DUBAI: Beneath the thin veneer of razzamatazz here at Meydan on Saturday night will be a handful of men and women trying desperately to contain their nerves.
The Dubai World Cup is racing’s most international fixture and with $30 million on the line there is no bigger payday on the world stage.
The bumper prize-money has attracted horse people from all over the world, but with that heightened competition comes increased pressure.
Quite simply, there is nothing else like it in racing and scratch the surface only a little bit and it is easy to see the searching souls of the participants. Bob Baffert has won the Dubai World Cup three times and seeks a fourth win with favorite West Coast on Saturday.
The silver-haired 65-year-old is in the autumn of his career and should by now have worked out a way to manage the burden of competing at the highest level. Not a bit of it. This is a man who six years ago suffered a heart attack at the onset of World Cup week and was visited personally by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, ruler of Dubai, in hospital.
“There is always pressure in these big races when you have a good horse,” Baffert said on Tuesday. “If I had an outsider then I’d be just glad to be here but when you have a horse who can win, that is something else.
“There is always tension because things can go wrong, just like that. You are never safe until they get in to the gate. Once the jockey is on board, that is the only time I feel completely relieved and then I just see what report card I’m going to get. From there it is out of my control.”
Baffert must have felt close to further heart surgery 12 months ago when Arrogate, then the world’s best horse, gave subsequent Breeders’ Cup winner Gun Runner a huge start before scything him down in the closing stages to claim the $10 million purse.
“It was horrible. I was so mad I couldn’t even enjoy the race. I couldn’t even believe what was going on. That was a race for the ages. It was thrilling. It was one of those races that left a mark. That was Arrogate’s coming out party. It was the ‘wow, look at this guy,’ and then the story went bang.
“I am as nervous as ever, but it is different. Last year there was a lot of pressure because Arrogate was owned by Prince Khalid Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and I didn’t want him beaten in his own backyard — there are a lot of bragging rights going on here.
“That was definitely the greatest performance I will ever see. What he did that night was incredible.”
If Baffert is an old hand at trying to control a racing pulse, Chad Summers is a relative newcomer. Summers turned his back on a burgeoning media career to become a trainer and last year had saddled just a handful of horses before Mind Your Biscuits came from way off the pace to scoop the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen. The sprinter is among the favorites to win the dirt contest once again.
A year on, Summers has endured the vicissitudes of life and it would not be beyond the realms of possibility were he to return to the Fourth Estate in the near future.
“There are a lot more downs than ups and although the ups are great, the lows are so low,” he said of a game whereby all participants lose much more than they win.
“People want to give you a horse when you’re a hot commodity and then it is like: ‘Who are you again?’
“There are such short memories in racing — there is not a lot of loyalty and there are a lot of things going on behind the scenes.
“By the time we got to Saratoga (in summer) we had 50 horses in four or five different barns in different locations and were hiring staff with names you don’t remember.
“So that got out of control this summer and I took a step back and have 25 horses right now.
“I remember I had just won the Shaheen, a race worth $2 million and it was 2 a.m. and I’m trying to watch one of my horses in a $30,000 maiden claimer in America and somebody claims it, and then all of a sudden people say you’re not that good a trainer because you can’t win a claimer.
“You have the magnifying glass on you at all times and that is fine, if owners allow you to do things the way you want to do it.”
Neither Baffert nor Summers have quite mined the depths that Peter Miller did in December, however. Miller, who won the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and Turf Sprint in November respectively with Saturday contenders Roy H and Stormy Liberal, lost five horses when 46 horses died in a fire that ripped through San Luis Rey in California.
“It was a nightmare,” an emotional Miller said, recounting the horror. “A barn fire — I wouldn’t set that on my worst enemy. It is something you never want to go through and hopefully I never will again.
“It was traumatic. Some horses were in the clinic for a month with burns and smoke inhalation. Other horses were unscathed. Fortunately most of the horses that survived came back to run well and win. The horse community around the world was extremely generous with their time and money and it was heartwarming. Horses are resilient. Trainers are resilient.”
They clearly need to be.
Dubai World Cup can be the making or breaking of a trainer
Dubai World Cup can be the making or breaking of a trainer
Nadal will only play French Open if he can ‘compete well’
- The 14-time Roland Garros champion conceded that if the action in Paris were to kick off today, he would not be able to participate
- “I will keep fighting and doing the things I believe I have to do so I can try to play in Paris,” Nadal said
MADRID: Rafael Nadal said on Wednesday he will only play at the upcoming French Open if he feels “capable enough to compete well.”
The 14-time Roland Garros champion conceded that if the action in Paris were to kick off today, he would not be able to participate but vowed to keep fighting for the chance to play at his most successful tournament one last time.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen in the next three weeks. I will keep fighting and doing the things I believe I have to do so I can try to play in Paris, and if I can play, I play, if I can’t, I can’t,” the former world number one told reporters at the Madrid Open on Wednesday.
“I will not play in Paris if I am the way I am now. If Paris were today, I wouldn’t take to the court. That’s the reality. I will only play in Paris if I feel capable enough to compete well.”
Nadal returned to tennis in Brisbane in January after spending almost an entire year on the sidelines nursing a psoas injury. But his comeback was short-lived as he sustained a muscle problem in Australia and has competed in just five matches so far this season.
The Spaniard kicked off his clay campaign in Barcelona last week, where he lost in the second round and is set to face 16-year-old American Darwin Blanch in his Madrid opener on Thursday.
“I don’t think I’m ready to play at my 100 percent but I’m prepared to go out and play tomorrow. It’s important for me to play one last time here in Madrid, for me it means a lot,” said the 37-year-old Nadal.
As he attempts to resume his ‘Last Dance’ in Madrid and say goodbye to one of his favorite tournaments on court, rather than on the sidelines, the 22-time major champion admits his farewell tour hasn’t been as enjoyable as he would have hoped.
“A few weeks ago, I didn’t know if I will be able to play again on the professional tour, so today I am playing,” he added.
“It’s not perfect, of course not perfect, but at least I am playing and I can enjoy again, especially in the few tournaments that are so emotional for me. I’m able to enjoy the fact that I can say probably good-bye on court.”
Nadal says he’s hitting the ball well when he is able to be on court but “it’s about more body limitations. I went through a lot of things last year and a half, two years.”
“So body feelings are not enough good to feel myself playing with freedom enough in terms of body issues. That’s not allowing me to compete the way that I would like to compete.”
Haaland ruled out of Man City’s crucial trip to Brighton
- Haaland missed City’s 1-0 win over Chelsea in the FA Cup semifinal at Wembley
- City boss Pep Guardiola insisted Haaland’s injury was not serious
LONDON: Manchester City’s Premier League title bid has suffered a blow after Norway striker Erling Haaland was ruled out of Thursday’s crucial clash at Brighton.
Haaland missed City’s 1-0 win over Chelsea in the FA Cup semifinal at Wembley on Saturday due to a muscle injury sustained in the Champions League quarter-final exit against Real Madrid last week.
City’s leading scorer, who has 20 Premier League goals this season, is yet to recover and will not make the trip to the Amex Stadium as the champions look to close the gap on leaders Arsenal.
City boss Pep Guardiola insisted Haaland’s injury was not serious, and he could come back into contention in time for Sunday’s game against Nottingham Forest.
While Haaland is sidelined, Guardiola was boosted by England internationals Phil Foden and John Stones getting the green light to face Brighton after their own fitness concerns.
“Erling is not ready for tomorrow, the other two, they are ready,” Guardiola told reporters on Wednesday.
“I know it is not a big issue, but he is not allowed for this game.”
As a gripping title race approaches the final furlong, third placed City are four points behind leaders Arsenal, who thrashed Chelsea 5-0 on Tuesday.
Guardiola’s men have two games in hand on Arsenal and have played one match less than second placed Liverpool, who face Merseyside rivals Everton at Goodison Park on Wednesday.
Saudi Arabia to face Uzbekistan in AFC U23 Asian Cup quarterfinals
- The tournament ends on May 3 and is also a qualifying route to the 2024 Olympic Games
DOHA: Reigning champions Saudi Arabia will play Uzbekistan on Friday in the 2024 AFC U23 Asian Cup quarterfinals after the group stages concluded on Tuesday.
Uzbekistan beat Vietnam 3-0 at Khalifa International Stadium to secure the top spot in Group D. Both teams had already secured their progress to the next round. Meanwhile, Kuwait beat Malaysia 3-1 at Al-Janoub Stadium to take third place in the group.
Qatar take on Japan on Thursday, with the victors meeting either Iraq or Vietnam, who play on Friday, in the semifinals. Saudi or Uzbekistan will face the winner of Wednesday’s match between South Korea and Indonesia.
The tournament, which will end on May 3, is a route to this year’s Olympic Games which will take place in Paris this summer. The sixteen teams are split into four groups of four, with the top two from each progressing to the quarterfinals.
The winners of both semifinals secure automatic qualification, while the two losing semifinalists contest third place with the victors booking their spot in Paris. The fourth-place finishers have one final chance to qualify for the Games through a play-off against an African qualifier.
Matthews’ second century powers West Indies Women to convincing 88-run victory over Pakistan
- The victory in the third ODI helps West Indies sweep the ICC Women’s Championship fixer by 3-0
- The two teams are now scheduled to play five Twenty20 cricket matches in Karachi from Friday
ISLAMABAD: West Indies Women’s captain Hayley Matthews scored her second century of the series to help her team convincingly beat Pakistan Women by 88 runs in the third One-Day International (ODI) in Karachi and sweep the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Women’s Championship 2022-25 fixture by 3-0.
Matthews, who scored 140 not out in the series opener five days ago, made an excellent 141 to steer her side to 278 for six in 50 overs. Pakistan Women, in their run-chase, faltered to 190 all-out in 47.5 overs.
Matthews faced 149 balls and struck 19 fours in her career-best innings in 83 matches. She put on 93 runs in 110 balls for the second wicket with Shemaine Campbelle and 111 runs for the third wicket in 124 balls with Stafanie Taylor. She was the fifth batter to be dismissed at the score of 250 in the 46th over.
“West Indies win the third and final ODI of the series by 88 runs,” the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced in a social media post.
Campbelle contributed a 58-ball 38 with two fours, while Taylor followed up on her 73 in the previous match with a 62-ball 47 including four fours. Later in the order, Aaliyah Alleyne struck three fours in a 12-ball 20 not out to put West Indies Women in a position of strength.
For Pakistan Women, Nashra Sandhu was the most successful bowler with three wickets for 54 runs, while Fatima Sana snapped up two wickets for 67 runs.
In their run-chase, Pakistan Women were formally out of contention after losing half their side for 95 runs in 27.2 overs. Aaliya Riaz (36) and Fatima Sana (23) delayed the inevitable by adding 41 runs in 63 balls for the sixth wicket, before the home side were sent packing for 190 with 13 deliveries of their quota remaining.
Muneeba Ali top-scored with 38, while Bismah Maroof contributed 19 as the two batters added 45 runs for the third wicket.
For the West Indies Women, Aaliyah Alleyne grabbed two wickets for 10 runs, Hayley Matthews picked up two wickets for 26 runs, and Stafanie Taylor bagged two wickets for 29 runs.
After seven rounds of the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25, Pakistan have remained in fifth position on 16 points with eight wins and 13 losses. In contrast, the West Indies have moved ahead of Bangladesh and joined Sri Lanka in seventh position on 14 points (six wins, seven losses) after five rounds.
The top five teams in the 10-team ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25, along with hosts India, will directly qualify for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025. The bottom four teams of the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25 and the top two teams from the ICC ODI rankings will progress to a Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier tournament.
The two sides will now go toe to toe in the five-T20I series, which will be played at the National Bank Stadium on 26 April, 28 April, 30 April, 2 May, and 3 May. The matches will commence at 7.30 pm.
Doncic shines as Mavs sink Clippers; Timberwolves down Suns
- Jaden McDaniels scored 25 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves dominated the Phoenix Suns 105-93 to take a 2-0 series lead
- Pascal Siakam poured in 37 points to guide the Pacers to an impressive series-leveling win over the Bucks
LOS ANGELES: Luka Doncic scored 32 points as the Dallas Mavericks battled to a series-tying 96-93 road victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday in a tense NBA Western Conference playoff duel.
Slovenian star Doncic combined with Kyrie Irving for 55 points to ensure that Dallas will head back to Texas with honors even at 1-1 in the best-of-seven series.
Doncic and Irving formed a sublime double act in a hard-fought fourth quarter, orchestrating a crucial 14-0 run that effectively took the game away from the Clippers, who had downed Dallas in a 109-97 win in Game 1 on Sunday.
After trailing for most of the game, the Clippers threatened to snaffle another precious home victory after opening up a six-point lead early in the fourth quarter.
But the Doncic-Irving axis helped the Mavs regain control to set up a deserved win.
Doncic finished with 32 points, nine assists and six rebounds while Irving contributed 23 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals.
“We had to make some noise in the second game, you know, first game wasn’t our best game,” Doncic said.
“So we had to come out here and prove that we can play with them,” Doncic added, before saluting the contribution of Irving.
“It’s amazing having him on our team,” Doncic said. “It just helps me a lot. A great guy and just happy that he’s here.”
James Harden and Paul George led the Clippers scoring with 22 points each.
In other playoff action, Jaden McDaniels scored 25 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves dominated the Phoenix Suns 105-93 to take a 2-0 series lead. Indiana roared back to beat Milwaukee 125-108 and square their best-of-seven duel at 1-1.
McDaniels led a balanced Minnesota offensive effort that saw all five starters finish in double digits as the Western Conference third seeds moved to within two wins of a series victory.
But it was the Timberwolves’ defense who turned the game in the home side’s favor, shutting down Phoenix in the second half to frustrate Suns stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.
A torrid night for Phoenix ended with Booker fouling out in the fourth quarter while the Suns also were handed an injury scare, with Grayson Allen hobbling off in the third quarter after rolling an ankle.
The Timberwolves will go into Friday’s game three brimming with confidence after restricting Phoenix’s offense to 42 second-half points.
Minnesota scored 31 points off 20 Phoenix turnovers while the Suns took just two points from the Wolves’ 14 turnovers throughout the game.
“We’ve had issues with that throughout the course of the year, taking care of the basketball and it reared its head again tonight,” Phoenix coach Frank Vogel said.
McDaniels led the home side’s scoring with 25 points, eight rebounds and three assists while Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley added 18 apiece.
Anthony Edwards finished with 15 points, eight assists and three rebounds and Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 12 points.
“We got a lot of guys who can put the ball in the basket,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch said. “We’re really making the right plays right now.”
In Milwaukee, Pascal Siakam poured in 37 points to guide the Pacers to an impressive series-leveling win over the Bucks.
Siakam finished with 11 rebounds and six assists while Myles Turner added 22 and Andrew Nembhard 20 as the Pacers claimed a deserved win.
“He just doesn’t get rattled,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said of Siakam. “He plays the game at his pace. He was excellent tonight.
“He’s a unique player. His experience shows and he had a lot of big, big plays for us tonight... his experience in the playoffs is invaluable.”
Milwaukee started brightly, with Damian Lillard once again taking on the lion’s share of the scoring duties in the absence of the injured Giannis Antetokounmpo.
But Lillard’s 34 points were not enough to keep the Pacers at arm’s length. Indiana took the lead just before half-time and finally pulled away in the fourth quarter, leading by 23 points at one stage.
“Give them credit, their pressure forced us into taking tough shots,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said.
“They pushed us around. I thought they were the more physical team tonight.”
Game 3 in the series takes place in Indianapolis on Friday.
