First-period goals from Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere backed Igor Shesterkin’s 24 saves as the New York Rangers snapped a season-high four-game losing streak with Sunday’s 2-1 win over the Washington Capitals.
The Rangers used their fast start and Shesterkin’s solid performance to avenge a 3-2 defeat to the Capitals in Washington in Saturday’s opener of this home-and-home weekend series.
Panarin put New York on the board in a hurry, as the star wing whipped a feed from Vincent Trocheck past Washington netminder Charlie Lindgren just 56 seconds into the game with the Rangers on an odd-man rush. The goal was Panarin’s 400th point in a Rangers uniform.
Lafreniere made it a 2-0 game when he knocked in the rebound of his initial shot attempt with 50 seconds left in the first period.
T.J. Oshie poked a loose puck past Shesterkin just past the midway point of the second period to get Washington within 2-1, but the Capitals managed just seven shots on goal during a scoreless third.
Lindgren finished with 29 saves in the Capitals’ fourth loss in six games.
Red Wings score twice late to extend Maple Leafs' skid
Andrew Copp scored the tie-breaking goal with 1:40 remaining as the Detroit Red Wings rallied for a 4-2 victory over the slumping Toronto Maple Leafs.
Lucas Raymond sealed the win with an empty-net goal with 18.9 seconds left to play for Detroit, which struck three times in the third period to erase a 2-1 deficit and extend its point streak to six games (5-0-1) to begin January.
Toronto dropped to 0-2-1 over its last three games following a four-game winning streak to start the new calendar year.
The Maple Leafs took a 2-1 lead on Mitchell Marner's goal with 1:42 left in the second period - the All Star forward's 600th career point - but Detroit answered 2:46 into the third on Daniel Sprong's breakaway goal.
After a scoreless first period, Toronto's Pontus Holmberg tipped in a shot from teammate Morgan Rielly to break the stalemate 32 seconds into the second.
The Red Wings drew even later in the second period when captain Dylan Larkin converted a feed from David Perron with 4:21 remaining before the intermission. Larkin later added an assist on Raymond's late goal.
Ilya Samsonov, making his first start for Toronto since being waived on Dec. 31 and then being recalled from the minors this week, stopped 20 of 23 shots. James Reimer finished with 28 saves for Detroit.
Coco Gauff eased into the second round of the Australian Open but Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova was an early casualty.
The Czech seventh seed, a surprise winner at the All England Club last summer, won only three games in a 6-1 6-2 thumping by Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska.
The 23-year-old spoke afterwards about the inspiration she takes from the bravery of people in her war-torn homeland, saying: “I’m very proud of Ukraine, proud of the people, proud of the warriors and just the civilians.
“When I was in Brisbane, before my match the rocket arrived on my grandmother’s house so it was pretty hard to play, but I think we just need to remember about it and give as much support as possible to Ukraine. I’m proud to be Ukrainian.”
Vondrousova reached the quarter-finals of the US Open but has otherwise struggled since defeating Ons Jabeur in the Wimbledon final.
She made 19 unforced errors while the big-hitting Yastremska racked up 26 winners.
Gauff opened proceedings on Rod Laver Arena on the second day of the tournament for her first grand slam match since she lifted the US Open trophy in September.
And she brushed aside Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-3 6-0 in exactly an hour, winning nine games in a row to set up a second-round clash with countrywoman Caroline Dolehide.
“I felt good,” said the 19-year-old, who was been working on her serve with former world number one Andy Roddick.
“I was a little bit nervous coming in today. Probably you could tell. I was able to just calm down and then play, not my best, but good tennis from that point.”
There was more success for Ukraine on the 1573 Arena, where 19th seed Elina Svitolina, who missed last year’s tournament following the birth of daughter Skai, saw off Australian wild card Taylah Preston 6-2 6-2.
Aaron Jones and Jordan Love starred as the Green Bay Packers upset the Dallas Cowboys 48-32 in the first round of playoffs.
Quarterback Love threw for three touchdowns and 272 yards in his playoff debut, while running back Jones scored three touchdowns as he ran for 118 yards.
The Packers jumped out to a 27-point lead to silence the Dallas crowd as Jones grabbed a first quarter touchdown and they added three more in the second quarter, including a 64-yard intercept from Darnell Savage.
Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott was intercepted twice as he passed for three touchdowns and 403 yards, but three more touchdowns in the second half sealed the game for Green Bay.
The Cowboys made a late surge with two touchdowns to tight end Jake Ferguson but the Packers’ lead was insurmountable.
They will head to face the top-seeded San Francisco 49ers in the NFC divisional round.
Ronnie O’Sullivan recovered from 6-3 down to beat Ali Carter 10-7 and claim a record-extending eighth Masters title at Alexandra Palace in London.
Carter looked on course for a first Triple Crown title as he opened up a 5-3 lead after the first session and immediately extended his advantage when play resumed.
O’Sullivan reeled off three frames in a row to get back on level terms before Carter made his ninth century of the tournament in the 13th frame, breaking the record set by O’Sullivan in 2007 and 2009.
However, Carter scored just 51 points in the last four frames as O’Sullivan ruthlessly punished any mistake to win back-to-back Triple Crown events for the first time in his career following his victory in the UK Championship in December.
“I don’t know how I’ve won this tournament, to be honest with you,” O’Sullivan, who at 48 is the oldest ever Masters champion, told BBC Sport.
“I’ve just dug deep. I’ve tried to play with a bit of freedom and then tonight I just thought try to keep Ali honest and if he’s going to win it he’s going to have to scrape me off the table.
“I just wanted to see if he had it at the end.”
Stuart Lancaster has confirmed Racing 92 are interested in recruiting Owen Farrell from Saracens but insists a deal has yet to be agreed.
Lancaster watched his Top 14 leaders lose 29-25 to Bath in a pulsating Investec Champions Cup clash at the Recreation Ground that was billed as the west country club’s biggest game for nine years.
Farrell, the England captain who is to miss the Six Nations in order to prioritise his mental well-being, has been in talks with Racing over a possible move next season that would make him ineligible for international selection.
The 32-year-old was given his Test debut by Lancaster in 2012 when the Cumbrian was England coach and the new Racing director of rugby is keen on taking him to Paris.
“Racing are often linked with key players and I’m lucky my relationships with players from England and Ireland are all part of that, but we’ll see,” Lancaster said.
“He would be a great signing, who wouldn’t want a player like Owen Farrell? We’ll see how it plays out. No deal has been done, there is no confirmation of anything for next year.
“I have signed for four years and what I’m trying to do is build a team that can win this year and a team that’s going to be really competitive over the next couple of years as well.
“Obviously there have been conversations. It’ll be me (who has the final say on signings).”
Bath celebrated one of their greatest wins in Europe and an important test of their revival under Johann van Graan by registering a bonus-point victory against star-studded Racing.
They were forced to come back from a 22-8 deficit to remain on course for a home tie in the round of 16, with Alfie Barbeary, Joe Cokanasiga and Will Muir scoring the crucial tries.
Barbeary was outstanding and even at 23-years-old the number eight was the key figure in a win that was only marred by two yellow cards, resulting in his dismissal with six minutes left.
His dangerous tackle on Max Spring and shoulder-led carry into Nolann Le Garrec will result in a disciplinary hearing this week, but Van Graan is confident the England prospect will avoid a ban.
“When I signed Alfie I said, ‘You can become the premier ball carrier in European rugby’. He carried exceptionally well against Racing,” Van Graan said.
“In terms of his turnover just before half-time and his ball carrying, he kept fighting. He is a special player. He is a big personality in our team. We are working on his fitness.
“Neither of the two incidents were on purpose. That’s rugby and I felt the referee dealt with that pretty well.
“Alfie was gutted when he came off, but hopefully he can play next weekend because it’s two yellow cards and you look at both incidents individually.”
Haydock and Lingfield are mobilising in an effort to protect their weekend meetings as Britain braces for the upcoming cold snap.
Lingfield is set to host its annual three-day Winter Million meeting from Friday to Sunday, so-called because of the £1million in prize-money offered across the mixed Flat and jumps cards.
The fixture has coincided with challenging weather conditions before and will do so again, with minus temperatures expected throughout the week – as low as minus 5C.
The Flat card, scheduled for the Saturday, is held on the all-weather but is sandwiched on either side by two National Hunt days that include the Grade Two Lightning Novices Chase and the valuable Fleur De Lys Chase.
In light of the forecast the whole turf track has been covered, requiring 42 hands on deck and taking nearly 10 hours to give the course the best chance of repelling the impending freeze.
“We’re currently good to soft on the turf track, we put the fleece covers down yesterday,” said clerk of the course Stephanie Wethered on Sunday.
“We’ve got minus temperatures forecast so that’s why we got the covers down, to give us the best chance possible of getting the meeting on.
“We’ve tried to do everything possible ahead of the frost coming in and we’re hopeful we’ve given ourselves a fighting chance.”
Haydock has a seven-race fixture scheduled for Saturday, with the Grade Two Rossington Main Novices’ Hurdle the feature.
The forecast in Merseyside is subject to a yellow weather warning, with snow expected to fall in the early part of the week and freezing temperatures set to last until Thursday.
Clerk of the course Kirkland Tellwright, clerk of the course at Haydock, said: “We’d be in a good place to race today but we’ve got a week of frost, the lowest temperatures are minus 4C and minus 5C, and I think under those circumstances we will be right to the wall.
“We’ve covered, for what it’s worth, all the back straight and the take-offs and landings, but I’d be doubtful of that being enough.
“I would say I’m not optimistic, but we’ll take it as we come. There’s no need to be taking any decisions now, we’ll give it every chance and see how we get on.”
The weekend’s other major meeting is at Ascot, where frost covers and fleece were deployed on Friday. The headline event at the Berkshire track is the Clarence House Chase, in which the Willie Mullins-trained El Fabiolo and Nicky Henderson’s Jonbon are due to clash.
Monday’s meeting at Hereford and Tuesday’s fixture at Plumpton are both subject to morning inspections as racecourses across Britain brace themselves for freezing temperatures this week.
An 8am precautionary inspection has been called ahead of Hereford’s Monday jumps card, but clerk of the course John Holliday is “optimistic” racing will go ahead.
Tuesday’s meeting at Plumpton is subject to an 8.30am inspection on raceday morning.
The course has been frost free since Friday, but the mercury is forecast to dip below freezing on Monday morning and temperatures could get as low as minus 3C on Monday night.
In Ireland, Punchestown will inspect at 7.30am on Monday morning as minus temperatures are expected to strike across the Irish Sea too.
Lisnagar Fortune deservedly opened his account over obstacles in the SkyBet Acca Freeze Maiden Hurdle at Punchestown.
An impressive bumper winner at the 2022 Punchestown Festival, the half-brother to Stayers’ Hurdle hero Lisnagar Oscar did not run again until finishing second on his hurdling debut at Tramore on New Year’s Day of last year.
The six-year-old was beaten as an odds-on favourite for a second time at Cork on his next start before being touched off by stablemate Readin Tommy Wrong at the same venue on his comeback in November, form which was well advertised by the winner’s surprise Grade One success at Naas on Friday.
On the strength of that run Lisnagar Fortune was odds-on at 10-11 to come good over hurdles at the fourth attempt and got the job done in good style, pulling six and a half lengths clear of Jasko Des Dames to complete a double on the card for Willie Mullins following the earlier success of Mystical Power.
Of Lisnagar Fortune, winning jockey Paul Townend said: “The penny is dropping a little bit with him. On form he was entitled to win after the run in Mallow (Cork).
“He’s just taken a while to come to hand and learn his jumping and things. I thought it was the best he has jumped today and he’ll progress away.
“He’ll end up going further but he was too keen, he’s starting to race now and to learn. He’ll end up going back out in trip in time, but I’m not sure if it’s the right time yet.”
Kates Hill broke her duck under rules in the Total Event Rental Beginners Chase.
The three-time point-to-point winner had been unsuccessful in seven previous outings over regulation obstacles, but was placed in bumpers and over hurdles and filled the runner-up spot on her chasing debut at Naas last month.
Philip Dempsey’s charge was a 15-8 shot to go one better under Donagh Meyler and dug deep from the final fence to see off the rallying Rolly Bowley Boy by half a length.
“That was great, she backed up her Naas run. She’s a great jumper, she’s a lovely mare and she won well there,” said Dempsey.
“There is novice handicap at Naas at the end of the month and the Ulster National could be a plan, distance would be her thing.”
Idol (100-30) landed the SkyBet Request A Bet Mares Handicap Hurdle for trainer Sam Curling and jockey Philip Enright, while Shark Hanlon and Shane Fenelon combined to take top honours in the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Chase with Easy Bucks (18-1).
The SkyBet Build A Bet Amateur National brought proceedings to a close, with victory going to the Ted Walsh-trained Hardwired (11-4 joint-favourite) and 7lb claimer Alex Harvey.
The worst two teams in the Eastern Conference pulled off a trade Sunday, as the Washington Wizards acquired Marvin Bagley, Isaiah Livers and two second-round draft picks from the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said Washington (7-31) will receive second-round picks in 2025 and 2026 from Detroit (3-36).
Bagley, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, is averaging 10.2 points and 4.5 rebounds in 26 games this season. Livers has appeared in 23 games and is averaging 5.0 points and 2.1 boards.
Gallinari is averaging 7.0 points and just 14.8 minutes in 26 games per game after missing all of last season with a torn ACL. Muscala hasn’t played much either, averaging 4.0 points and 14.1 minutes in 24 contests.
The trade comes one day before the Wizards host the Pistons as part of the NBA’s annual tradition of honouring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Jayson Tatum had no regrets after being ejected for the second time in six weeks on Saturday, being pulled up for back-to-back technical fouls as the Boston Celtics crushed the Houston Rockets.
Tatum had 27 points and eight assists in support of Jaylen Brown's 32 points as the Celtics stayed perfect at home, claiming a 145-113 victory over their former coach Ime Udoka and the Rockets.
League-leading Boston are now up to 30-9 and are 19-0 at TD Garden, having never previously started a season with more than 17 straight home wins.
The game ended on a slightly sour note for the Celtics, though, as Tatum was removed for two technicals in quick succession.
Having received his first for complaining about a non-call when his arm was clearly struck during an attempted dunk with just over 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Tatum continued to berate the officials then shouted at referee CJ Washington after being ejected.
Tatum has no regrets over his behaviour, however, suggesting he chose the right moment to air his grievances as Boston closed in on a blowout win.
"I'm a pretty self-aware person. I understand the time and score of the game, Tatum said. "The game was pretty much over. I've got to stand up for myself. I was frustrated.
"At some point throughout the course of the night, you've got to stand up for yourself. This is not something I do every game or every night. Tonight, I just had to let them know how I felt.”
Boston coach Joe Mazzulla echoed those sentiments, saying: "In the NBA you have that space of having to defend yourself, and for me having to defend my guys.
"There's a time and a place for everything, and you've just got to pick and choose your spots."
Asked about the non-call which led to Tatum's first technical, Mazzulla said: "When it comes to stuff like that, I try not to have an opinion."
Saturday's win – Boston's 10th in their last 13 games – came just 48 hours after a 33-point loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, and Brown recognised the importance of bouncing back.
"Last game we didn't feel like we were at our best," Brown said. "Today we wanted to come out and make sure we stayed undefeated on our home court."
Croatian teenager Dino Prizmic marked himself out as a name for the future by pushing Novak Djokovic in a four-hour contest at the Australian Open.
The first ever Sunday start at Melbourne Park saw one of its most memorable opening-round matches, with Djokovic finally beating the 18-year-old qualifier 6-2 6-7 (5) 6-3 6-4.
Women’s defending champion Aryna Sabalenka followed Djokovic on court and swatted aside Ella Seidel 6-0 6-1 but there was disappointment for Britain’s Jodie Burrage, who lost in three sets to Tamara Korpatsch.
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Andre Agassi has not been seen much around the tennis circuit since retirement, bar a short stint coaching Djokovic, but the four-time former champion is back at Melbourne Park, where he spotted a very familiar face.
LongevityFallen seeds
Women: Liudmila Samsonova (13), Magda Linette (20), Wang Xinyu (30)
Men: None
Who’s up next?
Andy Murray begins his campaign on Monday against Argentinian 30th seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
Naomi Osaka’s return to grand slam tennis is last in the night session on Rod Laver Arena against 16th seed Caroline Garcia after big home hope Alex De Minaur takes on Milos Raonic.
US Open champion Coco Gauff and former Melbourne finalists Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas are also in action.
Eight-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt is known for his supremacy in track and field, but the former sprinter has ventured onto another track, delving into Formula E racing.
The eight-time Olympic gold medallist made a surprise guest appearance as part of a promotion: the fastest man in the fastest electric vehicle, driving the record-breaking GenBETA car ahead of the main event and taking part in the grid walk just prior to the race on Saturday.
Bolt is a well-known fan of Formula 1 racing and has been spotted at various Grand Prix races for the prestigious motor racing competition.
Unlike Formula 1, which showcases hybrid race cars with engines powered by traditional fuel sources, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship features all-electric race cars.
Bolt holds the men’s 100m world record of 9.58 seconds, but smashed that time - obviously - in the specially modified version of the Gen3 car used in Formula E races, piling through the 100m track in 4.36s.
“This is the first time in my life I’m comfortable saying something is faster than me,” he joked.
“It is like a rocket ship on wheels. Getting the chance to drive it was a mind-blowing experience. The power from the start was such a surprise and the adrenaline you got is on a different level, easily. Driving the GenBETA was like nothing I’ve experienced before; I was told that as soon as you drive, you don’t want to stop or get out and they were right. I would do it every day if I could.”
Bolt was also gifted a helmet by Formula E World Champion driver Jake Dennis.
The helmet incorporates a green and black colour scheme and features the Jamaican flag, Bolt’s name, and his trademark “to di worl” logo, which showcases his iconic celebratory victory pose.
In addition to meeting Dennis and speaking with former F1 star and Formula E TV presenter David Coulthard, Bolt was also introduced to Bajan Formula 2 driver Zane Maloney. Maloney will serve as a development driver and reserve driver in Formula E’s 10th season.
Mystical Power moved to Supreme Novices’ Hurdle favouritism with a dominant display in the SkyBet Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.
The Willie Mullins-trained five-year-old is impeccably bred as a son of Galileo out of the brilliant Champion Hurdle-winning mare Annie Power and could hardly have made a better start to his career for the powerhouse ownership trio of JP McManus, John Magnier and Rich Ricci.
Following a winning debut debut in a Ballinrobe bumper in May, Mystical Power made a successful switch to hurdling at Galway two months later – and having sidestepped the rearranged Lawlor’s of Naas Novice Hurdle on Friday, he was sent off at 5-4 for his comeback in a Grade Two contest his trainer has previously won with the likes of Vautour (2014), Douvan (2015), Min (2015) and Impaire Et Passe (2023).
Mark Walsh – looking to complete a big-race double in the McManus colours following Grade Three success aboard Spillane’s Tower in the previous contest on the card – settled his mount at the rear of the four-runner field for much of the two-mile journey while his stablemate Lombron adopted a pacesetting role.
There was the odd moment of worry for Mystical Power’s supporters, with his rider having to get lower in the saddle on the home turn, but the further he went the better he looked and he fairly rocketed clear in the straight to score by seven lengths from Jigoro.
Mullins’ assistant David Casey said: “I was very impressed with him, he wouldn’t show that at home. He seems to save his best for the track, which is a great trait to have.
“We were a little bit worried about the ground today as he’s coming from a summer campaign. We were a little worried if he would handle that heavy ground, but it looks like he went through it very well.
“We gave him a break after he had his couple of runs in the summer and brought him back to see if he would handle a winter campaign.
“Mark rode him a couple of weeks ago and thought he had improved hugely from when he had rode him earlier in the year. He showed that today.”
Sky Bet make the winner their 9-2 favourite for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, just ahead of fellow McManus-owned ace Jeriko Du Reponet – trained by Nicky Henderson – at 5-1.
“At the moment you probably wouldn’t go any further than two miles until you have to. Mark said he rides a lot quicker on the track than he does at home,” Casey added.
“I thought he showed a fair turn of foot there. I know the camp have the second-favourite for the Supreme as well so they might want to split them up, but at the moment until you have to you wouldn’t go further, I think.”
Frank Berry, McManus’ racing manager, said: “That was grand. Mark said they didn’t go mad early on, but he quickened up well.
“Hopefully he’ll have learned a little bit jumping wise today and you could only be very pleased with him.
“We didn’t know coming here how he was going to cope with the ground, but he coped with it quite well.
“He’s keen anyway and the small field suited to get him settled.”
When asked if he could run again before Cheltenham, Berry added: “The experience part of it would do him good but we’ll leave that up to Willie.”
Aryna Sabalenka began the defence of her Australian Open title with a 53-minute drubbing of German teenager Ella Seidel.
The second seed was made to wait until nearly midnight by Novak Djokovic’s battle with Dino Prizmic but her encounter with an 18-year-old qualifier could not have been more different.
Sabalenka dropped only 10 points in the first set and had two match points for a double bagel before completing a 6-0 6-1 victory on Rod Laver Arena.
“I’m super happy to be back in Melbourne,” said the Belarusian, who lifted her first slam silverware 12 months ago. “Last time I had incredible memories from here, unforgettable I would say. It feels so great to be back and feel the support.”
Caroline Wozniacki’s first match at Melbourne Park for four years ended prematurely when opponent Magda Linette, a semi-finalist here last year, withdrew trailing 6-2 2-0.
Wozniacki won her only grand slam title in Australia in 2018 and retired following a third-round loss two years later before having two children and then coming out of retirement last summer.
“I feel very comfortable playing here,” said the Dane. “I feel comfortable with the ball. I feel very just thrilled to be here. Immediately when I stepped foot on these courts, in this arena, I felt right at home. I think it’s a special place for me and always will be.”
American Amanda Anisimova is another player on the comeback trail having stepped away from the tour last May over concerns for her mental health.
The 22-year-old, who first reached the fourth round here five years ago, did not pick up a racket for four months but has returned rejuvenated and pulled off the upset of the day by defeating 13th seed Liudmila Samsonova 6-3 6-4.
“I’m just here for the journey right now and seeing how much I can progress,” she said. “I think I would take it with whatever outcome I would get. But I am happy with the wins, and I really hope that I can build on from it.
“The most important thing is that I feel a lot more refreshed. I’m enjoying practising. I’m enjoying every second that I’m out there. Even when I was down today, I was still just enjoying the challenge.
“I’m just happy with how I feel coming back. I feel like I was very burned out while I was playing, and that really wasn’t a nice feeling.”
Also through to the second round are a pair of 16-year-olds in Russian Alina Korneeva, last year’s junior champion, and Czech Brenda Fruhvirtova.
The most heralded 16-year-old in the current game, Mirra Andreeva, will join them if she can win her opening match on Monday.
Anthony Davis said the Los Angeles Lakers could not use LeBron James' injury-enforced absence as an excuse after the 39-year-old missed Saturday's 132-125 defeat to the Utah Jazz.
James rolled his left ankle during the first half of the Lakers' 127-109 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Thursday, staying in that contest but scoring a season-low 10 points in just 24 minutes on the court.
The NBA's all-time leading scorer was then absent as Los Angeles suffered their sixth defeat in eight games on Saturday, with D'Angelo Russell's season-high 39 points not enough in Salt Lake City.
Davis had a triple-double with 15 points, 15 boards and 10 assists but shot five of 21 from the field as the Lakers dropped to 19-21 for the season.
While the 30-year-old pointed to the injury problems which have hampered Los Angeles throughout the campaign, he feels they have enough talent on the roster to win games without their stars.
"We're not in a bad spot," Davis said. "It could be worse. Our injuries just piled up over and over.
"As soon as we think we get a couple of guys back, guys go down. So, that's the toughest thing but we still have enough to win basketball games.
"Even though Bron doesn't play, we have enough to win. We've just got to keep going. We've played 40 games, 42 left. We got to make a push.
"These next five or six games at home are going to be a big stretch of games for us."
The Lakers, who sit 11th in the Western Conference standings, welcome the Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks, Brooklyn Nets, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Clippers and Chicago Bulls to Crypto.com Arena in the next 11 days.
Spillane’s Tower inflicted a shock defeat on red-hot favourite Blood Destiny in the Betting Better With SkyBet Novice Chase at Punchestown.
The Grade Three contest has an illustrious roll of honour in recent years, with Carefully Selected, Envoi Allen, Bob Olinger and Impervious the last four winners, and the Willie Mullins-trained Blood Destiny was a 2-5 shot to add his name to the list following an impressive fencing debut at Naas.
Just as he did a month ago, Blood Destiny set out to make every yard of the running in the hands of Paul Townend, and for much of the two-and-a-half-mile contest he appeared in complete control.
However, it became clear on the run to the final fence he had a real race on his hands as Mark Walsh conjured a late charge from Spillane’s Tower (7-1), who was bidding for back-to-back course wins for trainer Jimmy Mangan and owner JP McManus.
Blood Destiny was still in the lead jumping the final fence, but he was unable to resist Spillane’s Tower’s finishing kick, with two lengths separating the pair at the line.
The winning owner’s racing manager, Frank Berry, said: “He jumped well, they went a good gallop and he stayed well. You could only be pleased with him.
“I’d say the step up in trip was a big help to him. Mark said he was a bit flat out early on but he got home well.
“We’ve no plans, we’ll see where he goes and where he slots in. It’s nice to see Jimmy with a nice horse, all his runs have been good and he’s improving all the time. It was a nice performance.”
Tommy Fleetwood held off the challenge of Ryder Cup team-mate Rory McIlroy with a big finish to claim a dramatic victory at the Dubai Invitational.
The Englishman entered the final round in the United Arab Emirates with a one-shot lead but found himself one behind McIlroy stood on the 18th tee before the Northern Irishman hooked his tee-shot into the water.
That left the door open for Fleetwood and he rolled in a 16-foot putt on the final green for a birdie-birdie finish and a one-shot victory as McIlroy made a bogey.
Dubai-resident Fleetwood’s closing 67 saw him finish at 19 under, one ahead of McIlroy – who signed for the same score – and South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence.
“I’m very happy,” said Fleetwood. “It was amazing winning. Like almost everybody else in the world of golf, I don’t win anywhere near as much as I would like to but just that winning feeling is great.
“This is obviously where I live and have a lot of support. It’s great to kick off the year with a great result and push on from here.
“I was very happy with the way I played today for the large majority of the round, felt like I didn’t hole some of the putts that I wanted to. I just stayed patient and kept playing. I knew I was playing very, very well, and even the last two holes, played 17 and 18 great.”
McIlroy and Fleetwood’s “Fleetwood Mac” partnership claimed two points from two in the foursomes in Rome last year as Europe beat the United States 16.5-11.5 but no quarter was given on a dramatic final day in Dubai.
Fleetwood found himself three shots clear of McIlroy as he picked up shots on the third, fifth and tenth, with the four-time major champion following gains on the third and fifth with a bogey on the sixth after finding the water.
A hat-trick of McIlroy birdies from the 11th had him in a share of top spot and while he inexplicably three-putted the 14th from two feet, he hit straight back with a 20-footer on the next.
Fleetwood dropped his only shot of the day on the 16th but responded from 30 feet on the 17th, as McIlroy birdied the same hole to set up the late drama.
“I’m really happy for Tommy,” said McIlroy. “He’s played some incredible golf over the last year without actually getting a win. So for him to get the win here, it’s great for him and it will do his confidence a world of good and hopefully he kicks on from it.
“I think first week back out, I think you’re going to expect some of those sloppy mistakes and unfortunately for me those mistakes came at the wrong time today. But I’ll reflect on it and learn from today and there’s still a lot of good stuff in there. But just need to tidy up some of the edges and if I do that, I feel good going into next week.”
Lawrence finished with a 64, while England’s Jordan Smith was at 16 under, one shot clear of former Open champion Francesco Molinari.
Connections are confident a patient approach will see Energumene return at his best next season.
Willie Mullins’ dual Champion Chase hero was imperious when defending his two-mile crown at the Cheltenham Festival last March, but has been denied the opportunity to bid for a hat-trick having suffered an injury which has ruled him out of the current campaign.
Owned by Brighton & Hove Albion chief Tony Bloom, Energumene is unlikely to be seen on track again until the 2024-25 season, as the Closutton team seek to give their high-class operator as much time as possible to recover from his setback, something seen as key to Energumene returning in the form of old.
“He’s recovering well,” said Bloom’s racing manager, Sean Graham.
“It was an injury that needed a little bit of time and he’s doing well and is recovering. The signs are good, but you never can tell so we will have to wait and see. The vets are very happy with him so fingers crossed.
“It was a case of if we can’t go to Cheltenham then we give him the whole of the season off and give him plenty of time to recover for next year.
“The way we are talking at the minute we will be giving him as plenty of time to recover as we possibly can. It’s not a career-threatening injury and it is just a case of us being patient. Tony is very patient and he will give him as much time as the horse needs.”
Meanwhile, the exciting Bunting will attempt to hit the bullseye at the Dublin Racing Festival next month where he could secure his ticket to the Cheltenham Festival.
An impressive winner when trained in France, he doubled up when making a blistering start to life in the care of Mullins at Limerick, producing a taking display to score by an ever-widening eight lengths.
That saw the Bloom-owned juvenile handed quotes as short as 7-1 for the Triumph Hurdle in March, but with both victories coming in testing conditions, connections are keen to see if he can repeat his exploits so far on a sounder surface.
“He won his first ever race in France and we bought him after that, so his run at Limerick was only his second ever time on the track and he’s open to loads of improvement,” said Graham.
“He handles soft ground very well because it was very soft when he won in France and very soft when he won his maiden hurdle at Limerick, so we just wonder how effective he will be if the ground gets a lot quicker.
“We don’t know and we’re just hoping he turns out he is as good as you hope he is going to be.”
Bunting will now head to Leopardstown’s Grade One McCann FitzGerald Spring Juvenile Hurdle on February 3 and a contest his handler has won the past two years with high-class pair Gala Marceau and Vauban.
That will be the perfect opportunity for connections to check out Bunting’s Triumph Hurdle credentials and a contest where he could meet well-regarded stablemates Storm Heart and Salvator Mundi as well as ante-post Triumph favourite Burdett Road, who could be sent on an enterprising raiding mission to the Irish capital by handler James Owen.
Graham added: “The Dublin Racing Festival is his next target, he’s entered in the juvenile hurdle on the 3rd and we wait and see. That will tell us whether we should be going to the Triumph Hurdle or not.
“He’s a horse for the future and he’s only had two races. Expecting him to go and win a Grade One on his third-ever race on the track is a big expectation, but we will see what happens.”
Novak Djokovic was given a scare by Croatian teenager Dino Prizmic in the longest first-round match of his grand slam career.
The world number one is a big favourite to win an 11th title at Melbourne Park, where he has not lost since 2018, but he dropped the second set as 18-year-old Prizmic showed what makes him a major talent for the future.
The qualifier was briefly a break up in the third set and kept battling after Djokovic stepped things up before the defending champion finally clinched a 6-2 6-7 (5) 6-3 6-4 victory on his seventh match point after four hours and one minute.
The signs did not look good for Prizmic when he dropped his opening service game and then took a medical time-out at 2-3 for treatment to his left groin.
He already had tape on his right arm and could find nothing to hurt Djokovic in the first set, but things began to change early in the second.
Djokovic won a staggering 17 of his 19 tie-breaks at grand slams in 2023, including 15 in a row from the second round in Melbourne to the Wimbledon final, but here he played a very poor one and suddenly what had seemed a straightforward occasion became anything but.
Djokovic, who was dabbing his brow and puffing his cheeks, was making a lot of uncharacteristic errors and Prizmic fought back from 2-0 down in the third set to lead by a break at 3-2.
There was concern on the face Djokovic’s coach Goran Ivanisevic, who was among the spectators watching his countryman Prizmic’s run to the French Open junior title last year.
Djokovic ultimately found a way through, but the 36-year-old’s rivals will have been watching closely.
Fifth seed Andrey Rublev was hugely relieved after edging past Brazil’s Thiago Seyboth Wild in a fifth-set tie-break.
Rublev had in his mind his good friend Daniil Medvedev’s exit to Seyboth Wild at the same stage of the French Open last summer and he trailed 4-1 in the deciding tie-break after seeing a two-set lead and then four match points come and go.
But Rublev fought his way back to clinch a 7-5 6-4 3-6 4-6 7-6 (10/6) victory after three hours and 42 minutes.
Former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini was a casualty without taking to the court, the Italian pulling out as his injury woes continued.
Berrettini had been due to face Stefanos Tsitsipas on Rod Laver Arena on Monday in one of the plum ties of the first round.
But on Sunday afternoon tournament organisers announced he had withdrawn with a right foot injury, making it the fourth time in the last eight grand slam tournaments where he has not been able to play a match.
Berrettini has been replaced in the draw by Belgian lucky loser Zizou Bergs, who will take on Tsitsipas.
Fourth seed Jannik Sinner, one of the favourites for the title following his stellar end to 2023, began his campaign with a straight-sets win over Botic van de Zandschulp.
Sinner, who beat Djokovic twice in a matter of days at the ATP Finals and Davis Cup in November, was a 6-4 7-5 6-3 winner on Rod Laver Arena.
The Italian did not play a warm-up tournament after his late finish to last season and he said: “I feel like I started off actually really well for the first match.
“Then after I had some moments where I made a couple of wrong choices, but this can happen. It was important today for me because I was looking forward to stepping on the court.”
Twelfth seed Taylor Fritz was twice a set down to Facundo Diaz Acosta and needed treatment after rolling his ankle but recovered to claim a 4-6 6-3 3-6 6-2 6-4 victory.
Former finalist Marin Cilic played his first grand slam match since the US Open in 2022 following knee surgery but was beaten in four sets by Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan.
Panda Boy could bid to give trainer Martin Brassil a second Randox Grand National victory in the spring following a fine run in defeat at Leopardstown last month.
Having finished a close-up third in the lucrative Paddy Power Chase last season, the eight-year-old picked up the silver medal this time around behind the Willie Mullins-trained Meetingofthewaters, who is himself in National contention.
Panda Boy was not beaten far when fifth in the Irish Grand National last year and Brassil, who won the 2006 Grand National with Numbersixvalverde, is this year eyeing a trip to Merseyside.
He said: “I’m going to enter him for Aintree anyway and he might have a run in the three-mile handicap hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival.”
Brassil enjoyed two winners over the festive period, with Goldinthemountains landing a Leopardstown bumper and Built By Ballymore opening his account over hurdles with a dominant display at Limerick.
The trainer views Goldinthemountains as an exciting prospect for the future, but the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival is not on his agenda.
“He’s a nice horse, a lovely horse for the future. We’ll keep in bumpers for this season and he can go hurdling next season,” the trainer added.
“He wouldn’t be going to Cheltenham anyway. The Dublin Racing Festival might be a possibility, but I haven’t spoken to the owners about it yet. Punchestown in the spring would be a likely target.”
Of Built By Ballymore, he said: “He won well and he’d be more of a staying type for the future. He’s a nice horse to have.”
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