by more than six. It’s a fair old margin.

“Saturday gives him his chance to stamp himself and prove that he should be with all the better colts, and that’s hopefully what we will see from him.”

Steel Will is the overwhelming favourite to achieve this and, while he still has to prove himself, he is nominated for the Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) next month.

Owned by Sir Owen Glenn’s Go Bloodstock, Steel Will previously finished third behind subsequent Kindergarten Stakes placegetters The Next Episode and Under Focus at Warwick Farm in March, prior to an unplaced run in the Group 3 race.

Duckworth mentioned that the horse had shown more promise at home as a juvenile than what he demonstrated on race days.

“His form at two, it was okay, but it wasn’t as good as what we thought the horse was,” he said. “He had a couple of chinks in his armour, and he’d do a few things wrong. He’s just come in more mature this time around.”

Steel Will is one of three Waller-trained runners in the benchmark race, joined by Your Colour, who must improve on her debut when unplaced in midweek company at Warwick Farm, and the consistent Letters Patent.

“Your Colour needs to lift a bit, but she’s drawn well with a light weight,” Duckworth stated. “Letters Patent hasn’t really done anything wrong. There’s a few of those three-year-olds sitting on the cusp of pushing into Group races or staying in Saturday grade. I guess we’ll find out a lot on Saturday.”

Steel Will is heavily fancied to win his upcoming race. Those interested in betting on the event can find numerous online bookmakers.

In a major boost to winter sports infrastructure in Ladakh, Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Thursday inaugurated the Union Territory’s first international-level artificial ice hockey rink at NDS Stadium here, describing the facility as a major investment in the future of Ladakh’s young sportspersons.

Built at a cost of approximately Rs 42 crore, the state-of-the-art rink is equipped with a 24×7 chilling facility, enabling ice hockey players to train throughout the year, irrespective of the natural weather conditions.

The Lt Governor termed the facility a landmark investment in Ladakh’s youth and expressed confidence that it would help transform the UT into one of India and the world’s leading winter sports hubs.

He said the project aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of making India a global sporting powerhouse and expanding access to quality sports infrastructure across the country, including remote and border regions such as Ladakh.

“This 24×7 chilling facility will ensure that our young players no longer have to wait for winter to practise. They can now train throughout the year, with the flexibility and continuity required to compete at the highest levels.

“I am confident that this sustained training opportunity will take our players to new heights and enable them to represent India at international sporting events. This rink will strengthen Ladakh’s position on India’s winter sports map,” the Lt Governor said.

Saxena said the facility would also help identify and nurture new talent from Leh and other parts of Ladakh and prepare them systematically for national and international competitions.

Beyond competitive sport, the world-class facility, he said, is expected to generate wider opportunities in sports tourism and the local economy.

A Lok Bhavan spokesman said the facility addresses one of the biggest challenges faced by ice hockey in Ladakh, the extremely short natural ice season.

Until now, players were largely dependent on winter months and had only a limited period of around two to three months to train and compete, he said, adding the narrow window also meant that tournaments and other competitions had to be fitted into an already tight seasonal schedule, leaving little scope for sustained training and systematic preparation.

“With the new 24×7 rink, this limitation is set to be overcome. The facility is expected to significantly improve the quality and consistency of preparation of Ladakh’s ice hockey players for national and international-level competitions,” the spokesman said.

Michael Carrick has admitted Manchester United still need to strengthen this summer but they will not be splashing the cash on the level of their Premier League rivals.

United have so far spent around £85m on Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Karl Darlow, but after another big summer of spending elsewhere they are the only one of the Premier League’s ‘big six’ still never to have broken the £100m mark on a player.

United need to build depth ahead of a return to the Champions League, and their midfield reinforcements come after Casemiro’s exit.

“I think we’ve done really good business and we’ve got really some top, top, top players,” Carrick said at United’s pre-season training camp in the Republic of Ireland.

“We’re delighted with that. We always want to improve. We want more, we need more, we keep looking for how we can do that. That never stops.”

But United are trying to keep pace as Chelsea have spent £117m on Morgan Rogers, cross-city rivals City signed Elliot Anderson for £116m and Tottenham brought in Sandro Tonali in a deal that could rise to £100m.

“Money’s money, I get that,” Carrick said. “It’s still about the football, and that’s where the competition lies.

“Certainly the situation is what it is as well, whether that’s finances or whatever. For now, we’ve got to make the most of it, but we’ve got to keep pushing and push everything and every boundary that we can to be able to win again.”

When asked why United were not spending on the level of other clubs, Carrick added: “To be honest, I haven’t got the answers for that. We’re working with pushing everything that we can to make the best of it.”

Marcus Rashford is back with United this week after returning from the World Cup. Earlier this summer Barcelona declined their option to buy the England winger following last season’s loan, and questions remain over his future despite Carrick talking up his reintegration.

When asked directly if the 28-year-old was for sale, Carrick said: “He’s our player, and he’s a good player and he gives us something a little bit different in the group.

“Marcus can offer us so much. He has done, and he can do again, so in that respect it’s quite exciting.”

This summer a number of Carrick’s players have expressed belief they can challenge for what would be a 21st league title, and first since 2013, next term. While that is music to the ears of the manager, he was not so forceful himself.

“We’ve definitely got the potential to achieve something really special,” he said. “I’m not hiding from the fact, and we should aim to do that, but I can’t give you a definite answer on that. It’s certainly what we’re pushing to do because we have to, because that’s the club we are.”

Carrick took the job on an interim basis in January following Ruben Amorim’s exit, but signed a two-year contract in May. The 45-year-old insisted he was not worried as to whether a longer-term deal meant he might now be judged differently.

“I’m not fussed,” he said. “Doesn’t bother me anyway. I’m just going about trying to win and trying to do the right thing for the football club.”

Last season, the Big Ten was the best football conference in the nation, and 2026 should be no different.

The league that owns the last three national championships could have as many as four teams that could make it four in a row.

The top half of the conference will be extremely tough to beat, and look for the bottom half to be improved over last season.

The overall depth of the conference will offer very few gimme wins in league play.

So how do I see the Big Ten breaking down in 2026? Here is my predicted order of finish with an outlook for each team.

1. Oregon Ducks

Dante Moore is back, and that will go a long way toward the success of the Ducks. Last season, the veteran QB put up huge numbers with a banged-up receiving corps and likely would have been a top pick in last spring’s NFL draft, had he entered.

This season, with a healthy group of pass-catchers, offensive production should be monstrous. Look for the trio of Dakorien Moore, Evan Stewart, and Jeremiah McClellan to cause plenty of matchup issues for opponents.

The strongest position group on the team is going to be the defensive line.  And if you are good up front on that side of the ball, odds are you are in for a productive season.

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The Oregon front is as good as any unit in the nation. Bear Alexander and A’Mauri Washington are NFL-caliber DTs already, while Matayo Uiagalelei is a premier edge rusher.

This could be the season the Ducks finally break through in the playoffs and give the Big Ten a fourth straight national title in as many years.

4. USC Trojans

On offense, USC will be fierce with a lot of production returning from last season, including Jayden Maiava under center and both King Miller and Waymond Jordan joining him in the backfield.

On top of that, all five offensive linemen are back in the fold. Tanook Hines could be a breakout star at receiver, the one unit on offense that does not return a lot.

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Gary Patterson was brought in to run the defense, and despite not having an on-field role in the last five seasons, he is still one of the best defensive minds in the game.

His 4-2-5 scheme should be effective, especially with the talent they have along the line.  They’ll be tough to run against and should be able to contain in man coverage at the backend.

Expectations are high in LA, and for good reason. The Trojans have a very daunting schedule to navigate, but the rewards are there for the taking.

5. Washington Huskies

Jedd Fisch has been building towards this season since he arrived at UW, and the pieces are in place for a breakout campaign.

This is an extremely talented team at Washington, led offensively by Demond Williams at quarterback.

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Dezmen Roebuck will be on the receiving end of a lot of his passes and looks like a star in the making.

The defense has some new faces, and the secondary lost a lot, but the pieces are in place for a successful campaign in Seattle.

This season, he should have a better supporting cast. Wayne Knight was a workhorse back for JMU last fall, and he’s the kind of playmaker that was missing from the Bruin attack in 2025. He should also open things up in the downfield passing.

UCLA’s transfer portal haul should also help the defense create more pressure. The pass rush was terrible last fall and, not surprisingly, so was the success rate on third down.

Another JMU transfer, Sahir West, should be a significant upgrade as an edge rusher. If the defense can keep things tight, the offense should score enough points to win some of the games they lost last season.

A bowl game could be on the table, but at the very least a solid foundation for the future is being laid.

writes about various topics for SuperWest sports, including stats and records, college sports, and motorsports. He also founded and runs the Sports and Entertainment Research Center (SERC).

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Confederation of African Football chief Patrice Motsepe says Gianni Infantino‘s future should only be decided by elections after Ireland became the latest federation to withdraw their support for the embattled FIFA president.

Infantino is fighting to save his job after a barrage of criticism for his aborted plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors.

The governing bodies of European football (UEFA), North and Central America (CONCACAF) and Asia (AFC) stepped up the pressure on Infantino in a joint letter this week, declaring “trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority”.

Watch more‘There’s no turning back’: UEFA stands by boycott despite Infantino’s apology

It is believed they want Infantino to resign before he has the chance to seek re-election in March next year.

But Motsepe, a FIFA vice-president and CAF president, is adamant Infantino’s fate should be decided through the ballot box.

“If anybody has got any problem against anybody, whether it’s Gianni, whether it is anybody else, follow the process, follow the FIFA process, simple as that,” Motsepe told Sky News on Thursday.

“If you want to take him out, go for elections; let the 211 member associations decide. Do that and the vote will express whether they’ve got confidence in him or not.”

“You’ve got to be very careful. There are elections taking place next year. Shouldn’t we allow that process to continue?”

Motsepe was in Salzburg at the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday to hold talks with UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, whose organisation are threatening to boycott the World Cup and Club World Cup in protest at Infantino’s scheme.

“I’ve heard so many stories about various issues and am careful to pass judgement on anything,” Motsepe said.

“Everybody has a right to be heard. Let’s have a hearing, and a proper forum.”

Read more Infantino denies affair allegation, FIFA slams ‘concerted’ effort to weaken him

CAF had already backed Infantino and Motsepe claimed there was no breach of rules over the World Cup sell-off talks, because the proposals would be submitted to FIFA members for final approval.

“There’s a lot that’s problematic and negative that they have to fix,” Motsepe said.

“But he has apologised and said maybe there’s a different way these things should have been done, but we also take advice.”

However, there has been no end to the tidal wave of criticism engulfing Infantino.

And on Thursday the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) become the latest FIFA member to withdraw its support for Infantino.

The English FA and Welsh FA had already withdrawn their backing for the 56-year-old Swiss.

“Following an FAI Board Meeting, the decision was taken to rescind the letter of support that the Association supplied earlier this year,” the organisation said.

“It has since written to FIFA to explain its reasoning. The Association is grateful for the support that FIFA provides to Irish football, but recent events have raised significant concerns regarding governance, transparency and the lack of meaningful consultation.”

(FRANCE 24 with AFP) 

Jayden Daniels is taking issue with LSU’s decision to give his No. 5 jersey to cornerback DJ Pickett. An attorney representing the Washington Commanders quarterback sent LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry a cease-and-desist letter on Aug. 5, informing the school that it is no longer authorized to use Daniels’ name, image and likeness, according to a copy of the letter obtained by ESPN.

CBS Sports reached out to Daniels’ attorney, Adam Kenner, for comment Thursday, but had not received a response.

The letter, according to ESPN, cites Daniels’ LSU NIL agreement, which allowed the school to use his name, image and likeness for 180 days after his final college game. Kenner wrote that LSU must “immediately cease and desist” from any further use or exploitation of Daniels’ NIL.

Healthy again, LSU QB Sam Leavitt embraces Louisiana life as he prepares for 2026 opener

Cody Nagel

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Daniels’ representatives said the former LSU quarterback and his family believed No. 5 would remain part of his legacy after he became the third Heisman Trophy winner in school history in 2023.

“The Daniels family is deeply disappointed and feels profoundly disrespected by LSU’s decision to give Jayden’s number to another player,” a spokesperson for the Daniels family told ESPN. “Jayden and his family had every reason to believe that his number would remain a meaningful part of his LSU legacy and would be honored and protected in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to the university.”

Daniels’ No. 5 had not been worn by another LSU player since his departure for the NFL. The number, however, has never officially been retired.

Pickett wore No. 3 as a freshman last season, when he earned freshman All-American honors after recording three interceptions. LSU coach Lane Kiffin said Aug. 5 that Pickett had been promised No. 5 during his recruitment under former coach Brian Kelly.

“When a kid is promised something to come to a school, he should wear it,” Kiffin said.

Kelly confirmed to ESPN that Pickett had been promised the number but said he chose not to give it to him while Daniels was at LSU because he did not want to issue No. 5 without Daniels’ approval. Kelly also pointed to LSU’s treatment of Joe Burrow’s No. 9, which has not been worn since Burrow’s Heisman Trophy-winning 2019 season.

Daniels transferred to LSU from Arizona State and had one of the most productive seasons in school history in 2023, passing for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns while rushing for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns. He won the Heisman Trophy before becoming the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Daniels faces immediate backlash

The reaction to Daniels’ decision was not particularly sympathetic. Even with the former LSU quarterback’s immense popularity among the school’s fan base, the optics of sending a cease-and-desist letter over his old jersey number have made it easy for critics to paint the move as unnecessarily combative.

It remains to be seen how much of the backlash actually sticks. Daniels is still widely appreciated by LSU fans, who remember his remarkable 2023 season and the way he elevated the program. Some of the blowback has included questions about the role of his mother, Regina Jackson, who also serves as his agent and has been a prominent presence throughout his career.

Daniels has enough goodwill with LSU supporters that this episode alone is unlikely to erase his legacy. But if the dispute continues to escalate, rather than ending with the cease-and-desist letter, it could become a far more lasting blemish on the relationship between Daniels and the school that helped make him a star.

Atlanta Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos made a big bet on his roster when he went small on starting pitcher acquisitions at the MLB trade deadline early this month.

Starters were flying off the shelves left and right to contenders in what became a major buyers’ market.

The expectation was that the Braves would add multiple starters to bolster a rotation which has relied heavily on ace Chris Sale this season.

And yet, Atlanta added just one starter ahead of the deadline in right-hander Tyler Mahle from the San Francisco Giants.

The early returns have been strong on this decision.

In his first two starts with the Braves, Mahle has allowed one run on seven hits over 12 innings (six per start) with 16 strikeouts and two walks.

Crafty veteran southpaw Martin Perez has allowed no runs in 16 innings across three August starts. Even though his fastball this season has averaged 89.9 mph, his ERA is down to 2.96 over 106 1/3 innings — not bad for a player on a one-year, $3.5 million contract.

Grant Holmes, one of the rotation arms who could have been demoted to a lesser role if the Braves went bigger at the deadline, has allowed no runs over 12 innings in two August starts, perhaps buoyed by the front office’s faith in him.

The early returns on this bold decision by Anthopoulos look strong. The Braves are 18-8 since the All-Star break and 6-3 since the trade deadline. A once-large National League East division lead which had shrunk as small as two games is now back up to 9.5 games as the Phillies have returned to orbit from their sky-high May and June.

The division no longer seems at risk. The Braves will return to the postseason and, save for an utter disaster, will end Philadelphia’s two-year run atop the NL East.

But the desire for the Braves to make pitching moves wasn’t about just making the postseason. It was about making noise when they get there.

Since Atlanta won the 2021 World Series, they’ve lost their last three playoff series.

Beyond Sale, who continues to defy Father Time by being one of the best pitchers in baseball at 37 years old, there are still legitimate concerns about how Atlanta’s rotation stacks up in the postseason against the NL’s other contending teams like the Dodgers, Brewers, Phillies and even the Cubs, who added three starters at the deadline.

Through two starts, Mahle has looked like a potential No. 2 option. Maybe Perez can continue to defy expectations and excel as he has pretty much all season.

AJ Smith-Shawver, who has pitched in the majors just once this season after returning from Tommy John surgery but has excelled in Triple-A lately, could establish himself, while Spencer Schwellenbach, who still hasn’t pitched this season, is looking doubtful as an option.

Anthopoulos has earned a modicum of inherent trust. He pushed basically all the right buttons at the 2021 deadline to help the Braves win it all.

But there remains a lot of rotation uncertainty come October for a team that otherwise seems poised to be a major contender.

Hello and welcome to our City transfer blog as we expect the Blues’ summer business to ramp up with the new season edging closer.

The World Cup has impacted Maresca’s ability to do much early business. That being said, City were able to sign Elliot Anderson while he was at the summer tournament. However, the issue surrounding Rodri has not yet been solved. Barcelona are keen on the Ballon d’Or winner and City have set their price tag.

Of course, Rodri is not the only talking point right now. Bouaddi and Fernandez are both being connected to City, with the Bouaddi progressing. Marmoush, Reijnders and Savinho are all facing uncertain futures ahead of the 11pm deadline on Tuesday, September 1.

Stay tuned for updates…