Consider how Minnesota has opted to beef up the front office, per Ian Rapoport: “The #Vikings are hiring Matt Thomas as a football administration consultant, per me and @TomPelissero, and he will assist the team through the 2026 NFL Draft. One of the most respected salary cap executives, Thomas spent 11 seasons as #Seahawks VP of Football Operations. He’ll allow interim GM Rob Brzezinski to focus on the big picture.”
Vikings Pivot from Inactivity, Hire Short-Term Help
Hiring Thomas is akin to signing a bridge starter at QB, someone to help in the immediate as the team looks for someone to fill the job for a long time. Onboarding the stopgap solution for the front office has generated some commentary within the Vikings chatter.
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Consider the word from Kevin Seifert of ESPN: “The Vikings have hired longtime NFL executive Matt Thomas as a football administration consultant through the draft. Thomas will work on cap/contracts with senior manager of football admin Emily Badis while EVP Rob Brzezinski focuses on his interim role leading the front office.”
And a follow-up from Seifert, who connects the dots: “Matt Thomas, who retired after the 2024 season, was a front office colleague of Rob Brzezinski when both were with the Miami Dolphins in 1998-99.”
Nov 16, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings fans perform the ÒSkolÓ prior to a game against the Chicago Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Some thoughts based on the insight provided by Seifert.
Minnesota appears to be relying on an established relationship — the one that exists between Brzezinski and Thomas — to plug-in a veteran executive to help Minnesota navigate what is the busiest time of the year for the front office. Note, as well, that Rick Spielman used to work in Miami, further solidifying the idea that the Dolphins and Vikings have some connections at the executive level.
Worth noting, as well, that Thomas is coming out of retirement. The suggestion could be that Thomas is going to function as short-term help to grind through these unusually busy months. Maybe there could be a long-term job on the other end, but the likeliest scenario appears to be hiring someone for busy season before Thomas then gets to fade back into the luxury of retirement.
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The Seattle tidbit is similarly of note. Thomas is a cap guy, but do remember that he has worked from within a franchise that has drafted several excellent players recently.
From 2020 to 2023 (Thomas stepped away in 2024), the Seahawks have drafted linebacker Jordyn Brooks (1st — No. 27 in 2020), offensive tackle Charles Cross (1st — No. 9 in 2022), running back Kenneth Walker III (2nd — No. 41 in 2022), corner Devon Witherspoon (1st — No. 5 in 2023), receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (1st — No. 20 in 2023), and running back Zach Charbonnet (2nd — No. 52 in 2023). Not an exhaustive list by any means, but a large enough sampling to underscore how several of Seattle’s best players are homegrown talents.
Brett Davis-Imagn Images
In fairness, a lot of these drafted players got picked high, so it’s not like Seattle is snagging All Pro talents out of Day 3 of the draft. Still, there’s something to be said for not missing the layups.
How much further along would the Vikings be if the decision had to been to draft Kyle Hamilton, the All-Pro safety, instead of dropping twenty spots for Lewis Cine? At the time, the decision to snag the Notre Dame safety felt like a layup but the ball clanked off the rim.
One could arrive at a similar conclusion in opting for Dallas Turner instead of Jared Verse, though that’s not as bad of an outcome.
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In football, there’s so much competition that nailing the seemingly easy decisions is vital. Just as a quarterback needs to hit his open receiver (ahem, J.J. McCarthy), so does the front office need to avoid overthinking easy decisions. Take the surefire win and move on to the next battle.
Ideally, Matt Thomas will allow Rob Brzezinski do so. The former Seahawk can help on money matters as the fill-in at GM looks to welcome a hearty helping of high-end young fellas. Minnesota will have nine draft selections going into the 2026 NFL Draft.
Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah looks on from the sideline during a matchup with the New York Giants, Dec 21, 2025, as Minnesota continued navigating the latter portion of the season. Adofo-Mensah, hired in 2022, has overseen the franchise’s roster construction and long-term vision following the departure of former general manager Rick Spielman. Mandatory Credit: VikingzFanPage–Twitter
After April, Minnesota’s ownership group will get going with the search for a new general manager. Rob Brzezinski will be in the mix. Other names to emerge include the Denver Broncos’ George Paton and the LA Rams’ Ray Farmer.
We’ll learn of others generating interest in a few months. In the meantime, Matt Thomas will shoulder some of the load within Minnesota’s front office.
The 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics open tomorrow following a frantic race to complete venues like the Cortina sliding centre and Milan ice hockey arena just in time. While the total cost has climbed to $6.7 billion—exceeding original estimates—it remains significantly lower than the record-breaking budgets of Sochi and Beijing. Despite these financial pressures, organizers view the Games as a vital infrastructure investment expected to draw two million spectators and boost tourism in Northern Italy by 160%.
The Winter Olympics officially kick off today, with the Opening Ceremony celebrating the start of two weeks of the very best of winter sport.
The main Opening Ceremony takes place in Milan’s San Siro Stadium, one of the historic site’s final events before it is slated to be torn down.
But due to the spread-out nature of these Games – taking place all across northern Italy – there will also be athlete parades in the mountain clusters, including Cortina, where the curling, bobsleigh, skeleton and luge all take place.
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This Opening Ceremony has taken ‘Harmony’ as its theme, and will celebrate the two main sites hosting this Games: Milan and Cortina, which also hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics.
Mike Jones6 February 2026 11:01
Good morning!
Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of the Winter Olympics.
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Though the Games have already begun tonight sees the official opening ceremony of the winter sports festival ahead of two weeks of intense sporting action.
The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 7pm GMT so we’ll have all the updates from Milan before it kicks off.
Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr’s charge, a three-year-old gelding, was last seen placing second to Autumn Boy during the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) in October.
With three prior Australian Guineas triumphs under his belt, Price admitted Planet Red was drained following his Caulfield Guineas exertions.
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“He had five weeks off after the Caulfield Guineas,” Price said.
“When he went into the Caulfield Guineas, he only had a certain amount of energy left in him, but we got it to come together in the last two weeks before that race and he ran super.
“He had five weeks off, but I haven’t got enough horse to do the Space Rider prep.
“Space Rider is going to have three runs into the Australian Guineas, but I’m going to take a punt on Planet Red. He runs in the 1400 metres and then it is three weeks to the Guineas.
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“He has improved a little bit as a gelding, but it’s a quick turnaround from the spring.”
Space Rider placed 11th when last facing the Caulfield Guineas field and resumed winning the Group 3 Manfred Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield January 26.
His trajectory leads to the Group 3 C S Hayes Stakes (1400m) at Flemington a week from Saturday.
Price’s Australian Guineas ledger shines with Light Fantastic (2008), Heart Of Dreams (2009), Grunt (2018) victories, plus Tarzino’s near-miss against Palentino in 2016 where the protest failed.
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Teaming with Kent Jnr, Price eyes his first joint Guineas score.
“The Australian Guineas has been good to me,” Price said.
“Planet Red will be pretty cherry ripe come the Australian Guineas and I think he’ll run well.”
Those keen on the Autumn Stakes action have plenty of options in the racing betting markets to consider for Planet Red’s performance.
All eyes will be on Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., when the New England Patriots take on the Seattle Seahawks in the Big Game. It’s an unlikely matchup after the Patriots came into the season off back-to-back 4-13 seasons and hadn’t been to the NFL playoffs since the 2021 season. Seattle hadn’t been to the playoffs since the 2022 season, but made huge strides in the second season under head coach Mike Macdonald and quarterback Sam Darnold, a free-agent acquisition.
Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Feb. 8. The latest Seahawks vs. Patriots odds from DraftKings Sportsbook list Seattle as the 4.5-point favorite, with the over/under at 45.5 points. The Seahawks are -230 money line favorites (risk $230 to win $100), while the Patriots are +190 underdogs. Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III is -195 (risk $195 to win $100) to score a touchdown, Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba is -110 and Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson is +140. SportsLine’s NFL experts teamed up to give exact score projections for the Big Game, and while they’re unanimously backing the Seahawks to win, their score predictions lead to some different spread and total picks.
The team of NFL betting experts includes R.J. White, who is SportsLine’s all-time No. 1 NFL spread expert and Larry Hartstein, who enters the game on a 43-33 run on NFL ATS picks (+596). Other NFL betting experts featured include Alex ‘PropStarz’ Selesnick, who is on a 62-44 (+916) roll on NFL player props and Jeff Hochman, who is 83-66-3 (plus +1217) over the past four NFL seasons.
Now, SportsLine’s NFL experts have analyzed the NFL odds and locked in their final score predictions for Seahawks vs. Patriots.
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Patriots vs. Seahawks score predictions
R.J. White
Big Game score prediction: Seahawks 19, Patriots 16
“The last four Big Games have seen both teams get to 20 points, but I think there’s a chance touchdowns will be hard to come by in this game. The Seahawks defense is elite, allowing just two touchdowns in the six games since Week 12 where they haven’t faced the Rams. The Patriots defense has risen to that level in the postseason thanks to getting key players back in the front seven as well as playcaller Zak Kuhr putting on a masterclass each week. There’s no denying the talent on these offenses, but I see two defensive units that will be tough to crack in the red zone and a lot of kicking points in this game.” New users can target the DraftKings promo code, which offers $300 in bonus bets if your bet wins, and target the Patriots +4.5:
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Larry Hartstein
Big Game score prediction: Seahawks 23, Patriots 16
“It’s been four months since a team not named the Rams excelled offensively versus Seattle’s No. 1 defense. Unless Drake Maye runs wild, I have a hard time seeing the Patriots getting to 20 points. New England’s defense is stout too, with a front that shuts down the run and Christian Gonzalez patrolling the back end. But Seattle has better weapons, led by the unstoppable Jaxon-Smith Njigba. He, Rashid Shaheed and Cooper Kupp will make enough plays to complete the Sam Darnold redemption story.” You can bet Seahawks (-4.5) at DraftKings:
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Jeff Hochman
Big Game score prediction: Seahawks 27, Patriots 20
“Seattle’s edge in Net Yards Per Play (+1.4 vs. +1.0) is even more impressive considering they played the fourth-toughest schedule, while New England had the league’s easiest. Since 2000, just four teams have captured the title with a negative sack differential, while teams with a +20 or higher sack differential — such as Seattle — have won six times. The Patriots’ sack differential of -13 is the lowest ever for a championship team in this span. After monitoring both teams all season, Seattle appears superior in every phase: offense, defense and special teams.” You can go Over on the total (45.5) at DraftKings:
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Alex ‘PropStarz’ Selesnick
Big Game score prediction: Seahawks 23, Patriots 19
“This looks like a game where both offenses could find it difficult to score touchdowns. New Englands defense has been dominant through the playoffs and features the type of scheme and personnel that could potentially give Sam Darnold fits coupled with limiting Seattle’s run game. I also expect Mike McDonald’s defense to make life really difficult on Drake Maye who has not been same player that was a bonafide MVP candidate through the entirety of the regular season. I think this is ultimately a low scoring game decided by 4 points or less. The Seahawks have been very fortunate in high leverage situations and I do expect some major regression in the turnover department, however that may not come to fruition until next season. Seattle feels like a team of destiny.” You can pick Under (45.5) the total at DraftKings:
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How to get more Patriots vs. Seahawks picks
SportsLine’s model has simulated Seahawks vs. Patriots 10,000 times and revealed its picks. See who wins and covers the spread here, all from the model that’s on a 53-37 roll on top-rated NFL picks.
Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores against the Los Angeles Rams during an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.
Soon enough, a Vikings decision needs to arrive on Eric Wilson.
The off-ball ‘backer soaked up plenty of snaps at edge rusher, filling in for the injured Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel at various points. He did so despite being in his early 30s, not having a ton of experience at the position, and being undersized for the task at 6’1″ and 231 pounds. Wilson responded by dropping down a career-high 6.5 sacks alongside 17 tackles for loss. Not too shabby.
The Vikings Decision on Eric Wilson Looks Risky
Bringing Brian Flores back makes keeping Wilson more likely.
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Coach Flores, affectionately called “The Mad Scientist” in Minnesota, figured out how to unlock Wilson’s various skills. Not just someone who could run down running backs and tight ends, Wilson could pin his ears back to create havoc as a pass rusher. Essentially every linebacker prefers to run forward rather than backward, so one has to assume to Wilson enjoyed playing for Flores.
Dec 14, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard (58), linebacker Eric Wilson (55) and linebacker Andrew van Ginkel (43) celebrate after a play during the first half against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images.
At the time, Mike Zimmer’s Vikings were on the cusp of one of the franchise’s all-time great seasons. The linebacker spot was being led by Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks, both of whom were very good players in Minnesota.
Wilson came to town as a speedy, athletic linebacker who looked like he could stick around as a special teams menace and depth defender. For most of his career, Wilson lived up to that description, though he did earn a solid amount of playing time on defense over the years.
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What’s notable is that he has had staying power. He’s impressive on the field in a physical sense, often demonstrating good speed and physicality. So, too, have coaches uplifted his acumen, an intelligence that allows him to stay a step ahead while also helping his teammates. Add it all together and there’s a veteran defender who possesses nice athleticism (though undersized) as well as someone who thinks and communicates the game at a high level.
In February of 2026, Eric Wilson is coming off a career-best season just as he jaunts into free agency. Soon, he’s going to get paid.
Oct 19, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson (55) celebrates after a sack during the second half against the Philadelphia Eagles at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
Wilson’s NFL journey has involved working for the Vikings, the Texans, the Eagles, the Saints, the Packers, and now for the Vikings again. At the high-end of his past paydays has been a yearly amount coming in at $3,259,000, which was when he worked for Minnesota in 2020.
Wilson is going to smash that number in March, blowing it to smithereens.
Spotrac offers an estimate that puts Eric Wilson at roughly $4.3 million per season. If that’s indeed what he’ll play for, then Minnesota would be wise to keep him around. Goodness, pay Wilson more than that. A two-year deal for $5 million per season would be a great deal for the Vikings.
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Given the success Wilson had in 2025, then the ask on the open market may be much higher. Journeying over to the linebacker section of Over the Cap clarifies that there are a lot of linebackers who make $5 million per season or more. Wilson, very likely, is going to find himself among them. How high is too high?
Sep 14, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson (55) celebrates after a play during the first half against the Atlanta Falcons at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
In the NFL, the contracts that get handed out should be all about the future. Looking to the past is helpful only insofar as past play offers hints about future play.
Eric Wilson is coming off a sizzling season and he legitimately has earned a hearty payday. Whether that comes in Minnesota remains to be seen; the budget is snug and the roster needs to get younger. Is it too risky to pay for a breakout season for Wilson?
The WWE Universe has seen a major evolution in the women’s professional wrestling picture over the years. However, appearance has been one of the most important factors in the wrestling business, and many acknowledge that. Recently, a former female superstar made a similar confession about herself.
The former star in question is Brooke Adams. Speaking in an interview with WrestlingNewsCo’s The Velvet Ropes, she talked about how women had to trust in the process and opened up about her time in the Stamford-based promotion. She came in as a dancer when she didn’t even know how to dance, and also said that she had a “beautiful booty.”
Thanks for the submission!
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“Another example of trust the process, I came in as a dancer. Honey, I cannot dance. I know it kinda looks like it. Fake it till you can make it. I can just pop it. I was twerking before twerking was a thing because I was blessed with a beautiful booty, okay, I cannot dance, and you get into that ring with a double bounce, and you want me to hear a beat on some speakers that don’t match, and I am like no, trust the process,” she said. (From 6:45 – 7:08)
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Why Did WWE Waste This Year’s Royal Rumble? Find Out!
Top WWE women’s champion made Brooke Adams question herself
Speaking on the same interview, Brooke Adams spoke highly about one-half of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, Rhea Ripley, and said that she is obsessed with The Nightmare. Here is what she expressed:
“I’m obsessed with her [Rhea]. If I was going to be a lesbian, girl, let’s be honest, you couldn’t get me off you. I don’t know what it is, but she makes me question [myself]. She’s so hot, and it’s just her aura. She walks in, and you just have it. She’s one in a million girls, and I don’t think you’ll ever see anybody like her. She gets the attention and brings the energy like the men do, and that’s very rare for the women,” she said.
Currently, the former Women’s World Champion is ruling the WWE Women’s Tag Team division on Monday Night RAW alongside IYO SKY.
SAN FRANCISCO – As long as Christian McCaffrey is on the field, he’s going to show out.
The San Francisco 49ers star running back was the only non-quarterback to be an MVP finalist, and was also in the running for his second Offensive Player of the Year Award in three years after putting up 2,126 scrimmage yards and scoring 17 total touchdowns.
In most cases, that should surprise nobody, but given McCaffrey’s devastating 2024 season, when he missed 13 games due to Achilles tendinitis and a knee injury, “what if” was in the conversation.
Kyle Juszczyk of the San Francisco 49ers and Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers celebrate after McCaffrey’s receiving touchdown during the first quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium on Oct. 15, 2023, in Cleveland, Ohio.(Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
“Yeah, you know, I think last year was tough. There was a lot of uncertainty for me the whole offseason just working extremely hard day and night to try to come back to where I needed to be,” McCaffrey told Fox News Digital on Radio Row. “I really just thank God. I feel very fortunate that I played in every game. You know, that’s something I don’t take for granted ever anymore. And I feel blessed to be able to come out of the season healthy.”
McCaffrey became just the second player ever to be nominated for MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, and Comeback Player of the Year in the same season. He was also voted by fans as one of FedEx’s Air & Ground Players of the Year.
“This is a cool award. Voted for by the fans, which makes it really cool, and it’s been going on for 23 years now, so it’s one of the longest NFL awards. So, I’m super thankful,” McCaffrey said. “They’re also giving $15,000 to Feeding America, a local food bank here in San Francisco. So, you know, getting an award, being able to give back a little bit, it’s pretty cool.”
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San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey celebrates after scoring against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Glendale, Arizona.(AP Photo/Matt York)
McCaffrey won the Comeback Player of the Year on Thursday night given last year’s injuries and this year’s rousing success. Given his age, many were worried that it was the beginning of the end.
McCaffrey, too, was admittedly nervous, but that is not exactly a new feeling for him.
“I’ve been worrying since I was in high school. Most of my mindset is just worrying. You know, part of what drives me is just that, you know, that anxiety of not living up to my potential or not being able to play. So, that’s definitely something that’s always in my head transparently,” McCaffrey said. “But I think that’s the beauty of training. Whenever that’s kind of how you start, and then you train and train and train and do all the things you can to get to where you want to be, which will instill confidence that, you know what? I trust my training. I know that I can do this now. I feel good about where I’m at.”
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San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, right, celebrates his touchdown with offensive tackle Trent Williams during the first half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023, in Inglewood, California.(AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
McCaffrey will be 30 years old by the time he plays meaningful football again, but after nearly another 1,000-1,000 yard season, there’s not much to worry about.
The second round of the 2026 WM Phoenix Open gets underway Friday morning at TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course. Here’s everything you need to know to watch the tournament on Friday, including full WM Phoenix Open TV coverage, streaming details and Round 2 tee times.
How to watch WM Phoenix Open on Friday
The stars of the PGA TourTour are battling it out this week at one of the most popular tournaments of the year, the 2026 WM Phoenix Open.
Now the stage is set for Friday’s second round, where players will be fighting to make the cut or position themselves for a run at the title over the weekend.
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You can watch the second round of the WM Phoenix Open on TV via Golf Channel starting at 3:30 p.m. ET on Friday. PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ will provide streaming coverage beginning at 9:15 a.m. ET Friday morning, as well as featured group and featured hole coverage all day long.
Below you will find everything you need to know to watch the second round of the 2026 WM Phoenix Open.
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Get ESPN+
With an ESPN+ subscription, you gain access to PGA Tour Live, where you can stream the best PGA Tour events live from wherever you want.
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How to watch on TV Friday
Golf Channel will air second-round TV coverage of the 2026 WM Phoenix Open from 3:30-7:30 p.m. ET on Friday.
How to stream online Friday
You can stream the second round of the 2026 WM Phoenix Open via PGA Tour Live on ESPN+, which will offer streaming coverage starting at 9:15 a.m. ET on Friday in addition to featured group and hole coverage.
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9:20 a.m. – Emiliano Grillo, Rico Hoey, Takumi Kanaya 9:31 a.m. – S.H. Kim, Mac Meissner, Kristoffer Reitan 9:42 a.m. – Matthieu Pavon, Chad Ramey, Sam Stevens 9:53 a.m. – J.T. Poston, Davis Riley, Stephan Jaeger 10:04 a.m. – Andrew Novak, Harry Hall, Akshay Bhatia 10:15 a.m. – Brian Campbell, Aldrich Potgieter, Cam Davis 10:26 a.m. – Sami Valimaki, Garrick Higgo, Nico Echavarria 10:37 a.m. – Erik van Rooyen, Hank Lebioda, Johnny Keefer 10:48 a.m. – Jordan Simth, Sudarshan Yellamaraju, Pontus Nyholm 10:59 a.m. – Austin Smotherman, John Parry, Christo Lamprecht 11:10 a.m. – Alejandro Tosti, Adrien Saddier, Jeffrey Kang 2:00 p.m. – Mackenzie Hughes, Ryo Hisatsune, Max McGrevy 2:11 p.m. – Max Greyserman, Nicolai Hojgaard, Pierceson Coody 2:22 p.m. – Brice Garnett, Mark Hubbard, Vince Whaley 2:33 p.m. – J.J. Spaun, Sahith Theegala, Sam Burns 2:44 p.m. – Ben Griffin, Wyndham Clark, Matt Fitzpatrick 2:55 p.m. – Scottie Scheffler, Chris Gotterup, Jordan Spieth 3:06 p.m. – Michael Brennan, Karl Vilips, Tony Finau 3:17 p.m. – Pater Malnati, Patrick Rodgers, Alex Smalley 3:28 p.m. – Zecheng Dou, John VanDerLaan, A.J. Ewart 3:39 p.m. – David Chatfield, S.T. Lee, Thomas Avant
Tee No. 10
9:20 a.m. – Rafael Campos, Corey Conners, Chandler Phillips 9:31 a.m. – Tom Kim, Thorbjorn Olesen, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen 9:42 a.m. – Max Homa, Joel Dahmen, Keith Mitchell 9:53 a.m. – Viktor Hovland, Hideki Matsuyama, Collin Morikawa 10:04 a.m. – Xander Schauffele, Cameron Young, Brooks Koepka 10:15 a.m. – Min Woo Lee, Rickie Fowler, Si Woo Kim 10:26 a.m. – Maverick McNealy, Matt McCarty, Billy Horschel 10:37 a.m. – Austin Eckroat, Charley Hoffman, Matti Schmid 10:48 a.m. – Zach Bauchou, Emilio Gonzalez, Chandler Blanchet 10:59 a.m. – Haotong Li, Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Neal Shipley 2:00 p.m. – Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Rasmus Hojgaard, Kevin Roy 2:11 p.m. – Patton Kizzire, Michael Thorbjornsen, Danny Walker 2:22 p.m. – Daniel Berger, Michael Kim, Bud Cauley 2:33 p.m. – Jake Knapp, Chris Kirk, Webb Simpson 2:44 p.m. – Ryan Fox, Sepp Straka, Nick Taylor 2:55 p.m. – Brian Harman, Harris English, Davis Thompson 3:06 p.m. – Kurt Kitayama, William Mouw, Joe Highsmith 3:17 p.m. – Adam Schenk, Gary Woodland, Jacob Bridgeman 3:28 p.m. – Tom Hoge, Eric Cole, Marco Penge 3:39 p.m. – Dan Brown, Kensei Hirata, Keita Nakajima
The much-anticipated Honkai Star Rail 4.0 livestream revealed the upcoming banner schedule. With that, Trailblazers now know which limited-time 5-stars will accompany Yao Guang and Sparxie. Like most updates, this one is split into two phases that feature different banners.
This article goes over all the Honkai Star Rail 4.0 banners and details every character and Light Cone that Trailblazers can get during the patch.
Honkai Star Rail 4.0 first half banners
Characters
Yao Guang banner (Image via HoYoverse)
When Honkai Star Rail version 4.0 commences, players can get the brand-new Elation unit, Yao Guang, alongside the rerun characters, Black Swan, Evernight, and Hysilens. Although a brand-new destination is getting introduced, the 4-star roster remains unchanged.
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While phase one is active, three 4-star characters will be featured in all gacha banners. However, players can get every unit from the aforementioned rarity as well.
That said, here are all the characters that Trailblazers can obtain during the first phase:
5-star: Yao Guang (Physical, Elation Path)
5-star: Evernight (Ice, Remembrance Path)
5-star: Hysilens (Physical, Nihility Path)
5-star: Black Swan (Wind, Nihility Path)
4-star: Pela (Ice, Nihility Path)
4-star: Hanya (Physical, Harmony Path)
4-star: Qingque (Quantum, Erudition Path)
Note: Similar to Cyrene, Yao Guang’s banner will be available until version 4.1.
Light Cones
HSR 4.0 first half Light Cones (Image via HoYoverse)
Alongside all the characters, the Light Cone banners will be available to all players. These will feature Yao Guang, Evernight, Black Swan, and Hysilens’ signature LCs simultaneously. Although the banners are separate, their pity carries over to the other.
Moreover, three 4-star Light Cones will be featured on the banner with a boosted drop rate. Hence, if players want one of them, they can specifically pull for them.
Let’s take a look at all the LCs that Trailblazers can get from the gacha banners:
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5-star: When She Decided to See (Elation Path)
5-star: To Evernight’s Stars (Remembrance Path)
5-star: Why Does the Ocean Sing (Nihility Path)
5-star: Reforged Remembrance (Nihility Path)
4-star: Planetary Rendezvous (Harmony Path)
4-star: The Story’s Next page (Remembrance Path)
4-star: Resolution Shines As Pearls of Sweat (Nihility Path)
Honkai Star Rail 4.0 second half banners
Characters
Sparxie’s banner (Image via HoYoverse)
When the second phase goes live, Sparxie’s limited-time banner will go live alongside the rerun characters, Sparkle, Cerydra, and Rappa. During this time, Trailblazers can spend their Special Passes to get the unit they desire. Similar to the first half, the second phase gacha banners also feature three 4-star units.
Here are the units players can acquire while the Honkai Star Rail 4.0 second half is active:
5-star: Sparxie (Fire, Elation Path)
5-star: Cerydra (Wind, Harmony Path)
5-star: Rappa (Imaginary, Erudition Path)
5-star: Sparkle (Quantum, Harmony Path)
4-star: Pela (Ice, Nihility Path)
4-star: Hanya (Physical, Harmony Path)
4-star: Qingque (Quantum, Erudition Path)
Light Cones
HSR 4.0 second half Light Cones (Image via HoYoverse)
Sparxie’s signature Light Cone will be available during the second phase of Honkai Star Rail 4.0. Besides that, the rerun units’ 5-star LC will be featured in a separate banner alongside Dazzled By a Flowery World. Although there will be multiple Light Cone banners, the 4-star with boosted drop rate will be identical.
The following section lists every LC that can be obtained from the gacha banners during phase two of HSR 4.0:
5-star: Dazzled By a Flowery World (Elation Path)
5-star: Epoch Etched in Golden Blood (Harmony Path)
Adrian Bott welcomes a Listed triumph at Randwick to initiate ties with heavyweight owner John Stewart, but envisions Lady Moscato bringing even more substantial rewards to her syndicate moving forward.
The youngster, a Home Affairs filly from several-times Group 1 runner-up Champagne Cuddles, sold for $1,050,000 as a yearling and served as Resolute Racing’s inaugural Tulloch Lodge runner for Stewart, placing second in the Magic Millions The Debut (1000m) at the Gold Coast a month ago.
“It was the first year we were able to put something together with them at the sales. John Stewart partnered with Coolmore on this filly, and a few other partners as well,” Bott said.
“She’s a really nice type for him and she fits into his model well in terms of what he’s trying to achieve internationally in racing.
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“Some black type would obviously be very important to fit into that model.”
Recovering strongly from her Queensland excursion, Lady Moscato now contests Saturday’s Lonhro Plate (1000m) in Sydney, rated highest among the three stable entries.
The trainer was impressed by her debut, where despite a wide draw she surged home late, and predicts she will take positives from it.
“We always intended to have her up there then wanted to see her in some of the (Golden) Slipper lead ups and this race gives us the right timing,” Bott said.
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“After this we can go into one of the fillies’ races and hopefully give ourselves a Slipper chance.”
Stable companions Caloocan Beauty, who was fourth behind Satin Summer at her debut, and first-starter Agrarian Girl, who trialled superior to eventual Canonbury Stakes winner Hidrix, join her.
“Caloocan Beauty was very good the other day and will be better for that experience. She looks to have improved and gone the right way,” he said.
“Agrarian Girl is giving away a bit of race experience.
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“It’s an ask on debut but it’s her home track, but the form around her trial looks good now following the Canonbury and has been validated in the last seven days.”
