Fighting Fifth hero Not So Sleepy could head straight to the Champion Hurdle after trainer Hughie Morrison ruled out a Christmas clash with Constitution Hill.

While testing conditions led to the withdrawal of National Hunt racing’s headline act, as well as his stablemate Shishkin, nothing should be taken away from Morrison’s durable veteran, who was winning the Grade One contest for a second time, having dead-heated with Epatante two years ago.

The 11-year-old proved himself as good as ever in accounting for a pair of Cheltenham Festival-winning mares in Love Envoi and You Wear It Well, and is reported to have taken his exertions in his stride.

“To be honest, he’s taken it so well I’m embarrassed,” Morrison said on Sunday morning.

“He really has taken it well, I don’t think he had a hard race yesterday.

“I think the critical thing is he’s as good as anything on heavy ground, or very soft. If you take a proper line on the form book, he’s run to over 160, which is extraordinary for an 11-year-old.

“Obviously some people won’t take that as read, but if you take a line through You Wear It Well, who had form on the ground and everything else, I have no doubt we’d have frightened Constitution Hill.”

Nicky Henderson’s superstar will now make his belated seasonal debut in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day, but Not So Sleepy will not be among his rivals.

Morrison added: “He hates Kempton. I took him there in February for a gallop with Quickthorn before he went to Dubai and while he didn’t mind going left-handed, when I sent him right-handed he pulled himself up, so he won’t go anywhere near Kempton.

“We’ll keep all options open on the basis we could put him in the Champion Hurdle and one day it might be heavy, as long as he trains well.

“He was fifth in the Champion Hurdle last season when I didn’t feel I had him there as well I would have liked him, but as we saw when he won on the Flat at Newbury (in September) and again yesterday, he’s back to his best if not better.”

With Not So Sleepy clearly still loving the game, thoughts of retirement are not on Morrison’s mind.

“We’re always very mindful of it, we have been for the last four years,” he said.

“Three weeks ago he schooled the best he’s ever schooled. Having not seen anything since the Champion Hurdle, he went over some mini fences and really attacked them.

“He loves running fresh. He didn’t hardly blow at all yesterday – considering he’d run and won on that ground, he had an abnormally light blow.

“If we went for the Champion Hurdle, he wouldn’t have another run, and then later on next year you might think of giving him one run in September somewhere and going for a third Fighting Fifth again at Newcastle, or wherever it is.”

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has apologised for an unacceptable performance against Bournemouth lacking the requisite quality, effort and aggression.

Erik ten Hag won the Carabao Cup during a promising first season in charge but the Dutchman’s second campaign has been a roller coaster with more lows than highs.

United’s season reached a nadir on Saturday afternoon as Bournemouth won at Old Trafford for the first time in their history, with the hosts fortunate to escape with only a 3-0 defeat.

It was a remarkable drop-off from Wednesday’s 2-1 win against Chelsea and led exasperated Ten Hag to admit they are not good enough to play on a high level consistently.

“(I want) to apologise for the performance,” skipper Fernandes said. “It was not acceptable, starting on me. I’m not talking about anyone else.

“But I think everyone agrees in the dressing room that the performance was (not) at our level and we have to perform much better.

“It was underperforming on quality-wise, on effort-wise and not aggressive as we did in the last game against Chelsea.

“If you don’t do your job, you’re not going to win the game.”

Similar words and explanations have been heard during a challenging season that has seen United lose 11 of their 23 matches in all competitions.

They have won 11 and drawn the other, but the eye-watering number of defeats means pressure is mounting on Ten Hag and his team.

“I don’t know (why it was so different to Chelsea) but it’s been consistently like (this),” Fernandes told MUTV. “When we win a game, the next one we don’t perform in the same way we did before.

“I don’t know if it’s like a lack of concentration or focus or something else, but it’s something that we have to be aware that after winning a game we have to get that consistency of winning games.

“Even sometimes (if we are) underperforming but getting the result.”

United now need to press reset and find the right attitude to avoid being sent into a tailspin at the end of a crucial week.

First up comes Tuesday’s key Champions League clash against Bayern Munich, with the Red Devils only progressing if they win and the other Group A game between Copenhagen and Galatasaray ends in a draw.

Then comes a Premier League trip to rivals Liverpool next Sunday – a match Fernandes will miss after collecting his fifth booking of the season against Bournemouth.

“Obviously it’s good (that we play soon),” Fernandes said. “Obviously we know that now the next game is going to be really tough.

“We have to win and obviously wait for a good result on the other game for us.

“But we have to do our job first of all, and thinking and understanding that is going to be a tough game for us.

“But we are capable, more than able, to get the result.”

While United’s problems are pored over in minute detail, things are looking far rosier on the south coast.

Summer appointment Andoni Iraola has overseen a superb upturn in recent weeks at Bournemouth.

Dominic Solanke, Philip Billing and Marcos Senesi scored the goals in a match that goes down as one of the Cherries’ greatest ever results.

Asked where the win rated in the club’s recent history, long-serving right-back Adam Smith told BBC Radio Solent: “I’d say it’s number one.

“I mean, it’s the Theatre of Dreams and we had never won here. It was tough at times and we suffered. But we were playing Manchester United.

“I think the lads will remember it for a long time. We kept a clean sheet and it probably should have maybe have been 4-0. It was unbelievable for the fans.”

Tyrese Haliburton acknowledged the Los Angeles Lakers deserved Saturday's in-season tournament final victory as he vowed the Indiana Pacers will bounce back with a playoff push.

Haliburton has emerged as one of the breakout stars of the inaugural in-season tournament, but he was unable to help the Pacers triumph in Las Vegas as they fell to a 123-109 defeat to the Lakers.

Haliburton finished with 20 points and 11 assists but was upstaged by Anthony Davis, who had 41 points and 20 rebounds for Los Angeles, while LeBron James added 24.

Speaking after the Pacers' defeat, Haliburton accepted the Lakers had brought a playoff-level performance and deserved to go home with the trophy.

"Yeah, we're sick, frustrated," Haliburton said. "We just got outplayed tonight from the start of the game to the end of the game. 

"We just didn't do the job on loose balls, didn't rebound, didn't get enough stops when needed. They just outplayed us, and it's frustrating.

"Every team doesn't have Anthony Davis and a bunch of 6-8, 6-9 wings, so there's that, as well. It's just about understanding how different looks are going to come. 

"This doesn't have a regular-season feel at all. I'm used to playing LeBron whatever he plays, 30, 35 minutes. It felt like him and AD never came off the floor. It was like a playoff-type deal."

There are still plenty of reasons for positivity in Indiana, though, with the team fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 12-8 record after winning their last three regular-season games.

Haliburton is determined to help the Pacers end their three-season playoff exile in order to enjoy more of the games that matter, adding: "Getting accustomed to that was good for me and makes me want to play some more games that have some meaning to them.

"So we have to handle the season the right way so I can get to the playoffs and feel that."

Cheltenham’s Paddy Power Cotswold Chase is the likely next stop for Datsalrightgino following his Coral Gold Cup heroics at Newbury.

Racing over a staying trip for the first time, the seven-year-old produced a brilliant performance in the hands of Gavin Sheehan to take advantage of his unexposed handicap rating and provide Lambourn-based handler Jamie Snowden with a famous local victory.

However, the handicapper has now had his say with an 11lb rise, leaving Snowden seeing a trip to Prestbury Park on Festival Trials Day (January 27) as the logical next step on the gelding’s journey.

The trainer said: “He came out of Newbury really well. He was a bit tired on Sunday and after he went out for a bit of a leg stretch, he went back to bed and had a bit of a pyjama day.

“He was quite tired afterwards but is enjoying the adulation from everyone and has been down through the village to the stream and had a bit of a splash around and then a gentle canter back, so he’s in good order.

“He’s up 11lb, which isn’t ideal, but he was fairly unexposed at that trip and the handicapper has probably had his say accordingly.

“He’s up to 159, which makes life a little bit trickier and kind of forces us into Graded company, so I would say we will end up in the Cotswold Chase, which is the obvious race to go for from here. But we will see how he is and make a plan accordingly.”

Snowden has made a bright start to what is shaping up to be a fruitful season and could have more firepower to look forward to in the new year following the arrival at Folly House of Reach For The Moon.

The one-time Derby favourite spent some time honing his craft with Henrietta Knight upon leaving John and Thady Gosden, but has recently arrived at Snowden’s base in preparation for the next stage of his career.

He added: “It’s really early days, but I’m looking forward to learning a bit more about him.”

LeBron James made more NBA history as the Los Angeles Lakers became the first winners of the in-season tournament on Saturday, before declaring: "Nobody can ever top that".

The Lakers beat the Indiana Pacers 123-109 in Las Vegas to become the first team to lift the trophy, with James named the first-ever tournament MVP.

James was upstaged in the final by team-mate Anthony Davis, who recorded season highs of 41 points and 20 rebounds, though the four-time NBA MVP also played his part with 24 points and 11 rebounds.

As he continues to push the limits in his 21st season in the league, James took particular pleasure in helping the Lakers become the tournament's first winners, something which cannot be replicated.

"I don't think it's even about the MVP, it's about us coming together to win this thing," James told ESPN during the trophy presentation. 

"This is the [first] in-season tournament. Records will be broken, but one thing that will never be broken is to be the first to do something. 

"We're the first champions of the in-season tournament, and nobody can ever top that, and it's great to do it with a historic franchise and just a great cast of funny, engaged, competitive men."

Despite his own remarkable longevity, James hyped Davis up as the "face of the franchise" in preseason, and he ran with that tag on Saturday as the Pacers were unable to live with his monster performance.

The James-Davis partnership is now into its fifth season, and James believes the duo push each other to reach greater heights, saying: "I know who I am, he knows who he is.

"So, there's no friction. We're not trying to compete with one another on the court or on a lifestyle basis. He knows who he is, I know who I am.

"The only thing we're trying to do is hold each other accountable when we get to work and try to be the best we can be for each other, and when one is not going well, try to pick each other up. 

"There's no jealousy. There's not a jealous bone in our bodies. We're never jealous of one another. Ever."

Bob Olinger could be seen at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day, with the Dornan Engineering Relkeel Hurdle one of two possible festive options for the dual-Festival hero.

Henry de Bromhead’s eight-year-old includes Prestbury Park victories in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle and Turners Novices’ Chase among his eight career triumphs but endured a winless campaign when switched back to hurdles last term.

However, to the delight of his handler, he rediscovered his best form on last month’s seasonal reappearance, travelling with his usual zest in the hands of regular pilot Rachael Blackmore before picking up well to see off the match-fit Zanahiyr at Navan.

Bob Olinger now has the option of dropping back to two miles for the Matheson Hurdle at Leopardstown during the Dublin track’s Christmas Festival, but is also poised to receive an entry for a New Year’s raiding mission, with Cheltenham’s Group Two contest currently at the forefront of De Bromhead’s mind.

“He’s in good form and we’ve been very happy since, it was brilliant to get him back,” said De Bromhead.

“We’re aiming towards Christmas time and he’s in at Leopardstown over two miles, but he will also have an entry in the Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day.

“I would be happy (dropping back to two miles), he has a lot of pace, loads of pace, he’s never lacked in that.

“I’m not saying we will, they are our options and I’m probably leaning towards the race at Cheltenham, but we will see how it all pans out.”

John McGinn insists Aston Villa will remain level-headed despite being touted as Premier League title contenders.

Villa captain McGinn scored the winner as Unai Emery’s side beat Arsenal 1-0 on Saturday evening to move two points off the top of the table.

The victory also extended Villa’s winning league run at home to a club-record 15 games.

The fighting victory over Arsenal came just three days after reigning champions Manchester City fell by the same scoreline at Villa Park, leading plenty of voices to install Villa firmly into the title race this season.

“It’s a huge win but we’ve got to keep our feet on the ground,” McGinn told VillaTV.

“These teams are used to being up and around there and we’re not. We need to try and manage the games as best we can going into a really busy spell.”

Former Gunners boss Emery said he had to be “clinical” with his substitutions having opted to name the same Villa starting XI in both games.

The tiredness in some of his players was clear to see as Saturday’s clash progressed, but Villa held on and McGinn was keen to praise the effort of the whole squad.

“A big shout to all the boys who came on,” he added.

“It’s not easy coming into a game like that. Arsenal have scored a lot of late goals this season, so we had to be switched on and really concentrate.

“The tiredness from the past two weeks started to kick in and there were some dead bodies out there – me included – but it was an absolutely monumental effort. It wasn’t pretty at times but they’re a great side. What a week.”

Arsenal thought they had salvaged a point when Kai Havertz bundled home from close range in the last minute, only for his effort to be chalked off for handball.

It was another contentious decision that went against Mikel Arteta’s side – with the Spaniard refusing to be drawn on either that call or a strong penalty claim for a foul on Gabriel Jesus that was ultimately waved away by referee Jarred Gillett and the VAR.

The result meant Arsenal slipped off the top of the table but captain Martin Odegaard, who missed two of a number of fine chances for the visitors, said heads will not be allowed to drop following the setback.

“We have to look to the next one,” he said.

“The games are coming so quickly now so it’s no time to feel sorry for ourselves. We have to get back to working hard to improve and bounce back in the next game, and that’s what we’re going to do now.

“I think we didn’t deserve to lose this game, but at the same time, we could have done better, especially in front of the goals. We gave them an easy goal and we were a bit sloppy in front of goal as well, so it’s annoying and frustrating.”

Hibernian manager Nick Montgomery praised Paul Hanlon after the experienced defender returned to help his side to a clean sheet in Saturday’s 1-0 win at Livingston.

Martin Boyle’s first-half goal put Hibs in front but they had to weather a storm in the second half as the hosts threw balls into the box.

Montgomery hailed Hanlon, who was making his first start since mid-October, and his centre-back partner Will Fish, who were both impressive in a tight match.

He said: “I thought the whole back four stood up really well. It was a real team performance.

“You can’t come to places like this and have passengers because you know you’re going to have to pick up those second balls and win those direct balls at the throw-ins, corners and free-kicks.

“They’ve got some real quality and some real height.

“Paul coming back into the team, I thought he was solid. Him and Will Fish. I thought he led the line really well and there was also big character from Will Fish too as he had a pretty big cut on his head and got stitched up at half-time and continued to head those balls.

“The wind was swirling around and it was really difficult conditions but it was important we stayed composed. We didn’t get dragged into a fight and I thought we played some really good stuff in the second half.”

The victory moved Hibs above Edinburgh rivals Hearts and into fourth, but Montgomery insisted he is only thinking about his own side as he praised their togetherness.

He added: “I don’t really concentrate on anyone else. I just concentrate on ourselves, but we know that if we win games of football, that’s going to lift us up the table.

“It’s important in a good team that you know the moments when you have to stick together and fight and get through situations that are a bit uncomfortable. I thought we did that.

“But the team also has quality. We’ve got a good team spirit and a good camaraderie and everyone has seen that. In the first week when I came in and I got to know the players, I could see that they all care for the club.”

Livingston boss David Martindale was frustrated that his side were not awarded a penalty after Kurtis Guthrie went down under a challenge from Joe Newell in the first half.

He said: “The disappointing one for me is there’s one in the first half where Kurtis Guthrie is fouled and Grant (Irvine) has not had the opportunity to go to the screen.

“We got told Kurtis initiated the contact but I’m not sure that’s my view on it. I’m a wee bit disappointed that Grant’s not had the opportunity to go and look at that.

“You’re then allowing VAR to decide and you’re not allowing the on-field referee to use the technology to decide. That’s what I want to happen in football. If there’s any dubiety at all.

“It’s all subjective but it shouldn’t be subjective to someone sitting in a sterile room who isn’t watching the game. So I’m a wee bit disappointed with that but I’m not making excuses.”

Serge Gnabry will miss Bayern Munich’s Champions League trip to Manchester United on Tuesday night as he faces a spell on the sidelines, the Bundesliga champions have said.

Gnabry was injured in Saturday’s shock 5-1 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt, having been forced off just five minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute.

A statement from the club said: “Serge Gnabry suffered a major strain in Saturday’s 5-1 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt, a scan revealed last night.

“Gnabry, who was forced off the field just five minutes after coming on in Frankfurt, will therefore miss Bayern’s upcoming matches.”

The 28-year-old has scored one goal in 11 appearances this season.

Following Tuesday’s trip to Old Trafford, Bayern host Stuttgart next weekend and then face Wolfsburg away on December 20 prior to the winter break.

Today’s meeting at Huntingdon has been abandoned following flooding of the course last night.

The Peterborough Chase card survived inspections on Thursday and Friday but the Cambridgeshire track could not cope with further rain.

This afternoon’s fixture at Kelso was called off yesterday due to excess rainfall and areas of false ground.

That leaves Britain without a Sunday National Hunt meeting, although there will be Flat racing on Wolverhampton’s all-weather circuit.

Over in Ireland, Cork will stage a high-class jumps card featuring three Graded races, including the reappearance of El Fabiolo in the Bar One Racing Hilly Way Chase.

Manchester City equalled the record for consecutive wins in the Premier League with their 14th in a row on December 10, 2017.

Pep Guardiola’s side achieved the milestone in style with a 2-1 victory over neighbours Manchester United at Old Trafford.

City opened up an eye-watering double-digit lead over their local rivals after Nicolas Otamendi fired Guardiola’s men to a derby win.

The much-anticipated 175th Manchester derby was comfortably the biggest game of the Premier League season to that point, such was the need for Jose Mourinho’s Reds to claw back their swashbuckling rivals.

But the gap between table-topping City and second-placed United grew to 11 points, with Otamendi volleying home a second-half winner after Marcus Rashford had cancelled out David Silva’s opener.

The untimely end to United’s club record-equalling 40-match unbeaten home run strengthened their rivals’ grip on the title after just 16 matches, the last 14 won in succession.

That set a new top-flight record run within the same season and meant City emulated Arsenal’s achievement from the end of the 2001-02 season and the start of 2002-03.

Guardiola said: “You cannot be champions in December but I am happy because people said in England, you cannot play that way, but in England you can play in that way as well.”

Silva gave City a deserved first-half lead as he capitalised on a corner that had deflected off Romelu Lukaku.

United fortuitously went into the break level after Rashford took advantage of an error from Fabian Delph, but the blue half of the city were not to be denied as Lukaku’s poor clearance allowed Otamendi to volley home early in the second half.

City would extend their streak to 18 matches with wins over Swansea, Tottenham, Bournemouth and Newcastle before being held to a 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace on New Year’s Eve.

They went on to become the first side to accumulate 100 points in a top-flight season in England, finishing 19 clear of United.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored just 13 seconds into overtime and the New York Islanders rallied for a 3-2 victory over the Kings on Saturday, ending Los Angeles’ NHL-record season-opening 11-game road winning streak.

The Kings led 2-0 entering the third period but Islanders captain Anders Lee scored twice, including the equaliser with 4:11 left in regulation.

Pageau beat Cam Talbot on a breakaway for his first goal in 14 home games this season.

Ilya Sorokin made 34 saves, with his best coming when he denied Adrian Kempe on a breakaway late in the third period.

New York improved to 4-0-1 in its last five games and has recorded a point in 11 of its last 12 games (7-1-4).

Kempe and Vladislav Gavrikov scored for Los Angeles, which had won three straight and eight of nine overall.

Red Wings captain Larkin injured in loss

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin was injured on a hit from behind in the first period in a 5-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators.

Larkin was face-down and motionless for about a minute after being cross-checked in the back of the head and neck by Ottawa’s Mathieu Joseph. He was eventually able to stand and was hunched over as he was assisted to the locker room.

The team released a statement during the game that Larkin was being evaluated by the medical staff.

Claude Giroux and Vladimir Tarasenko each had a goal and an assist for the Senators, who have won three of four following a three-game skid.

Patrick Kane scored his first goal with the Red Wings in his second game since joining Detroit.

Capitals spoil Laviolette’s return

Charlie Lindgren turned aside 31 shots and the Washington Capitals scored three second-period goals I a 4-0 win over the New York Rangers to spoil former coach Peter Laviolette’s return.

Sonny Milano scored in the first period and Anthony Mantha, Tom Wilson and Nicolas Aube-Kubel tallied in the second as Washington snapped a three-game skid.

Laviolette spent three seasons with the Capitals before parting ways with the team in April and joining the Rangers two months later.

New York has lost two straight for the first time this season.