Family and friends with connections to 1932 Grand National-winning jockey Tim Hamey will gather at Ludlow on Thursday for the latest running of the Forbra Gold Cup.
Hamey partnered Forbra to Aintree glory and while he died in 1993 at the age of 88, the fact the Forbra Gold Cup has been run at Ludlow since 1955 means memories are always evoked at this time of year.
Forbra was owned by William Parsonage, Ludlow’s mayor and a bookmaker, and he was trained by Tom Rimell, father of Fred Rimell – who would go on to win the National four times as a trainer himself.
In 1932, he was a jockey, but as he was only 18, he was deemed too inexperienced for the mount, meaning Hamey was the man called upon for the ride on the 50-1 outsider.
Three previous winners were in the line-up that year but in a race stacked full of previous drama, Forbra came through to beat Egremont by three lengths.
Hamey also won the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Koko in 1926, in what was just the third running of a race that has gone on to become the holy grail for a steeplechaser.
His nephew, Will Lefebve, a retired racing journalist, said: “The family is steeped in racing history, as Tim had 12 rides in the National, his son Rex had seven and my father, Len, also had one.
“Tim’s record was very impressive, though, he rode in 12 consecutive Nationals and took part in the 1929 one which had a record 66 runners, finishing sixth of just 10 finishers on Grakle behind Gregalach. Grakle actually went on to win the race in 1931.”
While there have been get-togethers on Forbra Gold Cup day in the past, this time Lefebve has arranged a much bigger group of people with links to Hamey and Forbra.
“I have assembled a gathering of about 40 people directly linked to Forbra – either the horse himself or the race named in his memory – who will descend on Ludlow on Thursday,” he said.
“They include descendants of Forbra’s owner William Parsonage, a bookmaker and mayor of Ludlow, and the race is being sponsored by local hydraulics company Flowfit, which is managed by William’s great grandson Simon.
“Forbra was, of course, trained by Tom Rimell, father of four times National-winning trainer Fred.
“A solid gold trophy was presented to Ludlow racecourse 70 years ago by William’s sons, and according to former course supremo Bob Davies, it is worth around £75,000, and consequently is kept in a Ludlow bank vault for 365 days a year. The winning owner gets his or her hands on it for about an hour!
“I first organised a get-together five years ago of the families representing the owner, trainer and jockey of Forbra, and decided on a repeat assembly this year, when there will be many more ‘connections’ at the track.
“Five of the Hamey clan will be present, including Hamey’s grandson Paul, who is bringing along the replica trophy presented to Tim by the Princess Royal in a 1985 Aintree ceremony hosted by Peter O’Sullevan (before his knighthood), during which all surviving Grand National-winning riders received identical mementos. Tim was then the ‘daddy of them all’.
“As far as the Rimell family is concerned, Fred’s daughter Scarlett (Knipe), who bred both Master Oats and Thistlecrack with her late husband Robin at their Cobhall Court Stud, hopefully will be joined by Mark, Annie and Katie Rimell.
“I expect to feel a bit like a shepherd on Thursday, rounding up his flock, with the likes of Richard Johnson, Bob Davies, Graham Thorner, Henry Daly, Venetia Williams, David Pipe and others expected to be there.
“Simon Parsonage has also purchased at a National Horse Racing Museum auction the saddle used by Tim Hamey on Forbra at Aintree 91 years-plus ago. He has had it ‘framed’ in a glass case and is bringing the saddle to Ludlow.”
Kerry Lee is prepared to roll the dice and allow Nemean Lion to take his chance in the Unibet Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
The seven-year-old has had a successful campaign so far, which began in October when he won the Welsh Champion Hurdle by a length and a half on debut.
He was fifth in the Greatwood at Cheltenham next time out and then ran an admirable race under a considerable amount of weight to finish the runner-up when stepping up in trip in the Lanzarote.
The Golden Horn gelding then tried Grade Two level to contest the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton, a scaling back in trip as the race is run over a mile and seven furlongs.
There he was the 6-5 favourite under Richard Patrick and justified those odds when securing a length and a half success over fellow Champion Hurdle entrant Colonel Mustard.
The success has seen his mark rise from 145 to 151, and he is set to take his spot in a Champion Hurdle that this year might prove just more open than initially presumed.
“He’s been really good since Wincanton, he came out of the race very well,” said Lee, speaking before the market for the race was disrupted by the news that reigning hero Constitution Hill was a doubt after a below-par racecourse gallop on Tuesday morning.
“He loved the conditions and ran a great race, it was lovely to watch and we were really pleased with him.
“He wasn’t stopping at the end of the Lanzarote but he relished the two miles too, you’d have to say he was even better over the two.
“It’s all systems go for the Cheltenham Festival now, his target is going to be the Champion Hurdle.
“There are very few options for him and as long as the ground is good to soft or softer, he will run.
“It looks to be wide open for third and realistically in racing, anything can happen.
“I think off 151 he deserves the chance to prove himself so we can see what he can do.
“It is a pleasure to have such a good horse, we’ll keep our fingers crossed that he can go and run a good race but as long as he comes back safe and well then we’ll be happy.”
Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag has hit back at Jamie Carragher’s criticism of his side’s defending.
Speaking on Sky Sports on Monday evening, former Liverpool defender Carragher was scathing about United’s display in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat by Fulham, which ended a five-match winning run that had fuelled some optimism around Old Trafford.
But Ten Hag accused Carragher of being biased against his side, saying: “First of all, some analysts are very objective in their comments, very good advice, some are very subjective.
“Jamie Carragher is one of them. From the first moment on he has criticised and now he wants to make his point.
“Probably in the first half an hour, yeah, he had a point. Fulham in their midfield set-up a little bit surprised us and then we have to find the solutions. After half an hour we found the solutions.
“I was not pleased with the performance in defending, especially with the left side, how we did the pressing because they came out, especially in the first half an hour, several times on the left side and that can’t happen.
“And that has everything to do with willingness, spirit and passion. That was in the previous weeks very good from this team and therefore we won football games.
“I know footballers are not robots, sometimes they have bad days. But it can’t be, it’s unacceptable and we have to do better tomorrow. But in the weeks before we have done very well.”
Ten Hag also gave a staunch defence of Antony, whose future is the subject of much speculation.
The United boss did not comment on whether the Brazilian winger could be sold in the summer but insisted he can get back to his best after failing to make the starting line-up in the Premier League this year.
“I backed him for a long time,” said Ten Hag, who previously managed Antony at Ajax.
“I know his abilities and he has great abilities. I know from the past, he is unstoppable, no defender can stop him because he’s one of the quickest players in the first 10 yards. When he plays that game, he will perform.
“I’m very confident he will do it for the future. He is resilient, he is a character and he will fight back. I back him and he now has to wait for his chance and once he is there he has to pick up.”
United face a crunch week in their season, with Wednesday’s FA Cup fifth-round clash against Nottingham Forest followed by the Manchester derby at the Etihad on Sunday.
The FA Cup is the Red Devils’ last chance of silverware, while defeat on Sunday could spell the end of their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.
“When you are unbeaten for January and February and you lose one game – we know our aim is to win every game, at United you have to win every game,” said Ten Hag.
“Obviously it was a poor performance, a poor defeat, we are aware of this and we want to stay in every competition so, yeah, we have to win tomorrow. But it doesn’t change our approach because that is for every game.
“So many more defining moments will be coming up. The first game is the most important.”
Midfielder Casemiro is available for the trip to Forest after being forced off against Fulham with a cut to his head.
Fergal O’Brien is confident Crambo possesses all the necessary tools to make his presence felt in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.
The seven-year-old is very much the new kid on the block in the staying division over the smaller obstacles, kicking off his campaign with a handicap victory at Aintree.
He had to make do with minor honours on his next start at Haydock, but fully justified his trainer’s decision to throw him in at the deep end after coming out on top in a titanic tussle with popular veteran Paisley Park in the Long Walk at Ascot the following month.
Speaking at Jockey Club press morning at his Ravenswell Farm yard, O’Brien issued an upbeat bulletin on Crambo’s well-being ahead of his bid for Festival glory in little over a fortnight’s time.
“Crambo is not a great workhorse, but he does everything very well and he’s very fresh after his work, which is what you want to see,” he said.
“He’s got a great temperament. He hasn’t won round Cheltenham yet, but fingers crossed he can go there and be our first Festival winner.
“You look at the likes of Paisley Park and all those (Stayers’ Hurdle) horses, that’s their one common denominator – they always have that little flat spot.
“In the Long Walk, it was actually the best I’ve seen Crambo travel and jump. He’s normally a bit behind the bridle and he’s made it hard work for Connor (Brace) on a few occasions.”
Crambo came up short in a couple of Grade One assignments last season, but O’Brien insists he never lost faith.
He added: “We’re very lucky to have him and we always hoped he would develop the way he has. As a novice we ran him in two Grade Ones, in the Challow Hurdle, where it never happened for him in wet ground, and then we took him to Aintree after he won the EBF Final at Sandown.
“He was running a big race at Aintree and I think he would have been fourth, but Rachael Blackmore’s horse (Cool Survivor) fell in front of him and that sort of stopped him.
“I always believed in the horse, he won first time up this year at Aintree and then we were a little bit unlucky at Haydock. We could have gone down the Pertemps route, but I really wanted to have a crack at another Grade One and his owners were happy to go to the Long Walk.”
While many of his Festival rivals went on to contest the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham in January, O’Brien decided to keep his powder dry with Crambo and is relishing the challenge.
He said: “He had a hard race at Ascot and it took him a couple of weeks to get over it and get his spark back, but Eve who rode him this morning knows him inside out and she’s delighted with him.
“I’d love to be able to tell you he’s very difficult to train, but he’d train himself. Johnny Burke took him to Lambourn on Friday and jumped 10 or 12 hurdles and he said he felt great, so I’m really happy with where he is.
“I think Cheltenham will suit him, to be fair. I think it will bring out a little bit more improvement and he does need to improve again from the Long Walk.”
Assessing the likely opposition, he added: “Gordon’s (Elliott) two horses at the head of the market (Teahupoo and Irish Point) are two very good horses and there’ll be plenty of others there.
“Dashel Drasher will be there, Paisley Park will be there, Emmet Mullins’ horse (Noble Yeats) and I’m not sure what Gavin Cromwell is doing with Flooring Porter.
“They’ve all been there and done it and got the T-shirt, but Crambo’s got youth on his side and we think he’s a very good horse, so fingers crossed.”
Constitution Hill sent shockwaves through the Unibet Champion Hurdle market on Tuesday morning, with the participation of the reigning champion seemingly in doubt following a below-par workout in a pre-Cheltenham visit to Kempton Park.
As has become tradition, Nicky Henderson took several of his Festival contenders for a spin at the Sunbury circuit, including the unbeaten Constitution Hill, whose only start this season was in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day.
Bookmakers were quick to suspend betting in the wake of the work, and the Seven Barrows trainer told the PA news agency his superstar had since scoped badly.
“Unfortunately, in a routine gallop this morning, Constitution Hill was very disappointing and it transpires, after the vet has scoped him, that there is evidence of mucus,” said Henderson.
“We’re taking a sample of it to a laboratory to analyse it, which will tell us about the significance of it and we should know more after that.
“Last week, he worked brilliantly and he was scoped 10 days ago, but these things happen, just like it did with him earlier in the year (having to miss Cheltenham on Trials day in January).
“Horses are like humans, look how many people had the awful cough around Christmas that took ages to get rid of.”
Brendon McCullum admitted it would be “slightly mad” if the progress Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir have made on England’s tour of India was stymied by a lack of opportunities at county level.
The spinning duo were uncapped at the start of the trip and held modest first-class records, albeit from small sample sizes, but Hartley is the series’ leading wicket-taker with 20 dismissals in four Tests and Bashir took a maiden professional five-for in Ranchi.
But Lancashire signing Australia star Nathan Lyon this summer places a question mark over how much game time Hartley will get and Bashir is second choice at Somerset to Jack Leach, who will have surgery on a knee injury which ended his tour early and allowed the rookies to shine on the international stage.
While McCullum acknowledged Lancashire and Somerset have their own interests to consider, England’s head coach hopes Hartley, 24, and Bashir, 20, will not fade away in the months ahead.
“We’ve got to keep trying to get cricket into them,” McCullum said. “Whatever opportunity we can we’ll try and give it to them because there’s two guys there more than good enough for international cricket.
“They’re tough characters. We’ve seen both of them have big hearts. It doesn’t get any harder than it is right now and they’ve both stood up and performed so we’ve just to keep giving both of them chances.
“It will be a slight frustration of ours if they weren’t given opportunities at county level. There’s a very real possibility that might be the case.
“But without wanting to dictate to counties because they have their own agendas, when you see performances like we have out of those two bowlers throughout the series, I think you’d be slightly mad if you didn’t give them more opportunities in county cricket.”
England losing by five wickets in Ranchi leaves them 3-1 down with just the final Test in Dharamshala, starting Thursday week, with McCullum suffering the first series defeat of his reign.
There have been just four wins in their last 11 Tests but McCullum is convinced England are a superior team than the one he inherited in May 2022, which had triumphed just once in their previous 17 matches.
“We weren’t quite good enough when it mattered – or India were better, to be honest, than us being not quite good enough,” McCullum said.
“We’ve lost this series and we didn’t win the Ashes (last year) but we’re a better cricket team than we were 18 months ago and we’ve got opportunity in the next 18 months to do some pretty special s***.
“Time on the tools, experience and just keep chiselling away at any of those rough edges which creep up every now and then, which is natural, and we’ll get there eventually.”
McCullum confirmed Jonny Bairstow will play in his 100th Test next week, despite not reaching 40 in the series, but there is scrutiny over seamer Ollie Robinson following a disappointing return to action.
Robinson registered an important fifty in his first competitive appearance since July last year but while pace has never been his biggest asset, he struggled to reach 80mph on the speed gun and sent down six no-balls – taking his career tally to 77, which is one more than his haul of wickets in 20 Tests.
His drop of Dhruv Jurel was a key moment, allowing India to move to within 46 of England’s total after the first innings, while Robinson was not called upon to bowl as the hosts chased 192 to win by five wickets on Monday.
McCullum explained Robinson, who has an impressive Test average of 22.92, felt a twinge in his back, which he has struggled with in the past.
“Everything he did leading into the Test match suggested we’d see not just the Ollie Robinson we’d seen previously but a better version of it,” McCullum added.
“He’s not just as disappointed as everyone else, he’s the most disappointed out of everyone. It’s just sport right? You have great expectations and sometimes you’re not quite able to deliver.”
Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott accepts he will have to continue to push himself “to the max” as injuries threaten to derail the club’s bid for an unprecedented quadruple.
The 20-year-old played the full 120 minutes of Sunday’s Carabao Cup extra-time win over Chelsea just four days after playing the entirety of the 4-1 victory against Luton, in which he scored a 90th-minute goal and had to be hauled off the turf at the end of the game.
His previous four appearances had all been as a substitute and amounted to just 153 minutes, but with 12 first team players unavailable through injury, fringe and academy players are now finding they are having to play more significant roles.
That is likely to be the case against Sky Bet Championship high-fliers Southampton in the fifth round of the FA Cup at Anfield on Wednesday – the third of four games in 15 days.
“Digging in deep – it came off the back of 90 minutes in midweek – is what you live for. This is why you’re a footballer,” said Elliott, who collapsed to the ground in exhaustion as the rest of the team ran to celebrate Virgil van Dijk’s 118th-minute goal at Wembley.
“You need to push yourself to the max in order to get results and we did that.
“To come away with a victory is massive but we need to put it behind us, make sure we are recovered and focused on Wednesday.
“It will be another big test against Southampton as they are doing well this season and are going to cause us problems.
“I can’t wait for another game.”
Wednesday looks like a significant hurdle for Liverpool – top of the Premier League by a point and facing Sparta Prague in the Europa League – to overcome in their quest to win four trophies taking into account their injury situation and the emotional toil of the cup final just a few days ago.
Elliott insists it is up to the players to battle their way through if of they want to keep the bid on track.
“It’s going to be hard. It is just down to us. We need to put in the fight, desire and hunger and who knows at the end of the season,” he added.
Joe Fanning is set for a short spell on the sidelines after being knocked out in a fall at Wolverhampton on Monday night that led to three-time champion jockey Oisin Murphy being hit with a nine-day ban.
Fanning and his mount Sennockian passed the post a nose in front of the Murphy-ridden Dr Foster in an extended one-mile handicap at Dunstall Park, but was unseated just after the winning line.
The 53-year-old regained consciousness prior to leaving the track, but was taken to hospital for precautionary tests before later returning home.
“Joe is fine. He had precautionary scans on his head and everything at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton and they came back clear,” said his agent Niall Hannity.
“He got home late last night and I spoke to him this morning and he is fine.
“I’m not sure how long he’ll be out for. He’ll have to pass a baseline concussion test and it will be up to Dr Jerry Hill when he’ll be able to take that.
“We’ll see how he is in the next day or two, but he obviously won’t be riding this weekend or next week, I wouldn’t have thought.”
A stewards’ enquiry was called to consider the placings after several incidents of interference in the home straight.
The stewards ruled that Fanning had not committed any riding offences and that the placings should remain unaltered, but Murphy was found guilty of careless riding.
A stewards’ report read: “Murphy was suspended for nine days as he allowed his mount to drift approximately two horse widths right-handed away from the whip causing interference to Sennockian, before then using the whip again in the left hand whereupon his mount shifted further right-handed causing interference to Sennockian, with Fanning being unseated after the line.”
Murphy will be out of action on March 11 and 12 and from March 18 to 24, meaning he is set to miss the first weekend of the British Flat turf season at Doncaster.
Sweden midfielder Kristoffer Olsson is on a ventilator in hospital after collapsing at home due to a brain condition, his club Midtjylland have announced.
The 28-year-old, who had a spell at Arsenal as a teenager, has not appeared for the Danish club since December and there had been mounting speculation over his absence.
Midtjylland said in a statement on their official website: “In view of the increasing rumours and speculation that are circulating about the reason for Kristoffer Olsson’s absence in the recent period, we are forced to make this announcement to the public.
“The 28-year-old Swedish international lost consciousness in his home on Tuesday 20 February and was transferred to Aarhus University Hospital, where he has been admitted and on a ventilator.
“Kristoffer Olsson is affected by an apparently acute disease related to the brain, which is not caused by self-harm of any kind, nor is the cause due to external factors.
“A team of Denmark’s leading medical experts is currently working hard to make a diagnosis and initiate the right treatment.”
Midtjylland called for “respect and understanding” and added: “Everyone at FC Midtjylland is of course deeply affected by Kristoffer’s sudden illness and our thoughts and full support go to Kristoffer and his family.”
Arsenal wished Olsson, who has won 47 caps for his country, a “full and speedy recovery” on social media.
Olsson joined the Gunners from Swedish side Norrkoping aged 16 and made one senior appearance as a substitute in a League Cup game against West Brom.
He is currently in his second permanent spell with Midtjylland and has also had stints at AIK, Krasnodar and Anderlecht.
Gordon Elliott is readying Jalon D’oudairies, Romeo Coolio and The Yellow Clay for the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival.
The Cullentra handler has saddled two previous winners of the Grade One contest that concludes day two of the meeting, with Fayonagh striking gold in 2017 and Envoi Allen prevailing two years later.
Jalon D’oudairies, a £420,000 purchase for Gigginstown House Stud after winning his sole start in the point-to-point field, moved towards the top of ante-post lists for this year’s renewal after following up an impressive bumper debut at Fairyhouse with another clear-cut win at Leopardstown in December.
The five-year-old is set to be joined by the equally expensive Romeo Coolio, who won his only bumper start so far at Fairyhouse, and The Yellow Clay, who Elliott feels may have been underestimated following his fourth-place finish in Grade Two company at the Dublin Racing Festival.
“Jalon D’oudairies is a nice horse and has a good attitude. He showed in Leopardstown that he drops his head and wants to win,” said the trainer.
“Romeo Coolio pulled a muscle and we didn’t get to run him (before Christmas) and then I put myself under pressure to run him. He’ll have come on a stone for his first run and we haven’t missed a beat with him since he ran. He’s in good form and we’re happy with him.
“I think The Yellow Clay is going under the radar. He doesn’t do anything fancy at home and I think he was declared to run in a maiden hurdle at Down Royal in November and got a kick the day before, so we ended up missing a month with him.
“I think he’ll come on a lot from his run the last day. He mightn’t have beaten the winner (Jeroboam Machin), but he definitely would have been a good second if he’d got the run of the race.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Jack (Kennedy) rode him.”
While Elliott suggested it will not be a straightforward choice for his stable jockey to decide which one of the trio he would like to ride, there is no doubt the trainer holds Jalon D’oudairies in particularly high regard.
He added: “I know last October, November and December, which horse was knocking the place down working, so I’ll leave it up to Jack to decide and we’ll let the other lads ride the others.”
What the papers say
Big changes could be in the pipeline at Chelsea on and off the pitch this summer, according to various reports. The Daily Mail says Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim is a possible replacement for manager Mauricio Pochettino.
On the field, the club are looking to sell defender Trevoh Chalobah, 24, and Albania forward Armando Broja, 22, according to The Daily Telegraph. England midfielder Conor Gallagher, 24, and Spain left-back Marc Cucurella, 25, could also leave in the summer.
Summer changes are also expected at Manchester United. The Manchester Evening News says Brazil winger Antony, 24, is among the players they would be prepared to sell.
Victor Osimhen is eyeing a move to the Premier League, according to The Sun. Arsenal and Chelsea are believed to be heading the race for the Napoli striker, 25, although Manchester United and Paris St Germain are also reportedly interested.
Social media round-upPlayers to watch
Alphonso Davies: Real Madrid have reached agreement to sign the Bayern Munich and Canada left-back, 23, in the summer or next year, according to The Athletic.
Joao Palhinha: Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Arsenal are chasing the Fulham and Portugal midfielder, 28, reports Football Insider.
Evan Bouchard and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored third-period goals to back Stuart Skinner's 38 saves as the Edmonton Oilers got back on track with Monday's 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings.
Bouchard and Leon Draisaitl each finished with a goal and an assist as the Oilers halted a three-game losing streak and dealt the surging Kings just their second loss in seven games.
Edmonton had to rally to do so, as it trailed 2-1 before Draisaitl scored on a power play with 4:04 remaining in the second period.
Skinner then stopped all 14 shots he faced in the third to protect a 3-2 lead he inherited when Bouchard blasted a shot from near the blue line past Los Angeles goaltender David Rittch just 1:25 into the period.
Nugent-Hopkins later put the contest out of reach by scoring off a give-and-go with Connor Brown with 3:29 remaining.
After Los Angeles' Trevor Moore and Edmonton's Zach Hyman traded goals in the first period, Alex Laferriere put the Kings back ahead 7:34 into the second.
Rittich recorded 27 saves for Los Angeles, which had a three-game road winning streak stopped.
Kraken win in shootout as Bruins' skid reaches three games
Kailer Yamamoto scored the lone goal in the shootout as the Seattle Kraken dealt the formidable Boston Bruins a third straight loss by coming through with a 4-3 victory.
Yamamoto opened the shootout by beating Boston goaltender Linus Ullmark glove-side, and Philipp Grubauer made the lead stand by stopping all three Bruins skaters he faced in the deciding phase after making 29 saves in regulation and overtime.
Boston, which got two goals and an assist from David Pastrnak, still managed to extend its point streak to six games when Charlie Coyle scored on a power play with 2:52 left in regulation to forge a 3-3 tie.
The Bruins had lost each of their two most recent games in overtime and are 2-0-4 during the run.
Pastrnak had the only goal of a first period in which the Bruins recorded an 11-7 shot advantage, then put Boston back ahead late in the second with his 38th of the season. Jordan Eberle had tied the game earlier in the period when Ullmark's attempted clearing pass deflected off the Seattle forward, who promptly tapped the puck into an open net.
The Kraken then took their first lead of the night on third-period goals from Vince Dunn and Oliver Bjorkstrand, the latter coming with 5:30 left in regulation.
Ullmark finished with 24 saves for Boston, which moved one point ahead of the New York Rangers for first place in the Eastern Conference with the result.
Islanders win in overtime to continue Stars' slump
Bo Horvat scored with 2:06 remaining in overtime as the New York Islanders extended the Dallas Stars' recent slump with a 3-2 victory.
Horvat one-timed a feed from Mathew Barzal past Dallas goaltender Scott Wedgewood to hand the Stars a fifth loss in six games (1-2-3), though Dallas did move two points clear of the second-place WInnipeg Jets in the Central Division by forcing overtime.
The outcome was a familiar one, as Horvat also had the game-winner in overtime when these teams last met in New York on Jan. 21.
Ryan Pulock had a goal and an assist to help the Islanders snap a two-game losing streak, while Ilya Sorokin stopped 30 of 32 shots.
After Pulock registered the lone goal of the first period, the scoring picked up in the second as Matt Duchene converted a Dallas power play to tie the game 7:11 into the period.
Kyle MacLean put New York back ahead later in the second, but the Stars again drew even when Logan Stankoven beat Sorokin with a wrist shot with 1:43 left in the period for his first NHL goal.
Stankoven, playing in his second career NHL game, added an assist on Duchene's goal.
Wedgewood finished with 25 saves.
The new Formula One season begins in Bahrain on Saturday with Max Verstappen bidding to win a fourth consecutive world championship.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the key questions heading into the 2024 campaign.
Who is the favourite to win the title?
Red Bull’s preparations for the new season have been overshadowed by allegations facing team principal Christian Horner. Horner, who is fighting to save his career following a claim of “inappropriate behaviour” by a female colleague, insists it is business as usual at Red Bull. Off-track it has been anything but for the team which has dominated the sport for the past two seasons. But on-track it has been precisely that.
Verstappen — in an upgrade of the machine which carried him to 19 victories from 22 rounds last year — set a blistering pace on the opening day of last week’s test, finishing 1.1 seconds quicker than anybody else.
Damon Hill, the 1996 world champion, summed up the ominous feeling in the paddock. Writing about Verstappen on ‘X’ he said: “He’s gloating. He’s taunting us. He knows. This year is going to be one long victory lap. You cannot begrudge anyone their success. All we can do is watch and admire.”
So, can anyone challenge Verstappen and Red Bull?
Ferrari ended last year with five pole positions from the final nine races and Carlos Sainz secured the only non-Red Bull win of the season in Singapore. The Italian team have worked hard over the winter on translating their one-lap pace into race conditions, where they tended to struggle in 2023.
They will take solace from a trouble-free test and their pace appeared relatively encouraging, too. Sainz topped the time charts on the second day, while Leclerc ended the final day quickest – albeit on speedier rubber than Verstappen.
An upbeat Leclerc said: “We are in a much better place and it is an easier car to drive. The feeling was good. We have been consistent straight away and this will help us in the race.”
And what about Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes?
Hamilton stunned the sporting world by choosing to quit Mercedes and join Ferrari in 2025. The news broke earlier this month and is likely to be difficult for those at Mercedes to digest. Hamilton took the decision – one he described as the hardest of his life – after two winless years with the Silver Arrows.
Mercedes are armed with a new design philosophy for the new campaign but – although both Hamilton and team-mate George Russell spoke of an improved, more reliable machine – there was little to suggest from testing that they have closed the gap to Red Bull.
Mercedes finished ahead of Ferrari in last year’s constructors’ championship but do not be surprised if the Scuderia start the new season ahead of them.
What about the other teams?
McLaren came alive in the second half of 2023, with Lando Norris scoring seven podiums. But the British team looked short of last year’s form in Bahrain last week – although it is a track which has not always suited them in recent seasons.
Aston Martin finished fifth in the constructors’ championship, with Fernando Alonso, now 42, leading their charge for a second season. Alpine are set to head the midfield, with Williams, the newly-rebranded RB and Sauber teams (nee AlphaTauri and Alfa Romeo) and Haas likely to follow.
Have there been any driver changes?
No. This season’s line-up is the same as the previous year – the first time that’s ever happened. But with Hamilton already announcing his move to Ferrari for 2025 and 13 of the 20 drivers out of contract at the end of the season – next year’s grid is sure to have a whole different feel about it.
What else happened during the winter break?
Aside from Hamilton’s blockbuster transfer, his soon-to-be Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc penned a new deal which is expected to keep the 26-year-old Monegasque dressed in red until 2029. Lando Norris also extended his stay with McLaren until at least the end of 2026.
Andretti’s move to become the 11th team on the grid was blocked by F1 bosses. The British Grand Prix will remain on the calendar for another decade after Silverstone agreed a new long-term deal with F1’s American owners’ Liberty Media.
How does the calendar look?
There will be a record-breaking 24 races – the longest season in history – starting in Bahrain on March 2 and ending in Abu Dhabi nine months and six days later.
The Chinese Grand Prix returns after five years away, while the round in Japan moves from its traditional October slot to April. The roster features six sprint races in China, Miami, Austria, Austin, Qatar and Brazil. The format has been tinkered with, too. Qualifying for the sprint will now take place on Friday, with the grid for Sunday’s main event decided on Saturday, following the shortened race.
What else do I need to know?
The opening two races will both take place on a Saturday. The Muslim holy period of Ramadan starts on March 10. As such, the second round in Saudi Arabia has been brought forward by a day. FIA rules stipulate there must one week between races, meaning the Bahrain GP will also be 24 hours earlier than usual.
“If Lewis were to leave,” pondered George Russell as he addressed the prospect of Hamilton joining Ferrari. “That would put Mercedes in a tricky spot. It would almost look like he’s lost faith in the team.”
Russell was speaking in an episode of Netflix’s newly-released Drive to Survive series – a chapter the Mercedes’ PR machine envisaged would celebrate Hamilton’s decision to stay with them.
Hamilton, after all, had signed a two-year contract extension last August to remain with the Silver Arrows until the end of 2025.
But following Hamilton’s shock decision to tear up his contract a year early in favour of a move to Ferrari, Russell’s remarks – too late to be pulled from Netflix’s sixth season – shed a very public spotlight on the awkward dynamic that faces the grid’s once-dominant team and its superstar driver ahead of the new season which starts in Bahrain on Saturday night.
Mercedes transformed Hamilton from a man with a single world championship to a one-man winning machine. He has seven world championships and 103 victories. No other driver in history can boast such an impressive resume.
But Hamilton is motivated by capturing the eighth title he believes he was robbed of in Abu Dhabi in 2021. And the 39-year-old no longer thinks he can achieve the record-breaking feat with Mercedes. As Russell would say, he’s lost the faith.
Can Hamilton be blamed? He has not tasted victory for two years. Mercedes did not win one of the 22 rounds last season. He heads into the new campaign as a 16/1 underdog to win the championship.
This year is being called Hamilton’s last dance with Mercedes. But do not expect it to be a samba.
Mercedes will remain at the sharp end of the grid this season. They have ditched the concept that has failed them so miserably for the past two years and introduced a new design philosophy – one that both Hamilton and Russell said is more predictable and easier to drive.
But will it possess the speed to knock Red Bull and Max Verstappen off their perch?
F1 works in cycles and, although Mercedes carried Hamilton to six championships in seven glorious years, this period in time belongs to the team from Milton Keynes, despite the on-going controversy surrounding its team principal Christian Horner and allegations of inappropriate behaviour made against him by a female colleague.
Horner continues to deny the claims and a resolution is expected before Saturday’s curtain raiser.
Red Bull swept all before them in 2023, winning every race bar one, with Verstappen taking 19 victories as he waltzed to a hat-trick of titles.
Such was their superiority, Red Bull and their genius designer Adrian Newey could afford to start work on this year’s challenger long before the others.
And the finished product, unveiled in all its glory at last week’s test, sent shivers down the spines of their competitors. The fear, for those not in a Red Bull cockpit, is that Newey’s latest masterpiece is an improvement on its brilliant predecessor.
Given the sport’s rule book is largely unchanged and the budget cap means rival teams can no longer break the bank to discover a winning solution, Verstappen heads into this mammoth 24-round campaign as the favourite to become only the sixth driver in history with four world titles to his name.
Alarmingly for the neutrals, Damon Hill, the 1996 world champion, has predicted this season will be “one long victory lap” for Verstappen and his all-conquering team – and that’s before a wheel has been turned in anger.
But all is not lost – and that is when we return to Hamilton.
While Verstappen could prove an unstoppable force on track, Hamilton’s agonisingly long goodbye with Mercedes – one that is set to stretch nine months and six days – will provide a fascinating subplot.
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