Unsettled Sydney skies have created uncertainty across the board, though the majority of Chris Waller’s elite runners stay locked in for the carnival’s debut Group 1 assembly.

Featuring prominently among Saturday’s two Group 1s is the Verry Elleegant Stakes (1600m), where the handler controls seven of nine fields, securing a firm advantage.

The mile highlight may not rank as an autumn centrepiece, but Waller sees it as an essential pathway race, proven by past successes of Via Sistina, namesake Verry Elleegant, and Winx.

This campaign, favourite Autumn Glow spearheads the assault, accompanied by Australian Derby winner Aeliana, seasoned Lindermann, plus resuming endurance specialists.

“It’s a fork in the road. Some stick around the 1500-metre and mile path, some will go up in distance, and some might go to easier races,” Waller said.

“Those previous winners, their class told. Verry Elleegant was a little bit different to the other two because she was more dominant over further, but she had the class to win over a mile.

“Autumn Glow fits those three horses.”

Waller stands to influence the Skyline Stakes (1200m) strongly, via unbeaten colt Fireball and fresh face Central Europe.

Quoted fifth for the Golden Slipper at $18 after standout trials, Central Europe hails from Frankel, renowned for distance performers, yet Waller cites Hungry Heart as evidence otherwise.

That Frankel filly took out the Sweet Embrace Stakes on this corresponding bill in 2020, later fifth in the Golden Slipper.

“We have respected Frankel since then, and he was a very good horse himself, a fast horse,” Waller said.

“So I’m not totally surprised.

“This horse hasn’t been pushed yet. He has got there himself. He is having his first start in a Group race so it’s straight to the NRL first time. They have to be very good, and he is. It’s just whether he’s ready for it.”

Barrier seven falls to Central Europe, while Fireball copes with post 12, but the Inglis Millennium conqueror remains committed per Waller, future plans paramount.

“We’re keen to go three weeks into the Slipper,” he said.

“We just need to get the first half right and make sure he is finishing off so we’re not scratching our head going into the Slipper. That will have some bearing on how we ride him Saturday.”

Friday morning saw Randwick at soft 7, with precipitation due to lift later.

Fans should check leading betting sites for the best prices on the Verry Elleegant Stakes action.

In past years, the UFC would have a show called The Thrill and the Agony, detailing a look at the winners and losers of fights that took place during pay-per-view events (now just known as numbered cards). The world of MMA has its ups and downs, ebbs and flows, for every fighter – it happens practically in all sports.

This weekend’s UFC event in Mexico brought about three fighters in featured contests who, at one point, had a lot of momentum going for them. Now, after their losses, we’re left with plenty of questions about what is next.

Brandon Moreno

This was a must-win situation for Brandon Moreno to keep himself relevant at the top of the weight class. He was fighting in front of a native crowd against an unranked opponent – granted, one who took the fight as an injury fill-in on about a month’s notice. The setup for the rebound after getting knocked out for the first time in his career was perfect.

He lost. And not only did he lose in a shocking upset, but he lost in pretty convincing fashion. Kavanagh’s strikes were quicker, he showed great counter work, and he even rocked Moreno a time or two. The only thing Moreno seemed to have going for him was the clinch game, and even then, he didn’t do much with it. Kavanagh stopped Moreno’s takedown attempts, injured one of his legs, and flat out was in control for most of the 25 minutes.

This is now four losses in six fights for Moreno, stretching back to him dropping the flyweight title to Alexandre Pantojs at UFC 290. Even if he drops only one spot in the UFC rankings, the result is clear – Moreno, a former two-time champion, is no longer in the flyweight title picture.

Moreno is 32 and will need multiple wins to work his way back up to the upper echelon of flyweight. Does he look to build himself back up through fights with Alex Perez, Tagir Ulanbekov, Charles Johnson, and originally scheduled UFC Mexico City opponent Asu Almabayev? Does he move up to bantamweight?

Brandon Moreno and his team need to have an honest conversation.

Marlon Vera

That said, Moreno is still in a better position than Marlon Vera. “Chito” has now lost four straight and five of his last six. His only win since 2023 was the unanimous decision over Pedro Munhoz that earned him a bantamweight title shot – one in which he convincingly lost to Sean O’Malley at UFC 299.

This may be a hot take considering Vera’s popularity; however, if Moreno is out of the title picture but still somewhat relevant at flyweight, then “Chito” is no longer relevant at bantamweight. He’ll be very lucky if he’s still ranked in the top-15. And considering his losing streak and his age (33), he’ll probably get matched up with someone unranked next.

And if Vera loses that fight, then we’re talking realistically about the chance Vera probably gets cut by the UFC.

Daniel Zellhuber

Remember when Daniel Zellhuber was a name people had their eye on in 2024? That was the year he defeated Francisco Prado in the UFC Mexico City Fight of the Night in February, and then went on to have the Fight of the Year with Esteban Ribovics that Noche UFC 2: UFC 306 in September.

Even though he lost to Ribovics, it seemed pretty certain that Zellhuber could be considered a future Mexican-born star in the UFC. Now, he’s not only lost three in a row, but he’s lost the goodwill of the fans, and he may just be one fight away from getting the axe, too.

I don’t want to take away from King Green’s incredible run at 39 years old. He’s showing he can still go. But Zellhuber looked lost. Green’s mobility helped him, and he honestly looked faster than Zellhuber at times! When the only thing you have going for you against Green is a buggy choke, you’re in trouble.

Zellhuber was given two veteran opponents to do the classic setup of defeating the notable name to build some momentum, but he looked disappointing and lost both times against Green and Michael Johnson.

Chelsea could join the race for Al-Hilal striker Darwin Nunez, Manchester City looking to make a big move for Newcastle United defender Tino Livramento and Crystal Palace determined to hold on to keeper Dean Henderson.

Chelsea have emerged as potential rivals to Newcastle United for the signature of Uruguay international Darwin Nunez. The 26-year-old forward has been frozen out at Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal in favour of 38-year-old French forward Karim Benzema. (Chronicle Live), external

Manchester City are willing to pay £70m – a world record fee for a full-back – in order to land England international Tino Livramento, 23, from Newcastle United. (Teamtalk), external

Germany centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck’s contract at Borussia Dortmund runs out in 2027 and the 26-year-old, who has been linked with Liverpool, is one of Real Madrid’s top targets for the summer. (Mundo Deportivo – in Spanish), external

Sunderland and West Ham are interested in 24-year-old Mexico striker Santiago Gimenez, who could be allowed to leave AC Milan. (AS – in Spanish), external

Manchester United keeper Altay Bayindir is expected to leave the club in the summer, with Besiktas a possible destination for the 27-year-old Turkey international. (Football Insider), external

England striker striker Marcus Rashford, 28, has agreed to his wages being reduced while also foregoing some bonuses in an effort to make his loan move from Manchester United to Barcelona permanent. (Teamtalk), external

Crystal Palace will block any approaches for Dean Henderson from Tottenham and other clubs. The 28-year-old, who has four England caps, has been a crucial part of Palace’s success under Oliver Glasner. (Football Insider), external

Juventus could be prepared to sell Dutch midfielder Teun Koopmeiners but want at least 30m euros (£26m) for the 28-year-old, who has been linked with Galatasaray and Roma. (Tuttosport – in Italian) , external

Nottingham Forest do not intend to exercise a 35m euro (£31m) option to turn Italy striker Lorenzo Lucca’s loan move from Napoli into a permanent switch. (Niocolo Schira, via Football italia), external

Brooks Koepka has been back on the PGA Tour for nearly a month. Now, his confidence appears to be returning, too.

After opening with a scruffy 74 at this week’s Cognizant Classic, Koepka rebounded with a second-round 66 to make the cut on the number, then carried that momentum into the weekend with his sharpest play since returning to Tour competition. On Sunday, he posted a 6-under 66 — tied for the low round of the day — an encouraging step foward as the five-time major champion seeks to regain his winning form.

The biggest difference showed up on the greens.

Koepka needed just 18 putts through his first 16 holes Sunday and finished the round with 23 total despite a disappointing three-putt for par on the par-5 finisher. It was a key turnaround for a player who said his poor putting had been bleeding into other parts of his game.

“Honestly, it was just the putter,” Koepka said. “I wasn’t making any putts, I felt like I had to hit it to tap-in distance, and that was putting pressure on everything else.”

Seeing a few putts fall this week allowed him to return to what he calls a “conservatively aggressive” approach — trusting targets, accepting pars on difficult holes and allowing his confidence to grow naturally.

“To be able to make a few of those putts, you can build a rhythm and build momentum,” he said.

The progress marks a welcome sign for Koepka, who has returned to the PGA Tour as something of a prodigal son — the first marquee player to come back after leaving for LIV Golf. His reinstatement came through the Tour’s new Returning Member Program, which opened a pathway back with provisos.

Among the conditions: a $5 million charitable contribution, ineligibility for the Tour’s player equity program for five years, and the requirement that Koepka play his way into signature events rather than rely on sponsor exemptions. A portion of that donation, including $1 million directed to the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation, is tied to this week’s Cognizant Classic.

Since returning to the PGA Tour, Koepka has seen mixed results, starting with a T56 at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines and a missed the cut at the WM Phoenix Open.

Koepka, though, is known for saving his best for golf’s biggest stages, and two are fast-approaching: the Players Championship and, soon after, the year’s first major at Augusta National.

He’s in a position to look ahead, now that an adjustment period is behind him

“I think a lot of that was the first week,” Koepka said of his return to the Tour. “Once you get inside the ropes, it feels natural. Getting all the media stuff out of the way was huge, and now it’s just a matter of going to play and build a rhythm.”

On Friday, Arne Slot considered the number of league goals Liverpool’s forwards have scored this season and said simply: “That is not enough.” If the message was conveyed privately to his players, they were swift to provide the right kind of answer. Hugo Ekitike scored inside five minutes against West Ham on Saturday. Cody Gakpo ended his own drought.

As no Liverpool attacker had found the net in their previous three Premier League matches, it was a step in the right direction. And yet Slot’s overall analysis probably still rings true to him: Liverpool, who spent £200m on strikers last summer, have too few goals from the front three. Certainly they have a lot fewer than last year.

After 28 league matches of last season, Liverpool’s six main forwards had 51 goals. Now that number is down to 26, little more than half. The first may represent more than could realistically be expected, the second fewer.

Some of the explanation lies in the breakdown of who has scored – or, this season, who has not.

2024-25 (first 28 league games only): Mohamed Salah 25, Luis Diaz 9, Gakpo 8, Diogo Jota 5, Darwin Nunez 4, Federico Chiesa 0.

2025-26: Ekitike 11, Gakpo 6, Salah 4, Chiesa 2, Alexander Isak 2, Rio Ngumoha 1.

There is a case for adding Florian Wirtz into the equation, given that he was the third major attack-minded signing last summer and that some of his minutes have come when playing on the wings, though the majority have come as a No 10. If so, the 2025-26 forwards tally goes up to 30.

It may be simplifying matters but the drop-off can be traced to two players: Salah and Isak. Even by the Egyptian’s standards, he was scoring at a remarkable rate in the first two-thirds of last season, averaging a goal every 99 minutes, allying them with 17 assists. His numbers had tailed off even before the end of a campaign that ended with him anointed PFA Player of the Year and Footballer of the Year. Now, however, Salah has his smallest return at the start of March in his time at Anfield. He has gone four months – albeit interrupted by a spell on the bench and the African Cup of Nations – without a Premier League goal.

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Then there is Isak. After Newcastle had played 28 top-flight games last season, the Swede had 19 goals in the division. At one every 109 minutes, he was almost in Salah territory. If some of Liverpool’s thinking was that, as Salah got older, Isak would assume the goalscoring mantle, his fragile fitness means he has not yet. A broken leg accounts for his absence now, incurred a fraction of a second after scoring just his second Premier League goal. They have come in 519 minutes. Salah, meanwhile, averages one every 429.

Each may be paying a penalty for Liverpool’s lack of spot kicks. Slot is aware it is a factor. Liverpool got nine, the joint most in the division, last year. So far this, they have been awarded two, the joint fewest, and Dominik Szoboszlai missed one of those.

But Salah and Isak’s numbers are down in other respects. Twelve months ago, they had overperformed their expected goals by 4.77 and 3.29 respectively. Now they have underperformed them, Salah by 2.78. The Egyptian’s xG per 90 minutes has halved, from 0.73 to 0.36. His shot count is down, but not as dramatically.

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For Isak, semi-fit for some of his time on the pitch with Liverpool, his shot count is reduced from 2.97 per minutes to 2.60, his xG from 0.68 to 0.48; again, the average quality of the chance is not as high.

In the rest of the forward line, the evidence is mixed. Chiesa and Ngumoha have overperformed their xG and have excellent goal-per-minute ratios, but have one league start between them. Ekitike and Gakpo have underperformed theirs; but, in the Frenchman’s defence, he was perhaps not bought to be the top scorer in his debut season and he is. When the final whistle blew on Saturday, only three players had more Premier League goals.

Go back a year, meanwhile, and Gakpo and Diaz could call themselves clinical, each with a goal tally that exceeded his xG. The late Jota and, unsurprisingly, Nunez had fewer than the statistics suggested they should.

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A year ago, Liverpool’s attacking numbers – goals, xG – were far and away the best. Now they stand fourth, or close to it, in most markers. Some it comes down to chance creation. Their six forwards have 15 Premier League assists now. A year ago, Salah had 17 on his own, the others 11 between them.

Salah’s shift from unstoppable to unexpectedly impotent has come quicker than envisaged; indeed, Liverpool scored five goals on Saturday without him scoring or assisting. Isak’s injuries and ineffectiveness are another factor in a drop-off. If Ekitike should be exempt from much of the criticism, Slot’s verdict probably still stands. Twenty-six goals from their forwards is not really enough.

Form WWDWW: Manchester United are desperate to return to the Champions League after a two-season absence and are flying under caretaker boss Michael Carrick. He has six wins and a draw from his seven games, taking 19 points from 21.

What Carrick says: [On going third] “It doesn’t mean an awful lot at the moment. It’s nice, of course it is. We want to keep progressing and moving up the table as much as we can and in that respect, it’s a step today.”

Run-in: Newcastle (A), Aston Villa (H), Bournemouth (A), Leeds (H), Chelsea (A), Brentford (H), Liverpool (H), Sunderland (A), Nottingham Forest (H), Brighton (A).

Chances: United are the form horse, without Europe or the FA Cup to distract them, and they are looking favourites to make it back to the Champions League.

South Africa’s Tristan Stubbs and George Linde walk off the field, after winning the T20 World Cup cricket match between South Africa and Zimbabwe, as Zimbabwe’s captain Sikandar Raza wears the cap, in New Delhi, India, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo)

TimesofIndia.com in New Delhi: “Even though there are bruises, we will look to win and earn respect,” said Zimbabwe skipper Sikandar Raza before facing India in the T20 World Cup Super Eight. But then they were hammered for 256 runs, just days after being wacked around for 254 runs by West Indies. Despite going for 510 runs in two matches, on the eve of the contest against South Africa, Zimbabwe bowling consultant Courtney Walsh reiterated that their achievements – beating Sri Lanka and Australia in the group stage – cannot be ignored. “We wanted to make a statement here and I think the performance showed itself,” he said.A day later, Zimbabwe restored their pride and respect by pushing the Proteas at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi which witnessed nearly 20,000 spectators on a hot Sunday afternoon. Following their 5-wicket win, South Africa have maintained their unbeaten run in the tournament. They will now approach the semi-final against New Zealand, to be played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on March 4, with seven consecutive wins.

Raza, rather fittingly, led Zimbabwe’s effort in creating yet another upset in the competition. He scored 73 from 43 balls, laden with eight fours and four sixes, taking the side to 153/7, before chipping in with 3/29 from his four overs, including a first-over strike to dismiss Quinton de Kock and adding to South Africa’s troubles with wickets of Aiden Markram and Dewald Brevis.Even though South Africa lost four wickets in the first 10 overs, they remained ahead of the scoring curve, producing 93 runs at the halfway mark. With Brevis falling not long after, Zimbabwe possibly had reason to believe. Was another upset in the offing? Were Zimbabwe on the cusp of beating their ‘big brother’?Those faint hopes were dashed by Tristan Stubbs (unbeaten 21 off 24) and George Linde (unbeaten 30 from 21 balls), stitching an unbroken stand of 53 runs from 43 balls.Earlier, Raza’s sublime ball-striking stood out in an otherwise ordinary batting display by Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe captain Raza hammered 73 off 43 balls while the other batters struggled to find the same flow against high quality pace.The batters, barring Raza, tried to attack the likes of Kwena Maphaka, Anrich Nortje and the in-form Lungi Ngidi but were unsuccessful.Brief Scores:Zimbabwe: 153/7 in 20 overs (Sikandar Raza 73; Kwena Maphaka 2/21).South Africa: 154/5 in 17.5 overs (Ryan Rickelton 31, Dewald Brevis 42, George Linde ; Sikandar Raza 3/29)

Tottenham interim head coach Igor Tudor took aim at his own players before he criticised “cheating” Fulham and “home team referee” Thomas Bramall after another defeat.

Spurs lost for a second time under Tudor, who switched to a back four for this London derby but watched his faltering group go behind after seven minutes.

Harry Wilson scored for Fulham but Tottenham were furious a slight push by Raul Jimenez on Radu Dragusin was not penalised, especially given they had a goal ruled out against Arsenal last Sunday for a similar push by Randal Kolo Muani on Gabriel Magalhaes.

“Of course it’s a foul,” Tudor insisted. “Nine out of 10 people will say it’s a foul, I believe, because it’s so obvious.

“Sometimes the criteria don’t have consistency. Last week what happened in our game against Arsenal, same thing.

“He (Jimenez) was not thinking about the ball, he was thinking how to cheat, so he cheated the player with pushing and they scored the goal. So it’s cheating and there’s the foul.”

Tudor added in his BBC Match of the Day interview: “I didn’t like the referee today, too much of a home team referee.

“I didn’t feel well with him. All the decisions were on their side. He doesn’t understand football, the feeling of what is wrong and what is right.”

Fulham doubled their advantage in the 34th minute when ex-Arsenal midfielder Alex Iwobi fired in from range and even though Spurs substitute Richarlison pulled one back, the club’s winless run has extended to a record-equalling 10 Premier League games.

Whilst West Ham lost at Liverpool on Saturday to stay four points behind 16th-placed Tottenham, the north London outfit remain in a precarious situation.

“The problems are much bigger, the problems are much bigger,” Tudor reflected.

“It’s a complicated situation. A lot of problems, I cannot tell you nothing new. Nothing new. We need to find the voices inside each of us.

“I said to the players, ‘it’s always what you’re going to do, what you want to do with yourself,’ you know?

“More personality, more wish to do before reacting, a lot of things.

“We lack when we attack, we are lacking the quality to score the goal, we are lacking in the middle to run and we are lacking behind to stay there to suffer and not concede the goal. So, an amazing situation.”

Spurs had been second-best for an hour until Tudor introduced Pape Sarr, Mathys Tel and Richarlison.

Asked if he wanted to see more fight, Tudor responded: “I want to see everything more.

“Of course (substitutes) give something and of course we need that, Pedro (Porro) also, when Kevin (Danso) comes inside, personality and quality, so it changes. They bring this of course.

“This is the key also to have the players who can give this to the team. Too many players need the help from each other.”

Fulham boss Marco Silva refused to be drawn on their opener but claimed victory was deserved.

“No, I will not make any comments on it. Of course it is their opinion and I have to respect it,” Silva said.

“Of course the result, I believe the three points, (it’s) clear we deserve it. The score should be different with the amount of chances we created.

“Great performance from us.”