An appeal is set to be launched after British runner Shes Perfect was demoted to second having finished first past the post in the French 1000 Guineas.
Jockey Kieran Shoemark finished a nose in front of favourite Zarigana in the Classic at ParisLongchamp on Sunday.
But French officials ruled the filly, trained by Charlie Fellowes in Newmarket, was guilty of interference.
Basher Watts, whose racing syndicate own the horse, called the decision “farcical” and questioned the ride on the promoted winner.
“The only interference that they have deemed worthy against Shes Perfect was just before the furlong marker, we drift to our left and that right there is the only thing she’s done wrong,” he said.
“We are appealing. Of course we’re appealing. In my opinion it’s a farcical decision. When they showed me what it was for, it was laughable.”
Watts initially celebrated enthusiastically with syndicate members.
But Mickael Barzalona, rider of Zarigana – owned by the Aga Khan’s family – lodged an objection after the race and following an inquiry the result was amended.
Barzalona appeared to drop his whip in the final furlong after using it twice, before using his right hand down his mount’s neck on multiple occasions to encourage Zarigana in the closing stages.
France Galop’s rules limit use of the whip more than four times and if a jockey strikes a horse nine times or more, it would trigger disqualification.
Watts said: “Any jockey exceeding nine strikes would receive instant disqualification. Zarigana was struck two times with the whip and 12 times by hand…14 strikes.”
Samuel Fargeat, spokesman for French governing body France Galop, said the stewards had assessed two incidents, the first involving Shes Perfect, fourth-placed Exactly and Zarigana, who all appeared to get close, before the last two fillies also came together towards the line.
The stewards decided the first incident had impacted the result but the second had not, and Zarigana’s trainer Francis-Henri Graffard felt his filly had been “unbalanced at the wrong time”.
Following her explosive court battle with ex-husband Johnny Depp, actress Amber Heard has opted for a ‘life of isolation’ in Spain and has since welcomed twins to the ‘Heard gang’
Inside Amber Heard’s new life in Spain after Hollywood ‘exile’(Image: GETTY)
It’s been nearly three years since Amber Heard, 39, and Johnny Depp, 61, went head-to-head in a court case that captured huge amounts of attention worldwide. The details of the formerly married couple’s life together were pored over as allegations of defamation were heard in the civil case – and Amber in particular received a huge amount of hate from online trolls as Depp’s name was cleared.
These days, the Aquaman actress’s days look pretty different from the A-list lifestyle she was once embroiled in, with Amber now enjoying a quiet life pretty much under the radar in Spain – where she has just welcomed twin babies to her family.
In a post marking Mother’s Day in the US, the actress revealed the exciting news that she has now become a mum-of-three, with her eldest child Oonagh Paige, born in 2021 to a surrogate, now a big sister. “Mother’s Day 2025 will be one I’ll never forget. This year I am elated beyond words to celebrate the completion of the family I’ve strived to build for years.
“Today I officially share the news that I welcomed twins into the Heard gang. My daughter Agnes and my son Ocean are keeping my hands (and my heart) full,” Amber wrote in the post on Instagram.
“When I had my first baby girl Oonagh four years ago, my world changed forever. I thought I couldn’t possibly burst with more joy. Well, now I am bursting times three!!!
(Image: amberheard/Instagram)
Article continues below
“Becoming a mother by myself and on my own terms despite my own fertility challenges has been the most humbling experience of my life. I am eternally grateful that I was able to choose this responsibly and thoughtfully.
“To all the moms, wherever you are today and however you got here, my dream family and I are celebrating with you. Love always, A x”
The actress, who came out as bisexual in 2010, first moved to Mallorca, Spain, in the immediate aftermath of her court case with her ex-husband, which saw the jury award £12 million ($13m) to the Pirates of the Caribbean star in damages. Depp first brought a defamation claim against his ex-wife after she wrote an opinion piece for the Washington Post that claimed she had been a victim of domestic abuse, despite the fact she never named her famous ex-husband in the article.
Heard then countersued Depp – and was awarded £2 million for one of her three claims. Johnny Depp’s legal team later confirmed that his ex-wife had paid him £820,000 ($1 million) in a settlement for the defamation case.
Amber, who has kept her dating life underwraps since her court battle, has since moved to Madrid from Majorca, where she is said to have “integrated” and keeps a relatively “low profile” in her affluent neighbourhood that is said to be inhabited by a number of big names. A source is reported as telling the MailOnline: “She lives here and I often see her walking her daughter to school in the mornings.
“She wears a cap and sunglasses and normal clothes and keeps a low profile. She lives here in peace, this is a neighbourhood filled with famous people, including football players, but no one bothers each other, I think that’s why she likes it – she has completely integrated into the community.”
For her part, Amber told the press last year, “I love Spain so much,” and added when asked if she would like to remain living in her new home: “Yes, I hope so. Yes, I love living here.”
However, whilst she now feels so positive about her new life in Madrid, the circumstances of her exit from the US were less than ideal, even referred to as the actress being “exiled” in some reports, with a source saying – per Grazia – that the chaotic aftermath of the trial left Heard with no choice but to leave.
“Her isolation from the world in which she used to inhabit is quite jarring when you consider she’s taken that step back because of the trauma and distress her marriage, the divorce and the ensuing legal drama has caused her. Amber was once an A-list star, and this has all taken a lot out of her, to the point where she has lost passion for living that Hollywood life,” they explained.
Another insider told the magazine that the sheer level of Depp’s popularity has had a huge impact on Amber’s acting career, and the circles within which she would now be welcomed. “Depp has a lot of loyal friends and is hugely popular and powerful,” they explained, “Amber knows that there are certain franchises and studios where she won’t be welcome.”
A-list names like Penelope Cruz, Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton, and many more have not hesitated to throw their public support behind Depp, despite the myriad of controversial allegations that have followed him in recent years, with his career going from strength to strength.
Amber, on the other hand, has only acted in one independent movie since the trial concluded.
Ronnie O’Sullivan has spent decades in the snooker limelight, racking up an incredible 41 ranking titles – and the Rocket’s life has been full of drama away from the table
Ronnie O’Sullivan was in an on-off relationship with Laila Rouass(Image: Getty Images)
Ronnie O’Sullivan is undisputedly snooker’s biggest star, and he’s earned a fortune from the sport.
The 49-year-old boasts an estimated fortune of around £20million and has amassed approximately £14.5m in prize money alone throughout his career, which kicked off when he was just a teenager. O’Sullivan boasts an impressive 41 ranking titles, including 23 Triple Crown victories.
Despite being largely absent from the 2024/25 season, the previous year saw him pocket £1.25m in prize money after clinching victories at the Shanghai Masters, UK Championship, the Masters, World Grand Prix and World Masters. When he’s not raking in substantial winnings at tournaments, O’Sullivan also earns a tidy sum through lucrative sponsorship deals with tech firm ROKiT, Eurosport, and snooker company BCE Riley.
In 2018, O’Sullivan used his cash to treat himself to a luxury narrow boat, named Morfe Lady Three. He moored it on Regent’s Canal, which snakes through north and east London. The 60-footer offered the perfect escape from the stresses of the capital thanks to its wide range of amenities.
READ MORE: ‘I watched my kids go flying in fairground horror as waltzer car came off the track’
In 2018, O’Sullivan used his cash to treat himself to a luxury narrow boat(Image: (Image: Eurosport))
Its spacious lounge area was adorned with an indoor fireplace, cosy furnishings such as a sofa, armchair, and rug, as well as a television. O’Sullivan humbly spoke about his purchase to TV presenter Matt Smith in a Eurosport video, saying it’s “no big yacht but it’s alright”.
Article continues below
Yet his floating retreat was still kitted out with a modern kitchen that included a double oven and a wooden oval table. The boat also boasted a bedroom with a double bed and an ensuite bathroom featuring tiled floors, redwood vanity units with granite work tops, and a large wash basin.
He explained to Smith: “I lived on a boat about seven or eight years ago in London and I loved it. I spent about three or four months living on it but couldn’t use it because I had to get back to work – but I always had it in my mind that I’d buy another one.”
He went on to highlight the benefits of his curious purchase, adding: “I couldn’t sit in a hotel room but I come in, have a little kip, put the snooker on, the TV on, have a few friends come in. You don’t feel like you’re cooped up so much. It’s nice to see water.”
Ronnie has an estimated fortune of around £20million
But it appears O’Sullivan’s need to “get back to work” took precedent once again, as he reportedly listed his narrow boat for sale just a year later for £129,950, without looking for a replacement afterwards.
O’Sullivan previously was in an on-off relationship with Laila Rouass, known for her roles in EastEnders, Holby City and Footballers’ Wives, for over a decade before they finally ended things last year.
The pair first met in 2012, when Rouass was shown around O’Sullivan’s house while she was property hunting. The snooker champ later asked her out via the estate agent. They got engaged just a year later and were together for nearly 10 years before parting ways in 2022. They briefly reconciled but split again at the start of 2024, with Rouass later sharing reflections on how she coped with the breakup on Instagram.
Laila and Ronnie first met in 2012(Image: lailarouass/Instagram)
“Breakups can strip you down to your essence,” she penned. “I got through mine by using pain as fuel to take control because no matter what, we will lose parts of ourselves in relationships. It’s normal, don’t beat yourself up. One thing I’m conscious of not doing is trying to get back where I was. No, I’m discovering who I’ve become. I’ve been through various emotions… hurt, pain, anger but what I’ve realised about anger is that it’s bottomless.”
Article continues below
In February, the pair ruled out any chance of reconciliation as they put their £2million mansion up for sale.
O’Sullivan has three children from previous relationships. He first became a dad to Taylor Ann with ex-Sally Magnus in 1997. He shares a son, Ronnie Jr., and a daughter, Lily, with his former flame of eight years, Jo Langley. He took on the granddad mantle at the age of 42 when Taylor-Ann had a baby girl in 2018.
READ MORE: Mum-of-two loses more than 11 stone doing ‘wall pilates’ at home
A 63-year-old French climber has died trying to scale the world’s third-highest mountain, Kanchenjunga, the expedition’s organiser said on Monday.
Margareta Morin died above Camp 4 of the 8,586-metre (28,169 feet) Himalayan mountain on Saturday.
“She died due to health complications while ascending,” Yogendra Tamang of Peak 15 Adventure told AFP.
“We are not yet able to bring back the body due to bad weather conditions.”
READ ALSO: Two Dispatch Riders Die As Trucks Collide On Eko Bridge
Kanchenjunga, the third-highest mountain after Mount Everest and K2, is regarded as one of the most technically demanding among the world’s 8,000-metre peaks.
It was the third death in the spring climbing season, which runs from April to early June.
Last week, an American climber died while attempting Mount Makalu, the fifth-highest mountain in the world.
An Austrian climber died while descending Nepal’s 6,812-metre Ama Dablam last month.
Nepal is home to eight of the world’s 10 highest peaks and welcomes hundreds of climbers every year during the spring and autumn climbing seasons.
It has already issued over 1,000 permits for its mountains this season, including 75 for Kanchenjunga.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said that zoning the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party to the North will fail.
Wike stated this during a media chat on Monday.
He explained that it would not be smart for the opposition party to zone its presidential ticket to the North in 2027 if the ruling All Progressives Congress’ presidential candidate would come from the South.
The minister said, “Why not, as a party, come out openly now (and say) our presidential candidate will also come from the South? You don’t want to do that; you want to play the same game you played in 2023. It will backfire, and when it backfires, you will say these people did this, these people did that.
“I have told people: this smartness will not help you. Come out now and let everybody know this is where we are heading. This is not the time to send the presidency to the North. No.”
He added, “The point is that selfishness can kill a system. If Mr President runs, for example, and wins in 2027, by 2031, the APC will zone their presidential ticket to the North. The PDP will do what then?
READ ALSO: Defections: Politicians Looking For Where ‘Sins’ Are Forgiven – Ologbondiyan
“Then you’ll come back and say, since the APC has zoned it to the North, let’s keep it in the North. What kind of smartness is that?”
The former governor of Rivers State, while speaking about the outcome of the 2023 presidential election, said that the party’s system was manipulated for selfish interest.
“In 2023, we told the party, ‘Look, it is in our constitution, when a zone produces the chairman, another zone produces the presidential candidate’.
“Because of their selfish interest, they manipulated the system. They said we shouldn’t do zoning now. Before we knew (it), some people had gone to buy the form,” he added.
On the recent defection of some members of the party, including the Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori, to the APC, Wike said, “How many times have they (PDP leaders) made efforts? How many people have they wooed? Rather, every day, you’re after one man; every day, you’re after Wike.”
The PDP has been entangled in an internal crisis that began with the disagreement over the zoning of its presidential ticket in 2023 and worsened with the recent defection of the Delta governor, members of the state House of Assembly, and some federal lawmakers.
Hamas says it will release US-Israeli captive Edan Alexander and confirms direct talks with the US, while Israel insists it has not agreed to any ceasefire – signaling a possible rift with Washington, analysts say.
