Just a swift check of Athanatos’s history alerted Kerrin McEvoy that he held a real shot in the $500,000 The Coast, proven correct as the interstate challenger proved too tough to pass.

The elite rider had not previously partnered the four-year-old gelding, but his near-two-length defeat when runner-up to fourth against Transatlantic in last spring’s Toorak Handicap (1600m) suggested to McEvoy that repeating it would secure a placing at worst.

“I was pretty confident when I got the booking and looked at his runs,” McEvoy said.

“I gave ‘Stokesy’ (trainer Phillip Stokes) a call yesterday and he backed it up. He said, ‘he’s in good form’. “

“I got confidence out of the fact the last time he went to the mile was in the Toorak, and as we know it’s a competitive handicap, a Group One, and he wasn’t beaten far.”

Starting from midfield on Saturday, McEvoy kept Athanatos ($11) close to the speedsters, with the gelding powering home in the final stages to beat front-runner Sarrismo ($2.90 fav) by a length.

Grand Omaha ($51) filled third, half a neck adrift.

At Morphettville for the Goodwood program, Stokes explained how connections selected Saturday’s The Coast (1600m) at Gosford as a key trial en route to the Five Diamonds (1800m) in Sydney later in the year.

“Next prep we’re going to aim up for that,” Stokes told Racing And Sports.

“This was a big prizemoney race, and the owners will be wrapped.

“I’m getting a bit of a handle on Sydney now. It’s something we want to explore more and have more of a presence up there, so it’s important to identify horses to send up.

“He might be a horse we now have to look at Brisbane with.”

Discover leading racing betting markets for The Coast and upcoming features.

Exeter: Woodburn; Brown-Bampoe, Slade, Ikitau, Ridl; Skinner, Varney; Sio, Norey, Iosefa-Scott, Jenkins (c), Zambonin, Hooper, Tshiunza, Vintcent.

Replacements: Dweba, Burger, Tchumbadze, Tuima, Worley Brady, Cairns, Haydon-Wood, Hammersley.

Yellow card: Ridl (53)

Bath: De Glanville; Cokanasiga, Lawrence, Butt, Arundell; Russell, Spencer (c); Van Wyk, Frost, Griffin; Roux, Molony, Hill, Underhill, Barbeary.

Replacements: Tuipulotu, Obano, Du Toit, Ewels, Pepper, Carr-Smith, Carreras, Redpath.

Red card: Roux (14)

Yellow card: De Glanville (44)

Referee: Karl Dickson

Such a large part of scoring well comes from hitting short-game shots close to the pin. From both personal experience and working with students, I’ve seen how common it is to leave these shots short, making the putt much harder to convert.

Here are some common reasons why this happens and how to improve.

1. Using your most lofted club

It’s easy to assume that the most lofted club should always be used around the green, but this often leads to shots coming up short. The more lofted the club, the larger the swing required to get the ball to the pin. Especially when there is more green to work with or a longer overall distance, consider using a lower-lofted club instead.

2. Inconsistent contact

High, lofted pitch shots require solid technique and confidence. Proper posture and grip play a huge role in making consistent contact.

Because pitch shots often require a larger swing, it’s important to maintain good posture by bending forward from the hips and allowing the arms to hang naturally. This helps deliver the club to the ground properly and promotes center-face contact.

3. Wedges lack enough bounce

Bounce is the rounded sole on a wedge that helps the club glide through the turf rather than dig into it. When the club interacts properly with the ground, you can swing more confidently and strike the ball more consistently.

If a wedge has enough bounce, even slight contact with the turf before the ball can still produce a respectable shot because the club continues to glide instead of digging.

When players occasionally skull a wedge shot because the club digs too much, they often become hesitant to make a full enough swing, which can lead to approach shots consistently coming up short.

4. Pitching when you should be chipping

This may be the simplest adjustment you can make to get the ball all the way to the pin.

When there is more room for roll than required carry, it is usually safer and more efficient to hit a lower-running chip shot instead of a high pitch shot. Because the motion is smaller, even slightly imperfect contact can still produce a very good result.

5. Not using lower-lofted clubs

The smaller the stroke, the smaller the chance for error. Using a lower-lofted club — such as an 8- or 9-iron — can be a smart option when you have plenty of green to work with and a back pin location.

Let the club selection help the ball travel the distance rather than trying to force a larger swing. Lowering your scores can be as simple as calibrating your short game, including both chipping and pitching.

Manchester United have not confirmed their plans for the end of the season, with Michael Carrick still uncertain on his future at the club when his contract ends at the end of the season

Manchester United risk Michael Carrick opening talks with other teams if they wait any longer to offer him a permanent job at Old Trafford, according to former defender Jaap Stam.

Carrick is under contract for just two more United matches after helping the team return to Champions League qualification, having replaced Ruben Amorim earlier this year. The former Middlesbrough boss has been widely commended for his job with the club set to seal third place in the Premier League, 12 months on from finishing 15th.

The 44-year-old was appointed until the end of the season, but his future has yet to be made clear, and no Manchester United manager has been confirmed for the summer. For his part, Carrick has insisted he remains calm about the uncertainty surrounding his future.

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Stam reckons the moment is approaching where Carrick will want to plan for the summer, whether that be at United or elsewhere. The Dutch giant believes the former midfielder has done enough to earn a deal at the Theatre of Dreams.

“He’s had a great spell now, he’s done very well, so I think you need to do that [give him the contract],” Stam said via ComeOn. “I cannot imagine there are no talks going on now or starting because if he wants to go on as a manager, he needs to have a look at other clubs now himself if he wants to change that somewhere else, if he wants to bring in players somewhere else.

“So this is the time to make decisions, and after this success by getting into the Champions League, I can’t imagine not talking to him now and saying, ‘OK, we want to go and give you a contract for maybe for the next season or the next two seasons and see how it goes.’

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

“And there are always talk with fans, or people are always saying when they’re not successful, ‘OK, then it’s the lack of experience or he’s too young or we should have brought in this manager.’

“But he knows the club very well. And I think it’s very positive that he knows what happened before, maybe the new owners came in, and how the club needs to be run and what needs to be done and what the feeling is as a United manager or as a United player.

“He can bring that feeling to the players, and I think that’s already what he’s been doing. And together with great people on the board, people who are very committed and want to make changes, I think you can help a young manager like him in making that next step or to become very successful for the club.”

United have been one of a number of clubs linked to making a move for Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola. The Spanish coach has already confirmed he will make his departure from the Cherries at the end of the season.

For the moment, he is refusing to be drawn over speculation on where his next move could take him. “I’m in no rush,” Iraola said.

“I will not talk about my future. I’m fully focused on trying to finish this season with a reward, something tangible for the [Bournemouth] players and supporters.” He added: “It was not an easy decision [to leave] but once it is made you feel relief.

“I feel we have used it in a positive way. Since that day, we’ve had great results but also the mood.

“Everyone is clear, the relationship is so clean and honest. Okay, this is going to happen, next season Marco Rose will be our manager.

“Everyone knows what’s happening. We are in good place and can use this in a positive way.”

The first WWE Premium Live Event post-WrestleMania 42, 2026 Backlash in Tampa, is officially in the history books. The card had five blockbuster bouts: two title bouts, two singles matches, and one tag team contest.

The major attraction on Saturday night was Roman Reigns‘ first title defense as WWE World Heavyweight Champion against his own real-life Bloodline member, Jacob Fatu. But the only women’s contest on the card, a singles match featuring Asuka and IYO SKY, also stood out and became one of the highlights for this year’s Backlash.

The Genius of the Sky and The Empress of Tomorrow have been engaged in a feud over the last several months. Their bad blood gradually turned personal. Kairi Sane was also a major part of the saga, but she was shockingly released from the company a few days back. This was a major shocker for the fans.

Despite the massive personal setback, Asuka and SKY locked horns in a singles matchup at WWE Backlash 2026. The former Women’s World Champion proved that it’s her time now by beating the 44-year-old star clean. Fans were highly entertained by the level of the match between the two Japanese female stars and rated it highly.

However, that wasn’t the shocker. Following the bout, Asuka broke character and burst into tears. In a passing-the-torch moment, she hugged SKY, kissed her on the cheeks, lifted her hand, and bid farewell to the crowd, potentially hinting at retirement.

In this listicle, we will explore four potential reasons why The Empress of Tomorrow lost to SKY at Backlash 2026.

#4. Asuka leaving WWE

A WWE superstar breaking their heel character is a rare sight that fans do not see often. The Empress of Tomorrow is known for keeping kayfabe. At Backlash, she broke down into tears and bid farewell to the fans, hinting that this might be the end of her in-ring stint with the Stamford-based promotion.

Brock Lesnar had a similar moment at WrestleMania 42, and he retired and left WWE, as he has been placed in the alumni section on the company’s official site.

Hence, her losing the match could be her perfect departure from the sports entertainment giant. If she were to leave the promotion, a win would mean nothing to her at this point, and putting a rising star would benefit the company in the long term.

#3. ⁠Passing of the torch moment

Since Triple H took over the WWE creative team, one of the things they have been focusing on the most is building new superstars. The former Women’s World Champion IYO SKY has been one of The Game’s favorites.

Asuka has been a mentor to The Genius of the Sky throughout her professional wrestling career, and the Stamford-based promotion built their rivalry as a student versus teacher angle.

By losing to her protégé at the Backlash 2026 Premium Live Event, The Empress of Tomorrow has passed the torch to IYO to carry the legacy she and other Japanese stars have built over the years.

A win over a veteran star like former Damage CTRL leader has elevated the former Women’s World Champion’s credibility as a superstar even more.

#2. WWE is rebuilding IYO SKY as a singles star again

It’s been a while since The Genius of the Sky has been placed into the main title picture. She last held a singles title in 2025, which she lost in July.

She then formed a tag team with Rhea Ripley and ruled the division up until early this year before dropping the Women’s Tag Team Championships to the Irresistible Forces on Friday Night SmackDown before the 2026 Elimination Chamber.

Ripley climbed to the top quickly as she won the Women’s Elimination Chamber match, punched her ticket to WrestleMania, and got a Women’s Championship match against Jade Cargill. Moreover, Mami captured the Women’s Championship, beating Big Jade at the Granddaddy of Them All, becoming a singles star once again.

Meanwhile, SKY got stuck in the mid-card mix with her feud with Asuka. By handing her a personal win over her fellow Japanese star, WWE may have begun rebuilding Ripley’s tag team partner as a singles main-event star, and she might soon enter title contention.

A Women’s World Championship match between IYO and Liv Morgan would be a major box-office attraction, as they are both stylistically dynamic and know how to grab the audience’s attention.

#1. Taking time off

Another potential reason the 44-year-old veteran may have lost to IYO is that she may be going on a hiatus from the company. Being a WWE superstar can be stressful, as the life of a star is not easy.

They have to travel all around the world every week and compete tirelessly away from their family. Asuka is among the few workhorses who have been on television constantly grinding and working hard.

However, she may have finally decided to take some time off to spend some time with her family, as her retirement is not confirmed as of the writing of this article.