US and local glory as Senor Buscador wins $20m Saudi Cup main race

Senor Buscador came from a long way back to win a dramatic Saudi Cup race on Saturday under jockey Junior Alvarado, beating Ushba Tesoro and Saudi Crown. (AN Photos/Huda Bashatah)
Senor Buscador came from a long way back to win a dramatic Saudi Cup race on Saturday under jockey Junior Alvarado, beating Ushba Tesoro and Saudi Crown. (AN Photos/Huda Bashatah)
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Updated 24 February 2024
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US and local glory as Senor Buscador wins $20m Saudi Cup main race

US and local glory as Senor Buscador wins $20m Saudi Cup main race
  • 6-year-old, owned by Saudi Sharaf Mohammed S. Al-Hariri and American Joe R. Peacock Junior, won the race by a head

LONDON: Senor Buscador came from a long way back to win a dramatic Saudi Cup race on Saturday under jockey Junior Alvarado, beating Ushba Tesoro and Saudi Crown.

The 6-year-old, owned by Saudi Sharaf Mohammed S. Al-Hariri and American Joe R. Peacock Junior, won the race by a head to make up for a second-placed finish at the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational last month.

The winning team take home half of the $20 million pot, with $3.5 million going to the Ushba Tesoro team and $2 million to the locally-owned Saudi Crown team.

“The plan, as of now, is Dubai,” winning trainer Todd Fincher said after the race at King Abdulaziz Racecourse, referencing the Dubai World Cup race set to run on March 30.

“I don’t have the words to put it all together that express how pleased and grateful I am for this victory and for representing my country and winning this race, I still don’t have the right words,” Alvarado told Arab News.

“He (Senor Buscador) had more speed just because some horses broke from different positions, I never like to change the style of the horse.

“I was in a good spot in the back just looking at everything just biding my time, letting him get his feet under, and he’s a horse that when he’s ready he will start letting you know, he will start picking up (pace) and after that you just start riding along with him,” he added.

Alvarado was full of praise for his charge and the King Abdulaziz track.

“It was a very exciting race, I think the best of the horses was running today, mine was one of the best horses and he proved it today that he was one of the top performers and one of those horses in the world,” he said.

“It’s definitely a different track, a different feeling, but the horses move out very well on it and it feels like probably top three one of the best tracks I’ve rode in the world for sure,” he added.

The first edition of the Saudi Cup race was held in 2020 and the event attracts the world’s finest thoroughbreds and jockeys for the biggest prize in world racing.


Masood says ‘hurt’ Pakistan aim to end win drought against England

Masood says ‘hurt’ Pakistan aim to end win drought against England
Updated 30 September 2024
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Masood says ‘hurt’ Pakistan aim to end win drought against England

Masood says ‘hurt’ Pakistan aim to end win drought against England
  • Pakistan have gone winless in 10 home Tests since February 2021
  • They were handed a 2-0 defeat by Bangladesh earlier this month 

KARACHI: Pakistan captain Shan Masood on Monday backed Babar Azam to find his batting touch as his side look to end their win drought in the three-match Test series against England starting next week.
Pakistan have gone winless in 10 home Tests since February 2021, the latest humiliation being swept 2-0 by Bangladesh earlier this month.
They also lost 3-0 in Australia earlier this year.
“It’s not acceptable for Pakistan to not win a home Test for that long and we accept the responsibility for that,” said Masood at a press conference in Karachi.
“As a cricketing nation we all are hurt right now.”
Masood was confident that batting great Azam would soon be back to his best after managing just 64 runs in the two Bangladesh Tests.
“We all know Babar is one of the top batters in the world and despite not scoring big runs the good thing is that he is not out of form, we have to back him,” said Masood.
Azam has not passed fifty in Tests in 16 innings dating back to December 2022.
England arrive in Pakistan on October 2 with the first Test starting in Multan five days later.
The second Test is also in Multan from October 15 while the final match is in Rawalpindi from October 24.
“I assure you that everyone is eager to stage a comeback in this series and take Pakistan cricket in a good direction,” said Masood.
England swept the series 3-0 when they last visited Pakistan in 2022.
“For me, pressure is a thing of privilege because leading your country is a great honor but with it comes responsibility,” said Masood, whose captaincy tenure runs until May 2025.
“If results are good then I will serve, if not then I will be punished. I don’t run away from challenges and this coming series is also very challenging.”


Dembele dropped from PSG squad for Arsenal trip

Dembele dropped from PSG squad for Arsenal trip
Updated 30 September 2024
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Dembele dropped from PSG squad for Arsenal trip

Dembele dropped from PSG squad for Arsenal trip
  • Without the in-form Dembele, who has four goals and as many assists in six league games this season, PSG will rely more heavily on Bradley Barcola

LONDON: France forward Ousmane Dembele has been left out of Paris Saint-Germain’s squad for their Champions League game at Arsenal on Tuesday, a source close to the club told AFP.
Dembele’s absence is not injury-related but “a decision of the coach” Luis Enrique, the source told AFP.
It appears to be a disciplinary measure following a heated exchange between Luis Enrique and Dembele after Friday’s 3-1 win over Rennes in Ligue 1, according to sports daily L’Equipe.
Without the in-form Dembele, who has four goals and as many assists in six league games this season, PSG will rely more heavily on Bradley Barcola.
Barcola is the leading scorer in the French top flight this term with six goals, two of which came in the victory over Rennes.
Marco Asensio is in a race against time to be fit after picking up an injury in PSG’s Champions League opener against Girona two weeks ago.


3-Soccer-World Cup winner Griezmann announces shock retirement from French national team

3-Soccer-World Cup winner Griezmann announces shock retirement from French national team
Updated 30 September 2024
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3-Soccer-World Cup winner Griezmann announces shock retirement from French national team

3-Soccer-World Cup winner Griezmann announces shock retirement from French national team
  • The 33-year-old, who struggled at this year’s Euros, was one of the key elements in the 2018 and 2022 World Cup campaigns as Les Bleus took the title in Russia and finished runners-up in Qatar

PARIS: France midfielder Antoine Griezmann announced the end of his international career on Monday after being coach Didier Deschamps’s most important player for a decade, during which he won a World Cup title.
The 33-year-old, who struggled at this year’s Euros, was one of the key elements in the 2018 and 2022 World Cup campaigns as Les Bleus took the title in Russia and finished runners-up in Qatar.
“Today, it is with deep emotion that I’m announcing my retirement as a player of the France team,” the Atletico Madrid player said on social media.
“After 10 incredible years marked by challenges, successes and unforgettable moments, it is time for me to turn a page and make way for the new generation.
“Wearing this jersey was an honor and a privilege.”
’Grizou’, a favorite among his teammates and fans, was also the top scorer at Euro 2016 when France reached the final, only to be beaten by Portugal after extra time at the Stade de France.
Griezmann won 137 caps for France, scoring 44 goals, and imposed himself as a versatile player in Deschamps’s midfield and even if the captain’s armband went to Kylian Mbappe after Hugo Lloris’s international retirement, he was always a voice everyone listened to.
He played a French record of 84 consecutive matches with Les Bleus, a number that underlines his status as the national team’s most valuable player in the last 10 years. “We’ve had a long discussion about (his retirement) recently. Since his debut in the France team 10 years ago we’ve had a relationship based on trust and frankness,” Deschamps said in a statement.
“Even if his club career is not over, Antoine will remain a monument of French football, one of the greatest player in its history.
“It was often said that he was my favorite. We indeed had built a very strong relationship, that will remain intact. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for everything, Grizou.”
A man who was always thankful for a sometimes thankless role, Griezmann is the second top player to retire from international football after Olivier Giroud, the team’s all-time top scorer, hung up his France boots after the 2-1 defeat by Spain in this year’s Euro semifinals. Griezmann, who also helped France win the 2021 Nations League, is the team’s fourth all-time goal scorer.
He has made more than 500 appearances in LaLiga with Real Sociedad, Atletico and Barcelona.
This season, he has scored three goals in nine games in all competitions for Atletico.


Dubai BC secures big win over Slovenia’s Cedevita Olimpija

Dubai BC secures big win over Slovenia’s Cedevita Olimpija
Updated 30 September 2024
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Dubai BC secures big win over Slovenia’s Cedevita Olimpija

Dubai BC secures big win over Slovenia’s Cedevita Olimpija
  • The team will be searching for their third straight win when they take on Serbia’s Mega MIS next weekend

DUBAI: Dubai Basketball Club secured their first away victory and second consecutive win in Europe’s ABA League after beating Slovenia’s Cedevita Olimpija 92-84 on Sunday night.

Dubai BC tipped off at the Arena Stozice and put on a solid team performance as they looked to build on their debut win against defending champions Crvena Zvezda last weekend.

Playing in his homeland, Dubai captain Klemen Prepelic led from the front with 23 points including five rebounds, four assists and two steals, while dynamic duo Nate Mason (20 and seven assists) and Isaiah Taylor (10) also hit double figures.

Jacorey Williams dominated in the paint with nine rebounds and 6 points, along with a stellar defensive performance that helped keep Cedevita Olimpija’s star and NBA veteran Devin Robinson, to only 14 points.

Prepelic opened the game with a jump shot and added to his tally with two free throws to give Dubai an early lead. Despite the hosts levelling the score, Dubai’s captain added to his points tally with a 7-4 run, before taking complete control of the game. Cedevita Olimpija had no answers for Nate Mason, who put up 8 first-quarter points, extending the lead to 29-17. The momentum didn’t stop there, as the visitors went into half-time with a healthy 63-42 lead.

After scoring 20 points in the third quarter, Dubai Basketball rallied to hold off Cedevita Olimpija, with Prepelic and Williams adding to the team’s tally to secure the 92-84 win — a result that sees Dubai BC shocking the league with an incredible start to the inaugural season.

Head Coach Jurica Golemac had nothing but praise for his players.

“It was a dominant game,” he said. “We controlled it for 35 to 37 minutes and the players stuck to everything we agreed on. Cedevita Olimpija is a difficult opponent so we knew we had to be very energetic, maintain a very high intensity, which is difficult to do for 40 minutes.

“Overall, I am satisfied. When we saw the games schedule everyone said let's go and win the first two, which we have done. We all want to be very competitive and aggressive and not think about being beaten.”

He added: “We have high ambitions. I told my players in the locker room that small games are the biggest games. We have played these two games where we were not favorites, now we have Mega, then Borac Cacak next and we now need to rest and work well in training for those games.”

Dubai BC play their next game at home, at the Coca-Cola Arena, against Serbia’s Mega MIS on Saturday, Oct. 5.


Al-Qurashi, Mustafa win at Saudi Toyota Championship

Al-Qurashi, Mustafa win at Saudi Toyota Championship
Updated 30 September 2024
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Al-Qurashi, Mustafa win at Saudi Toyota Championship

Al-Qurashi, Mustafa win at Saudi Toyota Championship

RIYADH: The first contest of the 2024 Saudi Toyota Karting Championship concluded at the Dirab Karting Circuit in Riyadh on Saturday with Abdulrazzaq Suleiman Al-Qurashi and Malik Firas Mustafa winning the junior and senior categories respectively.

The one-day event, with eight drivers participating, was organized by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation.

It was sponsored by Jameel Motorsports and Saudi Investment Bank, in collaboration with the Ministry of Sports.

In the junior category at the FunXtreme track, Al-Qurashi finished first in 1 hour, 1 minute, 7 seconds, while Tameem Firas Mustafa came second in 1:02.22.

Mustafa won the senior category in 59.79, Khalid Abdullah Al-Zaid came second in 59.778, and Lyth Maher Momenah third in 59.896.