a golden ticket -- or ballot exempt status -- into the Caulfield Cup.Unlucky in running at her previous start at Moonee Valley, barrier No. 1 proved to be no impediment for Jameka and jockey Nicholas

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Monte Kiffin didnt handle retirement very well.No golfing. No fishing. Not even some leisurely shuffleboard.You can only go on so many walks with your wife on the beach, Kiffin said.So the 76-year-old Kiffin got back into coaching after a one-year hiatus and is helping Jacksonville Jaguars coach Gus Bradley revamp one of the worst defenses in the NFL. Kiffin isnt calling plays or working with a specific position group. Hes merely a defensive assistant, but probably the most well-respected one in the league.Hes entering his 29th NFL season, a career that includes stops in Green Bay, Buffalo, Minnesota, New York, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Dallas and Jacksonville. He has 21 years of coaching at the collegiate level, a resume that began at his alma mater, Nebraska, in 1966.So this is Kiffins golden anniversary.It might also be his most enjoyable season after spending a year somewhat removed from the game.Im really having a lot of fun, Kiffin said. But having fun, youve got to win, you know? You want to win. Like I told Gus, `I didnt come here to be one-and-done now. Lets go.The Jaguars seemingly have all the pieces in place for a quick turnaround, with defensive end Dante Fowler returning from knee injury, defensive tackle Malik Jackson and safety Tashaun Gipson filling huge needs in free agency, and cornerback Prince Amukamara providing veteran leadership. Throw in the teams top three draft picks -- cornerback Jalen Ramsey, linebacker Myles Jack and defensive end Yannick Ngakoue -- and Jacksonville believes it has assembled a formidable unit for years to come.For Kiffin, seeing it come together elicits memories of his early years in Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers drafted Hall of Famers Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks in 1995, the year before coach Tony Dungy hired Kiffin. The Bucs made the playoffs in four of Dungys six seasons, including advancing to the 1999 NFC championship game.Thats what I see happening here, said Kiffin, who will sort of be reunited with the Bucs this week when his former team travels to Jacksonville for two days of practice. It could be like the Bucs. I dont know that it will be. We have to go out and do it on the field.Kiffins presence should help. Bradley initially brought Kiffin in as a consultant in January while he interviewed candidates to replace fired defensive coordinator Bob Babich. Kiffin stuck around to help during free agency and then got a call from Bradley in March asking him to join Jacksonvilles staff full-time.Kiffin didnt hesitate.Although he stayed busy in his year off -- he helped a couple high school coaches in the Tampa Bay area and spent a week visiting the Seattle Seahawks and two weeks helping the Pittsburgh Steelers -- it wasnt the same as being on the field every day. Kiffin longed for football so much that he spent three days a week hunkered down in a back room of Monday Night Football analyst Jon Grudens Tampa office just watching game tape.Basically it was just time for me to study and stay up, Kiffin said. I was hoping I was going to get back in. I was going to get back in somehow. I didnt know what I was going to do.Bradley insists Kiffin isnt on the payroll as a favor even though Kiffin helped Bradley get his first NFL job with Tampa Bay in 2006 and told Pete Carroll to hire Bradley as Seattles defensive coordinator in 2010.Bradley wanted Kiffin around, in part, to be a sounding board for young players and first-time NFL defensive coordinator Todd Wash. So Wash bounces idea off Kiffin, as do Bradley and offensive coordinator Greg Olson.The big thing with him was what was going to be his exact role, Bradley said. Once we came up with an idea of his role, was he going to accept that role? Its gone above and beyond. Its better than I imagined. Hes really doing everything he can to help this defense, this organization, to get better and wants nothing in return. Its really cool for him, and he adds tremendous value.Added veteran linebacker Paul Posluszny: Hes a Hall of Fame guy and his insight is always so specific and so exact.Kiffins retirement plan was much less precise, partly because he doesnt have many hobbies. Football is his life, so much so that his wife is walking the beaches alone near Tampa while he works about 200 miles away in Jacksonville.I just love coaching, Kiffin said. Just to be back coaching. Im not here to run this show or be the coordinator. Really, I came here to help young coaches and young players get better. Ive been there, done it, seen it. Im just here to help everyone else.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/AP-NFL Discount NBA Jerseys . Houston won 3-0 to advance to face New York in the Eastern Conference semifinals. 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Winx had the Australian racing scene captivated with another seemingly effortless victory at Randwick, while at Caulfield there was a glimpse of more major race contenders on a card where potential Caulfield Cup, Derby and Oaks winners were on display.The 2015 VRC Oaks winner, Jameka, won the highlight event, the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes over 2000 metres, in great style, as tipped by Scott Heinrich in the ESPN Weekend Preview, producing a performance that rocketed the Ciaron Maher-trained mare into Caulfield Cup calculations.This edition of the Naturalism Stakes attracted the best field in recent memory, mainly due to the winner gaining a golden ticket -- or ballot exempt status -- into the Caulfield Cup.Unlucky in running at her previous start at Moonee Valley, barrier No. 1 proved to be no impediment for Jameka and jockey Nicholas Hall as they took the shortest way home around the turn while the majority of the field scouted wider on the course. Jameka drew away for a 3-1/4 length victory over the Lloyd Williams-owned Gallante and the Robert Smerdon-trained Berisha.In other highlights, the Hayes, Hayes & Dabernig training team landed a double. Harlow Glows win over 1600 metres sees the team pointing her towards the Group 1 Thousand Guineas and Crown Oaks, while 1400 metres winner Hes Our Rokkii, posted as the bet of the day in the ESPN Weekend Preview, is likely to be aimed at the Group 1 Toorak Handicap over a mile on 8 October.Jockey Michael Walker incurred the wrath of the stewards who imposed a 12-meeting suspension for careless riding aboard Blue Tycoon.Headline ActJameka was naturally the main spectacle on this card, the final weekly feature race meeting in Melbourne without a Group 1 race until mid-November.Ciaron Maher has always been confident of her ability and noted that she has shown to be more mature for her age than most other fillies at each stage so far.Drawing the inside barrier, many thought the rails run may have be a disadvantage due to the ground immediately along the rail -- which was placed out nine metres for this meeting -- considered to be deteriorating throughout the day. But the mare was clearly unaware of that talk, and the ground was of no concern to her as she powered away for a very classy victory.Jameka was a late drifter in betting from $5.50 out to $6.50 with UBET, but her victory saw her firm to $8 in the Caulfield Cup market -- second favourite to Hartnell ($6.50), who was so impressive yet again in Sydney.Another very noteworthy performance came from Secret Agenda in the Group 3 race for mares over 1200 metres.In this first-up effort for this preparation, she romped away in the final stages to win by more than two lengths. That was even more commendable given she had to travel three-wide in the running for most of the event. Trainer Mick Price was confident that there is still more to come from Secret Agenda this spring, especially if the tracks remain on the softer side.Talking PointsTrack bias: This isnt a new topic for chatter, but the racecourse managers at Flemington, Caulfield, and Moonee Valley have all recently been presenting fair racing surfaces for both front-runners and backmarkers.Despite the early predictions, the inside rail section wasnt the absolute no go zone as the day wore on, despite most runners tacking deeper on the track towards the later races.Perhaps, though, was it just the class of two particular winners, Jameka and Hes Our Rokki, that made it seem like the ground along the rail was better than it really was?It is also worth considering that racing programming has allocated five meetings at Caulfield (last Saturday being the first) within the final four weeks leading up to Caulfield Cup Day. No doubt it is a tricky situation for track managers to achieve the best possible racing surface on each occasion, particularly their biggest days.Where to, boss? Although not relevant to the Caulfield or Randwick meetings in particular, Omei Sword has been a topic of conversation among racing experts over the past week. The recent rescheduling of one feature race may result in the Melbourne Spring Carnival deprived of this exciting filly making the trip south.The Group 1 Golden Rose placegetter is the current $3.60 favourite (UBET) for the Thousand Guineas on 15 October. However, there is another Group 1 option for fillies, and for the connections of this very smart three-year-old, with the Flight Stakes over the same 1600 metres distance at Randwick seven days earlier.Until recently, there was a 10-day gap between the races, which meant that competing in both events was a viable option. The now reduced seven-day difference may be a head-scratcher for trainer Chris Waller over the next few weeks.EyecatchersExocet: This VRC Oaks-bound filly displayed an imprressive ping in the middle section of the track in winning over 1400 metres.dddddddddddd While trainer Lee Freedman was pleased with the effort, he did question the class of the opposition compared with that Exocet will face in black-type company.Freedman indicated the Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes over 1600 metres on 2 October would be her next engagement. If on-track that day at Flemington, it may pay to keep an eye on her pre-race temperament as Freedman commented that she is relaxed at home, but shes a mad box walker at the races.Berisha: Since joining Robert Smerdons stable last year, Berisha has furnished into a very nice stayer. He made a lot of late ground in finishing five lengths behind Jameka on the wider part of the course.In winning the Mornington Cup (2400m) in March this year, Berisha gained another golden ticket into the Caulfield Cup and it may be an astute option to consider at $8.50 the place ($31 win) with UBET.BlackbookersShillelagh: Having her first start in Australia, this five-year-old former Kiwi mare by Cox Plate winner Savabeel wobbled around the home turn when well back in the field. Once balanced, there was absolutely no luck for her in finding a gap when it was really needed but still she managed to fill fifth placing.Hucklebuck: Another one having his first-up run, the 2014 Group 1 Emirates Stakes (1600m) winner finished off really nicely after over-racing in the early stages of the Listed Testa Rossa Stakes (1200). Adding to that, any horse that Adelaide-based trainer Philip Stokes travels to Melbourne has to be respected. He has a very good habit of returning winners when he does make the trip.Radcliffe: Michael Dee was lucky not to be dislodged and Radcliffe was even luckier not to have fallen when clipping the heels of Blue Tycoon when shifting in the incident that resulted in Michael Walkers suspension. Fourth-placed, Radcliffe was has sufficient momentum to be in the finish.FlopsThe Virginian: Backed in from $6.50 to $4.20 around Australia, much was expected of this Gold Coast-visitor who ran third in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) in Brisbane at 100-1 in June.The Virginian still had the punters interest -- and probably quite a few dollars from fans of the 1960s American Western TV series -- despite drawing barrier N. 1. Not even Damien Oliver could raise this one from looking a beaten commodity 300 metres from home, and he labeled her performance as disappointing.Serenely Discreet: The first of Philip Stokes two runners on the day at Caulfield started a $5 favourite in the third event. Bumping twice with outsider Vainglorious, and becoming unbalanced as a result, when well back in the field on the home turn, Serenely Discreet was literally trying to climb over the backs of those in her way for the remainder of the straight.As the Stewards Report notes, this filly was not tested in the straight. She might have been a flop from a punting perspective, but a smart punter should probably overlook the duck egg that will appear in the form guide alongside her name next time around.UBET Betting MovesEagle FarmBest Backed: Brazen Moss, who jumped odds on, captured 50 percent of the hold.Hard Lay: Stella Ombra, $2.20- $3.20.Bookie Basher: $7.50 winner Unassuming in the last was the only loser in the book all day.Early Bird Special: Balboa Rocks $21-$5.50.Flop: Deconstructed $5.50-$3.20.RandwickBest Backed: Fabrizio opened $5.50 in early morning markets, and firmed into $3.60.English. With the string of favourites hitting the line in the previous six races, punters buttered up to English in The Shorts. She held nearly 70 percent of all monies traded on the race, but it went astray.Hard Lay: Daysee Doom was a tough sell for the fixed-odds team.Bookie Basher: Punters thought Zoumagic was over the odds at big odds and was the biggest stand of any horse all day.Early Bird Special: Punters on Signposted just missed a decent plunge when taking second to the other heavily backed runner of the day, Fabrizio. Signposted hit $11 at one stage of morning betting then the money came and he jumped $7.00 as the gates opened.Other Bets Of Note: $55k on Winx at $1.11; she jumped $1.09.CaulfieldBest Backed: Race 3 No. 12 Exocet -- $12- $7.50 and got the money.Hard Lay: Race 1 No. 11 Shillelagh. $4.00-$6.00, ran unplaced.Bookie Basher: Race 9 No. 2 Hes Our Rokkii. UBET lost a significant six-figure sum on the race as he saluted, as tipped as the bet of the day in the ESPN Weekend Preview.Early Bird: Race 1 No.15 Chase The Horizon. $8.50 in early markets, started $4.20 and got punters off to a flyer.Flop : Race 7 No. 9 The Virginian. $6.00- $4.20 and ran very poorly. ' ' '