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Through Seven Seas capable of ending Japan’s long wait for Arc glory | Greg Wood

Despite the absence of Equinox all may not be lost for his country’s passionate – and patient – fans at Longchamp For nearly 20 years, Japanese fans’ dreams of a first win for their country in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe have been turning to dust in the Bois de Boulogne on the first Sunday in October. Deep Impact, El Condor Pasa and Orfevre, twice, have all hit the woodwork, but untold billions of yen have left Japan in hope only to find their way into the coffers of the pari mutuel urbain , never to return. There was huge optimism a few months ago, when Equinox strolled home in the Sheema Classic in Dubai to establish himself as officially – and still – the world’s top-rated racehorse. But the possibility – indeed, likelihood – of testing ground always weighed heavily against a trip to Paris. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/9Zwby6c

Powerhouse Chelsea lead the WSL pack but the gap is closing

Emma Hayes’s side remain the team to beat as Arsenal, United and City try to plot a way to derail them Football is littered with teams that write themselves into sport folklore – the dynasties who dominate and pave the way for others. On the women’s side, there is Vic Akers’ quadruple-winning Arsenal (2006-2007). The imperious Barcelona, who have won four straight league titles and two Women’s Champions League trophies. Then, of course, there is Emma Hayes’s dominant Chelsea. With four successive league titles (six in total), three consecutive FA Cups (five in total) and a couple of League Cups, Chelsea remain the team to beat and with the new Women’s Super League campaign starting on Sunday the question is whether anyone can topple them. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/zRLd1sf

Sandwich price shocks but meal deal costs rise less than average food inflation

Pret a Manger’s ‘posh’ cheese and pickle sandwich grabbed headlines for its £7.15 price tag, but it’s not all gloom It’s not often that a cheese and pickle sandwich turns heads, but this week Pret a Manger’s “posh” version grabbed headlines after a tweet decrying its £7.15 price tag went viral. Although that included VAT for eating in, the social media post shone a spotlight on the rising cost of lunch on the go, as the soaring cost of ingredients has been passed on to consumers. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/uUcDHhF

Victoria Beckham’s collection is dance of delight despite Kardashian delay

Clothes the designer wore as dance student given a chic glow-up on the catwalk Everyone knows what Victoria Beckham did before she became a fashion designer. But this season, she has a whole new backstory. “From when I was three years old up until I was in the Spice Girls, I wanted to be a ballet dancer,” she said at a preview of her latest collection in Paris. “One of the things that I find so special about dancers is that even if you are travelling on the tube, you can always spot a ballet dancer – just by her posture and the way she carries herself.” The Victoria Beckham show, held in an 18th-century Parisian townhouse that was once home to Karl Lagerfeld, was a grand affair. The coming together of two superstar families, the Beckhams and the Kardashians, saw the picturesque left bank streets gridlocked with SUVs and phone-wielding fans. The Beckhams – along with Anna Wintour and the chic, makeup-free Pamela Anderson who has become a folk hero of this Paris fashion week – were ...

Mark Milley: retiring general appears to call Trump ‘wannabe dictator’

Retiring chair of joint chiefs of staff Milley says ‘We take an oath to the constitution’ not ‘wannabe dictator’ in farewell ceremony Retiring as chair of the US joint chiefs of staff, the army general Mark Milley directed a parting shot at Donald Trump, the president he served but who he seemed to call a “wannabe dictator”. Speaking at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Virginia, Milley said of the US armed forces: “We don’t take an oath to a country. We don’t take an oath to a tribe. We don’t take an oath to a religion. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/gdzfks8

Loose language leaves Labour accused of flip-flop on private schools

Shadow ministers used ‘charitable status’ as shorthand for main goal of introducing tax changes Has Labour flip-flopped on stripping private schools in England of their charitable status? Senior party figures from Keir Starmer down have certainly been guilty of using loose language, conflating such a move with their plan to apply VAT to private school fees and other tax breaks. Starmer said in July last year: “When I say we are going to pay for kids to catch up at school, I also say it’ll be funded by removing private schools’ charitable status.” Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/lWiO19F

‘Please cast me as a footballer’s wife!’: Boiling Point’s Vinette Robinson on making the year’s most stressful TV

She starred alongside Stephen Graham in the high-octane chef film, and is back for the BBC’s adrenaline-fuelled new adaptation. Ahead of its release she talks racism, raves – and Matilda When it comes to tense, claustrophobic viewing, almost nothing matches Boiling Point. The Observer described the film – which follows a hectic London restaurant on the most catastrophic night of its existence – as “conjuring the raw experience of an inexorably accelerating panic attack.” Watching Stephen Graham battle debt and addiction as volatile head chef Andy – while his team try to contain his combustible personality long enough to finish serving customers – is an immersion in 94 minutes of brutal, jittery brilliance. No wonder another critic called it “the most stressful film of the year.” Apparently, though, it’s more fun to star in. “It’s exhilarating!” says Vinette Robinson, who plays sous chef Carly in the movie and its new four-part TV adaptation. “It’s exciting because so much of it is ...