Harry Fry is poised to let Boothill take a shot at the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase, despite his star chaser heading into the Cheltenham Festival on the back of two falls.
A winner of seven of his 17 starts, the nine-year-old has claimed Grade Two honours over fences and started the current campaign in blistering form, winning two valuable Ascot handicaps at two miles.
Testing conditions saw him miss out on a run in the Tingle Creek at Sandown, but he has returned to graded company the last twice where he has failed to complete in both the Desert Orchid at Kempton and Newbury’s Game Spirit Chase earlier this month.
However, Fry has few concerns about Boothill’s jumping and rather than face the burden of top-weight in the Grand Annual, is preferring to let his charge take his chance in the feature of Wednesday’s Festival action, where his rivals are likely to include the mighty duo of El Fabiolo and Jonbon.
“He’s fine and come out of the race at Newbury well and we’re still working towards Cheltenham, albeit it’s not an ideal prep coming down the last twice,” said Fry.
“Fundamentally he jumps well, he has just made two mistakes and fallen on the two occasions he has made a mistake. He’s fine in himself and it’s got to be onwards and upwards.”
He went on: “At Newbury we knew the ground had gone against him, but having fallen at Kempton, we knew it was our last opportunity to run and we just thought we would use it to get a clear round under his belt.
“Unfortunately the heavy ground just finds his wind out and that was exactly what Johnny (Burke, jockey) said – going to the second last his wind just gave out on him and he just made a tired lunge at the fence rather than a genuine mistake. He’s normally very surefooted.
“It’s either the Champion Chase or carry top-weight in the Grand Annual and we’re inclined to let him take his chance (in the Champion Chase) on hopefully a bit better ground.
“Wee’re not saying we’ll go there and win, but if he was to run a good race then you never know.”
Thursday’s meeting at Huntingdon has been called off due to a waterlogged track.
The venue was due to host a six-race National Hunt card but the course is not fit for action, with areas of standing water and further rain forecast ahead of the fixture.
Clerk of the course Roderick Duncan inspected the track on Tuesday morning and had little option but to abandon.
He said: “We flooded again on Sunday and while the water levels have dropped, there are still areas of standing water on various parts of the track.
“While the river levels are dropping, the forecast for more rain on Wednesday and Thursday is just not helpful.”
The British Horseracing Authority has already announced an additional meeting on Thursday at Chelmsford.
Cameron Norrie hit the ground running at the Rio Open on Monday, defeating Bolivian player Hugo Dellien 6-3 6-2 in Brazil.
The world number 23 saved the only break point he faced as he breezed into the second round in one hour and 21 minutes.
In his on-court interview after the match, Norrie said he was happy with how he bounced back after a first-round exit in Argentina last week.
He said: “I served much better than last week, and I was a bit more patient and knew I had to play point for point and really make the rallies a bit longer.
“I think I learned from last week with that, and just happy to be back in Brazil.”
He will face off with Chilean player Tomas Barrios Vera next, after the world number 120 knocked out Brazilian wild card Gustavo Heide 7-5 6-3.
Norrie won the top prize at last year’s Rio Open, defeating world number two Carlos Alcaraz in the final.
Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek each recorded three goals and three assists to lead a record-setting day for the Minnesota Wild, who set a franchise single-game high for goals in Monday's frantic 10-7 win over the Vancouver Canucks.
Matt Boldy and Mats Zuccarello delivered a goal and three assists each for Minnesota, which overcame a three-goal second-period deficit by lighting the lamp seven times during the third to set a team record for goals in a period as well.
The Wild's offensive outburst also overshadowed a three-goal, one-assist performance from Vancouver's J.T. Miller. The game was the first to have three players record hat tricks since the Los Angeles Kings accomplished the feat in an 11-4 win over the San Jose Sharks on Nov. 8, 1992.
After Zuccarello's power-play goal with 33 seconds left in the second period cut the Canucks' lead to 5-3, the Wild scored five straight times in the first 5:12 of the third. Eriksson Ek and Kaprizov each struck twice during the flurry, which also included a goal from Marco Rossi.
The six goals in a span of 5:45 made the Wild the first team to score six times in that short a time frame since the Washington Capitals did so in a 4:47 stretch in a 10-1 rout of the Tampa Bay Lightning on Feb. 3, 1999.
The Pacific Division-leading Canucks fought back, though, as goals from Nikita Zadorov and Brock Boeser got them within 8-7 with 2:08 left to play. Minnesota's Jonas Brodin scored into an empty net 61 seconds later, however, before Kaprizov completed his fourth career hat trick and second this season with an empty-netter in the final stages.
Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek matched the @mnwild record for points in a game while combining for a feat not witnessed in more than three decades.#NHLStats: https://t.co/wuATxuTB8f pic.twitter.com/Ga6OXyAPpY
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) February 19, 2024
Marc-Andre Fleury was credited with the victory after the Wild veteran stopped six of eight shots after replacing starter Filip Gustavsson to begin the third period. Minnesota extended its point streak to six games (5-0-1) despite Gustavsson yielding five goals on 16 shots.
The Canucks, meanwhile, have dropped two straight following a forgettable afternoon for netminder Casey DeSmith, who let in eight goals on just 25 shots.
Matthews' 49th goal helps Maple Leafs top Blues
Auston Matthews continued his recent goal-scoring tear by recording his league-leading 49th of the season, which helped the Toronto Maple Leafs stay hot as well with a 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues.
Matthews' seventh goal in three games snapped a 1–1 tie 45 seconds into the third period, and the 2021-22 Hart Trophy recipient had an assist earlier to spark Toronto to a fourth consecutive win.
Mitchell Marner had three assists for Toronto, which also got a key short-handed goal from William Nylander that extended the Leafs' lead to 3-1 with 12:31 left to play.
After a scoreless first period, the Maple Leafs struck quickly in the second as Matthews set up Matthew Knies for a close-range shot that the rookie rocketed past St. Louis goaltender Joel Hofer just 22 seconds into the period.
Brandon Saad's power-play goal late in the second drew the Blues even, though the tie was short-lived as Matthews deposited a feed from Marner into the Blues' net in the opening minute of the third.
The Blues cut the deficit to 3-2 on Pavel Buchnevich's goal with 1:08 to play, but Bobby McMann sealed the win for Toronto with an empty-net score with 38 seconds left.
Hofer stopped 25 of 28 shots for St. Louis, which has lost two straight following an 8-2-0 stretch from Jan. 20-Feb. 15. Ilya Samsonov finished with 19 saves for Toronto.
Bruins stop four-game slide with shootout win over Stars
Charlie McAvoy scored in the ninth round of the shootout as the Boston Bruins rallied for a 4-3 victory over the Dallas Stars to halt their four-game losing streak.
McAvoy added two assists in regulation for Boston, which forced overtime on David Pastrnak's goal with 1:45 left in the third period.
The Bruins later extended the game further when Brad Marchand beat Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger in the third round of the shootout to tie the deciding phase at 1-1.
Both Oettinger and Boston's Jeremy Swayman turned aside the next five skaters each faced before McAvoy converted his chance. Swayman then denied Craig Smith to end the game and hand Dallas a second straight defeat, though the Western Conference contenders did extend their point streak to five games (3-0-2).
Swayman finished with a career-high 43 saves before stopping eight of nine opponents in the shootout.
Goals from Boston's Jesper Boqvist and Dallas' Wyatt Johnston sent the teams into the first intermission tied at 1-1, and the Stars' Ryan Suter and the Bruins' Justin Brazeau scored 28 seconds apart less than two minutes into the second period.
Dallas went back ahead when Esa Lindell scored on a 2-on-1 rush with 9:16 left in the third, but Pastrnak later one-timed a feed from McAvoy past Oettinger with Swayman pulled for an extra attacker to tie the game at 3-3.
Oettinger finished with 27 saves.
Anno Power has left Harry Fry full of excitement after booking her ticket to Aintree with a scintillating display at Ascot on Saturday.
Held in high regard by her trainer, the five-year-old suffered a narrow reversal at the hands of Ben Pauling’s Dunskay on her debut, but put the record straight in breathtaking fashion when sent off the 5-4 favourite for the British EBF Mares’ Open National Hunt Flat Race.
Having succumbed to keenness in her first outing, she was ridden cold by Jonathan Burke at Ascot and still had the whole field to pass before her jockey flicked the switch within the final two furlongs.
She quickened impressively, swallowing up her rivals one by one, before hitting full flow as she hit the line almost three lengths clear of the runner-up, the Karl Burke-trained Nala The Lioness.
Anno Power will now be held back for the Grade Two Goffs UK Nickel Coin Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race on the opening day of Aintree’s Grand National Festival (April 11), a race won in the last two years by Ashroe Diamond (2022) and Dysart Enos (2023).
“We’re very excited with her and to be honest I was rather disappointed when she got beat the first day at Exeter,” said Fry.
“She over-raced a bit that day and was last off the bridle up against a horse of Ben Pauling’s who won again last week under a penalty and looks a useful young horse. It turned into a bit of a duel up the straight at Exeter, which didn’t play to our strengths but we learnt plenty about her.
“She was running against mares for the first time on Saturday and we knew first and foremost we needed to get her switched off to give herself a chance, hence why Johnny rode such a patient race.
“We were trying to teach her with the future in mind and she had to settle. If she was capable of what we think she is, then when he asked her turning in, we would be able to see if she could go and win the race – and the manner in which she did was hugely exciting.
“It was impressive to see her pass the field like she did and quicken and then keep quickening to the line and then gallop right through the line.
“I was delighted to see her take that next step forward and now we can go to Aintree for the Grade Two mares’ bumper on the opening day of the Grand National meeting. That would probably be that for this season and then she will be a nice novice hurdling prospect for next season.”
Harry Smith is free to feature in Wigan’s World Club Challenge clash with Penrith after escaping a ban for his tip-tackle on Castleford’s Luke Hooley in Friday night’s Betfred Super League opener.
The 24-year-old was sent to the sin bin following the incident but received a Grade B charge because the RFL’s match review panel found that “the unnatural actions of the tackled player significantly contributed to the outcome of the tackle”.
Grade B charges generally incur a one-match ban, but previous conduct can provide a mitigating circumstance and the half-back, a pivotal figure in Wigan’s hopes of emulating St Helens and claiming the title next Saturday, got away with a £250 fine.
Four red and nine yellow cards were issued in the opening round of Super League fixtures, with three players given Grade E charges and referred to tribunals which could rule them out for between four to six games.
Hull’s Franklin Pele, Castleford’s Liam Watts and Catalans’ Michael McIlorum were all sent off for head contact in their respective matches.
However, RFL chiefs insist the eye-catching number of sanctions were not unduly affected by new tackle rule protocols which came into play ahead of the new campaign.
Robert Hicks, the RFL’s director of operations and legal, said: “Of the 13 cards shown, 10 of the incidents would have led to a card being shown under the framework that applied in 2023.
“It was a highly successful opening round of Betfred Super League fixtures, and it is right that the focus is already turning to the second round of matches, and also the Betfred World Club Challenge.”
Brian Ellison is set to make a late decision on the participation of ante-post favourite Anglers Crag in the Sky Sports Racing Sky 415 Eider Handicap Chase at Newcastle on Saturday.
The nine-year-old is unbeaten in three starts for the Malton handler since transferring from David Pipe in the autumn and brought up a hat-trick for his new training team with a decisive success at Musselburgh earlier this month.
Despite given an 11lb rise for that victory, he as short as 11-4 to extend his winning run in the Gosforth Park marathon at the weekend, with the final call on whether he takes his chance resting with owner Derrick Mossop.
“I’ve seen he’s favourite, but I don’t think a decision (on whether he runs) will be made until Thursday, I need to speak with the owner,” said Ellison.
“The horse is in great form and if he runs he will be in tip-top condition, I’m very happy with him.
“The handicapper didn’t miss him last time and put him up 11lb and I think he’s gone up around 20lb since I’ve had him.
“Ground will come into it (the decision to run) and he’s never been over four miles yet. He won over three-mile-two at Carlisle and he’s also won over three miles at Musselburgh so he’s showed he has a bit of speed and he can stay. If he was to stay four miles he would take all the beating, I would think.”
Ellison won the Eider with Sam’s Adventure in 2021 and the Tyneside native admitted he would love to get his hands on the prize for a second time, with his in-form stayer reported to be in rude health.
“We won it a couple of years ago which was good and it would be nice to win it again,” said Ellison.
“He’s in great form and if the owner wants to run him he will run, but if he doesn’t then I won’t run him.
“He’s been trained like he’s going to run and has never missed a beat since he won at Musselburgh. He worked on Saturday and Andrew Robinson who rides him all the time thinks he’s improved again, so everything is OK.”
Anglers Crag is one of 16 remaining in the hunt for the £80,000 contest after Monday’s confirmation stage, with Jamie Snowden’s Git Maker the one the bookmakers feel will give Ellison’s charge most to think about.
Last year’s runner-up The Galloping Bear is another notable name to stand his ground, alongside Sam England’s hat-trick-seeking Fenland Tiger and Seamus Mullins’ Tommie Beau who scored twice before having to settle for second in the Sussex National.
The Brooklyn Nets fired head coach Jacque Vaugn on Monday, five days after the team suffered a 50-point loss to the Boston Celtics in its final game before the All-Star break.
Brooklyn is 21-33 and in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, but the club is only 2.5 games behind the Atlanta Hawks for a spot in the Play-In Tournament.
The Nets said “an interim head coach will be named in the near future.”
“This was an incredibly difficult decision, but one we feel is in the best interest of the team going forward,” Nets general manager Sean Marks said in a statement.
Vaughn was promoted to head coach early last season following the dismissal of Steve Nash after Brooklyn opened with five losses in seven games.
The Nets immediately started playing better, which led to a contract extension for Vaughn last February.
The Nets posted a 43-32 record under Vaughn last season as they claimed the No. 6 seed in the East before getting swept by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the playoffs.
Brooklyn got off to a 13-10 start this season but went on to drop 23 of 31 games heading into break, punctuated by the second-worst loss in franchise history on Wednesday.
Vaughn owns a 129-226 coaching record with the Orlando Magic and Brooklyn.
Magnus Bradbury, Alex Craig, Blair Kinghorn, WP Nel and Hamish Watson have joined the Scotland squad ahead of the weekend’s Six Nations match against England.
They replace Josh Bayliss, Javan Sebastian and Ross McCann, while Darcy Graham remains out after sustaining a groin injury last week and is subject to further assessment.
Toulouse’s Kinghorn has recovered from the injury that ruled him out of the first two games and he met up with the group at the start of the week.
The back-row options have been bolstered by the return of Bristol flanker Bradbury and – after making his 150th appearance for Edinburgh at the weekend – Watson is called up.
Following the injury to Richie Gray in Cardiff, Scarlets second row Craig has joined the squad. The 26-year-old has two caps, playing twice in 2021, including the win over France away from home.
Nel has recovered from his injury and replaces Sebastian, but Bayliss has been ruled out of the squad due to concussion.
Josh Taylor wants to silence his doubters when he takes on bitter rival Jack Catterall for a second time.
Catterall was distraught when he controversially lost a split decision against Taylor for the undisputed super-lightweight championship two years ago and there were many inside and outside the sport who thought he had every right to feel aggrieved.
The Scot vacated three of his titles before losing his WBO championship to Teofimo Lopez last June in his only bout since fighting Catterall, whom he will meet again in a non-title bout on April 27 at the First Direct Arena in Leeds.
Both boxers had to be separated when they went head-to-head at a sometimes rancorous Edinburgh city hotel media conference, packed with Taylor fans, and afterwards the man from Prestonpans spoke about silencing any critics.
“A lot of people to shut up and put up the middle finger to,” said Taylor.
“There is a lot of bragging rights and pride and to put the doubters to bed. I learned not to underestimate your opponent (against Catterall). I lived by that my whole career.
“But when you have the level of success I have had in such a short period of time then they say you are fighting Jack Catterall who hadn’t really proven himself.
“I thought he had lost against Ohara Davies and it was ‘just be fit and I will beat this guy’ and that was the biggest mistake I made. I never learned the lesson but I won’t be making the same mistake twice.”
Taylor spoke about the online trolls who have made life difficult for him and his family since the Catterall fight.
He said: “It has been OK. At the start was pretty heavy but it was all online.
“In person I haven’t had anything really. I have had people come up to me and say I thought he won the fight which is great, that is their opinion and I have absolutely no problem with that at all.
“But when the abuse starts and the family start getting it and you see how it affects them, that’s when it turns to a different dynamic and tone and it turned violent, putting my wife and sister’s places of work online and threats of violence, coming to their work.
“It is unacceptable. Any man would defend their family. I should have kept my mouth shut but then you can only kick a dog so many times before it bites back and that’s what I did bit back a couple of times but I should have kept quiet.”
39Christopher Head has raised the possibility of Ramatuelle running in the Qipco 1000 Guineas, as connections seek to plot a mile campaign this summer.
Co-owned by former NBA star Tony Parker, Ramatuelle sports black and silver silks based on his former championship-winning team the San Antonio Spurs and made a serious impression on course at two.
The high-class daughter of Justify won three of her five appearances as a juvenile, including the Group Two Prix Robert Papin, before finishing her campaign going down by the barest of margins to star colt Vandeek in the Prix Morny.
Plans for Ramatuelle’s early-season target are still to be finalised and as well as a possible raid on Newmarket, she holds an entry for the Emirates Poule d’Essai des Pouliches the trainer won with Blue Rose Cen in 2023.
But Head will begin testing her Classic credentials at Deauville on April 9 and having seen dual Classic-winning filly Blue Rose Cen switched to Maurizio Guarnieri earlier this year, will be hoping Ramatuelle can fill the void and become another household name for his Chantilly operation.
He said: “Ramatuelle has been a tremendous filly for us as a two-year-old and we are now preparing her for pretty much the mile programme in France, but not only in France, in the UK too.
“We’re looking all over Europe to make the best programme for her as a three-year-old. It (Newmarket) is of course a possibility, but at the end of the day her owner will decide where she will run and of course there is a possibility she could go for that race.
“She’s going to go to the Prix Imprudence and then from there we will see where we go. To be a successful miler is the main objective this year.
“I think Ramatuelle is a really nice filly and Justify has proven he can sire very versatile horses. I’m very happy to have her at three and can’t wait to see what she is going to do for us in the mile races this year.”
Owners Yeguada Centurion may have switched Blue Rose Cen, but their Group One-winning colt Big Rock remains in Head’s care and is being geared up for another enterprising programme.
He was last seen recording a brilliant victory from the front in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on British Champions Day and his handler is excited by the possibility of returning to the UK in search of further riches during the 2024 season.
“Big Rock is brilliant and has done very well over the winter,” continued Head.
“He will have a nice programme in Europe and we will be able to come over to the UK again.
“I will speak with the owners before saying anything about where he is going to start, but don’t worry the horse is doing very well and we’re very happy with his training. We can’t wait to see him back on track.”
Chris Ashton believes Ollie Lawrence has the physical presence to become the long-term successor to Manu Tuilagi as England’s midfield powerhouse.
For the first time in this Guinness Six Nations, both Lawrence and Tuilagi are available after recovering from respective hip and groin injuries and Steve Borthwick is deciding what role they should play in Saturday’s clash with Scotland.
Owing to their lack of match fitness, former England wing Ashton insists the existing midfield of Fraser Dingwall and Henry Slade needs to be retained with Lawrence included on the bench.
And while the rampaging, if injury-prone, Tuilagi still has a role to play at 32 years old, Ashton feels Lawrence is ready to show he can also punch holes in defences at Test level.
“Ollie seems like a very, very similar to Manu and its taken his move to Bath to realise his full potential in how good he can be,” BBC Rugby Union Daily podcast co-host Ashton told the PA news agency.
“Against Toulouse a few weeks ago he was outstanding. We have yet to see that at England level, but I see Ollie as the perfect replacement for Manu, a really natural fit.
“When Manu’s available you still have to use him because he’s so different, but he’s more of a risk because he hasn’t had any game time.
“He can come off the bench and do 15 or 20 minutes, but that’s a problem in itself because if someone goes down early and Manu’s got to go on, then he’s at real high risk because he’s got to do 60 or 70 minutes.
“Ollie’s less risky just because of his age, the number of injuries he’s had is quite low and he’s played a lot of ruby for Bath this season, so he can get going quickly. I would be leaning towards Ollie on the bench for those factors.”
Dingwall is the most likely to lose out because of the availability of Lawrence and Tuilagi, having produced solid but unspectacular performances against Italy and Wales, and Borthwick could decide a more muscular carrier is needed at inside centre.
But Ashton, who won 44 caps in a distinguished England career lasting from 2010 to 2019, believes he should be retained for the Calcutta Cup showdown at Murrayfield.
“Fraser is a very unselfish player and is the kind of player I would love to play with,” Ashton said.
“You know he’s always going to provide and work hard to get to places that not necessarily everyone would cover. He’s a link player and he’s knows how to combine and provide for everybody else.
“You know that he will provide the right pass or cover your inside shoulder all the time. Every team needs players like him.”
One change forced upon Borthwick will be at scrum-half after Alex Mitchell was ruled out by a knee injury, creating a vacancy for either Danny Care or Ben Spencer to fill.
“It’s a shocker to lose Mitchell because he’s so good. He’s a big loss and it’s not great timing going into these games,” Ashton said.
“Before we all thought he was an attacking nine, but he showed at the World Cup he can do it all and he’s carried on doing that in the Six Nations.
“He’s just such a threat, especially because of the danger he poses near the try-line when he pulls people out of place. You can’t coach the skills Alex has.”
* Chris Ashton is a co-host of the BBC’s ‘Rugby Union Daily’ podcast with new episodes available every morning during Six Nations match weeks.
Roger Federer’s final moments of his tennis career will be shown in a documentary.
The 20-time grand slam singles champion and eight-time Wimbledon winner retired in 2022 after a Laver Cup appearance in London.
British filmmaker Asif Kapadia will direct the Amazon Prime Video feature looking at the final 12 days of Federer’s professional career.
It “captures Federer at his most vulnerable and candid self, as he says goodbye to a game and the fans that shaped his life for the last two decades”, by using home video that was never intended for public viewing.
Federer said: “Initially the idea was to capture the final moments of my professional tennis career so that I could have it later on to show my family and friends.
“During my career I tended to shy away from having cameras around me and my family, especially during important moments. But I didn’t see the harm in shooting this as it was never intended for the public.
“However, we captured so many powerful moments, and it transformed into a deeply personal journey.
“I am happy to be partnering with Prime Video because of their vast global reach and significant presence in the film industry. This ensures that the story of my final days in tennis will resonate with both tennis enthusiasts and broader audiences worldwide.”
Kapadia, who will direct with Joe Sabia, was behind the Oscar-winning Amy Winehouse documentary Amy and has previously explored the lives of footballers Diego Maradona and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The untitled Federer documentary – for which an official release date has not been announced – will include interviews with Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, who were all part of Team Europe for the Laver Cup.
Until last year, when Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz beat Djokovic in the final, the Wimbledon men’s singles title had not been won by anyone other than those four players since Australian Lleyton Hewitt in 2002.
Federer won his first major title in 2003 at Wimbledon and went on to win seven more times, currently the men’s record at the tournament.
Damian Lillard was honoured to achieve a feat only previously accomplished by Michael Jordan on the NBA's All-Star weekend.
Lillard saw off competition from the Minnesota Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns and the Atlanta Hawks' Trae Young to win the 3-point contest on Saturday, then he dazzled again one day later.
The Milwaukee Bucks guard was named All-Star Game MVP after putting up 39 points as the Eastern Conference All-Stars recorded a 211-186 win over their Western Conference counterparts.
Chicago Bulls legend Jordan is the only previous player to complete such a double, having taken the 1988 dunk contest before winning the first of his three All-Star MVP trophies.
For Lillard, who was appearing in his eighth All-Star Game but his first as a starter, following in Jordan's footsteps made it all the more memorable.
"Anytime you're mentioned in the same category as Mike, it's an honour, it's a major accomplishment, even if it's All-Star weekend," Lillard said during his post-game news conference.
"Because if it was that simple, more people would have done it. I'm a vet in the game at this point. Why not go and try to get an MVP? I've been here enough."
However, a perceived lack of competitiveness in Sunday's All-Star Game – the highest-scoring in history – led to criticism from some quarters.
The league's all-time leading scorer LeBron James said the All-Star Game "is something we need to figure out", with players unwilling to risk injury in the mid-season exhibition.
Asked for his views on that debate, Lillard said: "I think it could be more competitive, 200 is a lot to be scored. It shows we didn't go out there and compete like I guess you would want us to.
"But I think that's just what it is. Guys are talented, they make a lot of shots. We hit a lot of 3s, and that was it."
Lillard joined the Bucks in a blockbuster trader from the Portland Trail Blazers ahead of the season, but his first campaign in Milwaukee has been a turbulent one.
The Bucks fired coach Adrian Griffin last month, bringing in Doc Rivers after a short interim stint for Joe Prunty. They sit third in the Eastern Conference with a 35-21 record, but have lost five of their last seven games.
"It's been a tough year with the transition to a new team, we've had three coaches since I've been there," Lillard said.
"Anytime you have these types of experiences where you have adversity, that's the time you've got to show who you really are.
"Keep doing what you do, keep believing, and when you do that, usually it comes back to you. You just can't fold."
There will be no Cheltenham Festival for No Flies On Him despite Edward O’Grady taking plenty of positives from his second place behind Tullyhill at Punchestown on Sunday.
The JP McManus-owned five-year-old downed Grade One winner Jango Baie in his sole start in the pointing field and lit up Leopardstown at Christmas with a taking display on his rules debut.
That victory raised the possibility of a return to former glories for Killeens handler O’Grady, who is no stranger to success on the biggest stage of all.
No Flies On Him holds entries in both the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and the Baring Bingham, but a trip to Prestbury Park will have to wait, with the promising youngster set to sit out proceedings in the Cotswolds this time around.
“He won’t go to Cheltenham,” said O’Grady. “He’s well and he came home and ate up and pulled out well this morning.
“Had he won then obviously I would have gone to Cheltenham and had no worries. But it might have been just a pretty big step (at Punchestown) and he might improve quite a bit from it.
“He’s a very gross horse and he blew quite a lot after his race and I think there is a nice bit of improvement in him.
“We’ll probably go to Fairyhouse and Punchestown – home soil and good ground. I’m sure he will have benefitted from the experience at Punchestown.”
No Flies On Him ultimately finished nine lengths adrift of the impressive Willie Mullins-trained winner when upped to Listed level for just his second appearance under rules.
However, O’Grady believes there was plenty of encouragement to take from his charge’s performance – especially the way he ran on to claw back second after making a mistake at the last.
He continued: “There were a number of positives and obviously you are always disappointed when you get beat, but maybe at this stage we were over estimating things and the winner put up a Grade One performance.
“My horse is only five and this was only his second start. He had never been off the bridle before in his life, so it was quite a shock to his system and something he handled quite well on reflection.
“He really wasn’t at home on the gluey ground and he did find that rather difficult – the day he ran at Leopardstown it was good ground.
“What we really liked about him was having made the mistake at the last hurdle, he ran on again.
“So there were a lot of positives to take from the run and he certainly hasn’t gone down in our estimations, but just maybe at this stage of his career it was maybe too big an ask under the circumstances.”
A step up in trip is now under consideration for connections who are confident they still have a horse with high-class potential in their care having conceded both age and experience to Tullyhill.
“We would have no worries about stepping him up in trip and whether he does that next time or the time after I don’t know, but we would have no worries doing so,” added O’Grady.
“It’s certainly under consideration and something I will discuss with JP, Frank (Berry, racing manager) and the jockey.
“The other horse (Tullyhill) was one of the top bumper horses last year and has the experience as well. He has a year on No Flies On Him and my horse is very, very green and Derek O’Connor is such a good jockey that when he ran in his point-to-point, he didn’t even know he had a race.
“When he ran at Leopardstown he barely came off the bridle, so there is tremendous room for improvement in racing technique and there’s not a lot we can do about that at home – it’s just something that will come from experience.”
Lorna Fowler intends to roll the dice and send Colonel Mustard to the Unibet Champion Hurdle after his second-placed Kingwell Hurdle run.
The nine-year-old has been consistently hitting the frame over both hurdles and fences in recent seasons, winning only twice in his career but placing second on nine occasions.
His CV includes a third place behind State Man in the 2022 County Hurdle and again in the Paddy Power Champion Hurdle at Punchestown last April.
At Wincanton he was reverting to hurdles at Grade Two level after a brief spell over fences before Christmas, and in a field of five he started at 5-1 under Daryl Jacob.
He was ridden patiently in heavy conditions and although he had ground to make up in the home straight, he did his level best and chased home Nemean Lion to go down by a length and a half with Goshen 15 lengths behind him in third place.
“We were so proud of him, that is undoubtedly the best he has ever finished in a race,” said Fowler.
“The horse that won is vastly improving, we missed at the second-last but we were gaining on him.
“All credit to the winner, of course, but I think he ran a huge race and although it is frustrating to come second again, if you look at the other side of the picture we have a horse that has run out of his skin for the last four years.
“He’s done it in the best company on I don’t know how many occasions, lest we forget how lucky we are to have him.
“He’s completely genuine, 100 per cent, but he’s always had a little look around him to see what everyone else is doing, whereas this time he really had his eye on the one in front and he put his head down and battled.”
Colonel Mustard has an entry for the Champion Hurdle and after his Wincanton run connections are keen to take on the challenge, especially given the chestnut has run some of his best races at the big meetings.
“We’re going to go for the Champion Hurdle, it’s not easy to find races for him to win,” said Fowler.
“How often do you have a chance to run in a Champion Hurdle?
“People are talking about the race cutting up and yes, it isn’t a winning opportunity on paper at all, but does he have a chance of getting a place? Absolutely.
“I’m not saying he will be placed, of course, but he does have a chance in my opinion and we have to take it.
“He is the kind of horse that just loves a big occasion, he does raise his game.
“At the end of the day, horse racing is unpredictable on every single level, we’ve got to get there but so does every other horse – Constitution Hill has got to get there, State Man has got to get there.
“You’re on a tightrope at all times and little things can happen and change the landscape, so you’ve got to take the opportunities that are staring you in the face.”
Tom Cannon is confident Edwardstone can play a major role in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase if reproducing his resurgent Game Spirit heroics at the Cheltenham Festival.
Alan King’s star chaser bounced back to his very best to produce a blistering front-running display at Newbury earlier this month, a victory that gave the Barbury Castle handler his second win in the Grade Two event alongside Sceau Royal.
It was Edwardstone’s first triumph since the 2022 Tingle Creek and having snapped a six-race losing run, the 10-year-old is now the general 8-1 third-favourite for the Champion Chase behind Willie Mullins’ El Fabiolo and regular adversary Jonbon.
Cannon said: “He must have put himself right in the mix. Hopefully he will be a bit closer to Jonbon given a change of tactics and anything more than that is a bonus, I think.
“If he turns up in the same form as he did at Newbury, we know he acts round Cheltenham so we keep our fingers crossed to get there in A1 condition and anything after that is in the lap of the gods.”
Edwardstone gave Cannon one of the biggest days of his career when waltzing to Arkle glory at the Festival in 2022, but there was disappointment 12 months later when sent off 15-8 second-favourite for the Champion Chase, tailing home in fifth and beaten 64 lengths by an imperious Energumene.
However, the jockey feels Edwardstone is heading for his second bite of the Champion Chase cherry in much better form and has been extremely encouraged by the feel his partner has given him throughout the current campaign.
“He probably wasn’t going into it in as good a form as he is this year, last year. So if he can continue the form he is in now, hopefully he will be thereabouts,” continued Cannon.
“He’s been a different horse since he has come back in this year. The first race at Cheltenham in the Shloer Chase he felt back to himself and the couple of times he had run at Cheltenham the season before he had never really picked the bridle up.
“In the Shloer, he picked the bridle up and pulled my arms off like he used to and then obviously ran very well in the Tingle Creek. Two-mile-four wasn’t to his liking at Kempton, but back to two miles at Newbury seemed to suit him, so you have to look forward to it (the Champion Chase).
“If we can get into a nice rhythm, then the best horse will win at the end of the day.”
Formula One’s governing body, the FIA, said it will not comment on Christian Horner’s future until Red Bull’s investigation has been concluded – but added it “remains committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity, fairness and inclusivity within the sport”.
Horner’s role as Red Bull team principal remains in the balance following a claim of “inappropriate behaviour” by a female colleague. Horner emphatically denies the allegations.
On Sunday, F1 bosses called for the controversy to be “clarified at the earliest opportunity”. The new season gets under way on March 2.
A statement from the FIA on Monday read: “In relation to the independent investigation currently being undertaken by Red Bull GMbH, the FIA reiterates that until such time as the investigation has concluded and the outcome is known, we will not be commenting further.
“The FIA remains committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity, fairness and inclusivity within the sport.”
Speaking at Red Bull Racing’s car launch in Milton Keynes last Thursday, Horner, 50, insisted he would be in Bahrain for the opening race.
Horner said he was unable to provide a timeline as to when the investigation by the racing team’s parent company, Red Bull GmBH, will be completed.
It is understood both Red Bull and Horner are keen for a swift resolution and sources have indicated to the PA news agency that there could yet be a conclusion by the end of the week.
However, it is thought unlikely that a verdict will be found before this week’s three-day test in Bahrain which starts on Wednesday.
An F1 spokesperson said: “We have noted that Red Bull has instigated an independent investigation into internal allegations at Red Bull Racing.
“We hope that the matter will be clarified at the earliest opportunity, after a fair and thorough process, and we will not comment further at this time.”
Last season Red Bull won all but one of the 22 races, with Max Verstappen taking his third world championship in as many years.
LeBron James has outlined his desire to finish his storied career with the Los Angeles Lakers, despite recent reports linking him with a trade.
While James' average of 24.8 points per game this season is down on last term's 28.9, the NBA's all-time leading scorer has continued to impress while playing through a niggling ankle injury in his 21st season in the league.
He has only missed seven of Los Angeles' 56 games thus far in 2023-24, helping the team win the inaugural NBA in-season tournament in December.
James has a $51.4million player option for 2024-25 with the Lakers, but he recently said he was undecided on whether to take up that option.
That led to speculation that he could be available, with his current team fielding calls from the Golden State Warriors and the Philadelphia 76ers ahead of the trade deadline earlier this month.
However, the 39-year-old stayed put, and speaking before his record-extending 20th appearance in the NBA's All-Star Game on Sunday, he gave his clearest indication yet that he sees his future in Los Angeles.
"I am a Laker and I'm happy. I have been very happy being a Laker for the last six years and hopefully it stays that way," James said.
"I don't have the answer to how long it is or which uniform I'll be in, but hopefully it is with the Lakers. It's a great organisation with so many greats, but we'll see."
Warriors forward Draymond Green reportedly lobbied team owner Joe Lacob to enquire about a blockbuster trade for James, but he says he played no part in any talks with Golden State.
"I actually heard about it when everybody else heard about it," James told TNT Sports of their interest.
"Sometimes there's conversations that happen behind closed doors that you don't even know about, I guess until it's real or not, then they'll bring it to you. It never even got to me."
Looking further ahead, James knows the curtain will soon come down on his glittering career, but he is yet to make any decisions regarding the nature of his NBA farewell.
Asked whether he would announce his retirement in advance in order to receive a proper send-off, as opposed to quitting in the offseason, James said: "I'm 50-50, to be honest.
"I was asked this question a couple of days ago; 'Will you take the farewell tour, or will you just Tim Duncan it?'
"There's times when I feel like I owe it to my fans that have been on this journey with me for two decades, to be able to give them that moment where it's every city and they give you flowers or whatever the case may be. That seems cool.
"But on the other side, I've never been that great with accepting praise. It's a weird feeling for me. I don't know how it's going to end, but it's coming. It's coming, for sure."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
