Michael Olise scored in each half as Crystal Palace ended their eight-game winless streak with a 3-1 comeback victory over Brentford at a soggy Selhurst Park.
Under-pressure Roy Hodgson’s hosts bounced back from a sorry start to an afternoon that began with Keane Lewis-Potter’s opener for the Bees inside two minutes.
Olise ensured it was all square before the 15-minute mark and Eberechi Eze added another before the break – the first time Palace have scored more than one before half-time this season.
Neal Maupay came closest to clawing one back for the visitors, rattling the crossbar as the Bees staged a late surge, but Brentford could not stop themselves from slipping to a club-record fifth straight Premier League defeat.
In his programme notes, Hodgson expressed his “disappointment and frustration” at the fact he has “never had the opportunity” to work with a full squad this season.
The Eagles edged ever-closer to full strength on Saturday, with forward Odsonne Edouard returning to the matchday squad and influential duo Olise and Eze starting alongside each other for just the third time this campaign.
Palace had already conceded more top-flight opening goals in 2023 – 25 – than any other Premier League side, and they were swift victims once more in their final encounter of the calendar year.
Mathias Jensen flicked a neat back-heel to Mads Roerslev, who whipped a cross into the six-yard box for Lewis-Potter to finish, with the goal eventually given after a lengthy delay to check a possible offside.
The sides were all square after 14 minutes when Olise arrived at the far post to meet Jordan Ayew’s cross and volleyed into the top right corner.
Jefferson Lerma tried quickly to put the hosts ahead but fired straight at Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken.
Dean Henderson bobbled but clung on to deny Lewis-Potter’s close-range effort at the other end as the Bees continued to apply pressure.
Olise got himself involved at the other end of the pitch, clearing a dangerous Lewis-Potter cross, before Nathan Collins bounced a header inches wide of Henderson’s right post.
Palace took the lead in the 39th minute, just as the half looked to have settled into a lull. Tyrick Mitchell took his time before flicking to Jean-Philippe Mateta, who in turn tapped it towards the onrushing Eze to send a strike into the bottom right corner.
Brentford swerved danger when Flekken slid in to prevent Ethan Pinnock’s backwards pass from crossing over his goal-line before half-time.
There were chances for both sides early in the second half before Olise patiently weaved through a crowd of blue shirts and fired home the Eagles’ third in the 58th minute.
Henderson punched away Saman Ghoddos’ effort to deny Brentford a quick reply, and Olise came close to a hat-trick when he sent the ball just wide of Flekken’s left post.
Brentford missed two big chances to narrow the deficit in quick succession, substitute Maupay clipping the crossbar before Yoane Wissa missed the target from six yards out.
A brilliant late save by Henderson preserved the two-goal lead before the final whistle blew on what was just the Eagles’ second home victory of the season.
Mathieu Griffith and Ashley Howell both rode off with two brand new scooters for Christmas after winning the men and women’s titles respectively in the recently concluded Keith ‘Grell’ Griffith Road Tennis Classic.
While Griffith registered a straightforward 21-16, 21-14 victory over Darnell Clarke, the relatively unknown Howell created a major upset by defeating the island’s number three ranked female Rachel Smith 17-21, 21-17, 21-17, at the Parkinson Field Courts over the weekend.
Clarke and Smith each won a bicycle compliments Pinelands Creative Workshop and $150.
It proved to be a double delight for the Howell family, as Ashley’s daughter Sarah took home the Under-11 girls’ title and a new laptop by overcoming arch rival Jakarta Archer 21-19, 21-11.
In the Under-11 boys’ final, Taquan Forde beat Devonte Gill 21-17, 21-17, while Zion Moore claimed the Under-14 boys’ title with a 21-17, 21-11 win over Rasha Browne.
Raquan Clarke was pushed all the way by Omari Savoury before eventually capturing the Under-17 boys’ title 17-21, 21-13, 21-17.
Organizer Brommel Griffith revealed that one of the major goals was to raise funds to purchase a prosthetic leg for Keith Griffith, after whom the competition was named.
He told Barbados Today that $7000 was raised and Griffith received his prosthetic on Thursday.
St Mirren enjoyed a happy ending to 2023 as Stephen Robinson’s men finished the year with a win over Aberdeen that improves their standing in the top six of the cinch Premiership.
The Buddies took the lead through captain Mark O’Hara’s deflected strike before the same man missed from the penalty spot.
However, Jonah Ayunga doubled the lead before Greg Kiltie netted from the spot in injury-time to cap the win.
The Dons had started brightly, winning a corner after just 13 seconds, which sparked a period of pressure culminating in a hopeful penalty claim from Jamie McGrath.
They continued to press and perhaps Duk will feel he could have done more as he allowed Graeme Shinnie’s cutback from the left through his legs when a flick could have opened the scoring.
But after such a bright start, the home side were ultimately masters of their own downfall.
Leighton Clarkson gave away possession cheaply in midfield and St Mirren punished them after 12 minutes. Kiltie’s cross was never dealt with convincingly by the home side and when the ball dropped to O’Hara, he rifled home the opener via a deflection.
O’Hara could have had a double just six minutes later as a VAR check confirmed a handball call against Dons defender Richard Jensen from Lewis Jamieson’s shot, but the Buddies captain sent the spot-kick wide left.
The home side came back into things, with a Slobodan Rubezic header blocked and Bojan Miovski firing wide, before Zach Hemming was forced into a smart low stop to deny Clarkson.
And they were left feeling hard done by when Jimmy McGarry looked to have been bundled over in the box by Marcus Fraser three minutes before the interval, but referee Grant Irvine waved play on with seemingly no intervention from the VAR official Greg Aitken.
The visitors were first to threaten after the interval, Jamieson’s low effort proving easy meat for Kelle Roos, before McGarry at the other end saw a powerful drive pushed round the post by Hemming.
Aberdeen were knocking on the door but came close to shooting themselves in the foot as Rubezic just about recovered a wayward Dante Polvara pass, moments after the American midfielder had headed wide. Rubezic would then slip, presenting a chance to Toyosi Olusanya, though Roos was able to save comfortably.
But fellow sub Ayunga would fire in from close range at the back post after Scott Tanser was allowed to curl in a sweet cross from the left, following more defensive chaos.
There was time for more mayhem as referee Irvine pointed to the spot after Stefan Gartenmann challenged Olusanya, only for an offside flag to go up, seemingly ruling out the award.
There then ensued a lengthy VAR check that ultimately decided there was no offside, leaving Kiltie to blast into the top-left corner from the spot.
Max Kilman’s first goal in two years inspired Wolves to a dominant win over struggling Everton.
The defender’s opener, Matheus Cunha’s tap in and Craig Dawson’s strike wrapped up an impressive 3-0 win at Molineux.
The squad celebrated with team-mate Mario Lemina’s shirt with the midfielder missing the game following the death of his father.
For the Toffees, their Christmas decline continued, four straight wins earlier in December have now been followed by three successive Premier League defeats and a Carabao Cup exit.
They remain a point above the relegation zone after an insipid and powderpuff performance.
Wolves – with nine goals in their last three games – are now unbeaten in eight at home and earned a third straight Premier League win for the first time in almost two years to remain 11th in an increasingly impressive season.
Boss Gary O’Neil stressed pre-game he did not see Everton as a struggling side – without their 10-point deduction the Toffees would be above Wolves – but the hosts were never troubled.
A early break from Cunha, with Hwang Hee-chan and Pablo Sarabia for company, ended with the South Korean forward being crowded out and unable to find a finish after rounding Jordan Pickford.
It was a waste yet Wolves kept probing and Cunha’s 20-yard effort dropped wide.
The hosts coped without Lemina, who returned to France on Friday, with Joao Gomes snapping at the Toffees in midfield.
As a result, Everton were nullified as an attacking force and it was little surprise when Wolves took the lead after 25 minutes.
The Toffees only half-cleared a corner with the ball recycled to Cunha on the right to deliver a low cross.
Pickford pulled off a brilliant reaction save to stop Jarrad Branthwaite turning the ball into his own net but, in the ensuing scramble, Kilman poked the ball in – dedicating the goal to Lemina by lifting his team-mate’s shirt to the heavens.
It was just the skipper’s second goal for Wolves in 128 appearances – with his other also against Everton in November 2021.
There was little response from the visitors, bar Dominic Calvert-Lewin shooting across goal, and Wolves remained comfortable despite being unbale to fashion more first-half chances.
Passive and reactionary, Sean Dyche’s outfit desperately needed to improve after the break, but they fell further behind eight minutes into the second half.
Top scorer Hwang underlined why his team-mates will need to fill the void now he heads to the Asian Cup with South Korea – potentially not returning until mid-February – when he teed up Cunha.
Sarabia’s cute pass set him free on the right to outpace Michael Keane and it was a simple ball for Cunha to accept the gift for his sixth goal of the season.
It was the cue for Wolves to run riot and Hwang struck a post before Dawson added a third on the hour.
Everton struggled to clear and, when Cunha returned a fine cross, Dawson was left inexplicably unmarked to stick out a leg and find the corner.
The hosts’ only clean sheet of the season came in their 1-0 win at Everton in August, but they had little to fear at Molineux, even if Dwight McNeil rattled a post from distance.
Gomes and Hwang tested Pickford before the striker had a goal chalked off for offside, while the hosts also had the luxury of welcoming back Pedro Neto after a two-month injury absence.
The substitute even had a comeback goal ruled out for offside as Wolves were forced to settle for three.
Theo Bair discovered his form as Motherwell beat Livingston 3-1 to record a first win in 16 cinch Premiership matches.
The forward scored two and set up another for Blair Spital as Motherwell doubled their first-half goal tally for the league season inside 35 minutes.
Scott Pittman had made it 2-1 but Bair’s fourth goal of the season put the game beyond the reach of the bottom side.
Livi continued battling but could not get a lifeline as they drifted seven points behind their rivals at the foot of the table.
The game pitted two teams in desperate need of a turning point in their season against each other.
Since their previous meeting, which Livi won 2-0, David Martindale’s side had only scored two goals and collected two points in 11 games, while Motherwell’s long run without a win was piling pressure on manager Stuart Kettlewell.
Kettlewell made a big call as he handed Oli Shaw his second start since his loan move from Barnsley and recalled Bair in a three-pronged strikeforce with Callum Slattery and Harry Paton dropping to the bench.
Motherwell had only opened the scoring once since their previous win, against Hearts on September 3, but they came close twice inside four minutes. Bair sliced wide off a defender before Shamal George saved well from Mika Biereth from close range following Georgie Gent’s cross.
The game stopped for 60 seconds at the 10-minute mark as applause rang out around Fir Park for former Motherwell skipper Phil O’Donnell, 16 years and a day after he died after collapsing during a game.
Bair saw another effort deflected wide before setting up the opener in the 14th minute.
Joel Nouble dallied in possession just outside his own box and was robbed by Biereth, who played it on to Bair. The former St Johnstone striker looked like he might have passed up the chance but he played the ball in front of Spittal just in time for the midfielder to stab home.
Spittal repaid the service five minutes later when he played Bair in behind from near the touchline and halfway line. The Canada international got there before George to stab home.
Boos rang out from among the 216 away fans after each goal but they were cheering in the 23rd minute when Cristian Montano chipped the ball over the home defence and Pittman volleyed into the top corner.
The home side restored their two-goal lead in the 35th minute. Bair was already shouting for a pass down the line when Biereth intercepted a Livingston pass and the Dane delivered.
Bair cut inside Mikey Devlin and waited for George to go down before dinking the ball over the goalkeeper and sparking gasps of astonishment from the crowd.
Bair almost had his hat-trick when Shane Blaney’s header bounced off him and went in but it was disallowed for offside.
The Irish defender pulled up with a hamstring problem in the closing seconds of the half and was replaced by Bevis Mugabi, who was busy with the rest of the Motherwell defence for much of the second period.
Livingston’s best chances fell to defenders though and Devlin and Ayo Obileye were off target following set-pieces to leave the visitors in deep relegation trouble, although they have three home league games in succession to follow against Hearts, Dundee and Ross County.
Emma Raducanu is feeling “reborn” and freed of the weight of her US Open triumph as she prepares to make her comeback in Auckland.
The 21-year-old will face a qualifier in the opening round of the ASB Classic, her first match since April following operations on both her wrists and one ankle.
Raducanu looked relaxed and happy as she spoke to the media in New Zealand, saying: “I feel reborn in a way, I feel fresh, I feel ready, I feel happy, I feel excited.
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“Overall I’m feeling very positive and lighter. I think for two years after the US Open I felt maybe a bit more weight on my shoulders but now I feel completely fresh.”
The former British number one had hoped to make her comeback last autumn but her recovery was not a smooth process and she was forced to delay until the start of the new season.
She has been building back up to full fitness on and off court at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton under the guidance of Lawn Tennis Association staff.
For her final week working in London she turned to childhood coach Nick Cavaday while accompanying her in Auckland is mentor Jane O’Donoghue, a former coach who left the LTA to pursue a career in finance.
Raducanu has not had a permanent coach since splitting from Sebastian Sachs at the beginning of June.
O’Donoghue also helped out Raducanu at Wimbledon in 2022 when she was between coaches, and the former US Open champion said: “It’s really nice and refreshing to have her around, I know she has my best interests at heart and it’s just nice to have a familiar face.”
While it is likely to take time for Raducanu to find her feet on the match court again, she believes she is returning to the tour a better player and hungry to succeed.
“It’s going to be fun, I think, going out there competing again, having the competitive juices flowing,” she said.
“I’ve been training really well in practice so overall I’m feeling really good about my game. I think tennis wise I’m better than I was a year ago today, it’s just playing a match it’s going to be different.
“I got to spend a lot of time just thinking how I feel and I definitely got that hunger back just to be on the court competing, training, sweating. I think you really appreciate the time you have when you’re healthy and on court.”
While Raducanu received a wild card in Auckland, she is still waiting to see whether the same will apply for the Australian Open.
Her protected ranking given to players who have been sidelined long term is 103, which appears unlikely to be high enough to secure direct entry in Melbourne.
Currently that would mean going through qualifying at a grand slam for the first time since her remarkable New York triumph in 2021, and she said: “Qualifying doesn’t faze me.
“Right now I’m approaching it like I am in qualifying because I am. I’ve done pretty well in qualifying before so I’ll just see how it goes.”
Preparing to make his 2024 debut across the Tasman Sea at the Brisbane International is Andy Murray, who will take on second seed Grigor Dimitrov in his opening match.
Most of the focus at the tournament is on the returning Rafael Nadal and Naomi Osaka, and Murray faced the Spaniard in a practice session on Saturday.
Nadal has been sidelined for a year by a hip problem, and Murray said: “It’s great to have him back playing. He’s obviously working extremely hard, like always. He looked physically good, was playing well.”
Both men would need to make it to the semi-finals to meet in anger, and Murray cited renewing his long-time rivalries with Nadal and Novak Djokovic as a goal.
“If I get the opportunity to practise with them, I still really, really enjoy that,” said the Scot. “It does bring back some good memories. But ideally I’d want to be doing that in the tournaments, not in the first rounds. I’d like to be doing it
in the latter stages, if I can.”
Nico de Boinville is set for a spell on the sidelines after suffering a broken collarbone in a fall at Doncaster on Friday.
The leading rider was partnering 13-8 favourite The Therapist for his boss Nicky Henderson on Town Moor when he and his mount crashed out two flights from the finish.
De Boinville sat out the rest of the card and also missed out on a couple of winners at Newbury on Saturday, including the hugely exciting Jeriko Du Reponet.
Confirming his injury in his Unibet blog, the jockey said: “Unfortunately, I took a crunching fall on Therapist at Doncaster on Friday, and I will be out for a while.
“I pretty much knew that it wasn’t a routine departure soon after I hit the deck, and an X-ray this morning confirmed that I had broken my clavicle.
“It’s obviously annoying, with so many of our good horses looking to prove themselves in better races at this time of the year, as at Newbury today, but it’s only a small-scale setback in the grand scheme of things.
“I don’t know exactly how long I will be out for at the moment, but I’ll just have to get my head down and concentrate on the recovery.
“Others are in a far worse spot than me, so I won’t be feeling sorry for myself.”
Rodri and Julian Alvarez struck as Manchester City closed out a remarkable year with a routine 2-0 win over Premier League bottom side Sheffield United.
Champions League final match-winner Rodri put City on course for a comfortable win at the Etihad Stadium with a fine strike after 14 minutes and Alvarez finished the job in the second half.
After a tricky spell earlier in December, City have now ended 2023 – a year which brought five trophies including English, European and world titles – looking more like their old dominant selves.
It was the first time they had secured back-to-back Premier League wins since the first week of November and ended a run of eight games without a clean sheet.
The game also saw Kevin De Bruyne back in a matchday squad for the first time since August.
Jack Grealish retained his place in the City side despite a difficult few days following a burglary at his home and played 52 minutes before being withdrawn.
Manager Pep Guardiola made two changes to his starting line-up with Josko Gvardiol replacing the injured John Stones and Mateo Kovacic coming in for Matheus Nunes.
De Bruyne did not see any action but earned one of the biggest cheers of the afternoon when he warmed up in the second half.
In truth, City did not need the Belgium international as they comfortably outplayed the struggling Blades.
The hosts soon settled into their usual rhythm, controlling possession and patiently waiting for openings to arise.
It seemed just a matter of time before they broke through and the moment arrived in 14th minute as Rodri seized possession after a challenge on Phil Foden.
The Spaniard confidently drove forward and drove a low shot past Wes Foderingham from 18 yards.
Bernardo Silva shot wide after being played in by Foden and Grealish tested Foderingham from a tight angle.
The visitors missed James McAtee, who was unable to face his parent club, and offered little in attack until a brief flurry just before the break.
William Osula got behind the defence to meet a Jayden Bogle cross but his first-time shot was blocked by Manuel Akanji. Osula had another chance from the resulting corner but his header was saved by Ederson and Bogle also had an effort easily claimed by the City goalkeeper.
Back at the other end Rodri shot over and Foden almost got round Foderingham early in the second half but the keeper just managed to claw the ball away.
Foden had better luck when he created the second goal for Alvarez on the hour, breaking into the area from an Oscar Bobb pass and squaring for the Argentina forward to slide in.
Alvarez almost snatched another when Foderingham smashed a clearance straight at him but it ricocheted over.
Robyndzone continued the excellent recent form of Venetia Williams with victory in the Betfred Last Fling Handicap Chase at Haydock, the second leg of a double on the card for the trainer and conditional jockey Ned Fox.
The nine-year-old impressed on his seasonal reappearance at Ludlow in early November before falling at the halfway stage on his next appearance at Sandown.
Robyndzone was a 100-30 chance to get back on the winning trail on Merseyside and made most of the running on his way to an eight-length success over Fortescue.
Williams and Fox had earlier successfully combined with even-money favourite Hill Of Tara in the Betfred Nifty 50 Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle.
Fox said: “It was a great day. It was Hill Of Tara’s first run over three miles and he saw it out really well.
“He galloped home really strongly and did it really well, he was really good.
“Robyndzone was also stepping up in trip and he jumped really well and just galloped the others into the ground really. He’s not the quickest in the world, but he just galloped and he’s a very tough horse and did it very well.”
It was a first career double for the 23-year-old, who is based with Williams and has now moved his career tally up to 30 winners thanks to his Haydock brace.
He added: “It’s good to get that one out of the way and hopefully there will be a few more along the way.
“I’m very lucky to be working for Venetia who is giving me these good opportunities on Saturdays and big meetings.
“The yard is in great form and everything is going well, so long may it continue.”
Bertie’s Ballet (5-4) dug deep to land the Betfred TV EBF ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Hurdle for Dianne Sayer and Henry Brooke.
The dual bumper winner chased home subsequent Grade One runner-up Favour And Fortune on his hurdling debut at Wetherby and made no mistake at the second time of asking, seeing off Norman Fletcher by a length and a half.
Sayer said: “I’m really pleased, his owners are lovely people and the horse is a professional in every way. It’s great to have him in the yard and we’re lucky to have him.
“I was very hopeful today. I think a small field suits him and heavy ground helped as they just went steady. He’s got lots of ability this horse, but very little experience.
“I’m very aware that he hasn’t got many miles on the clock and going forward that’s my biggest fear as we’ll be putting him into company that’s a lot more experience than he is, but hopefully he’ll continue to take it in his stride and we’re looking forward to the future with him.
“We might look to run in the EBF Final at Sandown, but that is obviously dropping him at the deep end. We’ll see how he comes out of today and take it from there.”
Richard Bandey’s Southern Sam (100-30) edged out Gold Emery in the Betfred Goals Galore Novices’ Handicap Chase, while 5-2 favourite Punta Del Este dominated his rivals for Dan Skelton and Tristan Durrell in the Betfred Supports Jack Berry House Handicap Hurdle.
Happy And Fine struck at 7-2 in the Betfred ‘Hot Shots’ Handicap Chase and San Francisco justified cramped odds of 8-11 in the concluding Betfred Happy New Year Open NH Flat Race.
Queens Gamble continued her march to the Cheltenham Festival by successfully stepping up to Listed class in the Byerley Stud Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Taunton.
Seriously impressive when winning her first two bumper starts at Cheltenham last season, the five-year-old subsequently found Dysart Enos too strong in a Listed event at Market Rasen before finishing down the field in the Champion Bumper at the Festival.
She won a maiden hurdle at Warwick in the spring on her final start for the retiring Oliver Sherwood and made a winning reappearance for Harry Derham, for whom Sherwood now acts as assistant, at Kempton last month.
Queens Gamble was a 5-6 favourite to maintain her unbeaten record over obstacles in Somerset and while
Casa No Mento looked to have her in real trouble halfway up the home straight, the market leader responded to the urgings of her regular partner Jonathan Burke to get on top after the final flight, with two and three-quarter lengths separating the pair at the line.
Derham said: “She did everything right, we thought she’d do that and we’re very pleased that she has, so job done.
“Johnny (Burke) was never really worried. Last season I think she was a little bit more forward going, but she’s very relaxed and very professional nowadays and he said every time he squeezed her she was just there and ready to go.
“She’s a good mare and Nigel’s (Twiston-Davies, trainer of runner-up) is obviously a good mare too. They’ve pulled well clear, which is always a good sign.”
Paddy Power left Queen Gamble unchanged at 16-1 for the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, with her old rival Dysart Enos the 7-2 favourite.
On whether she would run again before the Festival, Derham added: “Until I speak Ed (Galvin) and Alex (Frost) properly about it I wouldn’t like to confirm, but I’d say there’s no need to run again.
“She’s had three runs over hurdles now, she jumped quickly today and I see very little reason to run again between now and the Festival.
“She’s good round the track (Cheltenham), she’s improving and I know I’ve got more to come from here.
“She’s done everything right so far, all she can do is keep winning her races and she’ll go there with a good chance.”
Surrey Quest provided Toby Lawes with one of the biggest victories of his training career to date when landing the Coral Mandarin Handicap Chase at Newbury.
Formally a right-hand man to Nicky Henderson, it was somewhat fitting it was a former Seven Barrows inmate that provided him with his finest hour as he followed up an impressive stable bow at Huntingdon with a battling success in the rain-softened ground.
Having been up with the leaders throughout, Surrey Quest stuck to his task gamely when asked for maximum effort by man-of-the-moment James Bowen, who was striking for the third time on the card.
Although not fluent two from home, the 7-2 chance still had enough in reserve to hold off Kerry Lee’s 11-4 favourite Atlanta Brave by three-quarters of a length and give owners Surrey Racing plenty to dream about moving forward.
“The ground didn’t come up as soft as we were worried about and James rode him perfectly to plan,” said Clive Hadingham, co-founder of Surrey Racing with Steve Grubb.
“We know he stays and it looks like from that performance he will stay another couple of furlongs. The front two pulled away handily from the rest. It opens up a lot of options.
“That is the biggest win for Toby and he would be probably one of the better horses in Toby’s yard. We have to give plenty of credit of Jackie Du Plessis in Cornwall, who looks after horses with niggling issues for us and she found a little issue with Quest and helped put it right – without that we wouldn’t now have the horse we have got.
“Toby has then taken that further with the training and it has been a team effort from all of them.”
He went on: “We will have to see what the handicapper does and there’s a few options. We’ll sleep on it and celebrate this and the trophy is big enough to fill up with champagne so we will take that away and have some fun!
“We will probably have a look at the Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster at the end of January, but we will enjoy today and see how he comes out of it and then put our heads together.”
However, there would be no four-timer for Bowen as Henderson’s Walking On Air was denied by Ben Pauling’s Henry’s Friend (17-2) in the concluding Coral Get Closer To The Action Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase.
A useful hurdler last term, it was a huge improvement on the six-year-old’s Doncaster chasing debut and a performance that somewhat surprised his handler.
“I was pleased with the result, but I didn’t think he would handle the ground and I think he’s won despite this being not his most suitable conditions,” said Pauling.
“He’s done very well to win and jumped very well on the whole without ever jumping as well as he did at Doncaster last time. It was a gutsy performance and I think he is an improving novice.
“He’s always had a touch of class and this is his game (chasing), but I do think there will be a lot more to come on slightly better ground.”
Issar d’Airy made a pleasing chasing debut to strike at 4-1 in the New ‘Bet-In-Race’ With Coral Handicap Chase.
Gary Moore’s five-year-old stepped up markedly on what he had shown over hurdles and produced a superb round of jumping under Niall Houlihan as he sauntered to a four-and-a-quarter-length success over the 6-5 favourite Martator, who had attempted to make all.
“I was very pleased and he jumped very well for a horse having his first start over fences,” said Moore.
“What he beat I don’t know because the favourite went off very fast and he was never going to get home unless he was a super horse going that pace. Niall was good and patient and gave him a nice introduction and he’s done well our horse, I’m very happy.
“It will depend what the handicapper does to him, but there is a two-mile chase at Lingfield over Millions Weekend and I might look at going there, but I’m not sure.”
Meanwhile, the fine season of King George VI winning rider Gavin Sheehan continued when he scored another Saturday success aboard Olly Murphy’s Rambo T (2-1 favourite) in the Coral Racing Club Join For Free Handicap Hurdle.
“He appreciated the step back in trip and I think the race fell apart somewhat,” said Murphy.
“I thought a lot of horses were beat early in the straight, but albeit it was a good performance.
“He doesn’t stay three miles and we hope he carries on progressing. He handles soft ground well and he is a strong stayer at two-and-a-half, just doesn’t stay three. It was a good performance and hopefully he can carry on progressing.”
Mauricio Pochettino praised a “deserved” Chelsea victory after watching his side resist a late Luton fightback to sign off 2023 with a 3-2 win.
Chelsea looked to be cruising as a Cole Palmer brace sandwiched a goal from Noni Madueke to put them 3-0 up with 10 minutes remaining at Kenilworth Road.
There was then late drama, with Ross Barkley and Elijah Adebayo netting for the Hatters, but Pochettino was satisfied that his team were worthy of the win.
“I think we controlled the game until 65 minutes,” he said. “We were the better side and we fully deserved the result. (There were) many positive performances.
“When you concede it increases the opponent’s belief. The Premier League is like this. If you see (Luton’s) previous games – against Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle – you can understand the difficulty of playing here.
“We need to give them credit. They really believe in the way they play. It’s always tough to play here. We got what we wanted.
“Football is about emotions. When you’re winning 3-0, always you’re still nervous because things can happen to put the game in a difficult situation. We conceded one goal and their belief increased, that’s normal.
“Too many games that has happened in the Premier League. Brighton led against Tottenham 4-0 (on Thursday), in the end it was 4-2. That’s why the Premier League is tough.”
The win ended a run of four straight losses away from home for Chelsea, their worst streak on the road in 23 years, and means they have now taken nine points from their last four games.
With Madueke included from the start for only the second time this season and responding by scoring his second goal in two matches, the manager said he was pleased that his fringe players are proving capable of impactful contributions.
“That’s why you have a big squad,” he said. “We have plenty of numbers when they’re all fit, many players that can perform. It’s very positive to increase the level in all positions.”
Chelsea struck first on 12 minutes through Palmer, rifling into the bottom corner after Issa Kabore’s error had gifted him the ball inside the box.
Madueke made it two, rocketing in when he stood up Amari’i Bell and shot high into Thomas Kaminski’s top corner.
Chelsea’s third and the moment of the match came from Palmer. Nicolas Jackson showed good strength to take control in midfield, turn his man and play a clever early ball through, though at that stage Palmer still had plenty to do.
Kaminski came out, but in shaping to shoot Palmer got the better of the Luton goalkeeper with a sublime roll of his boot over the top of the ball, outfoxed the covering defender Albert Sambi Lokonga who went to ground, and knocked in what at the stage looked like the goal that would kill the game.
But Luton had performed well here in recent games against Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City before beating Newcastle last time out, and ensured Chelsea did not walk away easily with their three points.
First Barkley headed in against his former team from a corner, then Adebayo was quickest to the rebound after Djordje Petrovic had saved Alfie Doughty’s effort, as Rob Edwards’ side gave the visitors an uncomfortable finish.
Luton boss Edwards reflected on a game in which his team showed further evidence of their progress in the top flight.
“We have evolved a lot,” he said. “I like the way we are moving and we have the second part of the season to improve.
“I like what I am seeing. The boys are fully committed and we will continue to keep working hard and building.”
Scott Williams has apologised for his “genuinely stupid” comments during an on-stage interview at the World Championship on Wednesday.
Williams courted controversy after joking about England winning “two World Wars and one World Cup” following his third-round win over German Martin Schindler.
He followed that victory up with a 4-1 win over 10th seed Damon Heta on Saturday afternoon to make a first-ever quarter-final at Alexandra Palace.
‘Shaggy’, who received backlash to his insensitive comments, was regretful about his interview on Sky Sports.
He said: “I was advised to come off social media, just X, what I said in the last interview on stage was stupid, genuinely stupid. The guys from Germany know I love Germany.
“My deepest apologies to anyone who took offence, I have had a lot of messages from people who haven’t taken offence, but that has gone now and I am looking forward to Monday.”
He let his darts do the talking in a ruthless performance against Australian Heta, which included a 170 checkout.
The showman was also conducting the crowd before he threw his match-winning dart, which set up a last-eight tie with Michael van Gerwen.
He added: “That is very good. I can’t say too much because I will get myself in trouble.
“Michael? Michael, yeah I have heard of him. I am really looking forward to it, he is a completly different gravy to everyone else in the competition. I am just going to go up there and throw darts and if they go in they go in.”
Rob Cross is into his first quarter-final at Ally Pally since winning the title on debut in 2018 after a 4-0 demolition of Jonny Clayton.
Cross, who now plays Chris Dobey, is enjoying his best season for a number of years and showed he is a contender for the title after throwing a 98.41 average against the Welshman.
View this post on Instagram
That would have been higher had he not missed six match darts to get over the line.
He said on his on-stage interview: “I thought I needed a new pair of pants!
“I feel for Jonny he never really turned up, he is the nicest guy I have ever met. I was controlled and ruthless, I wanted to get through it. I managed to get it done and on to the next one.”
Dave Chisnall is into a third quarter-final after he beat Daryl Gurney 4-2.
Scott Williams has apologised for his “genuinely stupid” comments during an on-stage interview at the World Championship on Wednesday.
Williams courted controversy after joking about England winning “two World Wars and one World Cup” following his third-round win over German Martin Schindler.
He followed that victory up with a 4-1 win over 10th seed Damon Heta on Saturday afternoon to make a first-ever quarter-final at Alexandra Palace.
‘Shaggy’, who received backlash to his insensitive comments, was regretful about his interview on Sky Sports.
He said: “I was advised to come off social media, just X, what I said in the last interview on stage was stupid, genuinely stupid. The guys from Germany know I love Germany.
“My deepest apologies to anyone who took offence, I have had a lot of messages from people who haven’t taken offence, but that has gone now and I am looking forward to Monday.”
He let his darts do the talking in a ruthless performance against Australian Heta, which included a 170 checkout.
The showman was also conducting the crowd before he threw his match-winning dart, which set up a last-eight tie with Michael van Gerwen.
He added: “That is very good. I can’t say too much because I will get myself in trouble.
“Michael? Michael, yeah I have heard of him. I am really looking forward to it, he is a completly different gravy to everyone else in the competition. I am just going to go up there and throw darts and if they go in they go in.”
Rob Cross is into his first quarter-final at Ally Pally since winning the title on debut in 2018 after a 4-0 demolition of Jonny Clayton.
Cross, who now plays Chris Dobey, is enjoying his best season for a number of years and showed he is a contender for the title after throwing a 98.41 average against the Welshman.
View this post on Instagram
That would have been higher had he not missed six match darts to get over the line.
He said on his on-stage interview: “I thought I needed a new pair of pants!
“I feel for Jonny he never really turned up, he is the nicest guy I have ever met. I was controlled and ruthless, I wanted to get through it. I managed to get it done and on to the next one.”
Dave Chisnall is into a third quarter-final after he beat Daryl Gurney 4-2.
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