Mistergif continued Willie Mullins’ successful January as well as the hot run of owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede with an impressive success on his Irish debut at Limerick.
Although banking plenty of experience in France, he arrived at Closutton a maiden, but nevertheless was sent off the 8-13 favourite for the Follow Limerick Racecourse On Twitter (C & G) Maiden Hurdle over two miles on testing ground.
The result was a formality as the five-year-old made all and cruised to an impressive 18-length success in the hands of Kieran Callaghan to give Mullins his fourth straight success in the race and also follow in the footsteps of State Man who was victorious in the 2022 renewal before marching to County Hurdle glory at the Cheltenham Festival.
Mistergif holds entries for both the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and the Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle at Prestbury Park and although connections may want to see more before he gets his ticket stamped for March, he brought up Mullins’ 40th winner for the month while adding to the recent victories of Zarak The Brave, Jasmin De Vaux and Anotherway in the ‘double green’ colours.
“He’s a horse by a stallion we like in Zarak,” said Anthony Bromley, racing manager to the owners, who will have the likes of El Fabiolo in action at the Dublin Racing Festival this weekend.
“He jumped very smoothly today, that was impressive the way he jumped. The horse in second was only rated 106, so we must not get too carried away.
“I think he will have to have another run to see where we are and in terms of if he’s a Festival horse or not. But he’s a really exciting prospect and it comes hot on the heels of Anotherway yesterday and the bumper horse on Sunday, so they are just hitting their stride at the right time.
“I don’t think there is any necessarily big targets for him, but we will have to run again and see where we are.”
Winning rider Callaghan added: “It was very straightforward. He had experience around Auteuil and loads of runs on the Flat as well as a younger horse.
“I was just worried that he was doing a bit too much early, but he was very good the way he picked up from the back of the second-last.
“He hit the line hard and I was at the first hurdle down the back pulling him up so it’s definitely a good sign on that ground.
“He couldn’t have done it much easier, and he has a chance of being a nice horse.”
No Flies On Him will head to Punchestown to continue his hurdling education next month after connections elected to miss the Dublin Racing Festival with the top novice prospect.
Trained by Edward O’Grady and owned by JP McManus, the five-year-old beat Nicky Henderson’s Grade One scorer Jango Baie in the pointing field before impressing on his rules debut at Leopardstown over the Christmas period.
He looked to be in line for a return to the Irish capital for the Grade One Tattersalls Ireland 50th Derby Sale Novice Hurdle on Sunday, but his name was missing from the list of acceptors at Tuesday’s confirmation stage.
Instead O’Grady will point his talented charge towards Kildare next month, where he will step up to Listed level in the Madigan Group Irish EBF Sheila Bourke Novice Hurdle.
“The horse is absolutely fine and in excellent shape, but we have decided to wait for Punchestown on February 18,” said O’Grady.
“We were pleased with what he did (on debut). I don’t know (if he’s improved) but we will find out.”
No Flies On Him holds an entries for both the Sky Bet Supreme Novices Hurdle – for which he is as short as 12-1 – and the Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
When asked if a positive display at Punchestown could tee up a trip to Prestbury Park in March, O’Grady said: “I hope so, yes.”
Wales assistant coach Jonathan Humphreys knows from personal experience how “noisy and intimidating” the Principality Stadium can be for visiting teams.
And Scotland – Wales’ opening Guinness Six Nations opponents in Cardiff on Saturday – have found it tougher than most.
They have lost 11 successive games in the Welsh capital – nine Six Nations fixtures, a World Cup warm-up match and an autumn Test.
Humphreys was part of the Scotland coaching staff for two of those losses, a 51-3 reversal when Stuart Hogg was sent off in 2014 plus a 27-23 defeat two years later.
It is 22 years since Scotland last won at the venue, when current head coach Gregor Townsend lined up in a team that won by five points courtesy of injury-time penalties from Brendan Laney and Duncan Hodge.
The Scots did claim an away victory four years ago but that encounter was played at Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli, with the Principality Stadium being turned into a hospital during the coronavirus pandemic.
“I think people underestimate the stadium – how noisy and intimidating it is,” former Wales captain Humphreys said.
“When you are the other side of that it hits you. It is not a nice place to come, especially if Wales are on the front foot and going well and the crowd are behind them.
“That is a challenge in itself. I know lots of people talk about the atmosphere.
“When the stadium was built, there were a few of us who were asked our opinion from the old stadium, and what we wanted was the ability still to be enclosed like the old Arms Park was.”
Despite recent history, the bookmakers are confidently predicting a Scottish win against a Wales team without many familiar faces.
Dan Biggar and Leigh Halfpenny retired from Test rugby after the World Cup, Liam Williams is playing in Japan and Louis Rees-Zammit has quit rugby union to try and forge an American football career.
Injuries have also hit Wales, with World Cup co-captains Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake set to miss the whole Six Nations along with 104 times-capped number eight Taulupe Faletau.
Almost half of Wales’ 34-strong Six Nations squad have cap totals in single figures, while they are captained for the first time by 21-year-old Exeter lock Dafydd Jenkins.
On the squad newcomers, Humphreys added: “It has been good. There is loads of energy, and they are lapping it up.
“The reason they are in here is because we feel they can play international rugby, and their form with the clubs has shown that.
“They are super-keen, super-hungry and they will have experience of Test rugby during this campaign.
“The level of expectation within the group is high. You are still expected to perform, you are still expected to win.
“We want to get these boys up and running as quick as we can, we want them to experience success as quick as we can. Whenever that comes, the sooner the better, really.
“It is difficult to tell people what it’s like to run out in front of 70,000 people in a Six Nations game.
“You can’t really prepare that. All you can do is try and mimic the intensity of what it is in training, and try and make it more intense and make sure this game does not pass you by.”
Connections of Lossiemouth are content to stick to the process and head to the Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival after dazzling in her Trials day return to action.
Last year’s Triumph Hurdle scorer had not been seen since adding to her Grade One haul at the Punchestown Festival, with trainer Willie Mullins electing to tread a different path with his juvenile graduates this season and keep them under wraps until turning five at the turn of the year.
Sent to the Unibet Hurdle for her seasonal bow – on the same day stablemate and regular adversary Gala Marceau headed to Doncaster – she delivered a breathtaking display to dominate her elders and firmly dispatch Love Envoi, who was left trailing the best part of 10 lengths behind in second.
The manner of victory opened up the tantalising prospect of Lossiemouth taking on the likes of Constitution Hill and State Man in the Champion Hurdle.
However, Plan A has always been to head to the Mares’ Hurdle 40 minutes later on the opening day of the Festival, where as a best price of 4-5 favourite, she would have a fine chance of following in the footsteps of Vroum Vroum Mag (2016) and Benie Des Dieux (2018) by winning the Grade One contest for owners Rich and Susannah Ricci.
“The team were pretty happy she was in great form beforehand and she clearly was, but I think the manner of the victory surprised all of us,” said the owners’ racing manager Joe Chambers.
“That was great to see and hopefully the patient approach we have taken with her will reward us as well as the season goes on.
“That (Mares’ Hurdle) has been the plan all along and continues to be the plan today. Things can change, but I think we will be leaning towards the Mares’ unless a number of things occurred to change our mind. She’s odds-on for one and 8-1 for the other.”
Meanwhile, there was a positive bulletin on Monkfish, who also sports the famous pink and green silks and made a winning return from 272 days off the track in the Galmoy Hurdle.
A Cheltenham Festival winner in both the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle and the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, injury has meant he has not visited Prestbury Park since he was victorious in 2021.
He holds entries for both the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle and the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup this time around and although connections are set to make a late call on which race gets the nod, a return to fencing for a crack at the blue riband is a real possibility for the 10-year-old.
“It was magic to see (him win the Galmoy) and he did well on his return,” continued Chambers.
“Touch wood he has been sound since and we will try to keep him sound between now and March.
“Our inclination has always been to go back over fences, but let’s see how things shape up and the respective races shape up between now and March. A lot could change, but if we can keep him in one piece we look forward to running him wherever that may be.
“It could be (the Gold Cup) and that’s what we would like to do, but we are still six and a half weeks out from that and we will probably leave that decision to the week of Cheltenham.”
Galopin Des Champs and State Man will both face a maximum of four rivals in their respective bids for back-to-back victories at this weekend’s Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown.
Having bounced back to winning ways with a dominant display in the Savills Chase over the Christmas period, Galopin Des Champs will be a warm order to successfully defend his crown in the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup before aiming to do the same in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March.
His biggest threat on Saturday appears to be a familiar rival in Martin Brassil’s Fastorslow, who took his measure in last season’s Punchestown Gold Cup and the John Durkan at Punchestown in December before sidestepping the Savills on account of the prevailing testing conditions.
As well as Galopin Des Champs, Willie Mullins could saddle I Am Maximus, while the potential field is completed by Gordon Elliott’s 2022 Irish Gold Cup hero Conflated and his stablemate Coko Beach.
Mullins is responsible for six of the nine horses still in contention for the first of eight Grade Ones over the course of the two days – the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle – with Predators Gold and Loughglynn the two at the top of the market.
The Closutton handler also dominates the Spring Juvenile Hurdle, with runaway Punchestown winner Storm Heart and French recruit Salvator Mundi – second to last weekend’s brilliant Cheltenham winner Sir Gino on his only start in France – two of eight Mullins entries in a field of 13.
The only Grade One favourite not under the tutelage of the champion trainer is Barry Connell’s Marine Nationale, who will put his unbeaten record on the line in the Goffs Irish Arkle Novice Chase.
Mullins has left in Facile Vega, Gaelic Warrior, Il Etait Temps and Sharjah, although all four also retain the option of running in the the longer Ladbrokes Novice Chase on Sunday.
Gaelic Warrior and Sharjah both carry the familiar colours of Rich and Susannah Ricci, and their racing manager Joe Chambers has hinted the former could avoid a clash with Marine Nationale at this stage.
He said: “There isn’t any other options for him this side of Cheltenham and we will see what he is like going left-handed (over fences), whether that be two miles or over two-miles-five. It’ll be interesting to see how that pans out, especially down the back straight.
“He won over two miles there last year, albeit in a handicap hurdle, but Marine Nationale is a class act and I don’t see why we would want to take him on until we have to.
“With that being said, there are only eight left in the Irish Arkle, of which he and Sharjah are two. We will see and there is a long time until Saturday.”
Saturday’s action concludes with the Grade Two Future Stars (C & G) I.N.H. Flat Race, in which last year’s winner A Dream To Share is the star attraction among 13 confirmations.
On Sunday, State Man will be cramped odds to win his second Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle, with his stablemate Impaire Et Passe set to be in opposition again after chasing him home in the Matheson Hurdle last month.
Mullins could also run Echoes In Rain, while a resurgent Bob Olinger would be an intriguing challenger for Henry de Bromhead. Elliott’s Fils D’oudairies will be a huge outsider.
Joining Facile Vega, Gaelic Warrior, Il Etait Temps and Sharjah in the Ladbrokes Novice Chase is another Mullins ace in Fact To File, who is priced up as favourite at this stage.
Ballyburn is a short price for the champion trainer in the Tattersalls Ireland 50th Derby Sale Novice Hurdle, with Elliott’s Royal Bond victor Farren Glory clear second best in the market.
Following the abandonment of the original Clarence House Chase at Ascot, El Fabiolo will be widely expected to land the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase on his way to the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
Mullins could also run Dinoblue, last year’s winner Gentleman De Mee and Saint Roi, De Bromhead has Captain Guinness and Brassil has left in Fastorslow as a back-up option to the Irish Gold Cup.
The Mullins theme continues in the concluding Coolmore N.H. Sires Hurricane Lane Irish EBF Mares I.N.H. Flat Race, with Aurora Vega and Baby Kate two of his major hopes.
Ruth Jefferson has pencilled in a February comeback at Haydock for Sounds Russian as she looks to get her stable star back on a racecourse for the first time since last season’s Cheltenham Gold Cup.
The nine-year-old enjoyed a fine campaign over fences last term, winning at Kelso before finishing fourth in the Many Clouds Chase at Aintree and filling the runner-up spot in both the Rowland Meyrick at Wetherby and the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham.
Jefferson’s charge was a 50-1 shot for the blue riband last March, but was still in contention when he was brought down by the fall of fellow northern challenger Ahoy Senor and subsequently had to undergo surgery to repair a knee injury.
After coming through a pleasing workout with Saturday’s Grade Two-winning stablemate Kerryhill last week, Sounds Russian is closing in on a competitive outing.
“We were very happy with his first piece of work the other day, but he hasn’t schooled yet, I think that will happen next week,” said Jefferson.
“There isn’t a lot for him really, he’ll probably have to go to Haydock on February 17. I think there’s three races he can run in that day and apart from that there’s not much.
“He’s still a novice over hurdles or he could run in a handicap or there’s the Rendlesham Hurdle, which is obviously a Grade Two.
“His next run will be over hurdles. He’s about ready to run, whether he’ll be fully fit I don’t know and you’re obviously taking on fit horses at this time of year.”
While cautiously optimistic about the chances of Sounds Russian returning to the racecourse in the coming weeks, she is certainly not counting her chickens before they hatch.
She added: “He won’t be getting any entries over fences for the time being as it’s all about seeing how his knee holds up. At the moment he’s fine, but he might school and not be fine.
“Nothing’s guaranteed with him, he might run once and that might be it, you just don’t know. It’s a really funny situation to be in with him.
“We’ll just see, but I think all being well Haydock on February 17 will be where he’ll start – so it better be on!”
Sebastian Negri insists Italy are determined to show the World Cup was an aberration by delivering the upsets needed to make their Guinness Six Nations a success.
The Azzurri are overseen by new head coach Gonzalo Quesada, whose first assignment is plotting the downfall of England in Saturday’s opener at the Stadio Olimpico.
Quesada must repair the damage caused by heavy defeats to New Zealand and France – 96 points were leaked against the All Blacks – at last year’s World Cup, results that stalled the clear progress being made.
Wales and Australia were toppled in 2022 and in the ensuing Six Nations it was only a lack of conviction and accuracy that cost them in near misses against France and Scotland.
“The World Cup hurt, it really hurt. It was a setback but the good thing is that we’ve got the opportunity to make it right against some of the best teams in the world,” Negri told the PA news agency.
Italy have a win rate of only 11 per cent since joining the Six Nations and the powerful back row added: “It’s a tough tournament for us but what keeps us going is the belief that we can get the results we want.
“It’s hard. Judged on results, it is what it is at the end of the day. We have a responsibility in the Six Nations to get a couple of results and to keep on building on what we’ve built over the last 12-18 months.
“We had a few setbacks at the World Cup but we’ve come a long way in the way we play and we’re hoping to have a good, balanced Six Nations.
“We want to keep building because we’re on to something special, we have a really good group of young players who are gaining more and more experience.
“I wouldn’t be playing international rugby if I didn’t believe in the process we are going through.”
It would be a seismic upset for Italy to topple England for the first time in 31 meetings even if Steve Borthwick’s team are rebuilding after winning the bronze final at last autumn’s World Cup.
“England are a physical side with a really good set-piece and kicking game. We’ll have to match that and not go off the boil and start chucking the ball around,” Negri said.
“We need a balanced approach and if we underestimate them we’re in trouble. They showcased what they can do at the World Cup. They maybe don’t play the prettiest brand of rugby but they get results and that’s what counts.”
Emma Lavelle’s “extraordinary” Paisley Park is heading straight back to Cheltenham after another valiant run in defeat in the Cleeve Hurdle at the weekend.
The 12-year-old has been pipped to the post in all three starts so far this season, finishing second in the Long Distance Hurdle, the Long Walk Hurdle and then the Cleeve when never beaten by more than head.
The latter run was an epic battle with former Grand National winner Noble Yeats, after which Paisley Park was given a hero’s reception as he returned to the paddock.
He is an enduring fan favourite as he continues to shine in his eighth season, with the 11 victories on his CV including the 2019 Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
That race is again on the agenda, and the hugely-popular Andrew Gemmell-owned bay would undoubtedly raise the roof with the backing of an appreciative Cheltenham crowd in March.
Lavelle said: “He’s come out of the race really well, he gets all of the applause so he thinks he’s won the race regardless of whether he has!
“Based on how he’s come out of the race the plan would be to take him to the Stayers’ and just see what happens.”
Of his three incredibly near misses this season, the Wiltshire-based trainer added: “It’s not for a lack of trying from the racegoers that we haven’t been winning these races!
“They are just amazing with the support they have, they are just willing him to get over the line first.
“People are very emotional about him, he’s an extraordinary horse – how lucky are we to have him?”
Betfair’s ‘Rachael Blackmore Serial Winners Fund’ is closing in on its target as it aims to provide £250,000 for two worthy charities.
The initiative was kick-started by a £100,000 donation from Betfair, with £5,000 added for every Blackmore winner ridden between Betfair Chase Day in November last year and the Grand National at Aintree in April.
The target sum is £250,000 and with several weeks still to go there is already £155,000 in the pot before the upcoming festivals at Leopardstown, Cheltenham and Aintree.
The funds raised will benefit the Injured Jockeys Fund and the Irish Injured Jockeys, both charities that support current and former riders on either side of the Irish Sea.
Blackmore, an ambassador for Betfair, said: ‘It’s fantastic to see all the amazing work the Injured Jockeys Fund does to support jockeys at facilities like Oaksey House (in Lambourn).
“This is a very generous initiative from Betfair, one that will benefit the Irish Injured Jockeys too, and will go a long way to creating more support facilities, in both UK and Ireland.“
To illustrate the need for the backing of such valuable work, Betfair sent tipster Daryl Carter to Oaksey House in Lambourn for a special edition of their ‘Coaching Carter’ series, where he met the recipients of the charity’s ongoing support to the industry.
Among them was former jockey Wayne Burton, who suffered serious head and spinal injuries in 2008 and lives at Oaksey House after being left paralysed from the chest down.
Burton is training to complete the London Marathon in his wheelchair in April, and said of the role the IJF has played in his recovery: “I did lose my speech, my understanding of what things were and where I was – that was a really hard battle for me at the time.
“Without the IJF I wouldn’t be here today, this place was built a year after my accident so as soon as this was open I was one of the first jockeys to come here.”
Carter also spoke with George Baker, another former jockey who won the St Leger aboard Harbour Law in 2016 before suffering severe injuries in a fall on the ‘White Turf’ at St Moritz.
Baker had a bleed on the brain and spent a significant amount of time in hospital before being rehabilitated at Oaksey House, where he now works alongside being a trustee for the charity.
“I am a trustee for the Injured Jockeys Fund and I work here three or four days a week in my role as a jockey coach,” he said.
“The Injured Jockeys Fund were a massive help to me, I had a bad accident in 2017 in Switzerland, at St Moritz on the White Turf.
“I was hospital in London for three or four months, I think it was a harder journey for my family more than anything and the next phase of my rehab was coming here.
“They helped rebuild me, really. I had to learn to walk again. They were instrumental in getting me back to work, they asked me to be a trustee and I’m very, very happy to facilitate that because the Injured Jockeys Fund is so close to my heart.”
Owner Robert Waley-Cohen has hailed the genius of Emmet Mullins after his Grand National hero Noble Yeats forced his way into the Stayers’ Hurdle mix when claiming a thrilling Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Making just his third appearance over the smaller obstacles, the nine-year-old was the recipient of significant support in the week leading up to the Grade Two event and was sent off the 3-1 second-favourite behind the evergreen market leader Paisley Park.
It was the two main betting protagonists that would ultimately fight out a brilliant conclusion to a contest that saw six of the seven involved in with a shout jumping the last, before Noble Yeats and Paisley Park’s staying power saw them come to the fore with the post approaching.
Only a head separated the two warriors at the finish, as Mullins pulled off another successful raid on one of the calendar’s big races.
“Emmet, as we all know, is unorthodox, but with brilliance, and what could be more thrilling than Saturday,” said Waley-Cohen.
“It was an unbelievable race and it was literally down to the last stride. You could have taken quite a big bet turning into the home straight that the three in front wouldn’t finish in the first three. I was sorry we spoiled Paisley Park’s party, but not very.
“It was only his third ever hurdle race and he wouldn’t be as quick and slick as some of those pros. However, he ran vigorously up the hill and I don’t think he quickened as much as Paisley Park, but interestingly, if you look at after the finish, he goes right away from Paisley Park.
“I don’t think he saw Paisley Park on the far side of the course. I think he thought he had the horses near him beaten and didn’t see the others because as soon as he crossed the line and they came close together he went on again.”
He went on: “He was getting 6lb on the day from Paisley Park and that perhaps made all the difference, but that’s where Emmet’s genius lies because traditionally you would go hurdles, regulation steeplechase fences and then occasionally the best go to the Grand National.
“No one does it the other way round. He’s won a Grand National, so then going for a Grade Two hurdle is not normal.”
Noble Yeats was campaigned aggressively following his Grand National triumph in 2022, treading a path that saw his Aintree defence sandwiched by tilts at both the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris last season.
Connections have plumped for a more considered route to Merseyside this time around and having been kept under wraps until running at Limerick over the Christmas period, he will continue to ply his trade over timber with a crack at the Stayers’ Hurdle set to tee-up this year’s Grand National bid.
“It was a great thrill (to win the Cleeve) and he had a very hard season last year,” continued Waley-Cohen.
“He won a Listed race at Wexford, won the Many Clouds Chase, came third in the Cotswold Chase, fourth in the Gold Cup, fourth in the Grand National and picked up money in the Grand Steeple. That is one hell of a year and he needed a properly good break afterwards.
“He came back to my place in Warwickshire and had a proper break and lots of TLC and we decided we needed a much more conservative plan this year and not run him at all until after Christmas.
“The race at Limerick didn’t suit him at all and he didn’t like the ground or the course, but Saturday just played into his hands.
“He’s entitled to take his chance (in the Stayers’), but whatever the outcome it will be great step to the National. It’s a better step for him than anything else and it sounds a bit bizarre to say a Grade One race is a prep, but it looks the suitable race.”
Noble Yeats is as short as 8-1 for the Stayers’ Hurdle and although he produced a performance that warrants his place in the Festival’s day three main event, Waley-Cohen has considerable respect for the Gordon Elliott-trained duo that are currently heading the ante-post betting.
He added: “I suspect when we are back at level weights there will be a few young horses from Ireland coming over and you don’t have to be a genius to fathom out that Teahupoo and Irish Point are really nice horses on the upgrade.
“One great thing Harry (Cobden) did riding him on Saturday, was ride him into hurdles with absolute confidence and the horse absolutely revelled in coming up that hill, so who knows, we dream, we always do.
“But in terms of getting to the National in first-class order, it’s a very good option and the National is really the target.
“Many would just go to something like the Bobbyjo (Chase) which is a recognised route to the National, but being the man he is, Emmet thinks this is the better route – he is definitely unorthodox.”
Three-time winner Craig Simpson and four-time female winner Aliana McMaster finished tops at the Driftwood Gun Club Shoot at the 17-station Murphy Hill Course in St Ann recently.
Both competitors shot 95 out of 100 targets and dominated the packed field, which included a total of 157 of the best gunners on the island, such as nine-time national shotgun champion and president of the Jamaica Skeet Club Ian Banks; six-time national shotgun champion and defending champion Shaun Barnes; four-time and reigning national shotgun champion Christian Sasso; Chad Ziadie, the 2022 national shotgun champion; as well as five-time national female shotgun champion Wendy McMaster.
The young McMaster already created history by being the first female to make it to the A Class late last year and her score of 95 again etched her name in the history books, as it is the highest by any female locally. When her score was posted most people thought it very possible that she won, which would make her the first female to win any sporting clay event in Jamaica, but Simpson roared back with his high-scoring 95 to set up a tense shoot-off between them.
In the end, Simpson took down six of the eight targets, while McMaster struck only four.
“Winning is always an amazing feeling, it’s what keeps us going. I tell everybody that I don’t think I leave my house if I was not coming here to win. I am hungry for the win. Always hungry for the win. I am always excited about the competitive field, and as the years go by with the juniors emerging, the field only becomes more competitive, and it's an internal challenge to stay relevant. I have been able to do that over the years and I plan to continue to be there for as long as I can, but they are coming," Simpson said.
McMaster, on the other hand, was also happy with her performance.
“It’s honestly an amazing feeling. After you have a reputation or expectation from the people coming to the shoot it can get to you and really mess up your head. I feel it can play a big part in how that day goes, but I just had to approach it like any other shoot and just do my best, and frankly, winning four times in a row is honestly such a great feeling and I am absolutely grateful for it," she noted.
Meanwhile, the top three in the various classes were A Class: Christian Sasso (92) by way of shoot-off with William Zager (92) and Alex Cunningham (91); B Class: Gordon Bucknor (86), Robin Rickhi (84), and Zachary Harris (81); C Class: Brandon Laing (90), Adam Harris (85), and Wendy McMaster (85); D Class: Lori-Ann Harris (85) and Noah Vaughn (84); E Class: Seymour Essor (69), David Campbell (67), and Anthony Ayoub (67); Ladies: Aliana McMaster (95), Lori-Ann Harris (85), and Wendy McMaster (85); Hunters or Beginners: Philip Burgess (77), Cameron Lee (69), and Che Rowe (68); Juniors Aliana McMaster (95), David Wong (87), and Lori-Ann Harris (85); and Sub Juniors: Craig Powell Jr (55) and Levi Clarke (48).
A tilt at the JCB Triumph Hurdle remains on Burdett Road’s agenda despite his defeat at Cheltenham on Saturday.
A winner at Royal Ascot in the summer for Michael Bell and the Gredley family, the four-year-old confirmed himself a top-class jumping recruit in winning his first two starts over hurdles at Huntingdon.
The son of Muhaarar was a marginal favourite to complete his hat-trick in Saturday’s Grade Two Triumph Hurdle Trial, but on the day he proved no match for Nicky Henderson’s Sir Gino, who rocketed 10 lengths clear and is now as short as evens for the juvenile championship at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
Trainer James Owen acknowledges Burdett Road will have his work cut out in his bid to turn the tables on Sir Gino, but he is nevertheless happy to roll the dice.
“We bumped into a very good horse and the positive we can take from it is that we jumped better and he’s come out of it fine,” said the Newmarket handler.
“I think drier ground will help us. We’ve got to improve to bridge that gap, but he’ll have an easy week and he’ll be trained for the Triumph Hurdle – all systems go, basically.”
Owen is optimistic his charge can make more of a race of it in March, adding: “We were pleased in quite a few ways on Saturday as he jumped better and settled better, albeit he got keen at the top of the hill when they seemed to slow the race down.
“He was there at the right time to win the race and we were outclassed on the day, but he’s been beaten before on the Flat, he’s a hardy horse and he would have learnt more again.
“Drier ground, a bit of spring weather, I’m hoping a few things will help us bridge the gap. There were no excuses on our behalf though, we were beaten by a very good horse.
“I’m happy with my horse and not disappointed. There was a lot of hype and press about him before Saturday, which was great, but the pressure is off me a bit now and hopefully we can get a trouble-free run and get to Cheltenham in good health and hopefully he’ll run very well.”
Anthony Edwards scored 27 points and helped spark a late run that propelled the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 107-101 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday in a clash of teams that had been tied for the Western Conference lead.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points and 10 rebounds and Rudy Gobert amassed 12 points and 18 rebounds as the Timberwolves bounced back from Saturday's one-point loss at Sacramento and dropped the Thunder to third place in the tightly bunched conference standings.
The Denver Nuggets moved a half-game ahead of Oklahoma City and remained a half-game behind Minnesota with Monday's win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Oklahoma City had erased a 10-point third-quarter deficit to take a 97-96 lead on two Shai Gilgeous-Alexander free throws with 2:43 left, but Minnesota's Jaden McDaniels hit a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession to start a pivotal 9-0 spurt.
The Thunder would miss their next four shots as the Timberwolves began pulling away. Edwards followed McDaniels' trey with a running dunk and McDaniels scored on a tip-in before Towns capped the run with two free throws that put Minnesota up 105-97 with 15.5 seconds to go.
Minnesota owned a 62-52 advantage nearing the midway mark of the third quarter before the Thunder seized momentum with an 11-0 run. Gilgeous-Alexander had six points and Jalen Williams scored the last five of the flurry, which gave Oklahoma City a 63-62 edge with five minutes left in the period.
The Thunder, who were coming off a stunning 120-104 loss to the NBA-worst Detroit Pistons on Sunday, received 37 points and eight assists from Gilgeous-Alexander and 20 points from Williams.
Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City's third-leading scorer at 17 points per game, was held to just four points on 2-of-9 shooting, however, as the Timberwolves finished with a 46-34 point advantage in the paint.
Jokic has another triple-double as Nuggets spoil Rivers' debut with Bucks
Jamal Murray scored 35 points and Nikola Jokić posted his 14th triple-double of the season to power the Denver Nuggets to a 113-107 win over Milwaukee in Doc Rivers' first game as the Bucks' head coach.
Jokic compiled 25 points, 16 rebounds and 12 assists to add to his league-leading triple-double count and help the defending NBA champions keep pace with first-place Minnesota in the West. The Nuggets have now won five of their last six games.
Rivers, who coached the Boston Celtics to an NBA title during the 2007-08 season, was hired shortly after the Bucks dismissed Adrian Griffin on Jan. 23 despite sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference with a 30-13 record. Assistant Joe Prunty coached Milwaukee's last three games and went 2-1.
The veteran coach's tenure started off strong as the Bucks jumped out to a 24-11 lead midway through the first quarter, though the Nuggets ended the period on a 12-0 run to cut their deficit to 26-25 entering the second.
Denver gradually asserted control and owned an 84-75 advantage early in the fourth quarter, but the Bucks hit three straight 3-pointers during a 13-2 spurt that put them back ahead with under nine minutes to play.
The game remained tight until the Nuggets pulled away with an 8-0 run, which Murray capped with a jumper that gave Denver a 106-97 lead with 3:17 to go.
Giannis Antetokounmpo paced Milwaukee with 29 points on 11-of-19 shooting along with 12 rebounds, while Brook Lopez had 19 points and Damian Lillard finished with 18 in the loss.
Suns bounce back by handing Heat seventh straight loss
The Phoenix Suns kept rolling behind a balanced attack and strong defence that resulted in a 118-105 victory over the reeling Miami Heat, the seventh consecutive loss for the defending Eastern Conference champions.
Eric Gordon scored 23 points off the bench to lead six Phoenix players in double figures in a game the Suns led by as much as 28 points en route to stopping a two-game losing streak.
The Suns also got 22 points from Devin Booker and 20 from Kevin Durant, with both stars finishing with eight rebounds and seven assists each.
Miami went 14 of 36 from 3-point range but was stonewalled from inside the arc, shooting a subpar 39.6 per cent on 2-point attempts in this latest defeat. The Heat have lost seven straight for the first time since the 2007-08 season.
Jimmy Butler led Miami with 26 points and recent acquisition Terry Rozier had 21 in his fourth game with the Heat.
Miami shot just 35.4 per cent in the first half as the Suns built a 62-49 lead at the break, and its shooting woes continued as Phoenix extended the margin in the third quarter.
Booker had 12 points and the Suns shot over 68 per cent for the period to open up a commanding 100-74 advantage entering the fourth quarter.
Claude Giroux's goal with 1:24 remaining in overtime completed a furious rally as the Ottawa Senators overcame a three-goal deficit to earn a 4-3 win over the Nashville Predators in Monday's lone game of the NHL schedule.
Ottawa trailed 3-0 after one period before goals from Drake Batherson, Tim Stuetzle and Brady Tkachuk in the second tied the game, and the Senators received a superb relief effort from goaltender Joonas Korpisalo to help spur the comeback.
Korpisalo stopped all 17 shots he faced after taking over for Mads Sogaard, who was pulled after one period after allowing three goals on 11 shots.
After the Predators failed on a 2-on-1 attempt late in overtime, the Senators countered with an odd-man rush of their own. Stuetzle worked a give-and-go with Giroux, who blasted his teammate's pass over Nashville goaltender Juuse Saros for the game-winner.
Ottawa, tied for last in the Eastern Conference with 40 points, had lost two in a row coming in but improved to 4-1-2 over its last seven games.
The Predators lost for the fourth time in five games despite a solid performance from Saros, who made 14 saves in the third period to force overtime and finished with 31.
Michael McCarron staked Nashville to an early lead when he rocketed a loose puck past Sogaard 8:26 in. Philip Tomasino and Yakov Trenin then scored 2:30 apart before the end of the first period to give the Predators a seemingly comfortable 3-0 advantage.
England fly-half Marcus Smith is awaiting scan results on a leg injury sustained in training just five days before the Guinness Six Nations’ opener against Italy.
Steve Borthwick’s squad are on a training camp in Girona and the England head coach is scheduled to announce his starting line-up on Thursday.
England’s Six Nations’ hopes would be given a huge blow if Smith is ruled out as fellow fly-half Owen Farrell is ineligible for selection following his move from Saracens to French side Racing 92 last week.
Farrell had already made himself unavailable for this season’s Six Nations in order to focus on his mental well-being and Smith was a leading contender to fill his boots.
Smith left England’s training camp on crutches and headed for a scan after his session had been cut short.
England attack coach Richard Wigglesworth told several national media outlets: “Hopefully it’s very precautionary, but if he is not (available) it would definitely be a blow for us.
“It wasn’t a big incident. He was just jogging, but he pulled up and happened to be right next to a physio by the sideline, so they walked off after that. All the usual stuff (medical assessments) will happen.”
Andy Murray remains winless in 2024 after losing in three sets to France’s Benoit Paire in the first round of the Open Sud de France.
Murray, who exited both the Brisbane International and the Australian Open after his opening match, let slip a one-set lead against Paire, currently ranked 112, to lose 6-2 6-7 (5) 3-6 in just short of two and three-quarter hours.
Former world number one Murray raced into a 3-0 lead in the opening set after breaking Paire’s first service game and broke the Frenchman for a second time in the eighth game to wrap it up 6-2 in 38 minutes.
Paire, who reached a career-high ranking of 18 in 2016, responded by breaking Murray in the opening game of the second set and after the Briton broke back to level it up at 4-4, it headed for a tie-break.
Murray won three successive points from 5-1 down and saved a set point to claw it back to 6-5, but lost the next point on his serve and Paire clinched the tie-break 7-5 to level the match.
After both players had lost their serve early in the decider, Paire made the decisive break when 4-3 ahead and served it out to seal an impressive win.
Murray, who has said this year could be his last on tour if he is “not enjoying it”, lost in the opening round to Grigor Dimitrov in Brisbane and fell to Tomas Martin Etcheverry in straight sets at the Australian Open.
The British Horseracing Authority has said it is looking into how leading Randox Grand National contender Monbeg Genius may be affected by a freezing order placed on the assets of owners Baroness Michelle Mone and her husband Doug Barrowman.
Assets linked to the couple have been frozen, as a National Crime Agency investigation into PPE firm Medpro continues.
According to the Financial Times, about £75million of assets, including a townhouse in Belgravia and an estate on the Isle of Man, have either been frozen or restrained following an application by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Purchased for £80,000 via a Goffs sale in November 2020, Monbeg Genius is trained by Jonjo O’Neill and was third in the Ultima Handicap at last year’s Cheltenham Festival when coming home behind subsequent National hero Corach Rambler and multiple Grade One winner Fastorslow, who is now among the favourites for the Gold Cup.
He was most recently seen finishing third again in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury in early December, but a setback meant he missed potential outings in the Welsh Grand National at Chepstow and the Classic Chase at Warwick.
A spokesperson for racing’s governing body said: “The BHA is aware of reports regarding a court order in relation to the assets of Michelle Mone and Doug Barrowman.
“We are in contact with the relevant individuals to understand what implication, if any, there are for their involvement with racing.”
Speaking earlier this month, O’Neill said he hoped Monbeg Genius would come right in time for Aintree, but that he would need a run beforehand in order to make the cut for the race, which this year will have a reduced field of 34 runners, adding that should he not make the National then races like the Scottish National and Midlands National will be considered. His ante-post price for the National on April 13 ranges from 14-1 to 20-1.
In a statement last week, a spokesman for the couple said: “Doug and Michelle did not contest the application (by the CPS) and were happy to offer up these assets, which means they can begin the task of proving their innocence more quickly.”
New York Knicks forward Julius Randle reportedly avoided a serious injury but will still be out for several weeks.
There was a fear that a dislocated right shoulder could've sidelined him multiple months, but Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Monday he'll likely only miss a few weeks.
Despite the positive news, he'll likely still be sidelined through the All-Star Game on February 18.
The Knicks' first game after the break is against the Philadelphia 76ers on February 22.
Randle dislocated his shoulder in Saturday's 125-109 win over the Miami Heat. He exited with 4:27 to play after appearing to land hard on his right shoulder after colliding with the Heat's Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Saturday's win marked the sixth straight victory for the Knicks, who improved to 12-2 this month.
Randle has been instrumental to New York's success, averaging 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.
The 10-year veteran has yet to miss a game, recording 18 double-doubles and 10 30-point games.
His play has helped the Knicks climb into fourth place in the Eastern Conference, and he was likely on his way to earning a third All-Star Game selection.
Willie Mullins and Paul Townend continued their sensational run of form with a Monday double at Punchestown.
Even by his own high standards, the Closutton handler has been firing on all cylinders since the turn of the year, with his latest brace meaning he has now trained 39 winners in January.
Stable jockey Townend is enjoy a similar hot streak, with his last 20 rides yielding 14 victories.
It did not take the formidable partnership long to find the target, with Anotherway bolting up in the opening Get Best Odds Guaranteed At Bet Victor Maiden Hurdle.
The five-year-old was the 8-15 favourite despite finishing down the field on his Irish debut at Leopardstown over Christmas and justified his cramped odds with a comfortable 12-length success.
Coral cut Anotherway to 33-1 from 100-1 for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, but Mullins indicated he could well step up in distance if he does make the trip to the Cotswolds.
“He stayed well and galloped well the whole way to the line, but his jumping left a lot to be desired and he has to improve on that,” said the champion trainer.
“Maybe it was the heavy ground today because he jumped much better in Leopardstown the last day. I’m disappointed with his jumping but at least he did what he was showing us at home today.
“Looking at that performance he might be more of a Ballymore (Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle) horse.”
Mullins and Townend doubled up in the Group Ticket Deal At Festival 2024 (C & G) Maiden Hurdle with the similarly promising Billericay Dickie (8-11 favourite).
Another recruit from the French Flat scene, the five-year-old cruised to the front under a motionless Townend before kicking 11 lengths clear.
Mullins added: “I was delighted with that. I didn’t think he’d go on that ground, but Paul said he handled it well.
“For a maiden I thought he jumped very well and he could go wherever he wants.
“We’ll look at a novice hurdle somewhere and we’ll see if Paul thinks he’s good enough for a race across the water (at Cheltenham). I’d like to get another run into him before we go there, if we go there.
“That was two and a half, he’s by New Bay and his dam won on the Flat over a mile and a quarter. I wouldn’t be going three miles with him, but he could stick around that trip or two-six.
“I might get another novice in him and then decide if he’s good enough to go.”
Bioluminescence was another winning odds-on favourite in the Download The Bet Victor App Mares Maiden Hurdle, landing odds of 4-7 for trainer Gavin Cromwell, jockey Mark Walsh and owner JP McManus.
Cromwell said: “She’s a three-mile chaser in the making, she ploughed through that ground and it’s nice to get her head in front.”
Martin Brassil’s Built By Ballymore (11-4) was hard at work a long way from home in the Punchestown Members Club From 215 Rated Novice Hurdle, but stuck to his guns to stay in contention and in the end pulled 12 lengths ahead of the chasing pack under JJ Slevin.
“He just handles the muck. He mightn’t quicken up but he just keeps going in it,” said Brassil.
“I felt he might have been put in high enough, but in those conditions he handles it better than most.”
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