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Wainwright earns 19th victory as Cardinals get past Padres Adam Wainwright earned his 19th win with a dominant performance and Colby Rasmus homered and scored twice, helping the St. Louis Cardinals take ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
In the loaded AFC East, is there room for the gritty Dolphins? The sign posted on the door leading to the Miami Dolphins training room says it all. No Egos Allowed." Accompanying the notice is a can't-miss ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
Points deduction may halt Liverpool sale • Administration and points deduction could deter buyers• Club could face relegation battle if courts deny BroughtonThe prospective new owners of Liverpool could be discouraged from buying the club if next week's court action fails to force the deal through and the club is then placed into administration, incurring a nine‑point penalty from the Premier League. Sources close to the Liverpool battle said the loss of nine points, which could sink the team into a genuine relegation battle, would mean "the economics of the club are devastated", and New England Sports Ventures might reconsider its position.It was previously thought that the Premier League would not deduct nine points, its penalty for clubs which go into administration, because the holding company would be in default, not the club. However it emerged yesterday that the league's chief executive, Richard Scudamore, believes that the holding company's administration cannot be entirely separated from the club, and the nine-point penalty would apply.NESV is not commenting on the Liverpool situation until it is resolved. However, it would be natural, when considering its position, for the consortium to take account of the dramatically changed circumstances Liverpool would be in if the club lost nine points.The penalty could be imposed next Friday and, with no further Premier League matches having been played, Liverpool would be bottom on minus three points, eight points behind the two clubs immediately above, Wolves and West Ham United, and nine points from safety.That would be a huge setback for a club still aspiring to be in the top four, not fourth from bottom, making it almost certain, at the very least, that they would not qualify for the Champions League for the second successive season. Financially, that would have a major impact, and relegation a catastrophic one, so new owners might have to contemplate spending more than they planned on new players in January to ensure Premier League survival.NESV, which owns the Boston Red Sox, has concluded a deal with the Liverpool chairman, Martin Broughton, to buy the club, a takeover which the Premier League approved in principle yesterday. However the consortium, and its majority shareholder, John W Henry, must wait to see whether a high court judge is prepared to declare that Broughton does have the right to sell the club, against the unwavering opposition of the current owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, who are fighting to get some money from their exit out of Liverpool.If Broughton's court action fails, the £237m owed to Royal Bank of Scotland by Hicks's and Gillett's Liverpool holding company, Kop, falls due next Friday, 15 October. Hicks and Gillett, under financial pressure in the US, are expected to fail to pay, and RBS is currently believed likely to put the club into administration, although the scale of the damage that could do to Liverpool might cause the bank to reassess."Going into administration needs to be avoided at all costs, as the negative impact would be catastrophic," Broughton said. "Setting aside the nine-point deduction, it would have an impact on Liverpool's value and be wide open to predators, whereas we have what we believe is the right new owners to take the club forward."The whole prospect of NESV reconsidering its position dramatically increases the importance for Liverpool of Broughton succeeding with next week's court action. He will ask the judge, crucially, to declare that as the chairman, he had the sole right to appoint and remove directors, so keeping his majority on the board, with the managing director Christian Purslow and commercial director Ian Ayre. On Tuesday, Hicks attempted to sack those two and replace them with his son, Mack, and Mack's assistant, Lori Kay McCutcheon.Broughton will also ask for a declaration that Hicks and Gillett cannot block the deal because of undertakings they gave RBS not to obstruct a "reasonable" sale. Hicks argues the deal, which will pay him and Gillett nothing, "dramatically undervalues" Liverpool, so he is fighting to hold out for another deal offering more money.If Hicks succeeds, Liverpool are expected to be put into administration on Friday, then for RBS to sell the club to NESV for £200m. Yet that would be up for negotiation, and a nine-point penalty could severely affect the outcome.LiverpoolJohn W HenryDavid ConnMatt Scottguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Casamento wins Racing Post Trophy • Irish-trained colt lifts the season's final Group One prize• But Casamento will race in Godolphin colours next yearSheikh Mohammed is an infrequent visitor to British racecourses these days as he deals with affairs of state in Dubai, but not quite as rare a sight as his original maroon-and-white colours, which sent a ripple of nostalgia around Town Moor as they were led into the top enclosure aboard Casamento after the Racing Post Trophy here.It was the briefest of throwbacks, though, as Casamento, who gave the Irish trainer Michael Halford the first Group One winner of his career, will be carrying the royal blue of Godolphin when he is next seen in public, possibly in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket in the spring. He is generally a 10-1 chance for the Classic, and a couple of points longer for the Derby, which seems to put Godolphin in a strong position for next year, since their filly White Moonstone is favourite for the 1,000 Guineas and Oaks.Casamento looked outstanding in the paddock before today's race, his gleaming coat a reminder of warmer summer days among racegoers, and opponents, who were snug in their winter coats. But there was also a physical presence about Casamento, too, that promised much for his three-year-old career, something that Frankie Dettori, his jockey, sensed immediately when he was legged up into his saddle for the first time."As soon I got on him I could feel that he had a good body and is a strong physical horse," Dettori said. "Watching on the television and getting on a horse are two different things, and he feels like quality. He's a three-year-old, and a lovely big‑striding horse."I knew from watching his videos that he would stay, so from two and a half out I thought: 'Let's get him going.' He was out in the middle of track on his own and he was idling on me, so when Seville [the runner-up] came at me, that was helping me."Halford must now say goodbye to Casamento, but knows that the son of Shamardal, who arrived at the yard almost out of the blue, has taken his training career to a new level."We just got a fax last year from the Darley office [Sheikh Mohammed's breeding operation] asking if we'd like to train two colts, and it didn't take too long to reply," Halford said. "It's been a pleasure and a privilege to have him, and we're more than happy. Who knows what else might be coming down the line."Casamento is now the second-favourite for the 2,000 Guineas, though to win that Classic it is likely he will need to beat Frankel, the Dewhurst Stakes winner, whose official status as the champion two-year-old now seems secure after Klammer, many lengths behind Frankel in the Royal Lodge Stakes at Ascot last month, took the Horris Hill Stakes at Newbury this afternoon.In terms of the Derby, meanwhile, Dettori would commit only to Casamento getting a mile and a quarter next season and while the colt's dam, Wedding Gift, was fifth in the French Oaks over 11 furlongs, she did not win at further than a mile. It must be at least possible that he will just lack the speed for the Guineas and want for stamina in the Derby.Clowance, second in the Irish St Leger last season, advertised Roger Charlton's abilities as a trainer when she took the St Simon Stakes at Newbury on her first start since a disappointing run in the spring. The victory was a reminder too that Richard Hughes has not abandoned his pursuit of Paul Hanagan in the race for the jockeys' championship, as he brought Clowance with a smooth, decisive run despite briefly struggling for room a quarter of a mile out.The most popular success of the day came at Aintree, where the frontrunning grey 12-year-old Monet's Garden held off every challenge to record his fifth win at the track, and 17th over jumps.The winner, a 4-1 chance, jumped superbly throughout while Tartak, the 15-8 favourite, made several mistakes. Monet's Garden was never clear of his pursuers, Poquelin in particular, but he rarely looked likely to concede the lead and he jumped the last with a flourish to secure victory.Silviniaco Conti, a recent import from France, maintained an unbeaten record for Paul Nicholls with a comfortable success in the Persian War Novice Hurdle at Chepstow.Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al MaktoumFrankie DettoriHorse racingGreg Woodguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |