Latest news with #premiership
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Cobalt positive has ramifications on Brisbane jockeys' premiership race between Angela Jones and Emily Lang
There has been a shock twist to the Brisbane jockeys' premiership race with apprentice Emily Lang now only trailing great mate Angela Jones by one win after the disqualification of a winning horse due to a cobalt positive. With only two metropolitan meetings remaining in the season, Jones (65 wins) had led Lang (63 wins) by two. But Lang will now be elevated to 64 wins, as a horse she had finished runner-up to was disqualified at a stewards' hearing in Brisbane on Thursday. The Will and Peter Hulbert -trained Dillian was the winner of a BM80 race at Eagle Farm on April 26, with Lang finishing second on Jack Bruce -trained Galifianakis. However, Dillian has now been disqualified by stewards and a $5000 fine imposed on its trainers after the galloper tested above the legal threshold for cobalt. The Hulberts are mystified as to how cobalt got in the imported gelding's system and say they have never had one of their horses test positive to a banned substance. But they don't intend to appeal, meaning Lang edges closer to Jones' in the Brisbane jockeys' title race which for the first time will be won by a female jockey. 'Following its run on April 26, Dillian returned a positive to cobalt, above the threshold,' Queensland chief steward Josh Adams told Racenet. 'Dillian has today been disqualified from that win. 'The training partnership was fined $5000 and their license was suspended for 12 months, with that suspension being wholly suspended for two years. 'We have already notified Jack Bruce that Galifianakis has got the win. 'It will give Emily Lang that extra win, so she is now only one behind Angela Jones.' • Group 1 winner's return hinges on weather The disqualification drama adds extra intrigue to the Brisbane jockeys' premiership. On Wednesday at Eagle Farm, Lang was suspended by stewards for seven days for overuse of the whip. However, that suspension will not impact the race for the Brisbane jockeys' title, as Lang deferred her ban to start after the last metropolitan meeting of the season at Doomben next Wednesday. It is a low-key off-season meeting at Doomben on Saturday but all eyes will be on Jones (full book of nine rides) and Lang (rides in eight of the nine races) as the good mates try to get the edge in the premiership. Regardless of who comes out on top after next Wednesday's final metropolitan meeting, history will be made as no female rider has ever won the Brisbane jockeys' title.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Too hard': Andrew Johns rejects claims from legends in surprise call on Panthers
League Immortal Andrew Johns has rejected claims from Panthers greats Scott Sattler and Greg Alexander after writing off Penrith's chances of winning a fifth-straight NRL premiership. The Panthers are on a six-game winning streak that's seen them jump into sixth on the ladder after sitting last just two months ago, and it's led to renewed optimism from the likes of Sattler and Alexander that they win another grand final in 2025. Alexander said this week that he believes any of the Raiders, Bulldogs, Broncos or Panthers are capable of preventing premiership favourites the Storm from lifting the trophy this season. Penrith have a tricky run of fixtures in the run home and will be up against to leapfrog the Warriors (4th) and sew up an all-important top-four spot for the finals. But fellow Penrith legend Sattler claims that will be 'irrelevant' for Ivan Cleary's side, based on their resurgent form and proven finals experience. 'They can (win the premiership), based on the aura... and it doesn't matter if they finish 5th or 6th, because a home elimination/semi-final to them is irrelevant," Sattler said on SEN radio this week. 'And they've got players that know how to win and how to prepare.' Johns is not convinced though, and says it will be 'too hard' for the Panthers to win the grand final in the likelihood they finish outside the top-four. Under the current finals system, no team has ever won an NRL premiership after finishing the regular season below 4th and Penrith are currently three wins off the Warriors, who have an easier run home on paper. The Warriors still have two games to play against the last-placed Titans and also have favourable home fixtures against the Dolphins, Dragons and Eels. The Bulldogs and Manly are the only current top-eight sides the Warriors face in their final seven games. Penrith's next three fixtures look juicy on paper, starting with Saturday's home game against the Tigers, followed by matches against strugglers the Gold Coast and Newcastle. But the defending premiers have to play the top three sides in a brutal run home, with clashes against the Storm, Raiders and Bulldogs followed by an away game at the Dragons to round out the season. RELATED: Kevvie vows to act as three stars consider walking away from Kangaroos Madge spills family detail that has Walsh and Broncos primed for finals Panthers fans divided after Ivan Cleary forced to axe grand final hero Andrew Johns dismisses Penrith's premiership hopes Johns says with such a difficult finish and every finals clash likely to be an elimination game for Penrith, he can't see them winning the premiership again this year. "Really, out of eight weeks of footy, they will have one so-called easy game against the Dragons but the rest are at semi-final intensity," he said on Nine's Freddy and the Eighth. "(They'll) go into sudden death footy where they have to win four games in a row. It is too hard for them. They've played a lot of footy (but) Liam Martin is busted, I don't know how Nathan's (Cleary) groin and that is. But it is a bridge too far this year for the Panthers." However, fellow league great Brad Fittler pointed to the fact that Penrith have still been able to win, despite resting their Origin stars such as Cleary and Martin in recent weeks. And he says it could actually give the Panthers an advantage over some of their top-eight rivals, who have vastly less finals experience than the four-time defending premiers. "I think the good sign is they are winning at home and they have managed to all have a rest," Fittler said. "Nathan (Cleary), Isaah Yeo, Dylan Edwards, Brian To'o have all had a rest and they still managed to win those games. "They won all their games over Origin and made 16 points over six games and two byes. A lot of the teams that are at the top, Canterbury, the Raiders, the Warriors... geez, they haven't had much experience playing in finals. You've got three teams who haven't been in the top four for a long time."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Why there's 'a lot riding' on Lion's milestone moment
A goal of the year, knee reconstruction, premiership and Norm Smith Medal mean Will Ashcroft isn't too young to reflect ahead of his 50th AFL game. "It does a bit," the fresh-faced Brisbane Lions midfielder said when asked if his career has felt like a whirlwind. "And learning so much off the back of the knee injury has given me great perspective. "If I achieved 50 games a lot earlier, and didn't have that knee setback, I would have felt a lot differently." The 21-year-old will celebrate the occasion at a Gold Coast venue he knows well. Father and three-time Lions premiership player Marcus was the Suns' inaugural football manager and Will was his shadow. "A lot of memories and Dad, being at the Suns for a long time, I was probably going for the Suns," he said. "It's cool to go back and play them at that ground ... so many childhood memories there." Ashcroft added another accolade when he won the medal named after his father for best on ground in the sides' Gabba meeting earlier this season. While veteran pair Touk Miller and Dayne Zorko have fuelled the rivalry, Ashcroft and younger brother Levi have added significant spice as both sides usher in the next generation. The Lions (13-4-1) have won 12 of their last 13 games against the Suns (11-6), who are eighth and within touching distance of a maiden finals appearance. Brisbane are second but are still to face Collingwood, Sydney, Fremantle and Hawthorn in one of the competition's toughest runs to September. "It's always an enjoyable game and there's probably a lot more riding on this one, for both teams," Ashcroft said. "Every time we play ... there's improvement in both sides within the season, and year-on-year. "It's important for different reasons this time around."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Broncos to unleash 'super six' together for first time
It has taken 21 rounds, but Brisbane finally have their dream starting spine and two powerhouse forwards, Payne Haas and Pat Carrigan, set to play together for the first time. The takeaway from that fact ahead of the home clash with Parramatta on Friday night is that the fifth-placed Broncos' premiership window is well and truly open. Ideally they would like to be closer than four points outside the vital top four, but they have a chance to make the most of the stars aligning to give them a red-hot crack at the title. The first-choice spine of Reece Walsh, Ezra Mam, Adam Reynolds and Ben Hunt had their first game together in the 26-14 win over Gold Coast before the bye. Prop Haas has returned from two weeks off after he was rested from the Titans match due to a lower back injury, and will partner lock Carrigan in a fearsome pack. It's all systems go for the Broncos, but it is up to them to make the most of it. "I'm looking forward to a really strong performance. We've got everything to play for," coach Michael Maguire said. "There's an opportunity there to be taken. It's not so much about who we're playing, it's about what we're doing. It's really important. "We've got a fair bit out of the last five weeks, the way we've played." The Broncos have won their past five games after a sequence of six losses in seven matches. Haas has been a marvel after going above and beyond to play for the side, despite carrying a lower back injury for most of the year. "He's worked hard. He's sacrificed a lot of time to make sure his back's right," Maguire said. "Payne has actually had a real good couple of weeks. I'm glad now that we rested him (against the Titans) ... and he's looking forward to what's ahead." The return of veteran Hunt against the Titans, from two months out with a hamstring injury, has given the Broncos a second rudder to complement captain Reynolds. "Having Hunty there, that's pretty handy for us with obviously the experience that he brings," Maguire said. "He will develop as he keeps going because he hasn't played a lot of nine in recent times, but he's played in big games, so he knows what he's doing." In injury news, giant prop Ben Te Kura is set for more time on the sidelines after a foot fracture playing for Souths-Logan. "He's had a really tough run, the big fella. He got a bit of a slight fracture in one of his bones in his feet," Maguire said. "Unfortunately, he's been in and out. He should be back for two or three games at the back end (of the season), we're hoping."
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Will Clarken and Niki O'Shea to end training partnership at end of season
Adelaide premiership-winning trainers Will Clarken and Niki O'Shea will split at the end of this season, and train in their own right from 2025-26 onwards. The training duo, who have been in partnership for 2½ years, won this year's Adelaide Cup with Silent Surrente, and nailed last season's metro premiership with 45 wins. • Training out of operations at Sellicks Hill, Morphettville and Murray Bridge over the journey, Clarken and O'Shea have scored 26 metro winners so far this season, and 131 winners in total as a partnership – with a strike rate of 16 per cent. Clarken Racing announced the split in a statement on Wednesday. 'I am writing with sadness to inform you that Niki and I are dissolving our training partnership, and that we will both be training in our own right next season,' the statement said. 'Going into our partnership Niki and I made a pact that despite the outcome or length of the partnership we would walk away as friends no matter what, and we have achieved this. 'Sadly, circumstances beyond our control undermined the sustainability of the business model we based our partnership on. 'To keep the business commercially viable as a dual training partnership we need to have 60-plus horses in full training. Although we have the horse numbers at present, there isn't a viable option in South Australia to accommodate that number of horses. • 'Wasn't in my wildest imagination': Milnes poised for premiership glory 'I am extremely fortunate that I can accommodate 40 to 45 horses across my Sellicks and Morphettville facilities, but we can't stretch it beyond that. 'Over the two-and-a-half years Niki and I trained together we have had overwhelming success. 'Like any good partnership, working together over this time has benefited both of us. 'I've learnt a lot from Niki, in particular with horses running over a trip and I believe I have helped Niki develop his skill set in various ways. 'Niki is currently in Ireland. When he returns and establishes himself, we will be supporting him with pre-trainers, and we will be advising clients to send him horses when we have an overflow.' Clarken and O'Shea have four runners accepted for the final metro meeting of the 2024-25 season at Morphettville on Saturday.
