The Weekly A-Z

Posted on December 17, 2021December 17, 2021 | Posted by Digby Beacham

A – ABOVE ALL OTHERS

It is where Steph Curry sits now after he eclipsed Ray Allen’s mark of 2973 NBA three-pointers on Wednesday morning, WA time. Curry required two triples at Madison Square Garden to officially become the most lethal long-range shooter in league history. Not surprisingly, he required less than five minutes of the opening quarter to achieve it, much to the delight of everyone packed inside the stadium, including Allen himself. Remarkably, Allen needed 1300 games to set the standard. Curry went past him in only his 789th appearance.

B – BEST IN THE WEST

Before we settle in to watch the Group 2 Christmas Gift (2130m) at Gloucester Park tonight, there is the juicy entrée that deserves our attention. A high-quality free-for-all event featuring Magnificent Storm eager to avenge a shock defeat first-up when sent out as a $1.55 favourite. The four-year-old is high class and has trainer Ray Williams aiming him up at the WA Pacing Cup for which he heads the TABtouch all-in market at $3.20. Tonight is a wonderful opportunity for Magnificent Storm to send a message, even in the face of a sticky barrier over 1730m.

C – CUMMINS AND COVID

Think considerable chaos and then multiply it by 10. Only then might you be able to get a full appreciation of the havoc surrounding the Australian cricket team yesterday morning. The drama over skipper Pat Cummins’ availability reached fever pitch when it was revealed he had come in close contact of a COVID-19 positive diner at an Adelaide restaurant. Even though Cummins tested negative, he was ruled unavailable and ordered into seven days of quarantine as per SA health regulations. Teammates Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc were also on hand at the restaurant, but deemed not to be close contacts. Confused? You’re not alone.

D – DONCASTER BOUND

Brutality has become the latest Joe Pride horse to step up to the plate on the biggest stage. The five-year-old was heavily backed in last Saturday’s Group 2 Villiers Stakes (1600m) at Randwick and ensured punters were smiling when he stormed home to oust Ellsberg and earn a ticket into the $3 million Doncaster Mile at the same track in early April. Pride might not have the same profile as the headline acts in the Sydney training ranks, but his strike-rate is fantastic.

E – EXASPERATED

Richard Garcia’s tweet said it all. “Free one minute, locked up the next.” The Perth Glory coach wouldn’t be human if he didn’t consider sending out a far more searing tweet. The Glory’s next two matches against Brisbane Roar and Adelaide United were yesterday thrown in the bin after a player tested positive to COVID-19. Of more immediate concern though is the prospect that the Glory coaches and players are facing 14 days in hotel quarantine in Queensland, denying them the opportunity to be at home with family over the festive season. It is both unfair and cruel.

F – FILLING IT UP

There are hot starts to a basketball match and then there are white-hot starts to a basketball match. Melbourne United fit very much into the latter after their stunning blitz of the Sydney Kings in last night’s NBL clash. United, chasing a maiden win for the campaign, scorched to a 26-0 lead in the first few minutes and held a 34-5 advantage at the first break. It was a long-range blitz, with the hosts hitting seven triples in the opening 10 minutes. Conversely, the Kings missed their first 14 shots and went 1-of-19 from the field in the first term. Little wonder United prevailed 89-47.

G – GET A GRIP

Best of luck to Adam Smithson and all concerned with Vice Grip, who will contest tomorrow night’s $1.145 million The Phoenix at The Meadows, knowing success will deliver a winner’s cheque of $750,000. The former Victorian greyhound, in possession of The Dogs WA slot, has gone to another level under Smithson’s care and will carry the hopes of all Sandgropers. He is race fit and intelligent. If those inside him aren’t cleanly away and/or experience some traffic issues, fingers crossed Vice Grip is close enough to take full advantage from box six.

H – HOWLER

Jos Butler’s day in Adelaide yesterday started brightly. It finished miserably. The English gloveman took a spectacular diving catch down the leg side to send Marcus Harris on his way. Midway through the day, he grassed a Marcus Labuschagne offering, also down the leg side, that wasn’t as difficult as the initial dismissal, but probably should have been pouched. There was no “probably” about the final chance he spilt, again off Labuschagne. It was as regulation a catch as you get in any grade of cricket for a wicketkeeper and for him to botch it took all wind out of the England players’ sails on an exhausting day.

I – INNOVATION

A bumper 10-race card awaits those attending Ascot tomorrow, with the Group 2 Ted Van Heemst Stakes (2100m) and Listed Starstruck Classic (1600m) for the ladies the headline acts. But in a break with tradition, there are four Westspeed Platinum races for two-year-olds, three-year-olds, a four-year-old entires and geldings 1200m event and equally, a four-year-old 1200m race for the mares. The four new races on the calendar feature a purse of $125,000 and have attracted good-sized fields.

J – JAMIE’S JOURNEY

The Hong Kong Jockey Club is about to have a new face added to the training ranks. And it’s not just any new face. It’s none other than renowned Kiwi horseman Jamie Richards, who will join the competitive scene for the beginning of the 2022-23 season. Richards has won Group 1s for fun in New Zealand as the head trainer for Te Akau Racing, with his talents being witnessed often up and down the eastern seaboard of Australia. With Richards moving on, Mark Walker will return from Singapore to oversee the Te Akau Racing operation in NZ.

K – KEEN

That might be putting it mildly when it comes to see what the Perth Wildcats’ Bryce Cotton-Vic Law-Michael Frazier combination looks like. For the first time this season in tonight’s home clash with Brisbane, we will get to see the trio suit up. Cotton remains the pre-eminent player in the league and Law has already proven his worth in front of the Red Army, albeit from a very small sample size. Frazier can be expected to stiffen up the Wildcats’ defensive approach, which is not entirely surprising considering he brings NBA experience.

L – LONGING FOR SUCCESS

Fremantle fans are a patient lot. They have no other choice but to be. Which is why they were entitled to have a spring in their step a few weeks ago when the Dockers announced their strategic plan, headlined by premiership success by 2025. If they are to achieve an historic flag, it will almost certainly be with Justin Longmuir at the helm. As such, Longmuir’s two-year extension this week, tying him to the club until the end of 2024, made perfect sense. The groundwork has been laid. The time to springboard off it is now.

M – MAD MAX

Max Verstappen had been groomed for greatness from a young age. As a son of former F1 driver Jos Verstappen, he had petrol coursing through his veins during his formative years. He signalled his ridiculous talents as an 18-year-old when successful in the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix in his first drive for Red Bell Racing. Therefore it was fitting to see him on Sunday night be crowned world champion for Red Bull with his dramatic last-lap victory over Lewis Hamilton in the season-ending GP in Abu Dhabi. Verstappen isn’t without his faults — he sees red quicker than most — but his talent is scary good.

N – NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT

There are doubts on whether Angelic Miss and Beret will be able to run out a strong 1600m of tomorrow’s Listed Starstruck Classic at Ascot. But their respective trainers, Simon Miller and Adam Durrant, wasted little time committing to running their mares in the feature. And why wouldn’t they? Angelic Miss is chasing a black-type hat-trick after taking out the Jungle Mist Classic and Jungle Dawn Classic, while Beret has come through ratings races, yet couldn’t have been more impressive in winning at her past two outings. And we all know about the “mares in form” adage.

O – ONE AND DONE

It is impossible not to feel for WACA chief executive Christina Matthews, her staff, the WA cricket side and fans after it was confirmed this week that we had seen the last of the Perth Scorchers for the summer. The narrow win over the Brisbane Heat last week at Optus Stadium was viewed by more than 16,000 fans — many of them expecting to have one more opportunity to see their beloved Scorchers before an extended stint on the east coast. Unfortunately not. The BBL schedule, coupled with the loss of the fifth Test and the highly unlikely scenario of the ODI between Australia and New Zealand taking place here on January 30, means a barren summer for WA cricket lovers.

P – POSTPONED

Every time we, as a society, look like we are about to break free from the clutches of the coronavirus, the pandemic has something to say. The sporting landscape in the northern hemisphere knows this only too well, with the NFL, NBA, NHL and EPL among the sporting competitions that are being seriously impacted by the omicron variant of the virus. Players are testing positive in clumps and heading into health and safety protocols, forcing officials to reschedule matches. With the play-offs fast approaching in the NFL, it could be a case of the healthiest side standing with the Lombardi Trophy early next year.

Q – QUESTIONABLE

Watching David Warner stave off the England bowling attack until the final session at Adelaide Oval yesterday was terrific. But you couldn’t help but wonder whether the tourists missed a trick by omitting Mark Wood. Warner entered the Test under a fitness cloud because of bruised ribs and was wearing a guard to protect them. Though it was Ben Stokes at the Gabba who wounded the left-hander, it was Wood who had him hopping around the crease, cranking it up to 150k/mh in short, sharp spells. The decision to leave him out enabled Warner to work his way into his innings and ultimately compile another telling knock.

R – REALITY TV

Live sport on the box is the best reality TV you can get. Some would argue that isn’t the case. However, if you were to take on those with a leaning to the latter rather than live action, you only have to direct them to the replay of last Sunday night’s season-ending F1 race in Abu Dhabi. As you would expect with a world championship up for grabs, the build-up was enormous. And as you would expect, the two main protagonists — Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen — were in the cut and thrust of it right up until the last seconds of what was a truly remarkable season. Verstappen might have been crowned the champion, but it wasn’t without its drama and an appeal from Hamilton’s Mercedes team. Bring on 2022 already.

S – SEISMIC

Every now and then, there is a sporting moment that reverberates around the globe. One such moment occurred last Sunday when Mitch Dunk “posterised” Matthew Dellavedova in the bitter NBL battle between South East Melbourne Phoenix and Melbourne United. Creek’s flex and tribal roar in the wake of the monumental dunk whilst standing over Dellavedova, wasn’t looked upon too kindly by United players, with Mason Peatling running from half-court to barrel over Creek. It sparked a melee that needed the referees to get heavily involved to separate the feuding parties. Cannot wait for the two teams to meet again.

T – TONS OF FUN

Is what Colin Munro, Mitch Marsh and Glenn Maxwell had this week in the BBL. Munro got the ball rolling (and flying) with his special 114 not out on late-night Saturday TV opposed to the Adelaide Strikers. It was a stunning knock that delivered the Scorchers their second win from as many matches. Marsh, in his first BBL appearance of the season, then proceeded to impose himself on the Hobart Hurricanes down at Blundstone Arena, crunching an unbeaten 100 as the Scorchers improved to 3-0. Maxwell, Marsh’s teammate from the World T20-winning national set-up, gave everyone a reminder of his talent with bat in hand on Wednesday, scoring a century that had Melbourne Stars in the box seat against the Sydney Sixers. But a special knock of 99 from Josh Philippe, also unconquered, was the catalyst for the Sixers to pull off a superb run chase.

U – UNTENABLE

Urban Meyer’s days as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars appeared doomed. There was too much noise over his coaching style, man management and understanding of what was required in the NFL as opposed to the existence as a head coach of a college program, which he had mastered. And sure enough, the axe fell yesterday after just 13 games in charge. The Jaguars have again struggled, posting a 2-11 record under Meyer. Staggeringly, it is the 10th time in the past 11 years where they have chalked up at least 10 defeats.

V – VEGAS, BABY

Whilst on the NFL, it was confirmed this week that the 2024 Super Bowl would be staged in Las Vegas at the Raiders’ glittering new home base, Allegiant Stadium. Situated just off the famous Vegas Strip, it has everything and more that the NFL desires when settling on a venue for one of the biggest sporting events in the world. It will be one hell of a show.

W – WALLET BURNER

Enough is enough. If you know someone who is willing to tip you Port Louis when he next steps out, politely tell them to keep their opinion to themselves. The three-year-old colt contested a 1400m maiden at Sandown on Wednesday, with co-trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace keen to give him a “kill”. It looked like eventuating inside the final furlong until he became camera shy once again. He remains a maiden after 10 starts, with his starting price profile reflective of a proven black-type performer. He is anything but. Rather, a good, old-fashioned money muncher.

X – X MARKS THE SPOT

And that spot, from the perspective of Xavier Duursma, is South Australia. The Port Adelaide youngster, critically important to the fortunes of the Power alongside fellow tyros Connor Rozee and Zac Butters, this week signed a contract extension, resisting overtures to return home to Victoria. An excellent athlete with all the tools, Duursma has the potential to become an A-grader. It’s an important signature for Port.

Y – YOU’RE WELCOME

Loved the incredible reception the Anfield faithful dished out to Steven Gerrard last weekend on his return to the ground as manager of Aston Villa. Gerrard, a living Liverpool legend, acknowledged the applause whilst being mindful not to be seen to be relishing it given his new role with the Midlands club. He is only a young manager, but it wouldn’t be a shock if Gerrard one day takes the reins at his boyhood club.

Z – ZION MISSING IN ACTION

The New Orleans Pelicans needed so much to go right this season to feature in the play-offs. We know now it isn’t happening and a major reason for that is former No.1 draft pick Zion Williamson’s failing body. Williamson hasn’t played this campaign because of a foot issue, which scans last weekend revealed wasn’t improving to the level most had anticipated. The 21-year-old has missed more games than he has played and with speculation mounting he wants out, the argy bargy between player and club is going to be intriguing.