Challow Hurdle runner-up Lookaway has a return to Newbury for the Betfair Hurdle or the M1 Agency Sidney Banks Memorial Novices’ Hurdle at Huntingdon as possible options en route to the Cheltenham Festival.

Neil King’s seven-year-old has become a real unsung hero of the novice hurdling division this term and although his winning streak has come to an end of late, Lookaway has still turned in high-calibre performances.

Stepping up in trip for a first taste of Grade One action on the back of his Greatwood Hurdle second, the Grade Two scorer pushed Paul Nicholls’ Captain Teague all the way in a thrilling event to end 2023.

King was thrilled with the performance and having only been put up 1lb by the assessor, he admits the Betfair Hurdle will be tempting, despite the Listed Sidney Banks – over a similar trip to the Challow – seeming a more obvious route to Prestbury Park.

“I thought it was a massive run from him, just with the wrong result,” said King.

“I was thrilled with him and it was just the wrong result. He’s come back home in really good form, I’ve ridden him out this morning and he’s in lovely form.

“He’s only gone up 1lb which has to be a bonus, so we could think about an entry in the Betfair, but maybe the Sidney Banks would be a more obvious target on the way to Cheltenham.”

Once at the Cheltenham Festival, King will need to decide whether to run in the opening Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle over a course and distance Lookaway has already tasted success this term, or tackle the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle over an intermediate trip.

“I’m sure for the Festival the Ballymore is probably going to be better than the Supreme,” said King.

“But as everyone is saying, if the ground comes up the state it is now, then maybe the Supreme is not such a daft idea.

“If it was typical Festival ground, then two-miles-five is going to be better for us.”

World champion Luke Humphries has pledged to donate some of his prize money to Prostate Cancer UK as over £1million was raised for the charity during the World Championships.

Humphries lifted the Sid Waddell Trophy for the first time after a thrilling 7-4 win over teenage star Luke Littler on Wednesday night, picking a £500,000 cheque.

Tournament sponsors Paddy Power pledged to donate £1,000 every time a player hits 180 throughout the flagship event at the Alexandra Palace, with Humphries contributing 73 to a final total of 914.

The bookmaker has rounded it up to £1million, with Humphries also adding some to the pot as it is a meaningful cause as his father-in-law recently suffered from the disease.

“My father-in-law has battled prostate cancer, he went and got it checked out early, so this is a close thing to my heart,” he said. “I will be dedicating that one to him.

“For me to have added £73,000 is just fantastic. It is very, very close to my heart and as a collective the players have added quite a lot of money, I won’t say the figure, but I am going to donate a bit from my prize money as well.”

The money raised will fund lifesaving research to diagnose men sooner and improve the lives of men affected by the most common cancer in men, with one in eight suffering.

Prostate Cancer UK chief executive Laura Kerby added: “It’s been a magical few weeks at the World Darts Championship and we were absolutely thrilled this morning when Paddy Power agreed to round up the £914,000 to a million pounds.

“With every maximum thrown by both Lukes and the world’s top players; with every iconic shout of ‘180’ we have made a huge difference to men affected by this disease – and their loved ones too.

“We’re thrilled at the success of the campaign to date and as well as some sharp shooting from the players, it’s hugely encouraging that more than 90,000 people have completed our online risk checker.

“One in eight men will be affected by prostate cancer. It’s a disease that is curable if caught early, but early-stage prostate cancer often has no symptoms, so it is vital that men know their risk. This online tool is the first step.”

:: It takes 30 seconds to answer three questions to check your prostate cancer risk. Do it now by clicking on the following link: prostatecanceruk.org/180-risk

When Luke Humphries suffered an anxiety attack midway through a tournament in 2019, he could not have thought that five years later he would become world champion.

Humphries was playing in the German Open when he was suddenly immobilised at 5-2 up against James Wade and went on to lose 6-5. It was his darkest moment and he felt so bad he seriously considered quitting the sport he loves.

But it proved a pivotal moment in his career as in the aftermath he chose to speak out about his battle with his mental health.

And that was the start of a journey that came to a memorable climax on Wednesday night when he solidified his position as the new world number one by winning the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace.

Although he was the villain for ending Luke Littler’s teenage dream of becoming the youngest world champion, few will begrudge the success of Humphries, who is one of the sport’s nice guys.

And the 28-year-old has proved that nice guys do not always finish last as his Ally Pally triumph was a culmination of a stunning few months where he won the World Grand Prix, the Grand Slam of Darts and the Players Championship to establish himself as the best player in the world.

Named Luke by his father as homage to his beloved Leeds United (Leeds United Kings of Europe) a career in sport always seemed likely, but for a while it seemed he would follow his dad Mark’s footsteps in becoming a roofer.

He certainly was not the teenage prodigy that Littler is. Littler came within one win of being the sport’s youngest world champion at the age of 16, while Humphries was the oldest player to win the World Youth Championship when he lifted the title in 2019 aged 24.

That success came in the months after opening up about his anxiety and it was four months after that another turning point came in his life as he decided to make the best out of a bad situation during the coronavirus lockdown in 2020 and shed a huge amount of weight.

When the PDC Tour resumed he was unrecognisable and it soon started paying dividends, with 2022 being a breakout year on the European Tour as he won four titles.

He transferred that to the main PDC Tour in 2023 and when he won the Grand Prix in Leicester in October to claim his first major title the floodgates were opened.

Nicknamed ‘Cool Hand’ in reference to the 1967 prison-drama film Cool Hand Luke, he has taking no prisoners, winning 19 successive matches as he also triumphed in the prestigious Grand Slam of Darts and Players Championship tournaments.

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He has often been called boring as he is more reserved than the showman Peter Wright, fist-pumping Michael van Gerwen or combative Gerwyn Price, but he has let his darts to do the talking.

His semi-final win at Alexandra Palace saw him overtake Van Gerwen and Michael Smith to become the new world number one and he solidified that position 24 hours later by becoming the world champion.

The player that froze on stage in Germany five years ago would be proud.

Anthony Davis told the Los Angeles Lakers their season could "go south" quickly without immediate improvement after their latest loss to the Miami Heat.

The Lakers are 2-8 in their last 10 games after the Heat won 110-96 at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday, led by Tyler Herro scoring 21 points as all eight Miami players hit double figures.

After a tough December, this was the first game of a run that will see LA play 11 of its next 12 at home but it did not provide an immediate reversal of fortunes.

The Lakers are now 17-18 on the season and have suffered a dramatic dip to No. 10 in the Western Conference standings since winning the NBA Cup.

Another home game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday will give them a chance to bounce back.

"We just got to compete, play hard and go out with a mindset of a must-win mentality, and hopefully that can propel us over to get back to .500 on Friday and then kind of put a streak together at home," Davis said, per ESPN. 

"I mean, we have been a really good home team thus far, and we got an opportunity to continue to build on that. But if we play how we played tonight, then it's going to go south for us really bad.

"It is a little bit of everything right now and if we keep on this trend, it’s not going to be good for us. It is kind of obvious that we have got to figure it out sooner than later.

"They threw a zone in, and they just dared us to make shots, and we didn't. Kind of took us out of our thing, but 10 turnovers in the first quarter was kind of a recipe for disaster."

Davis had a game-high 29 points as well as 17 rebounds and five blocks, but also had a team-high five turnovers. 

Austin Reaves had 24 points and eight assists in the losing effort, while LeBron James was restricted to a season-low 12 points.

"We're losing and anytime you lose, the vibe should be off, you know?" Reaves said about the low mood in the Lakers' locker room.

"If I went in and the vibe wasn't off after the rough stretch that we've had, then I'd be concerned. That's really it. I don't expect for us to be happy with how we've played. So, until we figure that out, you know, the vibe should be off. 

"We got to win games. When I say the vibe is off, it's not like we don't like each other. It's we're losing. But I don't want to get that twisted on us not liking each other. Everybody in the locker room gets along."

Miami won despite being without Jimmy Buttler, but the Lakers have also contended with injuries over recent weeks and had Rui Hachimura and D'Angelo Russell missing for this one.

Coach Darvin Ham feels constant changes to his lineup have played a major role in the team’s struggles, but also told his players they must perform better to end the slump.

"No stone shall go unturned and we are here to explore whatever we can to right the ship," he said.

"We can't find any consistency until we get healthy. It's as simple as that. We've got to get healthy. When you're dealing with different guys being in and out of the lineup that frequently, it's damn near impossible to find a rhythm. That's just being real.

"But it's a little bit of everything right now. We're not executing. That team [Miami] played harder than us, executed better than us, more physical than us. We got outworked. If we keep on this train, it's not going to be good for us.

"We got to attack and be more competitive, but we need guys to step up and play better. 

"The reason we signed them is because we know what they can do. And so you got to come with that confidence each and every night and you got to fight through it. 

"Things not going your way, you can't ball up in the corner somewhere and go cry about it. You got to step up and try to see how you can best assist your team in being successful."

Miami faces the Phoenix Suns on Friday to end their five-game road trip. The Heat are 20-14 for the season and 11-8 on the road so far, putting them fourth in the Eastern Conference.

Options are open for Tahmuras after he made amends for a below-par chasing debut with a pleasing Aintree victory.

The Paul Nicholls-trained seven-year-old was a Grade One winner over hurdles after taking the Tolworth at Sandown this time last year.

He was previously a point-to-point and bumper winner and was well-fancied to land his chasing debut at Chepstow in November.

Under Harry Cobden he never appeared to take to the task, however, and came home last of three in a performance that showed little of his previous ability.

He then headed to Aintree on Boxing Day to try again over fences and this time he was successful, winning by three lengths.

Noel Fehily heads the syndicate that own the gelding and the former jockey was pleased to see him regain his form.

“We were pretty happy with that run the other day, he looked a bit more like the old Tahmuras,” he said.

“He hadn’t actually done that much wrong, his first run over fences didn’t go to plan but it was nice to see him put it all together the other day.

“He was under top weight and it was a good performance, we were happy with that. He’s come out of the race well so I’m sure Paul will have some plan up his sleeve.”

On the same card the ownership group ran Fergal O’Brien’s Kamsinas, winner of the Grade Two Newton Novices’ Hurdle at Haydock and a 15-2 chance for the William Hill Formby Novices’ Hurdle – the same race Tahmuras won last season but relocated and renamed.

Under Paddy Brennan the seven-year-old finished sixth of nine runners and although he was hampered by a late faller, Fehily considers him to have been beaten at that point regardless.

“I thought he was beat at the time, he’s probably not quite a Grade One horse and he got found out a bit,” he said.

“At the same time I think he ran OK, but I don’t think there are any excuses for him.

“We’ll see what Fergal has got in mind for him but I suppose we’ll look for a handicap now.”

Sir Ben Ainslie has announced his decision to step down as driver of the Emirates Great Britain SailGP team.

Double Olympic gold medallist and America’s Cup team-mate Giles Scott MBE will assume the role as driver but Ainslie, 46, will remain as CEO of the side.

Ainslie, who is the most successful Olympic sailor of all time, insisted he would take the step away from his role as driver to make way for the next generation.

Speaking about the decision, Ainslie – who won medals at five consecutive Olympics from 1996 onwards, including four golds – said: “It’s probably the toughest decision I’ve had to make in my sporting career.

“Like any big decision, there’s plenty that goes into it and a lot of factors at play.

“As the CEO of both Emirates GBR and the INEOS Britannia America’s Cup Team, and most importantly a husband and father, at some point you’ve got to realise that you can’t do everything.

“I’m coming to that point where it’s time to let the next generation come through and have their opportunity.

“We’ve got a huge talent in Giles Scott. He’s one of the best in the sport and he will suit this style of racing perfectly.

“He’s an incredible sailor, one of the best I’ve ever raced with, but he’s also a very mature, level-headed person and that’s why I think he will do a fantastic job in SailGP.

“I’ve loved every minute of sailing in the league. We’ve had some great moments and some challenging moments, but I’ve just loved it.

“It’s the best sailing I’ve ever done in my career, it’s so much fun. We’ve got a great team at Emirates GBR that has a really exciting future and I’m still going to be part of it for many years to come.”

Scott admitted he had some big shoes to fill, saying: “I’ve got some catching up to do, but the Emirates GBR Team is a great squad. Everybody involved is hugely experienced and top-quality sailors.

“I’ve got to step up to the mark and do the best job I can to fill those big old boots that Ben’s left behind.”

Scott takes the driver position, alongside Hannah Mills OBE as strategist, Iain Jensen as wing trimmer, Luke Parkinson as flight controller, Matt Gotrel MBE, Neil Hunter and Nick Hutton as grinders and Hannah Diamond as reserve sailor.

Luke Littler wants to inspire fellow youngsters to play darts after his historic World Championship campaign.

The 16-year-old debutant has taken the sport by storm by reaching the final at Alexandra Palace, where he was beaten by world number one Luke Humphries on Wednesday night.

He was one win away from becoming darts’ youngest champion and earning sporting immortality but went down 7-4 in the final.

His performances over the last fortnight have earned him celebrity status and have transcended the world of darts as everyone has wanted a piece of the teenager from Warrington.

And Littler, who left school with just one GCSE in the summer to concentrate on his darts, wants to be an inspiration to other kids.

“I have caught a load of people’s attention,” he said. “It is just unbelievable, I hope I have caught lots of young people’s minds to get on a board and just try it out.

“If they don’t like it that’s fine but I’d advise them to give it a go because it is a good sport and once you get into it you’ll always love it.

“If you love the darts why don’t you get on the board and try and be like me or one of the other top professionals.”

Life has changed forever for Littler, who pocketed a £200,000 prize for finishing second and has got even more earning power owing to his celebrity status.

“I have just got to be myself and be the Luke Littler I have been here for the last three to four weeks,” he added.

“It has changed me a lot, I have broke into the top 32, I have got a bit of money now, which is going to help.

“Getting into the top 32 will definitely help me qualify for pretty much every event in the year.

“It’s a losing start to the year, but it is also a good start to the year. I will take the positives.”

Elina Svitolina fought back from a set down to beat Emma Raducanu 6-7 (5) 7-6 (3) 6-1 on her return from injury in the second round of the ASB Classic in Auckland.

The former British world number one defeated Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the first round – following operations on both her wrists and ankle – and took a first-set lead over the second seed before Svitolina fought back to take victory and advance into the third round.

She will face Marie Bouzkova in the quarter-finals of the tournament as she continues preparations for the upcoming Australian Open.

Raducanu looked like she would ease into a one-set lead when she went 5-1 ahead, but a determined Svitolina fought back to force an unlikely tie-break where Raducanu would eventually get the job done.

The Ukrainian broke Raducanu early in the second set as she looked the level matters but the 2021 US Open champion broke back and her service game was immaculate as the game entered a tie-break for a second time.

The Brit broke Svitolina twice early in the tie-break to gain the upper hand but the world number 25 refused to be beaten as she fought back with six straight points to eventually take the game into a deciding set.

The final set proved too much for the 21-year-old as she was broken early in the third and Svitolina took control of proceedings by winning the next three games before heading into a 5-0 lead.

Raducanu dodged the bagel with a hold of serve in the sixth but Svitolina soon after wrapped up a comfortable win.

After the game, Svitolina said on court: “It was a great match from both of us. Emma played a great match and it was really difficult, physically.

“I hope I will recover for tomorrow, be ready and you guys can give me some support.

“Two great matches and now against Emma, they played really well. I am happy with the way I handled pressure moments and just a really great way to start the year.”

Luke Littler has become a world star after his sensational run to the final of the World Championship at Alexandra Palace.

Although the 16-year-old debutant was beaten in the decider by world number one Luke Humphries, he proved he is going to be a force to be reckoned with for many years.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at what is next for the teenage sensation.

Why was his performance such a shock?

Littler has been a star in the making for some time with his performances on the junior circuit and it was winning the World Youth Championship in November that earned him a ticket to the main event. Although he had played some senior events, he had never experienced anything like the raucous atmosphere of a televised event before let alone the World Championship. Many 16-year-olds would have crumbled under the pressure, but Littler thrived on it and looked like he belonged on the biggest stage. He kept his emotions in check throughout the entire tournament and while all of his friends were enjoying their Christmas break from college, he was becoming a world star.

How good can he be?

Based on his performances over the last fortnight, the sky is the limit for ‘The Nuke’. He has already shown he is capable of matching the world’s best players and unless anything goes badly wrong, he will be at the top of the game for many years. Alongside an incredible darting talent, he also appears to have the mental strength to prevail. Former World Championship semi-finalist Wayne Mardle believes he will be a multiple world champion and he will get the chance to start winning some of the biggest tournaments from next month.

What is next for him?

Littler’s success at Ally Pally saw him earn a two-year PDC Tour card and guaranteed return to the World Championship in 2025. He left school in the summer with one GCSE – in sport – to focus on his darts and is ready to take on the professional circuit. His first shot at a major title will come at the UK Open in March as he has earned a spot in the last 64. It will be a test for Littler to handle the schedule as there is a lot of travelling both around the UK and Europe so he may have to pick and choose which events he plays.

What about a place in the Premier League?

The Premier League is a weekly round-robin competition played around the UK – with a couple of dates in Europe – between February and May. The top-four ranked players qualify automatically, with the PDC choosing four other entrants. It will come under big pressure to hand Littler one of the remaining spots after his performance at Ally Pally. The 16-year-old had said he does not think he will get picked due to his age and scheduling but it looks increasingly likely he will get the nod.

How much money can he earn?

Littler has already changed his life over the last fortnight, with his run to the final earning him a cool £200,000, which will be able to buy him a car when he can start driving lessons later this month. But that will be dwarfed by his earning potential from sponsorship and other revenue streams. He has transcended the sport of darts with his performances and personality, turning himself into a global name and the rewards will follow.

Phil Taylor was crowned world champion for the 11th time on this day in 2004 after edging Kevin Painter in one of the greatest finals ever.

‘The Power’ held his nerve under extreme pressure to nail double five for a famous sudden-death win in Purfleet.

Taylor was on the receiving end 12 months earlier when John Part nicked a superb contest 7-6 – but he hit back in a final which even eclipsed that event.

With the score tied at 6-6 in sets and 5-5 in legs, Taylor punched the air with delight when the winning dart landed.

“I am a very lucky man, to be honest,” Taylor said. “Kevin out-played me on doubles, but he eventually let me in. I thought Kevin was the better player.

“Last year was a good final, but this is one of the best. I was not firing on all cylinders and he frightened the life out of me. He will pick his chin up and come back from this.”

A distraught Painter, who was 4-1 ahead at one point, said: “I just did not quite get there in the end – but what can you say? I gave it my best shot.

“I was playing well, but not getting carried away. When playing Phil, you never really feel comfortable.

“I gave it my best go and maybe I will come back next year.”

It was to be the only world final Painter reached. Taylor went on to claim the title 16 times.

Lukas Dostal stopped a career-high 55 shots before Auston Matthews scored his league-leading 30th goal in overtime to lift the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 2-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday.

Dostal protected a 1-0 lead until John Tavares banged home a rebound on a power play with 5:43 left in regulation.

Frank Vatrano scored in the second period for the Ducks, who lost their third straight and dropped to 1-5-0 on a season-high eight-game homestand.

Toronto extended its streak of not being shut out to 181 games, a run that started in November 2021.

Hischier leads Devils over Capitals

Nico Hischier scored two goals and set up another on the eve of his 25th birthday to lead the New Jersey Devils to a 6-3 win over the Washington Capitals.

Dawson Mercer and Michael McLeod also scored twice for the Devils, who squandered a two-goal lead before recovering to win for the fourth time in five games.

Evgeny Kuznetsov had a goal and an assist for Washington to end a 10-game point drought. The Capitals dropped to 1-3-2 in their last six games.

Max Pacioretty went pointless in his Capitals debut, playing his first NHL game in nearly a year after tearing his right Achilles tendon.

Luke Littler says he has what it takes to return to the Alexandra Palace stage and win the World Championship in the future after his historic debut dream ended in a final defeat to Luke Humphries.

The 16-year-old has set Alexandra Palace alight over the last fortnight and was one win away from producing one of the greatest sporting stories of all time by becoming the youngest world champion.

But he fell at the final hurdle as Humphries showed why he is the new world number one with a scintillating 7-4 victory, which saw him lift the Sid Waddell trophy for the first time.

He may have fallen just short of achieving sporting immortality, but this is just the beginning for Littler and his time will surely come, with many tipping him to become a multiple world champion.

He said: “It’s been unbelievable, I just wanted to win one game and come back after Christmas, that was the only goal I set, so this is a massive bonus.

“No one likes losing, I have not really lost much, so to lose on that stage I can’t really be angry, the only thing I am angry about is that I lost a lot of legs on my throw and I was just chasing Luke.

“I have won six games here so why can’t I go and win seven here in years to come? I have gained a lot of experience and stage experience, I am in the top 32 now so I could be in everything.

“The past three to four weeks have been unbelievable and now I just can’t wait to go home.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t give the crowd what they wanted.”

It is a landmark success for Humphries, who has now won four of the last five major tournaments after an incredible few months.

But the 28-year-old knew he had to seize his chance because with Littler around, he might not get many more.

“I could not put into words how great this feels,” he said. “I was thinking I had to win this one because he is going to dominate world darts. When I was on the brink of winning he was relentless.

“He is an incredible talent and I had to win this one tonight, he is going to win plenty that’s for sure.

“We will never ever see the likes of him again at that age, to go up on the world stage and produce those darts in the final, I love the kid to bits, he is a real credit.

“I hope he plays in everything because it is special.”