The Betfair Ascot Chase is seen as the perfect stepping stone to the “greatest race of the season” by connections of L’Homme Presse, as they plot a course to the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
There were emotional scenes in the Lingfield winner’s enclosure on Sunday, after Venetia Williams’ nine-year-old defied a 391-day absence with a victorious return to action in the Fleur De Lys Chase to put himself firmly in the Gold Cup picture.
But before the blue riband, L’Homme Presse could drop back to two miles and five furlongs at Ascot and seek a third Grade One triumph on February 17.
“He’s won at Ascot before, he won the graduation chase there, so we know he likes it there,” said Andy Edwards, who owns L’Homme Presse in partnership with Peter Pink
“It’s a lovely, big galloping track and the fences take proper jumping and he’s a good jumper.
“The timing is almost exactly four weeks to Ascot and then the same to the Gold Cup, so everything is right for him and that is where we would like to go really.”
Having successfully blown any cobwebs away on his eagerly-awaited return in the Winter Million Festival feature, the L’Homme Presse team are determined to leave no stone unturned in their quest to have their charge arrive at the Gold Cup primed to perfection on March 15.
“When we discussed this with Venetia and the other owners Pat and Peter (Pink) and Pam (Edwards, wife), they are racehorses and they love their racing and are ready to race,” continued Edwards.
“If we had one or two runs before Christmas, we might be saying we will wait for the Gold Cup, but this was our first run of the season and a stepping stone, and Ascot will be another stepping stone to what is the greatest race of the season, the Gold Cup.
“There’s nowhere to hide and you can’t be ring-rusty when you go to the Gold Cup, you have to be spot on.
“Yes there’s an element of taking your opportunities when they arise because as we found last year something small can upturn the apple cart, but it is another stepping stone and we felt along with Venetia that this is the right way to go.”
The Fleur De Lys showdown between L’Homme Presse and Dan Skelton’s Protektorat lived up to its top billing as the focal point of Sunday’s Winter Million card, with the duo embroiled in a titanic tussle all the way up the Lingfield home straight.
The winner is reported to have bounced sprightly out of his return to action, while Edwards is also keen to point out it takes two to make a great race, with the sportsmanship of the Protektorat team coming to the fore post-race.
“I went down to see him first thing this morning and he’s tip-top, everything is fine he has come out of the race for well,” he added.
“The best horse on the day won and it could easily have been Protektorat. He had race-fitness on his side and he gave us 4lb for that race fitness. It was a great spectacle for everyone and for the sport.
“As the horses were going out I went over to Dan Skelton and we both had these big silly grins on and wished each other the best of luck and hoped it would be a great spectacle and everyone comes home happy.
“He was then one of the first people to come up to me and congratulate me in the winner’s enclosure afterwards and that speaks volumes of him. His horse was marvellous, Protektorat jumped like a stag and I imagine all his connections and the staff at Dan’s yard are really proud of him, as they should be, and as we are of L’Homme Presse.
“It was a proper horse race from two excellent racehorses.”
It had been a long and anxious 13-month wait to see L’Homme Presse back on the track since an injury discovered shortly after his run in the 2022 King George VI Chase crushed dreams of competing in last year’s Gold Cup.
His comeback triumph was met with rapturous applause by those in attendance at Lingfield and L’Homme Presse’s journey back to racecourse action was credited as the cause for the emotional post-race scenes as Edwards reflected on an unforgettable afternoon at the Surrey venue.
Edwards added: “You’ve all seen me in tears (on television) – sometimes you don’t need words, the emotions speak volumes in their own way.
“Thirteen months has been a long time, and the King George and Boxing Day was a horrible day for all of us. You can only dream of having a runner in the King George and for it to end in such a sad way that day, from there until now has been a long road and a long journey. I think if we weren’t emotional, I don’t think we should be in it (racing).
“The cameras never showed everyone else in tears outside of the winner’s enclosure – people who knew me or may have had dealings with me – but a lot of people were in tears because what a great emotion it is when you see a story or journey like that. It should be emotional.
“The amount of well-wishes and warmth I received from people wanting him to run well was fantastic and Martin Cruddace (CEO of Arena Racing Company) said to me the roar he got when he won and came back to the winner’s enclosure, it made the hairs stand up on the back of his neck. You could really feel the love for the horse.”
Rigobert Song is unconcerned about speculation over his position as Cameroon boss heading into their crucial Africa Cup of Nations clash against the Gambia.
The five-time champions started their campaign with an underwhelming draw against Guinea before losing to Senegal and almost certainly need to beat the Gambia to have a chance of progressing from Group C.
Victory at the Stade de la Paix in Bouake on Tuesday would leave them poised to be one of the top four third-placed sides, which would go a long way to taking some pressure off Song.
“I’ve experienced pressure since I was very young, I’ve known it, pressure, as a player,” Song, the ex-Liverpool and West Ham defender who is Cameroon’s most capped player ever, told a press conference.
“It’s part of the game; you win, you’re strong but you lose, you’re bad. I’m not getting into this game.
“I don’t panic, I don’t stress. I listen, I understand the criticism, I know what I have to do, I stay calm. My players know me, I simply tell them: ‘Do your job’. I trust my players, we’ll get there.”
Cameroon will once again be without captain and star striker Vincent Aboubakar, who suffered a thigh injury on the eve of the tournament and has not regained full fitness.
“I don’t think Abou will be ready to play,” Song added. “We are counting on him for after these three matches.”
The Gambia sit bottom of the group after back-to-back defeats but boss Tom Saintfiet remains upbeat.
“We’re still alive, the situation just got more complicated,” Saintfiet said after his side’s loss to Guinea on Friday. “We can still qualify with three points in our next game.”
Michael Carrick has urged Middlesbrough supporters to dream of Carabao Cup glory even if he is keeping his feet firmly on the ground.
Head coach Carrick, 42, will send his Sky Bet Championship side into semi-final, second-leg battle with Premier League Chelsea on Tuesday evening knowing they could be just 90 minutes away from Wembley and in with a chance of repeating their 2004 triumph.
Carrick, who enjoyed a glittering playing career during which he won 12 major trophies with Manchester United, insists he and his players must treat the occasion like any other match, but can understand the excitement of the club’s supporters.
He said: “Part of football is creating hopes and dreams and the passion and excitement, the dream, the fairy tale. I was exactly the same when I was purely a supporter. That is what it should be.
“It is very different when you are in it. You have to be concentrated and a bit more business-like. But that doesn’t take away the buzz and excitement and the passion to do well. It is just slightly different.
“But certainly the supporters should be dreaming and making the most of it and wanting to play the very best because that is the beauty of football.”
Boro’s Carling Cup success 20 years ago was their first and last major honour, but they head into the game at Chelsea holding a narrow, but deserved, 1-0 lead courtesy of Hayden Hackney’s strike at the Riverside Stadium.
Carrick is well aware of the degree of difficulty they will face against Mauricio Pochettino’s misfiring but talented team and knows his own side remains at the development stage, despite encouraging performances against the Blues and FA Cup opponents Aston Villa in recent weeks.
He said: “We know what it would mean to get through and have some success – I’m not playing that down at all – but I don’t know what will happen going into this game where it could swing both ways.
“Hopefully there is more to come after this and we can also achieve success in different ways. It’s great, it’s a fantastic experience and to sample it and have that sense of opportunity more than anything and seeing how we all deal with it.”
Carrick, who has fitness doubts over wing-back Isaiah Jones and midfielder Jonny Howson but is expected to include Villa target Morgan Rogers in his squad, is a veteran of the fierce rivalry between his former club United and Chelsea and has both medals and scars to show for it.
Asked about his memories, he said: “Some good, some not so good. The FA Cup stands out – I lost the FA Cup to them – managed to beat them in the Champions League final. The league has gone both ways, so there have been some big ones.
“I’ve had some good nights at Stamford Bridge, had some setbacks, so a bit of mixed feelings, really.”
Ground conditions at Doncaster are likely to dictate whether Famous Bridge is rerouted to Saturday’s Great Yorkshire Chase after the weather scuppered his planned return to Haydock last weekend.
The eight-year-old, who runs in the colours of the late Trevor Hemmings, has won his last two starts over fences at the latter venue, most recently landing the Tommy Whittle Handicap Chase pre-Christmas.
He was due to bid for a hat-trick on Merseyside in Saturday’s Peter Marsh Chase, but the abandonment of Haydock’s card has forced trainer Nicky Richards back to the drawing board.
When asked whether it was the plan to run Famous Bridge in the Great Yorkshire Chase, the Greystoke handler said: “It is and it isn’t. Mick (Meagher, racing manager) said to put him in, so we confirmed him, but we’ll just be keeping an eye on the ground. If it’s windy and dry all week and it’s edging towards good ground, I’m not quite sure what we’ll be thinking.
“He’s in grand form and it’s a shame Saturday was off (at Haydock). I don’t know why they couldn’t reschedule for Sunday, but I suppose in the circumstances that wouldn’t have been very pleasant either.
“A bit of good to soft ground wouldn’t bother him. I wouldn’t like to pigeon-hole him and say he’s just a Haydock horse or anything like that. He’s won two around Wetherby, he’s won at Kelso and Ayr – this horse would go around anywhere.
“He’s just a proper National Hunt horse, a fairly big boy and a strong horse, so we’ll just keep an eye on the weather and the ground and see where we are later in the week.”
Richards – whose yard was feeling the effects of Storm Isha on Monday, being without power for large parts of the day – has also confirmed Universal Folly, who has won three times and finished second on four occasions from only eight chase starts, and the trainer feels a sound surface may bring him into the equation off a light weight.
He added: “His owner is away on holiday, he’s in Barbados, I think, and I think I woke him up this morning when I gave him a call and asked him what he thought about entering for Doncaster.
“There is also the Edinburgh Grand National at Musselburgh for him and if it’s softer ground at Doncaster, the Musselburgh race might not be as strong, so we’ll just see what the weather does.
“If it’s a windy, dry week, I know it will take a lot of winning the Great Yorkshire, but it might take a bit less winning if it’s on good ground as a lot of other trainers might be thinking like we’re thinking with Famous Bridge.
“We’ll just see how the week pans out, but he’s in grand form as well and is ready to run somewhere.”
The Richards pair are among 27 horses still in the mix for the £100,000 contest, with the weights headed by Jamie Snowden’s Ga Law, who looked the likely winner when falling at the final fence 12 months ago.
Snowden could also saddle Git Maker, while ante-post favourite Victtorino is set to represent Ventia Williams following back-to-back wins at Ascot.
Other hopefuls include Anthony Honeyball’s Forward Plan and the Nicky Henderson-trained Mister Coffey, who finished first and second over the course and distance last month, and the improving Surrey Quest from Toby Lawes’ stable.
The only remaining Irish contender is the Emmet Mullins-trained Sweet Will.
Persistence paid off for Hayley Turner after she bounced back from being unshipped leaving the paddock to ride Flag Carrier to victory at Kempton.
The 41-year-old was thrown off in dramatic fashion ahead of the Try Unibet’s Improved Bet Builder Handicap and the Harry Eustace-trained gelding had to be walked down to the start on his own.
Turner only got back on board her mount in the stalls and the three-year-old continued to cause her problems by pulling hard in the early stages.
However, when Flag Carrier finally settled down to business in the home straight of the seven-furlong contest, he picked up well from mid-division and went on to score by a length at 3-1.
“I think what’s happened is that he’s run with the blinkers on quite a lot and I just think it might have got the better of him today,” Turner told Racing TV.
“He’s been here before but he’s just got himself into a tizzle, so I think the guys have done a really good job of actually getting him to the start in one piece.
“I should probably give them my riding fee, because actually in the race he was a little bit keen but did it quite comfortably in the end.”
It was the first time Turner had partnered Flag Carrier, who broke his duck at the seventh time of asking, and she was happy to laugh off his unruly behaviour beforehand.
“He wasn’t the most straightforward and that’s not him generally, but he just had a bee in his bonnet today,” added the jockey.
“He still won despite that and at least I got a nice fall, because I landed in the hedge. The hedge hasn’t done very well out of it, but I was fine!”
Algeria head coach Djamel Belmadi has backed under-fire captain Riyad Mahrez to rediscover his best form at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Mahrez, who signed for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli for £30million last summer after five years at Manchester City, has been heavily criticised for his below-par displays in Algeria’s first two group matches.
The Desert Foxes drew 2-2 with Burkina Faso on Saturday after being held 1-1 by Angola in their opening Group D game and must beat Mauritania by two clear goals on Tuesday to guarantee a place in the knockout stage.
Belmadi told a press conference: “I don’t want people to forget what Mahrez can do.
“These were not his best two matches in the national team, but do not kill him quickly.
“I will not tell you whether he will be a starter or on the bench, that is not the most important thing.
“He is still our leader. He has always played under pressure. The team and I have complete confidence in him.”
Group favourites Algeria, tournament winners in 2019, twice came from behind to salvage a point against Burkina Faso thanks to Baghdad Bounedjah’s double, which included a stoppage-time equaliser.
Belmadi’s side are unbeaten in their last 10 matches but are bidding for their first win in six Africa Cup of Nations fixtures.
Mauritania boss Amir Abdou apologised to the West African nation after his side’s 3-2 defeat to Angola on Saturday left them bottom of the group without a point.
The Lions of Chinguetti, who lost out to a stoppage-time penalty when beaten 1-0 by Burkina Faso in their opening game, have yet to win at the Africa Cup of Nations after losing six and drawing two of their previous eight encounters.
Abdou told a press conference after his side’s defeat to Angola: “We are not here to distribute points. We will prepare for Algeria.
“I respect the Algerian team. It is a very good team. Our objective is to put in a good performance and will hang on to get a good result.
“We have not given a bad image, we must continue to move forward and not lament. I am sorry for disappointing the people of Mauritania.”
Warren Gatland says he is excited about developing a new generation of talent that will start with this season’s Guinness Six Nations campaign.
Gatland has named five uncapped players in his squad for the tournament, with 21-year-old Exeter lock Dafydd Jenkins taking over from an injured Jac Morgan as captain.
Morgan and his World Cup co-skipper Dewi Lake are long-term absentees, while injury has also sidelined number eight Taulupe Faletau, star wing Louis Rees-Zammit has quit rugby to try and forge a career in American football, and the likes of Dan Biggar and Leigh Halfpenny have retired from Test rugby.
Almost half of Gatland’s 34-strong squad have not yet hit double figures in terms of caps, and that collective inexperience has contributed to Wales being written off in many quarters as genuine Six Nations contenders.
“What I have looked at with where we are at right now is we have a group of really talented young players and a couple who are injured at the moment in Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake, who I think are going to be world-class,” said Wales head coach Gatland, speaking at the Six Nations media launch in Dublin.
“I see this as a chance to mould some talented youngsters and give them an opportunity to take control of how they want this team to operate in terms of working with the coaches and setting standards. That is what really excites me.
“We go into the Six Nations with people probably not having too much expectation on us or writing us off, and that is always a nice position to be in.
“It is often said about Wales that you write us off at your peril, because we will work incredibly hard.
“It’s one game at a time, and if we start well against Scotland we will build confidence and momentum. The thing with Welsh players is they become incredibly tough to beat, and that is what I am pinning my hopes on anyway.”
Although Welsh regional rugby is currently operating in a testing financial climate that continues to hit all four professional teams, Gatland is upbeat about developing a largely new-look playing group.
Wales kick off their campaign against Scotland on February 3 – then face successive appointments with England, Ireland and France – and Gatland knows that momentum is key.
“There is a bit of doom and gloom, and people will take that narrative, but I don’t see it like that,” he added.
“I see it as a reset of the regions financially, with the support of the union (Welsh Rugby Union), and the 19, 20 and 21-year-olds now have an opportunity they wouldn’t have had in the past.
“Of all the Tier One nations we are the one with the smallest playing base, so when we see some talent sometimes we’ve got to expose them and see if you can fast-track them.
“It is not about age or experience, it is about allowing that talent to develop.
“It is definitely thinking about the future – not just for this cycle and the next World Cup, but the one after.
“We’ve got five new caps and eight who have never played in the Six Nations. They will learn and develop from that experience, but that doesn’t mean we are not taking the competition seriously.
“Our first game against Scotland is incredibly important. It is one game at a time, and the first one is hugely-important for us at home.”
Mauricio Pochettino called on Chelsea supporters to be the difference in helping his side overturn a one-goal aggregate deficit when they face Middlesbrough in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.
Tuesday’s game at Stamford Bridge sees the team looking to reach its first major final since co-owner Todd Boehly completed his takeover of the club in May 2022.
Former Blues player Pat Nevin on Monday described the atmosphere at home games this season as being like “a mausoleum”, whilst there was a confrontation between players and travelling Chelsea supporters immediately after the first leg at the Riverside Stadium two weeks ago.
Form at home has been significantly improved in recent weeks after the 11 months between January to November 2023 brought just three victories.
Despite this there has been a noticeably subdued atmosphere at times, particularly when Chelsea have struggled to break down teams they would typically be expected to beat.
Pochettino, whose side’s current three-game winning run in the Premier League is their longest in over a year, will be without summer signing Christopher Nkunku and eight other players for the visit of Michael Carrick’s Boro.
The manager said support in west London will therefore be critical if the team is to reach a first final since May 2022.
“It’s a passport to the final, to visit Wembley,” he said. “It’s an important game for the club, for us, for everyone. We want to be in the final but first of all we need to beat a very good team that, in the first leg, we could not beat.
“We’re confident we can have a very good game in front of our fans. We need to take advantage of playing at Stamford Bridge with all the energy that will translate from our fans.
“We were disappointed after the (first leg). When you analyse it, we deserved more, but football sometimes is not what you deserve – it’s to be clinical, aggressive, to score goals.
“We were all disappointed but we have 90 minutes to fix the situation. We’re going to respect the opponent. But it’s a massive chance for us to go to the final and win a title.”
Pochettino will not be able to call on Cesare Casadei against Boro after the 21-year-old midfielder was recalled early from his loan at Leicester.
The Italian played for the Foxes in both domestic cup competitions this season, meaning he will also be ineligible for Friday’s FA Cup fourth-round meeting with Aston Villa.
However, the manager hinted both Casadei and Diego Moreira, who has also been brought back after a loan at Benfica was terminated, could have roles to play this season.
“We need to assess them, he said. “They have good potential. I think they’re going to be part of our squad. We need to decide whether they will be in the squad every week.
“It’s good news because we were suffering too many injures, so to recover players from loan is important.
“In pre-season (Casadei) did really well. We suffered a bit by allowing him to go. (Tuesday) it’s not possible because he played for Leicester in the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, but in the Premier League maybe he can be involved and be part of the squad.”
Fergal O’Brien is happy with his plan to send Long Walk hero Crambo straight to the Stayers’ Hurdle, as he begins to step up his star performer’s work ahead of the Cheltenham Festival.
Owned by Jared Sullivan and Chris Giles, the seven-year-old advertised his potential with some fine performances in handicap company, including when winning last year’s EBF Final at Sandown.
However, he announced himself as a major player in the staying division when outbattling the stalwart Paisley Park to claim Grade One honours at Ascot prior to Christmas.
Crambo is as short as 6-1 for Cheltenham success in the spring, but while some of his Stayers’ Hurdle counterparts will tune-up for Festival action in Saturday’s Cleeve Hurdle, O’Brien is content to prepare his charge at his Ravenswell Farm base.
“Crambo is in great form and he had a hard race at Ascot, so he’s just stepping up his work again and tipping away,” said O’Brien.
“Eve, who looks after him and rides him, is very happy with him and he actually did his first piece of work on Saturday since he won and we were very happy with him.
“He was in a proper battle with those boys at Ascot and he doesn’t need to do that again until Cheltenham, so fingers crossed he will turn up at Cheltenham in the same form as Ascot and do the job for us.
“What I loved about Ascot was he jumped the last and looked like he was going to go away and win and Paisley Park thought ‘I’m not giving this up’ and actually got back ahead of him.
“Five or six strides from the line, he managed to get back in front and started to go away again, so it will give him huge confidence and give Johnny (Burke, jockey) confidence in him.
“He doesn’t show anything at home but he just has a fantastic will to win.”
O’Brien is still to taste success at National Hunt’s showpiece meeting but will head to Prestbury Park with one of his strongest hands to date, as alongside Crambo, he is also poised to saddle Dysart Enos, who is one of the leading fancies for the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.
The Grade Two bumper winner has maintained her unbeaten record since switching to timber this term and is in line to complete her Festival preparations at Doncaster on Sunday in the Download The At The Races App Novices’ Hurdle.
“She hopefully goes to Doncaster on Sunday for just an ordinary novice,” continued O’Brien.
“Fingers crossed, she can have a nice clear round there, do her job and then go to Cheltenham.
“She wouldn’t be able to wait until Cheltenham, it would be too long for her, but we’ve been very happy with her.”
Late innings fireworks by Nicholas Pooran and Tim David helped the MI Emirates convert a lukewarm start into a comfortable 18-run victory against reigning champions Gulf Giants in the fourth match of the ongoing DP World ILT20 here at Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
Moving at a run-a-ball for his first 17 deliveries, Nicholas Pooran smashed three fours and four sixes to score 51 runs in 18 deliveries while Tim David hammered 41 runs in the death overs to set the Gulf Giants a formidable target of 180 runs to win.
In response, the Gulf Giants’ run chase began with a promising start anchored by James Vince’s half century.
Jamie Overton’s 41 off 18 balls studded with five sixes gave his team a much-needed injection, however a clinical performance by the MI Emirates’ bowling unit led by Fazalhaq Farooqi, restricted the Giants to 161 for 9. Farooqi was the pick of the bowling with figures of 4 for 25.
Elated by his team's victory the winning captain, Nicholas Pooran said, “We were ready with the result, and happy that the guys responded to the challenge. With wickets in hand, you can always go big in the last 5-6 overs.”
Meanwhile Player of the Match, Tim David expressed his delight in contributing to the team’s victory, he said, “It is nice to make any contribution for the side. The boys laid the platform, and I just took it on. It's about finding a method that is going to work for you in that game, take that risk and see what happens.”
Skipper of the Gulf Giants, James Vince, conceded that his side could have come up with a better effort but highlighted his enthusiasm for the upcoming games.
“We never quite got ahead in the game, their finish with the bat was superb. I think we got bogged down before I got out and that was a key moment in the game. We will have a quick debrief ahead of the next game and see where we can improve” he lamented.
Pooran's explosive fifty and Tim David's power-hitting propel MI Emirates
Electing to bowl first, the Gulf Giants enjoyed an early breakthrough when Dominic Drakes dismissed Will Smeed for just one run in the second over. Despite a challenging start against the swing and bounce, Muhammad Waseem and Andre Fletcher managed to push the MI Emirates to 41 for 1 by the end of the powerplay, with Waseem hitting two consecutive sixes. However, Waseem fell to Mujeeb Ur Rahman in the following over for only 19 runs.
Nicholas Pooran joined Andre Fletcher in a labored partnership, adding 22 runs in the middle overs. Fletcher departed for 28 runs, and then Ambati Rayudu and Pooran launched a fierce assault on the Giants' bowling, forging a 69-run partnership in just 32 deliveries. Pooran reached his half-century in 27 balls, while Rayudu contributed a quick 25 runs. However, Chris Jordan's pivotal 18th over saw the dismissal of both Pooran and Rayudu, halting the attack.
In the death overs, Tim David played a blitzkrieg of two fours and fives sixes to score 41 runs in 15 balls and catapult the MI Emirates to a formidable total of 179 for five in 20 overs.
James Vince and James Overton exploits diminished by Fazalhaq Farooqi
Tasked with chasing at nine runs per over, the Gulf Giants had an explosive start spearheaded by captain James Vince, who struck boundaries at will. At the end of five overs, the Giants were powering through with 48 runs for no loss. In the final over of the powerplay, Fazalhaq Farooqi’s potent bowling earned him the wickets of Jamie Smith and Jordan Cox in consecutive deliveries. UAE’s Usman Khan joined James Vince with the score reading 48 for two.
At the halfway mark of the innings, Usman Khan and James Vince had put on 33 runs and the Giants were falling behind the required run rate, needing 99 runs in ten overs. In a bid to accelerate, Usman Khan was dismissed by Waqar Salamkheil for 22 runs. Meanwhile, James Vince brought up his half century in only 38 balls, comprising seven fours and a six. Soon after, the Gulf Giant’s captain was sent back to the dressing room by Dwayne Bravo in the 14th over to bring Shimron Hetmyer to the crease.
Between the 12th and 15th over, the Gulf Giants only managed to gather 12 runs, leaving them with a steep equation of 71 runs needed in the final five overs. In the 17th over, James Overton reinvigorated the run chase with three consecutive sixes in Waqar Salamkheil ‘s over, followed by two sixes off Trent Boult in the next over. Once Overton was dismissed by Farooqi, the defending champs lacked the firepower to push their total beyond 161.
Brief Scores
MI Emirates 179 for 5 in 20 overs (Nicholas Pooran 51, Tim David 41, Andre Fletcher 28; Chris Jordan 2 for 48, Mujeeb ur Rehman 1 for 23) Gulf Giants 161 for 9 in 20 overs (James Vince 52, James Overton 41, Usman Khan 22; Fazalhaq Farooqi 4 for 25, Trent Boult 2 for 39)
Player of the Match: Tim David of MI Emirates
Givemefive looks set to take his famous golfing owners to the Cheltenham Festival after maintaining his unbeaten record over obstacles with a runaway success at Warwick.
The four-year-old carries the colours of Smash Racing, a syndicate that includes a couple of Major champions in Northern Ireland’s 2010 US Open hero Graeme McDowell and his American colleague Brooks Koepka, who claimed back-to-back victories in the same event in 2017 and 2018 and has also won three PGA Championships.
A winner on the Flat for Johnny Murtagh in September, the Holy Roman Emperor gelding was subsequently snapped up to pursue a jumping career with Harry Derham.
Derham recalled how winning a challenge with McDowell during a Pro-Am contest led to him getting the two golfing stars on board.
He said: “I’ve known Graeme for a long time and the conversation about owning a racehorse came about at a Pro-Am event. He said if I got closer to the pin than him then he would buy a horse and I somehow managed to get it within a few feet of it and beat him.
“Graeme then got the other guys involved and they are both very engaged in all the conversations about the horse on WhatsApp.”
With Koepka’s friend Daniel Gambill also an owner, Givemefive made a successful debut for his new connections at Market Rasen last month and was a 2-1 shot to follow up under a penalty in the Hazelton Mountford Insurance Brokers Juvenile Hurdle.
Derham had been eyeing the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at the Festival prior to his second jumping start – and while that still looks his most likely Cheltenham target, the trainer admitted he will also have to look at the Triumph Hurdle following a dominant 18-length victory in the hands of Paul O’Brien.
It could be a big weekend for Gary Moore’s juveniles as Irish Derby fourth Peking Opera is pencilled in to begin life over obstacles at Fontwell on Sunday.
The son of Galileo was a Listed winner for Aidan O’Brien on the Flat before going on to finish just over nine lengths adrift of Auguste Rodin at the Curragh in the summer.
He also saw Group One action in the Grand Prix de Paris before finishing his spell at Ballydoyle with a third behind Vauban in the Ballyroan Stakes.
The four-year-old is now set to try his hand at a new discipline and, having been picked up for 100,000 guineas at the sales, has joined Gary Moore to run in Steve Packham’s colours, made famous by Goshen.
He can be backed at a best price of 20-1 for the Triumph Hurdle, but before thoughts of the Cheltenham Festival enter the picture, he will have to pass his first assignment, having been handed an entry for the Join The Vickers.Bet Free Bet Club Novices’ Hurdle.
“If everything is all right, we might run on Sunday at Fontwell,” said Moore.
“We’re running tight on time and I need to get a run into him.”
Although Peking Opera has yet to jump a hurdle in public, stablemate Salver has already put down a marker when romping to a wide-margin victory in Chepstow’s Finale Juvenile Hurdle over Christmas.
A best price of 14-1 for the Triumph, he is unbeaten in three over obstacles and holds an entry for the Grade Two JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday although ground conditions at Prestbury Park are set to determine his participation.
“The horse is very well and he has an entry just in case the ground came up soft,” said Moore.
“He’s probably not going to get his ground and if it did come up soft, he would go there, but if it isn’t then he won’t go.
“It’s a stiff two-mile-one and I thought I would just make the entry, but he would be 50-50 – it would have to be good to soft or softer at least. I wouldn’t even want too much good in it, I want it proper soft ground.
“I’m very mindful of the fact he has improved with every time he has run and it will also depend on how he works in the morning more than anything.”
Steven Naismith expects Scott Fraser to bring fresh “goal threat” to Hearts as the midfielder prepares to complete a transfer from Charlton.
The 28-year-old former Dundee United player has spent the last five and a half years in England with Burton, MK Dons, Ipswich and the Addicks, but he is preparing to return to Scotland with the Jambos.
Manager Naismith is hoping the loan deal can be finalised in time for Fraser to be involved in Tuesday’s cinch Premiership match at home to Dundee.
“He’s been in, we’ve seen him, he’s had his medical, the hold-up is more down to office work and paperwork,” confirmed the Hearts boss.
“He’s somebody who will bring experience and a goal threat in the final part of the pitch. He’s an intelligent footballer and it’s something we hope to get done.
“People up here have maybe lost touch with him (since he left Dundee United in 2018). He was an exciting prospect at Dundee United and he’s gone down and had a really good career in England.
“He’s got an appetite to be in the final third, creating chances and scoring goals. He has the vision to see good passes. And on top of that, at 28 he’s got good experience from the English game and he understands what Scottish football is about.”
Naismith also confirmed that talismanic forward Lawrence Shankland will return to lead the attack on Tuesday after he missed Saturday’s Scottish Cup win at Spartans through illness.
“Lawrence trained today so he’ll be in the squad,” he said. “He’s a leader and he’s playing probably the best football he ever has so it’s good to have him back.”
Hearts goalkeeper Craig Gordon was handed his first start in 13 months on Saturday after recovering from a double leg-break.
Naismith refused to divulge whether the 41-year-old would retain his place on Tuesday although he did hint that fellow Scotland keeper Zander Clark, who has deputised in Gordon’s absence, will come back into the side.
“We know what’s happening, you can wait and see,” he said. “It wasn’t a difficult decision.
“With players you need to be honest and give them the reason you’re making decisions. We’re a close group and everybody understands where they are and what their position is. We’re comfortable with it all.
“The last month before the break, I think Zander’s level went up from where it was, which was already very good. I think that’s because Craig was back and was fit.
“At every club, players play their best when they know there’s competition.”
Steve Borthwick admits England’s recent record in the Guinness Six Nations is unacceptable having repeatedly failed to deliver on expectations.
Borthwick offers a damning win ratio of only 50 per cent from the last six Championships – a sequence that has included two fifth-place finishes under his predecessor Eddie Jones – as evidence of underperformance.
Starting with their opener against Italy in Rome on February 3, Borthwick is determined for England to use his second Six Nations as head coach to ignite a revival.
“We want to make sure this England team is competing in every single game, which is not something you can say about recent years,” Borthwick said at the tournament launch in Dublin.
“The expectations of supporters are a lot higher than what the team have actually achieved – and quite rightly.
“The team is really well aware that we haven’t performed in the Six Nations for a period of time.
“Ireland and France have been the dominant teams and everybody is trying to compete with those two sides.
“What’s happened in the past is that lots is talked about England prior to the tournament, but England haven’t then achieved.
“Our intent is to hit the ground running in Rome the way we want with the intensity that we want to, which again is something that England have not done in recent years.
“At times we have not jumped into this tournament and have been caught in that first game.
“We want this to be a different mindset for England, a different way of approaching the game and the tournament. And we will approach our camp in Girona differently.
“We’re taking a different approach because we need different results to previous tournaments.”
England depart for their pre-Six Nations training camp in Girona on Tuesday nursing a number of minor injury concerns, especially to their back five.
Hot on the heels of George Martin being ruled out for a number of weeks because of a knee problem, his fellow Leicester lock Ollie Chessum failed a head injury assessment on Champions Cup duty on Saturday while flankers Ben Curry and Sam Underhill are struggling with ankle problems.
Borthwick is optimistic that each of them will be able to play full roles in preparation to face Italy, as will hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie, centre Oscar Beard and wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, who are also in the treatment room.
England’s head coach was present at the Six Nations launch in Dublin in defiance of Storm Isha, which has caused travel chaos across Great Britain and Ireland.
Borthwick’s newly-appointed captain Jamie George was prevented from travelling from London by cancelled flights, while France were unable to attend in any capacity because of the weather.
Six Nations chief executive Tom Harrison was also missing from the event, which forms the annual centrepiece of the build-up to the tournament.
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