mid-season loan signing Matteo Mancosu at forwar

A taste of the pinnacle of Australian racing has sparked Blake Spriggs desire to make a return to the elite level sooner rather than later.Three years of hard work for Waratah Thoroughbreds paid off for Spriggs when he won his first Group One race on Sir John Hawkwood in The Metropolitan Handicap at Randwick on October 1.It springboarded him and the horse on an unforgettable journey to the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups in which they finished 10th and 18th respectively.I feel like Im at the top of my game, Spriggs told AAP.Hopefully I can bring it back to Sydney and continue getting winners.Being surrounded by superstar jockeys from around the world in the Melbourne Cup gave the 24-year-old an understanding of the level he needs to reach to cement himself as a top-level rider.And he got to experience the atmosphere and build up of Australias great race.Theres nothing like it, Spriggs said.Theres more people that go to the parade the day before than a Randwick meeting on a Saturday.Spriggs is set to ride Lunar Rise for trainer James Cummings in the November Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill on Saturday.Lunar Rises win at at the same track last Saturday was bittersweet for Spriggs who was on Moral Victory who failed to beat a runner home in the race.He had partnered Lunar Rise in a trial eight days earlier but Tim Clark had already been booked for Rosehill.As disappointing as my horse was on the day, I was happy to see Lunar Rise get up because Id done a bit of work on it and gave them the advice that it was ready to fire, Spriggs said.The back-up wont hurt him. Hes a nice big strong horse.He will also ride the Paul Murray-trained Fine Mist in the 1100m-benchmark handicap.Spriggs, who won two races on Fine Mist early in her career, gets back on for the first time since she ran second over 1000m at Warwick Farm on October 3.She feels like a horse that youve got to really get along with and I seem to be able to do that, Spriggs said.Barrier eight is not too bad because shes a filly thats had a wind operation so she needs to be free flowing the whole way.Spriggs will also ride Hesco Gold in the Highway Handicap. Noah Fant Jersey . Sgt. Eric ONeal says most of the arrests at Monday nights game were for public drunkenness, though one person was taken into custody on suspicion of trying to steal a seat from the stadium. DreMont Jones Broncos Jersey . The phone hearing is scheduled for 4:30pm et/1:30pm pt. Winchester, who was not penalized for the hit, appeared to make contact with Kellys head early in the first period of Thursdays game in Boston. http://www.broncosrookiestore.com/Broncos-Brian-Dawkins-Jersey/ . Now tied for second in the league in shootout goals, the 24-year-old likes to see what the opposing goaltender has in store before he ultimately lands on a move. Gary Zimmerman Broncos Jersey . -- Canadian Andrew Wiggins got the ball on the wing, made a nifty spin move and then let go with a soft floater from about 10 feet that swished through the net in Allen Fieldhouse. Brian Dawkins Broncos Jersey . As he recorded his 23rd and 24th points of the evening, a segment of the sellout Air Canada Centre crowd expressed their appreciation for the Raptors point guard with a smattering of MVP chants. Superstar forward Didier Drogbas absence from the Montreal Impact roster is unlikely to end in Thursdays Eastern Conference knockout-round playoff match against host D.C. United.Despite scoring 10 goals in 22 appearances, Drogba hasnt played since the end of September -- partly due to a feud over playing time with manager Mauro Biello and more recently because of a back ailment.The 38-year-old Ivory Coast international and former Chelsea striker sat out most of training again on Tuesday. Multiple media outlets on Wednesday reported that he did not make the trip to Washington.I dont think those chances will be good, Biello said Tuesday, according to MLSSoccer.com. He hasnt trained, he still feels a discomfort, so the chances are very minimal.Drogba is out of contract at the end of the season, and fifth-seeded Montreal is actually 6-3-3 this season when he doesnt play.In the latter third of the campaign, Biello appeared to be more comfortable starting mid-season loan signing Matteo Mancosu at forward and bringing Drogba off the bench. The 31-year-old Italian has three goals and four assists in 15 appearances (seven starts).(Drogbas) a different player than Mancosu, but I dont think much is going to change if they swap one for the other, D.ddddddddddddC. United coach Ben Olsen said, according to MLSSoccer.com. So the way we go about the game isnt going to change.By contrast, fourth-seeded D.C. United have very few questions surrounding their personnel for a group that had won four straight before sitting most of its regulars in a 4-2 loss at Orlando City SC on Sunday.Midfielder Marcelo Sarvas (knee) and outside back Sean Franklin (calf) made their first appearances since September on Sunday, but seem unlikely to supplant anyone in Olsens starting lineup.We like our group, Olsen told reporters Tuesday. But those two players are very influential to the team. These are good choices to have, and Im certainly not going to tell you who Im starting.The winner of the D.C. United-Impact match earns a spot in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the top-seeded New York Red Bulls. The first leg of the home-and-home series would be Sunday in Washington or Montreal, with the second leg on Nov. 6 in Harrison, N.J. ' ' '