Source: Casey Stoner
The Ducati Team enjoyed its greatest day in Japan today, Casey Stoner securing Ducati’s first MotoGP World Championship and Loris Capirossi winning the race, run in tricky conditions on a drying track. The result triggered scenes of unbridled joy in the Ducati Marlboro Team pit, in the more than one thousand fans who watched the race in the Borgo Panigale Factory with the CEO Gabriele Del Torchio among them and in all the Ducatistis around the world.
Australian genius Stoner had to finish today’s race ahead of Valentino Rossi to wrap up the title with three GPs remaining, and he did that, no problem, finishing sixth after leading the early stages. The race couldn’t have been more nerve-wracking: it started on a slightly damp track, most riders choosing rain tyres, then the circuit dried out enough for riders to swap to slick-equipped bikes. Capirossi was one of the first riders to switch, at the end of lap nine, and his strategy paid rich dividends, the 2005 and 2006 Japanese GP winner going on to score a Motegi hat-trick, 10.853 seconds ahead of his closest rival. Stoner swapped bikes at the end of lap 14 and maintained his renowned cool to become the second youngest premier-class World Champion, after American legend Freddie Spencer. So far this year Stoner has won eight races, taken three further podium finished and scored five pole positions.
Source: Newcastle Jets
The Newcastle Jets have drawn 2-2 with the Melbourne Victory in an entertaining, yet agonising encounter at EnergyAustralia Stadium. Last year’s Premiers were looking for their first win of the season, and the Jets looking to go top of the table with all 3 points.
Jets coach Gary Van Egmond got his midweek wish as the Jets exploded out of the blocks, taking a 1-0 lead in the 4th minute. The goal came from a corner and Adam Griffiths was on hand to finish after a deft flick-on at the near post.
3 minutes later the Jets nearly doubled their lead with Victory skipper Kevin Muscat nearly putting the ball past his own keeper.
Source: The Maitland Mercury
Maitland Triathlon Club is poised for another big season, with new members encouraged to turn out of the club’s first race of the season on September 23.
The Maitland Triathlon will be held on October 14.
Now in its 14th year the event will attract more than 350 competitors to Morpeth to complete in a choice of two triathlon race distances.
The event includes a 1km or 1.5km swim in the Hunter River followed by a 30km or 55km cycle ride around Morpeth and Duckenfield and an 8km or 12km run around Morpeth.
Meanwhile, the Maitland Triathlon Club is once again gearing up for another jam packed season of racing and social events.
The Prime Minister hasn’t called the election yet, but things are hotting up in cyber space.
Play Me…
Tuesday 18 September
7pm – Strategic Policy Committee meeting will be held in the Council Chambers, Second Floor, Newcastle City Hall. Items on the agenda include:
Briefing: Suggested enhancement of NO 2 Sportsground
Members of the Newcastle rugby community have approached Council to investigate the potential to modify No 2 Sportsground to a rectangular shape. The briefing will outline the proposals and how to progress the request.
Briefing: Good Sports
The program is an initiative of the Australian Drug Foundation to develop safer and healthier communities by helping sport clubs to manage alcohol responsibly.
Source: John Taylor, The Daily Telegraph
NEWCASTLE Jets coach Gary van Egmond is not ready to dismiss the South American experiment as a flop but only Mario Jardel is likely to get game time against Melbourne Victory at EnergyAustralia Stadium on Friday.
"Look, it wouldn’t matter whether the players come from Iceland – they have to be effective," van Egmond said yesterday.
Argentinian Jorge Drovandi wasn’t in the squad against Adelaide, Brazilian Denni lasted 35 minutes before he was substituted and former Brazilian national team striker Jardel played only the last 20 minutes.
Drovandi played first division football in Argentina and his nickname is "La Bala" – The Bullet.
"Is the game too quick or physical for him? Defensively he’s not sure what to do. He is quick with the ball at training and he’s working hard," van Egmond said.
"Denni is very similar. He’s tidy and he sees things early but he’s not coping physically.
Source: AAP
Newcastle Jets 1 Adelaide Reds 0
The Newcastle Jets maintained second place on the A-League ladder with a 1-0 victory over the Adelaide Reds tonight, continuing their unbeaten run to start the season.
Mark Bridge scored in the 81st minute.
Joel Griffiths found Bridge inside the box after a sweeping cross field move and the Olyroo striker calmly controlled and slotted his shot past Reds goalie Robert Blajic at the near post.
The only other highlight was the A-League debut of Newcastle’s marquee signing Mario Jardel.
The two-time European golden boot winner entered the game after 70 minutes to the delight of the entertainment-starved, 13,627 spectators.
But the Brazilian international, who had battled weight problems and a visa mix-up to get onto the field, looked a little out of sorts.
Playing without their injured striker Nathan Burns, Adelaide side took the game to the Jets in the opening 20 minutes, pressing hard and moving the ball swiftly through midfield.
Despite their territorial advantage and dominance of possession though, the Reds were indecisive and wasteful in front of goal failing to push Jets keeper Ante Covic at any stage.
Source: Dom Brock, Sportal
Jets marquee player and star striker Mario Jardel is set to make his debut in Newcastle’s home clash with Adelaide on Saturday night.
The former Brazil international has overcome fitness concerns and the club has finalised his playing visa, meaning the two-time European Golden Boot winner is free to line up for the Jets this weekend.
"I’m happy to start playing this Saturday, and I’d like to thank the club for their work with getting my papers cleared this month," Jardel said on Thursday through an interpreter.
The 33-year-old striker, nicknamed ‘Super’ Mario, has a superb goal-scoring record from his time at Brazil and Portugal.
Deadly in the air, with a scar on his forehead that he’s described as his ‘sweet spot’, Jardel is hoping to come to terms with the A-League’s physical style and notch up plenty of goals for the Jets.
Source: Andrew Stevenson, Sydney Morning Herald
LISA Randle is a long way down the thoroughbred food chain from Arrowfield Stud’s John Messara and the Magniers, owners of Coolmore.
But she shares their pain as the equine influenza outbreak wreaks havoc on the thoroughbred studs of the Hunter Valley.
Randle, owner of Pine Lodge Thoroughbreds, breeds only a couple of broodmares a season but has a thriving business – or had – hiring out foster mares to wet nurse the offspring of some of the industry’s finest breeders.
Global racing and breeding operations often wish to send broodmares offshore for the next season and use Randle’s horses to raise the foals born here.
Except this year they can’t.
Normally, 70 mares are sent out but with the ban on horse movements still in place only one mare – an exception, allowed to go to an orphaned foal – has left Pine Lodge this season.
"We’re basically shut down," Randle said. "We’re sort of stuck between a rock and a hard place. Our foster mares are here foaling, but we can’t get them out, and we have really no other form of income at this point in time.
"We’ve been applying for permits basically since the day of the lockdown, and we’ve had requests for 20 mares in that time."
Source: ABC Online
Hunter Tourism says more than 20,000 people travelled to the Hunter Valley region for the APEC long weekend.
Sydneysiders trying to avoid the city’s APEC lock-down spent more than $3 million over the three days, with cafes, restaurants and cellar doors experiencing one of their busiest weekends of the year.
Hunter Tourism chief executive officer Andrew Fletcher says tourism operators across the region experienced record bookings.
"It was a boom weekend and the pleasing thing is that it wasn’t just the Hunter Valley … but right across the Hunter from Lake Macquarie through to Barrington Tops and into the Upper Hunter," he said.
"It was very hard to find a bed on Friday and Saturday nights just gone."
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