Mary Earps rounded off a “wild” 2023 by winning the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year prize on Tuesday night.
The 30-year-old goalkeeper was a key part of the Lionesses side which reached the Women’s World Cup final in the summer and won FIFA’s Golden Glove award for the best goalkeeper at the tournament.
Manchester United goalkeeper Earps saved a penalty from Spain’s Jenni Hermoso in the final, but the Lionesses were unable to add to their 2022 European crown as they slipped to a 1-0 defeat in Sydney.
Her international career appeared at a crossroads in 2021 and she acknowledged during the BBC show she felt she had “lost purpose” after losing her place in the England team.
Sarina Wiegman recalled her in the first England squad she named in September of that year after Earps had been out in the cold since November 2019.
Earps claimed the BBC award ahead of England cricketer Stuart Broad, who retired at the end of the fifth Ashes Test in the summer, and heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson. For Earps, it was the culmination of a scarcely believable last 12 months.
“(Winning the award) feels pretty great on the back of a couple of big years – 2023 has been wild in ways I never expected, I am really grateful,” she said.
“I always committed to myself that anything I would have after that period of time (out of the England team) would be a bonus and it just hasn’t stopped yet. I’m just trying to make the most of everything, because when it stops you miss it.
“I wouldn’t be here without my team-mates at the Lionesses and United; we’ve achieved some incredible things over the last few years. Whilst individual accolades are great they only come on the back of team success. So it’s their trophy as much as mine.”
Earps was one of Wiegman’s vital lieutenants as the Lionesses won the Euros in 2022, and she secured her place in the public’s affection as she danced on the table in celebration during a press conference after the final victory over Germany at Wembley.
Last season Earps kept 14 clean sheets as Manchester United finished second in the Women’s Super League. She also drew praise after she spoke out about sportswear manufacturer Nike’s failure to offer an England goalkeeper’s replica jersey for sale before the World Cup.
Earps’ success on Tuesday night made her the third successive female winner of the award, after US Open champion Emma Raducanu in 2021 and Earps’ England team-mate Beth Mead last year.
Wheelchair tennis player Alfie Hewett, jockey Frankie Dettori and golf star Rory McIlroy were the three other sports luminaries who made it on to the shortlist for the prestigious prize.
The BBC declined to comment on why there were no new words from McIlroy in the VT introducing his nomination or any link-up for a live in-show interview.
Broad announced he was retiring from cricket during the fifth Ashes Test in the summer and bowed out in spectacular fashion. The 37-year-old hit a six off his final ball and took the final wicket as England won the match to level the series, although Australia retained the urn.
Johnson-Thompson claimed the world heptathlon title for the second time in Budapest in the summer after a calf injury wrecked her hopes of Olympic glory in Tokyo in 2021.
Manchester City’s treble-winning campaign was recognised as they won the Team of the Year prize. Star striker Erling Haaland, who scored 52 goals as the Blues dominated at home and in Europe, won the World Sport Star of the Year award and City manager Pep Guardiola was named coach of the year.
Sir Kenny Dalglish, who played and managed with great distinction at Liverpool, was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at Tuesday night’s ceremony in Salford.
Dalglish, who won nine titles with Celtic before moving to Merseyside in 1977, scored 172 goals in 515 appearances for the Reds. He enjoyed great success as a player, including scoring the winner in the 1978 European Cup final.
In 1985 he took over from Joe Fagan as manager of the club, initially while continuing to play, winning three further league titles. He then went on to win the Premier League title with Blackburn in 1995.
Fatima Whitbread, the 1987 world javelin champion, won the Helen Rollason Award.
Whitbread was abandoned as a baby and spent the first 14 years of her life in children’s homes before being adopted by javelin coach Margaret Whitbread. Since retiring, Whitbread has worked with various charities assisting and guiding children who had a similar experience to her.
Sixteen-year-old snowboarder Mia Brookes won the Young Sports Personality prize, while Desmond Smith, a grassroots sports coach from Sheffield, won the Unsung Hero award.
Frankie Dettori finished outside of the top three in the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year but said he still felt like a winner as he reflected on the “mistake” he made in declaring 2023 would be his last year in the saddle.
Dettori was one of six who made the shortlist for the coveted award, although as soon as it was announced England goalkeeper Mary Earps was made a long odds-on favourite.
Dettori recently took part in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in Australia but was the first to leave the show. Nevertheless, his year proved a real triumph and he was often seen at his majestic best.
The Italian – who turned 53 last week – enjoyed so much success in fact that he revealed he would postpone retirement and continue his career in America, where he will ride in California.
His domestic campaign got off to the perfect start when he won the 2000 Guineas on Chaldean and ensured he won two of the five Classics on offer by taking the Oaks on Soul Sister.
Further big-race glory followed at Royal Ascot in the Gold Cup on Courage Mon Ami and the winners continued to flow. He later admitted that by August he was having second thoughts about his retirement decision.
On Champions Day at Ascot, his scheduled last meeting in Britain, he produced a stellar ride on Trawlerman in the Long Distance Cup and signed off in customary fairytale fashion by winning the Champion Stakes on King Of Steel.
Speaking by video link from France, where he is on holiday with his family, Dettori told Clare Balding: “I’ve been in Australia for a month, and I’ve only got four days off before I start riding in the US on Boxing Day.
“I couldn’t jeopardise these four days to be with you guys, otherwise my family would have killed me! I apologise to everyone, I know how important this is to me and to everyone, I’m very sorry (not to be in the studio).
“To get to the last six, to me I’m already a winner. Racing is very important to me, but other sports appeal to a wider audience in England. I already feel like a winner to be a nominee.
“And you know what, apart from Stuart Broad the other contestants weren’t even born when I started riding! I’m the old man of the group.
“As you get older you have to train more to compete with people half of my age. I would say 70 per cent of the jockeys riding weren’t even born when I started, so fitness is very important. Nowadays we’ve got nutritionists and the most important thing is the mental state – the anger you’ve got to have to keep on winning, and that’s what’s kept me going all these years.”
On his decision to call off his retirement, he said: “At the beginning of the season, I thought, ‘well, I’m 52 and I want to stop at the top’. I watched (Cristiano) Ronaldo two years ago playing for Portugal in the World Cup and he was on the bench. I didn’t want to stop my career being on the bench.
“I thought when I called it a day things would ease off and I’d walk away into the sunset and say my last farewell to everyone. But the opposite happened, wherever I went I kept on winning, I did my farewells everywhere in Europe and I kept on winning and winning. I got to August thinking, ‘Oh my God, am I doing the right thing here?’.
“But unfortunately I’d told everyone I was quitting, so I’d kind of got myself snookered in the corner. I thought, ‘well, I can’t really carry on in England, because they organised so many farewell tours for me and a statue at Ascot’. But I’ve still got to get it out of my system, so my only option was emigrating to the USA, because it’s my last chance to perhaps continue what I love until one day I wake up and say, ‘enough is enough’.
“At the moment, because I’m still winning and the adrenaline is still there, the public still follow me – I’m sorry everyone, I made a mistake, I shouldn’t have said I was going to retire.”
Sir Anthony McCoy in 2010 remains the only jockey to have won the BBC prize. Dettori himself finished third in 1996, the year of his ‘Magnificent Seven’, when he went through the card with all seven winners at Ascot. Hollie Doyle was third in 2020.
Mary Earps has been named BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the England goalkeeper’s record.
3 – clean sheets for Earps as she won this summer’s World Cup Golden Glove award. She saved Jenni Hermoso’s penalty in the final but could not keep England from a 1-0 defeat.
18 – international appearances this year.
6 – clean sheets in those games, with a friendly against Portugal and Nations League clashes with Belgium and Scotland along with the World Cup games against Haiti, Denmark and Nigeria.
12 – goals conceded by Earps in last season’s Women’s Super League as runners-up Manchester United finished with the best defensive record.
14 – record number of clean sheets across that season. Her career total of 56 is also a WSL record.
47 – international caps in Earps’ career.
25 – clean sheets along the way, with only 30 goals conceded.
39 – Earps has started all but six of Sarina Wiegman’s 45 games as England coach, playing every minute of those appearances.
152,000 – signatures on a petition calling for Nike to make replica Lionesses goalkeeping shirts available for sale around the World Cup.
5 – a batch of the shirts released on the Football Association website on December 11 sold out in five minutes, with the supply on Nike’s own site also snapped up that day.
27 – squad number for United, who reported in August that her shirt was the second-highest seller among their women’s squad behind only England team-mate Ella Toone.
727,000 – followers on Earps’ official Instagram account.
Mary Earps being crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year marks the latest high in an incredible turnaround for a player who in early 2021 was considering calling time on her career.
At that point, the goalkeeper had not been involved in the England set-up since claiming her eighth cap in November 2019.
After being recalled as part of Sarina Wiegman’s first Lionesses squad in September 2021, she has gone on to help the team make history as Euro 2022 winners on home soil and then runners-up at this year’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The final of the latter saw Earps pull off a penalty save, and she received the tournament’s Golden Glove award, six months on from being named FIFA women’s goalkeeper of the year.
View this post on InstagramAs well as recently being nominated for the FIFA accolade again, the 30-year-old was fifth in the Ballon d’Or voting, and 2023 also included her finishing last season with a Women’s Super League-record 14 clean sheets across the campaign for Manchester United.
The journey that might have stopped before she reached such heights began with Nottingham-born Earps kicking a ball around in her garden with her younger brother and father. Having trained with her brother’s team but been unable to play in matches, she joined West Bridgford Colts aged 10.
The young Earps – who would do games like ‘two touch’ with a classmate who shared her love of goalkeeping – was involved in various other activities like badminton, judo, swimming and dancing, which she has said helped build a confidence evident in her readiness to be vocal when playing football.
She spent time with Leicester and Nottingham Forest before joining Doncaster and making her WSL debut in 2011. Spells with Birmingham, Bristol City and Reading followed, while she also studied for a degree in information management and business studies at Loughborough University.
Earps then made a handful of appearances for Wolfsburg in 2018-19 before joining newly-promoted United.
She earned her first England cap in June 2017 and was a member of Phil Neville’s 2019 World Cup squad, without getting any minutes. A few months after that, she played in a friendly against Germany at Wembley, was on the bench three days later in the Czech Republic – then was out of the picture.
Come the start of 2021, in the final year of her United contract, Earps was weighing up whether to continue playing or utilise her business degree.
She would subsequently sign a new deal with United, and Wiegman then started work as England boss, and Earps told the BBC last year: “I can vividly remember the days of feeling really down.
“I had given it a good go, but I just wasn’t quite good enough. I had responsibilities, I had a mortgage and it wasn’t adding up. Eventually I decided ‘OK, I’ll give it a couple more years’. Then Sarina came in and life changed literally like that.”
View this post on InstagramEarps became Wiegman’s number one as England secured their first major trophy in 2022, then reached a maiden World Cup final. She also helped United break new ground as WSL and FA Cup runners-up last term.
As well as on the field, the boldness of her character has been exemplified by various off-pitch moments, from her dancing on a table during a post-Euro 2022 final press conference, to speaking out about Nike not putting her replica shirt on sale – something in keeping with an England side that has collectively pushed for change in a number of ways.
When named the best women’s goalkeeper by FIFA in February, Earps said the award was “for anyone who has ever been in a dark place”, adding: “Just know that there’s light at the end of the tunnel. Keep going, you can achieve anything you set your mind to.”
England and Manchester United goalkeeper Mary Earps has been voted the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year for 2023.
The 30-year-old was a key part of the Lionesses side which reached the Women’s World Cup final in the summer, and won FIFA’s Golden Glove award for the best goalkeeper at the tournament.
Earps saved a penalty from Spain’s Jenni Hermoso in the final, but the Lionesses were unable to add to their 2022 European crown as they slipped to a 1-0 defeat in Sydney.
Retired England cricketer Stuart Broad, who like Earps hails from Nottingham, finished second in the vote, while world heptathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson was third.
In 2021 Earps’ international career was at a crossroads, having not played for her country since November 2019. However, she was included in the first England squad Sarina Wiegman named in September 2021 and has gone from strength to strength since.
Earps was one of Wiegman’s vital lieutenants as the Lionesses won the Euros in 2022, and she secured her place in the public’s affection as she danced on the table in celebration during a press conference after the final victory over Germany at Wembley.
Last season Earps kept 14 clean sheets as Manchester United finished second in the Women’s Super League. She also drew praise after she spoke out about sportswear manufacturer Nike’s failure to offer an England goalkeeper’s replica jersey for sale before the World Cup.
Earps’ success on Tuesday night made her the third successive female winner of the award, after US Open champion Emma Raducanu in 2021 and Earps’ England team-mate Beth Mead last year.
Wheelchair tennis player Alfie Hewett, jockey Frankie Dettori and golf star Rory McIlroy were the three other sports luminaries who made it on to the shortlist for the prestigious prize.
Jamaica Volleyball Association President, Jacqueline Cowan, was re-elected as the General Secretary on the North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation (NORCECA) board. She was selected during the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association’s (CAZOVA) Electoral Congress held in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, on Sunday.
Trinidad and Tobago's Mushtaque Mohammed was also re-elected president during the electoral congress, which determined the new board to guide CAZOVA until 2027.
Other members of the newly appointed CAZOVA Board are Kennedy McGowan, First Vice-President (Cayman Islands), Gisette Emer, Second Vice-President (Bonaire), Kurtwood Greene Snr, Treasurer (Bahamas), Filomena Daniel-Curiel, Board Member (Aruba), and Mark Lewis, Board Member (Barbados) a former Jamaica Indoor and Beach Volleyball National
Representative now residing in Barbados.
Philippe Lirus, Honorary Board Member (Martinique) and Daymian Stewart, Executive Director (Trinidad and Tobago), also secured slots on the board.
Along with those elected, there were also representatives from Curacao, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Suriname, and US Virgin Islands, at the congress.
The Adelaide Thunderbirds have locked in Jamaican star defender Latanya Wilson on a three-year deal that will secure her at the Suncorp Super Netball League club until the end of 2026.
Wilson, who has been with the Thunderbirds since 2021, found her place among the best defenders in the league in 2023, starring across all three defensive positions.
Playing across wing defence, goal defence and occasionally goal keeper, she finished the season in fourth across the league for intercepts with 30 and fourth for deflections with 70.
She was named in the Suncorp Super Netball Team of the Round on four occasions in both wing defence and goal defence, and was named as the wing defence in the 2023 Suncorp Super Netball Team of the Year.
She was also voted by her peers as the 2023 Players’ Player for the Adelaide Thunderbirds.
Thunderbirds High Performance Manager Pitre Bourdon said Wilson would play a key role in the club’s future success.
“Latanya made significant progress in her development in her first two seasons with us in 2021 and 22, and she found a new gear in 2023,” Bourdon said.
“Her combination of talent and commitment has seen her flourish into the versatile and relentless defender she is today.
“We look forward to working with her over the next three seasons.”
James Wade became the first seed to crash out of the World Championship after losing to world number 57 Matt Campbell.
The Canadian produced the biggest win of his career as he came from 2-1 down to beat the four-time semi-finalist 3-2.
Wade, seeded 13th, was in good form, having reached a final, semi-final and quarter-final in the last three major tournaments, but is out of the main event of the year before Christmas.
Keegan Brown will not want to hear the name Boris Krcmar again after enduring a chastening afternoon.
Brown was left confused when MC John McDonald mistakenly called out his opponent’s name when he was due to walk onto the Alexandra Palace stage before the first-round match.
Things got even worse once play began as the Croatian cruised to a 3-1 win.
Brown took the first set but things went downhill from there, with Krcmar coming back to reach the second round for the second successive year, with Dirk van Duijvenbode waiting for him in the next round.
Elsewhere in the afternoon session, Jeffrey de Graaf produced a comeback to beat Ritchie Edhouse 3-2 while Tomoya Goto beat Ian White 3-1.
This Christmas, or ChristMAX as redefined by SportsMax, sports fans in the Caribbean can win amazing prizes courtesy of SportsMax through its multi-faceted app by the same name.
For 12 Days, SportsMax viewers and app users can win authentic sporting merchandise such as La Liga merchandise, Amazon Gift cards, Cricket West Indies Kits and free app days, to name a few.
The SportsMax ChristMAX campaign, which kicked off on December 13 and will end on Christmas Eve, consists of two promotions - 12 Days of ChristMAX and the flagship activation, SportsMax App 200 Dash.
The 12 Days of ChristMAX promotion is the perfect mix of the traditional and digital worlds with challenges and trivia questions taking place as a joint venture on the SportsMax Zone, the SportsMax app and the SportsMax social media pages.
This promotion aims to reward app users for their continued support throughout the year. Participants in this promotion can look forward to daily activations across all platforms. Additionally, the SportsMax App 200 Dash promotion will identify the top sports fan who enjoys unlimited streaming on the SportsMax app. The first streamer to attain 200 consecutive hours on the SportsMax app during the campaign period will walk away with a brand-new Samsung S23+.
To be eligible for the promotions, participants must be over the age of 18 years and reside in any of the English-speaking Digicel and SportsMax markets in the Caribbean.
Participants must ensure they are logged into their SportsMax app accounts and following the SportsMax social media pages to participate. This campaign is governed by the terms and conditions which may be found on the SportsMax app and website.
Sheila Lewis has an eye on more Ascot prize money as Straw Fan Jack heads back to the track following his gallant run in the 1965 Chase.
The grey was a useful hurdler who took to chasing instantly with a pair of wins at Ffos Las and Cheltenham last season, ending his term in top class company when fourth in both the Arkle and the Manifesto Novices’ Chase.
He started his campaign in amongst graded company again when lining up for the Grade Two 1965 Chase at Ascot in November, a race in which he was the 40-1 outsider with Shishkin an odds-on favourite.
Shishkin was not in the mood for racing, however, and refused to start, leaving Pic D’Orhy to take the honours with Straw Fan Jack collecting over £16,000 for coming home in second.
The eight-year-old will now return to the same track to run over the same trip in the Howden Graduation Chase at Ascot on Saturday.
Lewis reports the gelding to be faring well following his last outing, where he justified the trainer’s decision to take on establish graded performers.
“He absolutely did (justify the run),” she said.
“It was really interesting, it was one of those times where you’re either a genius or an idiot. My son said before we left ‘taking on Shishkin…you know you’re off your head, don’t you?’
“Graham (Wilson), his owner, did point out that Shishkin can be a bit temperamental, though we never thought he just wouldn’t start.
“It was one of those chance-your-arm times and it paid off.
“He’s come out of it so well, it’s almost as if he hasn’t had a race. He’s doing really well, I’m very pleased with him.
“He’ll go as long as it’s not too soft, I think he’d go on it if it was but I don’t think he’d be at his best.
“I’ve gone down the route of the bigger races and you’re going in to it knowing you’re not necessarily going to win but we’ve had some lovely days out and we’ve collected some place money, which keeps the owners in the game.
“We’re really enjoying the journey and we’re just grateful every time he runs, to be honest, that’s how we feel about him.”
Also entered in the contest is Paul Nicholls’ Solo, second in the Haldon Gold Cup when last seen, with Venetia Williams’ unbeaten novice chaser Djelo and Alex Hales’ Grade One-winner Millers Bank.
Patrick Neville reports The Real Whacker to be firmly on course for next week’s Ladbrokes King George VI Chase after coming through a Tuesday morning workout with flying colours.
The seven-year-old won each of his three starts over fences last term, completing his hat-trick with a narrow defeat of Gerri Colombe in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
He disappointed under a big weight on his reappearance in last month’s Paddy Power Gold Cup, but Neville had a viable excuse after his stable star returned with an overreach and he is confident he is back on-song ahead of his bid for glory in Kempton’s Boxing Day showpiece.
“He’s in great shape and we’re looking forward to running him. He’s come on a lot since his last run and we’re delighted with him at the moment,” he said.
“He went away for a piece of work this morning – he’s been to the High Moor in Middleham for a gallop and we were very happy, so it’s just a case of keeping him fresh and well for the next week now.
“I think he maybe only missed two days after the Paddy Power, although he didn’t really miss anything as we had him on the water treadmill, which is a great facility for us here.”
The Real Whacker is a best-priced 10-1 for the King George, with the Willie Mullins-trained Allaho and Paul Nicholls’ defending champion Bravemansgame among his likely rivals.
Dual Ryanair Chase hero Allaho was sidelined for 19 months prior to a workmanlike comeback win in last month’s Clonmel Oil Chase, while Bravemansgame has been beaten in his two starts so far this season.
With Gerri Colombe’s participation uncertain and Nicky Henderson’s Shishkin set to line up having refused to start on his intended return at Ascot, the race does have an open look to it and Neville is excited to be in with a shout.
He added: “There will be some very good horses in the race, as you’d expect, but we’re very happy with our horse and that’s all we can ask.
“I think they’re due a good week’s weather, so the ground shouldn’t be as bad as it was in Cheltenham, when it was very heavy.
“Sam (Twiston-Davies) is looking forward to riding him. He was very happy with how he jumped for most of the race the last day and he looked after him once it wasn’t happening.
“We’re looking forward to taking our chance.”
Five-time Stacey Marinkovich Medallist Jhaniele Fowler will return to the West Coast Fever in the Suncorp Super Netball League for another two seasons and will be joined by fellow Sunshine Girls Shanice Beckford and Kadie-Ann Dehaney.
The 34-year-old shooter has been a player for the West Coast Fever since 2018 and led the team to the league title in 2022. She is excited about the coming season when she will be joined by two of her teammates from Jamaica's Sunshine Girls.
“2024 is going to be another amazing season with the Green Army behind us, we're going to do amazing things," said the Fever's leading scorer in the past five years.
“The addition of Shanice Beckford and Kadie-Ann Dehaney is going to be massive for Fever and I can't wait for the Green Army to see them in action. I have such a great connection with both Shanice and Kadie-Ann, to have three Sunshine Girls at Fever is honestly a dream come true.
“Round One cannot come quick enough. I’m super excited to be back on board for 2024 and can't wait to play in front of the Green Army at RAC Arena again.”
Head Coach Dan Ryan was thrilled Fowler would continue her journey with the Club.
“Jhaniele has so much more netball ahead of her and I know she will be even more dominant. She’s so hungry to keep improving her game and achieve more team success.
“She’s a champion and a hugely respected leader so I know she’s going to play a key role in helping build our familiar but fresh-looking team.”
Fever have signed Beckford on one-year contract, and she will arrive in Perth in the new year.
“It’s always been my dream to play netball in the best league in the world so to become part of such a wonderful netball family at West Coast Fever and to play in front of the Green Army will be truly an honour for me,” Beckford said.
“I know there is so much that I can learn in this new environment, while at the same time, I know that I have a lot to bring to the table including a ‘never say die’ winning attitude and a good work ethic.”
Ryan said Beckford was a world class goal attack who the Green Army are going to love.
“Shanice has speed to burn, she’s crafty, accurate and the ultimate workhorse. Her combination with Jhaniele will be one to watch and I think she’s going to add real x-factor to our attack,” Ryan said.
“She’s been such a consistent performer for the Sunshine Girls for the past decade and is one of the unsung heroes of world netball. I really believe her best is yet to come.”
Dehaney crosses over to Fever from the Sunshine Coast Lightning and will partner Sunday Aryang and Fran Williams in defence for the next two seasons.
“I’m super excited and grateful for this opportunity to head over to the West and play for West Coast Fever,” Dehaney said.
“I’m also looking forward to playing with my Jamaican teammates Jhaniele and Shanice on the SSN stage in front of the Green Army at RAC Arena.”
Ryan said Dehaney was an aggressive hunting defender who can win the ball in every way possible.
“Kadie-Ann has so much untapped potential and is absolutely ready to stamp her authority on this league. I truly believe this is her time to do it,” Ryan said.
“She’s got great height, range and her ability to confuse the space and cause some chaos is really impressive. She will fit our style of play and structures really nicely and with a few familiar faces in the team, I can really see her thriving in the Fever environment.”
Paddy Brennan reached another major milestone in his hugely successful riding career as a Tuesday double at Catterick saw him pass the 1,500-winner mark.
It is fast approaching 20 years since the County Galway native was crowned Britain’s champion conditional and he has since gone on to establish himself as one of the sport’s leading jockeys.
Winning an epic Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2010 aboard Imperial Commander is the obvious highlight on a long list of big-race triumphs which also includes the 2007 World Hurdle on the hugely popular Inglis Drever and the 2015 King George VI Chase on Cue Card.
By his own admission success on the biggest stage has proved harder to come by in the latter part of his career, but he has not given up hope of again showcasing his talents at the highest level before hanging up his saddle.
He said: “It’s something I’m really proud of and I do understand the magnitude of it. It’s been hard, it’s still hard, every day is hard, but I’m so proud of my family and the people that have supported me along the way. It’s been an incredible journey.
“I used to live near here when I worked for Mr (Graham) Wylie and I love coming up here. It’s a great track with lovely ground and the motivation is definitely still there.
“It’s been a dream – it’s been like a holiday destination that’s lasted for so long. Hopefully I haven’t booked a flight home yet, but maybe it’s not too far away.”
It was only right that Brennan reached the landmark figure aboard a horse trained by his current boss Fergal O’Brien, with Teorie winner number 1,500 in the Hillcrest Who Cares Wins Juvenile Hurdle.
The veteran rider subsequently admitted that without O’Brien’s support in recent years, he may have already called it a day.
He added: “I’ve no doubt that without Fergal’s yard I would not be here today having ridden 1,500 winners. He extended my career and we work well together.
“It’s not easy, but I’m so driven to get the good days back – Gold Cups, Champion Hurdles, Stayers’ Hurdles. I’m running out of time, but that’s what gets me up every day – I love good horses.
“You really learn to limit expectation in this game as you know the opposition and know what can come forward. I just think you get up out of bed every day and if your horse is sound you’ve got a chance.
“There’s been so many good horses. I’m not Ruby Walsh, but I’ve been very lucky.”
Having won on the Flat in Ireland for Jim Bolger, Teorie was the 4-6 favourite for his hurdling debut – and while Brennan had to chivvy his mount along at various stages, he ultimately drew 15 lengths clear to win comfortably.
O’Brien, claiming his second of three winners on the card after Blue Bikini (8-1) had earlier landed the opening amateur jockeys’ race under his daughter Fern, said of Teorie’s performance: “That’s what we were hoping for, he’s been working well at home and from day one his jumping has been very good.
“He’s a lovely horse who loves training and jumping, which is half the battle.
“Paddy said a lot went wrong today, but he did it well in the end.”
The Gloucestershire-based trainer was also keen to pay tribute to his stable jockey, adding: “We wouldn’t be doing as well as we are without Paddy. He’s been huge for my career and I’ve probably prolonged his career a little bit as well.
“We’ve got a great team of jockeys, he’s the top of them and he’s the bar they have to reach.”
O’Brien and Brennan combined to round off an excellent afternoon’s work in the mares’ handicap hurdle, with 11-2 shot Mistral Nell getting the better of a nip-and-tuck tussle with Crimson Ruby by a head.
Rick Carlisle lamented an "ugly" performance from the Indiana Pacers after his team lost to the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Pacers went down 151-127 to the Clippers on Monday, suffering a fourth straight defeat.
Since losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the final of the NBA's in-season tournament, Indiana have won just one game, with that victory coming against the struggling Detroit Pistons.
And Carlisle pointed to a mentality shift being required if the Pacers are to turn things around.
"Tonight was ugly. It's just something that's not acceptable," he said after the Clippers game.
"I don't care how talented they are, or anything else, we just allowed them to really do whatever they wanted to do. I've got to take responsibility for not having these guys ready to play.
"We've got a huge target on our back because of winning some games in the tournament. The Pacers aren't sneaking up on anybody.
"But our mindset, if it's shifted to just simply trying to outscore teams and away from any kind of emphasis defensively, that's got to stop. If it means massive lineup changes, then that's what will happen."
"We're missing some of our best defenders right now, that doesn't help. But it's not a valid excuse. We're making a lot of mistakes, and we just need to do it better and we need to do it harder."
Carlisle did, however, refuse to accept full responsibility for the slump, putting the onus on the Pacers' star players.
"Our best players have to understand and they have to believe that the little things are important," he added.
"That concentration and focus are extremely important. And so when the best players believe it, they preach it and it becomes gospel. It can't just be the coach."
Tyrese Haliburton, who managed just eight points, echoed Carlisle's sentiment, saying: "I think that we got to where we were by just playing harder than people. And we’re not doing that right now. So the switch has to flip here, pretty quick."
While the Pacers are on a skid, the Clippers are in fine form, having now won their last eight games. It is the team's longest winning streak since a 10-game run in the 2015-16 season.
Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and James Harden ran the Pacers ragged, with the latter scoring 18 of his game-leading 35 points in the fourth quarter.
"It was fun to watch," Leonard, who had 28 points, said of Harden's fourth-quarter charge.
"We're not trying to play the score. We're trying to win the quarters. And even if we have 20 points, we've still got to do our jobs and be efficient."
Harden, who also added nine assists, said: "We're playing very, very well right now, so we just have to stay consistent in what we do. Every game is a new challenge for us as a unit.
"We're figuring it out, we're coming together, our chemistry is building game by game. There's a long way to go but we're definitely headed in the right direction."
An all-star team led by Ryan Moore, who was last week crowned Longines World’s Best Jockey for the fourth year in a row, won the Markel Jockeys Jumping in aid of the Injured Jockeys Fund on Monday evening.
The event is held at the London International Horse Show, formerly known as Olympia, and sees two teams of jockeys take on a course of show jumps against the clock with the fastest collective time winning.
Moore’s team, consisting of Tom Scudamore, Joanna Mason, Sam Twiston-Davies and Harry Skelton – son of Olympic gold medallist, Nick – completed the course in a cumulative time of 124.28 seconds.
Moore’s rivals were led by 20-time champion National Hunt jockey Sir Anthony McCoy and also featured former champion Flat jockey Jim Crowley, Harry Cobden, Lilly Pinchin and Kielan Woods.
Two equestrian champions provided their invaluable expertise as team coaches in Pippa Funnell and Nick Skelton – both Olympians – and it was a tightly-contested battle with just eight seconds between the two teams.
The contest benefits the IJF, which has been established for 60 years and provides much needed help to injured jockeys and their families.
While his team mates and rivals were aboard experienced showjumpers, Scudamore partnered a horse more familiar to him in the former steeplechaser Kingswell Theatre.
Trained by the rider’s brother, Michael, Kingswell Theatre won seven races and enjoyed the finest moments of his career around the cross-country course at Cheltenham.
In 2017 he won the Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase at the track’s November meeting and in 2020 he returned to the same contest to score by five lengths.
Now 14, the gelding has been retired from racing since 2021 and turned his hoof successfully to a new discipline when jumping a clear round under the lights at the ExCeL arena – a challenging atmosphere for any horse.
“He was absolutely fantastic, it was a privilege to be asked and it’s an event everyone very much enjoys,” said Scudamore.
“It was great to do it on Kingswell Theatre, he’s been such a legend in our family and he certainly didn’t let anyone down.
“It was a big ask of him because though he’s done lots of different things, he hasn’t done much showjumping. He wouldn’t have done nearly as much as the other horses because they were all proper showjumpers.
“To go and do what he did just shows you what a wonderful individual he is, he is pretty unique.
“The atmosphere was the one thing I was worried about but he loved it, whenever there’s people clapping he thinks it’s for him and he loves the attention.”
The work of the IJF has been in the spotlight in recent weeks since the serious spinal injury suffered by Grand National and Group One-winning jockey Graham Lee at Newcastle in November.
Scudamore added: “It is a special event every year, but this time it really resonated as we’re all thinking of Graham Lee and his family. It’s been a sobering few weeks for everyone involved in the sport, so it feels more important than ever to support the IJF.”
Bryony Frost will be on the sidelines for a couple of days following a fall while schooling on Monday.
Frost, who has been in a rich vein of form in recent weeks, hopes to be back in action at Ascot on Friday and then again on Saturday when she is due to ride the Paul Nicholls-trained Red Risk in the Howden Long Walk Hurdle.
She had been due to ride at Fakenham on Tuesday and Newbury on Wednesday, but has sat those out in an attempt to ensure she is fit for the weekend and, further ahead, the ride on Frodon in the King George on Boxing Day.
Her agent Iain Turner said: “She’s had a spill while schooling and we’re planning on her being back at the weekend.
“It’s one of those – with Boxing Day coming up it’s just a case of not taking any risks, which is frustrating as she had some nice chances at Fakenham.
“She’s been on a good run since her injury, and of course she was just touched off in the December Gold Cup on Il Ridoto on Saturday so this has just halted everything.
“As far as I know everything is set for her being back at Ascot on Friday, then she’s got Red Risk in the Long Walk and Frodon on Boxing Day to look forward to.”
Marie’s Rock is being readied for a defence of her Relkeel Hurdle crown on New Year’s Day after connections decided against a tilt at Saturday’s Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot.
Nicky Henderson’s dual Grade One winner proved much too strong for Dashel Drasher in the Relkeel at Cheltenham last season, prompting the Middleham Park Racing team to seriously consider stepping up to three miles in the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Festival in March.
Ultimately, though, she was kept against her own sex in a bid to secure back-to-back victories in the Mares’ Hurdle, but failed to fire as retiring superstar Honeysuckle stole the show.
Having subsequently run with credit over the extended distance at Aintree in the spring, optimism was high when she tackled three miles again in last month’s Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury, but Marie’s Rock could finish only fourth behind her old rival Dashel Drasher, prompting a change of direction.
“She was a bit too free and fresh at Newbury to get an accurate reading on whether she stayed the three miles and we’ve decided to go back to what we know for her next start,” said Middleham Park’s National Hunt racing manager Tom Palin.
“I was probably a bit too bullish for my own good before Newbury, but horses to have a tendency to make you look silly at times! She was certainly the liveliest I’ve seen her in recent memory in the parade ring beforehand and Nico (de Boinville) felt the damage was done before the tapes even went up.
“We’ll go back to two and a half on soft ground at Cheltenham, which we know she loves, burn some more freshness off her and get her really fit before going back up to three miles, either in the Cleeve Hurdle back at Cheltenham on Trials day or there’s a Grade Two mares’ race at Ascot on January 20.”
Palin is fully aware the Relkeel Hurdle will be no penalty kick for Marie’s Rock, with Henry de Bromhead’s resurgent Irish star Bob Olinger among her potential rivals.
He added: “It’s not a bad race the Relkeel, by the way – it’s not a case of we’re dodging the Long Walk and ‘only’ going for the Relkeel. It was a very competitive race last year and it looks like it’s going to be at least as strong this time around.
“Unless it’s very obvious in the Relkeel that she doesn’t want any further, we’re keen to give her another go over three miles afterwards as that will tell us whether we aim for the Mares’ Hurdle again at the Festival or have another look at the Stayers’ Hurdle.
“She is a mare at the end of the day, so let’s see if we can get some more wins into her, starting off in a race where we know everything should be right for her.”
Mouse Morris has been forced to rule Gentlemansgame out of his Christmas objective in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown due to a minor foot injury.
The grey burst on the three-mile chase scene when beating last year’s King George winner Bravemansgame in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby.
Morris had been preparing the lightly-raced seven-year-old for the Leopardstown highlight ever since, but the Robcour-owned gelding will now wait for either the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham or the Dublin Racing Festival.
“He’s just got a small issue with a foot, it’s nothing I’m concerned about but it’s the the timing of it that is a pain,” said Morris.
“It’s not serious, it’s just a total pain, so we’ll look at Cheltenham now or the Dublin Racing Festival, something like that.
“Unfortunately it’s been the case with him he’s had niggly issue that have kept him off the track but at least this is not one of his old problems, it’s just one of them things.”
Morris also had news of French Dynamite, third to Classic Getaway at Thurles last month.
“He came out of Thurles well, but he’s very hard to place now,” said Morris.
“I think I’m considering trying to get him qualified for the National so he needs to be placed over three miles, that might be what we do. We’ll jiggle him around a bit.”
Anthony Davis does not believe the Los Angeles Lakers are suffering a "championship hangover" since their NBA Cup success despite another defeat against the New York Knicks.
A big night from LeBron James, who had 25 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds in a triple-double for the Lakers, was backed up by 32 points and 14 rebounds from Davis at Crypto.com Arena.
But New York's Jalen Brunson scored 29 points, Julius Randle had 27 points and 14 rebounds, and Immanuel Quickley added 20 points as the Knicks prevailed 114-109 on Monday, improving to 15-11.
It was the Lakers' third loss in four games since winning the inaugural In-Season Tournament.
The team unveiled their championship banner for the NBA Cup success ahead of the game and Davis is not overly concerned about their post-tournament slump.
"I mean, we are not losing by 20," Davis said. "We are in every game, we are fighting, competing, playing hard.
"I don't think it's a championship hangover. I don't think that it's one of those.
"We go in and have a battle against Dallas. Win against San Antonio. And then obviously let one slip away again against them.
"And then a fight tonight. I don't think it’s one of those things where we are hungover from the in-season tournament.
"It's tough, because for the whole month of December, we've basically been on the road.
"There's nothing we can really do about it. It's the schedule. We've just got to take care of our bodies and get some guys back, hopefully in the next couple of games. But it's definitely a mental challenge."
LeBron, meanwhile, felt the tournament may have been one of many factors in a difficult spell, pointing out the runner-up Indiana Pacers are 1-4 since losing to the Lakers in the championship game.
He said: "It could be a little bit of everything, I don't know. Have you seen Indiana's record since Vegas?
"I feel like our energy was up and down throughout the course of the game.
"We've been feeling it, definitely. Even through that, we still competed and gave ourselves a chance, but it's a tough one for us."
James enjoyed seeing the banner unveiled and still has fond memories of the tournament, for which he was named the MVP.
He added: "I think it's awesome. To be able to acknowledge wins throughout the course of a marathon, that's pretty cool.
"That's the first, the inauguration of it. We were able to win it. So, for our fans that didn't get an opportunity to be in Vegas, they got an opportunity to kind of share that celebration with us, share that moment, something that will live on forever for sure here. So, it was a good moment."
Coach Darvin Ham was happy to reflect on the NBA Cup success, with the Lakers (15-12) now preparing for a three-game road trip that starts against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.
"It's great for the organization," he said.
"Obviously, [the tournament is] something that's going to be around. It's only going to get bigger and better.
"I think it's really, really cool that we're doing that. Especially being the first to win the inaugural in-season tourney.
"It's been a great shot in the arm in terms of us rising to the occasion from a competitive standpoint and it furthermore creates and sustains a foundation that we're trying to set in terms of getting through the regular season and then, ultimately, into the playoffs.
"I think it's huge. The intensity in which everyone played. You could feel it. It's great.
"Anytime you can get highly competitive basketball with the best athletes in the world, I think it's great for the fans, great for the organizations and ultimately great for the NBA.
"Now we have just got to push through this time. It's normally like that in December and January. So, we will be fine, we will watch it on film as we prepare to also get ready for this three-game trip."
Los Angeles is eighth in the Western Conference and also faces Minnesota and Oklahoma City this week after their game in Chicago.
LeBron added: "We want to finish out December the right way. Obviously, it's been a killer for us with the travel and games and things of that nature. There is no rest for the weary.
"We just got to mentally stay locked in and get ready for Chicago first."
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