Max Verstappen admitted he was left feeling emotional after bidding farewell to the Red Bull machine that carried him to the most dominant Formula One season ever seen.
Verstappen ended his crushing championship campaign with his 19th win of the year in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, becoming the first driver to lead 1,000 laps in a single season.
The all-conquering Dutchman has won 17 of the last 18 races – which included a record streak of 10 straight victories – and wrapped up his third successive world title with six rounds to spare.
He failed to win on just three occasions, out-scoring Sergio Perez in the other Red Bull by 290 points – the equivalent of nearly 12 Grand Prix victories.
“It has been an incredible season and I was emotional on the in-lap back to the pits because it was the last time I will sit in a car which has given me so much,” said the 26-year-old.
“It will be very hard to have another season like this and we know that. Of course, you always want to do better and we are working hard for next year to have a very competitive car.
“All the other teams out there want to try and beat us next year, but we are ready for the battle.”
Verstappen is under contract with Red Bull until 2028 and, without a major regulation change until 2026, he could be untouchable for the next two seasons.
His 54th career win at the Yas Marina Circuit moved him to a standalone third in the all-time list, with only Lewis Hamilton’s 103 wins and Michael Schumacher, on 91 now, ahead of him.
Red Bull only failed to complete a perfect season following one off-colour weekend in Singapore.
“To win 21 out of 22 races is insanity,” said Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.
“For Max to have led over 1000 laps out of 1300, to win 19 races and break so many records along the way, this car will go down in history for a considerable point of time as the most successful in Formula One.
“But nothing stands still in this sport and I am sure concepts will converge, and stable regulations will concertina the grid, so I don’t think we will ever be able to repeat the season we have just had.”
Following a mammoth nine-month campaign, Verstappen will open his bid for a fourth consecutive title in Bahrain in 96 days.
In a union that transcends borders and court dimensions, Jamaica's Sunshine Girl Shimona Nelson and Australian basketball player Buay Jok exchanged vows in a heartwarming ceremony over the weekend. The couple, who have been together for a significant period, found solace in each other's arms amid the uncertainties surrounding Nelson's netball career in Australia.
Standing at an imposing six-foot-five, Nelson, who is set to celebrate her 25th birthday on December 1, burst onto the Jamaican netball scene in 2017. She swiftly climbed the ranks, representing her country in the Under 21 national squad, the Fast5 team, and eventually securing her place in the coveted Jamaican Sunshine Girls on the international stage. Her prowess on the court earned her a Commonwealth Games silver medal with the Sunshine Girls in 2022.
Nelson's netball journey led her to the Australian Suncorp Super Netball League, where she donned the colors of the Collingwood Magpies since 2019. However, the recent upheaval in the league saw the Magpies' franchise license being returned, leaving Nelson's playing career in Australia in a precarious position.
Amidst these professional uncertainties, Nelson has found support and love in the arms of her long-time boyfriend turned husband, Buay Jok. A towering presence at six-foot-eight, Jok is a forward for the Dandenong Rangers in Australia's NBL1 semi-professional league.
In an interview with Red Boo Sports, Jok shared insights into their dynamic relationship, stating, "She always sets her boundaries. Like clear expectations, and if I don't do those things I'm gonna hear about it. It's great discipline. She's really intense and I'm really calm. We balance each other."
Roman Josi had a goal and two assists to lead the Nashville Predators to a 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday in a clash of two of the Western Conference's hottest teams.
Josi helped set up goals from Yakov Trenin and Gustav Nyquist, while Juuse Saros made 32 saves as the Predators extended their season-high winning streak to five games.
Winnipeg had its season-high five-game winning streak halted after falling behind by a 3-0 score after two periods.
Trenin opened the scoring with 20 seconds left in the first period, and Josi made it 2-0 just 1:26 into the second before Nyquist scored on a power play nearly five minutes later.
Goals from Josh Morrissey and Cole Perfetti 42 seconds apart got the Jets within one with less than nine minutes left, but Winnipeg failed to get the equaliser after pulling goaltender Laurent Brossoit with under two minutes to go.
Brossoit finished with 23 saves.
McDavid's five points lead Oilers' drubbing of Ducks
Connor McDavid continued his hot streak with a goal and four assists as the Edmonton Oilers returned home to record an 8-2 rout of the Anaheim Ducks.
McDavid followed up a four-assist performance in Edmonton's 5-0 victory at Washington on Friday that capped off a four-game road trip. Zach Hyman added two goals and an assist and Darnell Nurse had three assists in the Oilers' highest-scoring game of the season.
Max Jones scored twice in the first 6:10 of the game to stake Anaheim to an early 2-1 lead, but the Oilers responded with goals from McDavid, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Hyman to go into the first intermission with a 4-2 advantage.
Hyman and James Hamblin scored in the second to extend the margin to 6-2, and Edmonton struck twice more in the third on power-play tallies from Leon Draisaitl and Mattias Ekholm.
The Ducks have now lost six straight. Starting goaltender Lukas Dostal was pulled 7:20 into the second period after allowing six goals on 16 shots, while John Gibson stopped eight of 10 chances in relief.
Perron reaches milestone as Red Wings extend Wild's skid
David Perron scored the 299th and 300th goals of his career as the Detroit Red Wings extended the Minnesota Wild's losing streak to seven games with a 4-1 victory.
Perron's two power-play goals and a four-point effort from Shayne Gostisbehere helped back 37 saves from Alex Lyon as the Red Wings won their third consecutive game despite being outshot by a 38-23 margin.
Gostisbehere had a goal and three assists, while Dylan Larkin added a goal along with an assist on Perron's milestone tally.
Larkin's eighth goal of the season snapped a 1-1 tie with 3:07 remaining in the second period. Perron extended the margin 1:29 into the second before Gostisbehere scored into an empty net in the final minute to seal the victory.
Lyon prevented any comeback hopes for Minnesota by stopping all 18 shots he faced in the third period.
Perron's first of the day put Detroit in front just 4:06 in, but the Wild answered later on when Joel Eriksson Ek scored on a power play with 12 seconds left in the first period.
Filip Gustavsson stopped 19 of 22 shots for the Wild, who fell to 0-5-2 since Nov. 9.
Devin Booker hit a tie-breaking 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds remaining to give the Phoenix Suns a 116-113 victory over the New York Knicks on Sunday that extended their winning streak to seven games.
Booker finished with 28 points and 11 assists and Eric Gordon had 25 points as the Suns continued their winning ways despite star Kevin Durant missing a second straight game with a sore right foot.
Phoenix also overcame a 35-point, eight-assist effort from New York's Jalen Brunson to snap the Knicks' four-game winning streak at Madison Square Garden.
Booker's deciding shot came after the Knicks scored four straight points to pull even, with Brunson hitting a fadeaway jumper with 21.9 seconds left following a Phoenix turnover to tie the contest at 113-113.
Brunson had a chance to force overtime in the final seconds, but his long 3-point try as time expired missed the mark.
The Suns led by as many as 15 points in the first half and owned a 79-66 advantage in the third quarter, but the Knicks went on an 18-5 run later in the period and the game remained tight into the latter stages.
Julius Randle added 28 points for New York and Immanuel Quickley contributed 18 off the bench.
Bucks put forth big rally to win Lillard's first meeting with Blazers
Giannis Antetokounmpo also came through with a tie-breaking basket with time winding down, as his tip-in with 18.5 seconds left helped the Milwaukee Bucks to a stirring 108-102 comeback victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Bucks rallied from a 26-point deficit to win the first meeting between the teams since the Blazers traded franchise icon Damian Lillard to Milwaukee in September. Lillard, who spent his first 11 seasons with Portland and is the Trail Blazers' all-time scoring leader, had 17 of his 31 points in the second half to aid the comeback.
Antetokounmpo finished with 33 points, 16 rebounds and six assists in the Bucks' seventh win in eight games.
The rebuilding Blazers shot 52 percent over the first two quarters to build a 68-52 halftime lead, then extended the margin to 81-55 three minutes into the third quarter.
Milwaukee responded with a 17-2 run, however, and continued to cut into the deficit until Lillard's 3-pointer with 2:53 remaining created a 97-97 tie.
The game remained deadlocked until Antetokounmpo tipped in teammate Bobby Portis' putback attempt to put the Bucks up by a 104-102 score. Lillard then sealed the win by making four free throws in the closing seconds.
Jerami Grant had 22 points in Portland's ninth loss in 10 games, while Malcolm Brogdon recorded 18 points and 12 assists.
Magic get past Hornets for seventh straight win
The Orlando Magic are also riding a seven-game winning streak following Sunday's 130-117 victory over the Charlotte Hornets behind 30 points from both Franz Wagner and Cole Anthony.
Paolo Banchero added 23 points, seven rebounds and eight assists to help Orlando to its longest winning streak in nearly 13 years. The Magic last won seven in a row during a franchise-record nine-game run from Dec. 23, 2010-Jan. 12, 2011.
Anthony scored 18 of his points in the fourth quarter as Orlando gradually pulled away before putting the game out of reach with a 12-3 run that gave the Magic a 120-104 lead with four minutes remaining.
Charlotte got guard Terry Rozier back from a groin injury that caused him to miss the team's previous nine games, but played the second half without star point guard LaMelo Ball after he injured his right ankle late in the second quarter.
Rozier had 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting to go along with nine assists in his return. Miles Bridges led the Hornets, who came in having won a season-high two straight, with 23 points and 10 rebounds.
Five-time gold medal winner Laura Kenny is targeting her fourth Olympics next year after the birth of her second child this summer.
Kenny, who has topped the podium in London, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo, has her eyes set on Paris as she is keen to prove motherhood is no reason to end her career after the arrival of their second son Monty in July.
“I obviously want to compete at the next Olympics. I know everyone thinks I’m absolutely mad in saying that, but if I don’t try, I’ll never know,” she told The Journey, the Team GB and Toyota docuseries.
“I would hate to be sat here thinking, ‘Well, I never even gave it a go to see if I could make it.’
“I hope both children see their mum as someone who was determined to make both things work.
“They will never have the burden of thinking, ‘Oh, mum had me and then ended her career.’ Because I didn’t. I carried on; I made it work.
“I hope they look back and they can see that, and see that from the day they were born, they were part of the journey.
“The two different comebacks between Albie and Monty have been so different.
“With Albie I came back feeling like I had a point to prove, that you could be a mum and be an Olympic champion all at the same time.
“I think this time, I’ve come back for me. I’ve come back because I love riding my bike and I cannot imagine it not being part of my life.”
Kenny gave birth to Albie in 2017 and after a miscarriage in 2021 and ectopic pregnancy early in 2022 she and husband Jason – a fellow Olympic champion cyclist – had a second son, Monty, in July this year.
“Having the ectopic was way worse than the miscarriage,” she added.
“It all happened so fast. I went to hospital thinking I had severe Covid and left just like ‘What the hell?’ having had a major operation when I didn’t know I was pregnant.
“It was all terrifying really. I struggled massively mentally after everything that we went through, and I’d say I probably wasn’t truly happy until I fell pregnant with Monty.”
The Jacksonville Jaguars held off the Houston Texans to win 24-21 and maintain their grip on the AFC South.
Brandon McManus’ 53-yard field goal for the Jaguars with just over 11 minutes remaining looked to have made sure of victory at the NRG Stadium.
The Texans, though, set up a tense finish after a touchdown for Nico Collins, but a late long-range field goal attempt from Matt Ammendola fell short as divisional leaders Jacksonville improved to 8-3 this season.
The Atlanta Falcons moved into a tie for first place in the NFC South alongside New Orleans with a 24-15 win over the Saints.
The Falcons ended a three-game losing streak with rookie Bijan Robinson running for 91 yards and a crucial touchdown in the fourth quarter as Desmond Ridder overcame two interceptions.
Victory at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium moves the Falcons on to a 5-6 record in a tie with the Saints, who have now lost back-to-back games.
Indianapolis Colts running-back Jonathan Taylor scored two touchdowns in a 27-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Tampa Bay had fought back to cut the deficit to 20-17 in the fourth quarter, but a one-yard rush from Taylor and Chase McLaughlin’s late field goal proved decisive.
The Bucs slumped to a sixth loss in their past seven games, but still have a remote divisional chance in a poor NFC South.
Kenny Pickett threw a season-high 278 yards to help the Pittsburgh Steelers edge out the Cincinnati Bengals 16-10 at Paycor Stadium.
Pat Freiermuth also returned a career-best 120 yards receiving as the Steelers claimed their seventh win of the season.
Chris Boswell kicked two field goals during the fourth quarter to fend off any fightback from their AFC North rivals.
Derrick Henry rushed for two touchdowns as the Tennessee Titans defeated the Carolina Panthers 17-10 in Nashville.
Quarterback Will Levis completed 18 of 28 passes, totalling for 185 yards, as the Titans ended a three-match losing streak, which all came on the road.
The Panthers, meanwhile, slipped to a 10th defeat, with the worst record in the NFL.
A late field goal from Randy Bullock helped the New York Giants edge out the New England Patriots 10-7 in East Rutherford to win back-to-back games for the first time this season.
Tommy DeVito threw a touchdown pass to Isaiah Hodgins late in the first half, which proved the difference.
The Patriots had a chance to level things up late on but Chad Ryland’s 35-yard field goal dropped just wide with only three seconds left.
Jannik Sinner relished his role as Italy’s national hero after guiding his country to their first Davis Cup title for 47 years.
When Sinner was staring at three match points against Novak Djokovic on Saturday with Italy 1-0 down to Serbia, it appeared hugely improbable that he would be lifting the trophy 24 hours later.
But the world number four somehow recovered to defeat Djokovic, repeated the feat in doubles along with Lorenzo Sonego and then saw off Australia’s Alex De Minaur 6-3 6-0 on Sunday to clinch a 2-0 victory.
That sparked joyous celebrations among Sinner and his team-mates and the Italian-dominant crowd at a packed and vibrant Palacio de Deportes Martin Carpena in Malaga.
The victory earned Italy just their second Davis Cup title after success in 1976 as they continue to reap rewards from their heavy investment in men’s tennis in recent years, while for Australia it was more disappointment after their 2-0 loss to Canada in the final 12 months ago.
Sinner has elevated himself to the status of biggest challenger to Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz for the major titles and his performances here will send him into 2024 on a huge high.
“This is a really important win for me and for the whole team and Italy together,” he said. “We felt the pressure. We had a lot of responsibility. But still we managed. We were excited. Obviously everyone is really happy about the end result.
“I came here with confidence. I gave 100 per cent, all what I had, and I think the whole team, they pushed each other, and this is maybe our key why we are standing here with this trophy.”
It was fitting that it was Sinner, who had won both singles and doubles rubbers in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, was the man to seal it.
Given Australia’s strength in doubles, though, the crucial win may have been Matteo Arnaldi’s in the opening rubber against Alexei Popyrin.
Nerves were all too evident in a clash of two young players inexperienced in the unique pressure-cooker of Davis Cup, but it was 22-year-old Arnaldi who ultimately handled it better to win 7-5 2-6 6-4.
Popyrin, 24, seemed to have a grip on the match after losing the opening set and had eight break points in the decider, but Arnaldi was rewarded for bold play at the big moments and it was his opponent who tightened up when it really mattered.
A tearful Arnaldi said: “It’s very emotional, more because a very important person passed away a month ago for me and my girlfriend so this is for him. I think now I won one of the most important matches in my life. I’m sorry for Alexei, because he deserved to win, for sure.”
Popyrin was distraught, saying: “It’s heartbreaking. I let it slip, and it hurts.”
De Minaur had had a day extra to prepare for the clash than Sinner but had lost all five previous matches against the Italian and had no answer to the 22-year-old’s power.
Australian captain Lleyton Hewitt, part of their last title-winning team 20 years ago, rued another near miss, saying: “Obviously it’s disappointing for the boys. The first match out there today could have gone either way.
“Jannik, he’s played awesome all week. He backed up what he did yesterday against Novak and played extremely good tennis.
“I’m super proud of all the boys and the support staff and the team. We did absolutely everything we possibly could have, and we have come agonisingly close yet again.”
De Minaur vowed to make it third time lucky, saying: “We are very, very close. It’s stinks like hell. Again, like I said last year in this same position, we’ll be back. We’ll get this. We’ve got a very, very strong future ahead of us.”
To do that they will have to get past Italy, though, and they have other young players waiting in the wings.
Sinner said: “We are all very young. We are really hungry to try to win it one more time for our life, but in another way, having this feeling at least once, it is a really special feeling.”
Sunday’s evening session at the UK Snooker Championship was delayed when a fire was detected in the foyer of the York Barbican.
Players, who had been minutes away from resuming first-round action, and fans were evacuated from the venue as alarms sounded and the fire brigade rushed to the scene.
World Snooker Tour confirmed: “The Fire Brigade identified a small fire in the reception of the York Barbican. It has now been put out and the building has been adjudged as safe for fans and players to return.”
After a delay of approximately one hour, during which players were ushered to the warmth of a nearby pub, play in the matches between Shaun Murphy and Hossein Vafaei, and Ali Carter and Matthew Selt, was due to get under way.
Jannik Sinner followed up his heroics against Novak Djokovic by leading Italy to their first Davis Cup title for 47 years.
When Sinner was staring at three match points on Saturday with Italy 1-0 down to Serbia, it appeared hugely improbable that he would be lifting the trophy 24 hours later.
But the world number four somehow recovered to defeat Djokovic, repeated the feat in doubles along with Lorenzo Sonego and then saw off Australia’s Alex De Minaur 6-3 6-0 on Sunday to clinch a 2-0 victory.
That sparked joyous celebrations among Sinner’s team-mates and the Italian-dominant crowd at a packed and vibrant Palacio de Deportes Martin Carpena in Malaga.
The victory earns Italy just their second Davis Cup title after success in 1976 as they continue to reap rewards from their heavy investment in men’s tennis in recent years, while for Australia it was more disappointment after their 2-0 loss to Canada in the final 12 months ago.
In Sinner, Italy have a potential superstar and it was fitting that it was the 22-year-old, who had won both singles and doubles rubbers in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, was the man to seal it.
Given Australia’s strength in doubles, though, the crucial win may have been Matteo Arnaldi’s in the opening rubber against Alexei Popyrin.
Nerves were all too evident in a clash of two young players inexperienced in the unique pressure-cooker of Davis Cup but it was 22-year-old Arnaldi who ultimately handled it better to win 7-5 2-6 6-4.
Popyrin, 24, seemed to have a grip on the match after losing the opening set and had eight break points in the decider but Arnaldi was rewarded for bold play at the big moments and it was his opponent who tightened up when it really mattered.
A tearful Arnaldi said: “It’s very emotional, more because a very important person passed away a month ago for me and my girlfriend so this is for him. I think now I won one of the most important matches in my life.
“I’m sorry for Alexei, because he deserved to win, for sure. He was playing better. But sometimes Davis (Cup) is like this. I had my team cheering a lot, and I think that helped a lot.”
Popyrin was distraught, saying: “It’s heartbreaking. I let it slip, and it hurts.”
De Minaur has a strong record in the competition but he went into the must-win clash knowing he had lost all five previous matches against Sinner.
The schedule was in his favour having had a day to prepare following a comfortable semi-final victory over Finland and there was a real spring in his step as he took to the court.
But Sinner’s big weapons quickly began to dictate proceedings, with the Italian breaking his rival’s serve twice in the opening set.
Australian captain Lleyton Hewitt, part of the team the last time they won the title 20 years ago, tried to inspire De Minaur to a comeback but this was Sinner’s moment.
World champion Luca Brecel insists splashing the cash has helped restore his hunger for more snooker success after he kicked off his UK Championship campaign with a gruelling 6-4 victory over Yuan Sijun in York.
The Belgian celebrated his shock Crucible success six months ago by spending half his winnings on a £250,000 Ferrari and revealed he drained his bank balance further this week by adding a Range Rover and a Porsche Taycan to his growing garage.
“I bought two more cars this week so I went from a millionaire to a non-millionaire,” said Brecel. “It was a conscious decision to buy the cars and maybe feel that bit of pressure again, to recreate the feeling I had of just starting my career.”
Brecel, who will replenish his ailing balance by a Ferrari-sized £250,000 if he goes on to claim his first UK title next Sunday, said he struggled in the aftermath of his epic triumph over Mark Selby, having achieved a dream that drove him since he first picked up a cue at the age of nine.
“I didn’t go lazy, but I just didn’t feel that hunger or motivation going from tournament to tournament,” added Brecel.
“I don’t like that feeling and I had to change something. I wasn’t feeling any pressure any more. I was just playing and if I lost I was happy to be home. It’s not a good mindset to have.
“If you feel like that it’s impossible to change, but in the last few weeks I’ve been tired of losing in early rounds and I want to have that hunger to go deep again in tournaments.”
Brecel’s post-world title winning campaign has been far from a write-off, having reached the final of the Shanghai Masters in September and the third round of two ranking tournaments, and there were glimpses in his win over Yuan of the player who could ascend to the world number one ranking for the first time this week.
Two centuries and a further break of 86 proved enough for the Belgian, who twice came back from behind then was pegged back to 4-4 before raising his game to progress to the last 16 of a tournament where he reached the final two years ago.
Brecel must repeat the feat in order to stand any chance of reaching the top spot but he conceded that task alone does not provide the boost he needs to buckle down: “I’m still young and I feel like one day I’m going to get to number one anyway.
“I’ve been one match away and one frame away from world number one. I think my best chance was going to the Wuhan Open and I didn’t, so that shows you how much it keeps me busy.
“But it would be nice to tick it off, I’m not going to lie.”
Lewis Hamilton’s boss Toto Wolff has conceded Mercedes will have to scale Mount Everest to topple Max Verstappen’s Red Bull team next season.
Mercedes clung on to second place in the constructors’ championship by the skin of their teeth – and a £10million cash boost – as Verstappen ended the most dominant season in Formula One history with another victory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The Dutchman, taking his 19th win from 22 rounds, finished 17 seconds clear of team-mate Sergio Perez. But, mercifully for Mercedes, the Mexican driver was demoted to fourth following a five-second penalty for a collision with Lando Norris.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was elevated to second with Mercedes’ George Russell third. Lewis Hamilton finished ninth in the other black-liveried machine.
Had Perez outscored Russell, Mercedes and Ferrari would have been tied, with the Prancing Horse second in the team standings by virtue of Carlos Sainz’s win in Singapore.
But following Perez’s sanction, Mercedes ended the campaign three points clear of Ferrari to land a £105million reward, rather than £95m.
However, it marked a second straight season without a victory for Hamilton – a losing streak which now stands at 45 races – and Mercedes’ first winless campaign in a dozen years.
They finished an eye-watering 413 points behind Red Bull, who have long since turned their focus to next year’s machine. Last season, Mercedes were 244 points behind the world champions.
“Red Bull won by 17 seconds today, and haven’t touched the car since July or August, so you can pretty much guess where they’re going to be next year,” said a despondent Hamilton.
Picking up the baton, Wolff added: “From Lewis’ perspective, he had a bad weekend. Fact. But that doesn’t do anything on him being the greatest driver in the world.
“If we are able to give him a car, he will be fighting for a world championship. I have no doubt. But it is clear if you have a car like we have now, you are not at ease with it.
“Red Bull started the new regulations in 2022 with a massive advantage and they have been able to maintain it.
“We have a lot of respect for their achievements – from the engineering side, and the driver – and beating them under the current regulations is against the odds. Mount Everest is in front of us.”
Hamilton and Mercedes will hope a brand new design will fire them back to winning ways following their no-sidepod flop abandoned on the eve of the opening race in Bahrain.
Wolff continued: “We had to be honest that this car was never going to be good enough to fight for a world championship. We took the decision in April to go back to the drawing board and come up with something different for next year.
“We are changing the concept. We are moving away from how we laid out the chassis, the weight distribution, the airflow, literally every component has been changed because only by doing that do we have a chance. You could get it wrong also. Everything is possible.”
Mercedes have carried Hamilton to six of his record-equalling seven world championships. But the 38-year-old will head for the off-season wondering if he will ever win again, let alone mount a season-long championship challenge.
With only minor tweaks to the sport’s technical rulebook before a complete overhaul in regulations in 2026, Hamilton has already expressed his fear that Verstappen will be untouchable for the next two years.
Wolff added: “We have a board in our factory that shows all the world constructors’ championships since 1958. The table runs until 2050 so there are 27 open. And I would like to look back in 20 years and see many more Mercedes stars.
“I hate retrospective views. But when we look back and consider the decade we had – second, first, first, first, first, first, first, first, first, third, second – and when you look at it from that perspective, you say, ‘that was OK’.
“But from a micro-view there is one guy (Verstappen) that has won 19 races, and that of course, is not good enough.”
Willie Mullins felt Galopin Des Champs lacked his usual spark after suffering defeat in his bid for back-to-back victories in the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase.
The seven-year-old was a hugely impressive 13-length winner of the two-and-a-half-mile Grade One 12 months ago, after which he went on to lift both the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown and the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
He did suffer defeat at the hands of Fastorslow in the Punchestown Gold Cup on his final start of the campaign, but was widely expected to turn the tables on that rival on his seasonal reappearance.
However, the 1-2 favourite lacked fluency in the hands of Paul Townend, particularly in the jumping department, and while he briefly threatened to throw down a major challenge early in the home straight, he ultimately had to make do with minor honours in third as Fastorslow again emerged triumphant.
“Paul said he was very dead in himself today, no spark,” Mullins said afterwards.
“We schooled him during the week, he pinged fences and we were very happy with him.
“It’s disappointing that he didn’t replicate his homework today. For some reason, he was very dead in himself.”
Gordon Elliott continued his fine run of form at Cork thanks to a double with Halka Du Tabert and Tactical Affair.
Halka Du Tabert justified odds of 4-7 in fine style when hacking up by 20 lengths in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Beginners Chase on her first start over fences.
Third in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham last term, the Kenny Alexander-owned six-year-old was cut from 25-1 to 12-1 for the Mares’ Chase at this season’s Festival by Betfair.
Winning jockey Jordan Gainford said: “She was a smart mare over hurdles and was very good today.
“We got down to the start and she wanted to get on with the job and is entitled to come on from the run, as she was gassy and fresh.
“She will be better in a better race with a stronger gallop and will come on a lot from today. She is fine and scopey, her jumping was very good and she had a run in a point-to-point for James Doyle so had plenty of schooling done.
“This is a lovely starting point and hopefully she can improve.”
Tactical Affair showed plenty of spirit to edge out Picture Of You by a short head in the Racing TV Black Friday Offer – Join For Just 12 Euros PM For An Entire Year Maiden Hurdle at 5-2.
Gainford said: “He is a lovely horse and hopefully will come on a lot from that.
“He had to lead, so maybe he didn’t learn as much as we wanted to and he had a good look at the last. It was great for him to get his head in front, though.
“His bumper form was good but he is a fine, big horse who is only a baby and is only coming into himself.”
There was also a double for Willie Mullins, as Readin Tommy Wrong and Meetingofthewaters both justified favouritism.
Readin Tommy Wrong was pushed all the way by stablemate Lisnagar Fortune but held on to prevail by a short head in the I.N.H Stallion Owners EBF Maiden Hurdle.
Owned by Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, the 8-15 chance claimed a bumper double in May with comfortable victories at Ballinrobe and Tipperary and is expected to come on for this debut over timber.
“Some of ours are taking a run at the moment and I think he can build on that,” said jockey Danny Mullins.
“Often, Willie’s biggest problem is he has other horses in the race which can beat them but this was a nice starting point and there is plenty to build on.
“He jumped big over the last two and it was nice to hear his number being called – I was hoping I wasn’t beaten and, in fairness, the other horse has probably improved. Lisnagar Fortune was dropping back in trip, which probably suited.”
Meetingofthewaters survived some sketchy jumps down the home straight to land a gamble in the I.N.H Stallion Owners EBF Beginners Chase, scoring as the evens favourite under Brian Hayes.
The winning rider said: “Patrick (Mullins) owns this fella and told me he really fancied him, so I checked with Philip (Fenton, trainer of unplaced Japers Jack) and he said it was OK to swap.
“Paddy thought he’d win, he had been working well and was confident coming back to a 0-116 beginners, which was a big drop in class. He was confident enough he’d do the business.
“I think he is entered in the (Paddy Power Chase, at Christmas) but this was a 0-116 at the end of the day.”
Union Park has been a progressive chaser this year, prevailing three times over fences in 2023, but connections took advantage of a lenient mark over smaller obstacles in the Cork Welcomes Racing TV Members Handicap Hurdle.
The seven-year-old was rated fully 21lb lower in this sphere and travelled smoothly throughout before finishing strongly to beat Big Debates by half a length at 12-1.
“There wasn’t a suitable chase for him until Christmas but it was always the plan to go back over hurdles,” said trainer Philip Rothwell.
“The horse has built on promise and we let him improve away over fences. That has given him confidence and we are using his hurdle mark at the right time.
“We might even look at going across the water with him at some stage, as I think English racing, where they go a gallop in front, will suit him.”
Henry de Bromhead’s Percy Warner galloped on strongly to oblige at 15-2 in the richest race on the card, the Kevin McManus Bookmaker Handicap Chase.
Fastorslow inflicted a second successive shock defeat on Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Galopin Des Champs with a comeback victory in the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase.
Martin Brassil’s Fastorslow was a widely unconsidered 20-1 shot when springing a surprise in the Punchestown Gold Cup in April, beating the Willie Mullins-trained Galopin Des Champs into second and Cheltenham runner-up Bravemansgame into third.
Galopin Des Champs was a 1-2 shot to exact his revenge in a race he won 12 months ago, but Fastorslow proved his spring triumph was no fluke with a rousing success under JJ Slevin.
A field of six runners went to post for the two-and-a-half-mile showpiece, with the hot favourite one of five runners for Mullins along with Appreciate It, Asterion Forlonge, Blue Lord and Stattler.
It was clear from an early stage it might not be totally straightforward for Galopin Des Champs, with Paul Townend’s mount sticky over one or two of his obstacles while his stablemate Appreciate It got into a lovely jumping rhythm out in front.
To his credit Galopin Des Champs stuck to his guns to remain in the fight turning for home, but he was unable to get on terms with Appreciate It, while Fastorslow was delivered with his challenge late on the far side of the track.
Slevin dropped his whip halfway up the run-in, but it made no difference to the result as his mount found plenty for pressure to deny Appreciate It by half a length, with Galopin Des Champs a further length and a quarter behind in third.
Mercedes clung on to second place in the constructors’ championship by the skin of their teeth – and a £10milllion cash boost – as Max Verstappen ended the most dominant season in Formula One history with another victory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Verstappen failed to triumph at just three of the 22 rounds staged, and his latest win takes him to 54 for his career, leaving only Lewis Hamilton (103 wins) and Michael Schumacher (91) ahead of him.
The Dutchman finished 17 seconds clear of team-mate Sergio Perez but the Red Bull driver was demoted to fourth following a five-second penalty for a collision with Lando Norris.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was promoted to second with Mercedes’ George Russell third. Lewis Hamilton finished ninth in the other black-liviried machine with Mercedes three points clear of Ferrari in the standings to land a £105million reward, rather than £95m.
However, it marked a second straight season without a victory for Hamilton – a losing streak of 45 races – and Mercedes’ first winless campaign in a dozen years.
Norris finished fifth for McLaren, one place ahead of team-mate Oscar Piastri.
Verstappen has been in a class of one this season and Sunday’s 58-lap race round the Yas Marina Circuit never looked anything other than a Red Bull triumph – the team’s 21st of their all-conquering year – after he resisted a first-lap attack from Leclerc.
Leclerc tried and failed on three occasions to fight his way past Verstappen only for the triple world champion to keep him at bay on each occasion.
Behind, and Norris was on the move, making his way up to third ahead of Piastri and Russell.
Further back and Hamilton, who started 11th, was up two places to ninth, but by the end of the third lap he was in 10th as Perez swept by.
With Leclerc in second, and Russell and Hamilton fifth and 10th, Ferrari held second spot. But Russell was soon on the move to hand the initiative back to Mercedes.
On lap 11 he got ahead of Piastri after sling-shotting ahead of the Australian’s McLaren, and then three laps later, he took advantage of a slow pit stop for Norris to take third.
But in the other Mercedes, Hamilton feared he had sustained damage to his front wing after he biffed Pierre Gasly’s Alpine.
A check from Mercedes suggested otherwise, and team principal Toto Wolff was on the intercom to provide his star man with a pep talk.
“Lewis, you were the second quickest car on the last lap,” he said. “You are quick.” Moments later, the Austrian was back on the radio to tell Hamilton he was the speediest out there.
Wolff’s encouragement seemed to work. On lap 25, Hamilton was up to eighth after he passed Daniel Ricciardo before a second stop dropped him back down the order and in a duel with old foe Fernando Alonso.
Hamilton made his way ahead of Alonso only for the Spaniard to fight back past. Hamilton then accused Alonso of brake-testing him.
Carlos Sainz’s poor qualifying session left him 16th on the grid, but a desperate one-stop strategy saw him exposed to Alonso and then Hamilton as they moved by for eighth and ninth.
Advantage Mercedes. But Perez then threatened to provide a sting in their tail by hunting down Russell in the battle for third. If Perez finished ahead of Russell, the Silver Arrows would lose second spot.
With four laps to go, Perez fought his way past the English driver.
Perez took Leclerc on the last lap, but finished only 3.9 sec clear of Russell – dropping Perez to fourth – as Mercedes breathed a sigh of relief.
Imagine was made to pull out all the stops to maintain his unbeaten record over fences in the BetVictor Craddockstown Novice Chase at Punchestown.
The five-year-old made a smart start to his chasing career at Fairyhouse earlier in the month and was a 30-100 favourite to follow up at Grade Two level just under three weeks later.
Supporters of Gordon Elliott’s charge were made to sweat, though, with Uncle Phil giving a bold sight in front for a long way, while the late challenge of Lucid Dreams provided another scare.
However, Imagine eventually mastered Uncle Phil after the final fence and had just enough in the tank to repel Lucid Dreams by half a length.
Elliott and jockey Jack Kennedy were completing a treble on the card following the earlier victories of 4-1 shots Shannon Royale and Bob Cigar.
Elliott said: “He’s a nice horse and probably wants further. Two and a half miles would probably suit him better.
“The Grade One in Limerick at Christmas could be an option or we might bring him to Kempton on Boxing Day for the Grade One novice (Kauto Star Novices’ Chase, over three miles) and run Gerri Colombe in the King George, but I could change my mind 10 times before then!”
French recruit Hispanic Moon made a successful debut for Henry de Bromhead in the Frontline Security Grabel Mares Hurdle at Punchestown.
A multiple winner in her homeland for David Cottin, the six-year-old was a 20-1 shot to secure Listed honours on her first start on Irish soil in the hands of Darragh O’Keeffe.
With 8-15 favourite Shecouldbeanything disappointingly failing to pick up in the straight, Hispanic Moon moved smoothly to the lead approaching the final flight and found plenty on the run-in to see off the challenge of Saylavee by a length and three-quarters.
De Bromhead said: “She did it really well and had been working nicely at home. She obviously had good form and Kieran (Mariga, owner) spotted her.
“She’s a gorgeous looking mare and I’m delighted with her today. I’d say that’s as short as she’d want and hopefully a step up in trip will suit her.”
There was an even bigger shock in the I.N.H. Stallion Owners EBF Maiden Hurdle, with top-class bumper horse Tullyhill turned over by Shannon Royale.
Tullyhill was a £220,000 purchase last year for owners Cheveley Park Stud after winning his point-to-point. He made a winning bumper debut at Gowran Park in March before finding only A Dream To Share too strong in Grade One company at the Punchestown Festival.
The Willie Mullins-trained gelding was a 1-8 shot for his reappearance and hurdling bow, but the warning signs were out after a mistake before the home bend and in the end Gordon Elliott’s Shannon Royale pulled 24 lengths clear in the hands of Jack Kennedy.
“I was disappointed with him the last day and put cheek pieces on to sharpen him up,” said Elliott.
“He’d fitness on his side, but Jack said he was a different horse altogether today and maybe he just needed the run the last day.
“His jumping was good but he has been disappointing. We’ll probably look for a three-mile handicap somewhere and see what happens.”
Birchdale (5-2 favourite) may have earned himself a trip to Cheltenham next month after providing trainer Enda Bolger with another winner over Punchestown’s cross-country course in the Pigsback.com Risk Of Thunder Chase.
Bolger said: “He was enjoying it anyway, which with those horses is the main thing.
“We might have a look at Cheltenham in December and he’d like a bit of nicer ground in the spring.”
Luka Doncic underwent an X-ray on his left hand after taking a blow to it during the Dallas Mavericks' 107-88 defeat to the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.
Doncic's hand hit James Harden's knee during the early stages of the first quarter, and the 24-year-old immediately clutched it in pain.
He went on to score 22 points in the first half before being examined at half-time, though the X-ray reportedly came back as negative and Doncic finished the game with 30 points as the Mavericks ultimately succumbed to defeat.
After the game, Doncic told reporters: "I don't think it's broken. We will see further tomorrow in Dallas."
"I hit his knee, but yeah, I saw the picture [of the play]. It's not good to see."
Doncic was wearing a wrap on his left hand and thumb following the loss, and the Mavericks will nervously wait to see if the four-time All-Star will be able to play in Dallas' home game against the Houston Rockets on Tuesday.
LeBron James says he "will never forget" his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers after his 22 points helped the Los Angeles Lakers to defeat his former team on Saturday.
James has not always enjoyed an easy relationship with Cavaliers fans, acrimoniously leaving in 2010 after Cleveland drafted him back in 2003, controversially leaving for the Miami Heat.
Having won two NBA championship with the Heat, James returned to Cleveland in 2014 and won over the Cavaliers fans by helping them to a first ever title before departing again in 2018.
James went on to win a fourth NBA Championship with the Lakers, and he scored 22 points as his team went into Cleveland and took a 121-115 victory on Saturday.
The four-time MVP received a warm reception from the home crowd, and after the game he reflected on his "special" time with the Cavaliers, who play close to James' hometown of Akron, Ohio.
"It's just special," James said. "It's very special to be a kid from Akron.
"I grew up 30 miles south of here and to be able to be drafted here and spend my first seven years here and do some special things that the franchise had never seen.
"When I was drafted, I said I wanted to light this place up like Vegas. So I feel like I did a decent job of doing that when I was here for my 11 years.
"Stepping back on this floor is always a pretty cool feeling, looking up there and pretty much being a part of all of the banners in this arena. The one that sits in the middle was that [20]16 championship, so that's pretty cool.
"[I] spent 11 years here and being able to come back after my Miami stint and win a championship here for this franchise, for this city, I think it was a 52-year [title] drought or something like that in the city of Cleveland for any sports team, I think that was just something that I will never forget no matter how old I get. I'll always remember that moment."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
