Latest news with #Ball
Mercury
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Mercury
Muswellbrook preview, best bets, inside mail for Sunday, June 1, 2025
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. As the clean up from the devastating floods in northern New South Wales continues, Taree trainer Tony Ball is looking to cause an upset in the two-year-old feature at Muswellbrook. Ball has three runners engaged in the Greg Cribb Memorial Red Crown 2YO Handicap (900m) in Andrea, All Too Silent and Northern Glow. Andrea opened a $26 chance on TAB Fixed Odds on Friday morning behind the Peter Snowden-trained Raging Force at $1.35 before firming into $19 after the early scratching of Firepop. The son of Group 1 placegetter Graff made his debut at Newcastle on February 15 when coming from last to finish fifth behind Frostfire, You're The Choice and Mednyi. 'He probably should have run fourth. He just got a bit lost,' said Tony Ball. Andrea (purple and white) finished fifth to Frostfire on debut. Picture: Bradley Photos The Form: Complete NSW Racing thoroughbred form, including video replays and all you need to know about every horse, jockey and trainer. Find a winner here! 'He will get back and get home hard.' Ball said Andrea has shown nice ability but has been a work in progress. 'He has shown me a bit this horse,' Ball said with a laugh. 'He had a few trials because he was slow to get going and put it all together but he has learnt to do it now.' Ball's other two runners in the Red Crown - All Too Silent and Northern Glow – opened as the two outsiders of the field at $101 but he expects them to make their presence felt, especially Northern Glow. The daughter of Group 1 Golden Rose runner-up North Pacific bumped into a pretty smart one on debut at Coffs Harbour where she had to chase the speedy Shaggy before finishing fifth. She then finished seventh behind the unbeaten Zumbo at Grafton on January 27. 'She didn't much wrong in her first preparation, she was just a bit green,' said Ball. She has improved immensely from last preparation and this time, I've put the ear muffs on her. 'She will go forward from the gate. She is quick.' All Too Silent raced in the same two races as Northern Glow when last behind Shaggy before closing from near last when fourth to Zumbo. 'His last run was excellent at Grafton,' he said. 'He's learnt a lot from that first preparation and is a lot different horse now. 'If Andrea is on song, he will beat the other two of time home and will be hard to beat. 'The filly could knock him off if he doesn't run to his potential but he has just a little bit more class than her. All Too Silent can run well but is probably looking for 1200 metres.' Ball's other runner for the day is Star Prediction in the Super Maiden (1280m) and he expects the gelding to go close to breaking through. The son of Nostradamus has placed in three of his five starts including a close second to Solitario at Scone on Cup Day. He also finished third behind Mia Ballerina and Hidden Achievement at Canterbury on April 21. 'He has tonnes of ability and is going enormous,' Ball said. 'He just got beat at Scone the other day. The horse of (Paul) Messara's just grabbed him in the last few strides. 'The second horse in that Canterbury race, Hidden Achievement, was racing at Rosehill this weekend and was also nominated for the Group 2 Sires' Produce at Eagle Farm. 'It's pretty good form.' The three-year-old has drawn out the outside barrier but Ball and jockey Shae Wilkes are too concerned. 'I said to Shae on Friday morning that we've drawn bad this weekend and she said 'We'll be outside the leader after we've gone 50 metres'. 'He worked really well on Friday morning and looks fabulous and I'm sure he will run very well again.' ADAM SHERRY'S TOP SELECTIONS BEST BET Race 7 No. 2: RITZSUN Narrow seconds at his past two runs and can go one better. NEXT BEST Race 3 No. 5: IMAGE OF THE SUN Well suited stepping up to the 2300m and gets her chance. VALUE BET Race 6 No. 7: ZOOMORPHIC Strong wins at his past two and an improving track only helps as he chances a hat-trick. QUADDIE Race 4: 3, 5, 8 Race 5: 1, 2, 8 Race 6: 4, 5, 6, 7 Race 7: 2, 8, 11 JOCKEY TO FOLLOW REECE JONES has some nice rides and looks a chance in the TAB Jockey Challenge. Reece Jones can have a good day at Muswellbrook. Picture: Getty Images INSIDE MAIL – MUSWELLBROOK RACE 1: GREG CRIBB MEMORIAL RED CROWN 2YO HANDICAP 900m RAGING FORCE (2) was well backed on debut in the Group 3 Breeders Plate where he raced wide without cover and finishing a three length sixth to King Kirk. Has since been gelded. Closed strongly under a hold when third in his May 5 Randwick trial. ANDREA (1) was green on debit at Newcastle on Feb 15 where he settled last and wide. He did make up ground to beat a couple home and finish two-and-a-half lengths off Frostfire. IT STAYS IN VEGAS (5) was also green in debut when fifth at Scone on Jan 30. Led and won a Gunnedah trial on May 14. Bet: Trifecta 2 / 1, 4, 5 RACE 2: KELDAN COMMERCIAL COUNTRY BOOSTED 3YO & UP MAIDEN PLATE 900m LAST LALIQUE (8) is a debutant is a half-sister to the consistent Dollar Magic by Star Witness. Sat outside the leader and kept under a good hold to the line when a nose second ion her May 14 Gunnedah trial. BRUMMAGEN (1) was third to Sardonyx at Dubbo on debut in February last year and returned with a handy fourth to Joiselle second-up. Resumes from a long spell after a handy third to Wonder Step in his May 13 Wellington trial. BALLY ISLE (4) will take improvement from his two runs in his first campaign including a debut second to Divine Feminine at Quirindi. Bet: Last Lalique to win RACE 3: ACORP COMPUTERS HUNTER RIVER STAYERS CUP BENCHMARK 74 HANDICAP 2300m IMAGE OF THE SUN (5) settled four lengths off the leader Enterprise Lassie and made ground under her 62kg to finish second over 1600m. Was slow out and always well back when down the drack to Fiorsum Fred in the 1600m Highway at Scone on May 17. Much better suited stepping up to the 2300m. JONNY BE SWIFT (7) battled away for third to Cascade Mountain as an odds-on fav at Gunnedah two starts back before backing up at Taree eight days later when a long head third to Justifiably over 2000m. CASCADE MOUNTAIN (2) is in great form with four wins and a close second from his last five starts. Bet: Image Of The Sun to win RACE 4: SHORTY CRIBB ABERDEEN CUP BENCHMARK 82 HANDICAP 1280m STRATIFIED (5) is racing in consistent form. Led all-the-way to beat Rouge Moulin at Mudgee back on Feb 23. Has placed in three of his four runs since and was fourth in the other. Just run down late by Lockdown Gamble at Mudgee last start. MCKEON (8) came from a long way back when beaten just over two lengths by Ballinderry Sal in the TAB Highway at Randwick two starts ago. Bounced back to winning form to beat Ritzsun in the Highway on Gosford Cup Day. INFERENCIA (3) led all-the-way to win a Rosehill Highway on Mar 22 before an eighth to Bianco Vilano at Warwick Farm. Bet: Stratified each-way RACE 5: THE ROYAL HOTEL MUSWELLBROOK SUPER MAIDEN HANDICAP 1280m STAR PREDICTION (1) battled away for third behind Mia Ballerina and Hidden Achievement over 1250m at Canterbury three starts back then struggled in the very heavy ground when sixth to Mille De Lune over 1500m at Newcastle. Back to 1300m and just nabbed by Solitario at Scone last start. JUSTICE WARRIOR (2) was okay when second to Cashaway Gold at Port Macquarie first-up and better when second to King's Secret at Gosford. Raced keen with a sit and didn't finish off when sixth to Queen's Rhapsody at Hawkesbury last start. CALIFORNIA SECRET (8) resumes here. Closed nicely from last for third in his May 13 Warwick Farm trial. Bet: Star Prediction to win RACE 6: JTS REALTY COUNTRY BOOSTED CLASS 2 HANDICAP 1450m ZOOMORPHIC (7) was ultra impressive winning a Mudgee Super Maiden and followed with a nice win from Only Need One on a Soft 5 at Dubbo. With an improving track here, his chances of a hat-trick improve. NAVY STEEL (4) has two wins and a close second from his four runs this time in. Just beaten under 61.5kg at Inverell last start. SANZENO (5) had no luck when down the track in the 1600m Highway at Scone last start. Was a handy third to Otium over 1700m at Scone and a half-length second over 1400m to Mulvader at Mudgee before that. Bet: Zoomorphic each-way RACE 7: SNOWDEN RACING BENCHMARK 66 HANDICAP 1000m RITZSUN (2) raced outside the leader when a neck second to Deion at Mudgee then raced in the middle of a lie of three before going to the front when a head second to Mckeon in the Highway at Gosford. Drawn wide but gets a claim and can break through. MOVE SHE CAN (11) scored a nice win first-up at Scone before a third to Hulu here. Bumped at start and got well back when fifth at Tamworth last start. Drawn well and should settle in a forward position. OCTAVIAN TREASURE (8) and CUMBOOGLE (1) have claims. Bet: Ritzsun to win
Indianapolis Star
15 hours ago
- Business
- Indianapolis Star
Mega Millions winning numbers for May 30: Jackpot rises to $189 million
The Mega Millions jackpot rose to $189 million for the drawing on Friday, May 30 after no one matched all the winning numbers in the drawing on Tuesday, May 27. If someone matches all six numbers on Friday, they will have the option of a one-time cash payment of $82.7 million. Friday's numbers are set to be drawn just after 11 p.m. ET, and we'll have the results below. There have been three Mega Millions winners this year, with the most recent being the April 18 win in Ohio of a $112 million jackpot. Before then, a lucky lottery ticket holder in Illinois took home a $344 million jackpot on March 25, while another lucky person hit the Mega Millions jackpot on Jan. 17 for $113 million. Here are the winning numbers from the Mega Millions drawing on Friday, May 30, 2025. The winning numbers for Friday, May 30 will be posted here once drawn. Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Any Mega Millions winners will be posted here once announced by lottery officials. To view the list of past winners, visit the Mega Millions website. To play the Mega Millions, you have to buy a ticket. You can do this at a variety of locations, including your local convenience store, gas station, or even grocery store. In some states, Mega Millions tickets can be bought online. Once you have your ticket, you need to pick six numbers. Five of them will be white balls with numbers from 1 to 70. The gold Mega Ball ranges from 1 to 24. If you're feeling especially unlucky or don't want to go through the hassle of picking, you can ask for a "Quick Pick" or an "Easy Pick.' These options let the computer randomly generate numbers for you. Mega Millions tickets now include a built-in multiplier, which increases non-jackpot prizes by two, three, four, five, or 10 times. Before, players had to pay an extra dollar to add the "Megaplier"; now it's free. There are 15 Megapiler balls in all: Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets. You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer. Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. Must be 18+, 21+ in AZ and 19+ in NE. Not affiliated with any State Lottery. Gambling Problem? Call 1-877-8-HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY); 1-800-327-5050 (MA); 1-877-MYLIMIT (OR); 1-800-981-0023 (PR); 1-800-GAMBLER (all others). Visit for full terms.
USA Today
20 hours ago
- Business
- USA Today
Mega Millions winning numbers for May 30: Jackpot rises to $189 million
Mega Millions winning numbers for May 30: Jackpot rises to $189 million Show Caption Hide Caption Odds of winning the Powerball and Mega Millions are NOT in your favor Odds of hitting the jackpot in Mega Millions or Powerball are around 1-in-292 million. Here are things that you're more likely to land than big bucks. The Mega Millions jackpot rose to $189 million for the drawing on Friday, May 30 after no one matched all the winning numbers in the drawing on Tuesday, May 27. If someone matches all six numbers on Friday, they will have the option of a one-time cash payment of $82.7 million. Friday's numbers are set to be drawn just after 11 p.m. ET, and we'll have the results below. There have been three Mega Millions winners this year, with the most recent being the April 18 win in Ohio of a $112 million jackpot. Before then, a lucky lottery ticket holder in Illinois took home a $344 million jackpot on March 25, while another lucky person hit the Mega Millions jackpot on Jan. 17 for $113 million. Here are the winning numbers from the Mega Millions drawing on Friday, May 30, 2025. Mega Millions winning numbers for 5/30/25 The winning numbers for Friday, May 30 will be posted here once drawn. Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Did anyone win the Mega Millions? Any Mega Millions winners will be posted here once announced by lottery officials. To view the list of past winners, visit the Mega Millions website. How to play the Mega Millions To play the Mega Millions, you have to buy a ticket. You can do this at a variety of locations, including your local convenience store, gas station, or even grocery store. In some states, Mega Millions tickets can be bought online. Once you have your ticket, you need to pick six numbers. Five of them will be white balls with numbers from 1 to 70. The gold Mega Ball ranges from 1 to 24. If you're feeling especially unlucky or don't want to go through the hassle of picking, you can ask for a "Quick Pick" or an "Easy Pick.' These options let the computer randomly generate numbers for you. Mega Millions tickets now include a built-in multiplier, which increases non-jackpot prizes by two, three, four, five, or 10 times. Before, players had to pay an extra dollar to add the "Megaplier"; now it's free. There are 15 Megapiler balls in all: 2X, five balls 3X, six balls 4X, three balls 5X, one ball Where can you buy lottery tickets? Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets. You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer. Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. Must be 18+, 21+ in AZ and 19+ in NE. Not affiliated with any State Lottery. Gambling Problem? Call 1-877-8-HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY); 1-800-327-5050 (MA); 1-877-MYLIMIT (OR); 1-800-981-0023 (PR); 1-800-GAMBLER (all others). Visit for full terms. Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
Axios
a day ago
- Politics
- Axios
Accusations fly as Miami officials discuss the "weaponization" of government
A Miami city commission meeting organized to discuss the "weaponization of city government" ended in finger-pointing and shouting. The big picture: Feuding and political posturing among commissioners overshadowed the pleas of restaurant owners seeking reprieve from code enforcement raids that disrupt — or even shut down — their businesses during peak hours. Driving the news: The thrust of Friday's meeting was a list of accusations against Commissioner Joe Carollo, the veteran Miami politician seen as a candidate for Miami mayor, including claims that he is using code enforcement to go after a political opponent. "One person has set our city back many years," Commissioner Damian Pardo said at the meeting. Friction point: Commissioner Miguel Angel Gabela accused Carollo of sending code enforcement to his private properties after Gabela spearheaded an audit of the city's Bayfront Park Management Trust. Gabela says the probe will uncover wrongdoing by Carollo, the former chairman of the Trust. Carollo — who has denied wrongdoing — told the city manager that there were "direct, in-your-face violations" at Gabela's properties. Zoom in: During the meeting, Carollo set up a PowerPoint presentation showing publicly accessible satellite images of Gabela's properties with boats and cars parked in the lot. Carollo also accused Gabela of threatening to fire the city manager if he sent code enforcement to the properties. Gabela denied the claim. "He thinks he can do whatever he wants in this city," Carollo said. Reality check: Carollo was hit with a $63.5 million legal judgment in 2023 after a jury found him liable for violating the free speech rights of the owners of the nightclub Ball & Chain. The jury found that Carollo pushed police and code enforcement to target their properties after they supported one of Carollo's political opponents. The city also agreed to pay $12.5 million to settle a related lawsuit. What they're saying: Gabela, who said he has no open code violations against him, alluded to the legal cases against Carollo but was instructed by the city's legal team to refrain from discussing details, citing active litigation. "This is 2.0 Ball & Chain, what they're doing to me," Gabela previously told Local 10. Gabela's wife recently addressed the commission to accuse Carollo of sending staff to watch her. Meanwhile, Carollo told Axios the city needs to reform its building and code enforcement departments to address concerns made by restaurant owners. "There's a lot of things that need to be reformed. But I don't control that. If I did, I guarantee you they would be done in a much more appropriate way." What's next: Voters will go to the polls Tuesday to elect a new commissioner in District 4 after the death of Manolo Reyes in April.
The Advertiser
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Artist wins $100k prize with art of wax, sand and glass
Jack Ball has won the nation's richest prize for young artists for an immersive photographic and sculptural installation, inspired by a scrapbook collection in the Australian Queer Archives. Ball, 39, was announced as the winner of the Ramsay Art Prize at a ceremony at the Art Gallery of South Australia on Friday. The trans man was among 22 finalists selected from a record field of more than 500 entries for the $100,000 biennial prize, awarded to a contemporary Australian artist aged under 40. Ball, who worked on Heavy Grit intensively for more than a year, said they had a "huge emotional response" to scrapbooks held by the Australian Queer Archives. "I had so many dilemmas, so many curiosities, so many things to grapple with," they said. "In the 1950s-60s, seeing different references to trans experiences was incredibly meaningful and complex and I had a lot of big feelings to process through the experience of engaging with that content." The work includes fragments and glimpses of queer histories, layering archival materials with personal images and soft form sculptures, and creating an interplay between the past and the present. In a prize with no restrictions on materials for entries, the winning work comprises diverse mediums including inkjet prints, textured stained glass, beeswax, charcoal, copper pipe, fabric, paint, sand and rope. An earlier iteration of the work, exhibited at the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts in 2024, even contained chilli powder. There are also suspended elements, with ropes anchored by purple silk sandbags that have been coiled into intestinal shapes. "I just had a lot of fun working with these sculptural materials, and thinking about what sort of spatial relationships I can build," said Ball. The judges spent months selecting finalists and landed on a winner after seeing the works installed in the gallery earlier in the week. In the end, their decision was unanimous and they described the winning work as "sensual, experimental and sophisticated". Co-judge Julie Fragar was recently in the spotlight as the 2025 Archibald Prize winner, and said with all the excitement of winning a major award, Ball should expect a few sleepless nights. "I've been looking at Jack this week thinking, 'hang on to your hat' and have fun with it," said Fragar. Due to its lack of entry restrictions, the Ramsay Prize has a unique capacity to reflect contemporary art trends, said Fragar, but it's ultimately an art world prize. "It has great potential to transform an artist's career, but the Ramsay's not 'the horse race', as they say of the Archibald." Sydney-born Ball grew up in Perth and moved back to the NSW capital two years ago. Ball's work becomes part of the Art Gallery of South Australia's collection, joining works by past winners Sarah Contos (2017), Vincent Namatjira (2019), Kate Bohunnis (2021) and Ida Sophia (2023). Finalists are on display at the gallery from Saturday until August 31. Jack Ball has won the nation's richest prize for young artists for an immersive photographic and sculptural installation, inspired by a scrapbook collection in the Australian Queer Archives. Ball, 39, was announced as the winner of the Ramsay Art Prize at a ceremony at the Art Gallery of South Australia on Friday. The trans man was among 22 finalists selected from a record field of more than 500 entries for the $100,000 biennial prize, awarded to a contemporary Australian artist aged under 40. Ball, who worked on Heavy Grit intensively for more than a year, said they had a "huge emotional response" to scrapbooks held by the Australian Queer Archives. "I had so many dilemmas, so many curiosities, so many things to grapple with," they said. "In the 1950s-60s, seeing different references to trans experiences was incredibly meaningful and complex and I had a lot of big feelings to process through the experience of engaging with that content." The work includes fragments and glimpses of queer histories, layering archival materials with personal images and soft form sculptures, and creating an interplay between the past and the present. In a prize with no restrictions on materials for entries, the winning work comprises diverse mediums including inkjet prints, textured stained glass, beeswax, charcoal, copper pipe, fabric, paint, sand and rope. An earlier iteration of the work, exhibited at the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts in 2024, even contained chilli powder. There are also suspended elements, with ropes anchored by purple silk sandbags that have been coiled into intestinal shapes. "I just had a lot of fun working with these sculptural materials, and thinking about what sort of spatial relationships I can build," said Ball. The judges spent months selecting finalists and landed on a winner after seeing the works installed in the gallery earlier in the week. In the end, their decision was unanimous and they described the winning work as "sensual, experimental and sophisticated". Co-judge Julie Fragar was recently in the spotlight as the 2025 Archibald Prize winner, and said with all the excitement of winning a major award, Ball should expect a few sleepless nights. "I've been looking at Jack this week thinking, 'hang on to your hat' and have fun with it," said Fragar. Due to its lack of entry restrictions, the Ramsay Prize has a unique capacity to reflect contemporary art trends, said Fragar, but it's ultimately an art world prize. "It has great potential to transform an artist's career, but the Ramsay's not 'the horse race', as they say of the Archibald." Sydney-born Ball grew up in Perth and moved back to the NSW capital two years ago. Ball's work becomes part of the Art Gallery of South Australia's collection, joining works by past winners Sarah Contos (2017), Vincent Namatjira (2019), Kate Bohunnis (2021) and Ida Sophia (2023). Finalists are on display at the gallery from Saturday until August 31. Jack Ball has won the nation's richest prize for young artists for an immersive photographic and sculptural installation, inspired by a scrapbook collection in the Australian Queer Archives. Ball, 39, was announced as the winner of the Ramsay Art Prize at a ceremony at the Art Gallery of South Australia on Friday. The trans man was among 22 finalists selected from a record field of more than 500 entries for the $100,000 biennial prize, awarded to a contemporary Australian artist aged under 40. Ball, who worked on Heavy Grit intensively for more than a year, said they had a "huge emotional response" to scrapbooks held by the Australian Queer Archives. "I had so many dilemmas, so many curiosities, so many things to grapple with," they said. "In the 1950s-60s, seeing different references to trans experiences was incredibly meaningful and complex and I had a lot of big feelings to process through the experience of engaging with that content." The work includes fragments and glimpses of queer histories, layering archival materials with personal images and soft form sculptures, and creating an interplay between the past and the present. In a prize with no restrictions on materials for entries, the winning work comprises diverse mediums including inkjet prints, textured stained glass, beeswax, charcoal, copper pipe, fabric, paint, sand and rope. An earlier iteration of the work, exhibited at the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts in 2024, even contained chilli powder. There are also suspended elements, with ropes anchored by purple silk sandbags that have been coiled into intestinal shapes. "I just had a lot of fun working with these sculptural materials, and thinking about what sort of spatial relationships I can build," said Ball. The judges spent months selecting finalists and landed on a winner after seeing the works installed in the gallery earlier in the week. In the end, their decision was unanimous and they described the winning work as "sensual, experimental and sophisticated". Co-judge Julie Fragar was recently in the spotlight as the 2025 Archibald Prize winner, and said with all the excitement of winning a major award, Ball should expect a few sleepless nights. "I've been looking at Jack this week thinking, 'hang on to your hat' and have fun with it," said Fragar. Due to its lack of entry restrictions, the Ramsay Prize has a unique capacity to reflect contemporary art trends, said Fragar, but it's ultimately an art world prize. "It has great potential to transform an artist's career, but the Ramsay's not 'the horse race', as they say of the Archibald." Sydney-born Ball grew up in Perth and moved back to the NSW capital two years ago. Ball's work becomes part of the Art Gallery of South Australia's collection, joining works by past winners Sarah Contos (2017), Vincent Namatjira (2019), Kate Bohunnis (2021) and Ida Sophia (2023). Finalists are on display at the gallery from Saturday until August 31. Jack Ball has won the nation's richest prize for young artists for an immersive photographic and sculptural installation, inspired by a scrapbook collection in the Australian Queer Archives. Ball, 39, was announced as the winner of the Ramsay Art Prize at a ceremony at the Art Gallery of South Australia on Friday. The trans man was among 22 finalists selected from a record field of more than 500 entries for the $100,000 biennial prize, awarded to a contemporary Australian artist aged under 40. Ball, who worked on Heavy Grit intensively for more than a year, said they had a "huge emotional response" to scrapbooks held by the Australian Queer Archives. "I had so many dilemmas, so many curiosities, so many things to grapple with," they said. "In the 1950s-60s, seeing different references to trans experiences was incredibly meaningful and complex and I had a lot of big feelings to process through the experience of engaging with that content." The work includes fragments and glimpses of queer histories, layering archival materials with personal images and soft form sculptures, and creating an interplay between the past and the present. In a prize with no restrictions on materials for entries, the winning work comprises diverse mediums including inkjet prints, textured stained glass, beeswax, charcoal, copper pipe, fabric, paint, sand and rope. An earlier iteration of the work, exhibited at the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts in 2024, even contained chilli powder. There are also suspended elements, with ropes anchored by purple silk sandbags that have been coiled into intestinal shapes. "I just had a lot of fun working with these sculptural materials, and thinking about what sort of spatial relationships I can build," said Ball. The judges spent months selecting finalists and landed on a winner after seeing the works installed in the gallery earlier in the week. In the end, their decision was unanimous and they described the winning work as "sensual, experimental and sophisticated". Co-judge Julie Fragar was recently in the spotlight as the 2025 Archibald Prize winner, and said with all the excitement of winning a major award, Ball should expect a few sleepless nights. "I've been looking at Jack this week thinking, 'hang on to your hat' and have fun with it," said Fragar. Due to its lack of entry restrictions, the Ramsay Prize has a unique capacity to reflect contemporary art trends, said Fragar, but it's ultimately an art world prize. "It has great potential to transform an artist's career, but the Ramsay's not 'the horse race', as they say of the Archibald." Sydney-born Ball grew up in Perth and moved back to the NSW capital two years ago. Ball's work becomes part of the Art Gallery of South Australia's collection, joining works by past winners Sarah Contos (2017), Vincent Namatjira (2019), Kate Bohunnis (2021) and Ida Sophia (2023). Finalists are on display at the gallery from Saturday until August 31.
