MELBOURNE: American-bred, French-trained galloper Americain will carry favoritism into today’s $6.2 million Melbourne Cup as it attempts to win Australia’s richest and most prestigious horse race for the second time.
The eight-year-old stallion, trained by Alain de Royer Dupre and ridden by popular Australian jockey Damien Oliver, was quoted by bookmakers on Monday at around 6-1, narrowly ahead of the defending champion Dunaden.
Americain won the 150th edition of the two-mile turf handicap in 2010 and finished fourth behind Dunaden last year after starting favorite and carrying top weight of 58 kilograms (128 pounds).
Dunaden, trained at Chantilly by Mark Delzangles and ridden by Australian Craig Williams, carries this year’s top weight of 59 kilograms (130 pounds), in a 24-horse field.
Williams was due to ride the horse in last year’s Cup before incurring a suspension and conceding the winning mount to Frenchman Christophe Lemaire.
Dunaden, which was bought as a weanling for only 1,500 Euros ($2,300), will take its stake earnings past $10 million if it can win the race for a second time.
To do so Dunaden, which won the Caulfield Cup in its latest preparation, will have to overcome a barrier draw of 16. Owner Sheikh Al Thani said he was less concerned by the draw than the fact trainer Delzangles arrived in Australia after winning the juvenile Breeders Cup at Santa Anita in the United States.
“I hope my trainer hasn’t used up all my luck in America,” he said. “The barrier is okay, 59 kilograms is a worry. We’re hoping he can do it again.”
Oliver won the ride on Americain when the horse’s owners, Australian businessmen Gerry Ryan and Kevin Bamford, sacked French rider Gerald Mosse after the horse finished fourth behind Dunaden in the Caulfield Cup.
The Australian rider will also be chasing his third Melbourne Cup victory, 10 years after winning his second in 2002 on Media Puzzle, only days after his brother died in a fall from a horse.
“He’s an amazing horse,” Oliver said of Americain. “He’s in great condition. He’s in great form. It’s a great opportunity.”
Americain also has in its favor the fact that 34 of the 151 previous winners of the race have been favorites.
Overseas-trained horses dominate the field and the betting market for the 152nd running of the Melbourne Cup. Only six of the 24 runners in this year’s race are trained in the southern hemisphere.
Six-year-old gelding Mount Athos, trained by Luca Cumani, was on the third line of favoritism on Monday, just ahead of Red Cadeaux, which was beaten by a nose by Dunaden last year in the closest finish in Cup history.
Americain favored to win 2nd Melbourne Cup
Americain favored to win 2nd Melbourne Cup
Argentine court declares a mistrial in the case over the death of soccer star Maradona
- The whiplash decision comes after one of the three judges overseeing the trial stepped down
- The judges turned the clock back on all proceedings
BUENOS AIRES: An Argentine court on Thursday declared a mistrial in the case of seven health professionals accused of negligence in the death of soccer legend Diego Maradona, the latest dramatic twist in a trial that has captivated the nation and the soccer world for more than two months.
The whiplash decision comes after one of the three judges overseeing the trial stepped down over criticism surrounding her participation in a forthcoming documentary about the case.
Her withdrawal compelled the court to either appoint a new judge in her place or to retry the entire case from scratch.
On Thursday, the judges decided the latter, effectively turning the clock back on all proceedings in the case that accuses Maradona’s medical team of failing to provide adequate care for the soccer star in his final days.
‘Al-Ittihad fans will be influential against Al-Qadsiah’ in King Cup final, says Laurent Blanc
- ‘Al-Qadsiah are a strong rival, and I know how dangerous they are,’ says French coach
- Michel Gonzalez expresses happiness to play in King Cup final against Al-Ittihad on Friday
JEDDAH: Al-Ittihad head coach Laurent Blanc confirmed the team’s full readiness, predicting that Al-Ittihad fans will be influential against Al-Qadsiah when they meet on Friday in the King Cup final at Al-Inma Stadium in Jeddah.
Blanc spoke to the press on Thursday ahead of the King Cup final, saying: “Al-Qadsiah are a strong rival, and I know how dangerous they are. Of course, they have ambitions to win the title. They have distinguished players, and they have speed, but my team are fully prepared for this match and will be ready to fight, enjoy and win.
“Al-Ittihad fans in Jeddah are important for the team. We must focus mentally.
“I am proud of the players after they had an exceptional season, and tomorrow our team will be ready to fight for victory. I have 22 players ready for the match, I know my team well, and I am happy with the players’ readiness.”
His countryman Karim Benzema, the captain of Al-Ittihad, explained that Al-Qadsiah have good players and a good coach, but playing the match in Jeddah will be in their favor.
He said: “Al-Qadsiah have a good coach and players, but we have full confidence in tomorrow’s match. As everyone knows, finals are won, not played. Today, we have a final training session in preparation for the final. This season, we were able to win against all teams, and tomorrow we have the home advantage and the fans.
“So, it’s job done in the Saudi Pro League, fantastic, and we’re happy to win the title. But tomorrow is a different game, a final, and we want to win at any cost.”
On the other side, Al-Qadsiah’s head coach, Michel Gonzalez, expressed his happiness to play in the King Cup final against Al-Ittihad, on Friday, at the end of the sports season.
“I am very happy with what we have achieved by reaching this great final, thanks to the players’ efforts,” Gonzalez said on Thursday during a press conference in Jeddah.
“We were able to secure an advanced position in the Saudi Pro League, in addition to qualifying for the final match of the King Cup.
“We had a real and strong desire to perform well since the beginning of the season, and all the club’s fans are happy with what the team have achieved. Everyone knows that we have performed at a high level this season … On the final night, we will face a very strong team, which recently won the Saudi Pro League.
“I promise the fans to do everything we can to beat Al-Ittihad for the first time this season and win the Cup title.”
Al-Qadsiah’s defender Nacho Fernandez expressed his confidence in his team’s ability to win the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup title against Al-Ittihad in the final match.
He said: “We are happy to be here after the great effort we put in this season. We came to compete and give our best. I like the quality of these matches because they are finals and we have respect for the opponent, the league champions.”
Riyadh to host WWE SmackDown in June
- Tickets for SmackDown, Night of Champions now available through Webook
- Riyadh Season, WWE co-organizing events, sponsored by Esports World Cup
RIYADH: Riyadh is gearing up to host two World Wrestling Entertainment events at the Kingdom Arena: its first-ever SmackDown on June 27, and Night of Champions the following day.
The events are being organized jointly by Riyadh Season and WWE, and are sponsored by the Esports World Cup.
Wrestling fans will be eagerly anticipating the events with the confirmed appearance of global icon John Cena.
SmackDown will feature a star-studded lineup including Cody Rhodes, Omos, Bianca Belair, and Charlotte Flair, in a show to be broadcast live on USA Network in the US.
Night of Champions will stream exclusively on Peacock in the US, while fans in Saudi Arabia and most international markets can watch both events live on Netflix, as part of WWE’s new partnership with the platform.
Tickets are now available for purchase through the Webook platform.
Both events mark major highlights of Riyadh Season, which was launched in 2019 and has rapidly grown to become one of the largest entertainment festivals in the world, attracting millions of visitors to premier sports, entertainment, and music events.
Bayern sign Germany defender Tah until 2029
- “I want to take on responsibility here and work hard every day so that we’re successful as a team,” Tah said
- “In Jonathan Tah we’ve acquired a player with international experience and quality,” said sporting director Christoph Freund
MUNICH: Bayern Munich have signed German international defender Jonathan Tah on a free transfer from Bayer Leverkusen, the Bundesliga champions announced on Thursday.
The 29-year-old has signed a four-year deal which will keep him in Munich until 2029.
“I’m very happy to be at Bayern. I want to take on responsibility here and work hard every day so that we’re successful as a team and win lots of trophies together,” Tah said in the club statement.
Tah spent a decade at Leverkusen, winning an unbeaten league and cup double in 2023-24. He told Leverkusen he would not be extending his contract beyond 2025 and was given a big farewell at his last home game in May.
Bayern were linked with signing Tah in the summer of 2024 with one year remaining on his contract, but the Bavarians refused to meet Leverkusen’s asking price.
Bayern needed to sign a center-back after Eric Dier departed for Ligue 1 side Monaco at the end of the season.
“In Jonathan Tah we’ve acquired a player with international experience and quality, who won’t need much time to establish himself in our defense,” said sporting director Christoph Freund.
“He’ll be a good and important addition for us with his technical qualities as well as his manner and the way he leads.”
The Hamburg-born defender, who was also linked with a move to Barcelona where he would have joined former Germany coach Hansi Flick, has played 35 games for the national team since making his debut in 2016.
Tah has since established himself at the heart of the Germany defense. He has started all but one of the international games for which he was available since September 2023.
He is a member of Julian Nagelsmann’s squad to play in the Nations League finals next month.
The hosts face Portugal in the semifinals in Munich on June 4 with the winner taking on either
France or Spain in the final at the Bayern home ground three days later.
Bayern also tried to sign Tah’s club teammate Florian Wirtz but the midfielder now appears likely to move to Liverpool after Leverkusen admitted this week that there is “concrete interest” from the Premier League winners.
Amorim tells Man Utd players they cannot ‘hide’
- “It’s a moment that is hard for us and we want to finish the season,” Amorim said
- “But at the same time we want to give something to the fans”
HONG KONG: Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim said Thursday that his players cannot “hide” after a dismal season hit a fresh low when they were booed off following a friendly defeat in Malaysia.
United finished 15th in the Premier League and failed to win a trophy, then immediately jetted out Sunday for lucrative friendlies in Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong.
But if his squad were hoping for some respite in Asia, they did not get it, suffering a 1-0 defeat to a Southeast Asian XI in the Malaysian capital on Wednesday.
United’s players trudged off with boos ringing in their ears and now face Hong Kong’s representative team in another friendly on Friday.
“We’ve had the season that we had and it’s not easy to face the fans around the world, so it’s a moment that is hard for us and we want to finish the season,” Amorim said of the tour at the end of a long and poor campaign.
“But at the same time we want to give something to the fans. We are traveling, we don’t have time to adapt, we don’t have so much time to have contact with the fans and give everything they deserve.
“But it’s clear that we cannot hide... if there is one thing that is really important in this club, it’s that we need to face our fans in this moment and give something to our fans around the world.”
Amorim, who took over from Erik ten Hag during the season but failed to spark an improvement in performances, said his side of first-teamers and youngsters was “not really focused” in Wednesday’s loss.
“Everybody can feel it. But I understand the fans (booing), I understand the players and you also understand that we want to give something to the fans, but it’s hard in this moment,” he said.
The 40-year-old Portuguese said he had learned that being Manchester United manager meant being “more than a coach.”
“You have to improve as a person, you have to improve as a leader. Sometimes after the games you see I am frustrated, I am trying to control that.
“When you have results, you can manage everything so much easier,” he added.
Heavy rain lashed the 40,000-capacity Hong Kong Stadium on the eve of the game and Amorim will be desperate not to have any fresh injuries to finish off the campaign.
“The weather looks like Manchester so we feel at home,” Amorim joked.
“If we are professional and we focus on the game it is the best way to protect our players from injuries,” he added.
