Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff restored order at the Australian Open by easing into the quarter-finals.
While Iga Swiatek’s shock loss to Linda Noskova on Saturday means no top-10 seeds made the fourth round in the top half of the draw, Sabalenka and Gauff are on a semi-final collision course in the bottom half.
Neither has yet dropped a set and they lost only eight games between them in the fourth round, Sabalenka beating Amanda Anisimova 6-3 6-2 and Gauff racing to a 6-1 6-2 victory over Magdalena Frech.
It was a particularly impressive win and performance from defending champion Sabalenka, who had lost four of her previous five matches against Anisimova.
The 22-year-old American has been resurgent here having missed most of last season for mental health reasons but could not match the precision power of her opponent.
Anisimova reacted to the defeat by dropping her racket on the court and leaving it there as she walked off Margaret Court Arena.
“I’m super happy with the level, happy to get this win,” said Sabalenka. “She’s a tough opponent and I’m super happy to see her back on tour. I’m pretty sure she’ll be back at the top soon.
“I really want to stay here as long as I can until the very last day and, hopefully, we can get this one one more time.”
Gauff is treading new ground having made it through to the last eight at Melbourne Park for the first time.
“I’m super happy to be in this position and be here,” said the 19-year-old. “I think I had three fourth rounds. It’s cool to get over that hump. Hopefully I can keep going for more.”
Next she will take on Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, who made the last eight at a slam for the first time with a 6-2 6-1 victory over qualifier Maria Timofeeva.
A late Christian McCaffrey touchdown gave the San Francisco 49ers a 24-21 win over the Green Bay Packers and moved them one win from the Super Bowl.
The 49ers, the number one seeds in the NFC, had trailed 21-14 heading into the fourth quarter.
Jake Moody cut the gap with a 52-yard field goal before McCaffrey crashed his way over from six yards with 67 seconds on the clock.
Brock Purdy’s 32-yard touchdown pass to George Kittle had given the 49ers a 7-6 interval lead, the Packers responding after the break as Jordan Love threw touchdown passes to Bo Melton and Tucker Kraft either side of McCaffrey’s first score of the night.
The 49ers had not come from behind to win throughout the regular season, but Purdy drove them into position for the decisive score after rookie Anders Carlson had missed a field goal from 41 yards for Green Bay.
In the AFC, the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens saw off the Houston Texans 34-10.
Lamar Jackson threw for two touchdown passes, running for two more as the Ravens pulled away in the second half.
The two teams swapped field goals in the first quarter, Jackson finding Nelson Agholor from three yards in the second quarter before Steven Sims’ 67-yard punt return tied things up at 10-10.
Jackson eased the Ravens in front in the third quarter as he ran in on a score from 15 yards.
The Ravens pulled away in the final quarter, Jackson finding Isaiah Likely from 15 yards and going in himself from eight yards. Nick Tucker capped off the victory with a field goal from 43 yards late on.
The Ravens will host the Buffalo Bills or defending champion Kansas City Chiefs, who meet on Monday, in the AFC Championship game.
The 49ers will entertain the Detroit Lions or Tampa Bay Buccaneers to decide the NFC champions.
Donovan Mitchell and Sam Merrill each scored 18 points to lead seven players in double figures and the Cleveland Cavaliers rolled to their seventh straight victory, 116-95 over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.
Jarrett Allen had 14 points with 11 rebounds and Dean Wade added 17 points as the Cavaliers scored the game’s first 10 points and never trailed to improve to 3-0 this season against the Hawks.
Cleveland is 12-3 since starters Darius Garland and Evan Mobley were injured.
Dejounte Murray tallied 24 points, nine rebounds and five assists for Atlanta, which had a three-game winning streak snapped.
Hawks star Trae Young left the game with 8:43 remaining after taking a charge from Isaac Okoro. Young, who was hit in the face by an inadvertent elbow, remained on the court for a few minutes but walked back to the locker room with the game out of reach.
Embiid extends streak for surging 76ers
Joel Embiid scored 33 points to extend his franchise-record streak of 30 or more to 20 games, leading the Philadelphia 76ers to their fifth straight win, 97-89 over the Charlotte Hornets.
Embiid, who added 10 rebounds, last failed to reach 30 points in a loss to Boston on Nov. 15, when he had 20 points.
Tobias Harris scored 21 points and Tyrese Maxey contributed 16 with eight assists for Philadelphia, which limited Charlotte to 16 fourth-quarter points after entering the period trailing by four.
Lillard scores 45 as Bucks win
Damian Lillard poured in 45 points and handed out 11 assists as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the lowly Detroit Pistons, 141-135.
Lillard became the first player in franchise history with at least 40 points, 10 assists and five 3-pointers in a game.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 31 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, but missed 11 of 22 free throw attempts. Brook Lopez added 19 points as Milwaukee won its fourth in five games.
Detroit dropped to 2-37 in its last 39 games.
The Baltimore Ravens moved to within one win of the Super Bowl as they saw off the Houston Texans 34-10.
Lamar Jackson threw for two touchdown passes, running for two more as the Ravens pulled away in the second half.
The two teams swapped field goals in the first quarter, Jackson finding Nelson Agholor from three yards in the second quarter before Steven Sims’ 67-yard punt return tied things up at 10-10.
Jackson eased the Ravens in front in the third quarter as he ran in on a score from 15 yards.
The number one seeds eased away in the final quarter, Jackson finding Isaiah Likely from 15 yards and going in himself from eight yards. Nick Tucker capped off the victory with a field goal from 43 yards late on.
The Ravens will host the Buffalo Bills or defending champion Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game.
Nick Dunlap will take a three-shot lead into the final round of The American Express tournament as he chases the first win by an amateur on the PGA Tour for 33 years.
The University of Alabama student shot 10 birdies and an eagle in a third round 60 – equalling the lowest round by an amateur in a tour event – on the La Quinta course to follow his second round 61 as he moved into pole position on 27-under-par.
Phil Mickelson was the last amateur to win on the PGA Tour in 1991.
Overnight leader Sam Burns is three shots back after a 65 at the Stadium Course, one of three used for the tournament and the site of the final round, where Justin Thomas equalled the course record with a 61 to sit a further stroke back.
South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout is the only other player within six shots of the lead.
Playing as a sponsor’s invite, Dunlap is the first amateur to make the cut at the event and while he will not collect the 1.5million dollars (£1.18million) prize money, a win would secure his PGA Tour card for two years.
Natasha Jonas was pushed to the limit but retained her IBF welterweight crown with a razor-thin split decision victory over American rival Mikaela Mayer in a thriller in Liverpool.
Jonas started strongly in the first defence of the world title she won by defeating Kandi Wyatt last July but Mayer steadily grew into the bout and was the busier of the two in several riveting exchanges.
It was an all-action affair but, despite being left with a cut below her left eye, Jonas, who raised her arm aloft at the final bell, was given the nod 96-94 and 96-95 as a third judge sided with Mayer 97-93.
The result divided opinion on social media but, after Jonas extended her record to 15 wins and two defeats with one draw in her home city, she indicated 2024 will be her final year in the sport.
The 39-year-old has won six fights in a row since losing on points to long-time rival Katie Taylor in May 2021, becoming a unified world light-middleweight champion before stepping down to reign at 147lbs.
She told Sky Sports: “Unfortunately I can’t be around forever, this is probably my last year in boxing and we want to make it the best chapter of the book.”
A rematch against an opponent six years her junior, a former unified world super-featherweight champion who was fighting at welterweight for the first time on Saturday night, would surely be welcomed.
Jonas said: “She’s in the top two people I’ve fought, she’s a very, very skilled operator and her time will come again. She beats a lot of the champions that are already here.
“That little bit of fear factor brings out the best in me, I need opponents like her to tango. With no disrespect to the likes of Kandi Wyatt, I knew I would dominate and I was supposed to win.”
Mayer, who slipped to her second defeat in 21 fights, wants a chance at gaining revenge over Jonas.
She said: “I thought I did enough to win. I would have given her the first round or two but after that, I feel like I out-punched her and landed the cleaner shots. I think that fight is worth seeing again.
“I just hope Natasha will be the stand-up champ that she is and give me another shot at the belt – I feel like I deserve it.”
The New York Islanders fired head coach Lane Lambert and replaced him with Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy in a surprising mid-season shake-up.
President of hockey operations and general manager Lou Lamoriello announced the moves Saturday after the Islanders lost their fourth straight game Friday night to the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks. New York have dropped six of their last seven.
Roy last coached for the Colorado Avalanche from 2013-16, winning the Jack Adams Award in 2014 as coach of the year. Over the last five years, he was the coach and GM of his home-town junior team, the Quebec Ramparts.
Lambert was midway through his second season as the Islanders’ bench boss, accumulating a 61-46-20 record and leading the team to a play-off appearance last season.
Despite an eight-game point streak in December, this year’s squad has been unable to keep pace in the East, and their recent swoon has dropped them out of a play-off slot.
Lambert is the fifth NHL coach fired since the start of this season, joining the Oilers’ Jay Woodcroft, Wild’s Dean Evason, Blues’ Craig Berube and Senators’ D.J. Smith.
Roy played in goal for 19 NHL seasons and is third on the all-time wins list. He won four Stanley Cups as a player.
England are enlisting retired stars such as Chris Ashton and Jonny May to help young players deal with the type of scrutiny that has compelled Owen Farrell to take a break from international rugby.
Farrell is missing the Guinness Six Nations to prioritise his and his family’s mental well-being following the World Cup and it’s build-up, during which he was heavily criticised online for being sent off for a dangerous tackle against Wales.
The Saracens fly-half may have already played his final game for England as he considers a move to Racing 92, which would make him ineligible for Test selection.
Aware of the demands on his players, especially emerging talent such as Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Oscar Beard and Fin Smith, head coach Steve Borthwick is keen to ensure they are properly supported.
“The environment we create around the players is vital. It’s vital in any team but especially the England team,” Borthwick.
“The England team, as we all respect, has more scrutiny upon it than any other national team in world rugby.
“That’s the nature of it so creating an environment where the players are supported and cared for is really important.
“We have looked at it and are exploring how we improve that from where we were to where we are now to try and get ahead of the societal element.
“The way we work and intensity with which we work is going to be a level up so off the field I think it needs to be incredibly enjoyable.
“They need to be able to have fun and spend time with each other, relaxing with each other so that this is an environment where you get better and you improve, and it’s fun and it’s enjoyable to be around.
“We will have that and there will be the mentors that we have within the squad – the senior guys, the guys that have had many caps.
“And there are the people from outside the squad that always offer their support to help in any way, shape or form that they can.
“Chris Ashton has offered support to help in any way he can with any of the young wingers. And Jonny May has offered his support to help the young ones. That’s really important to us.”
Maro Itoje inspired a second-half fightback as Saracens secured a place in the Investec Champions Cup round of 16 by beating Lyon 39-24.
The England lock scored two tries in 11 minutes to help the three-time European champions progress from Pool One.
Scrum-half Ivan van Zyl, flanker Juan Martin Gonzalez and wing Lucio Cinti also claimed touchdowns at the StoneX Stadium, with Owen Farrell kicking four conversions and two penalties.
Lyon, without an away win in all competitions for almost a year, led by 12 points at half-time.
Centre Josiah Maraku collected a try double and wing Davit Niniashvili also scored, while Lyon skipper Leo Berdeu booted a penalty and three conversions, but Saracens ultimately avoided making a first pool-stage exit since 2011.
Saracens were immediately into their stride, putting together impressive phase-play, and they went ahead after just four minutes.
England forwards Itoje and Ben Earl set up a strong attacking position, and Van Zyl took a quick penalty to cross unopposed.
Victories for Lyon over Bristol and the Bulls meant they arrived in north London having already qualified, but they stunned Saracens through an opportunist 15th-minute score.
Saracens were on the attack, but Van Zyl’s pass was intercepted by Lyon’s Georgia international wing Niniashvili, who sprinted 80 metres to claim a try that Berdeu converted.
Berdeu extended Lyon’s lead with a 26th-minute penalty, and Saracens’ initial promise had evaporated as the visitors began to assert control.
Lyon displayed composure and accuracy in attack, and it was no surprise when they extended their lead just before half-time.
Saracens found themselves in a prolonged defensive mode, with Lyon patiently creating an opportunity to strike, with Maraku touching down and Berdeu converting for a 17-5 interval lead.
Lyon were good value for their advantage, but it was cut by seven points early in the second period when Itoje pounced for a try that Farrell converted.
Just when Saracens looked like they might have some much-needed momentum, they were undone when Farrell twice had kicks charged down in rapid succession.
Lyon prop Jerome Rey blocked the first attempted clearance, then lock Joel Kpoku replicated it and Maraku gathered the bounce for his second try. Berdeu’s conversion made it 24-12 before Farrell kicked a short-range penalty.
And when Saracens decided to go route-one, it was rewarded as Itoje collected his second try, this time from a lineout drive, and Farrell’s conversion left his team just two points behind.
The fly-half then kicked another penalty as Saracens edged in front, before Gonzalez’s score finally ended an impressive Lyon challenge and Cinti added try number five.
Ronnie O’Sullivan laid on a “mind-boggling” masterclass as he booked his place in Sunday’s World Grand Prix final with a 6-1 win against China’s Ding Junhui.
Even by O’Sullivan’s standards, one week after sealing a record-extending Masters title, he produced a special display at the Morningside Arena in Leicester, which included four quickfire century breaks.
When he sank the final black to set up a meeting with three-time winner Judd Trump, the match was a little over 70 minutes long.
O’Sullivan made a superb start, making two centuries in the opening three frames to lead 2-1, with his potting close to perfection.
He opened with a break of 135 and, after Ding responded with a score of 85 to level it up at 1-1, O’Sullivan followed up with a 128.
He made a break of 88 in the fourth frame to open up a 3-1 lead, with all four frames before the interval taking just under 45 minutes.
Ding, who beat compatriot Zhang Anda 5-1 to book his semi-final place, was under pressure, but after being given a chance at the start of the fifth frame, he faltered when on 28.
O’Sullivan ruthlessly punished him, compiling a score of 90 to motor 4-1 ahead with an average shot time, up to the end of the fifth frame, of 14 seconds.
Ding erred on a tricky safety shot early in the sixth frame and O’Sullivan stepped in to rattle off his third century – 128 – to lead 5-1 after one hour and four minutes.
He pounced on another Ding mistake in frame seven and faultlessly cleared the table for a final break of 124.
Match commentator and former world champion Ken Doherty told ITV4 that it was the best session of snooker he had ever seen.
Doherty said: “He’s such an artist, such a genius. It’s artistic, poetic, it’s balletic. It’s like snooker from the gods without a shadow of a doubt.”
Co-commentator and former Masters champion Alan McManus added: “I’ve seen it and I don’t believe it.
“It was mind-boggling. It was actually one of those ‘I was there’ nights because frankly it cannot get any better that that.
“From the very start to the very end it was perfection.”
Vandeek is set to start off his season in the Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock in May.
The unbeaten Simon and Ed Crisford-trained colt carried all before him in his juvenile year, with his four wins featuring Group One strikes in the Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes.
He is seen very much as a sprinter rather than one for the mile of the Classics and Haydock will be his destination before his first major target, the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.
“He’s looking super, he’s trotting and we’ll probably start him off in the Sandy Lane at Haydock at the end of May. One run before Royal Ascot,” Simon Crisford told ITV Racing.
“Commonwealth, July Cups – those sort of races we’ve got up our sleeve. The idea of not starting off in the Pavilion (Stakes, at Ascot) is we’d have to start training him a month earlier. Quite frankly, with the weather we’ve got at the moment, we’re wrapping him up in big, thick blankets.”
He added: “He was a little bit on the leg as a two-year-old. He was tall and lanky and never really looked like a sprinter physically. But now he’s beginning to take shape as a sprinter. His temperament is great and there’s so much to love about him.
“He’s done exceptionally well over the winter and fingers crossed he’s got a big season ahead.”
Oh So Grand swept aside her rivals in the BetMGM Winter Oaks Fillies’ Handicap at Lingfield.
Trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, who saddled Al Agaila to win the race last year, Oh So Grand was a well-fancied 11-8 favourite for the 10-furlong contest after winning each of her last two starts, including the trial for this contest last month.
Miss Bluebelle set out to make all, while Jack Mitchell was happy to settle towards the back of the pack aboard Oh So Grand, with only Queen Regent behind him in the eight-runner field.
The pacesetter was still in front with a furlong to run, but when Mitchell popped the question Oh So Grand picked up and grabbed the lead in a matter of strides.
Queen Regent followed her through down the middle of the track but could not match the winner’s sharp turn of foot, eventually coming home a length and a half adrift, with 33-1 shot Dayzee running a creditable race to be beaten two and three-quarter lengths in third.
Simon Crisford told Sky Sports Racing: “I think she’s still improving. I mean obviously we’ve seen in every race she’s been on an upward curve and she seems to be really developing into a smart filly.
“Hopefully she can be a Group filly for the summer when we get her on turf. I would be inclined to keep her over this trip, a mile and a quarter that suits her well, but she’s nimble and light on her feet – she’s not one of these galumphers, she’s got something about her.
“I really don’t know (what is next), this race was always the target so I haven’t thought even thought about what’s happening tomorrow, let alone in a few weeks’ time.
“We will have a look, see how she is, how she comes out of the race. There could be races coming up for her, obviously you’ve got (All-Weather) Finals Day and stuff like that. Who knows – we’ve just got to work it all out.”
L’Homme Presse sets out to prove he very much remains a Cheltenham Gold Cup contender when he makes his eagerly-awaited comeback in the Fitzdares Fleur De Lys Chase at Lingfield.
The feature of Lingfield’s Winter Million Festival has attracted a field of six and it is Venetia Williams’ high-class staying chaser that sets the standard, despite being off the track for over a year.
He looked booked for second in the King George VI Chase before unshipping his big-race pilot Charlie Deutsch at the last while giving chase to Bravemansgame, and before that had built up an impressive chasing CV which includes victory at the Cheltenham Festival as a novice and a mammoth effort off top-weight in Newcastle’s Rehearsal Chase.
Following a long 13-month wait, L’Homme Presse – who is as short as 12-1 for the Gold Cup – now seeks to reaffirm his position towards the top of the staying chasing ranks, with connections optimistic of a bold bid in the two-mile-six-furlong affair.
“It’s been a long 13 months and a lot of effort has been put in to get him back,” said Andy Edwards, who owns L’Homme Presse in partnership with Peter Pink.
“This trip, for his comeback is ideal really, it’s an intermediate trip and it should suit him down to the ground.
“He doesn’t lack in pace and he certainly doesn’t lack in staying power as we saw in the Brown Advisory.
“He is ready to go, but he has had 13 months off. He’s run well fresh before, but whether he can run to the top of his form having had so long off we will find out.
“It’s no good looking at basic ratings because that is the best he has ever done and it’s unlikely he can achieve that first time out, but of course we are hopeful that he can.”
L’Homme Presse will be in receipt of 4lb from former Gold Cup third Protektorat, with Dan Skelton switching tactics to target this race after the nine-year-old’s failure to defend his Betfair Chase crown in November.
He has since run in handicap company at Cheltenham and his handler is confident he has his Grade One scorer in peak condition as he searches for a slice of the £165,000 prize-fund.
“He’s in good form and we were always coming here after the December race,” said Skelton.
“He’s got a job on giving weight away to a few, but it’s a race we’ve always had in mind and I’m very happy with him.
“If it’s not happening, you have got to change and we’re changing up. The trip is no issue and I’m really looking forward to running him.”
Fergal O’Brien’s Highland Hunter and Sam Thomas’ Welsh Grand National winner Iwilldoit are both 11 now and will attempt to land a blow for the veterans, while Kim Bailey won the inaugural running of this race with Two For Gold and attempts to repeat the dose with Does He Know.
The field is rounded off by Gary Moore’s Full Back, who is a long way adrift of his rivals on ratings and returns from 434 days off the track.
Dan Skelton is relying on Pembroke’s thirst for testing conditions coming to the fore when he lines up in the Download The Racing App Now Lightning Novices’ Chase at Lingfield on Sunday.
Held in high-regard over hurdles last term, he improved on his first two appearances over fences when relishing the bottomless ground at Aintree last month.
That victory came over two and a half miles, but with Skelton expecting stamina to be at a premium in this Winter Million Festival event, he has few concerns about dropping back in distance.
He said: “I think two miles is more his trip. Obviously he won the other day (at Aintree) over two and a half in unraceable ground but I think he handles the type of ground particularly well.
“I’m pretty certain it is going to be testing conditions – I don’t think it will be anything like Aintree, but it will be tacky, they have had the sheets down a long time and it’s going to be hard work.
“Whether it is hard enough work we will wait and see, but having said that this Lightning Novices’ Chase is a good race for the money on offer. I think it’s a very good race and we will get to see where we stand.”
Five will go to post for the Grade Two event saved from Friday’s abandoned Lingfield card and Joe Tizzard will saddle JPR One who was not disgraced in Grade One company last time having previously been set to lay down a statement victory at Cheltenham before a mishap after the final fence saw him unship Brendan Powell.
Djelo has barely put a foot wrong since switching to the larger obstacles and Venetia Williams’ exciting six-year-old will seek to remain unbeaten and add to the Pattern honours he secured at Ascot before Christmas.
Meanwhile, Nigel Twiston-Davies has a strong hand, saddling two live candidates in the Simon Munir and Isaac Souede-owned Matata and Wayward lad winner Master Chewy, the latter impressing when downing Nickle Back at Kempton following some game efforts in defeat.
“Master Chewy was brilliant last time, winning the Wayward Lad at Kempton, so why shouldn’t he be again?,” the trainer told his William Hill blog.
“Matata, similarly, has had a terrific season and was runner-up by just a length at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day, giving nearly a stone to the winner.
“This will be a hot race, everyone’s got each other to beat. Hopefully my two will show the others what they’ve got.
“Master Chewy should, if everything goes to plan, be heading straight for the Arkle at the Cheltenham Festival after this.”
Arena Racing Company has announced its two Winter Million jumps fixtures will be switched from Lingfield and staged at Windsor from next season.
The Berkshire track hosted National Hunt racing until as recently as 1998 and even stepped in to hold a number of fixtures when Ascot was being redeveloped in 2005 and 2006.
It was confirmed in the summer of last year that jumps racing would return to Windsor, with the Thameside track being reconfigured to utilise previous dormant areas of the site, with the jumps course a continuous left-handed circuit rather than the current figure of eight. The first meeting is scheduled for December 15.
Windsor will partner with Ascot to present the ‘Berkshire Winter Million Weekend’ in January next year, with the BetMGM Clarence House Chase at Ascot the centrepiece of Saturday and the Fitzdares Fleur De Lys Chase headlining Sunday at Windsor.
Mark Spincer, managing director of ARC’s racing division, said: “We were delighted to announce the return of jump racing to Royal Windsor last year, and to make this further announcement regarding the Berkshire Winter Million Weekend.
“We hope that, alongside the fantastic day’s racing at Ascot Racecourse, the three days will be hugely exciting for racing fans to look forward to in the New Year.”
Felicity Barnard, commercial director and deputy CEO at Ascot, said: “We look forward to being a part of the inaugural Berkshire Winter Million Weekend in 2025 and hope it will be an exciting weekend for racegoers to combine a visit to both tracks as well as those watching from home on both Sky Sports Racing and ITV Racing.”
The final day of Lingfield’s Winter Million Festival on Sunday is expected to go ahead as planned, although it will be subject to an 8am precautionary inspection on raceday.
The three-day fixture was due to begin with a jumps card on Friday, but a frozen track saw that cancelled. Saturday’s middle day on the all-weather had no issues.
With temperatures rising ahead of Sunday’s National Hunt action, a 2pm inspection was called on Saturday to assess any progress in the condition of the ground, a check which showed conditions had improved significantly.
Charlie Moore, head of clerking at Arena Racing Company, told ITV Racing: “We’ve had difficulty with the forecast this week, it’s been four degrees wrong on two nights. It’s amazing this track has taken minus 8C and minus 7C in the last two nights.
“If we had to race today, we could make this track raceable with some track adjustments. We’re going to pass the inspection, but we are going to put in a precautionary inspection at 8am tomorrow purely because we are aware at around 10/11 o’clock tonight it could get down to just touching freezing.
“If that was wrong and it was minus 2C we could have a moment of sweat in the morning, but if we get what is forecast we’ll be texting everyone around seven o’clock in the morning saying ‘we’re on’.
“I will be very surprised and hugely disappointed if racing did not take place tomorrow.”
The ground is reported to be good to soft, soft in places, but it was not such good news for Fakenham’s Sunday card, as officials were forced to abandon due to a frozen track.
Harvard Guy made it a hat-trick of course wins in taking the Listed Navan Handicap Hurdle.
Running off a mark 22lb higher than when successful in November, the Eddie and Patrick Harty-trained gelding was given a patient ride by Mark Walsh in the JP McManus colours, as Kilbree Warrior bowled along well clear in the hands of Darragh O’Keeffe.
The 7-4 favourite still had work to do over the last, but in the end was able to reel in the gallant Kilbree Warrior for victory by three-quarters of a length, giving the mare 15lb in doing so.
“It was hard fought. In fairness to the second horse I thought he had gone mad on the ground, but he nearly got there,” said Eddie Harty.
“We couldn’t have ridden him any differently with the weights, but he did get there and it was a good performance.
“I’d say myself that would rule him out of Leopardstown (Dublin Racing Festival), I don’t think you could turn out after that run on that ground.
“He’s had a cracking season and if they said to me ‘that’ll do him for the year’, you couldn’t be disappointed with the season.
“We’ll have a rethink now about what is next. It was either here or Leopardstown, unless it had been lovely ground here and he’d won on the bridle. I don’t think he’ll recover enough to go three miles.”
He added: “He’s a lovely horse and he has a future over fences, he jumps very well. He’s improved physically and has improved mentally from race to race. He’s becoming a racehorse now.
“You could make a case for going for a graded novice hurdle somewhere. He likes it here.”
Defending champion Rory McIlroy carded a stunning 63 to surge into contention on day three of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic but will have to get past American Cameron Young if he is to claim a fourth title at Emirates Golf Club.
The Northern Irishman carded seven birdies and a closing eagle to get to 12 under, having entered the weekend 10 shots off Young’s lead after a slow start in the desert.
He was top of the leaderboard as the world number 25 reached the turn in 37 but Young rallied with three birdies on the back nine to sign for a 71 and open up a two-shot lead at 14 under.
Former Dubai resident McIlroy has an impressive record in the emirate, with his first professional win having come in this event 15 years ago.
He has since added two more to match Ernie Els’ record of Desert Classic wins, while also lifting the trophy twice across the city at the DP World Tour Championship.
“I’ve had so much success in Dubai, whether it be at this tournament or over at Jumeirah Golf Estates and Race to Dubais,” he said.
“It’s been a really, really good place to me. I love coming back here. I really enjoy my time here. It would be amazing if I was able to get another win.
“The first player to get my name on it four times, it would be awesome.”
McIlroy hit a brilliant approach to the first, took advantage of the par-five third and then put iron shots inside 10 feet on the seventh, eighth and ninth to turn in 30.
More birdies on par fives followed on the 10th and 13th before he holed a 45-foot putt from off the green at the last for a closing eagle.
Young started with a birdie but found water on the seventh for a double-bogey and dropped a shot on the next, with gains on the 11th, 13th and 17th taking him back to the summit.
“It would be a nice feeling (to win),” said Young, who has yet to register a win on a top-tier tour.
“It’s one of those times that you feel like kind of at peace with what you’ve done and it’s something I would love to do tomorrow. I’ve put myself in another great place to have a chance and I’m happy with that.”
Pole Adrian Meronk was alongside McIlroy at 12 under after a 70, three shots clear of Dane Rasmus Hojgaard and China’s Li Haotong.
Dan Skelton is willing to bide his time before deciding whether Warwick winner Grey Dawning heads to the Virgin Bet Scilly Isles Chase next or goes straight to the Cheltenham Festival.
A drop back in trip for the Sandown Grade One had been mentioned as a potential next stepping stone for the versatile Hampton Novices’ Chase victor, but his handler would like to wait a little longer before deciding if that would be the right thing to do by his likeable charge.
The Grade Two scorer could instead head straight to Prestbury Park where the three-mile Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase has been nominated as the likely port of call at the Festival in March.
“I’m going to have a think about Grey Dawning,” said Skelton.
“Immediately after the race I thought we would go to Sandown. Whether that is clever or not, I will give it a week to think about.
“I think we would just go for the three-mile race at Cheltenham if we didn’t (go to Sandown), but that’s not me looking to not run.
“I want to run him because he’s a horse who loves racing, but I would only run him if I was really, really certain it was the right thing to do.”
Stablemate Galia Des Liteaux was also in action at Warwich, where she was stayed on strongly in vain when second in the Classic Chase.
The classy eight-year-old will now be pointed towards the Randox Grand National, with Skelton following the same route he took to Aintree with Le Milos 12 months ago by stopping off at Kelso’s bet365 Premier Chase in March first.
“Galia Des Liteaux will go for the Listed chase up at Kelso on March 2 before going for the Grand National,” continued Skelton.
“We tried it with Le Milos last year and it didn’t quite come off, but it doesn’t mean we won’t try it again.”
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