Latest - The Australian owned Cruz Bromac has won New Zealand's richest harness racing event, the $750 thousand New Zealand Trotting Cup at Addington in Christchurch.
Australian owned Cruz Bromac has won the New Zealand Trotting Cup. Photo: Supplied
It was driver Blair Orange's first Cup win in eleven attempts while it was the fourth for for Christchurch trainers Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen.
Favourite Spankem driven by Mark Purdon led the field into the final straight, with second favourite Thefixer in the trail, but Orange and Cruz Bromac came with a withering burst down the outside to power home to win by a head from Spankem with the Thefixer third.
Nadal toppled in London
World men's tennis number one Rafael Nadal made a disappointing start at the ATP Finals as he suffered a first career loss to Germany's reigning champion Alexander Zverev, going down 6-2 6-4.
Alexander Zverev Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The Spaniard, seeking a first title at the event and hoping to secure the year-end number one ranking for a fifth time, showed no sign of the abdominal injury sustained in Paris this month, but was comprehensively outplayed.
The statistics told the story of the match with Zverev striking 26 winners to Nadal's 13 and winning 30 of 34 points behind his first serve.
World number seven Zverev, 22, has now beaten Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Nadal in consecutive matches at the O2 Arena where last year he claimed the biggest title of his career.
It proved quite the day for ending losing streaks.
Just as Zverev claimed a first win in six meetings with Nadal, Stefanos Tsitsipas had earlier beaten Daniil Medvedev 7-6(5) 6-4 in the battle of the debutants having been 0-5 against the Russian in previous meetings.
-Reuters
Concussion forces Hurricanes prop retirement
Hurricanes prop Toby Smith is tackled by Crusaders loose forward Matt Todd during the 2018 Super rugby final. Photo: Photosport
Concussion problems have forced Hurricanes prop Toby Smith to quit rugby.
The 31-year-old former Wallaby says while he is sympton free currently he doesn't want to risk his long term health and won't be renewing his contract with the Hurricanes.
Smith played 108 super rugby matches for the Chiefs, Melbourne Rebels and Hurricanes.
Champions return to ASB Classic
Two two-time champions, Julia Goerges and John Isner, have confirmed their return to this summers ASB Classic tennis tournament in Auckland.
Julia Goerges Photo: Photosport
The 28th ranked Goerges will attempt to win a third straight title in Auckland.
The 31 year old German has seven career titles and this year also made the Birmingham final.
John Isner, the number one seeded American player on the Tour, listed the trophy aloft on centre court in 2010 and 2014, the former being his first evert ATP Tour title.
Isner, who had a mid season break due to injury, came in to the hard court season strongly, making the final of the ATP Masters 100 Miami Open.
The six-foot-ten giant's serve is feared by all tour players and considered the biggest in the game. This is proven in the numbers as well, with the North Carolina native leading the stats with most aces served this year with 1,032 winners.
34 year old Isner is ranked 19 in the world.
Robinson claims silver
Holly Robinson has finished second in the javelin F46 at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai.
Robinson recorded a best throw of 41.60m with her second attempt.
Holly Robinson Photo: Andrew Cornaga / Photosport Ltd 2018
Competing in her fifth Championships, the current world record holder who threw 45.73m in April, said although it wasn't the result she was hoping for it was always a great feeling to put on the black singlet.
"A bit of mixed emotions, I didn't throw as well as I would have hoped. It was a pretty tough competition and the nerves were really high. I had some alright throws, but I know something big is there it's just when it's going to happen."
"Up next we are going to go with the New Zealand season and try to get a bit more consistency, up into those 45 metres. I broke the world record in April and that was a big throw for me, so I'd just like to be consistently up there and keep moving forwards." The reigning Commonwealth and Paralympic champion Hollie Arnold from the UK took the gold medal in the javelin F46 with a personal best throw of 44.73m.
Also on day 5, Anna Grimaldi lined up in the 100m T47 heats and crossed in 12.80, just .01 of a second off her personal best. Anna placed 4th in her heat and 10th overall across the heats, just outside of the final.
Fifita released by police
Brisbane's emerging NRL star David Fifita has walked free after a three-day stint in a Bali police station but will now return home to face a please explain from the code's integrity unit.
David Fifita Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The holidaying 19-year-old allegedly hit a Bali nightclub security guard while riding on the back of a scooter early on Saturday morning and spent the next two nights in the same clothes after being arrested.
Fifita faced nearly three years behind bars if found guilty of assault but, after an apology and so-called "peace agreement" was reached between the parties on Sunday, the complaint was withdrawn.
Set to enter the final year of his contract with Brisbane, Fifita is widely considered the hottest free agent available for the 2021 season and reportedly the target of $1 million per season offers.
But he could start the year on the sidelines - and lighter in the pocket - given Melbourne's Nelson Asofa-Solomona copped a three-game ban and suspended $15,000 fine for his involvement in a wild brawl at the same nightspot last month.
Fifita was also among the Broncos players criticised for playing poker machines the night before they were beaten by Parramatta in an embarrassing NRL finals exit.
The latest off-season incident comes despite a reminder from NRL boss Todd Greenberg "to make very smart choices, particularly late at night" and walk away if they sense any trouble brewing.
-AAP
Rally of Australia cancelled
The Rally of Australia has been cancelled due to the threat of bushfires near the Coffs Harbour-based event in New South Wales.
Organisers had planned to run the season-ending world rally championship event on a shorter route but ultimately decided the risks were too high.
The cancellation means New Zealand's Hayden Paddon chance to compete in his only WRC of the year is dashed and all but ends his hopes of returning to the WRC fulltime.
England batsman reprimanded
England's Jonny Bairstow has been reprimanded by the International Cricket Council after using "an audible obscenity" during the final Twenty20 against New Zealand.
Jonny Bairstow Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The batsman has been handed one demerit point under the ICC's disciplinary code following a review of the incident, which took place during the tourists' series-clinching Super Over win at Eden Park.
It is the second time Bairstow has received such a sanction this year, having also picked up a demerit point for swinging his bat at the stumps during a one- day international against Pakistan in May.
The points remain on a player's record for a period of two years, with a total of four points in that time enough to force a ban of one Test or two limited- overs games.
-AAP
Salazar appeals ban
American Alberto Salazar, who has coached some of the world's top distance runners, has appealed against his four-year ban for doping violations.
Salazar was given a four-year ban by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency on Sept. 30 for "orchestrating and facilitating prohibited doping conduct" as head coach of the Nike Oregon Project, a camp designed primarily to develop U.S. endurance athletes.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport said in a statement that it had registered an appeal from Salazar and endocrinologist Jeffrey Brown, who also worked on the NOP project and was banned for four years. Both have denied wrongdoing.
The Swiss-based tribunal said that "parties have requested additional time to file their written submissions and evidence."
Nike has previously said it would support Salazar's appeal. The sportswear giant has since shut down the NOP, saying the decision was made "to allow the athletes to focus on their training and competition needs."
Britain's multiple Olympic and world champion Mo Farah, who has not been accused of any wrongdoing, is among the athletes who have been coached by Salazar.
-Reuters
Pakistan batsmen impress
Babar Azam has reinforced his standing as Pakistan's talisman, scoring a commanding unbeaten century in the pink-ball tour match against Australia A in Perth.
Test stalwart Asad Shafiq also reached triple figures before Pakistan went to stumps at 336 for 3 on day one of the three-day clash.
A strong Australia A pace attack led by Michael Neser and Jhye Richardson toiled as Babar (157no) and Shafiq (119no) piled on a colossal 276-run partnership.
The day-night match is doubling as a national selection shootout ahead of the first Test at the Gabba starting on November 21, with Travis Head, Marcus Harris, Usman Khawaja, Joe Burns and Will Pucovski all lining up for Australia A.
-AAP
Wolff to miss Brazil grand prix
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff will miss this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix, making it the first race he has not attended since 2013, now that his team have won both Formula One championships for an unprecedented sixth year in a row.
A Mercedes spokesman said technical director James Allison will be the most senior team member at the track in the Austrian's absence.
Lewis Hamilton won his sixth world championship when he finished second to team mate Valtteri Bottas in Austin, Texas, on Nov. 3 after the team sealed the constructors' championship in Japan on Oct. 13.
Mercedes have dominated the V6 turbo-hybrid era that started in 2014 and have won 14 of this season's 19 races so far -- Hamilton 10 of them.
The Briton has 83 career wins and is closing in on Michael Schumacher's all-time record of 91. The 34-year-old won in Brazil last year, while Mercedes wrapped up the constructors' championship there.
With both titles secure, and the top three positions in the constructors' standings locked in, Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull will also be using the last two races to test ideas for next season.
The last race is in Abu Dhabi on Dec. 1
-Reuters
Kenyan banned
Kenya's former world half marathon record holder Abraham Kiptum has been banned for four years over an anti-doping violation.
The Athletics Integrity Unit, which oversees integrity issues in international athletics, including doping, had provisionally suspended the 30-year-old on April 26 for an Athlete Biological Passport violation.
The passport uses blood tests to detect the likelihood of doping rather than testing for specific substances.
Kiptum's four-year ban commences from that date and all his results going back to Oct. 13, 2018 -- including a half marathon world record (58 minutes and 18 seconds) that he had set in Valencia later that month -- have been disqualified.
Kenya is known for its middle and long-distance running pedigree but has suffered damage to its reputation due to a number of doping violations in recent years.
-Reuters
Super Cup to be played in Saudi Arabia
The Spanish Super Cup tournament will be played in Saudi Arabia in January 2020, a source from the national football association told Reuters, confirming long-mooted plans that have already attracted criticism in and outside Spain.
Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Valencia will contest the revamped tournament between Jan. 8 and Jan. 12, with both semi-finals and the final taking place at the 62,000-capacity King Abdullah Sports City stadium in Jeddah.
When reports of the move broke in September, former Spain women's international Veronica Boquete heavily criticised the decision, saying it represented "the victory of money and business above sport, above everything else".
A ban on women attending football matches in the deeply conservative Muslim kingdom was lifted in 2017 as part of a wider easing of social restrictions championed by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.
-Reuters
