Zion Williamson delivered a season-high 36 points as the New Orleans Pelicans cooled off the NBA-leading Minnesota Timberwolves with a 121-107 victory on Monday.
CJ McCollum scored nine of his 23 points in the fourth quarter to help the Pelicans pull away and bounce back from Thursday's 44-point blowout loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA In-Season Tournament semifinals.
Minnesota entered the matchup with a league-best 17-4 record and had won six consecutive games but played without leading scorer Anthony Edwards due to a hip pointer.
Karl-Anthony Towns, Mike Conley and Naz Reid all had 17 points for the Timberwolves, with Towns adding 12 rebounds.
Minnesota never led in the second half, however, as the Pelicans ended the second quarter on a 12-3 run to take a 59-52 half-time lead.
New Orleans held a 90-86 advantage after three quarters, then opened the fourth on a 9-0 spurt capped by a McCollum 3-pointer to gain further separation.
The Pelicans also received 20 points from Brandon Ingram and 14 points and 13 rebounds from Jonas Valanciunas.
Bucks bounce back with overtime win over Bulls
Giannis Antetokounmpo compiled 32 points, 12 rebounds and six assists and the Milwaukee Bucks dominated the early stages of overtime to come through with a 133-129 win over the Chicago Bulls.
After Chicago rallied from a 14-point first-half deficit to force overtime on DeMar DeRozan's jumper with 3.7 seconds left in regulation, the Bucks opened the extra session with an 8-1 run to build a 126-119 lead and never trailed thereafter.
Brook Lopez and Malik Beasley each had 19 points to help Milwaukee rebound from Thursday's loss to the Indiana Pacers in the NBA In-Season Tournament semfinals.
The Bulls had a four-game winning streak halted despite a monster performance from DeRozan, who put up 41 points and 11 assists. Coby White finished with a season-high 33 points in the loss.
Nuggets hold off Hawks to end three-game skid
Jamal Murray scored 29 points on 12-of-15 shooting and added nine rebounds to help the Denver Nuggets get back on track with a 129-122 win over the Atlanta Hawks.
The reigning NBA champions withstood a career-high 40 points from Atlanta's Bogdan Bogdanović and a fourth-quarter comeback attempt by the Hawks to stop a three-game losing streak. Nikola Jokić contributed 25 points and nine assists for Denver, while rookie Julian Strawther hit six 3-pointers while producing a career-high 22 points off the bench.
Bogdanovic had 13 of his points in the fourth quarter with Atlanta's leading scorer, Trae Young, out of the game after being ejected when arguing a no-foul call late in the third.
The Hawks trailed 100-86 at the time of Young's departure and were down by 20 points with under 10 minutes left before rallying late, as Bogdanovic led a 16-5 run that cut the Nuggets' lead to 126-122 with 30.5 seconds left.
Jokic hit two free throws on the ensuing possession, however, and Bogdanovic missed a pair of 3-point tries in the final seconds as the Hawks' bid came up short.
Young had 19 points and nine assists before exiting.
Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Ross Colton all had goals within a span of just over four minutes in the third period to rally the Colorado Avalanche to a 6-5 win over the Calgary Flames on Monday.
Rantanen scored with 6:29 left to play to tie the game, then earned his second assist of the night when MacKinnon recorded the eventual winning goal on a breakaway with 4:30 remaining.
Colton started Colorado's comeback by knocking in a rebound with 8:40 left that cut the Flames' lead to 5-4.
Calgary had gone ahead on late second-period goals from Connor Zary and Yegor Sharangovich, with the latter prompting Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar to replace goaltender Alexandar Georgiev after the second intermission.
Ivan Prosvetov stopped all 11 shots he faced in relief of Georgiev, who allowed five goals on 22 shots.
Former Colorado center Nazem Kadri put Calgary ahead in the first period before the Avalanche's Tomas Tatar tied it later in the frame. Colorado then took a 2-1 lead when Cale Makar scored on a power play 1:43 into the second.
Goals by Andrew Mangiapane and Blake Coleman sent the Flames back in front, but Ben Meyers scored off a feed from Andrew Cogliano with 5:03 left in the second to briefly draw the Avalanche even at 3-3.
Colorado snapped a two-game losing streak, while Calgary has now lost four of five. Dan Vladar finished with 31 saves for the Flames.
Islanders blow late, recover to defeat Maple Leafs in overtime
Bo Horvat scored 46 seconds into overtime as the New York Islanders recovered from blowing a late lead to come through with a 4-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Toronto rallied from a two-goal deficit to force overtime when Morgan Rielly scored with seven seconds remaining in regulation. Horvat sent a feed from Mathew Barzal past Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov early in the extra session, however, to give New York its third consecutive win.
Rielly's goal did enable Toronto to extend its point streak to six games, a stretch in which it's gone 4-0-2. The Islanders are now 5-0-1 over their past six.
The Islanders took a 3-1 lead early in the second period on Kyle Palmieri's goal, but John Tavares scored on a redirection 7:43 into the frame to cut the Leafs' deficit to one.
Tavares, the former Islanders' captain, later recorded his 1,000th career point on Rielly's game-tying goal.
Auston Matthews' 19th goal of the season, a power-play score 5:50 into the contest, gave Toronto an early 1-0 edge before the Islanders forged ahead later in the period on goals from Brock Nelson and Casey Cizikas.
Noah Dobson finished with three assists for New York, while Ilya Sorokin made 14 of his 37 saves in the third period and had two more in overtime.
Samsonov stopped 25 shots for Toronto.
Benn hits assist milestone as Stars down short-handed Red Wings
Miro Heiskanen had two goals and an assist to lead the way as the Dallas Stars rolled to a 6-3 victory over the depleted Detroit Red Wings.
The Stars scored twice in all three periods, including four straight goals between the first and second, to get back on track after losing three of their four previous games. Esa Lindell and Jason Robertson each delivered a goal and an assist to support a 27-save effort from Jake Oettinger.
Jamie Benn assisted on Heiskanen's first goal, the 500th of the Dallas captain's career.
Detroit was dealt a third consecutive loss while playing without both captain Dylan Larkin and forward David Perron. Larkin is out with an upper-body injury he sustained from a cross-check by Ottawa's Mathieu Joseph in Saturday's loss to the Senators, while Perron began serving a six-game suspension for cross-checking Ottawa's Artem Zub in retaliation.
The Red Wings did take a 1-0 lead when Daniel Sprong scored 5:20 in, but goals by Heiskanen and Lindell later in the first period put Dallas ahead. Robertson and Matt Duchene then scored 2:14 apart in the second to extend the Stars' advantage to 4-1.
Jonatan Berggren quickly answered Duchene's goal to trim Detroit's deficit, and the Red Wings cut the lead to 4-3 when Joe Veleno scored on a power play with 6:39 remaining.
Joe Pavelski countered with a power-play goal 30 seconds after Veleno's strike, however, before Heiskanen sealed the win with an empty-netter inside the final minute.
James Reimer stopped 29 of 34 shots for Detroit.
Anthony Joshua retained his WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles with a ninth-round stoppage of Kubrat Pulev in London on this day in 2020.
In the ring for the first time in 12 months after reclaiming his belts from Andy Ruiz Jr, rustiness was one of many potential problems for Joshua but he proved too strong for Pulev.
The Bulgarian showed admirable durability to get off the deck three times, but eventually slumped to defeat following a lethal left-right combination from Joshua, who improved to 24-1.
“I started this game in 2013, I have been chasing all the belts, I’ve been dealing with mandatories, so of course I want a challenge,” Joshua told the fans inside Wembley’s SSE Arena.
“For me I stuck to what I know best: boxing, looking at where I am going to put my shots and putting them together. When they are successful, they are successful, but like I said it is less talk, more action.”
Joshua’s uppercut did the most damage to Pulev and on more than one occasion made him topple like the blocks of the Jenga game he had spent much of his time playing at Matchroom’s bio-secure bubble at the Hilton Hotel in the build-up to the fight.
Pulev hit the deck twice in the third round and again in the ninth before Joshua landed the knockout punch with a slick combination.
It was Joshua’s 22nd knockout from 25 bouts, but there was also an added maturity to his display in London.
He could have gone for the kill and overcommitted in the middle rounds after an explosive third, but stayed patient and eventually his chance came with Pulev barely able to register a legitimate punch in the contest.
After the fight, all the chat was about the prospect of a ‘Battle of Britain’ against WBC title holder Tyson Fury as, not for the first or last time, both camps talked of their desire to make the fight happen, although no such bout has yet been staged.
The Tennessee Titans scored two late touchdowns as they shocked the AFC East-leading Miami Dolphins 28-27.
Rookie quarterback Will Levis found DeAndre Hopkins from three yards and, after a two-point conversion, steered his team into position for Derrick Henry to tie the game with a six-yard run – Nick Folk adding the decisive extra point.
Henry had grabbed the Titans’ opening touchdown in the second quarter, responding to Zach Sieler’s interception return as the Titans largely shut down the Miami offence.
A pair of touchdown runs from Raheem Mostert put the Dolphins 27-13 up inside the final five minutes before Levis, who threw for a career-high 327 yards, led the Titans rally.
The Dolphins remain two games clear of the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East and one game behind the Baltimore Ravens for the best record in the conference.
A 37-yard field goal as time ran out from Randy Bullock earned the New York Giants a 24-22 win over the Green Bay Packers.
The Packers had taken the lead with just 93 seconds remaining when Jordan Love found Malik Heath in the end zone from six yards, but they failed with the two-point conversion and Tommy DeVito’s 32-yard pass to Wan’Dale Robinson gave Bullock the chance to win the game.
The defeat leaves the Packers 6-7 alongside four other teams in the race for the third wildcard spot in the NFC.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have confirmed the signing of Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani on a mammoth 10-year contract.
The reigning American League MVP’s agent Nez Balelo revealed the record-breaking 700million dollar (£558m) deal on Saturday before Ohtani posted on his Instagram account about his short move from the Los Angeles Angels.
“We congratulate him on his historic contract with our storied franchise,” said Mark Walter, chairman of the Dodgers and their owners Guggenheim Baseball, in a statement confirming the move on Monday.
“Shohei is a once-in-a-generation talent and one of the most exciting professional athletes in the world.”
He continued: “Our players, staff, management and ownership look forward to working together with Shohei to help the Dodgers continue to add, improve and strive for excellence on the field.
“Together with Shohei, we will work to help grown the number and breadth of people around the world who enjoy the excitement of Major League Baseball.”
Ohtani, 29, thanked Dodgers fans for welcoming him to the team.
“I can say, 100 %, that you, the Dodger organisation and I share the same goal – to bring World Series parades to the streets of Los Angeles.”
Reports in US media say Ohtani will receive around two million dollars (£1.6m) a year throughout his contract with the balance in instalments of 68m dollars a year (£54.1m) for the following 10 years to provide the club with greater flexibility in payroll restrictions.
Former MVPs Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman have similar deferred deals with the Dodgers.
Ohtani is unusual in that he plays as a pitcher and a hitter, becoming regarded as one of the best in the game on both sides of the ball since his Angels debut in 2018.
He won his second American League MVP award in 2023, despite an elbow injury which curtailed his season and will prevent him from pitching in 2024.
Pitcher Joe Kelly, who re-signed with the Dodgers on Monday, is switching to number 99 to allow Ohtani to retain his 17 jersey.
The previous record contract in MLB was the 426.5m (£340m) the Angels paid to outfielder Mike Trout as part of a 12-year deal in 2019.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ 10-year 450m (£359m) extension, agreed in September, was the previous highest in US sports.
In a lavish ceremony held in the heart of Montego Bay, Jamaica, Sunshine Girl defender Shamera Sterling exchanged vows with her long-time partner, Andrew AJ Humphrey, on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. The union marks the second marriage among the Sunshine Girls, as netballer Shimona Nelson recently tied the knot with Buay Jok in Australia less than a month ago.
Shamera Sterling, renowned for her exceptional skills on the netball court, recently earned the title of Suncorp Super Netball Player of the Year. The wedding ceremony was a celebration of love and commitment, bringing together family and friends to witness the union of the outstanding defender and her newlywed husband.
Humphrey, a recent graduate of the University of the West Indies, shares a sports background with Sterling. Having played as a defender for his high school Herbert Morrison High in DaCosta Cup football, Humphrey's connection to the world of sports mirrors Sterling's own illustrious career.
The ceremony holds sentimental value for both Sterling and Humphrey, as the defender attended Queens High but began her high-school career at Anchovy High School, not far from Hebert Morrison High School, where her husband was a student before continuing his education at the University of the West Indies. Sterling is also a graduate of the university.
Their love story endured the test of distance and time, as Sterling spent the majority of the last five years playing professional netball overseas. She began her journey with the Loughborough Lightning in England and has been a standout player for the Adelaide Thunderbirds in the Suncorp Super League since 2019. Sterling's prowess on the court has earned her recognition as one of the best defenders in the world.
The wedding festivities were a blend of joy, laughter, and the promise of a shared future. As Sterling and Humphrey embark on this new chapter of their lives, their love story stands as a testament to the strength of their affection for each other, overcoming challenges and distance to build a life together. The Sunshine Girls, both on and off the court, continue to inspire with their achievements and celebrations of love.
Justin Jefferson was hospitalised after taking a hard hit Sunday, but the Minnesota Vikings are hopeful the star wide receiver will be ready for their next game.
Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell told reporters on Monday that Jefferson is considered day to day with a chest injury.
He also added he had "a good chance" to play in Saturday's road game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Jefferson's injury occurred in the second quarter of the Vikings' 3-0 win over the Las Vegas Raiders when he was blasted by safety Marcus Epps while hauling in a 15-yard catch. He was taken to a hospital, where X-rays confirmed there was no internal damage and he was able to travel home with the team from Las Vegas.
The 2022 AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year appeared in just 13 plays against the Raiders in his first game since October 8 after he missed the previous seven contests with a hamstring injury.
He had just two receptions for 27 yards before exiting, and has 38 catches for 598 yards with three touchdowns in six games this season.
In 2022, he put together one of the best seasons by a receiver in NFL history, finishing with league highs of 128 catches and 1,809 receiving yards, along with eight TD receptions.
A first-round draft pick in 2020, Jefferson is a three-time Pro Bowler and had never missed a game in his career prior to Week 6 of this season.
While Jefferson might be back on the field this weekend, it's uncertain who will be throwing him passes.
O'Connell said the team is still deciding on the quarterback position and will make an announcement later this week.
Joshua Dobbs was benched against the Raiders after completing 10-of-23 passes for 63 yards while being sacked five times. Backup Nick Mullens then was 9-of-13 passing for 83 yards and led the Vikings to their only points.
Minnesota managed just 231 yards of offence but improved to 7-6 and is in control of the No. 6 seed in the NFC play-off picture.
Ronnie O’Sullivan has been accused of “disrespect” by the player whose dreams of facing the world number one were dashed at the Scottish Open in Edinburgh on Monday.
The seven-time world champion withdrew from the event citing medical reasons just hours before he was scheduled to face 19-year-old Liam Graham in a first round match.
Graham criticised the timing of O’Sullivan’s decision, telling the Daily Record: “It’s disrespectful, it’s not right.
“A lot of people took time off work to come and watch today and it’s disappointing.
“It’s not surprising given the things he does. I found out when I got to the venue this morning. I didn’t have much prior warning – I think he pulled out very late.”
O’Sullivan, who won his record-extending eighth UK title in York earlier this month, has now withdrawn from five of eight ranking tournaments this season, not including the Snooker Shootout.
Last month, he pulled out from the Champion of Champions event in Bolton due to “mentally feeling a bit drained and stressed”.
It comes amid a time of tension between the player and World Snooker Tour chiefs over his desire to have the freedom to play in lucrative exhibitions in China.
In the wake of his final win over Ding Junhui in York, O’Sullivan insisted officials “seem to want me to hand my resignation in” – a claim flatly denied by WST.
Graham, who is in his first year as a professional, added: “At the end of the day I want to play the best players in the world and I was really looking forward to it.”
New York Knicks starting center Mitchell Robinson will undergo surgery on his left ankle and be re-evaluated in 8-to-10 weeks, the team announced on Monday.
The 2018 second-round draft pick sustained the injury in Friday’s 133-123 loss at Boston and will now likely be sidelined through the All-Star break.
Mitchell leads the NBA with 5.3 offensive rebounds per game, ranks 11th in total rebounding (10.3), is tied for 14th in steals (1.52) and sits 20th in blocked shots (1.29).
He’s a big reason why the Knicks (12-9) are ranked third in the NBA with 108.7 points allowed per game and sixth with an average of 44.6 points allowed in the paint.
Fergal O’Brien’s Dysart Enos will take another step in her hurdling career when she lines up at Cheltenham on Friday.
The five-year-old was unbeaten in bumpers, including taking the Listed Alan Swinbank at Market Rasen ahead of the equally-promising Queens Gamble and then the Grade Two Nickel Coin at Aintree by nine lengths.
Her hurdling debut came at Huntingdon in November, where the bay was the seven-and-a-half-length winner of a mares’ two-mile novice event.
Cheltenham is her next destination as she holds an entry for the British EBF “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle, a race in which she we take on geldings over two miles and a furlong.
“That’s the plan, to go and give her a spin around there,” O’Brien said.
“I know we’re against the boys, but fingers crossed it’ll be a good bit of experience for her.
“It’s a very competitive novice hurdle on paper, but we have to go and try these things, the main reason is to get her there and to see how she handles Cheltenham.”
Stablemate Bonttay is entered at the same meeting as she is due to run in the Virgin Bet Every Saturday Money Back Mares’ Handicap Hurdle after winning her seasonal debut at Hereford in early November.
The six-year-old has never been out of the top two in nine starts, winning six times with a record of two from three at Cheltenham.
“She’s in good form, we’re really happy with her,” O’Brien said.
“She won very well at Hereford and we were pleased with that, she loves Cheltenham – she’s run there three times and won two and was second in the other.
“If you could pick a track that wouldn’t suit her it would be Hereford over two miles, it was just a case of wanting to get a run into her and get the freshness out of her, then this race was always the target.”
Jamaica’s Mariah Gordon made history on Saturday with the country’s first ever Gymnastics gold medal at the Pan American Hopes Tournament at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston.
Gordon took home gold in the 11-12 Uneven Bars category ahead of Colombia’s Gabriela Herrera and Panama’s Aylin Lan.
Gordon had a 3.600 score for difficulty and an 8.633 score for execution for an overall score of 12.233, 0.067 more than Herrera and 0.433 more than Lan.
Jamaica also secured another medal through Zuri Mantadara-Clarke in the 11-12 Vault category. Mantadara-Clarke produced an overall score of 12.566 to finish fourth overall behind Panama’s Lan (12.600), Venezuela’s Mia Morales (12.700) and Puerto Rico’s Amaia Lebron (12.900).
Jamaica also finished fourth in the overall team standings with a score of 87.097. Colombia won the team title with 93.931 ahead of Venezuela (91.464) and Argentina (88.897).
Giovinco is likely to head for the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day after coming off second best in clash with Stay Away Fay at Sandown last week.
With The Changing Man unseating his rider and outsider Conkwell Legend unable to land a blow, it turned into a straight shootout between two of the country’s most exciting staying novices.
Lucinda Russell’s Giovinco appeared to be travelling better than the Paul Nicholls-trained Stay Away Fay for much of the home straight, but the latter ultimately outstayed his rival in testing conditions.
Speaking at Ayr on Monday, Russell’s partner and assistant Peter Scudamore revealed Giovinco’s preparation for Sandown had not been entirely trouble-free and hopes he can turn up in better shape on the King George undercard.
“I think he’ll go to Kempton on Boxing Day. He hadn’t had a straight run to get to Sandown, (but) I thought Stephen (Mulqueen) gave him the most magnificent ride and he jumped brilliantly,” Scudamore told Racing TV.
“I was disappointed given how well he was going at three out and two out that he didn’t actually win. If you’d said to me beforehand we’d finish that close to him (Stay Away Fay) I’d have bitten your hand off, but when you watch him three out and he’s still cantering I thought he would win.
“Kempton’s a little bit easier track and I hope we have a bit better preparation. I see Noel George’s horse from France (Il Est Francais) is coming across and I think Paul has got another very good one (Knappers Hill).
“It’s not going to be easy, but on the other hand there’s nowhere else we can go with these horses.”
Joseph O’Brien is pondering the options for Grade One scorer Banbridge ahead of his impending return to the track.
A Cheltenham Festival winner over hurdles in 2022, the seven-year-old made a real impression in his novice chasing season, winning at Cheltenham in the autumn and chasing home El Fabiolo in the Irish Arkle before securing big-race success at Aintree in the spring.
Soft ground and the persistent wet weather has so far seen him kept under wraps this season, but O’Brien is eager to get his campaign up and running and is mulling over the numerous upcoming options.
A step up to three miles could be on the cards if electing to run in either Leopardstown’s Savills Chase (December 28) or the Savills New Year’s Chase at Tramore, while a trip to Kempton for the Coral Silviniaco Conti Chase on January 13 is another possibility.
“He’s in good shape and he has a few options over the Christmas period and into the new year and when we find the suitable race for him he will be ready to make his reappearance,” said O’Brien.
“He has the entry at Leopardstown and there is also the Silviniaco Conti at Kempton in the new year and there’s the race on New Year’s Day at Tramore. There are different races over the next month or so that are all possibilities.
“We’re looking forward to getting him back out.”
O’Brien is also planning a Christmas appearance for taking Fairyhouse scorer Nurburgring, who will take the next step up the juvenile hurdling ladder in Leopardstown’s Grade Two Knight Frank Juvenile Hurdle on December 26.
He added: “I’m very pleased with him and I thought he was quite impressive as well (at Fairyhouse).
“The plan for him is he is likely to go to Leopardstown at Christmas time for the juvenile hurdle there.”
In a splendid affair at the luxurious Marriott Hotel in Aventura, the Pan American Sport Organization (PASO) held its Gala Awards Ceremony recently, hosting a distinguished guest and 400m hurdles gold medalist, Jaheel Hyde, who was celebrated for his remarkable achievement at the 2023 Pan American Games.
The event became more than a gala; it transformed into a Wolmerian reunion, bringing together Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) President Christopher Samuda, and JOA Secretary General/CEO, Ryan Foster, both maroon and gold alumni and esteemed PASO commission members.
The reunion was elevated with the presence of Jaheel Hyde, a Wolmer's Boys' School alumnus, whose stellar performance on the international stage earned him the prestigious 400m hurdles gold.
Jaheel Hyde, adorned with numerous gold medals from his junior endeavors and the 2022 Commonwealth Games silver in Birmingham, now sets his sights on the grandest stage of all—the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The gala served as a moment of recognition for Hyde's historic achievement, marking his first gold at the senior level in international competition.
As Hyde basks in the glory of his Pan Am Games triumph, the journey continues, with the Paris Olympics looming on the horizon. Eager to add another illustrious chapter to his sporting journey, Hyde prepares to face formidable competitors, aspiring to clinch the coveted gold medal and etch his name in the annals of sporting history.
Baroness Dido Harding will become senior steward of the Jockey Club next year, making her the first woman to hold the role in the organisation’s 273-year history.
The unpaid position is currently held by Sandy Dudgeon, whose term expires in July when Harding will take over, chairing the Jockey Club’s main board, which sets the strategic direction of the organisation and oversees the executive functions.
In 2017, Harding, 56, was appointed to the board of stewards of the Jockey Club, which owns high-profile racecourses such as Epsom, Newmarket, Cheltenham and Aintree, having been a member since 2004.
She is a former chief executive of TalkTalk and initially oversaw the government’s test-and-trace programme during the coronavirus pandemic.
She also rode more than 25 winners as an amateur jockey and owned 1998 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Cool Dawn, the horse she had ridden the previous year to finish second in the Festival hunter chase.
More recently she won the Magnolia Cup in 2017, winning Goodwood’s charity race at the third attempt having previously finished second twice.
She was in the winner’s circle at the end of last month, when the Robert Walford-trained Hipop Des Ongrais won at Hereford.
“As a lifelong racing enthusiast, it is a huge privilege to be appointed senior steward,” said Harding.
“The Jockey Club holds a unique position to both protect the sport’s heritage and tradition and also to innovate to attract and delight racegoers of the future to ensure horseracing can thrive for generations to come.”
Dudgeon added: “Dido has been a terrific asset to the board of stewards since she joined in 2017. She has brought a wealth of experience, deep knowledge of the industry and a lifelong enthusiasm for our sport. I would like to wish her every success as senior steward when she takes up the role in July next year.”
In other Jockey Club news, Grand National-winning rider Sam Waley-Cohen will join the board of stewards from January 1, 2024, while the late Queen’s granddaughter Zara Tindall has become a member, as has racing presenter Rishi Persad.
Love Envoi is pencilled in for a Sandown return after her second-placed performance in the relocated Fighting Fifth on Saturday.
The seven-year-old was back in action after 224 days off the track, her final run of last season being a beaten effort at Punchestown where she picked up an injury.
Prior to that she was enjoying a very successful campaign, however, winning twice at Sandown before being finding just the great Honeysuckle too good in the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
The complexion of the Fighting Fifth changed twice before the race, firstly because of the relocation of the contest from Newcastle to Sandown and secondly because of the withdrawal of leading hurdler Constitution Hill.
Without Nicky Henderson’s champion in the line-up the Harry Fry-trained Love Envoi started at 6-4 with only Jamie Snowden’s You Wear It Well more fancied as the 5-4 favourite.
Love Envoi was held up in last place in the early stages of the race and did not jump fluently to start with, but as the contest unfolded she stayed on to chase home Hughie Morrison’s veteran Not So Sleepy, who was an eight-length winner at 9-1.
The runner-up is owned by Noel Fehily Racing Syndicates and the former jockey was not disheartened by the performance after a significant lay-off for the mare.
“She’s fine, she did well to finish second but she was a bit slow and ring rusty early on,” he said.
“Then when she got into it she actually ran a good race in the end.
“The first two she jumped really up in the air and slow, she was definitely ring-rusty but she warmed up into it and came from a long way back.
“Overall it was a good run. I wouldn’t think the ground had anything to to do with it, I’d be surprised if it did.
“Harry always said she was only just about ready to start so I think she will come on plenty for the run.”
One of Love Envoi’s Sandown successes last term was the Listed Unibet 3 Uniboosts A Day Mares’ Hurdle in early January, a race that she will now target again.
Fehily said: “We’ll head to Sandown for the mares’ hurdle she won last year, all roads lead back there at the minute.”
The Fehily syndicates also had another runner-up at the meeting as Insurrection came home second in the Grade Two Betfair Beacons Winter Novices’ Hurdle.
The Paul Nicholls-trained gelding was making his second start over obstacles after an easy win on debut last month, lining up at Sandown a 5-2 chance under Harry Cobden.
He looked the winner for almost all of the race and was only passed on the run to the line as Dan Skelton’s Deafening Silence headed him before the post.
“We were very happy with him, he looked the winner jumping the last but he just didn’t quite stay on that ground up the hill,” said Fehily.
“He’s a lovely young horse, he jumps for fun, we were very impressed with him.
“We don’t have any plans at the minute, we’ll give him a week or two and then make plans, it’ll be after Christmas and new year probably.”
Ronnie O’Sullivan has pulled out of the BetVictor Scottish Open citing medical reasons.
The 48-year-old world number one, who earlier this month won a record-extending eighth UK Championship title in York, had been due to face Liam Graham in the opening round, but Graham will now receive a bye.
O’Sullivan is a two-time winner of the Scottish Open, beating John Higgins in the 1998 final and seeing off Mark Williams two years later.
He was runner-up to Mark Selby in 2020, losing the final 9-5.
Although his 10-7 win over Ding Junhui in the UK Championship final made the seven-time world champion both the youngest and oldest ever winner of the competition, O’Sullivan has recently had issues away from the table.
He withdrew from the Champion of Champions tournament in November, saying he was “mentally feeling a bit drained and stressed” after taking part at the International Championship in China.
Grand Sefton hero Gesskille will be given another opportunity to showcase his prowess over a unique jumping test when he takes on the challenge of Cheltenham’s cross-country track on Friday.
The seven-year-old has developed a real affinity to the Grand National fences at Aintree since joining Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero and having gone close in both the Grand Sefton and Becher last season, returned to Liverpool last month to get his head in front.
Gesskille’s training team are now preparing him for a first taste of Prestbury Park in the Glenfarclas Crystal Cup Cross Country Handicap Chase and a race that could contain high-class Gordon Elliott pair Conflated and Galvin, as well as former Gold Cup winner Minella Indo.
However, Greenall is hopeful his charge will relish his next assignment in a race which could help determine whether a return to Aintree for the Grand National is on the cards for 2024.
Greenall said: “It’s obviously a unique track and it’s hard to know what type of horse likes it. He’s ran in France, not in a cross-country, but in a normal chase which is a bit similar to a cross-country race, but not really the same.
“He’s going to go for a school (at Cheltenham) and I’m sure he will enjoy the jumping, it’s just the twisting and turning to work out. We just felt it might be a good option for him.
“He’s been in good form (since Aintree) and he will probably have a break after this and we will aim him at either the National or Auteuil in the spring.”
Joseph O’Brien’s Fakir D’oudairies adds a touch of class to proceedings at Cheltenham as he tops the 15 confirmed for the Virgin Bet December Gold Cup Handicap Chase.
The eight-year-old has been something of a stable star for O’Brien over the years, picking up Grade One prizes at both Aintree and Ascot and regularly seen competing against the very best.
He now drops into handicap company for his seasonal return, with his Owning Hill handler confirming he is on course to appear at Prestbury Park on Saturday.
“The plan is for him to run at Cheltenham,” said O’Brien.
“It will be nice to get him back started this season and it looks a good place for his reappearance. Hopefully he goes well dropping in class.”
Fakir D’oudairies is one of two possible runners in the race for owner JP McManus with Emmet Mullins’ So Scottish another potential raider from Ireland.
Champion trainer Paul Nicholls also has two bullets to fire with Monmiral joining Paddy Power Gold Cup third Il Ridoto on the Ditcheat teamsheet.
“I’m looking forward to Saturday, they’re both in great shape,” Nicholls said in his ‘Ditcheat Diary’ on Betfair.
“Bryony (Frost) is going to ride Il Ridoto and Harry (Cobden) is going to ride Monmiral. We’ve just schooled them both and they’re both in good order.
“Monmiral is a Grade One winner coming back from a few problems, I’m looking forward to running him.”
Richard Hobson’s Fugitif has a fine Cheltenham record and attempts to better his fourth at the track last month now switching to the New course which suits him better, while Thunder Rock saw the form of his winning Carlisle reappearance franked by the runner-up Mahler Mission at Newbury and will represent trainer Olly Murphy.
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
