AUGUSTA, Ga. — Friday evening at the Masters is different from any other day on the property. The setting sun casts long shadows, stale beer reverberates through the corridors and cigar smoke hints at which direction the wind may be blowing. The crusty and crispy descriptions of the golf course seem to intensify as finality hits for half the field. A week that started with hopes and dreams of possibly slipping on a green jacket is met with dejected looks, slumped shoulders and thoughts of what went wrong.

As patrons make their way through the exits, roars offer the possibility of movement unseen. When one bellowed from down below that reached the main leaderboard near the entrance, those heading the opposite direction knew Rory McIlroy was moving in one of his own.

The defending champion, the career grand slam winner, the five-time major holder has opened up a historic gap between himself and the rest of the field. Six strokes up with 36 holes under his belt and with 36 holes to go. The finality that some of his contemporaries were met with on Friday may have been felt by more than those who are just heading home early.

McIlroy’s six-shot advantage entering the weekend marks the largest in tournament history. His second nine as the sun was dipping below the Georgia pines on Friday was flat-out ridiculous. Even without the super power of his driver not cooperating — McIlroy ranks second-to-last in the field in terms of driving accuracy this week — he strutted as if there was a cape around his neck.

But it was not the power and flying abilities that made him appear to be a superhero. Rather, it was his craftiness, his finesse, his knowledge of Augusta National. McIlroy is experienced enough to know that, once you accelerate, you should keep your foot on the gas and not ease up.

“Don’t protect it,” McIlroy said. “Go out and play freely, keep swinging. That was a big part of the lesson from the 2011 Masters to the 2011 U.S. Open was don’t get protective. Go out there and keep playing, keep trying to make birdies, stay as trusting and as committed as possible.”

McIlroy mentioned, when looking back at his 2025 Masters victory, that there was one moment where he felt like he did not play aggressively on Sunday — the par-5 13th. He dumped his third in Rae’s Creek, carded a double bogey, followed it with a bogey on the 14th and let numerous players back in the mix. 

That’s what can happen around Augusta National when one eases up, no matter their position. It could be the man in first or the one who is just happy to get 36 more holes on the golf course after sneaking through the cutline. No one knows that better than McIlroy, who will surely apply the lessons of his last Masters and hope a more stress-free coronation is in his future on Sunday, even if the path to get there won’t be without some rocks in the road.

“I just want to go out and play two good rounds again,” McIlroy said. “Obviously, this golf course has certain characteristics that guys can get on runs, guys can make eagles, you hear roars all over the golf course. 

“I think the next two days for me is really about focusing on myself. It’s hard to avoid those big leaderboards out there, but like I know that I’ve got a lead. So I don’t need to keep checking it all the time. So for me, just really focusing on myself and staying in my own little world out there is the best thing.”

History in sight and in the rearview

With a historic margin in hand, McIlroy now has monumental implications in sight. He could become the fourth player to successfully defend his Masters title while tying one of those previous three (Nick Faldo) for most major championships won by a European. There is a bevy of items that he could check off, but those will need to wait until Sunday evening should the opportunity arise.

That history looks forward, but it is the history McIlroy has already made that informs what may have occurred Friday. The way in which McIlroy summited to the top of the leaderboard in 2025 feels awfully similar outside of the big mistakes (i.e. the double bogeys Jack Nicklaus told him to stop making). It is hard to forget that McIlroy carded a record four double bogeys en route to his victory last year, a win he credited to a 14-hole stretch between Friday and Saturday.

Those seven holes on this Friday consisted of six birdies. Those seven holes on Saturday? Well, we will have to wait and see.

“I talked last year about how I really won the tournament in a 14-hole stretch, the second nine on Friday and the first five holes on Saturday,” McIlroy said. “Yeah, I knew I had some chances coming in when I was standing on the 12th tee, but I didn’t think I’d birdie 6 of the last 7. 

“It just shows what you can do around here. … Even though I haven’t played tournament golf, I feel like being up here a lot and playing, I’ve prepared as well for this Masters as any other that I’ve played. I think all that work around the greens over the last three weeks has certainly paid off over the last two days.”

Captain America

Sam Burns played a spectacular round to keep his Masters chances alive after it appeared to be getting away from him, and he will be the one to play alongside McIlroy on Moving Day, but you can’t look at this first page of this leaderboard and not think about Patrick Reed.

Captain America, the 2018 Masters champion, the man who has been globetrotting on the DP World Tour, would have been in that final pairing alongside McIlroy if not for a bogey on his final hole. Duelling 69s have the right-hander at 6 under and within earshot of a man with whom he has plenty of history.

The past includes not just that Sunday singles match in the 2016 Ryder Cup, but so much more. There was the date in the final round at the 2018 Masters where Reed got the better of McIlroy. More recently, there was a subpoena served to the Northern Irishman around the holidays in 2023 and a flick of a tee towards him on the driving range in Dubai.

Last year, McIlroy’s adversary was Bryson DeChambeau. If Reed plays his cards right on Saturday and can bite a chunk out of Rory’s lead heading into Sunday, he will relish the opportunity to deny the man the chance at going back-to-back, and his game is sharp enough and witty enough to do so if the stars align.

“After winning in ’18, at that point, I definitely felt like I had always wanted to put it on a second time,” Reed said. “I think the biggest thing really is you always dream as a golfer to go out and try to win the green jacket. As players and as professional golfers, you always have to believe in yourself that you can. 

“Until you do, you always have that just little voice of doubt in the back of your mind. Now I was able to close out in ’18 and give myself some good opportunities since then. Hopefully, we can go ahead and get my second one.”

A Masters rarity

Only three times in the last 30 years has someone hit all 18 greens in regulation at Augusta National, the most recent coming on Friday. Tyrrell Hatton, a man who has had a mixed relationship with this golf course, was perfect with his irons and set up 18 different looks for birdie.

The Englishman converted seven of them, and although a three-putt bogey on the last may have soured his dinner plans, his performance was a masterclass in angles — and oddly enough in the context of Hatton — temperament. 

“I feel like the course this morning, the greens … were softer than where they were at the end of yesterday’s round,” Hatton said. “I imagine the guys this afternoon or playing all afternoon, it’s only going to get firmer and faster to a point of, I guess, what we experienced yesterday. 

“So I guess I made the most of the greens being a little bit softer this morning. Yes, I gave myself lots of opportunities. I would have liked to have seen more putts go in. I don’t feel like I actually holed that many putts, certainly outside sort of 7-8 feet.”

A Scheffler rarity

For only the third time in his 26 rounds at Augusta National, Scottie Scheffler signed for a score higher than 72. Posting an over-par performance is a rarity any week for Scheffler and even more so on these grounds, where he has been just about flawless in his seven trips. The result was a 2-over 74, which positions Scheffler at the same place where he began the week: even par. 

So, where did it go wrong for Scheffler on Friday? The easy answer is his inability to take care of scoring chances. Scheffler played the par 5s in 1 over, but the score only tells so much of the story. He was greenside in a perfect position on No. 2 and hit one of his worst pitches of the week. A similar story unfolded on the short par-4 3rd. 

On the second nine, Scheffler split the fairways on both Nos. 13 and 15. On both holes, he found the water with his second shots, leading to a pair of bogeys. The fix will be easy for Scheffler over the weekend, but it appears to be too little too late.

“I would like to hole a few more putts,” Scheffler said. “I felt like it was rolling nice today, but … balls just weren’t dropping. Maybe my reads were a little bit off. I felt like I was starting online, could have been sped on a couple of putts, but overall today, I felt like I definitely played better than my score. It was frustrating to get it back to even, have a couple of par 5s in front of me, and then not do many things I felt wrong and wasn’t able to convert, really basically, anything coming down the stretch.”

Ryder Cup Europe

As Justin Rose and McIlroy were duking it out down the stretch and ultimately in a playoff in 2025, Shane Lowry and Tommy Fleetwood sat in the clubhouse eating and drinking with their families and took in the action on television. They watched as two of their closest friends in golf pitted themselves against one another.

Now, they join the fight. 

Lowry, Fleetwood and Rose all sit at 5 under and a touchdown and extra point behind their fellow European. Fleetwood put two eagles on his card, while Lowry went around Augusta National without a dropped shot on Friday. Rose, meanwhile, continued his professional, steady play around these parts and reached 5 under after birdies on Nos. 9-11. With a couple of par 3s playing easy and two reachable par 5s, Rose settled on that number in a stretch we may look back on as the one that defined this tournament.

A quick switch

Brooks Koepka has experienced a topsy-turvy type of tournament, which is hard to do when playing alongside Rose and Jordan Spieth. The five-time major champion stands at 3 under after carding 11 birdies and eight bogeys across his first 36 holes. He drove the ball poorly on Thursday, but he noted that a quick switch in his driver setting was to blame.

“I just drove it better,” Koepka said. “Some of my settings on the driver switched if A1 to B1. No one noticed it. Switching back to A1, which is what we usually had it and just driving it better.”

How can that happen, let alone in a major championship? Well, it did. Koepka looked better after turning the driver back to the original settings, but it proved even a five-time major champion like him, who employs a simple point and shoot attitude towards golf (that’s a compliment, by the way), can overlook something.

Tyson Fury has come out of retirement to face Russian boxer Arslanbek Makhmudov in a heavyweight clash in London on April 11. The fight will stream live on Netflix, which fans can get for free with Sky’s £15 Essential TV bundle or £24 Ultimate TV bundle, the latter of which also includes HBO Max and Disney+.

Hundreds of millions of pounds are expected to be staked on the Grand National 2026, which takes place at Aintree today.

The world-famous steeplechase will see a field of 34 horses complete two laps of the racecourse near Liverpool on Saturday afternoon.

Starting at 4pm, the runners will gallop four miles, 2½ furlongs and jump 30 fences before crossing the finish line. The Grand National offers a £1m prize fund with the owners of the winner scooping £500,000.

However, millions watching at home will also be hoping to win some money by placing bets in the hope of backing the winning horse.

As well as betting on a winner, people can also place each-way bets – which can win punters cash even if their horse doesn’t finish first. Instead, the bet is on the horse to finish among the top handful of places, the specific number of which is determined by the bookmakers

If you bet to win outright – or “on the nose” – you either win or you lose. But if you bet each-way, you are making two bets with the bookie.

So, for example, if you bet £1 each-way, you’ve made two bets, which overall will cost you £2.

It means that if your horse wins at 12/1, and you put £1 on it to win outright, then you get your £12 returns plus your original £1 stake.

However, if you backed it each way, then you’ll get £12 returns plus your £1 stake. In addition, if the bookies offer 1/4 the odds for a place, then you’ll get another £3 plus your £1 stake. That means in the each-way bet you will win a total of £15 plus get the £2 you staked back.

If your horse finishes placed but doesn’t win, you’ll also just get your £3 returns and your £1 stake back.

Typically, bookies tend to pay out on at least the first five places for the Grand National. However, given the larger field and the nature of the event, the odds for a placed finish, and how many places pay out, vary depending on the bookmaker – so it is always worth checking your betting slip.

Here are what some of the major bookies said they were paying out ahead of the race this year as of Friday afternoon:

• Bet365 – Six places each-way, 1/5 odds
• Betfred – Six places each-way, 1/5 odds
• William Hill – Five places each-way, 1/5 odds
• Coral – Five places each-way, 1/5 odds
• Ladbrokes – Five places each-way, 1/5 odds
• Sky Bet – Seven places each-way, 1/5 odds
• Paddy Power – Six places each-way, 1/5 odds
• 888 Sport – Five places each-way, 1/5 odds
• Unibet – Six places each-way, 1/5 odds
• Betway – Six places each-way, 1/5 odds
• VirginBet – Six places each-way, 1/5 odds

Remember to gamble responsibly. We strongly encourage our readers to only ever bet what they can afford to lose. For more information, please call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or visit begambleaware.org.

The NFL Draft is 12 days out for the Minnesota Vikings, and the first wave of weekend rumors is here.

Three new Vikings rumors are floating as draft week moves closer.

We roll out two rumor rounds every weekend, keeping tabs on the latest chatter as things move fast around the purple orbit.

Latest Draft Month Chatter Touches Quarterback, EDGE Rusher, and Left Tackle

A look at the Purple Rumor Mill just a week and a half before the draft.

Rumor: The Vikings could trade J.J. McCarthy to the Los Angeles Rams.

According to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, McCarthy could step into familiar territory, with Sean McVay in Los Angeles and Kevin O’Connell in Minnesota running closely aligned systems.

He proposed this trade, “Rams get: 1-18, 3-97, QB J.J. McCarthy. Vikings get: 1-13. At the right price, though, taking a flier on McCarthy would make sense. The Vikings are unlikely to move forward with the 2024 ninth overall pick as their quarterback of the future, having signed Kyler Murray to take over as their starter in 2026 before deciding on McCarthy’s fifth-year option after the season.”

“Getting something for the 23-year-old quarterback would make sense if the organization has decided it is going to be heading in a different direction. This move up would get the Vikes ahead of the Bucs and Jets if they want to look toward secondary help in Round 1.”

The target at No. 13 remains up in the air; Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, for example, could enter the conversation if he slips on draft night.

Barnwell continued, “This trade would value McCarthy as being worth the 112th pick in a typical draft by the Johnson chart, a selection in the middle of the fourth round. That feels about right to me. And the Rams would be on the hook for $6.6 million over the next two years, which isn’t much for a developmental backup quarterback.”

“Could McCarthy’s solid final four games of the 2025 season (admittedly against dismal opposing defenses) portend growth and some future success? The Rams wouldn’t be paying much to find out.”

The Vikings probably won’t trade McCarthy, and if they do, he won’t be filler in a deal five spots up the draftboard.

Rumor: The Chiefs may pursue Jonathan Greenard via trade in the draft.

Also from Barnwell, he theorized that Greenard could go to the Chiefs in the same article.

He explained, “Chiefs get: 1-18, 3-97, Edge Jonathan Greenard. Vikings get: 1-9, Edge Felix Anudike-Uzomah. This trade would value the difference between Greenard and Anudike-Uzomah — a former first-round pick who hasn’t impressed with the Chiefs — as being worth the 54th pick, according to the Johnson chart, in a typical draft.”

“The Vikings would move up from No. 18 to No. 9 and put defensive coordinator Brian Flores in line to add one of the premier defensive backs in this year’s class. The idea of Downs in a Flores defense is tantalizing, but the Vikings could also go for LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane here. Trading Greenard would open cap space and create a spot in the starting lineup for Dallas Turner, who filled in for Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel when they were hurt last season.”

The Vikings haven’t picked as high as No. 9 in a draft since 2014 when they netted linebacker Anthony Barr.

This would-be trade is more likely than the McCarthy idea, but it still remains confusing that Minnesota would plan to be a playoff contender in 2026 while shedding pass rushers. Most serious teams do the opposite — stock up on EDGE talent.

Rumor: Christian Darrisaw’s belated ACL recovery is on schedule, alas.

O’Connell talked about Darrisaw’s ACL at the NFL’s league meetings last week, saying, “I do believe we’re at that point now. He’s having a really good offseason. And what that looks like, what his daily practice schedule and plan looks like, we’re going to do what we think is best to get Christian ready to play 17 games and feel at his absolute best to do so.”

“I was proud of the way Christian battled through the offseason and the recovery portion, but then it was frustrating for him at times because he did put in all that work, all that tireless work, that in his mind, ‘Hey, I want to move past this,’ But with an injury like that, sometimes time is truly the only thing that will ultimately get us to where we want to get to.”

In the meantime, Minnesota signed offensive tackle Ryan Van Demark from the Buffalo Bills as insurance.

O’Connell added, “He’s so impactful. That is one position where I don’t think we put enough credence and weight into the impact of winning and losing every snap, every down in the NFL at that left tackle position.”

Here’s to hoping Darrisaw’s ACL heals fully for 2026; Minnesota would be in panic mode without him, schematically and financially.

Arctic Glamour faces tougher weight-for-age rules in the Queen Of The Turf Stakes rematch versus Lazzura, though trainer Gerald Ryan believes it may not hinder her chances.

She received a 2.5kg concession when narrowly missing by a short neck to Lazzura in the Coolmore Classic (1500m), but equal weights apply when they clash again at Randwick on Saturday.

According to Ryan, weights don’t guarantee results, as demonstrated by his Group 1 mare Recurring losing with 54.5kg in the 2004 Birthday Card Stakes before winning with 58kg next start against rivals. “I remember a few years ago Recurring got beaten in a mares race with around 54 kilos then went to the Sapphire Stakes, and because it was set weights with penalties she ended up with 58 and she beat the mares that beat her the start before, despite carrying more weight.”

Can Arctic Glamour step up to genuine mile class? That’s the burning question.

In six 1600m attempts, she hasn’t placed, yet was a close fifth in the 2023 Thousand Guineas (1600m) and echoed that behind Ceolwulf in the Epsom Handicap (1600m) a year ago.

Pride Of Jenni’s presence adds pace to Saturday’s Queen Of The Turf Stakes, making it a genuine test, and Ryan prefers a restrained approach.

“It’s going to be a strong mile on Saturday with the speed that’s in the race,” he said. “We will ride her quiet from where she’s drawn. Her best runs are when we ride her quiet.”

Arctic Glamour was sidelined post-Coolmore Classic on March 14 after scratching from the Emancipation Stakes (1500m) due to wet conditions.

Recent trials and gallops have impressed Ryan greatly. “She trialled very well on Thursday, and her work (on Tuesday) morning was very good. As good as I’ve seen her do,” he said.

In the Arrowfield 3YO Sprint (1200m), Ryan and Sterling Alexiou run Skyhook with similar tactics in mind.

His Darby Munro Stakes (1200m) fourth initially irked, but deeper analysis changed views. “On face value, we were. But when you analyse the race, he was giving them all weight and maybe on the hot speed we rode him too close,” he said. “We’re going to ride him negative on Saturday and see if we can hit the line.”

Check betting sites for competitive markets on the Queen Of The Turf Stakes.

McIlroy, who is hoping to become just the fourth player after Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods to win back-to-back Masters titles has held a six-shot lead at this point in a major before.

He went on to win the 2011 US Open by eight shots – claiming the first of his five majors – and also spreadeagled the field with an eight-shot victory at the 2012 US PGA Championship.

And he plans to maintain an aggressive approach around Augusta National over the weekend as he bids to match Faldo, Phil Mickelson and Lee Trevino’s haul of six majors.

“Don’t protect it. Go out and play freely, keep swinging,” he said when asked what advice his 2011 self would have for him before Saturday.

McIlroy led that year’s Masters by four shots going into the final round, but carded an eight-over-par 80 to tumble down the leaderboard.

“A big part of the lesson from the 2011 Masters to the 2011 US Open was don’t get protective,” he added. “Go out there and keep playing, keep trying to make birdies, stay as trusting and as committed as possible.”

McIlroy also said he plans to watch tennis and spend time with his daughter Poppy to take his mind off the third round.

“That distraction is usually a good thing for me, especially with a late tee time and the lead,” he explained.

“There are two really good semi-finals at Monte Carlo in the tennis. So I’ll watch those.

“We’ve been watching the tennis early in the mornings. And then hopefully spend some time with Poppy. I think we’re about halfway through Zootopia 2.”

McIlroy has credited his fast start to the tournament with spending a huge amount of time practising on the course in the three weeks he took off from playing PGA Tour events after the Players Championship in March.

“I just don’t like the three tournaments leading up to this event,” said McIlroy, who has a home in nearby Florida.

“I’d rather come here. I did a couple of days where I dropped Poppy to school, flew up here, played, landed back home and had dinner with Poppy and [wife] Erica.

“I felt it was a better use of my time than going to Houston or San Antonio. It wasn’t really about conserving energy, but just I felt the more time I could spend up here, the better.

“I’ve been on this golf course so much the past three weeks. That has been a combination of practice and chipping and putting around greens, and then just playing one ball and shooting scores and ending up in weird places that you maybe never find yourself and just trying to figure it out. I think just spending so much time up here has been a big part of it.”

West Ham climbed out of the Premier League relegation zone for the first time since December with a 4-0 win over Wolves at the London Stadium that dropped Tottenham into the bottom three.

Mikel Arteta revealed talks over a contract extension at league leaders Arsenal are on ice, while Enzo Fernandez’s Chelsea future remains up in the air.

Nuno: Keep calm and carry on

Nuno Espirito Santo insisted nothing has changed after West Ham beat Wolves 4-0 to exit the Premier League relegation zone for the first time since December and push Tottenham into the bottom three.

Two goals each from Konstantinos Mavropanos and Taty Castellanos saw the Hammers sweep away the league’s bottom side and win for the fifth time in their last 11 matches, leaving their rivals from north London facing the unthinkable prospect of dropping into the Championship.

However, Nuno believes climbing above their rivals alters nothing in the wider picture.

“It doesn’t change anything,” he said. “Next week we play after all our opponents. We have to focus on ourselves and today we did the job.”

Arteta wants to fire with Gunners

A “fully committed” Mikel Arteta said discussions over his next contract have been put on hold until the end of the season – after he insisted he has so much more to achieve at Arsenal.

Arteta’s three-year deal is up for renewal in 2027 and both the Spaniard and the club are understood to be keen for him to extend his six-and-a-half-year stay, regardless of what happens between now and the summer.

Quizzed about his future, Arteta, still hunting just the second trophy of his reign, said: “There’s no news on that. The full focus is on what we have to do from here until the end of the season. I am fully committed and really happy and I feel good.

“This job is about the present and what you do on the day. Give your very best and feel that you are the person that can lead and inspire the group to achieve great things for the club.”

Fernandez’ future hangs in the balance

Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior has cast further doubt on Enzo Fernandez’s future by admitting a “few hurdles” need to be overcome to resolve the midfielder’s situation.

Fernandez will sit out the Blues’ Premier League clash with Manchester City after Rosenior confirmed he will not overturn an internal two-match suspension following comments the Argentina international made during the international break in which he appeared to court Real Madrid.

“I had three or four (conversations) with Enzo,” said Rosenior. “He’s apologised to me, he’s apologised to the club, and we’ll deal with that after a massive game on Sunday.

“There are still are few hurdles that need to be overcome that I won’t go into, but at the same time I want every player really, really focused on a huge run-in.”

Pep in the dark over Bernardo Silva

Pep Guardiola has paid tribute to Bernardo Silva as his captain nears the end of his Manchester City career – but claims he is yet to be told of his departure.

Silva looks set to leave City when his contract expires this summer after nine years at the Etihad Stadium, and assistant manager Pep Lijnders all but confirmed as much last week.

There has been no official confirmation by the club or Silva, however, and Guardiola insists he is still in the dark.

The City manager said: “I’m so grumpy with Bernardo because a month ago I said, ‘If you take a decision I have to be the first to (know)’ and he didn’t say anything to me yet. I said, jokingly, ‘Tell me, I deserve it’ but he didn’t tell me so I don’t know what’s going on!”

What’s on today?

Arsenal welcome Bournemouth in the lunchtime kick-off and victory for the Gunners will take them 12 points clear of Manchester City, who are not in action until Sunday afternoon.

Liverpool will seek to solidify their top-five spot against Fulham at Anfield, Brentford and Everton try to bolster their European ambitions in west London, while Brighton travel to relegation-threatened Burnley.

Coventry can all but book promotion to the Premier League by beating already-relegated Sheffield Wednesday, while Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts take on Motherwell.

India vs Australia, 2010 (Photo: Screengrab)

More than a decade after one of the most talked-about flashpoints in India-Australia cricket, former India pacer Zaheer Khan has finally revealed what he said to Ricky Ponting during their heated exchange in the 2010 Mohali Test.The incident, etched in cricketing memory, unfolded after Ponting was run out following a sharp direct hit from Suresh Raina. Ponting’s run-out came at a crucial juncture of the Test, and the dismissal clearly didn’t sit well with the Australian captain. As he walked past the Indian players, he immediately turned back, pointing his bat and engaging in a brief but intense verbal exchange before the on-field umpires intervened.For years, fans wondered what exactly had triggered Ponting’s reaction. Zaheer has now put the mystery to rest.“You think you were Usain Bolt?” Zaheer said smiling in an interview with Indian Express. The cheeky remark, aimed at Ponting’s attempted quick single, was delivered as the Indian team celebrated the crucial breakthrough.Zaheer’s wider view of the practice, though, is rather interesting.“Sledging is not about use of bad words. It’s using it to your advantage, and not losing yourself in the process,” he says.At the time, neither side made much of it. After a long day in the field, Pragyan Ojha summed it up simply: “When two top teams compete hard, words are exchanged, that’s cricket.” Especially in Test cricket, there was nothing more to it.A Test to RememberThe Mohali Test in October 2010 was one of the most dramatic matches in Test history, with India pulling off a stunning one-wicket victory. Australia set India a target of 216 runs in the fourth innings. India collapsed early to 124/8, seemingly heading toward defeat. But VVS Laxman, battling severe back pain, played a heroic unbeaten 73, anchoring a miraculous chase.He found an unlikely partner in tailender Ishant Sharma, who scored a crucial 31, helping India get within touching distance. After Ishant’s dismissal, last man Pragyan Ojha survived nervy moments before sealing the win with Laxman.Australia, led by Ricky Ponting, had chances, most notably a dropped catch by Nathan Hauritz that proved costly.

During their scouting of New Zealand yearlings, elite syndicator Wylie Dalziel alongside Hall of Fame conditioner Peter Moody spotted a standout family connection with Oak Lightning.

Bred at Little Avondale Stud, the Per Incanto youngster is half-related to Desert Lightning—a Pride Of Dubai product who triumphed at Group 1 level in New Zealand before linking with Moody and co-trainer Katherine Coleman at Pakenham.

He further connects as brother to Lindsay Park’s Group 2 champion Oak Hill, but the page features a legendary relation amplified by Moody’s choice of Saturday’s Redoute’s Choice Stakes at Caulfield.

Dam Isstoora to Oak Lightning, Desert Lightning, and Oak Hill traces as granddaughter of Twyla, by Danehill from Shantha’s Choice, making her sister to Redoute’s Choice.

The elements surrounding Oak Lightning justified his NZ$200,000 Karaka Yearling Sale price tag, according to Dalziel.

“Moods obviously had Desert Lightning, so he took a line through him, and Oak Hill had only had a few starts (at the time) but looked alright and then when we came across him we thought, ‘what a nice colt this is,’” Dalziel recalled.

“There was enough in the pedigree, so we were happy we got him $200,000, fall of hammer,”

Oak Lightning’s ancestry includes Group 1 stars like Redoute’s Choice, Desert Lightning, alongside Al Maher, Platinum Scissors, Hurricane Sky, Gathering, Tom Kitten, and US Grade 1 winner In Italian.

This proven bloodline has Dalziel buoyed by Moody’s pick of the $175,000 Listed event for the initial outing.

The gelding notched two Pakenham trials end of last year and two more this campaign, including a strong 800m success on March 24 after racing wide but powering home easily.

Dalziel and Moody were initially downcast by gate 10 from 11 in the Redoute’s Choice Stakes, yet the 1200m race reduced to six entrants by Friday 1pm due to scratches.

“Moods doesn’t often throw his two-year-olds in the deep end like this, so he’s got a very good opinion of him, he just would have rather draw a good barrier to be a little bit more confident,” Dalziel said.

“It’s a two-year-old race, anything can happen. He might be back a bit, but he’ll hit the line hard.”

Linda Meech partners Oak Lightning, the second elect in wagering behind Farnan colt Drumfire and Home Affairs gelding Gin Twist, a Listed winner.

Visit online bookmakers for the best Redoute’s Choice Stakes betting options.