| Dwyer ruled out for rest of season • Ryan Moore claims ride on Theysken's Theory• Proposed Champions' Day in fresh doubtMartin Dwyer will miss the rest of the season after breaking his right thumb and a bone in his left elbow in a mid-race fall at Leicester on Monday. The 35-year-old jockey, who is also badly bruised, remains at the city's Royal Infirmary and will undergo surgery to stabilise the breaks.Dwyer was described as "very upset" by his father-in-law, the trainer William Muir, because he will now miss out on some high-quality rides at Ascot this weekend. Chief among these is Theysken's Theory, the clear favourite for next year's 1,000 Guineas with one firm and expected to line up in Saturday's Fillies' Mile.It may add to Dwyer's pain that he will be replaced on the filly by the champion jockey, Ryan Moore, but he should get the ride back. "I'm sure that's what the owner would want," said Brian Meehan, the trainer of Theysken's Theory.Fresh confusion has been introduced to the process of compiling next year's fixture list with the news that the French authorities will make an unexpected objection to the proposed new Champions' Day at Ascot. France Galop has issued a statement insisting on the need for a three-week gap between Arc weekend and the new raceday, provisionally scheduled to take place only a fortnight after the Arc. The French objection means it can no longer be assumed that the new raceday will be approved by the European Pattern Committee, which must ratify any fixture change involving Group races.The British fixture list for 2011 is published tomorrow but the EPC is not due to meet this week. The British Horseracing Authority was unable to clarify whether it would press ahead with plans for Champions' Day, switch it to a different date or suspend it until 2012.Horse racingChris Cookguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Week 3 bests & worsts: Missed field goals ruin the day for Saints, Raiders USA TODAY's Sean Leahy looks at the superlatives for Week 3 of the NFL season. rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
Lewis Hamilton suffers another setback in the Japanese grand prix The 2008 world champion's mid-summer run of two wins and two second places has given way to bad luck and a series of errorsThe image was striking. An hour before the start of the Japanese grand prix the 24 drivers were led to a priceless array of classic sports cars in order to be paraded around the Suzuka circuit. There were Rolls-Royces and Mercedes, Ferraris, Alfa Romeos and Jaguars but, as the cavalcade set off, perched in the back of a three‑wheeled Messerschmitt was the unmistakable figure of Lewis Hamilton.It was one of those weekends when nothing quite worked out the way it should for the 2008 world champion, and now any hopes that this season will bring a second title must be as likely as one of Japan's Shinkansen trains ever running late.In mid-summer Hamilton put together a four-race run of two wins and two second places to lead the championship but in the six grands prix since the British round at Silverstone on 11 July he has stood on the podium just once, the top step at Spa. In a five-way title fight results like that do not a champion make, and Hamilton must now be ruing the errors and ill fortune that have blighted the second half of his season.There was little he could do about the gearbox failure in Hungary, but an ill‑judged passing manoeuvre on the opening lap at Monza and then not leaving Mark Webber's Red Bull enough room in Singapore as he looked to make up a place were errors he could ill afford. Stuffing his McLaren into the barrier only 45 minutes into practice here on Friday was another black mark on what will be an interesting report card come the season's end.Today Hamilton found himself stymied behind his team-mate, Jenson Button, despite running on soft tyres and clearly having more speed.He should never have been there having qualified as the third fastest, but he had to start from eighth on the grid after being docked five places for replacing his gearbox, damaged in the collision in Singapore.Once he had pitted on lap 23 and his car was in clean air he was the quickest man on the track, but he was defenceless against Button when, on lap 44, his soft‑tyred team-mate, now with a low fuel load, drove straight past him and into fourth place. It did not help that Hamilton's new gearbox refused to engage third as the race wore on. The icing on this cake of woe for Hamilton is that he was also suffering from an ear infection.There are three races left, starting with the inaugural Korean grand prix in a fortnight's time, and none of the circuits left – Brazil and Abu Dhabi wrap up the season – look like McLaren-friendly tracks. To be fair, few have been bar Montreal. It has been Hamilton's phenomenal talent and sheer will along with Button's guile and craft that have kept the Woking team in the hunt.The 2010 McLaren-Mercedes is a good car but it is no Red Bull, and it has not been developed as progressively as the Ferrari that Fernando Alonso has made such good use of in recent races. There is no doubt that Hamilton has made the car look better than it really is.His drive in Australia was mesmerising before he got clattered by an over-excited Webber, and it was the Englishman's dogged pursuit of Sebastien Vettel and Webber in Turkey that was the catalyst for the Red Bulls to crash into each other.It might yet be that Hamilton can rescue his season and race with the No1 on the front of his car next year, but after yesterday it is long odds against. The never-say-die attitude and the racer's instinct have not been enough, and on occasion have even been the Englishman's own worst enemies.Hamilton will have learned a lot from having the error-free Button on the other side of the garage this season and will no doubt put it to good use in 2011. But for the remainder of this season he will continue to go flat out – that is the man's forte.It is also his foible.Lewis HamiltonFormula OneMotor sportOliver Owenguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Stricter rules on ref interaction could mean technical difficulty The message from the NBA to its players is clear: Adapt to new guidelines limiting complaints to referees or suffer the consequences more technical ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
NFL players adjust to crackdown on illegal hits By EDDIE PELLS and HOWARD FENDRICH 2010-10-25T08:17:29ZDolphins cornerback Sean Smith had Steelers receiver Hines Ward lined up, ready to deliver the big hit. Instead of going high, he went for Ward's legs. No fine or penalty for that one.... hosted.ap.org |