Trainer lauds Horn

Change plea for races

RECENT Hall Of Fame inductee, Leviathan owner Lloyd Williams, has called for Racing Victoria to revamp its program to accommodate high-quality stayers. Williams said it was difficult to place last year’s Melbourne Cup winner Almandin in a lead-up to another tilt at the race and hoped in the future the program for stayers would be changed. He is looking at Almandin returning in the Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) on September 16 at Flemington. Williams though would prefer for Almandin to return to racing in a staying event but that the racing calendar doesn’t accommodate high-class stayers in August and September.

Rivals unite over pay

CAMERON Smith and James Maloney have cast aside interstate rivalries to put the heat on NRL CEO Todd Greenberg for shirking vital pay negotiations. Tensions between the governing body and the Rugby League Players Association are high after a meeting between the two at Rugby League Central yesterday ended in a stalemate. The meeting, in which the players reiterated their desire for a share of the game’s revenue as part of the collective bargaining agreement, was initially reported to have ended with the RLPA’s representatives walking out. But an RLPA spokesman denied those claims, saying it had just finished earlier than expected.

Hunt stays at No.12

QUEENSLAND Reds coach Nick Stiles is leaning towards keeping his newly-minted Wallabies’ inside centre Karmichael Hunt at fullback in Super Rugby. Hunt performed well in the unfamiliar No. 12 jersey in Australia’s June Tests after excelling at the back for the Reds this season. He returns to Queensland duty on Friday, when the Reds (3-10) host Australian conference champions the Brumbies in Brisbane. Hunt has only ever played two games at inside centre for the Reds.