Tony Gollan’s strategic decision to transfer the gelding Boomtown Boss to the southern states has resulted in an immediate triumph, with the Queensland sprinter capturing the first black-type race of the current Australian racing season, the Group 3 Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m) at Flemington.

Following a truncated Brisbane winter campaign, Gollan elected to freshen the gelding after his effort in the Eye Liner Stakes before relocating him to Ciaron Maher’s Cranbourne base, preparing him for a campaign on the iconic Flemington straight.

The relocation proved to be a masterstroke, as Boomtown Boss, sent out at $13, produced a determined effort to narrowly defeat Royal Insignia ($8.50), with Arkansaw Kid finishing in third position.

Gollan commented that the expansive Flemington layout was always expected to suit the gelding’s racing style.

“He profiles as a horse who loves big tracks and a lot of room so I felt that for a little while he would make a nice straight horse,” Gollan stated.

“During his winter prep, he was going nowhere and when I zigged I should have zagged, everything was going wrong.”

“I knew this race was on the cards so I backed off him (after the Eye Liner Stakes) and sent him to Ciaron’s (Maher) at Cranbourne to really settle him in.”

“I thought the trip away, and with straight racing, I thought it would suit him and through the race he was travelling alright.”

Pre-race excitement turned to drama when the original favourite, War Machine, was scratched after escaping through the starting barriers. Further controversy ensued after the race when the connections of runner-up Royal Insignia lodged a protest against winning rider Daniel Moor, alleging excessive whip use.

Stewards noted the excessive whip use but determined it was not sufficient to alter the race’s final result, confirming Boomtown Boss’s victory by a neck.

Moor admitted that the gelding was still gaining experience in straight-track racing.

“He came here a bit unknown down the straight and he did wander about a bit and change legs a lot, but you just know that when you’re on a Tony Gollan horse that they are well prepared,” Moor commented.

This significant win represents Gollan’s second success in the Aurie’s Star Handicap, with his previous victory coming via Temple Of Boom in 2011.

Compare the latest spring carnival markets with Australia’s leading online bookmakers.

This was entirely expected.

Oh, you’re telling me the best pitcher of the past three years is available for trade? Gee, I wonder who might get him. Could it be the organization that’s landed every top prize of the past few years, the one with farm system that never seems to run out and the financial firepower to make homegrown talent entirely optional? Or would the Dodgers simply decide to sit this one out?

That was me about two days before the trade. It wasn’t the boldest take, but my point was that those entertaining alternate possibilities were setting themselves up for disappointment. This couldn’t have gone any other way. The organizations with the prospect capital to outbid the Dodgers require a pipeline of cheap talent to remain competitive, and the organizations that can buy talent don’t have the prospect capital to outbid the Dodgers (or aren’t even contenders, in the case of the Mets).

The only thing that could have stopped the Dodgers was their own follow-through, and we’ve all seen they have no shortage of that.

So what did it take for them to complete the deal? Ultimately, three prospects: one who’s pretty close to top tier, one who would also be if he wasn’t 27 years old, and one who’s lesser known but has the sort of numbers that could raise his stature in the future. Their names are Zyhir Hope, River Ryan and Brady Smith.

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Maybe that package seems light to you, but you have to remember that Skubal is only rental. Whoever got him was getting him for this year alone. It’s the sort of all-in move that only one organization was in a confident enough position to make. They’re already heavy favorites, and again, spending that prospect capital wouldn’t hurt them nearly as much as it would anyone else. For the Dodgers, it’s a pin prick for what’s likely to be a third straight World Series title. For anyone else, it’s foreclosing the future for what’s likely to be uphill battle against the Dodgers. The Tigers were under no obligation to make the Dodgers sweat here. They just needed them to give up more than anyone else, and Hope alone, for as good as he is, probably clinched that.

Hopefully, that spells it out for you. You may not like it, but everyone is acting rationally here. And if rational behavior by all parties can lead to such a dissatisfying outcome for fans, then there’s a fundamental flaw in the league’s core financial structure, just in time for new CBA negotiations. Goody.

Well, what does it mean for Fantasy Baseball? You turn to me more for that than my rosy disposition, I presume. You already know what I’m going to say here, though. Skubal joins the best supporting cast in baseball. If you didn’t already have him as the top starting pitcher rest of season, even for as good as he’s looked coming back from a midseason elbow procedure, you should now. Over his past six starts, he has a 1.95 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and 12.2 K/9.

I’m not even sure anyone loses their job here, at least not immediately. The Dodgers recently had to pull Shohei Ohtani from the starting rotation for a balky knee, with no timetable for a return given, so Skubal probably just slots into his spot, keeping the Dodgers on a six-man rotation. True, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are both on the road to recovery, but Eric Lauer is expendable enough. Meanwhile, Emmett Sheehan, Justin Wrobleski and Roki Sasaki are all likely to have their innings curtailed at some point. This trade ensures that even without Ohtani, the Dodgers are poised to enter the postseason with a rotation of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Skubal, Glasnow and Snell. Goody.

What about the rest-of-season impact for the Tigers, you ask? Presumably, we’ll see Ryan before the year is done, though he’s currently recovering from a hamstring strain. I suspect we would have seen him even if he had stayed with the Dodgers, but there’s obviously less competition in Detroit. Injuries and the Dodgers’ perpetual surplus have kept him in the minors to age 27, so don’t hold that against him too much. He looked good in four starts for the big club in 2024 and was also pitching well earlier this year, despite being newly recovered from Tommy John surgery. He had a 2.81 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 11.3 K/9 in seven starts at Triple-A before injuring his hamstring in his eighth start.

Again, Hope is the biggest prize going back to Detroit and likely pushes for a roster spot as soon as next spring. He’s a physical player with significant power who just wrapped up a monster July, batting .372 with 10 homers, six steals and an 1.184 OPS. His removal from the Dodgers system frees up a logjam of outfield prospects highlighted by Josue De Paula, Mike Sirota, Eduardo Quintero and James Tibbs. Clearly, Dodgers fans still have plenty more to look forward to.

Goody.

The French Football Federation (FFF) is set to unveil its new manager for ‘Les Bleus’ squad – but the secret is only secret by name. The new coach is expected to be Zinedine Zidane, star player of the mythical 1998 football squad captained by France’s last coach, Didier Deschamps. FRANCE 24’s Emily Boyle is on the ground and tells us about Zidane’s legendary status.

Great Britain won golds in the women’s synchronised 10m diving and artistic swimming mixed duet at the European Aquatics Championships in Paris.

Maisie Bond and Lois Toulson achieved a score of 300.06 to clinch the women’s 10m – just ahead of second-placed Germany (298.20) and Ukraine (286.20) in third.

“We came into these championships wanting to win and knowing it was possible,” said Toulson. “We’d been training really hard and looking good I think.

“That was a [personal best] for us. To be able to do that and get a gold medal – we’re really proud.”

In the mixed duet, Isabelle Thorpe and Ranjuo Tomblin narrowly claimed their first European title in the event.

The pair won with a score of 258.2383 as they beat Spain by just 0.2650 to take victory, with Italy (255.1641) in third.

“It’s incredible. I’m really happy and to have done it with Ranjuo is incredible.” said Olympic silver medallist Thorpe.

“We didn’t have the most smooth sailing preparation due to injury, but it’s good we have been able to come through it and be on top.”

Tomblin, who defended his title in the men’s solo technical event on Friday, added: “Today is more special because I get to do it with Izzy, so it’s incredible.”

In the men’s 1m springboard diving final, Jack Laugher claimed silver with a score of 418.25 and fellow Briton Jordan Houlden took bronze with 410.30 as they finished behind winner Germany Moritz Linus Wesemann (431.45).

Alex Eala of the Philippines celebrates after winning a women’s singles match against Naomi Osaka of Japan on day six of the Mubadala DC Open 2026 at William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center on August 01, 2026 in Washington, DC. Emilee Chinn/Getty Images/AFP

MANILA, Philippines — Amid the fame and her continuous rise in tennis, Alex Eala always makes sure to keep her feet on the ground.

Eala made headlines anew after dispatching four-time Grand Slam winner and former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka, 6-4, 6-2, to reach the Mubadala DC Open final.

The 21-year-old Eala is playing her best tennis yet, and despite her rapidly growing popularity, she has also remained steadfast and focused on becoming better on and off the court.

READ: Alex Eala marvels at Naomi Osaka after stunning win at DC Open

SHE’S BACK 🤗🇵🇭

Alex Eala joins us at our desk once again after a superb win over Naomi Osaka 👏#MubadalaDCOpen pic.twitter.com/gnng0aNA1E

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) August 1, 2026

“For one, I still have so much motivation to become a better player, become a better person. I’m 21, so it’s not like I’m the queen of the world or anything,” Eala said.

“I think another thing is that tennis is such a humbling sport. Another thing is I look back at how far I’ve come or where I’ve come from. And I’ve come a long way. That’s another thing that keeps me grounded.”

Having a solid support system plays a big factor in keeping Eala grounded.

“There are so many things. My family keeps me grounded. My team keeps me grounded. Every error I hit on the court keeps me grounded. Every time I’m mad on the court keeps me grounded,” Eala said. “When I wake up in the morning, I have bad hair. There are so many things that keep you grounded. And I feel like these people, they’re here with me. And of course, they’re here for me.”

READ: Alex Eala sees improved self ahead of Jessica Pegula rematch at DC Open final

Apart from her family, Eala said her coach Joan Bosch is also a vital piece in her career.

“He’s the best, and I trust him so, so much on court.  I trust him so much with my tennis and, lowkey, just in life. I’ve been telling him everything, and it makes me feel like I’m not alone on court, along with the rest of my team,” Eala said. “All of us have that dedication and that drive for us to improve. I would think of all the people on tour, you would feel the least alone on court.”

Eala also attributed her rise to the Rafa Nadal Academy.

“I’ve been there for a really long time, and I spent a lot of my formative years there. I’ve made so many great relationships. And of course, the coaching staff at the academy are so knowledgeable, so experienced. And of course, Rafa himself. So I’ve learned so many things. I left at 13, and now I’m 21. So how much has improved from then to now? I think tactically, physically, technically, so many aspects,” she said.

Newcastle United have reached an agreement with Arsenal over the transfer of midfielder Bruno Guimaraes in a deal worth up to £80 million, ESPN reports.

The Premier League champions have agreed to pay an initial £70m, with a further £10m tied to performance-related bonuses. 

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The move is expected to be completed once the final formalities are finalised, with Guimaraes set to sign a long-term contract with the North Londoners.

The 29-year-old is also set to undergo a medical on Monday before the transfer is officially announced. 

Newcastle have been picked apart this summer, with Guimaraes the latest key figure on the way out of St. James’ Park in what has been a chaotic transfer window for the Magpies.

They had already lost Anthony Gordon to Barcelona and Sandro Tonali to Tottenham Hotspur before manager Eddie Howe’s shocking departure was announced.

With Guimaraes on his way out, Newcastle will need significant investment to rebuild an already depleted squad to boost their chances of competing at the top end of the table this season.

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They’ve already sorted out their managerial dilemma, with Matthias Jassle set to replace Howe.

Guimaraes’ desire to join Arsenal reportedly played a huge role in helping the transfer move forward, while Newcastle were prepared to consider offers after missing out on Champions League football.

The Brazilian has been a talismanic figure for Newcastle since joining from Olympique Lyon in January 2022 in a deal worth around £40m.

Over the past few years, he has established himself as one of the team’s leaders and a fan favourite.

He’s also considered one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, which explains why Arsenal were ready to pay a premium fee to secure his services.

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Despite missing two months of last season through injury, the Brazilian still finished as Newcastle’s top Premier League goalscorer with nine goals.

He’d become Arsenal’s third signing of the summer, following the arrivals of Greek winger Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge and goalkeeper Illan Meslier, who joined on a free transfer after leaving Leeds United.

Welcome to our special cricket edition of our Who am I? game.

The rules are simple. Each day of The Hundred there’s a new cricketer taking part in the tournament who we want you to guess in as few attempts as possible.

After each wrong guess you unlock a new clue. Guess the answer after as few clues as possible to score more points.

Three is a good score, four or five points is exceptional.

So take part and return for more tomorrow.

Today’s player and clues set by BBC Sport’s Callum Matthews.

After more quizzes? Go to our dedicated Sports Quizzes page and sign up for notifications to get the latest quizzes sent straight to your device.

The trade deadline is closing in, and the dominoes have begun to fall. Whatever happens, the best place to find out what it means for your Fantasy Baseball team is right here in the Trade Deadline Tracker. Over the next week-plus, Scott White and Chris Towers will use this space to break down every move that’s of some significance for Fantasy, updating the feed as trades happen. Be sure to bookmark it so you’ll always have the latest insights and information.

Tarik Skubal traded to Dodgers

This was entirely expected. The only thing that could have stopped the Dodgers was their own follow-through, and we’ve all seen they have no shortage of that. So what did it take for them to complete the deal? Ultimately, three prospects: one who’s pretty close to top tier, one who would also be if he wasn’t 27 years old, and one who’s lesser known but has the sort of numbers that could raise his stature in the future. Their names are Zyhir Hope, River Ryan and Brady Smith. If you didn’t already have Skubal as the top starting pitcher rest of season, even for as good as he’s looked coming back from a midseason elbow procedure, you should now that he’s joined the best supporting cast in baseball. Over his past six starts, he has a 1.95 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and 12.2 K/9. For more on the impact of this trade, and particularly what it means for the league as a whole, check out my full article here. –Scott White

Luis Castillo traded to White Sox

While Luis Castillo is the biggest player on the move, the most impacted player for Fantasy is one that’s staying put: Kade Anderson. The top-flight pitching prospect, drafted third overall last year, has been a force of nature at Double-A, as you can see from the numbers, and because the Mariners typically have their best pitching prospects skip Triple-A, the only obstacle to his promotion has been a stacked rotation that was already six deep. 

The Mariners recently had Anderson take three weeks off from pitching, obviously wanting to reserve some bullets for stretch run. The only question, then, is whether they bring him up right away and stick with a six-man rotation or wait a couple weeks so as to preserve his rookie eligibility. The latter option makes them eligible for certain draft pick incentives, but they may need all the help they can get right now. Either way, Anderson needs to be rostered in all Fantasy leagues because his impact down the stretch could be enormous.

As for Castillo, he wouldn’t seem to have much left in the tank anymore. He’s not the bat-misser nor ground-ball generator he used to be and has struggled to keep his ERA under 5.00. He’s still capable of going six-plus innings on a good day, though, so he’ll be worth streaming at times. Presumably, he’ll be taking Noah Schultz’s place in the rotation, though Erick Fedde and Anthony Kay aren’t exactly mainstays either. What about the Mariners’ return, you ask? Part of it is salary relief, but they’re also getting reliever Seranthony Dominguez, outfielder Nolan Jones and catcher Boston Smith, a 23-year-old with a .291/.448/.589 slash line between Low-A, High-A and Double-A. Smith isn’t the most highly regarded prospect, but numbers like that are sure to draw attention now that a trade has put him on everyone’s radar. –Scott White

Lane Thomas traded to Braves

The 30-year-old Lane Thomas, who had a couple years of Fantasy relevance with the Nationals, had begun to draw some Fantasy interest again in July, batting .268 with five homers and three steals. Of course, that was as an everyday player. He’s likely to form the lesser half of a platoon with Mike Yastrzemski in Atlanta, effectively replacing Eli White, given that he has an .800 OPS against lefties this season and an .850 OPS against them for his career. There’s moderate pop and good speed here when he’s playing well, but he’s probably not going to play enough to matter. The other players involved in this deal — left-hander Bailey Falter going to Atlanta and minor league pitchers Lucas Braun and Carter Holton going to Kansas City — are of no real interest in Fantasy. –Scott White

Dean Kremer traded to Twins

For a minute there, it looked like Dean Kremer might be of some interest in Fantasy. I’m referring mainly to that time when he allowed one earned run in six innings against the White Sox after a three-month absence for a quad strain. He was leaning into his splitter more than ever before, and it’s a pitch that yields excellent results with a .204 batting average against and 41.5 percent whiff rate. As the pitch selection normalized, though, the ERA took an ugly turn, and now he finds himself on a Twins staff that doesn’t have an obvious opening for him. At first glance, he wouldn’t appear to be any better than the pitchers occupying the fourth and fifth spots, Zebby Matthews and Connor Prielipp, but both are entering unfamiliar territory with regard to innings, Prielipp especially. This trade serves as a reminder that those two pitchers, who are pretty fringy in Fantasy to begin with, have an expiration date. You can expect Kremer to fill a swingman role until he needs to step in full-time. –Scott White

Curtis Mead traded to Red Sox for Connelly Early

Update: Curtis Mead fractured his wrist in his second plate appearance for the Red Sox and will likely miss the rest of the season. The outlook depicted here now belongs to the theoretical. Perhaps it will apply to 2027, though the Red Sox could make moves between now and then that would alter it. 

How refreshing to see a trade that’s more about matching up needs than shedding salary for prospects. Mead and Connelly Early both have several years of control left and, with this trade, become foundational pieces for clubs that lacked what they can provide. The big winner for Fantasy is Mead, who has had a breakout season in every respect but was required to sit occasionally on account of the Nationals‘ infield surplus. He should play every day for the Red Sox — and at second base, no less, likely preserving his triple eligibility for next year. He also has a batted-ball profile that’s perfectly suited for Fenway Park, lacking in high-end exit velocities but abounding in fly balls pulled from the right side. He was already having an offensive breakthrough, but you can expect his batting average to rise as some of his fly ball outs become singles and doubles off the Green Monster. This trade puts him on the fringes of the top 12 at third base, where he’s of the most use in Fantasy.

From a real-world perspective, this trade probably seems like a coup for the Nationals, seeing as Early was a top prospect coming into the year while Mead had already flopped with two organizations and is challenged defensively. Mead’s stock has obviously risen since then, however, while Early’s has probably slipped a little. Notably, the Nationals are acquiring Early while he’s sidelined by elbow inflammation, which doesn’t sound serious but does introduce an element of uncertainty. Even prior to the injury, Early’s control had been shaky and his stuff had played down, putting his ERA estimators well above his actual ERA. Perhaps the Red Sox thought they should get while the getting was good.  –Scott White

Alexandra Eala stunned former world number one Naomi Osaka 6-4, 6-2 on Saturday to reach the women’s final of the WTA and ATP Washington Open, where she will face third-ranked Jessica Pegula. The 21-year-old Philippines left-hander delivered an impressive victory over the four-time Grand Slam winner from Japan to reach her second WTA final, having lost her first last year at Eastbourne. “I’m super proud of my performance,” Eala said. 

“I played really well and I had a great mentality and I stayed locked in until the end.”

Eala, set to jump to a career-best 24th in the world rankings, had previously ousted second seed Elina Svitolina for her sixth top-10 victory of the year after dethroning 2025 Washington champion Leylah Fernandez.

It was the first meeting of the Asian stars, Eala facing one of the idols of her youth.

“She definitely has an aura and she definitely has power,” Eala said of Osaka. 

“I remember watching her finals in the Australian Open and US Open, so really a great experience to share the court with her. 

“I’m really happy I was able to produce that level against her.”

Osaka, ranked 13th, was thwarted in her bid for an eighth WTA title and first since taking the 2021 Australian Open.

“I hit a lot of unforced errors, so that was probably one of the main reasons (for losing),” Osaka said.

Pegula, seeking her 12th WTA title and third of the year, eliminated Russia’s Diana Shnaider 7-5, 6-4 in the other semi-final.

“It’s going to be a battle,” Pegula said of the final. “Alex, I’m a big fan of hers. She’s the future of the tour and she’s already here.”

Pegula, who won her first WTA title in 2019 at Washington, fell behind 5-2 against Schnaider, but the 32-year-old American top seed battled back to reach her fourth final of the year.

A semi-finalist at this year’s Australian Open, Pegula has lifted trophies at Dubai and Charleston this season.

– ‘More well rounded’ –

Pegula beat Eala in a 2025 Miami semi-final in their only career meeting.

“I’m more well rounded. I’m physically a little bit better. I’ve improved on a couple of my strokes. Serve has also improved quite a bit,” Eala said of her game then and now.

The men’s final will pit American Taylor Fritz, ranked 10th, against 19-year-old Spaniard Rafael Jodar.

Fritz fired 13 aces in ousting 33rd-ranked countryman Brandon Nakashima 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

“I dug very deep just to keep holding,” said Fritz, who seeks an 11th career ATP title and first since last year at Eastbourne.

Jodar, assured of cracking the top 20 in the rankings next week, beat Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 6-4.

Jodar kept his composure despite dropping the tight first set and seized the momentum with a break for a 4-3 lead in the second.

He broke Tabilo to open the third set and marched to the win, giving himself a shot at a second ATP title after capturing his first in Morocco in April.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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