Four-time world champion Mark Selby threatened to quit snooker after losing in the Tour Championship to Gary Wilson, who also described his winning performance as “embarrassing”.
Wilson sealed a 10-8 victory with a clearance of 105, but both players were scathing about their performance in Manchester.
“I mean I was pathetic really, from start to finish,” Selby told ITV4. “Probably one of the worst games I’ve played as a professional. Definitely up there for sure.
“If I carry on playing like that, then yeah, I won’t be enjoying it and I will be choosing a different career for sure.
“Neither of us played great in the second session, Gary played well on Monday and deserved his 5-3 lead. Today neither of us played great. I was like that all match. I deserved to lose.
“I will give the World Championship a go, but if I keep playing like that, I’m not going to carry on.”
Wilson believes he will have to improve ahead of his quarter-final against Zhang Anda, telling ITV4: “I don’t know how I won to be honest. I’m just thankful Mark didn’t play very well because I was embarrassing.
“The cue action wasn’t even there yesterday – it may have looked a bit better but I just felt deep down all along, I was struggling. I was hitting everything really quick and snatchy and just tried to keep plugging away.”
Reminded that he had made breaks of 95, 98, 78 and 101 in taking a 5-3 lead from Monday’s opening session and must therefore have been cueing well, Wilson replied: “Incorrect.
“I was not cueing very well at all but I can score when I’m not cueing well. That was feeling really bad and it was feeling even worse today and that’s why I missed so many easy balls, gave him so many chances and lifelines.
“Really, if I’d been playing decent and Mark had played as bad as he did there, I should have won that 10-3, 10-4. It was that bad it became really close and I’m just thankful he didn’t play very well either.
“I’m not enjoying it but we go again on Thursday and I’m just hoping I can find something between now and then.”
Ali Carter will face bitter rival Ronnie O’Sullivan in the quarter-finals after holding off a spirited fightback from Barry Hawkins.
Carter raced into a 7-1 lead after Hawkins had won the opening frame, but the left-hander won seven of the first nine frames in the evening session, including taking the 17th frame on a respotted black after needing two snookers.
However, Carter held his nerve to win the next and seal a 10-8 victory which sets up a showdown with O’Sullivan, 11 weeks after the pair were involved in a war of words following the Masters final won by O’Sullivan.
“I relish the challenge now because he’s the best player ever to pick up a cue,” Carter told ITV4. “To play him in another quarter-final, I’ve played him in a final this year, I’m in the right place.”
Mark Williams produced a superb clearance of 66 in the deciding frame to edge out Tom Ford 10-9 and set up a quarter-final with Judd Trump.
“I was dead on my feet for the last hour and three quarters, I was absolutely shattered,” said Williams, who has just returned from a trip to China.
“I thought it was all over. Where that clearance in the last frame came from I do not know. It was probably one of the best clearances I’ve done.”
Trinidad and Tobago’s Suncorp Super Netball star Sam Wallace-Joseph has come under fire for her stance on the International Transgender Day of Visibility falling on the same day as Easter Sunday.
Held every March 31 since 2009, the day has been set up as a celebration of pride and awareness, while aiming to recognise trans and gender-diverse achievements. Wallace-Joseph, a two-time NSW Swifts champion, shared a clickbait headline from a Canadian outlet that insinuated United States President Joe Biden had "declared" Easter Sunday would be the recurring day for International Transgender Day of Visibility moving forward.
"The disrespect is crazy. Don't play with God," Wallace captioned an Instagram story.
The day's crossover with Easter this year was used by some to criticise the United States president and suggest he was co-opting a religious holiday to promote trans rights. Fans criticised Wallace-Joseph's post and pointed out the misleading nature of the headline, but the Trinidad and Tobago shooter doubled down.
"I'm not hating on people, if you know me you will understand … I have heaps of gay friends and am not judging anyone on their gender," she wrote in a X, formerly Twitter, post.
Wallace-Joseph also confirmed she still planned to play in the NSW Swifts Pride Match in May. The Instagram story and relevant tweets have since been deleted after intervention from the Super Netball club, which distanced itself from her comments.
"The NSW Swifts are aware of a social media post that has caused understandable hurt to members of the transgender community," a statement read.
"The views expressed in the post are not shared by the club. The club spoke with Samantha raising its concerns. It is important to note that Samantha listened and will meet us tomorrow," it added.
The Super Netball league also issued a similar release, reinstating its commitment to "embrace diversity and ensure the sport is welcoming and safe for everyone who wants to participate", while it works closely with the Swifts regarding the sport's code of conduct.
Rory McIlroy has been urged to block out all distractions to deal with the “baggage” associated with his attempts to win the Masters and complete a career grand slam.
The advice came from two-time US Open champion Curtis Strange as McIlroy prepares to contest this week’s Valero Texas Open before heading to Augusta National for the first major of the year.
Strange believes that will help McIlroy keep his mind off what he will be trying to achieve at Augusta and recounted a recent conversation with top psychologist Bob Rotella, who has worked with McIlroy on the mental side of the game.
“Bob said the main thing for Rory next week is to stay calm and cool,” Strange said in an ESPN teleconference.
“He had this phrase ‘the mind has to be stronger than the swing’ and I think in Rory’s case that is exactly right because he does have some baggage coming in here.
“He knows he could have won here a couple of times, but he knows he has the game as well.
“So do what you know how to do. Play your own game, play smart, play a little more conservative golf around Augusta and then on Sunday afternoon, if the chips fall, he’ll be in contention.
“One of the best stories I have ever heard is when Claude Harmon was the pro at Winged Foot when the US Open was there.
“They played a practice round with [Ben] Hogan, who said ‘Claude, you have a chance this week if you look at the grass all week long’. Meaning don’t make eye contact with friends, don’t speak to everybody.
“I think that relates to Rory next week. He’s been coming in here for so long with so much on his mind that it’s all about you next week, Rory. It’s all about what you can do, your game.”
Devin Booker was over the moon to share his historic NBA moment with numerous family and friends after scoring 52 points for the Phoenix Suns in Monday's victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Suns star Booker recorded his fifth-highest scoring game of his career after posting 50+ against the Pelicans, bringing Phoenix within a game of No.6 New Orleans in the Western Conference.
With that monumental haul, Booker became the first NBA player since Wilt Chamberlain to score 50 points in three straight games against a single opponent.
"It means a whole lot," said Booker, who registered 52 against the Pelicans in January and 58 in December 2022.
"My family was in attendance for two of them. Any time you get named for something Wilt did – it's happened very few times in my career – you know you did something special."
Phoenix coach Frank Vogel lauded Booker's showing, having watched him record 52 points against New Orleans for the second time this year.
"There's something about playing in this building against this opponent," Vogel said. "[He] just really has a comfort zone here.
"To go for 50 three straight times against a single opponent, it just shows what kind of special player he is. Three times in a row is just incredible."
Kevin Durant added another 20 points, along with 19 for Jusuf Nurkic, as the Suns ran rampant in a 124-111 victory.
"It was like deja vu," Durant said of teammate Booker's exploits. "As it was happening, I couldn't believe he was doing it again."
Having already suffered from Booker's dominance previously, Pelicans coach Willie Green credited the Suns man but left no excuses for his team.
"He hit some shots that we gave him, and he also hit some tough shots," Green said. "We have to do better.
"There's no excuse to get 50, put on you twice [in a season]. Quite frankly, we were soft-guarding him.
"We just had a soft mentality when it came to being physical with him, and he's a great player, and you can't allow him to be comfortable."
Nico de Boinville paid Constitution Hill a visit on Tuesday and said the former champion hurdler is feeling “a bit sorry for himself”.
Nicky Henderson’s stable star has had no end of health trouble this season, scoping dirty in January and then being laid low with an infection which ruled him out of the defence of his Champion Hurdle title.
Just when connections had hoped for some light at the end of the tunnel and a possible run at Punchestown, he was then struck down by suspected colic and spent a few nights at the vets.
It was a relieved Henderson that informed everyone on Monday he was now back at Seven Barrows and De Boinville was keen to check in on him.
“Everyone has been kept in the loop. I went to see him this morning and hopefully he picks up in the next couple of weeks,” he told Racing TV.
“He’s certainly feeling a bit sorry for himself and I can see why.”
Elegant Man has the Lockinge and Coronation Cup as options after his Good Friday triumph was followed by a boost from the Middle East.
The Amo Racing-owned four-year-old ran three times through the winter, winning twice at Dundalk and coming home second behind Rebel’s Romance in the Listed Wild Flower Stakes at Kempton.
The impression he made in those runs left him carrying top-weight at Newcastle, where he ran in the BetUK All-Weather Easter Classic Middle Distance from a wide draw in stall 14.
Neither factor was a hindrance to him in the 10-furlong contest, however, and under David Egan he was an impressive winner when crossing the line a length and a half ahead of Mick Appleby’s Penzance.
“It was a big run, but we were expecting a big run and he didn’t fail to deliver – he’s a right nice horse,” said trainer Adrian Murray.
A son of the late American superstar Arrogate, Elegant Man’s form was quickly boosted the following day when Rebel’s Romance struck at Group One level to take the Sheema Classic at the Dubai World Cup meeting, a two-length victory that reflects very well on Elegant Man after their meeting at Kempton.
“It’s huge, a huge boost. The day when we met that horse we were very, very green, it was only the second time he’d ever seen a racecourse,” Murray added.
Elegant Man is entered in the Alleged Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday but will not run, and is instead likely to be aimed at either the Coronation Cup or the Lockinge.
“I entered him this morning for the Coronation Cup and he’s entered at Newbury over a mile, too,” said his trainer.
“He’s entered in the Curragh on Saturday but he won’t go there, the race will come up a bit quick for him so we’ll freshen him up again.”
Murray also trains Bucanero Fuerte for Amo Racing, a Wootton Bassett colt who won the Railway and the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh last year and was third in both the Coventry and the National Stakes.
He holds an entry for the English and the Irish Guineas, but may head to Ascot for the Commonwealth Cup Trial in preparation for the Commonwealth Cup itself at the Royal meeting in June.
“He’s getting on great, we’re very happy with him,” Murray said.
“He’ll go for the Guineas or he’ll go for a race at Ascot, a prep race for Royal Ascot over six furlongs.”
Micky Hammond was grateful for Aiden Brookes’ claim after landing round one of the Pontefract Stayers’ Championship with Justus at the opening meeting of the season at the West Yorkshire track.
Justus looked beaten down the stretch of the two-and-a-quarter mile Jamaican Flight Handicap under 5lb claimer Brookes, with Maxident and Robert Johnson apparently fighting out the finish.
But Justus (9-2) responded to Brookes’ urgings and got up close home to land victory by three-quarters of a length.
Hammond felt Brookes’ claim proved vital on ground the horse loves as he took advantage of carrying nearly a stone less than all four of his rivals.
Hammond told Racing TV: “The horse has had a good winter with us. Obviously Aiden has been with us now for a good few years now since leaving school and he’s well worth his claim.
“(The ground is) very important for the horse. Lightest-weighted in the race which has suited. When they quickened up a little bit they actually left us a bit flat footed.
“All we’ve done is just stay which has won the day for us really. Absolutely delighted.”
Hammond has a smaller army of runners on the Flat but is hoping for a drying up of the ground for his jumpers.
He added: “Surely it’s going to dry up very soon. Maybe for the winter jumpers this festival weekend we have in the north might be the last time that we get the soft or heavy ground.
“And then hopefully we might get some sort of a spring, although having said that it’s actually quite spring like here today.
“Hopefully the racing will go ahead through the rest of the week because the forecast isn’t too promising.
“We haven’t got a lot of Flat horses, we’re not going to have a lot of summer jumpers but the jumpers we’ve got we’ll keep them going until Cartmel at the end of May. The winter jumpers have done really well.”
The Bell Conductor (10-1) made all to land the feature William Hill Extra Place Races Every Day Handicap for Craig Lidster and William Pyle.
The seven-year-old was pressured in the final furlong but held off Glorious Angel to triumph by one and a quarter lengths.
Favourite Wen Moon was a further length and a half back in third.
Spirit Dancer is set for a well-earned break after finishing lame in his bid for further international honours in Saturday’s Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan.
Richard Fahey’s charge has enjoyed a hugely productive winter on foreign soil, carrying the red and white silks of part-owner and breeder Sir Alex Ferguson to victory in the Bahrain International Trophy before claiming an even more lucrative success in the Neom Turf Cup in Riyadh.
The seven-year-old was unable to land a blow when stepped up in class on Dubai World Cup night, finishing 11th of 12 runners, but was subsequently found to have sustained an injury.
“He has a chip in his joint I’m afraid, so he did pull up lame,” Fahey said on Tuesday.
“It (injury) won’t have helped. It was a messy sort of race as he sort of dropped in and never got back into it, but that can’t have helped.
“He was due for a holiday anyway and he’ll get it now. He’s fit enough to travel and we’ll sort him out when we get him home.
“It’s been a fantastic winter with him and he’s got the money in the bank to prove it!”
While Fahey is keen to get his charge back to his North Yorkshire base before committing to future targets, there is every chance Spirit Dancer will be stamping his passport again later in the year.
The trainer added: “I’d be keen to go back there (Dubai) again next year, so all roads and plans will lead to go there.
“I’ve got Hong Kong in my mind as well, so we’ll see. He could have a couple of runs over here and then head back over there.”
The Bahamas ended day three of the 2024 Carifta Aquatics Championships at the Betty Kelly-Kenning Aquatic Centre in Nassau on Monday with a massive 309.50-point lead over their rivals in the battle for the team title.
The Bahamians currently have 804.50 points after 98 events. The top five is rounded out by the Cayman Islands (495 points), Trinidad & Tobago (466 points), Jamaica (405 points) and Barbados (362.5 points).
In terms of medals, the hosts have, so far, amassed an impressive 73 medals over three days of competition including 26 gold, 26 silver and 21 bronze.
Trinidad & Tobago are next with 17 gold, 10 silver and 14 bronze for 41 medals in total.
Cayman Islands are third with 14 gold, 10 silver and 15 bronze for 39 in total.
Barbados are fourth with 11 gold, 11 silver and six bronze for 28 in total with Jamaica fifth with 11 gold, eight silver and 12 bronze for 31 in total. Barbados are ahead of Jamaica because they have more silver medals.
Clive Cox can justifiably target all the major sprints on home soil this summer with Diligent Harry following a fine effort in defeat on Dubai World Cup night at Meydan on Saturday.
Following successive Listed wins on the all-weather in February, the six-year-old faced a step up to Group One level for the Al Quoz Sprint and emerged with plenty of credit after passing the post in third place behind Hong Kong speedster California Spangle and Charlie Appleby’s Star Of Mystery.
An appearance at Royal Ascot looks likely to be on Diligent Harry’s agenda, with next month’s 1895 Duke of York Stakes at the Dante meeting a potential port of call along the way.
“I was thrilled with how he ran on Saturday – very, very pleased,” said Cox.
“He’d always promised at home that we had a big performance in him and to justify that with that run, on the back of two Listed wins this year, was absolutely wonderful. I’m really proud that he’d produced what we always hoped and believed was there.
“He appears to have come out of the race well and travels back home later in the week. He’s effective at five and six (furlongs), which is great, and ground is more suitable drier than wetter for him.
“We’ll see how he comes back. He has got an entry in the Duke of York, but we’ll see how he comes home first and gather our thoughts.”
Oisin Murphy has announced he will miss the Craven Meeting after breaking the whip rules at Newcastle on Good Friday.
The rider said he was found to have used his whip once more than the permitted six strikes when beaten just over five lengths in fifth aboard Vaguely Royal in the BetUK All-Weather Championships Marathon Handicap.
Murphy’s initial penalty was four days, but the value of the race means it is doubled to eight days, although he had two days deducted in recognition of his previous good conduct.
In a post on X, Murphy said: “I’ve picked up a six-day suspension for one strike too many on Vaguely Royal on Good Friday when finishing fifth in the Marathon.
“This was a genuine mistake and I didn’t purposely use my whip once more than permitted. As the race was worth £150k total prize money, my suspension should’ve been eight days but the fact I’ve not been suspended for a whip breach in over 200 rides, it’s been reduced by two days.
“Had I committed the same breach in the Listed Burradon Stakes on the card when finishing a narrowly-beaten second, I would be facing a two-day ban. I will miss April 12,13,15,16,17,18. The entire Craven meeting.
“I will endeavour not to fall foul of these whip rules as the penalties are costly.”
The three-day fixture at Newmarket features the first Classic trials of the season in the Nell Gwyn and Craven Stakes.
Wathnan Racing have extended their British presence further with the appointment of champion-elect Qatari trainer Hamad Al-Jehani in Newmarket.
Al-Jehani will be based in the lower yard of Tom Clover’s Kremlin House Stable and will initially train a small string owned by Wathnan, the racing operation of Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
The 35-year-old began training in 2013 and now oversees a stable of 80 horses in Doha, where he will remain for the winter having already trained 53 winners during their season.
He said: “I am excited to have the chance to train in Newmarket. It’s an amazing opportunity for me to work in this historic training centre.
“I have been attending the sales in Newmarket for many years and have long been an admirer of the world-class facilities. I’m really looking forward to getting started.”
Olly Tait, Wathnan Racing adviser, said: “Hamad’s had a brilliant first season training Wathnan horses in Qatar and we are delighted to be giving him this experience.
“Alban de Mieulle, who also trains for Wathnan in Qatar, takes a number of horses to France in the summer and had great success with Bolthole last year. It would be wonderful if Hamad can do something similar in Newmarket.’
Al-Jehani has secured the services of Tommy Allen as his assistant trainer and he leaves the stable of George Boughey to take up the post.
Boughey said: “I am obviously very sorry to lose Tommy after what has been a hugely successful three years together but he is leaving very
much with our blessing.
“It’s a great chance for him and I’ve no doubt he will be an enormous asset to Hamad Al-Jehani. Henry Morshead has worked with me and Tommy for the past season and will take over his place.”
England’s Vickii Cornborough has announced her retirement from international rugby, saying she does not feel mentally ready to return after giving birth to twins last summer.
The 34-year-old Harlequins prop made her England debut in 2015 and went on to win 75 caps, six Six nations titles and reached two World Cup finals.
In her role as vice-chair of the Rugby Players’ Association she was instrumental in the creation of the Rugby Football Union’s updated maternity policy, which was introduced last year.
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Cornborough told BBC Sport: “I’m probably the strongest I’ve ever been but I’m just not there yet mentally because having twins is really hard.
“Living off a couple of hours of sleep a night is not conducive to a high-performance pressure environment.
“Stepping away from the Red Roses and announcing my retirement is the right thing for me to do.”
She added: “It’s a big weight off my shoulders to finally admit it to myself and say I’m ready (to retire).
“It’s a life-changing decision. It’s something I’m excited but nervous about because England has been my life for the last 10 years.”
Ted Walsh admitted to having mixed emotions after his stable stalwart Any Second Now roared back to form to fill the runner-up spot in the BoyleSports Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse.
It is five years since the JP McManus-owned veteran claimed Cheltenham Festival glory in the Kim Muir and he was a leading contender for that season’s Irish National when falling at the eighth fence.
As well as winning twice at Grade Two and Grade Three level, Any Second Now has since placed twice in the Grand National at Aintree, finishing third behind the Rachael Blackmore-ridden Minella Times on his first attempt in 2021 before picking up the silver medal behind Noble Yeats 12 months later.
The 12-year-old was pulled up when bidding to make it third time lucky on Merseyside last April and has largely struggled since, but showed his true colours when finishing best of the rest behind the six years younger Intense Raffles on Easter Monday, leaving his trainer delighted but disappointed.
Walsh said: “He’s come out of the race 100 per cent, I’m delighted with the way he ran but gutted that he got beat!
“We have no plans at the moment, Punchestown is only a month away and he won’t be going there. He’ll go to Martinstown (McManus’ stud), we’ll have a look at him and see what happens after that.
“I’m proud of how he ran, but at the same time we were beaten. We played a great game but the other team won!”
Auston Matthews scored two more goals to push his league-leading total to 62, and the Toronto Maple Leafs withstood a third-period rally from the Florida Panthers to hold on for a 6-4 win in a potential first-round play-off matchup on Monday.
Matthews added an assist to help Toronto to its third consecutive victory, which moved the Maple Leafs within four points of Florida for second place in the Atlantic Division. The two teams are currently on course to meet in the Eastern Conference quarter-finals.
Nicholas Robertson and Matthew Knies each contributed a goal and an assist for Toronto, which built a 5-1 lead after two periods before the Panthers scored three straight goals in the third.
Robertson and Matthews both lit the lamp in the opening period to stake the Leafs to a 2-0 advantage before Florida trimmed the deficit on Brandon Montour's goal 47 seconds into the second.
Toronto responded quickly as Tyler Bertuzzi scored off a Matthews feed just 39 seconds later, and goals by David Kampf and Knies before the end of the period increased the Maple Leafs' cushion to 5-1.
The Panthers pulled goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky at the second intermission after the veteran stopped just 11 of 16 shots.
Florida's offence came to life in the third, as Vladimir Tarasenko redirected Niko Mikkola's shot past Toronto netminder Ilya Samsonov just 2:12 into the period and Sam Reinhart cut the lead to 5-3 with 8:02 left to play on his 52nd goal of the season.
With replacement goaltender Anthony Stolarz pulled for an extra attacker, Sam Bennett brought Florida within one when his wrist shot beat Samsonov with 1:50 remaining.
The Panthers couldn't come up with the equaliser, though, and Matthews sealed the outcome with an empty-netter with 46 seconds left.
Tarasenko ended with a goal and two assists for Florida, which has lost three of four. Stolarz stopped all six shots he faced in relief.
Samsonov finished with 26 saves.
Crosby, Penguins halt Rangers' win streak
Sidney Crosby led the way with two goals and an assist as the Pittsburgh Penguins put an end to the New York Rangers' five-game winning streak with a 5-2 victory.
Bryan Rust also scored twice to back 28 saves from Alex Nedeljkovic as the Penguins extended their point streak to five games (3-0-2). Pittsburgh currently sits five points out of a play-off spot in the Eastern Conference.
Nedeljkovic made 10 first-period saves and Rust quickly put Pittsburgh ahead by knocking in a rebound of Crosby's shot just 18 seconds into the contest.
Crosby made it a 2-0 lead midway through the opening period and after a scoreless second, Emil Bernstrom converted a breakaway chance 9:51 into the third to increase the Penguins' margin.
The Rangers regrouped to cut their deficit to 3-2 on goals by Kaapo Kakko and Jack Roslovic, the last coming with 3:07 left to play. New York pulled goaltender Igor Shesterkin in the closing stages, but fell further behind as both Rust and Crosby scored into an empty net inside the final 2 1/2 minutes.
Shesterkin turned aside just 15 of 18 shots to have a three-start winning streak snapped.
Blues continue post-season push with overtime win over Oilers
Brandon Saad scored 2:09 into overtime as the St. Louis Blues continued their late-season push for a play-off spot with a 3-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers.
Brayden Schenn accounted for both St. Louis goals in regulation to help the Blues improve to 8-2-1 over their last 11 games. The surge has brought St. Louis within three points of the Los Angeles Kings, who were dealt a 4-3 loss by the Winnipeg Jets on Monday, for the Western Conference's final wild-card berth.
The Blues trailed 1-0 after one period, but Jordan Binnington stopped all 13 Edmonton shots in the second and Schenn tied the game with a power-play goal 8:15 into the middle stanza.
Schenn struck again 1:44 into the third before the Oilers drew back even when Leon Draisaitl stuffed a feed from Connor McDavid past Binnington with 5:25 remaining in regulation.
Edmonton committed a costly giveaway in the neutral zone during overtime, though, which led to Saad scoring on a breakaway for his fifth goal in six games.
Mattias Ekholm recorded the Oilers' first goal and added an assist on Draisaitl's 39th tally of the season.
Binnington ended with 36 saves and Stuart Skinner stopped 26 shots for Edmonton.
AP McCoy broke Sir Gordon Richards’ 55-year record for winners in a season when he got his 270th win at Warwick on this day in 2002.
After earlier equalling the record of 269 winners on Shepherds Rest, McCoy followed up by taking the Leek Wooton Novices’ Handicap Hurdle.
McCoy displayed the tenacity that earned him record after record during his career with a typically strong ride on his boss Martin Pipe’s Valfonic.
The four-year-old looked to be struggling but McCoy conjured a run out of Pipe’s horse to seal his place in racing history.
And McCoy said: “Obviously it’s brilliant to get there in the end. It’s taken a while as I keep saying I can’t make the horses go any faster as much as I’d like to be able to but I can’t.
“I actually thought I would struggle today as I thought Shampooed, Shepherds Rest and this one just had chances and I’m obviously really pleased that all three have won.”
Pipe was quick to praise his stable jockey, with whom he enjoyed so much success.
He said: “Brilliant wasn’t it? It’s absolutely brilliant that he should beat Sir Gordon Richards’ record and I’m thrilled to bits for him.
“I’m highly delighted he was on one of my horses. He deserves it, he’s a dedicated, brilliant jockey.
“Only this morning he was down schooling my team of horses for the National over National fences that we built.
“Not only did he school his own ride but other people’s too. He’s a fabulous, generous team player.”
McCoy retired in April 2015 with 4,358 winners to his name.
Devin Booker racked up 52 points with a prolific shooting display that carried the Phoenix Suns to a 124-111 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday to tighten the Western Conference play-off race.
The win moved Phoenix within one game of New Orleans in the battle for the important No. 6 seed in the West. The top six teams in each conference are guaranteed a spot in the quarter-final round of the post-season, while teams seven through 10 will be forced to compete in the play-in tournament.
Phoenix was able to narrow the gap primarily behind Booker, who finished 19 of 28 from the field and 8 of 16 from 3-point range while adding nine assists.
The Suns also received 19 points and 19 rebounds from Jusuf Nurkic, while Kevin Durant had 20 points to help send the Pelicans to a second straight loss.
Both Booker and the Suns got off to sizzling starts, as the All-Star guard tallied 24 first-quarter points on 8-of-10 shooting during a dominant opening quarter. Seventeen of those points came during a 30-7 run that staked Phoenix to a 44-20 lead with under two minutes to go in the period.
Phoenix ended the first quarter up 46-28 and carried a 74-54 advantage into half-time with Booker amassing 37 points on 14-of-18 shooting over the first two quarters.
The Pelicans trailed by as many as 27 points in the second half but did make a belated push to get back in it, as Zion Williamson sparked an 8-0 run that CJ McCollum capped with a 3-pointer to pull New Orleans within 115-108 with 2:46 left.
That was as close as the Pelicans would get, however, as Booker scored his final two points on a layup with 1:34 to go that gave Phoenix a 119-110 lead.
Williamson paced New Orleans with 30 points and Trey Murphy recorded 21 in the loss.
Krejci's perfect shooting night helps Hawks down Bulls
Vit Krejci went 6 of 6 from 3-point range for a career-high 18 points to help the surging Atlanta Hawks to a 113-101 win over the Chicago Bulls in a matchup of potential Eastern Conference play-in teams.
Krejci's flawless shooting, along with 20 points and six assists from Bogdan Bogdanović, powered the Hawks to a fifth win in six games and moved them within a half-game of ninth-place Chicago in the East standings. Dejounte Murray added 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists for Atlanta.
The Bulls got 31 points from DeMar DeRozan but failed to match Atlanta's accuracy from the perimeter, as they shot just 25 per cent (7 of 28) from 3-point range compared to 47.5 per cent (19 of 40) for the Hawks.
Krejci scored 15 points in the first half as Atlanta took a 61-53 lead into the break before extending the margin in the third quarter.
A DeAndre Hunter 3-pointer followed by Clint Capela's alley-oop dunk increased the Hawks' advantage to 75-62 five minutes into the third quarter, and Atlanta built a 90-74 lead entering the fourth after Garrison Mathews knocked down a triple in the final seconds of the third.
Coby White added 22 points for Chicago, which lost for the fifth time in seven games, while Andre Drummond accumulated 13 points and 18 rebounds off the bench.
Tatum, Hauser key Celtics' win over Hornets
Jayson Tatum and Sam Hauser had 25 points each as the East-leading Boston Celtics stayed hot with a 118-104 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.
Tatum added 10 rebounds and Hauser went 7 of 11 on 3-point attempts as the Celtics posted their 11th win in their last 13 games. Boston, which has already clinched the East's No. 1 play-off seed, also received 20 points from Kristaps Porzingis and 19 from Derrick White.
Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges each had 14 first-half points to keep the underdog Hornets close for much of the first two quarters. The teams were tied at 53-53 with under two minutes to go until half-time before the Celtics closed out the second quarter with six straight points to forge ahead.
Boston then got further separation by outscoring Charlotte by a 36-26 margin in the third quarter, which Hauser capped with a 3-pointer to extend the lead to 95-79. Porzingis recorded 11 of his points during the period.
Bridges ended with 26 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists in Charlotte's eighth loss in its past nine games. Miller finished with 19 points and Grant Williams had 23 along with seven rebounds for the Hornets.
Vontae Davis, the former Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts cornerback, has died suddenly at the age of 35.
His former teams and team-mates came together to play tribute to Davis, a two-time Pro Bowl player in 2014 and 2015, after he was found unresponsive in a Fort Lauderdale residence.
No cause of death has been announced, with the investigating Davie Police Department reportedly suggesting no foul play is suspected.
The Colts, where Davis played between 2012-17, said on X: “We are devastated to hear of Vontae Davis’s passing. He will be deeply missed, and we send our prayers to his family and loved ones.
“He was a standout player in his six seasons with the Horseshoe, but he was an even better team-mate who carried a smile and positive energy every day.”
The Dolphins, who gave him his NFL break after his college football success with Illinois, posted: “We are heartbroken by the sudden passing of former Dolphins CB Vontae Davis and extend our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”
Those who shared the field with Davis also took to social media with their own marks of respect, with Kenny Moore II declaring: “It hurts to see the news OG. You a legend VD.”
Reggie Wayne, the retired wide receiver and former colleague at Indianapolis, wrote: “Sad Day. It was a pleasure wearing the horseshoe with you homie. Rest easy Champ.”
Davis, brother of Super Bowl winner Vernon, ended his professional career in 2018 by retiring midway through a game for the Bulls.
After a five-timer at Fairyhouse on Sunday, it was a slightly quieter afternoon for the all-conquering Willie Mullins on the final day of the track’s Easter meeting.
While hopes were high for his runners in the feature BoyleSports Irish Grand National, the Closutton representatives were out of luck, with 20-1 chance Minella Cocooner faring best in third under Danny Mullins.
That said, it was still a hat-trick of winners for the champion trainer, after Implicit got him off the mark in the opener before he finished with a double in the two races that brought the curtain down on the card.
It was Minella Cocooner’s rider who got Macdermott (5-1) home in front in the first of those, the Envirogreen Building Services Handicap Chase over three miles and half a furlong.
Mullins said: “He’s been running over trips that were too short, but we couldn’t find races for him.
“Today was the first time he got his ground and trip. He’s a horse that I’d be really looking forward to going over extended trips in the future, in some of the those bigger handicaps.
“He could be an Irish National horse or one for Aintree, any of those extended races.
“I think he’s only coming to himself. He’s a very gross horse and it’s taken me a long time to get him fit.”
Jody Townend – who rode a Grade Two winner over hurdles for the stable on Sunday – then took the Leinster Reinforcements & Brazil Piling (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race with Redemption Day (2-1 joint-favourite).
Mullins said: “He’s had his problems but he’s coming right now, even on ground he didn’t like there.
“Jody got him lovely and settled and was able to use his bit of class.
“I think now we’ll head to Punchestown for the Champion Bumper.
“He has a little bit of class and hopefully he’ll go novice hurdling after that.”
In sixth place for Mullins in the National was We’llhavewan, who in turn was one place in front of his stablemate and 4-1 favourite Nick Rockett.
Mullins said: “I was really pleased with Minella Cocooner, he ran a cracker.
“Nick Rockett ran well as well, but just had too much weight.
“We’llhavewan just didn’t get home today but we do know he stays that trip.”
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