A HUSKY-VOICED Bubba Watson has suggested he has a sinus infection and says he’s not the only member of the US Ryder Cup team feeling under the weather. Watson, a triple winner this year but out of form recently, said a bug had spread at last week’s Tour Championship, where 11 Americans and six Europeans were among the 30-man field in Atlanta. “You can tell, my voice, I’m exhausted,” Watson said at Le Golf National on Wednesday, two days ahead of the start of the biennial team event. “It kind of started through the locker room last week — I just I happened to get it. I’ve got a weak immune system. “A lot of us were kind of getting sick — gosh, I don’t want to say not quite half the field had something, and then you know, travelling all the way over here, we’re all battling something.” Watson refused to provide any more specifics to the media, aware that he had already made comments that could perhaps lead to headlines about a sick team. Asked about the health of his team mates, he said: “I could care less about them. I’m trying to get me healthy.” Watson won three times by June on the PGA Tour this year, however his form has been spotty since. He finished second last at the Tour Championship, but has a poor Ryder Cup record of three wins, eight losses and no halves. A creative shotmaker who can do things with the ball that would put a trick shot artist to shame, Watson by the same token has never been model of consistency. He is likely to sit out the foursomes this week. He has an 0-2-0 record in the unforgiving alternate-shot format in which two team mates play the same ball, taking it in turns to hit shots. More likely he will get a start in four ball, the format where both players hit their own ball, and take the best score at each hole. He has a reasonable 3-3-0 record in the format, and is 0-3-0 in singles. Watson was overlooked for the 2016 team, even though he was ranked seventh in the world at the time. Instead he took the role as a vice captain. He is delighted to be back playing rather than driving a cart. “What a thrill and an honour (it is) to be part of it again, and knowing the trust that I got from 2016, (the players) can still bump ideas and ask me questions, even though I am a player this time instead,” he said.

D’ARGENTO and Fiesta can continue syndicator Denise Martin’s Star Thoroughbreds remarkable affinity with the Epsom Handicap meeting by securing a Group 1 double at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Flashy grey D’Argento is the $4.20 favourite to win the $1 million TAB Epsom Handicap (1600m) and Fiesta is on the second line of betting at $7.50 for the $500,000 Flight Stakes (1600m). Sydney’s feature spring carnival raceday has a special significance for Martin as a decade ago she celebrated an Epsom quinella with Theseo and Bank Robber. And it was at this raceday in 1999 when Martin’s famous Star Thoroughbred colours of purple and white stars were carried to a breakthrough Group 1 win with Danglissa in the Flight Stakes. “We have got two very good chances with D’Argento and Fiesta, but it is such tough day of racing,’’ Martin said. “D’Argento should run well in the Epsom but it is not an easy race to win, there are so many good horses in the field. “Fiesta is such an honest filly, she never runs a bad race but we are up against Miss Fabulass.’’ Martin has been involved in the syndication business for 25 years and has introduced thousands of new owners to the racing industry. She has raced a string of outstanding gallopers under the Star Thoroughbreds banner, including five-time Group 1 winner Theseo, Golden Slipper hero Sebring, Driefontein, Foxplay, Stoway, Primrose Sands, Kingsgate and Squamos. “I’m very proud of Star,’’ Martin said. “We have marvellous owners and the biggest thrill for me is watching them have success at the highest level. It is an indescribable feeling.’’ But Martin has probably never had such a quality team of top flight racehorses in training at the same time as she has this season including D’Argento, Fiesta, Invincibella, Noire and Dealmaker. Martin doesn’t pay huge sums for her horses either, having purchased D’Argento for $135,000 as a yearling, while she went to $150,000 to secure Fiesta. Both have proven shrewd investments with D’Argento winning four races from nine attempts, including the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas, amassing nearly $800,000 in stakes and becoming a very valuable potential stallion prospect. Fiesta has won two races from nine starts, Group 2 Silver Shadow Stakes and Group 3 Widden Stakes, been placed in another six races, and has already earned more than $500,000. “I remember inspecting D’Argento as a yearling and he was such a lovely, athletic colt,’’ Martin said. “D’Argento just stood out to me, not only because of his colour and he had this great presence about him. All the jockeys who ride him talk about his fluid action, too. “Fiesta was a filly I thought we would not be able to afford. She is by I Am Invincible and I expected her to bring a lot more than the $150,000 it needed to buy her. I thought she was a bargain at that price.’’ WALLER’S ARMY ON THE MARCH CHAMPION trainer Chris Waller’s numerical dominance has never been more absolute than at Royal Randwick on Saturday. In an unprecedented show of stable strength, he is saddling up eight runners in both the Group 1 TAB Epsom Handicap and Group 1 The Metropolitan. The bookies have Waller poised to complete the rare Epsom-Metropolitan double, a feat he achieved with He’s Your Man and Opinion in 2014. Waller’s Epsom “Army” includes TAB Fixed Odds favourites D’Argento ($4.20) and Unforgotten ($4.40), plus Shillelagh, Single Gaze, Mister Sea Wolf, Religify, Tom Melbourne and Paret. In The Metropolitan, the Waller stable is represented by favourite Brimham Rocks ($5), Libran, Patrick Erin, Alward, The Lord Mayor, High Bridge, Opposition and Jake’s Hill. Waller, aiming for his fourth Epsom five years after wins with Boban (2013), He’s Your Man (2014) and Winx (2015), is finding it hard to split D’Argento and Unforgotten. “I can’t fault the way D’Argento has come through his last-start run,’’ Waller said of the four-year-old’s closing second behind Home Of The Brave in the Theo Marks Stakes. “He’s a very good horse drawn well (barrier one) and it gives James McDonald every chance to get him to switch off and settle. “This horse has a great turn of foot, as was evident on Tuesday morning when he let down strongly at the end of his gallop. I’m really excited by his chances.” Unforgotten, winner of the ATC Australian Oaks this year, is attempting to become the first to win the Chelmsford Stakes-Epsom Handicap double since Filante in 1996. BREM’S PRESENCE TO BE FELT AT RANDWICK NSW racing has lost one of its most respected and popular figures with the passing this week of bloodstock adviser Steve Brem after a long battle with illness. He was 69. Brem was a former racing journalist who left the media to become the first national secretary of the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association and then managing director of Waikato Stud. He was then enticed to Sydney, where he worked closely with the Gai Waterhouse stable for many years. While with the Waterhouse camp, Brem regularly inspected yearlings and gave advice on bloodlines suitable for the stable and its vast number of clients. He was a popular figure with stable clients and Denise Martin’s Star Thoroughbreds as he liaised between owners and the stable. Another of his roles was media liaison and he was always accessible, and popular, with the media on and off the track. Brem’s presence will be felt at Royal Randwick on Saturday because he was instrumental in Martin purchasing D’Argento (Epsom Handicap) and Fiesta (Flight Stakes) for her Star Thoroughbred syndicates. “It would be very fitting if one of those two or both could win,” Martin said. “It would be a special memory of what Steve was able to achieve in this industry and serve to prolong his legacy.” Brem is survived by his two sons, David and Anthony.

REDZEL only needs a top five finish in the Group 2 $500,000 Premiere Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday to become the nation’s greatest prizemoney-winning sprinter. But you sense trainers Peter and Paul Snowden have Redzel primed to make a real statement and prove he is on track to defend his title in The Everest. Redzel, brilliant winner of the Concorde Stakes earlier this month, has not raced for 28 days after missing a scheduled start in The Shorts two weeks ago when he became cast in his box on race eve. But trainer Peter Snowden maintains Redzel is right back on target for the $13 million The TAB Everest (1200m) at Royal Randwick on October 13. “Redzel worked strongly again on Tuesday morning,’’ Snowden said. “He worked well again (Thursday), so he’s in great order now. He’s there to run well in what’s a very, very good race but we know we’ve got a very good horse. “This run will bring him right on and get him to where we want him for The Everest in two weeks.’’ Redzel is the $2.60 TAB Fixed Odds favourite to win the Premiere Stakes in a race that has been dubbed a “mini-Everest”. Everest hopefuls Trapeze Artist ($3), In Her Time ($6), Santa Ana Lane ($8) and Shoals ($12) are also contesting the Premiere Stakes. Redzel has already amassed $8,810,750 in earnings during his stellar career and with a top five Premiere finish, he will vault into fifth on the all-time prizemoney list behind the great Winx on a staggering $19,552,424. But he will move the prizemoney earnings of Chautauqua at $8,821,935 to become the greatest stakes-earning sprinter in Australian racing. Redzel is poised to achieve the feat as Chautauqua is readied to try and revive his race career – and his Everest hopes – in a specially convened barrier trial at Moonee Valley on Friday night. Chautauqua needs to jump away with the field in the trial for stewards to lift the racing ban on the sprinter. Regular jockey Tommy Berry will be at Moonee Valley to ride Chautauqua in the 1000m trial against six rivals that is scheduled between races four and five. There is one slot remaining for The Everest with slot-holders Max Whitby and Neil Werrett indicated they are likely to try and negotiate a deal with Chautauqua’s owners to secure the final starting position. Also at Moonee Valley, trainer Darren Weir’s Everest starters Brave Smash and Nature Strip clash in the Group 1 $500,000 Moir Stakes (1000m). This is also the last chance for fringe Everest contenders Houtzen, Viddora and Ball Of Muscle to try and push a late claim for a start in the big race. AUSTRALIA’S ALL-TIME LEADING PRIZEMONEY EARNERS 1 Winx $19,552,424 2 Makybe Diva $14,526,690 3 Sunline $11,351,610 4 Northerly $9,341,850 5 Chautauqua $8,821,935 6 So You Think $8,813,497 7 Redzel $8,810,750 8 Black Caviar $7,953,936 9 Buffering $7,300,190 10 Criterion $7,268,869 LIFE IN THE FAST LANE SANTA Ana Lane, continuing a decades-long tradition of success for his syndicate of owners, clashes with five of his The Everest rivals in the Group 2 $500,000 Premiere Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday. The talented sprinter with the booming finish takes on Trapeze Artist, Redzel, Invincible Star, In Her Time and Shoals in a star-studded Premiere, which is challenging for race-of-the-day status at the Epsom Handicap meeting. This is the final lead-up race for the six sprinters before the $13 million The TAB Everest (1200m) at Royal Randwick on October 13. Santa Ana Lane is raced by a group of mainly Melbourne-based owners celebrating the 40th anniversary of the formation of their William Street Syndicate. The group consists of 30 people, including businessmen, lawyers, bankers and captains of industry. “I’m surprised how excited all the owners are as we get closer to The Everest,’’ syndicate spokesman Michael Ramsden said. “Santa Ana Lane is coming up well and the Premiere Stakes is a very important race. “I would think probably The Everest will suit him a bit better as it will be a bigger field with more pace than the Premiere, but he should run well (Saturday).’’ Ramsden is also a part-owner of champion sprinter Chautauqua, who faces a crucial barrier trial test between races at Moonee Valley tonight as he makes a late bid to secure a start in The Everest. “I was at The Everest last year when Chautauqua ran (fourth to Redzel) and it was a great day,’’ Ramsden said. “We will see how he goes (Friday night). “It will be an interesting training performance if he gets through and into The Everest, it will be exciting for the race as well — but at least Santa Ana Lane is already in the field.’’ The Anthony Freedman-trained Santa Ana Lane won three Group 1 races last season — the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes, Goodwood Handicap and Stradbroke Handicap — and was deservedly selected by William Inglis for their Everest slot. Santa Ana Lane was purchased for $80,000 at the Inglis Premier Sales four years ago and has already won six of his 28 starts, earning more than $2.2 million prizemoney. “He has been a fantastic horse for us,’’ Ramsden said. “With maturity, he’s developed into a top sprinter. He’s won three Group 1 races and had a couple of very close runs.” The William Street Syndicate which races Santa Ana Lane was formed in the 1970s by Ramsden’s late father Andrew, a former Victoria Racing Club chairman. Those in the syndicate are all members of the Australian Club, which is located in William St in Melbourne’s CBD, hence the name. Their first racehorse was called William Street — although he won’t go down in the annals of the all-time greats. But in each decade since, the syndicate has raced an outstanding Group 1 winner, with Santa Ana Lane their latest star. “The next horse the syndicate raced was Gurner’s Lane and after the success we had with him the decision was made to try and use Lane in the naming of most of our horses,” Ramsden said. Gurner’s Lane won the 1982 Caulfield Cup-Melbourne Cup double, the latter a famous win over the legendary Kingston Town. The William Street Syndicate’s next good horse was Paris Lane, winner of the 1994 Caulfield Cup and Mackinnon Stakes, and a second placegetter to Jeune in the Melbourne Cup. De Gaulle Lane was the syndicate’s next Group 1 winner, scoring a runaway five- length win in the 2001 Queensland Derby, but injury prevented the talented stayer from fulfilling his potential later on in his career. Santa Ana Lane has made the syndicate’s patient wait for their next Group 1 winner worth it with his treble of majors last season in Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane. The naming of the syndicate’s four Group 1 winners is interesting. Gurner’s Lane was a fairly obvious one as it is a laneway in Melbourne off William St. Paris Lane was out of a mare called French Twist, while De Gaulle Lane’s name drew its inspiration from the French general and statesman Charles De Gaulle, who later became president of France. De Gaulle Lane’s sire is The Commander while his dam D’Accord means “OK” in French, and his grandam is the 1976 Epsom Handicap winner La Neige, which is French for “snow”. Santa Ana Lane is by Lope De Vega out of Fast Fleet and his name is even more exotic. Lope De Vega was a Spanish poet who travelled on the Spanish Armada and one of that fleet’s biggest ships was called “Santa Ana”. “There is also a Santa Ana Lane in Los Angeles but the horse was named after the ship,’’ Ramsden said. The syndicate’s latest horse is a two-year-old by Starspangledbanner called Trump Lane, which needs no explanation.

THE last time Greg Hickman trained a Group 1 Randwick mile winner his footy team, the Sydney Roosters won the NRL Grand Final. It was 2002 and Hickman’s filly Royal Purler scored an upset win at $31 in the Flight Stakes at the Epsom Handicap meeting then a day later the Roosters defeated the New Zealand Warriors 30-8 in the premiership decider. “I’m hoping history repeats itself this weekend,’’ said Hickman, a die-hard Roosters fan. So, what are the odds of a Pierata-Sydney Roosters double this weekend? Pierata is one of the favourites at $5 for the Group 1 $1 million The TAB Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday, while the Roosters are $2 for their clash with the Melbourne Storm in Sunday’s NRL Grand Final. Unlike that weekend 16 years ago when most pundits weren’t expecting a Hickman Group 1 win, the weight of expectation is on the trainer and his stable star Pierata in the Epsom. But Hickman, 58, has been in the game long enough not to let the pressure get to him. Hickman even drew inspiration from a recent comment champion Roosters halfback, Cooper Cronk, made about coping with pressure. “As Cooper Cronk said, you can’t see pressure, can’t eat it, so what is pressure?’’ Hickman said. “Pressure is only what you bring on yourself. “I was lucky I was brought through the ranks at Crown Lodge during the 1990s when you were working with good horses all the time like Octagonal. “John Hawkes used to always say you have got to be able to handle the pressure and the best way to do that was to look after your horse then the rest will take care of itself.’’ Hickman has applied this mantra right through the developing race career of the richly talented Pierata. The Pierata story began when the Warwick Farm trainer took a liking to the colt the first moment he laid eyes on him. Hickman was initially attracted to Pierata by the colt’s pedigree – he is by 2012 juvenile triple crown winner Pierro out of November Flight, herself a former classy sprinter and the dam of four winners including Group 1 placegetter Ashokan. “I bought him at the Magic Millions because we had raced against Ashokan with Taxmeifyoucan,’’ Hickman said. “Ashokan was an outstanding looking horse and they paid $800,000 for him. We got Pierata for $160,000.’’ They say you have to speculate to accumulate but this was a lot of money for Hickman to spend on a yearling. “The $160,000 is a big amount if you haven’t got it and was probably a stretch for me,’’ Hickman said. “But I don’t like to think about those things, I’ve stuck my neck out plenty of times over the years. “I’m more worried about not winning races – that’s the most important thing to me and my owners.’’ Hickman syndicated Pierata to a number of existing stable clients but got some new investors into the horse, too. There was also a link between the past and the present on the yearling’s pedigree page, too – his great grandsire is 1995-96 Horse of the Year Octagonal, himself the sire of 2003-04 Horse of the Year, Lonhro, who in turn signed champion racehorse and unbeaten juvenile triple crown winner Pierro, the sire of Pierata. Hickman was prepared to overlook the fact Pierata was a December foal and very immature when he went through the Magic Millions Sales ring. The trainer was already thinking of the future. “I knew he would need plenty of time and that is why we didn’t push him as a two-year-old, we looked after the horse,’’ Hickman said. Trainers often talk about “that moment” in trackwork when they realised their horse was a cut above the ordinary – but it was very different in Pierata’s case. “I don’t know if there was one moment when we knew he was going to be a good horse,’’ Hickman said. “I didn’t rush him as a juvenile, he was only going galloping over 600m. He has probably only gone over 1200m three times in his life. “He’s always had this presence about him but looking back on it, he was so immature we never asked him to do too much on the track. “The ability was there but we had to wait for him to grow. He is like that skinny kid who they sat eats like a ‘horse’. But he is growing all the time and I honestly believe his best is ahead of him. “We are seeing more from him now than I have ever seen from him. He is working more like a good horse now.’’ But what has always set Pierata apart is his attitude. For an entire, he’s very relaxed, professional, willing and very resilient. This must be a trait of his sire lineage as it accurately describes Octagonal, Lonhro and Pierro, too. “Pierata’s a special horse to work with, he’s such a kind, loving horse,’’ Hickman said. “When you watch him work it’s such a pleasure and he copes with it all so easily. He doesn’t do anything wrong, nothing bothers him, he has the greatest nature. “He just goes about his job, walks on the track pretty happy, walks off pretty happy, does his work then puts his head in the feed bin. He’s bombproof.’’ Hickman has trained many good horses over the years including Sportsman, Sir Dex, Taxmeifyoucan, Private Secretary and his two Group 1 winners, Royal Purler and Mirjulisa Lass (2010 Vinery Stud Stakes) – and most of them purchased for bargain-basement sums. Sportsman was an $8,000 yearling and was a multiple stakeswinner of the Expressway Stakes, Peter Pan Stakes, Shannon Stakes and Tramway Stakes, Sir Dex cost $12,000 and won more than $800,000 and Mirjulisa Lass was passed in as a yearling. Hickman always seems to have a good galloper in his stable – but Pierata could be the horse he’s been waiting for his whole career. Pierata has already achieved more than his predecessors – with the promise of so much more to come. Hickman sent Pierata to the races for the first time in April last year when the colt ran fourth at Warwick Farm before he won his next start at Randwick on Anzac Day. As Hickman pointed out, Pierata’s maiden victory was the same race that The Autumn Sun kicked off his race career with a win earlier this year. Pierata, like The Autumn Sun, then campaigned in Brisbane during the winter but Hickman missed the spring last year to concentrate on a summer campaign which culminated in a runaway win in the Magic Millions 3yo Guineas. Kementari then defeated Pierata in the Hobartville Stakes and Group 1 Randwick Guineas before Hickman’s horse gained revenge in an epic Missile Stakes last month. Pierata’s only run since was a brave second to Siege Of Quebec in the Bill Ritchie Handicap two weeks ago. “If we had a bit of luck this horse could have won eight straight,’’ Hickman said. “We were thinking about The Everest and I think he could have run well in that race if that is how it turned out but I think the horse is looking for a mile now. “I’m happy with the horse, he has worked super during the week and we are right on track for the Epsom.’’ There are studs circling to buy into Pierata which only adds to the importance of tomorrow’s race for Hickman and his owners. Pierata has drawn ideally in barrier four with his main rivals, D’Argento coming out of gate one and Unforgotten from three, ensuring a compelling contest. Hickman has only ever had one Epsom Handicap runner – Sportsman ran sixth to Clangalang in 2003 – but Pierata gives the trainer his best chance to win one of the most famous races on the turf calendar. “The Epsom is a great race and it would be super if we could win it,’’ Hickman said. “But I don’t really think about those things until it happens. If it comes off, happy days. “Pierata is that level now and he got there quickly but he deserves a crack at it. “For a stable like ours, a Group 1 would mean everything to the horse and everything to us. We have trained two Group 1 winners but to be able to have another one would be enormous. “This is our Grand Final. You don’t get too many opportunities in life and you have got to try and make the most of these chances.’’

RACING editor Ray Thomas takes a look at the top five talking points and storylines to follow this weekend. 1: THE DOMINATORS HALL of Fame trainers Gai Waterhouse and Chris Waller have dominated the feature Epsom Day meeting over the last two decades – and they might do so again at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Waterhouse is chasing a record eighth $1 million TAB Epsom Handicap (1600m) with Arbeitsman and Siege of Quebec. She won her first Epsom with Iron Horse in 1997 and has since won the race again with Excellerator (2002), Desert War (2004-05), Theseo (2008), Rock Kingdom (2009) and Fat Al (2012). She holds the race training record with her late father, Tommy Smith. Waller has won three Epsoms with Boban (2013), He’s Your Man (2014) and Winx (2015) - meaning the two trainers have won 10 of the last 20 runnings of the famous Randwick mile. Racing’s first lady, who now trains in partnership with Adrian Bott, has prepared a record eight winners of The Metropolitan (2400m) and has Sedanzer lining up in Saturday’s staying feature. Waterhouse has also won nine Group 1 $500,000 Flight Stakes (1600m). She doesn’t have a runner in Saturday’s classic and remains three wins behind her father’s race record. Waller hasn’t won a Flight Stakes yet – not even his great champion Winx could win the race. She ran second to First Seal in 2014. But Sydney’s premier trainer has the consistent Fiesta among the main chances in the Flight Stakes. Waller, who only trained his first Group 1 winner with Triple Honour in the 2008 Doncaster and now has a career tally of 87 after The Autumn Sun’s win in the Golden Rose last week, is saddling up an extraordinary eight runners in the Epsom and eight in The Metropolitan. He is chasing his fourth Epsom and third The Metropolitan and has the favourite in both races – D’Argento ($4.20) in the Epsom and Brimham Rocks ($5) in The Metropolitan. 2: EVEREST ESCAPE WILL a slot-holder be forced to exercise an Everest escape clause this weekend? The Group 2 $500,000 Premiere Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday is a mini-Everest showdown with six Everest runners in the eight-horse field – Redzel, Trapeze Artist, In Her Time, Invincible Star, Shoals and Santa Ana Lane. Obviously, some will place, others will finish down the track. Just how far an Everest sprinter is beaten in the Premiere may force a slot-holder to reconsider their position ahead of the $13m The Everest at Royal Randwick on October 13. At Moonee Valley tonight, the runs of Everest hopefuls Nature Strip and Brave Smash will also be heavily scrutinised in the Group 1 $500,000 Moir Stakes (1000m). It is understood some slot-holders have negotiated an escape clause if their sprinter suddenly loses form. Of course, there is still one slot left to fill with slot-holders Max Whitby and Neil Werrett watching champion sprinter Chautauqua’s crucial barrier trial held during the Moir meeting. If Chautauqua jumps away with the field in the trial, stewards are expected to lift the racing ban on the “Grey “Flash”, opening the door for him to line-up in The Everest. There are other sprinters on the Everest fringe including Graff and Le Romain, who are not racing this weekend, and Moir Stakes hopefuls Houtzen, Viddora and Ball Of Muscle. 3: LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER MISS Fabulass is set to emulate her dam, Samantha Miss, by winning the Group 1 Flight Stakes on Saturday. Samantha Miss was an outstanding winner of the fillies classic a decade ago, completing a clean sweep of the Princess Series after her earlier successes in the Silver Shadow Stakes, Furious Stakes and Tea Rose Stakes. Owner-breeder John Singleton sent Samantha Miss to England to be mated with superhorse Frankel and Miss Fabulass was the resultant foal. The Kris Lees-trained Miss Fabulass has only had four starts, winning twice including the Tea Rose Stakes last start. Miss Fabulass is a dominant $2 favourite on TAB Fixed Odds for the Flight Stakes, a race that has been kind to favourites over the last decade. Samantha Miss began the sequence when she scored at $1.55, then was followed by another Singleton-owned filly More Joyous at $2.30 in 2009. Favourites Streama ($2.80, 2011), Guelph 9$1.30, 2013), First Seal ($2.30, 2014), Speak Fondly ($2.30, 2015) and Alizee ($2.90, 2017) also won the Flight Stakes. Singleton, who celebrated a winning double at Rosehill midweek from the superbly-bred duo, unbeaten Girl Tuesday (Street Cry-Tuesday Joy) and Merovee (Frankel-More Strawberries), also has promising filly Diddles (Snitzel-Mimi Lebrock) making her debut in the Group 3 $160,000 Gimcrack Stakes (1000m). #It’s rare for a dam to produce a filly or colt to win the same Group 1 race. Miss Finland (2006) and her daughter Stay With Me (2015) managed the feat with both winning the Thousand Guineas at Caulfield. Urban Sea, one of the greatest broodmares of them all, won the 1993 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and produced champion Sea The Stars to win the Arc in 2009. 4: THE HISTORY MAKER WALL Of Fire, the former English stayer, is attempting something quite unique trying first-up to win the Group 1 $750,000 The Metropolitan (2400m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday. The Metropolitan was first held in 1866 and it is doubtful any horse has won Sydney’s spring staying feature without a lead-up run. The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Wall Of Fire hasn’t raced since finishing 16th to Rekindling in the Melbourne Cup last November. Wall Of Fire is among 12 northern hemisphere-bred stayers lining up in The Metropolitan. They are opposed to four New Zealand-bred horses and just three home-brews – the mares Sedanzer, Miss Admiration and Nettoyer. 5: THE PUNTERS’ PAL CHAMPION jockey Kerrin McEvoy has a book of rides to envy at the Epsom Handicap meeting. McEvoy has rides in all nine races including Unforgotten, the $4.40 second favourite for the Group 1 $1 million TAB Epsom (1600m). He is riding the favourites in the other two Group 1 races, Miss Fabulass ($2) in the $500,000 Flight Stakes (1600m) and Brimham Rocks ($5) in the $750,00 The Metropolitan (2400m).. McEvoy also ride Redzel ($2.60f) for the Group 2 $500,000 Premiere Stakes (1200m) and Egg Tart ($2.30f) for the Group 2 $500,000 Hill Stakes (2000m). FAREWELL TO THREE FINE RACING MEN AT 5pm on Friday, nearly 100 years of racing journalism experience will walk out the doors at News Limited’s Sydney offices for the last time. My colleagues on The Daily Telegraph racing desk, Steve “Zippy” Zammit and John “JD” Davis and Sportsman editor Paul Micallef are finishing up after exemplary careers spanning more than three decades each. Perhaps their retirements were forced upon them sooner than each would have liked, but it is a reflection of them as men that they took the news with good grace. I’ve had the honour and privilege of working alongside all three since joining The Telegraph in 1994. They have always been thorough, dedicated professionals and were always willing to work extra hours to ensure the racing pages and form guides were as accurate as possible. They leave a massive void in the racing desk that is impossible to fill. More importantly, I regard Zippy, JD and Pauly as close friends and I’m sure I will feel a little sadness and regret when I walk back into the office on Monday and notice their empty desks. Nothing stays the same forever, but sometimes you wish it could. ●●● BLACK Caviar’s son Prince Of Caviar broke through for his first win at his fourth start at Bendigo on Thursday. Prince Of Caviar was fourth on debut as a two-year-old at Sandown in May and then finished close seconds at Sandown and Bendigo before his breakthrough maiden win. Prince Of Caviar, who is by Sebring, is the second foal of the undefeated Black Caviar to race. Her first foal, an Exceed And Excel filly named Oscietra, was retired earlier this year after winning two of her five starts Prince Of Caviar’s co-trainer Wayne Hawkes is adamant the colt will be better again next autumn, an opinion shared by jockey Luke Nolen, who rode Black Caviar in 22 of 25 wins. “It was a tradesman-like performance today,” Nolen told broadcaster Racing.com. “He’s going in the right direction and I think he’ll be a nice horse come the autumn. “He seems like a horse that will probably appreciate a mile (1600m) in time. There’s a nice race in the autumn for him. We’ll digest this one first and see if there’s anything beyond this (preparation). But most importantly, he’s a winner.” Hawkes believed the form around Prince Of Caviar would ultimately prove strong.

CHAMPION jockey Damien Oliver has been cleared to ride in Friday night’s Group 1 Moir Stakes after being given a medical clearance. Oliver said he is fit to ride in five races at The Valley despite his badly bruised left leg. “It’s improved a lot and it’s still a bit sore, but it shouldn’t hinder me,” Oliver said. Oliver leg was jammed against the starting gates when his mount Thousand Wishes flipped backwards before the start of the Rose Of May Handicap at Flemington on Wednesday. MRI scans showed no fractures of Oliver’s shin The nine-time Scobie Breasley medallist will partner Spright in the Moir Stakes (1000m) before riding Grunt in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes at Caulfield on Sunday. Oliver has waded in sea water over the past two days to speed his recovery.

LATROBE’S Melbourne Cup hopes remain uncertain as fellow Irish stars Flag Of Honour, Kew Gardens, Max Dynamite and Thomas Hobson have all been ruled out of the spring. The absence of St Leger winners Flag Of Honour and Kew Gardens, dual Cup placegetter Max Dynamite and Thomas Hobson will significantly impact markets with confirmation German-trained Torcedor is also out of the Cup. There is lingering uncertainty of gun colt Latrobe, who is raced by the Melbourne Cup’s most successful owner Lloyd Williams. Winner of the Irish Derby, Latrobe is assured of a place in quarantine but he is unlikely to head to Australia unless travel companion Master Of Reality gets on the flight. With the final eight places at the Werribee quarantine centre be allocated on ratings, Master Of Reality is at the bottom of the list. He would join the flight only if a higher-ranked horse is withdrawn. Latrobe is trained by Joseph O’Brien, who last year created Cup history with Rekindling — also owned by Williams. A separate shipment of more than 20 horses will arrive at Werribee on Saturday to join Charlie Appleby’s Blair House, Folkswood and Jungle Cat. The remaining eight arrive on October 13 to start their two-week quarantine period and would be eligible to run on Cox Plate day (October 27). The influx means the total number of horses to head through quarantine at Werribee will hit a record 40 by the end of the spring, with the departure of several early arrivals to Australian stables. Magic Circle is the highest-rated horse scheduled to arrive in the final batch. He will be accompanied by Ebor Handicap winner Muntahaa, last year’s Cup favourite Marmelo. Aidan O’Brien has four horses due to land in Melbourne on Saturday — Cliffs Of Moher, Fleet Review, Yucatan and Intelligence Cross. The Ballydoyle maestro has also sent Cox Plate contender Rostropovich and Melbourne Cup entrants Idaho and The Pentagon into quarantine in Ireland, destined for the third wave. Scotland’s Nakeeta, a fast-finishing fifth in last year’s Melbourne Cup, is also booked to return on October 13. High-class stayer Torcedor, who was assigned 57kg for the Melbourne Cup, was withdrawn on ets’ advice after recording a high temperature.

THE Brumbies have confirmed the signing of former Wallabies and Reds prop James Slipper on a two-year deal. Slipper was unwanted by zero tolerance Queensland Super Rugby coach Brad Thorn after he was banned for cocaine use this season. The 29-year-old also revealed his mental health struggles this year but has since returned to the field with Queensland Country in the National Rugby Championship. With 86 Tests and 104 Super Rugby games to his name, Slipper adds vast experience to the Brumbies’ already strong propping stocks in the form of Wallabies incumbents Scott Sio and Allan Alaalatoa. Slipper is a former Reds captain and has also led the Wallabies in a Test win over the United States. “We are excited to have a player of the calibre of James joining the Brumbies,” Brumbies coach Dan McKellar said. “When performing at his best James is a quality international prop. “He brings very good set piece, physicality and raw aggression which are all qualities we look for in our front rowers. “Clearly after playing over 80 Tests and more than 100 Super Rugby games he offers enormous experience to the group. “We also understand that the last 12 months have been a challenging time for James and his family. “However, following several meetings and discussions with James it is clear he is in now in a very good head space and is highly motivated to get back to professional rugby and prove a point. “We believe that James will benefit from being a part of the Brumbies culture and environment and receive the support he needs to succeed. “Something the Brumbies have always done is provide people with opportunity and we feel that this is what we are offering James — an opportunity to get his career back on track and improve and grow as a player and a person.” Slipper’s signing continues a busy off season for the Brumbies, having already lured Pete Samu, Toni Pulu, Irae Simone, Murray Douglas and Tom Wright to Canberra. “The Brumbies have always had a long history of making players better through their program, so to get a chance to be a part of that is very exciting and something I am looking forward to,” Slipper said. “When I spoke with Dan about 2019 and beyond I was very impressed and cannot thank both him and the Brumbies organisation enough for the opportunity to take my rugby career forward with them.”

Michael Cheika won't waste his breath defending the Wallabies because he hopes they do the convincing themselves on the field this weekend. Wobbling at a record-low No.7 in the world, Australia have won just two of their last nine Tests and must start showing more with the World Cup less than a year away. A last-start loss to Argentina on the Gold Coast was another kick in the guts for Cheika's men, with fans' dismay turning physical when one disgruntled supporter locked horns with Lukhan Tui after the game. The task in South Africa - where the Wallabies haven't won since 2011 - shapes as a daunting one against a side fresh from beating the All Blacks in New Zealand. But Cheika and the squad have cut relaxed figures all week in Port Elizabeth and at 1.05am Sunday morning (AEST) he thinks they can win a few disgruntled fans back. "The people that will get up and watch the game, they're the people we want to do well for in the first instance and then we want to do really well for the people that won't be up watching it so they'll come back," he said. "No message; talk's cheap, it's on the field where it's going to happen." Cheika's job appears safe despite the side's inconsistencies and the man himself has promised to hold his nerve as not bow to external criticism as they try to unlock their potential ahead of Japan's showpiece next year. But he knows the noise won't go away until that happens. "I can make all the messages I like but I'm not a politician, I'm a rugby coach," he said. "The politicking's done on the field and it hasn't been going fantastic, I get it, it's been tough. "But play good footy, make them proud and there will be none of that chat." Cheika will persevere with Kurtley Beale and Matt Toomua as playmakers at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium and is encouraging them to operate on instinct against a defence he is confident of cracking. "That's the way we want to play, not risky just attacking rugby, that's what Australian people want to see," he said. "Be smart and creative and you've got to stay in the moment."

PLAYERS will be suspended for getting concussed under radical new rules being considered by World Rugby to combat head injuries. The idea is to save players from themselves after exhaustive research revealed that nearly 75 per cent of concussions on a rugby field are suffered by tacklers. Of that, the vast majority occur when the tackler is upright in contact, colliding heads with the ball runner. World Rugby now wants to put the onus on the tackler’s technique and is considering banning upright tackles to drastically reduce the number of head injuries in contact. If a tackler is upright in a tackle and gets concussed, they’d face a suspension on top of their rehabilitation because they’ll be deemed at fault. No rule changes can be made less than a year out from a World Cup, so the governing body will continue monitoring head injuries in games around the globe for the next year before forming a new set of guidelines from 2020 around what constitutes being fully upright, clear measurements for determining if a tackler is bent at the waist, and the angles of contact so on-field referees can make accurate decisions in real time. World Rugby recently trialled a “nipple line” tackle trial during the under-20s World Cup but referees found it near impossible to make firm decisions on the run around if a tackle was on the imaginary line or above. This trial is set to be scrapped in favour of the upright tackle upheaval, and the groundbreaking approach is sure to have ramifications around the world in contact sport, with the NRL monitoring the results. World Rugby’s chief medical officer Martin Raftery said the only way to seriously reduce concussion in rugby is to change traditional attitudes. “The tackle [is] the phase of the game with the most concussive injuries, and then within the tackles it is the tackler, not the ball carrier, who is most at risk,” Raftery said. “So what we’re trying to do through a number of different processes is to bring the tackle height down, to protect more the tackler than the ball carrier. “Yes we’ve got to protect the ball carrier as well, but the focus is on the tackler.” Raftery said this would be achieved through a “high tackle warning system”. “That’s about penalising a tackler for being in the upright position who has then clear and obvious head contact with the ball carrier,” Raftery said. “And it doesn’t matter whether the ball carrier is injured or the tackler is injured. If the tackler is upright, when there’s clear and obvious contact, can receive an extra penalty.” The idea of players getting suspended for injuring themselves is a radical proposition to digest, but World Rugby believes it will be the fastest way to reduce concussions after studying head injuries over the past five years. Of 611 cases they studied in professional rugby, 464 concussions happened in the tackle, as opposed to lineouts, scrums and jumping in the air. Of those 464 injuries, 335 were suffered by the tackler. World Rugby wants tacklers to get their heads out of areas where they could collide with the ball runner’s head. Head-on-head contact causes nearly twice as many concussions as contact with other parts of the body, such as elbows, shoulders and hips. “Our objective is to protect the player, we’re trying to do it with evidence behind it, not making rash decisions,” Raftery said. “It seems quite logical; lower the tackle, you’re going to reduce the number of head injuries, it’s not rocket science. If it sounds sensible and is backed by research I think we should be doing it.”

THERE’S big nights out and then there’s this. Japan international Takuma Asahara is a lucky man after the drunk prop was run over by a car in Tokyo before his Test captain Michael Leitch came to the rescue. In a truly bizarre story, the Japan Times reported that Asahara was run over by a car at around 2.20am on Sunday, as he lay drunk in the street in the Tokyo suburb of Fuchu. The 31-year-old was reportedly pinned underneath the vehicle before some of his Toshiba Brave Lupus club teammates arrived to save the day, including his Test captain Leitch. Asahara escaped with only minor injuries after Leitch and his teammates lifted the car up and pulled him to safety. The Brave Lupus later issued a statement on Asahara’s behalf, after the Japan Rugby Football Union had on Monday announced he would not be attending a training camp because of an unspecified injury. “We are extremely sorry that we have caused trouble to various people including the driver,” the statement said. “We will ensure that such an incident will not happen again.” Asahara, who also represents the Sunwolves in Super Rugby, had earlier played a club game against the Coca-Cola Red Sparks in Tokyo on Saturday. He then went out to dinner with his Brave Lupus teammates before the crazy vehicle incident.

THREE pulverising scrums against his own team have won powerhouse Taniela Tupou his first start for the Wallabies despite only 28 minutes of action since coach Michael Cheika said there was “no hurry” to rush the project prop. “Tongan Thor” has been thrust into the front-row to help the Wallabies make a start of real authority against a South African side which will be roared on by 46,000 home fans in Port Elizabeth on Saturday. It is no backflip from Cheika, just a realisation of how quickly Tupou, at 22, has become a weapon. Cheika said there was “heaps of upside” in terms of improvement in Tupou and younger players like him. “This is a chance for Taniela to step up again but it aint a practice match for him to get better, it’s a Test match,” Cheika said. “I’ve made this decision with the full belief he is more than capable to take on his opponent and win.” At Tuesday’s training session, Tupou was at tighthead in the reserve pack when it crunched the nominal Test eight backwards in three consecutive scrums and forced skipper Michael Hooper to urge his main men to regroup. It was an irresistible scrummaging audition against Test prop Scott Sio. As a result, Tupou has taken the spot of Allan Alaalatoa, who moves to the reserves bench. “He’s done really well and we thought this would be a good opportunity in a pretty difficult atmosphere and against a good front-row,” Cheika said of Tupou. “I believe in him a lot as a player and I’m sure he’ll do a really good job, build the concentration from the start and make sure he nails it all.” After Tupou came on as a replacement to win a vital scrum penalty in the 23-18 win over the Springboks in Brisbane earlier this month, Cheika said: “There’s no hurry, let him grow.” Since then, Tupou’s only game time has been 28 minutes against Argentina, but Cheika did say earlier in the week a trait of a good selector-coach was not being “too stubborn”. Cheika has retained Kurtley Beale and Matt Toomua as the starting axis in midfield, with Foley looming as a 20-minute style replacement. The key changes are in the forwards where blindside flanker and lineout target Ned Hanigan will make his first start in 10 months. He replaces the non-touring Lukhan Tui. New dad Adam Coleman is back at lock. In the reserves, there is no specialist backrower which means Rob Simmons is the back-up at blindside flanker – a role he has filled occasionally for the Queensland Reds but not in any of his 88 Tests. There’s some horses-for-courses theory to Simmons’ selection to combat the Bok pack’s big bodies and provide more lineout nous, but it also says Caleb Timu and first-time tourist Angus Cottrell are not considered ready. The personnel changes are less important than the Australians playing with clear minds and sharp skills. Just how wasteful the Wallabies were against Argentina has been laid bare by the Fox Sports Lab. They frittered away their most turnovers (23) since 2016 and made their most handling errors of the year (21) to make a mess of the greatest number of linebreaks (nine) created all season. Any repeat and this will be a 20-point smash-up at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium because new Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus has created an energised, better organised squad than the flawed Boks sides that the Wallabies could not put away in Pretoria (2016) and Bloemfontein (2017). No backrow specialist on the bench means reserve lock Rob Simmons will also be blindside flanker back-up ahead of the overlooked Timu and Cottrell. “It’s a bit more experience and for the set pieces at the end of the game so we have bases covered,” Cheika said. Winning in a city where no Wallabies team has won on four previous visits since 1933 didn’t make bouncing back any more difficult after the 23-19 misfire against Argentina on the Gold Coast, Cheika said. “It was a tough loss, yeah, but sometimes it’s games when you are against the odds that it’s the right time to stand up against that sort of hsitory,” Cheika said. “We’re playing in a fantastic stadium, it’s going to be full and we want to play in big atmospheres like that.” Cheika did give an inkling that the countdown clock to the World Cup was now ticking louder. “It’s 11 games for us before it starts so we’re getting less and less time to train and prepare together for it,” Cheika said. “The dream is lifting the Cup without a doubt. “What we need to do beforehand is believe in ourselves, build the connection between ourselves, build it with our fans and play in a style that makes them believe in us too.” An upset in PE would work wonders. WALLABIES: Dane Haylett-Petty, Israel Folau, Reece Hodge, Matt Toomua, Marika Koroibete, Kurtley Beale, Will Genia, David Pocock, Michael Hooper (c), Ned Hanigan, Izack Rodda, Adam Coleman, Taniela Tupou, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Scott Sio. Res: Folau Faingaa, Sekope Kepu, Allan Alaalatoa, Rory Arnold, Rob Simmons, Nick Phipps, Bernard Foley, Jack Maddocks. SPRINGBOKS: Willie le Roux, Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel, Andre Esterhuizen, Aphiwe Dyantyi, Handre Pollard, Faf de Klerk, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi (c), Franco Mostert, Eben Etzebeth, Frans Malherbe, Malcolm Marx, Tendai Mtawarira. Reserves: Bongi Mbonambi, Steven Kitshoff, Wilco Louw, RG Snyman, Marco van Staden, Embrose Papier, Elton Jantjies, Damian Willemse

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen says Sonny Bill Williams has matured from the player who once would sulk over injury setbacks. The big midfield back ends three months of recovery from a shoulder injury when New Zealand face Argentina in Saturday's Rugby Championship Test in Buenos Aires. While Hansen made a number of surprise selections in a team seeking to bounce back from their home loss to South Africa, it was widely expected veteran Williams would return at inside centre. The 33-year-old has been sidelined by injury several times this year, the latest being damage to an AC joint suffered against France in June which has taken longer than expected to heal. Williams was poised to return but missed the stunning 36-34 loss to the Springboks two weeks ago in Wellington with tonsillitis. It's something which Hansen revealed would have sent the former NRL star to a dark place earlier in his career. "Once upon a time he would have sulked a lot about being injured and not getting games, but he has matured into a really good human being," Hansen said. "He understands there is no point being down about it, so he is pretty positive. He is a positive person around the environment whilst he is injured, he just gets on with his trainings. "He is fit, probably as fit as I have seen him - running fit I am talking about." Williams' leadership will be important against the improved Pumas in a New Zealand team shorn of experience. Hansen was critical of a lack of quality decision-making late in the Springboks defeat, yet has chosen to demote a number of his more accomplished players in making six starting changes. Captain Kieran Read will join the tourists in Pretoria to face South Africa to ease the travel load on his back while centurion prop Owen Franks is surprisingly rested, leaving raw combinations in the front row and loose forwards. Hansen also had an eyebrow-raising reason for starting usual reserve halfback TJ Perenara ahead of Aaron Smith. Perenara will play his 50th Test. "He deserves to have the No.9 on his back when he goes out to play that," Hansen said. "He is a big part of who we are and is one of our leaders. If it was the other way around and 'Nuggie' (Smith) was playing his 50th, he would probably be starting."

THE Brumbies have confirmed the signing of former Wallabies and Reds prop James Slipper on a two-year deal. Slipper was unwanted by zero tolerance Queensland Super Rugby coach Brad Thorn after he was banned for cocaine use this season. The 29-year-old also revealed his mental health struggles this year but has since returned to the field with Queensland Country in the National Rugby Championship. With 86 Tests and 104 Super Rugby games to his name, Slipper adds vast experience to the Brumbies’ already strong propping stocks in the form of Wallabies incumbents Scott Sio and Allan Alaalatoa. Slipper is a former Reds captain and has also led the Wallabies in a Test win over the United States. “We are excited to have a player of the calibre of James joining the Brumbies,” Brumbies coach Dan McKellar said. “When performing at his best James is a quality international prop. “He brings very good set piece, physicality and raw aggression which are all qualities we look for in our front rowers. “Clearly after playing over 80 Tests and more than 100 Super Rugby games he offers enormous experience to the group. “We also understand that the last 12 months have been a challenging time for James and his family. “However, following several meetings and discussions with James it is clear he is in now in a very good head space and is highly motivated to get back to professional rugby and prove a point. “We believe that James will benefit from being a part of the Brumbies culture and environment and receive the support he needs to succeed. “Something the Brumbies have always done is provide people with opportunity and we feel that this is what we are offering James — an opportunity to get his career back on track and improve and grow as a player and a person.” Slipper’s signing continues a busy off season for the Brumbies, having already lured Pete Samu, Toni Pulu, Irae Simone, Murray Douglas and Tom Wright to Canberra. “The Brumbies have always had a long history of making players better through their program, so to get a chance to be a part of that is very exciting and something I am looking forward to,” Slipper said. “When I spoke with Dan about 2019 and beyond I was very impressed and cannot thank both him and the Brumbies organisation enough for the opportunity to take my rugby career forward with them.”

THE Springboks’ hopes of securing back to back Rugby Championship wins have suffered a blow after losing inspirational No 8 Warren Whiteley for their return bout against the Wallabies in Port Elizabeth. A groin injury sustained during training earlier in the week has forced the former Springboks captain out of the match. It’s a colossal blow to Rassie Erasmus’ side, who are coming off the high of beating the All Blacks in their last Test. While it was the speed of Aphiwe Dyantyi that blitzed the All Blacks out wide, it was Whiteley’s calm head, leadership and dogged defensive effort that was the cornerstone of their remarkable 36-34 victory in Wellington. Whiteley didn’t miss any of his 27 tackles in the match and his workrate will be missed against the Wallabies. He has been replaced by Stormers No 8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, who will make his run on debut. WALLABIES (15-1): Dane Haylett-Petty, Israel Folau, Reece Hodge, Matt Toomua, Marika Koroibete, Kurtley Beale, Will Genia, David Pocock, Michael Hooper (c), Ned Hanigan, Izack Rodda, Adam Coleman, Taniela Tupou, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Scott Sio. Reserves: Folau Faingaa, Sekope Kepu, Allan Alaalatoa, Rory Arnold, Rob Simmons, Nick Phipps, Bernard Foley, Jack Maddocks. SPRINGBOKS (15-1): Willie le Roux, Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel, Andre Esterhuizen, Aphiwe Dyantyi, Handre Pollard, Faf de Klerk, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi (c); Franco Mostert, Eben Etzebeth, Frans Malherbe, Malcolm Marx, Tendai Mtawarira Reserves: Bongi Mbonambi, Steven Kitshoff, Wilco Louw, RG Snyman, Marco van Staden, Embrose Papier, Elton Jantjies, Damian Willemse Erasmus has made four changes to his starting side with Tendai Mtawarira, Andre Esterhuizen and Cheslin Kolbe also called in. The Wallabies have also made four changes to their side following their shock loss to Argentina earlier this month, with two forced alterations and a couple of tactical changes. Despite losing to the Wallabies 23-18 in Brisbane earlier this month, the Springboks (10 points) remain a mathematical chance of securing their first Rugby Championship tournament victory. But they must also rely on the All Blacks (16 points) losing to the Pumas in Argentina, before hosting the world champions next month. After being relegated to the bench for the past two Tests, Mtawarira returns at loosehead prop with Steven Kitshoff dropping to the bench. Erasmus has also been forced to name a brand new midfield combination after centres pairing Damien de Allende and Lukhanyo Am were injured against the All Blacks. In their places Esterhuizen returns at inside centre after missing the last two Tests and is joined by Jesse Kriel who has shifted in from the wing. And after two spectacular cameos off the bench, Toulouse utility back Kolbe comes in on the right wing. “Cheslin has been very impressive since he joined the squad a few weeks ago and now he gets a deserved opportunity to start in a big Test,” Erasmus said. “The same applies for Notshe, who did very well in the role of impact player during the English series. “He has kept on working hard and he deserves his opportunity in the starting team. “The inclusion of ‘Beast’ in the front row is a straight swap for Steven and Jesse returns to outside centre, a position where he has played most of his Test rugby, next to Andre, who started in four Tests already this year.” On the bench, loose forward Marco van Staden, halfback Embrose Papier and outside back Damian Willemse all make returns. “The players that we sent on (in Wellington) took their chances and that’s what we want from this group,” Erasmus added. “We are trying to build experience in the squad that we can take to the Rugby World Cup.”

WAYNE Bennett is out the door after 2019, and one premiership-winning coach has set his sights squarely on the vacant post. Michael Maguire, the current head coach of the New Zealand Kiwis, told Pete Badel from the Courier Mail that he would be willing to enter into negotiations if the Broncos hierarchy was to sound him out. “I’ve got some breaking news here ‘Shirvo’ on NRL Tonight. I spoke to Michael Maguire the former Souths coach yesterday and he’s confirmed to me that he’s interested in the Broncos position to replace Wayne Bennett,” Badel said on Thursday. “Of course at this stage there’s no formal contract with Maguire but he’s a man in demand. He’s got interest from Manly and now I’m hearing that the Broncos could be on his radar.” Badel said Maguire would be the perfect fit at Red Hill as one of the few available clipboard-holders with the runs on the board. “Now he delivered Souths a premiership in 2014 and Brisbane are looking for someone to crack their premiership drought, the longest in their history,” he continued. “Michael Maguire’s got the gravitas, he’s got the profile, the pedigree. “He says if Brisbane are interested in him he’s prepared to talk, so if I’m Paul White the CEO I’d be getting on the phone to Michael Maguire.”

WILL Cooper Cronk push through the pain to play in an NRL grand final on Sunday? The Roosters halfback is racing the clock to prove to coach Trent Robinson he can do a job in the big dance, but even if he does make it onto the field he’ll be playing with one arm. His busted left shoulder is hanging by a thread from all reports. He bravely carried it for an entire half of football in the preliminary final last week. And if he can crawl out of the casualty ward and onto ANZ Stadium to lead the Bondi boys to victory, Cronk will enter rugby league folklore. And the men he’ll join in that realm are some of the most revered and toughest to ever play the game. These are men who have soldiered on through broken bones and busted lungs to stand side-by-side with their teammates and fight for glory. These are some the toughest grand final performances of all time. 1970 - JOHN SATTLER The original grand final horror story, and still one of the best. The tough-as-nails South Sydney captain had his jaw broken three minutes into the premiership decider. It was a stray whack from Sea Eagles prop John Bucknall that fractured the bone, and Rabbitohs staff tried to take Sattler off the field to be examined. But the skipper refused to walk away from the fight, and remained on the field despite the painful injury. Sattler made 20 tackles and had 29 possessions in the 77 minutes he played with the broken jaw, as he led South Sydney to a stunning 23-12 victory at the Sydney Cricket Ground. 1997 - ANDREW JOHNS Of course the greatest player to ever strap on a boot (don’t yell at me) is responsible for the greatest grand final moment ever. Johns had been smashed playing for Newcastle a couple of weeks earlier and broken a couple of ribs. When he played through the pain in the preliminary final, the half-time painkilling injection punctured his lung. He was taken to hospital and told by doctors he was no chance of lacing up for the grand final. But Joey defied orders and ran out for the Knights with a bunch of dodgy ribs and one lung, and set up Darren Albert for the most famous try in rugby league. 2014 - SAM BURGESS The big Englishman imitated the other heroic South Sydney skipper with his own performance in the 2014 decider. Much like Sattler many years earlier, Burgess had his cheekbone broken. This time it was the very first hit-up of the game, and he collided with James Graham’s noggin in a brutal headclash. The fiery forward knew immediately how bad the injury was, but refused to leave the field. Entering the sheds at half-time to told the broadcaster; “it’s fooked” ... whatever that means. Burgess led the Bunnies to victory against the Bulldogs and the images of him being chaired off with a busted face will live on forever. 2004 - CHRIS FLANNERY This Rooster is largely unheralded but his grand final story needs to be told more. He copped a knee to the family jewels during the NRL preliminary final, and was later told one of his testicles had ruptured. On the Monday he underwent surgery on the busted nut ... a procedure most men would rather not pay much thought to. And in a show of true bravery, he put some padding around the area and lined up for the Chooks against Canterbury on grand final day. 2000 - SHANE WEBCKE This Broncos prop was one of the toughest players to ever strap on a boot. Webcke suffered a badly broken arm which doctors told him would need eight weeks to heal ... so six weeks later he strapped it up and marched back out onto the field. The amount of padding on his arm was about the same as what was wrapped around the goalpost on the day. Webcke helped Brisbane win the preliminary final, and then beat the Chooks in the decider a week later in what was an inspirational effort.

SAM Thaiday had a crack during his Dally M awards roast. “Before we start, can we get some clean glasses over to the Bulldogs’ table please?” The joke, of course, was made in reference to Canterbury players putting their penises into drinking glasses during their now infamous Mad Monday celebrations earlier this month. It is just the latest jab the Bulldogs have had to cop since photos of nude players surfaced, and while Dave Klemmer says it’s now water off a duck’s back, it clearly still grinds with the Kangaroos prop. “Oh...Well that’s just Sam trying to be funny,” he said, after being told by foxsports.com.au what Thaiday said on Wednesday evening. “I wasn’t there, I was with my family last night, so what do you do? “People are going to take the mickey out of us all the time now because of what’s happened but what do you do? You can’t do anything about it.” He’s watched his good mate Adam Elliott go through hell since becoming the face of the September 3 antics, and thankfully he has revealed the lock forward’s well-being is on the improve. “(Elliott) struggled a bit. He does a lot of things outside of football as well, a lot of charity work, he’s a good fella as well,” Klemmer said. “If you know Adam he’s a genuine bloke, he’s a very good fella and to see him hurting it was hard to see and I just wanted to support him. “I’m still supporting him and for two and a bit weeks he was struggling, but he’s got away with his missus and his family and he’s doing all right now.” Despite all the hurt caused, Klemmer can see a silver lining, and it’s in the way the players have rallied around each other. “I think we’ve come leaps and bounds… we were tight already but we’ve become extremely close since that,” he continued. “We’re backing all the players, we’re behind all the players involved. “Just before our presentation (coach Dean Pay) got us all together and we were united. So as a group we’re really tight, there’s a good feeling now. “Obviously there were a lot of people angry and frustrated but we can’t control the things that happened and we’ve just got to stay together and look after each other.” When asked if there is an ‘us against the world’ mentality at Belmore now, Klemmer nodded. “A little bit mate, for sure,” he replied. “Especially with the media, you know the papers that put the photographers there to get the story and then blow up about it, which is confusing. “If you don’t look for those photos you don’t have a story and you don’t blow up about it. “It’s frustrating because it was a private event, it was three or four stories high, and as a playing group we’ve moved forward but we’ll remember that, a lot of people will remember that.”

PHIL Gould has lead the chorus for a review of the judiciary system following the Billy Slater shoulder charge furore. Slater is free to play in the grand final after successfully fighting the charge for a hit on Sosaia Feki, but Gould has called for a shake up of the system. “I think the whole thing needs to be re-thought and blown up, and the whole points system done again,” Gould said on his weekly Six Tackles With Gus podcast. “I just think we penalise players and suspend players too readily under this system. “It was always going to come down to a day where one of these tackles was going to cost someone an Origin match or a grand final ... that would be unthinkable.” Slater came close to missing the last game of his career because of the hit on Feki, however Gould stressed it should never have come to that. “When the shoulder charge stuff was first brought in, the chair of the judiciary at that time was Judge Paul Conlon, who’s an extremely brilliant man,” Gould said. “He said you don’t need a shoulder charge rule, it’s protected under the dangerous contact rules. If you don’t like the contact, then make a charge and we’ll make a decision as a jury. “To give it a shoulder charge interpretation that will suit all instances where this happens on the field, he said it’s impossible. You’re going to make a rod for your own back, which eventually happened.” Gould has been a long time advocate of adjusting the charges based on the importance of the game. Missing a regular season game is not the same as missing an Origin game or a grand final in Gould’s eyes. “If a player gets charged with a couple of grade one offences a few weeks out from Origin selection, two early pleas adds up to a game out... Origin is much bigger than a normal club game,” Gould said. “I go back to horse racing. If a jockey gets a suspension, he can get a stay of proceedings until the big race is run on the weekend. “He can get the suspension delayed a couple of weeks while they go through legal process. There’s no option to do that (in rugby league).”

THE 2018 NRL grand final has been confirmed, with Melbourne Storm to battle the Sydney Roosters for rugby league supremacy. The Storm and Roosters will clash at ANZ Stadium on Sunday, September 30 on a day that will also feature the inaugural NRL women’s premiership grand final, to be contested by the Brisbane Broncos and Sydney Roosters. The Storm overcame a major hurdle this week when retiring fullback Billy Slater was cleared to play after fronting the judiciary over a shoulder charge. The Roosters have dramas of their own, with star halfback Cooper Cronk battling a shoulder injury and hooker Jake Friend potentially in hot water for an apparent spear tackle. 2018 NRL GRAND FINAL DAY SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 AT ANZ STADIUM, SYDNEY 1.35pm: NRL Women’s Premiership Grand Final: Brisbane Broncos v Sydney Roosters 3.40pm: Intrust Super State Championship Grand Final 7.20pm: 2018 NRL Grand Final: Melbourne Storm v Sydney Roosters HOW TO BUY TICKETS TO THE 2018 NRL GRAND FINAL The final allocation of tickets will go on sale to ticketed members of the Storm and Roosters from 10am Monday, followed by Telstra Thanks at 1pm, and then NRL.com and non-ticketed members of the Storm and Roosters at 4pm Monday until 8am Tuesday. Any remaining tickets will go on sale to the general public from 10am Tuesday. NRL GRAND FINAL ENTERTAINMENT Sydney rockers Gang Of Youths will headline the night’s entertainment from 6.30pm. TEAMS Roosters: 1 James Tedesco, 2 Daniel Tupou, 3 Latrell Mitchell, 4 Joseph Manu, 5 Blake Ferguson, 6 Luke Keary, 7 Mitchell Aubusson, 8 Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, 9 Jake Friend (c), 10 Siosiua Taukeiaho , 11 Boyd Cordner, 12 Isaac Liu, 13 Victor Radley Interchange: 14 Dylan Napa 15 Zane Tetevano 16 Paul Momirovski, 17 Ryan Matterson Reserves: 18 Lindsay Collins, 19 Nat Butcher, 20 Sean O’Sullivan, 23 Cooper Cronk Storm: 1 Billy Slater, 2 Suliasi Vunivalu, 3 Will Chambers, 4 Curtis Scott, 5 Josh Addo-Carr, 6 Cameron Munster, 7 Brodie Croft, 8 Jesse Bromwich, 9 Cameron Smith (c), 10 Tim Glasby, 11 Felise Kaufusi, 12 Joe Stimson, 13 Dale Finucane Interchange: 14 Kenny Bromwich, 15 Christian Welch, 16 Brandon Smith, 17 Nelson Asofa-Solomona Reserves: 18 Ryan Hoffman, 19 Jahrome Hughes, 20 Sam Kasiano, 21 Cheyse Blair BROADCAST: Channel Nine will broadcast the grand final with a repeat on Fox Sports after full-time.

Bernard Tomic has survived a match point to qualify for just his second ATP quarterfinal of the year at the Chengdu Open. Frequently pilloried for not giving his all in matches, the 25 year-old dug deep to beat big-serving South African Lloyd Harris, 7-6 (7-5) 2-6 7-6 (8-6). Looking to move back into the top 100 by season's end to ensure automatic entry into the 2019 Australian Open, Tomic had to withstand 23 aces and an edgy tiebreaker to get the job done. After winning a tight first set that didn't feature a break point chance for either player, Tomic suffered a mid-match malaise and quickly found the ledger squared after having his serve broken twice in a forgettable second. He soon found his feet again in the third, establishing a 2-0 lead, only to relinquish what would be his only break of serve in the match. From there the set stayed on serve before Tomic pinched a mini-break in the tiebreaker and had the opportunity to serve out the clash at 5-4. But Harris had other ideas and won consecutive points off Tomic's serve to have the match on his racquet at 6-5. Tomic returned the favour by winning both points from the Harris serve and then served out the match. He'll play the winner of the match between Australian Open semi-finalist Hyeon Chung and Felix Auger-Aliassime. Currently ranked 123 in the world, Tomic should rise close to No.100 should he win through to the semifinals in China. The cut off for direct entry to the Australian Open is usually No.104; Tomic was forced into qualifying this year where he lost in the last round.

Ashleigh Barty has recovered from a break down in the deciding set to move through to the semi-finals of the Wuhan Open. Riding a wave of confidence after downing Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber in the round of 16, the Australian moved past Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in their quarter-final, 6-2 5-7 6-4. After breezing through the first set off the back of two breaks of serve, Barty was overwhelmed by the free-wheeling Russian towards the back end of the second. Pavlyuchenkova also had the edge in the third set, serving with a 3-2 lead but was immediately broken back as the Queenslander secured four of the next five games to take the match. "I think I had opportunities the second set. I just let them slip. It was nice to be able to take a couple of my opportunities in the third," said Barty, a finalist here in 2017. "It's just nice to be able to back up a result from last year. It's obviously always in the back of your mind, worrying -- not worrying about, but knowing you've played here well before gives you that extra confidence to come out and play freely." Barty will take Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-final. Sabalenka beat Dominika Cibulkova 7-5 6-3 in their quarter-final. Qiang Wang beat Monica Puig 6-3 6-1 in the the other completed quarter-final. A tournament victory in China would take Barty, currently No.17 in the world, to a projected career high of No.15 and above Serena Williams.

Alex de Minaur has enhanced his reputation as Australian tennis' new battler, clawing his way into the Shenzen Open quarter-finals with a three-set win on Thursday. Humbled in the first set and down 4-2 in the second, the 19 year-old came home with a head of steam to beat American Mackenzie McDonald 1-6 7-6 (7-1) 6-0. He'll next meet Damir Dzumhur for a spot in the semi-finals, the match a likely preview of some Davis Cup action in February when Australia play Bosnia in a qualifying tie to make the main group of the new competition in November. Bosnian fourth seed Dzumhur beat India's Ramkumar Ramanathan 6-4 6-2 in his earlier second round match. De Minaur had demonstrated his fighting qualities in Washington last month, saving four consecutive match points in a second set tiebreaker against Andrey Rublev to progress to the tournament decider. At the US Open he pushed 2014 champion Marin Cilic to five tight sets in a third-round encounter.

Australian Matthew Ebden has set-up a quarter-final showdown with top seed Fabio Fognini after a tough second round win at the Chengdu Open. Ebden edged another Italian, Matteo Berrettinis 6-3 3-6 7-6 (7-3) in two hours on Thursday. Fognini enjoyed a more routine 6-4 7-6 (7-2) win over Ruben Bemelmans. Sam Querrey was a 6-1 6-4 victor over Nikoloz Basilashvili and Taylor Fritz also progressed to the last eight with a 7-5 6-1 result against Mikhail Kukushkin. Ebden is joined by countryman Bernard Tomic in the quarter-finals, the one time world No.17 with an opportunity to progress to the last four when he plays Canadian lucky loser Felix Auger-Aliassime. Tomic battled his way through qualifying at the China event, the world No.123 eyeing off a return to the top 100.

THE Australian Opals will meet China in a crucial battle on Friday night as they amp up their bid to win the world cup of basketball for the first time since their historic win back in 2006. The Opals will battle old rivals China for a spot in the semi-final of the FIBA women’s basketball world cup in Tenerife, Spain. The match will be a replay of the Australia v China quarter-final at the 2012 London Olympics won by the Opals who then went on to win a bronze medal. Victory in the match late Friday would then pit the Opals against the winner of the Canada v Spain quarter-final. Key to their success against China will be the continued hot form of Liz Cambage who has topscored in all of Australia’s matches to date. Cambage has scored a tournament high 83 points in her first three outings at the world cup and is averaging 27.7 points per game. The Opals go into the make-or-break clash against China on a high following an undefeated run over Nigeria, Argentina and Turkey in the preliminary rounds. While Australia were enjoying a two-day break from competition, China had to beat Japan on Thursday to book their spot in the quarters. The gold medal will be determined early Monday morning. AUSTRALIA V CHINA 11pm AEST Live on FOX Sports Australia channel 505.