Despite a reduced number of runners, down to 34 from 40, and extra safety measures making the fences less daunting, the Randox Grand National remains by far the most popular race of the year in terms of public interest.
Here, we are taking a look at what to expect from this year’s Aintree spectacular:
How much money is bet on the Grand National?
It is estimated that more than 600 million people watch the big race worldwide across 140 countries, including 7.5 million ITV viewers in the UK alone, and according to industry research conducted by the Betting and Gaming Council, approximately £250m will be staked on the main event.
BGC CEO Michael Dugher said: “Millions of us from all different backgrounds will once again come together to watch the Grand National and have a flutter on the world’s most famous horserace. It is an occasion like no other and demonstrates once again sport’s unique ability to bring the whole nation together.”
Jack Shelley, deputy director of horse racing at William Hill, the official betting partner of the Grand National Festival, said: “As ever, the Grand National’s dominance in turnover makes it a flagship event on the racing and sporting calendar for us, with its profits surpassing the Cheltenham Gold Cup by sixfold and the Derby by tenfold.”
How do people pick out their National selections?
According to a Paddy Power poll, conducted by Research Without Barriers, the public are most likely to consider factors including the horse’s odds (28 per cent), a name with a personal meaning (24 per cent) or the horse’s form (22 per cent) to guide their judgement.
Nicola McGeady of Ladbrokes said: “Punters love to back a horse because they simply like the name and Panda Boy seems to be capturing the public’s imagination right now, while we fully expect the likes of Mr Incredible to be popular picks on the day.”
Which horses will be suited by the wet spring this year?
Although fears of an Aintree mudbath to match Red Marauder’s year have receded, many punters will still be keen to side with confirmed soft-ground specialists and several entries stand out on past evidence, including 2022 hero Noble Yeats, who has picked up a couple of victories with heavy in the going description.
Nassalam was a runaway winner of the Welsh Grand National on bottomless ground, galloping his rivals into submission to prevail by 34 lengths, while Irish Grand National star I Am Maximus beat Vanillier by 14 lengths in the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse in February on soft to heavy.
Cheltenham Festival Mares’ Chase scorer Limerick Lace loves plenty of cut underfoot and has a couple of heavy-ground wins on her CV, Galia Des Liteaux landed two novice chase victories in similar conditions last winter and among the outsiders, Ain’t That A Shame has three strikes with heavy in the going description after January’s Thyestes triumph.
What happened when the Grand National previously took place in testing conditions?
Tiger Roll led home 12 finishers when claiming the first of his two victories in 2018, a race which got off to a steady start but then saw a dozen runners pulled up on the second circuit. Many experts did feel the going was not too bad on that occasion, though.
Organisers will be desperate to avoid a repeat of the 2001 renewal on heavy ground, which could only be described as very eventful! The aforementioned Red Marauder ran out the 33-1 winner by a distance from Smarty in a chaotic race which had only four finishers from 40 starters – and two of those to complete the course had to be remounted.
Tony McCoy got back up on Blowing Wind and Ruby Walsh remounted Papillon after both came down at the 19th fence, but they were a long way adrift in third and fourth respectively.
Winning rider Richard Guest said: “I’ve never run in worse conditions. I was in two minds whether we should be out there. He (Red Marauder) nearly went down five times.”
Earth Summit prevailed when only six runners made it home on heavy ground in 1998, while the same number completed when Minnehoma scored four years earlier in similar conditions.
In three of the four races mentioned above, all of the horses returned home safely, but a trio of fallers were fatally injured during the 1998 renewal.
Have changes been made to reduce the risk of more mishaps?
Absolutely. Much has been made of how the Aintree fences have been scaled down in size, as well as the difficulty of the ditches being reduced, but other factors contributed to the 2001 debacle and they have also been addressed in recent times.
There was a spate of early fallers 23 years ago, with 10 runners coming a cropper at the first four fences. This year, it is hoped that implementing a standing start and moving the first fence 60 yards closer to the start will slow down the opening stages of the race and reduce any initial recklessness.
The other major problem in 2001 was loose horses. Third-fence faller Paddy’s Return carried on and contributed towards a pile-up at the Canal Turn, where 10 runners bowed out. Subsequent winner Amberleigh House was one of four to be brought down in the melee, while joint-favourite Moral Support was among four to refuse during the pandemonium.
Only seven were left standing heading out onto the second circuit, with commentator John Hunt stating: “There are loose horses everywhere.” At the 19th fence, a couple of them veered wildly across the course and caused another incident, with four runners hampered, albeit the afore-mentioned Blowing Wind and Papillon got going again.
It is hoped that cutting down the maximum number of runners to a safety limit of 34 will reduce the risk of such incidents during the race, while alterations made to the alignment of the running rail on the inside of the Grand National course should assist with the early capture of loose horses, alongside the past introduction of more run-out points from which they can leave the racing circuit.
Clerk of the course Sulekha Varma said: “One of our key areas of focus is reducing the risk of incidents during the race. We know from research papers and internal analysis of jump races that there is a direct correlation between the number of runners and the risk of falling, unseating or being brought down.”
Sire Du Berlais bids to join the staying hurdling greats when he goes in search of a JRL Group Liverpool Hurdle hat-trick at Aintree.
Gordon Elliott’s evergreen 12-year-old was a shock 16-1 winner when denying Flooring Porter in 2022 and then drew clear of Marie’s Rock when defending his title in style 12 months ago, supplementing the Stayers’ Hurdle success he enjoyed at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival.
The JP McManus-owned veteran could only finish fifth at Prestbury Park this time around, but is reported to have bounced out of that race in great order ahead of his quest for more glory in the north west.
“He ran quite well at Cheltenham and has come out of the race really well,” said Frank Berry, racing manager to McManus.
“Gordon is really happy with him and hopefully he will run a big race again on Saturday.
“He was very good when he won here last year, he came from a long way back and he’s sure to run a good race.
“He’s been a great horse – a horse of a lifetime really – and he’s in good form and will give a good account.”
Flooring Porter has twice hit the frame in Liverpool and having also rattled the crossbar behind Teahupoo at the Cheltenham Festival, trainer Gavin Cromwell is hoping his long-time stable star can finally get his moment in the Merseyside spotlight.
“He’s come out of Cheltenham well and he ran a cracker in Cheltenham – hopefully he can go one better here,” said the County Meath handler.
“He enjoys Liverpool and seems in good nick, so hopefully he can have a good chance.”
John ‘Shark’ Hanlon rerouted King George hero Hewick from the Bowl on Thursday to this Grade One equivalent over the smaller obstacles, while also switching to timber is Willie Mullins’ Monkfish, who brought the house down when winning the Galmoy Hurdle in January but was pulled up over fences in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
The Irish challenge is bolstered Henry de Bromhead’s Boyne Hurdle winner Hiddenvalley Lake, the sole representative of owners Robcour, while Paul Gilligan’s Buddy One ran with real credit when fourth in the Stayers’ Hurdle, with connections eyeing going one better than when second at this meeting in handicap company 12 months ago.
“From his Stayers’ run it puts him there with a chance,” said Gilligan.
“He’s in great form, but I would like the ground to dry out a bit. He’s in good order, we’re here and looking forward to it and please God he will run well.
“He ran so well here last year we said we would come back here after Cheltenham. Hopefully he comes out on top this time. If he does then super, if not but he puts in a good performance, we will be happy as well.”
British hopes could rest on a return to form for the Fergal O’Brien-trained Long Walk Hurdle victor Crambo.
The seven-year-old announced himself as the young gun of the staying hurdles division when downing Paisley Park at Ascot but rather disappointed at the Cheltenham Festival when well held in ninth.
“He was a bit disappointing at Cheltenham, but I thought maybe the track didn’t quite suit him,” said Noel Fehily, racing manager to Crambo’s co-owner Chris Giles.
“He definitely underperformed and we’re hoping he can bounce back on Saturday. He’s in great form and we’re just hoping for a nice run.
“He’s been a super little horse and hopefully he can continue to be on Saturday.”
The John and Yvonne Stone-owned Botox Has was last seen winning Haydock’s Rendlesham Hurdle and following up in this could set the team of Caoilin Quinn and trainer Gary Moore up perfectly for their Grand National tilt with Nassalam less than an hour later.
Olly Murphy’s Strong Leader was third beaten little over a length in his first try at three miles in the Cleeve Hurdle, while Jeremy Scott’s Dashel Drasher is a standing dish in these contests and his team are keen to take advantage of the unseasonably testing conditions.
“It’s a bit of a bonus run with him really as usually we get to Aintree and the ground isn’t suitable for him, but for once it looks like the ground will be okay this year,” said Scott.
“He’s in good form, but as I say it’s more of a bonus run with him really rather than a grand plan.”
Another seasoned campaigner, Nicky Henderson’s Champ, along with Dan Skelton’s Proschema complete the field of 12.
The eyes of the racing world will be focussed on Aintree at 4pm on Saturday for what promises to be another pulsating renewal of the Randox Grand National. Here are the thoughts of some of the connections hoping to strike gold in the world’s most famous steeplechase:
Trainer Emmet Mullins – Noble Yeats (11st 12lb)
“Noble is great, he got the ferry over on Thursday. He’s had a good prep and came out of Cheltenham very well. The ground has to be seen as a bit of a negative as his best form is on nice spring ground, but he’s in good form and hopefully he’ll run a good race.
“He’s got top-weight now but he’s only got 1lb more to carry than if Conflated was running so that’s neither here nor there. He’s got the weight for a good reason and ran a brilliant race with similar last year.
“Hopefully the route we’ve gone this year, Stayers’ Hurdle rather than Gold Cup, will just leave him that little bit fresher.”
Trainer Gordon Elliott – Coko Beach (11st 8lb), Delta Work (11st 4lb), Galvin (11st 2lb), Farouk D’Alene (11st 1lb), Run Wild Fred (10st 10lb), Minella Crooner (10st 10lb), Chemical Energy (10st 9lb), The Goffer (10st 8lb)
“To be honest the ground has gone against a few of then, Galvin would have loved a bit of better ground. Delta Work and Coko Beach are probably the pick of them on the ground.
“Coko Beach loves the mud, he’s probably not that well handicapped but hopefully he’ll run well.
“I’m really happy with Delta, he’s never been working as well and I haven’t had him moving as well in the last two years. I’m looking forward to it.”
Trainer Henry de Bromhead – Minella Indo (11st 6lb), Ain’t That A Shame (10st 13lb), Eklat De Rire (10st 7lb)
“Minella Indo would obviously have a squeak, he has a good chance on his best form.
“Ain’t That A Shame ran well in the race last year, David Maxwell is on him and hopefully he’ll give him a good spin round. He was very good in the Thyestes.
“Eklat De Rire was disappointing at Cheltenham, we felt he was coming back before that. He’s in good form and we’re hoping that type of race will bring him back.
“I think drying ground would suit Indo, probably the other two like a bit of dig in the ground.”
Trainer Dan Skelton – Galia Des Liteaux (10st 7lb)
“She loves the soft ground and I think she’ll stay the trip, you can never absolutely certain until they have but everything about her says she’ll stay it.
“She’s in great form and we’ve trained her specifically for it, just like everyone else in the race has. There are no negatives.
“There’s a lot of water to go under that bridge (trainers’ championship), but having good chances at this meeting with the prize-money on offer there is obviously very important.”
Jockey James Reveley – Roi Mage (10st 8lb)
“He’s a horse I’ve ridden a few times and I know quite well. I’d ridden him in France and I thought he’d be a good National type.
“I think things have gone a bit better for him this year, his last run was good, very solid, and I liked how he stayed on to the line.
“They campaign him quietly, they don’t over-race him and that’s good for an older horse. He enjoys his life with the Griffins in Ireland and I’m quietly confident.”
Trainer Gary Moore – Nassalam (11st 8lb)
“He couldn’t be in a better place at home and I’m really happy with him. Everything has gone to plan except the sun has come out and it’s drying the ground out and I can’t see any rain about.
“The fact he’s got so much weight, it will be easier to carry it on better ground. But he is a stone better horse on heavy ground and it just limits his chances a bit to be honest.
“I would rather have deep ground and he will probably have two things against him now – the weight and the ground.”
Trainer Tom Ellis – Latenightpass (10st 10lb)
“It’s a big day and arguably our biggest, but I’m looking forward to it.
“We’ve had a really good run with him coming into the race to be fair and we’ve had a nice run with him.
“He looks really well and he’s done all his work now and we’ve had this in mind since December. It’s just been a case of following the plan since.
“The fences and the course are not a worry with him, but the ground would be a slight concern. Although it’s the same for them all and at least Latenightpass has won on soft and heavy before anyway. Hopefully he will run well.”
Assistant trainer Patrick Mullins – I Am Maximus (11st 6lb), Meetingofthewaters (10st 8lb), Mr Incredible (10st 11lb), Stattler (11st 5lb)
“It’s obviously going to dry up before Saturday and I imagine it will be sticky rather than wet.
“I Am Maximus has a big engine but I’m not sure how his jumping will stand up. In the Irish National he jumped himself out of it in the first two miles then got back into it but that is a lot harder to do over here. His best form seems to be right-handed at Fairyhouse even though he jumps left so he has a few questions to answer.
“Meetingofthewaters I think has a great profile, he is a young horse and unexposed and it was a great run at Cheltenham. He’ll have to settle and that will be a big thing for him – he was a bit keen at Cheltenham. I think he has a lovely racing weight and he’s right down the bottom really.
“Mr Incredible is a bit of a maverick and the standing start is a bit of a concern for him, he doesn’t need any encouragement to stand still for any length of time. If he does jump off, he was running a cracker here last year and this place lights him up a bit so you would have to take him seriously as well.
“I’m riding Stattler and I would have to worry about the ground for him, it will need to dry up. For me the National is the race that counts and if you are not in it you can’t win it. Any chance I get to ride in it, I’ll be taking it ”
Trainer Mouse Morris – Foxy Jacks (11st 4lb)
“It’s been a very lucky place for me, I’ve had a good few winners here and I’ve been lucky enough to win the big one before.
“Foxy Jacks is jumping super and he gave an exhibition at Cheltenham in the cross-country (in November). The handicapper hasn’t been good to him and gave him 8lb for winning the cross-country and I think Hewick only got 2lb for winning the King George so I can’t work out the mathematics.
“It’s a big day and a big race so we will let him take his chance. He’s 10 now and very easy to train now so I’m not worried (about the cross-country being cancelled at the Cheltenham Festival).
“He probably won’t be at his best in the ground and I think it is whoever gets round that will win. We live and dream, there’s no point sleeping if you don’t dream.”
Jess Breach insists England enter unknown territory when they meet a rapidly improving Scotland in the Guinness Women’s Six Nations on Saturday.
The Red Roses have not lost in the fixture since suffering an 8-5 defeat in 1998 but that record faces its sternest test yet at a sold-out Hive Stadium in Edinburgh, where a record crowd of 7,774 will be attendance.
Scotland toppled Wales in Cardiff in round one before being edged by France a week later and, having won the WXV 2 tournament in October, there is evidence the 28 professional contracts awarded at the end of 2022 are raising standards.
England remain favourites but wing Breach insists the element of jeopardy is good for the Red Rose and the Six Nations.
“It is going to be a really competitive game. And we’ve probably never been in this scenario with Scotland before,” said Breach, who has won on all 35 of her caps.
“Everyone’s really excited because it’s going to be challenging for us. Hopefully we can showcase really good rugby for the fans.
“It’s great for the competition. You can see that every nation is getting better after being contracted.
“Italy put up a great fight against us in the first half, so it just shows that if money is pumped into the game and players are allowed to go full time, the Six Nations gets better.”
Demonstrating the growth of women’s rugby is that Scotland’s victory 26 years ago was staged at an independent school in Edinburgh, compared to a packed Hive Stadium in 2024.
“It feels like we’re growing and heading in the right direction. Every nation wants big crowds,” Breach said.
“That’s happening at the moment and heading into the 2025 World Cup we should be able to sell most stadiums out. It’s exciting and who doesn’t want to be part of women’s rugby?”
Lewis Hamilton will make his Ferrari debut in Australia after Formula One’s bosses announced next season’s record-equalling 24-round calendar.
Hamilton, 39, is set to realise a childhood dream when he swaps Mercedes for Ferrari in 2025, with the seven-time world champion’s opening race to take place in Melbourne on March 16.
It will mark the first time since 2019 that the F1 season has kicked off at Albert Park after the following year’s scheduled opener was cancelled at the last minute amid the outbreak of coronavirus.
The 2025 campaign is due to end in Abu Dhabi on December 7, with the British Grand Prix – starting the first of its new 10-year contract extension at Silverstone – on July 6.
Triple world champion Max Verstappen has been vocal in his criticism at the ever-expanding length of the F1 schedule.
But for next season, at least, there will be no new additions to the calendar.
The campaign has started in Bahrain for the past four seasons, but with Ramadan staged throughout March in 2025, the rounds in the Gulf kingdom, and in Saudi Arabia, will be pushed back to April.
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said: “2025 will be a special year as we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Formula One World Championship, and it’s that legacy and experience that allows us to deliver such a strong calendar.
“Once again, we’ll visit 24 incredible venues around the world, delivering top-class racing, hospitality, and entertainment, which will be enjoyed by millions of fans worldwide.
“I would also like to pay tribute to our F1 teams and drivers, the heroes of our sport, and our fans around the world for continuing to follow Formula One with such incredible enthusiasm.”
After four rounds of the current season, Verstappen holds a 13-point championship lead in his bid to secure four consecutive world titles. The next race takes place in Shanghai a week on Sunday.
Full 2025 F1 calendar
March 16 – Australian Grand Prix (Melbourne)
March 23 – Chinese Grand Prix (Shanghai)
April 6 – Japanese Grand Prix (Suzuka)
April 13 – Bahrain Grand Prix (Sakhir)
April 20 – Saudi Arabian Grand Prix (Jeddah)
May 4 – Miami Grand Prix (Miami)
May 18 – Emilia Romagna Grand Prix (Imola)
May 25 – Monaco Grand Prix (Monte Carlo)
June 1 – Spanish Grand Prix (Barcelona)
June 15 – Canadian Grand Prix (Montreal)
June 29 – Austrian Grand Prix (Spielberg)
July 6 – British Grand Prix (Silverstone)
July 27 – Belgian Grand Prix (Spa-Francorchamps)
August 3 – Hungarian Grand Prix (Hungaroring)
August 31 – Dutch Grand Prix (Zandvoort)
September 7 – Italian Grand Prix (Monza)
September 21 – Azerbaijan Grand Prix (Baku)
October 5 – Singapore Grand Prix (Marina Bay)
October 19 – United States Grand Prix (Austin)
October 26 – Mexico City Grand Prix (Mexico City)
November 9 – Brazilian Grand Prix (Interlagos)
November 22 – Las Vegas Grand Prix (Las Vegas)
November 30 – Qatar Grand Prix (Lusail)
December 7 – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (Yas Marina)
From the Grand National at Aintree to the Masters at Augusta, a feast of live sporting action comes thick and fast this weekend.
The push for the Premier League title continues with Arsenal and Liverpool both playing on Sunday, while Leeds will be looking to maintain their promotion push in the Sky Bet Championship when they kick-off Saturday’s schedule.
There is also a clash between Scotland and England in the Guinness Women’s Six Nations, while the rugby union action continues with the Investec Champions Cup quarter-finals.
So sit back and relax with the remote as the PA news agency provides the essential guide of what to watch and where to catch all of the action.
Saturday
HORSE RACING
Grand National, Aintree – ITV1 1255
All eyes will be on Aintree at 1600BST for the world’s most famous horse race.
Last year’s winner Corach Rambler heads the field of 34, which has seen the limit cut down from 40 horses following a safety review.
Corach Rambler is bidding to follow Tiger Roll and Red Rum as a back-to-back Grand National winner, and looks likely to set off as favourite.
Could, though, Rachael Blackmore – the first female jockey to claim victory in the race three years ago – mount a challenge again on board former Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Minella Indo?
Scottish National winner Kitty’s Light is another expected to be well-fancied, as is last year’s runner-up Vanillier.
I Am Maximus and Meetingofthewaters will boost the Irish challenge along with Mr Incredible, all trained by Willie Mullins.
But, as always at the Grand National, it will be anyone’s race on the day – so pinstickers at the ready!
THE MASTERS
Sky Sports Golf 1500 & Sky Sports Main Event 2000
After a delayed start at Augusta, Bryson DeChambeau delivered a fine first-round display to take the clubhouse lead at seven under.
Amen Corner is sure to throw up plenty more challenges over the closing two rounds this weekend – but who will make the cut?
World number one Scottie Scheffler, the 2022 Masters champion, is expected to be among the contenders or can England’s Danny Willett, winner in 2016, still keep himself in the hunt?
Defending champion Jon Rahm looks to have work to do, as does Rory McIlroy – and how will Tiger Woods cope with the prospect of completing 23 holes in one day just to give himself a chance of making it through to the weekend? Stay tuned to find out!
PREMIER LEAGUE
Newcastle v Tottenham – TNT Sports 1 1100, Bournemouth v Manchester United – Sky Sports Main Event & Sky Sports Premier League 1700
Tottenham begin another full-on weekend of Premier League action in Saturday’s early kick-off at Newcastle.
Ange Postecoglou’s side are eyeing a top-four finish, but will injury-hit Newcastle rise to the challenge in front of their demanding home fans at St James’ Park?
Saturday’s top-flight schedule finishes at Bournemouth where Manchester United will be out to build on their 2-2 draw with title-chasing Liverpool.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Leeds v Blackburn – Sky Sports Football & Sky Sports Main Event 1200
With Championship leaders Leicester in action on Friday night (also available to armchair viewers), Leeds will be out to keep the pressure on promotion rivals Ipswich when they welcome Blackburn to Elland Road for Saturday’s 12.30pm kick-off.
Having dropped points again with a frustrating goalless draw at home to Sunderland on Tuesday night, Leeds boss Daniel Farke knows there is little margin for error.
Rovers, meanwhile, are fighting to stay clear of the relegation battle and manager John Eustace will be expecting a much-improved display from their midweek 5-0 thrashing at Bristol City.
RUGBY UNION
Women’s Six Nations, Scotland v England – BBC One 1400
England have thrashed Italy and Wales as they aim for a sixth straight Women’s Six Nations title.
However, facing Scotland at a sold-out Hive Stadium in Edinburgh is sure to provide the sternest test yet of this season’s tournament for the Red Roses.
England ran out 58-7 in last year’s showdown – but there will be no sense of complacency from John Mitchell’s side, who are set to be captained by Zoe Aldcroft.
Other Highlights
FOOTBALL: National League, Aldershot v Boreham Wood – TNT Sports 1 1700; Serie A, Torino v Juventus – TNT Sports 4 1715, Bologna v Monza – TNT Sports 1 1945; Bundesliga, Stuttgart v Eintract Frankfurt – Sky Sports Football 1920; LaLiga, Atletico Madrid v Girona – Viaplay Sports 1 & LaLiga TV 1300, Real Mallorca v Real Madrid – Viaplay Sports 1 & LaLiga TV 1730, Cadiz v Barcelona – Viaplay Sports 1 & LaLiga TV 2000; Scottish League One, Hamilton v Falkirk – BBC Alba 1730.
RUGBY UNION: Champions Cup quarter-finals, Bordeaux Begles v Harlequins – TNT Sports 3 1500, Leinster v La Rochelle – TNT Sports 3 1730, Northampton v Bulls – TNT Sports 3 2000, European Challenge Cup quarter-final, Clermont Auvergne v Ulster Rugby – TNT Sports 3 1215.
RUGBY LEAGUE: Challenge Cup quarter-final, Hull KR v Leigh – BBC Two England, BBC Two Scotland & BBC Two Wales 1645.
TENNIS: ATP, The Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters – Sky Sports Tennis 1000.
MOTOR CYCLING: MotoGP, Grand Prix of The Americas qualifying – TNT Sports 2 1645, Sprint race – TNT Sports 2 2030.
BOXING: Heavyweight, Jared Anderson v Ryad Merhy – Sky Sports Main Event & Sky Sports Action 0200 (Sun).
BASEBALL: MLB, Houston Astros v Texas Rangers – TNT Sports 4 2100, Arizona Diamondbacks v St. Louis Cardinals – TNT Sports 2 0100 (Sun).
Sunday
THE MASTERS
Sky Sports Golf 1500 & Sky Sports Main Event 1900
It is something all golfers dream off but who will be presented with the famous green jacket at Augusta on Sunday?
Can DeChambeau last the distance, flying the flag for LIV golf? And will Scheffler be able to maintain his challenge to deliver an American victory on home soil?
There is sure to be a thrilling finish and plenty more drama as the players head around Amen Corner for the last time – so where better to stay tuned in than from the comfort of your armchair? Just don’t drop the remote!
PREMIER LEAGUE
Premier League, Liverpool v Crystal Palace – Sky Sports Premier League 1300 & Sky Sports Main Event 1400, Arsenal v Aston Villa – Sky Sports Main Event & Sky Sports Premier League 1600
Premier League title challengers Liverpool and Arsenal are both back in domestic action on Sunday after differing fortunes in their midweek European ties.
The Reds are first up when they host Crystal Palace. Jurgen Klopp called Thursday’s 3-0 home defeat to Atalanta a “low point” in Liverpool’s season – and the Kop will need to be in full voice again to avoid another potential body blow.
Arsenal could well have been knocked off top spot when they run out at the Emirates Stadium against Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon.
Mikel Arteta will be hoping his side can maintain momentum from a late fightback to draw 2-2 against Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday night.
However, former Gunners boss Unai Emery has European ambitions of his own to maintain as Villa chase a top-four finish.
WOMEN’S FA CUP
Semi-finals, Tottenham v Leicester – BBC Two England, BBC Two Scotland & BBC Two Wales 1130, Manchester United v Chelsea – BBC One 1420
Following the international break, the Women’s FA Cup continues on Sunday, when the semi-finals will be live on TV.
Tottenham host Leicester with both teams aiming to reach the FA Cup final at Wembley for the first time.
Manchester United were FA Cup runners-up last season and will be looking to turn the tables on holders Chelsea, who are still chasing silverware on three fronts, when they clash at Leigh Sports Village on Sunday afternoon.
RUGBY UNION
Champions Cup quarter-final, Toulouse v Exeter – ITV 1430 & TNT Sports 1 1430
The weekend’s Champions Cup quarter-final action concludes on Sunday when Exeter head to Toulouse.
The Chiefs, who fought back to beat Bath in their last-16 tie, face the daunting challenge of going up against five-time champions Toulouse at the Stade Ernest-Wallon.
Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter, though, will be hoping his men can produce a repeat performance of when they kicked off their Champions Cup campaign with a thrilling 19-18 away victory over Toulon in the group stages at the start of December.
TENNIS
TENNIS: ATP, The Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters – Sky Sports Tennis 1000
The sporting stars have been out in Monte Carlo for this week’s ATP Rolex Masters.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, who won the tournament three years ago, is among those looking to make it to the final on Sunday.
With the world’s top two Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner also hoping to be in the mix, it could prove to be another classic match-up in the Principality.
Other Highlights
FOOTBALL: WSL, Arsenal v Bristol City – Sky Sports Premier League 1930; Cinch Premiership, Ross County v Rangers – Sky Sports Football & Sky Sports Main Event 1100; Serie A, Napoli v Frosinone – TNT Sports 2 1130, Sassuolo v AC Milan – TNT Sports 4 1400, Udinese v Roma – TNT Sports 3 1700, Inter Milan v Cagliari – TNT Sports 1 1930; Ligue 1, Le Havre v Nantes – TNT Sports 4 1200; La Liga, Las Palmas v Sevilla – Viaplay Sports 1 & LaLiga TV 1130, Granada v Alaves – Viaplay Sports 1 & LaLiga TV 1515, Athletic Bilbao v Villarreal – Viaplay Sports 1 & LaLiga TV 1730, Real Sociedad v Almeria – Viaplay Sports 1 & LaLiga TV 2000; Bundesliga, Darmstadt v Freiburg – Sky Sports Mix 1430, Bayer Leverkusen v Werder Bremen – Sky Sports Mix 1630.
RUGBY UNION: European Challenge Cup quarter-final, Benetton Treviso v Connacht – TNT Sports 1 1215.
RUGBY LEAGUE: Challenge Cup quarter-final, St Helens v Warrington – BBC Two 1630
MOTOR CYCLING: MotoGP, Grand Prix of The Americas – TNT Sports 2 1915.
CYCLING: Amstel Gold Race, Women’s race – Eurosport 1 1200, Men’s race – Eurosport 1 1330.
BASEBALL: MLB, Houston Astros v Texas Rangers – TNT Sports 4 1900, Los Angeles Dodgers v San Diego Padres – TNT Sports 1 0000 (Mon).
Lucinda Russell has her sights on another monumental day at Aintree when Corach Rambler defends his Randox Grand National title.
The 10-year-old ran out an impressive winner 12 months ago and will attempt to join the likes of Tiger Roll and the legendary Red Rum on the select list of back-to-back champions.
Buoyed by the performance of Ahoy Senor at the track on Thursday, the Scottish trainer is hopeful ahead of her Cheltenham Gold Cup third’s quest to join the Aintree immortals.
Russell – like her jockey Derek Fox also victorious with One For Arthur in 2017 – said: “I love coming to Aintree, we’ve had so many great days here and the crowd are always so appreciative, I feel a great affinity with it, it’s magic.
“I wish I could skip forward to Sunday, but I’m really hopeful and obviously watching Ahoy Senor has boosted his form again as the winner (Gerri Colombe) was just in front of him in the Gold Cup.
“We didn’t travel down until Thursday morning, which is different for us, but Scu (Peter Scudamore, assistant and partner) wanted to ride Corach on Thursday morning. The ground must be drying out and that is in his favour.”
Vanillier’s fast-finishing effort was ultimately in vain 12 months ago, but last year’s runner-up has been prepared with one day in mind as he bids to become the first grey in 12 years to win.
“We’ve trained him all year with this race in mind and he seems in good nick at home, so hopefully he will be right there,” said trainer Gavin Cromwell.
“He likes it at Aintree, so it would be good to see him run well there again.”
Cromwell will also be represented by Cheltenham Festival winner Limerick Lace, who will try to end the 70-year plus losing run for mares in the National.
He continued: “I suppose she goes on the ground, but whether she will stay on that ground, I’m not particularly sure – it’s going to take a lot of getting.
“She’s only a seven-year-old, but she is going into the race in good form and off a light weight and we hope she has a chance.”
Limerick Lace is owned by JP McManus, who is seeking his third National win after both Don’t Push It (2010) and Minella Times (2021).
The McManus squad includes the highly-touted Willie Mullins-trained pair I Am Maximus and Meetingofthewaters, with the master of Closutton reportedly pleased with the duo’s preparations.
“We have some nice prospects, but in the National you need a bit of luck. Hopefully they get round and have a bit of luck, that would be great,” said McManus’ racing manager Frank Berry.
“Willie is happy with his. I Am Maximus would be the big one if he takes to the place. He won’t mind the ground, but his jumping will have to come into play and he will need a bit of luck in running.
“Meetingofthewaters ran well at Cheltenham and he’s come out of the race well. Willie is very happy with him and we keep our fingers crossed he gets a good round.”
There would be emotional scenes in the winner’s enclosure if Kitty’s Light was to strike for Christian Williams and having snuck into the race at the foot of the handicap, big-race pilot Jack Tudor is willing a long-held plan to come to fruition.
“We kind of sacrificed our whole season for this one race, so to be guaranteed a run now is massive,” said Tudor.
“From this time last year, it’s kind of all been leading to this and to now finally have a go at it, we’re looking forward to it.
“He’s obviously very used to big handicaps and big-runner fields and the only difference is going to be the fences and as long as he takes to them, they actually ride like a very nice fence, so we just hope he can get into a nice rhythm early and then hope for a bit of luck.”
Martin Brassil knows all about winning on Merseyside and hopes conditions will not hinder Panda Boy’s attempt to follow in the footsteps of 2006 winner Numbersixvalverde.
“It will all depend on how he copes, but he has coped with a couple of big fields so far and hopefully it won’t be a problem,” explained Brassil.
“With the reduced sized field, it might make things easier too, but the ground would be the one thing I would be worried about if there is heavy in there.
“He’s had two solid runs in good company and he’s about 10 or 11lb better off with Meetingofthewaters from the Leopardstown race where he was beaten and hopefully if Meetingofthewaters is involved, Panda Boy might be somewhere in and around at the finish.”
In contrast, Mahler Mission will give John McConnell his first runner, with the Irish handler full of confidence ahead of the big occasion.
He said: “We couldn’t be happier with him and we’re hoping that translates on the day – and if we get some above average luck, he should run a big race.
“We’ve never had him better and from that point of view we’re very happy. The ground should be OK and we’re looking forward to it.
“It’s a very big day and I just hope we get no hard-luck stories and then whatever will be will be, but we’ve enormous confidence in the horse.”
Leigh head coach Adrian Lam believes last year’s dramatic Betfred Challenge Cup final win over Hull KR at Wembley laid the foundations for the club to become a recognised force at the top of the domestic game.
Lachlan Lam’s golden-point drop goal sealed a 17-16 win and sealed a stunning first season back in the top-flight for the newly rebranded Leopards, who also defied expectations by reaching the end-of-season play-offs.
Second-season syndrome has struck this term with the Leopards currently languishing in ninth place as they prepare to reprise their Wembley showdown when they head to Craven Park to face buoyant Rovers in the quarter-finals this Saturday.
But Lam, who concedes KR will be “red hot favourites” for their latest meeting, is confident that the lessons learned from their success in the last campaign will stand them in good stead for the foreseeable future.
He said: “The Challenge Cup was one of the greatest moments for the club in the past century, and it created some memories that we will keep in our hearts – not just the players and staff but the whole town.
“Our town hasn’t had too much to cheer about over the last 50 years, and this has really given it some hope and a breath of fresh air, for people to be able to come down and support a team that they know has a chance of winning every week.
“And I think for supporters of other sports, they know who we are now. We have etched our name in the history and folklore, and as a club we have given ourselves an identity for people to watch and support.”
Leigh will go into the game on the back of consecutive derby defeats to Wigan and Salford, in contrast to KR, who have scored three straight wins including last week’s 50-10 triumph over rock-bottom London.
Lam described Rovers’ recent form as “scintillating”, and suggested the hosts will be up for the fight in light of what happened at Wembley last year: “They will be emotionally connected to that, so we have to match it,” he added.
However, Rovers head coach Willie Peters insists the tumult of last year’s Wembley occasion will play no part in their quest to build on their promising early-season form and seal their place in the semi-finals.
“A lot of people will be talking about what happened last year, but we’re certainly not,” said Peters.
“It’s a different year, a new year. It’s the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup in 2024. All we’re focusing on is going out there this weekend and getting a result.”
Leigh are likely to be boosted by the return of prop Tom Amone after a month out with a foot injury, while Jez Litten will return for Rovers in place of Ben Reynolds, who is cup-tied.
Sir AP McCoy has nominated I Am Maximus as the horse he would choose to ride in this year’s Randox Grand National.
McCoy, who famously won the National at the 15th attempt on Don’t Push It, is now an ambassador for William Hill, who arranged a video montage on the St John’s Beacon in Liverpool city centre to celebrate the race.
While he may have been champion jockey 20 times, he admits that had he never won the National, he would have retired with a sense of unfulfillment.
“I love Liverpool as a place, the people make it special. It’s the most famous race in the world and for that reason it is very difficult to win. I had a lot of goes before I was lucky with Don’t Push It but it is the people of Liverpool who make it special,” said McCoy.
“They really buy into it, they make the atmosphere, all three days, and it is top-class racing.
“It was just relief when I crossed the line on Don’t Push It. I’m not from a racing family but just like all other non-racing families, the one race you take an interest in every year is the Grand National.
“From a young age, it was the race I knew the most about and from that point of view, it made it more special. When I walk down the street and people say ‘what do you do’, the next question is always ‘did you win the Grand National?’ and I would hate to say ‘no, I didn’t’.
“It’s gone down to 34 runners this year but does that take anything away from it? I just think it will make it harder to win because there are a lot of good horses in it.”
For the second half of his career, McCoy rode as retained rider for JP McManus, who owned Don’t Push It, and he is still involved in an advisory capacity now.
McManus runs five in Saturday’s race, but McCoy is certain which horse would be his pick.
“I think you could make a case for all five, but I Am Maximus would still be my choice,” he said.
“With the ground conditions the way they are, I think it is really going to suit the Willie Mullins horses. I know they go on any ground but they go particularly well when the ground is soft or heavy.
“I Am Maximus has won an Irish Grand National, he’s won the Grade One Drinmore Novice Chase and he won the Bobbyjo last time, which is a really good trial for the National – and with Paul Townend riding him, he ticks a lot of boxes, he’s a class horse.
“You could have easily gone for Meetingofthewaters, he ran really well in the Ultima, which Corach Rambler won last year, he’s on a really nice weight, so he has a lot going for him.
“Mark Walsh has chosen Limerick Lace, she won well at Cheltenham and has a touch of class. Capodanno ran in the race last year, when he was disappointing, but I think he’s a much better horse this year and he won the Cotswold Chase in January, so I could see him running well as well.
“But if I had to pick, it would be I Am Maximus.”
The ground is set to be testing on Saturday but likely not as bad as in 2001, when Red Marauder was one of only four finishers, and two of them had to be remounted, with McCoy getting back on Blowing Wind having been unseated – a move that would not be permitted now.
“The race Red Marauder won, I remember going out on the last circuit and there only being five or six of us left, 30-odd had gone. I genuinely believe that Blowing Wind would have won the Grand National,” he said.
“I remember Ruby (Walsh) was on Papillion and we could see this loose horse coming, he looked across at me and both of us had nowhere to go. Blowing Wind was a clever horse and was never going to take a risk.
“Because they had their names on the number cloths, there was no fear of getting on the wrong one, because there were seven or eight loose horses around us, but I remember thinking there was still a chance Red Marauder and Smarty might not even get round.
“There was £50,000 for third for the owners, so while it was a memorable race, it might not have been for the right reasons for me.
“We haven’t had ground like that since, but I think it could make it more exciting.”
Despite achieving all he did in the game, McCoy still felt the tingles when arriving at Aintree for the race, and arguably the length of time he had to wait before finally winning made it all the more sweeter.
“For 14 years before I won, I used to always think I was going to win the National when I arrived on Saturday morning and by Saturday evening, I left thinking I was never going to win it!” he said.
“Better jockeys than me never won it – John Francome, Peter Scudamore, Jonjo O’Neill, Harry Swann – and no disrespect meant, but there were a lot of lads who won it who were a lot worse than me, which was how I used to make myself feel alright about it. When I won it, there was a lot of fulfilment.
“I was too stupid to think I was never going to win it, though!”
Jalen Brunson needed only three quarters to score 39 points and the New York Knicks continued their push for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 118-109 win over the league-leading Boston Celtics on Thursday.
Brunson was 15 of 23 from the field and 6 for 11 from long range, while Donte DiVincenzo added 17 points and Josh Hart had 16 points and 16 rebounds.
New York won its third straight and pulled within a game of Milwaukee for second in the East, with each team having two games left. The Knicks would need to win both and have the Bucks lose their games at Oklahoma City and Orlando, because Milwaukee has the head-to-head tiebreaker.
The Knicks dominated on the glass, 52-36, and had 22 second-chance points compared to 12 for the Celtics.
Boston got 18 points from Jayson Tatum and lost its second in a row.
Surging Warriors handle Trail Blazers
Stephen Curry scored 22 points and Jonathan Kuminga added 22 to propel the Golden State Warriors to their ninth win in 10 games, 100-92 over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Golden State, which played without Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, has already clinched a play-in spot but can potentially improve its playoff seeding in the final two games.
With their 45th victory, the Warriors surpassed their win total from last season, when they advanced to the conference semifinals.
Deandre Ayton had 25 points and 11 rebounds and Scoot Henderson tallied 18 and 12 assists for the Trail Blazers, who have won just two of their past 15 games.
Pelicans complete season sweep of Kings
CJ McCollum and Zion Williamson scored 31 points apiece and the New Orleans Pelicans completed a five-game season sweep of the Sacramento Kings with a 135-123 win.
McCollum matched a season high with nine 3-pointers in 12 tries and added seven assists for the Pelicans, who improved to 27-14 on the road, a franchise record for wins and tied with Boston for the best mark in the NBA.
New Orleans is sixth in the Western Conference, one game ahead of Phoenix with two games remaining.
De’Aaron Fox scored 33 points as the Kings lost for the fourth time in five games and failed in a bid to avoid the play-in tournament.
Rory McIlroy had mixed emotions after carding a one-under-par 71 on a windswept opening day of the 88th Masters.
McIlroy, carded four birdies and three bogeys in his lowest opening round since 2018, but ended the day five shots behind playing partner Scottie Scheffler and six adrift of clubhouse leader Bryson DeChambeau.
“It’s satisfying in one sense because it’s a decent start compared to the way I’ve played here recently, but I felt like it could have been two or three better,” McIlroy, who is making his 10th attempt to win a green jacket and complete the career grand slam, said.
“I think after the slow start making a few birdies around the turn was good. A little wasteful coming in. I had a good chance for birdie on 15 in the middle of the fairway and didn’t take that.
“Missed a shortish one on 16 and then the bogey on 17. But overall still not a bad score, and obviously a lot of golf left to play.
“I’m definitely not out of the tournament and not chasing anything tomorrow. I’m playing with Scottie so can keep an eye on what he’s doing and I’m looking forward to getting back out there.
“If you look at Scottie compared to the rest of the field, the amount of bogey-free rounds he shoots is phenomenal, and that’s the secret to winning major championships.
“I made three bogeys today, which is fine out there in these conditions, but just need to tidy it up a little bit to try to keep up with him.”
Tiger Woods faced the prospect of completing 23 holes in one day as he looked to keep his hopes of a record-equalling sixth Masters title alive on Friday.
Woods was among the 27 players who were unable to finish their first rounds on Thursday at Augusta National after bad weather meant the start of play had been delayed by two and a half hours.
The 15-time major winner managed to complete 13 holes in one under par to lie six shots off the pace set by former US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, with pre-tournament favourite Scottie Scheffler just a shot behind following a flawless 66.
Scheffler came into the week with form figures of 1-1-2 and the biggest obstacle to a third win in four starts would appear to be his wife Meredith going into labour with their first child.
“The nursery is not quite ready and we’ve had some issues at our house the last few weeks,” Scheffler said. “I think that’s the exciting part. I think we are definitely underprepared to be parents.
“As far as her going into labour, I wouldn’t say I’m very concerned. We haven’t seen any of the early signs. But pregnancy is weird. It can happen at any time.
“Yeah, [we have] open lines of communication and she can get a hold of me if she needs to. I’m ready to go at a moment’s notice.”
Shot of the day
Scottie Scheffler holed out from a bunker on the 12th for his third birdie in a flawless 66.
Statistic of the day
Top statistician Justin Ray highlights the tough task facing anyone carding one under par or worse in round one.
Quote of the day
“It feels like I’ve just gone 12 rounds against Mike Tyson” – Former champion Sergio Garcia after battling the windy conditions to shoot 72.
Hardest hole
With three players yet to complete the hole, the 11th was narrowly ranked the hardest hole ahead of the 18th, with six birdies, 32 bogeys and three double bogeys giving a scoring average of 4.372.
Easiest hole
The par-five eighth played downwind and yielded three eagles, 50 birdies and just three bogeys for a scoring average of 4.404.
Tee times
The first round will resume at 0750 local time (1250BST), with the second round getting under way at 0800.
Weather forecast
Slightly cooler and less humid conditions return Friday with mostly sunny skies and highs in the low 70s. It will continue to be windy out of the west at 15-20mph, with gusts up to 30mph throughout the day. After a cool start on Saturday morning, temperatures will rebound nicely this weekend with highs in the upper 70s Saturday and low to mid 80s on Sunday with plentiful sunshine.
Bobby Witt homered to cap a nine-run first inning and finished with four hits, two home runs and five RBIs as the Kansas City Royals routed the Houston Astros 12-3 for their seventh consecutive victory on Thursday.
Vinnie Pasquantino added three hits and three RBIs and Maikel Garcia knocked in two runs for the Royals, who completed a perfect seven-game homestand. It’s just the third time in franchise history they’ve played at least seven games on a homestand without a loss. The other two came in 1988 and 1985.
Kansas City sent 15 men to the plate in the first inning and tied a club record with 11 hits. The Royals batted around in an inning for the second straight game.
Hunter Brown recorded just two outs and allowed nine runs and 11 hits.
Houston gave up 24 runs in the final two games of the series and dropped to 4-10. It is the Astros’ worst 14-game start since also opening 4-10 in 2013.
Sears, Athletics 1-hit Rangers
JP Sears pitched no-hit ball into the seventh inning and the Oakland Athletics combined on a 1-hitter in a 1-0 win over the Texas Rangers.
Sears allowed leadoff walks in the first, second and fifth innings before Adolis Garcia ended his no-hit bid with a one-out single in the seventh on an 0-2 pitch.
Sears struck out five, including 2023 World Series MVP Corey Seager three times.
Austin Adams got the final two outs of the seventh and Lucas Erceg and Mason Miller each worked one inning to finish the one-hitter.
Cowser hits 2 homers as Orioles sweep
Rookie Colton Cowser capped a stellar series with his first two career home runs and four RBIs as the Baltimore Orioles rallied for a 9-4 win in 10 innings to complete a three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox.
Gunnar Henderson opened the 10th with a two-run homer off Isaiah Campbell and Cedric Mullins singled home a run before Cowser drilled a 3-0 pitch over the wall in right field for a three-run shot.
Cowser, who hit his first career homer in the fifth inning, went 6 for 13 with two home runs and 10 RBIs in the three-game set.
Orioles prospect Jackson Holliday scored two runs but went 0 for 4 for the second straight game.
Bryson DeChambeau beat his personal par by two shots as a relentless Scottie Scheffler made an ominous start to his bid for a second Masters title.
Almost three and a half years after claiming that Augusta National was a “par 67 for me” due to his prodigious hitting, DeChambeau carded a seven-under-par 65 on a windswept opening day which followed a lengthy weather delay.
But that was only good enough for a one-shot lead over Scheffler, the world number one and 2022 champion posting a bogey-free 66 that left playing partner Rory McIlroy trailing in his wake.
McIlroy, who is making his 10th attempt to win the Masters and complete a career grand slam, made four birdies and three bogeys in his 71, while defending champion Jon Rahm bogeyed the last two holes in a 73.
Former champion Danny Willett posted a superb 68 in his first event since undergoing shoulder surgery in September, the 36-year-old only deciding on Sunday that he was ready to compete in the year’s first major.
DeChambeau birdied his first three holes and bounced back from his only dropped shot of the day on the ninth with a back nine of 31, which included birdies on the 12th, 13th, 15th, 16th and 17th.
The 30-year-old’s par-67 comment came two months after he won the 2020 US Open, but left him open to ridicule after he could only manage a best score of 69 and finished 18 shots behind winner Dustin Johnson, now a fellow LIV Golf player.
“Regarding the 67 comment, you know, You mess up, I’m not a perfect person,” DeChambeau admitted. “Everyone messes up.
“You learn from your mistakes and that was definitely one.”
Asked if his comment actually had merit given his round today, DeChambeau was not about to take the bait.
“You’re trying to pigeonhole me into saying that again, aren’t you?” he said with a smile. I’m not going to comment on that.
“Sure, if you want to line the math up that way, that is a perspective you can take. It was a perspective I had, and it cost me a lot of slack, I guess you could say. It definitely hurt some things.
“But look, I’ll say this again. I shot 65 today, and that was one of the best rounds of golf I’ve played in a long time. There’s three more days to go, and I’m not losing sight of that fact.”
McIlroy will be pleased there are 54 holes remaining after battling to remain in red figures over the closing stretch, the four-time major winner having earlier been the subject of a mixture of criticism and encouragement from Jack Nicklaus.
Nicklaus said he believes McIlroy will win the Masters at some stage to complete the career grand slam, but also offered his opinion on why the Northern Irishman had failed to win a major since the 2014 US PGA.
“I only have one criticism of Rory,” Nicklaus told Golf Channel. “You have to concentrate 100 per cent of the time.
“For some reason, Rory always has a little bit of a lapse somewhere around the tournament. He’ll find a double bogey or triple bogey that sneaks in there.
“I don’t know how he does it or why he does it, but it happens. And I wish that wouldn’t happen.”
Michael Van Gerwen ended Luke Littler’s Premier League winning run to claim victory on night 11 in Birmingham.
Littler had been targeting a third consecutive nightly victory following back-to-back successes in Belfast and Manchester, which put him top of the table.
The 17-year-old had looked to be building up another head of steam after earlier edging out Rob Cross in a last-leg decider and then holding off a stirring fightback from world champion Luke Humphries to win their latest epic tussle 6-5 – landing five maximums with a match-average of just over 107.
Dutchman Van Gerwen, though, capitalised on a low-key start to the final, before eventually breaking twice to close out a 6-3 win and rekindle his own play-off ambitions.
Van Gerwen, the defending Premier League champion, had avoided another early exit after coming from behind to beat Nathan Aspinall in his first match and then eased past Michael Smith 6-4.
Littler remains top of the table with 26 points, two clear of Humphries, while Van Gerwen sits third on 22 and Aspinall fourth.
Van Gerwen hopes he can now head into night 12 in Rotterdam with renewed confidence.
“I have made it hard for myself to be fair,” the Dutchman said on Sky Sports, “But more importantly it is about how you bounce back.
“I know the last few weeks have not been great for me, but to come back with a win tonight feels good for me.”
Van Gerwen added: “I had to go really deep tonight and at the end, Luke and I neither really played our A-game, but when you win nights like this, it is not always about who is playing well – sometimes it is who can handle it.
“I had a struggling few weeks, but to bounce back with a win like this gives me confidence of course.
“People will write you off when you off when you lose, that is how things go, but I believed in my own opportunities and you need to make sure you keep your mind focused.
“I know there is more to come – the fighting spirit in my body is still there. I need to make sure I am good for next week.”
In the night’s opening quarter-final at the Utilita Arena, Humphries – who enjoyed European Tour success at the recent German Darts Grand Prix in Munich – came from 4-1 down to claim five straight legs and beat Peter Wright, who remains cut adrift at the bottom of the table.
Littler had been trailing 3-1 and then survived a match dart as he eventually battled past Cross, before former world champion Smith put last week’s defeat by Gerwyn Price behind him with a 6-3 win over the Welshman.
Van Gerwen landed an impressive 152 checkout as he came from 4-2 behind to take control of his quarter-final against Aspinall, going on to close out a much-needed 6-4 win.
Bryson DeChambeau beat his personal par by two shots to set a daunting early target on day one of the 88th Masters.
Almost three and a half years after claiming that Augusta National was a “par 67 for me” due to his prodigious hitting, DeChambeau carded an opening 65 to hold a three-shot lead over 2016 champion Danny Willett.
DeChambeau birdied his first three holes and bounced back from his only dropped shot of the day on the ninth with a back nine of 31, which included birdies on the 12th, 13th, 15th, 16th and 17th.
Willett also birdied three of the last four holes to post a superb 68 in his first event since undergoing shoulder surgery in September, the 36-year-old only deciding on Sunday that he was ready to compete in the year’s first major.
DeChambeau’s par-67 comment came two months after he won the 2020 US Open, but left him open to ridicule after he could only manage a best score of 69 and finished 18 shots behind winner Dustin Johnson, now a fellow LIV Golf player.
“You mess up, I’m not a perfect person,” DeChambeau admitted. “You learn from your mistakes and that was definitely one.
“I shot 65 today and that was one of the best rounds I’ve played in a long time. There’s three more days to go and I’m not losing sight of that fact.
“Winning at Winged Foot helped me understand how to win big tournaments but a lot of patience is needed on this course where you think its gettable but can be super tricky.
“I’ve learned to be a little bit smarter on the course and not go for every flag, but play from the right position. I’ve made a lot of big numbers out here so taking that off the radar has been leading to some success for me.”
Pre-tournament favourite Scottie Scheffler was ominously poised on four under par after 13 holes, with playing partner Rory McIlroy one under alongside defending champion Jon Rahm.
McIlroy needs to win the Masters to complete a career grand slam and was already out on the course when 18-time major winner Jack Nicklaus offered his opinion on why he had failed to win a major since the 2014 US PGA.
“I only have one criticism of Rory,” Nicklaus told Golf Channel. “You have to concentrate 100 per cent of the time.
“For some reason, Rory always has a little bit of a lapse somewhere around the tournament. He’ll find a double bogey or triple bogey that sneaks in there.
“I don’t know how he does it or why he does it, but it happens. And I wish that wouldn’t happen.”
During an earlier press conference with fellow honorary starters Tom Watson and Gary Player, Nicklaus said he believed McIlroy would win the Masters at some point, but pointed out that Watson and Arnold Palmer both missed out on a career grand slam after failing to win the US PGA.
“I mean, is Tom Watson good enough to win the grand slam? Absolutely,” Nicklaus said.
“Was Arnold Palmer good enough to win the grand slam? Absolutely. Is Rory McIlroy good enough to win the grand slam? Absolutely. But they have got to do it, and they all know that.
“Do I think Rory will win here? Yeah. He could win this year. He could win next year. He’s just too talented not to. But then again, they (Watson and Palmer) were too talented not to win those, too. You just never know.”
Play had been delayed for two and a half hours due to bad weather, meaning the first round would not be completed on schedule on Thursday, the last group of Dustin Johnson, Collin Morikawa and Tommy Fleetwood not teeing off until 1630 local time.
World number one Novak Djokovic stormed past Lorenzo Musetti to reach the quarter-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters.
The 36-year-old lost to the Italian in the same competition a year ago but made no mistakes this time around to secure his place in the last eight with a 7-5 6-3 victory.
Djokovic said he does not think he is at his “top level” but is now set to face Alex de Minaur for a semi-final berth.
The Australian assured himself of a clash with Djokovic after a comfortable 6-3 6-4 victory over compatriot Alexei Popyrin.
Fourth seed Daniil Medvedev was beaten 6-3 7-5 by Karen Khachanov to end a rocky week in Monaco a day on from being asked by an umpire not to shout at a line judge.
Khachanov’s reward is a quarter-final against Stefanos Tsitsipas, the Greek having overcome Alexander Zverev 7-5 7-5 (3).
Second seed Jannik Sinner cruised through with a 6-4 6-2 over Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff.
That sets up a quarter-final tie with Holger Rune, who came through both his round of 32 and round of 16 games on Thursday across six sets.
Firstly, he beat qualifier Sumit Nagal 6-3 3-6 6-2 before moving on to a three-and-a-half-hour clash with Grigor Dimitrov which he eventually won 7-6 (9) 3-6 7-6 (2).
Friday’s upcoming schedule was completed as Casper Ruud beat Hubert Hurkacz 6-4 6-2 and will meet Ugo Humbert who recovered from a set down to beat Lorenzo Sonego 7-5 6-3 6-1.
Maroon and Gold were the dominant colors at the Campion College Auditorium on Tuesday as Wolmer’s copped both the ISSA girls’ and boys’ Under-19 Table Tennis titles.
In the girls’ final, the Heroes Circle-based school won a hotly contested final 3-2 against St. Jago High while the boys’ final saw them defeat Kingston College by a similar score line.
The girls’ final saw a Wolmer’s team boasting three national players, namely 2023 National Champion Tsenaye Lewis, her older sister Gianna Lewis as well as Liana Campbell facing a St. Jago outfit including two national players of their own, Kelsey Davidson and Keara Whyte, who was the runner up to Lewis at last year’s JTTA National Championships.
The tie began with Tsenaye Lewis defeating Kelsey Davidson three sets to one (11-9, 6-11, 11-4, 11-7) to put the Wolmerians up 1-0.
Keara Whyte then made it 1-1 with three sets to one victory over Gianna Lewis (11-6, 11-2, 6-11, 11-6).
Wolmer’s then restored their advantage when Liana Campbell beat Leanna Smith by three sets to one (6-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-8).
In what was perhaps the tie’s most anticipated clash, Tsenaye and Keara White then had a rematch of the 2023 National Championship final with Lewis having the chance to clinch the title for Wolmer’s.
Whyte had the best possible start, winning the first two sets (11-9, 11-9) before Lewis came roaring back in the third set to win 11-6. The fourth set was then a back-and-forth affair, with Whyte eventually prevailing 14-12 to set up the title-deciding match between Gianna Lewis and Kelsey Davidson.
In the decider, Lewis won the first two sets (11-2, 11-6) before Davidson got on the board in the third (11-9) before Lewis won the fourth (11-9) to secure the title for Wolmer’s.
For Lewis (Gianna) and Campbell, this title meant a lot more as they are both outgoing seniors.
“I am overjoyed to be leaving with this title. My team and I have worked hard and we made it our goal to ensure we take home the gold again this year as our final hoorah,” Lewis told SportsMax.tv.
“My sister Tsenaye, Liana and I realized that this day would come when the more experienced players will leave Wolmer’s so we have prioritized training and motivating the next generation of players,” she added.
Campbell described the win as “an incredible and bittersweet feeling.”
“Ending my last year victorious is such an awarding and joyous feeling. Sharing that with the team creates another fond memory to look back on as I go. I also feel a bit saddened as I’ll never be able to play another ISSA event and represent my school with my lovely teammates. I’ll especially miss the titular bis rides to matches where it was all smiles and laughter.” she added.
The boys’ final saw Wolmer’s take a 1-0 lead over Kingston College thanks to Joel Lamm’s three sets to one win over Javier Levene (11-3, 6-11, 11-1, 11-2).
KC got back on level terms when Gemarco Smith won a five-setter (16-14, 11-3, 4-11, 8-11, 11-9) against Wolmer’s captain Azizi Johnson.
Dominic Robinson then gave the North-Street based institution a 2-1 lead thanks to a straight set (11-2, 11-6, 12-10) win over Maleek Palma.
Wolmer’s made it 2-2 when Jayden Ebanks beat Alden Howard (10-12, 11-6, 11-6, 11-9) before Jelani Barnaby secured the title for Wolmer’s with a straight set win (11-9, 11-2, 11-6) over KC captain Chadwick Duff.
“For the girls, this is the third time that we have been champions. Originally it was U-16 but the girls moved up to U-19 and we were also the All Island champions so hopefully we can repeat that,” said winning coach Clive Grossett.
“For the boys, they also won in U-16 and now they’ve moved up as well. We’re now coming for the all island championship there as well,” he added.
Immaculate Conception High beat Jonathan Grant 3-0 to win the girls’ U-16 title while Jamaica College beat Kingston College 3-0 to win the boys’ equivalent.
The all island matchups will be finalized after the ISSA Rural Area semi-finals and finals scheduled for Friday at the GC Foster College.
Jack Nicklaus criticised Rory McIlroy for a lack of concentration as the 88th Masters belatedly got under way at Augusta National.
Overnight rain and the threat of thunderstorms saw the start of play pushed back from 8am to 1030am, with honorary starters Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson kicking off proceedings 20 minutes earlier by hitting tee shots on the first before retiring to the clubhouse.
The trio then gave a lengthy press conference before Nicklaus joined “Live from the Masters” on the Golf Channel and discussed why McIlroy had yet to win a green jacket to complete a career grand slam.
“I only have one criticism of Rory,” 18-time major winner Nicklaus said.
“You have to concentrate 100 per cent of the time. For some reason, Rory always has a little bit of a lapse somewhere around the tournament. He’ll find a double bogey or triple bogey that sneaks in there.
“I don’t know how he does it or why he does it, but it happens. And I wish that wouldn’t happen.”
During the earlier press conference Nicklaus said he believed McIlroy would win the Masters at some point, but pointed out that Watson and Arnold Palmer both missed out on a career grand slam after failing to win the US PGA.
“I mean, is Tom Watson good enough to win the Grand Slam? Absolutely,” Nicklaus said.
“Was Arnold Palmer good enough to win the Grand Slam? Absolutely. Is Rory McIlroy good enough to win the Grand Slam, absolutely, but they have got to do it, and they all know that.
“Do I think Rory will win here? Yeah. He could win this year. He could win next year. He’s just too talented not to. But then again, they (Watson and Palmer) were too talented not to win those, too. You just never know.”
McIlroy made a slow start to his 10th bid to complete the grand slam, covering his first six holes in one over par while playing partner and pre-tournament favourite Scottie Scheffler picked up two birdies on the same stretch.
Defending champion Jon Rahm was one under par after seven holes, with New Zealand’s Ryan Fox setting the early pace on five under thanks to birdies on the first three holes and an eagle on the par-five eighth.
The weather delay meant the first round would not be completed on schedule on Thursday, with the last group of Dustin Johnson, Collin Morikawa and Tommy Fleetwood not teeing off until 1630 local time.
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