Katie Boulter is so eager to build on her successes of this season that she will forgo a holiday and get straight back in the gym.
The 27-year-old capped a breakthrough year in which she won a first WTA Tour title and reached the top 50 by leading Great Britain to victory over Sweden in the Billie Jean King Cup in London.
Boulter cited her biggest achievement, though, as simply playing a full season having been beset by injuries and illness throughout her career so far.
Top of the Leicestershire player’s objectives is therefore trying to ensure the same is true for 2024, but she also has her sights set on being seeded at grand slams and proving she belongs at the top of the game.
“I’ve got a few different goals in my mind,” she said. “I want to build on this year, I really want to get my feet inside the line, which I already have but now I’ve got to stay there, I’ve got to win these matches week in, week out, beating the top girls.
“You reach your goal and you think you’d be satisfied but you’re not even close. I’m already looking at the next milestone, I want to be seeded in slams, that’s my next stop. I want to be constantly in the top 50, I want to be pushing those boundaries.
“No matter how happy I might be with my year, I actually think it fuels me even more and makes me hungrier going into next year because it’s given me a lot of belief that I belong at this level and I genuinely see and think that I can climb up the rankings but I also know there’s a lot of hard work to be done.
“I’ve got to pace myself but I want to be back in the gym, I want to be bullet-proofing my body as quickly as possible, taking the least amount of days off that I possibly can.”
Her new season will begin before the year is out at the United Cup, a mixed international team competition in Australia that will see Boulter go head-to-head against her Australian boyfriend Alex De Minaur.
She said: “We respect each other as competitors and also off the court as well. I’m sure we’ll talk about it when we get a little closer to it but we’re both going to put our heart on the line for our countries. I know he’s country proud, I know I’m country proud, so we’ll see if we’re still together by the end of it!”
Sweden were among the weakest opposition Britain could have faced, and a nightmare debut for Jodie Burrage, which left them having to come from behind to secure a 3-1 victory, was the obvious negative of the weekend.
Captain Anne Keothavong does have experienced players in her ranks, though, and Harriet Dart proved a solid pair of hands when she replaced Burrage on Sunday to wrap up the tie.
Both Burrage and Boulter have had the best seasons of their careers and sit in the top 100, leaving the national picture looking rosier than a period in the spring when there were no British women in double figures.
Keothavong hopes there will soon be competition, as well, from a crop of highly promising teenagers.
Isabelle Lacy, 17, was at the Copper Box as a hitting partner while there is real excitement around the futures of 14-year-old Hannah Klugman and 16-year-old Mingge Xu, who led Britain’s Junior Billie Jean King Cup team to the semi-finals last week, and another 14-year-old, Mika Stojsavljevic.
“The more of you competing at that highest level, the better,” said Keothavong. “You’re going to push each other, and it’s not just (these players).
“We’ve got Mimi Xu and Hannah Klugman, the girls did really well this week, and they’ve shown lots of promise over the last few weeks, scoring some good wins.
“I know they’re limited (by age) with the number of tournaments they can play but their level is up there and I think that’s really exciting for women’s tennis. We’ve got competition for places on this team and we’ve got players with experience who know how it works, but there’s no guarantee for anyone.”
The chasing debut of the exciting Gaelic Warrior has been put on temporary hold with the meeting at Fairyhouse on Tuesday called off due to waterlogging.
Willie Mullins had chosen the Irish National Hunt Steeplechase CLG Beginners Chase as the starting point for Gaelic Warrior’s new discipline but torrential rain overnight has left the course unraceable.
Brendan Sheridan, clerk of the course at Fairyhouse said: “Following 20mm of rain overnight, which was more rain than was originally forecast for Fairyhouse, the track is now unfit for racing and the fixture scheduled for tomorrow has been cancelled.
“We needed the rainfall to come up short of what was forecast but unfortunately we got slightly more and the track will not be raceable in time for tomorrow due to that volume of rain on ground that was already soft, heavy in places.
“We will liaise with Horse Racing Ireland about the possibility of rescheduling the fixture.”
The meeting at Carlisle on Monday was also abandoned as Storm Debi begins to take its toll on sporting fixtures.
Uttoxeter, which has been unable to stage any racing since October 8, is hoping to stage an all-hurdle card on Saturday after an inspection of its chase track concluded that the two races over fences would be unable to take place.
An inspection will be held at 2pm on Monday to assess the situation at Bangor ahead of Wednesday’s meeting with areas of standing water on the track.
Tyrese Maxey erupted for a career-high 50 points as the red-hot Philadelphia 76ers extended their winning streak to eight games with Sunday's 137-126 victory over the Indiana Pacers.
Maxey finished 20 of 32 from the field and 7 of 11 from 3-point range to help Philadelphia remain unbeaten since a season-opening loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 26. The fourth-year guard added five assists and blocked three shots in a superb all-around effort.
Joel Embiid contributed 37 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists, though the reigning NBA MVP yielded the spotlight on this night to teammate Maxey, who scored 16 of his points in the fourth quarter to help the Sixers prevail after Indiana grabbed a 105-104 lead with 10 1/2 minutes left.
The 76ers went ahead for good with a 10-2 run that put them up 114-107 with under seven minutes remaining.
Tyrese Haliburton had 25 points and 17 assists for the Pacers, who entered the contest on a three-game winning streak. Myles Turner recorded 22 points in defeat.
Surging Rockets down champion Nuggets for sixth straight win
Fred VanVleet had 26 points and the Houston Rockets overcame another dominant performance from Nikola Jokić in a 107-104 victory over the Denver Nuggets that extended their winning streak to six games.
Alperen Sengun added 23 points and eight rebounds as the upstart Rockets recorded their longest stretch of consecutive wins since a six-game run from Jan. 22-Feb. 2, 2021. Houston went just 22-60 in 2022-23, tied for the second-lowest win total in the NBA last season.
The Rockets had to withstand Jokic's fourth triple-double of the season, as the two-time league MVP racked up season highs of 36 points and 21 rebounds along with 11 assists.
Reigning NBA champion Denver had cut a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit down to one when Jokic's 3-pointer with 19.5 seconds left brought the Nuggets within 103-102. VanVleet then made two free throws on the ensuing possession, and Denver then turned it over before Jalen Green went 1 of 2 from the foul line to give Houston a four-point advantage with 9.1 seconds remaining.
Michael Porter Jr. had 25 points and 10 rebounds as Denver lost for only the second time in 10 games this season. The Nuggets had won four straight coming in.
Timberwolves get past Warriors to extend winning streak
The Minnesota Timberwolves are also on a six-game winning streak following their 116-110 victory over the Golden State Warriors behind Anthony Edwards' 33 points and seven assists.
Karl-Anthony Towns chipped in 21 points and 14 rebounds to help the Timberwolves improve to 7-2 and deal Golden State a third consecutive defeat.
The Warriors got 38 points from Stephen Curry but had an overall off-shooting night, connecting on just 12 of 43 attempts (27.9 per cent) from 3-point range.
Minnesota, on the other hand, shot 66.7 per cent from the field in the third quarter and outscored the Warriors by a 35-22 margin for the period to build an 89-73 lead into the fourth. The Timberwolves maintained a double-digit advantage into the final minute.
The game was the first of two straight meetings between the teams in San Francisco, where the Warriors will host Minnesota again Tuesday.
Desert Orchid, one of the most successful steeplechasers of all time, died at the age of 27 on this day in 2006.
The dashing grey achieved greatness within the National Hunt arena and was much-loved by racing enthusiasts for his iron will and extreme adaptability.
Affectionately known as ‘Dessie’, he won 34 races in total, including the 1989 Cheltenham Gold Cup and seven at his beloved Kempton Park, where four victories in the King George VI Steeple Chase underlined his immense talent.
Following his retirement in 1991, he remained popular with fans, making public appearances at charity events.
In a statement, his former trainer David Elsworth said: “Desert Orchid died peacefully in his stable at 6.05 this morning. There was no stress, he departed from this world with dignity and no fuss.
“He did his dying in the same individual way that he did his living. It was time to go.
“Dessie had not been well for the past week and was losing his co-ordination. He was 27 years old and we had been involved with this wonderful horse for
a quarter of a century both in his racing days and retirement.”
Desert Orchid’s ashes were buried at his stomping ground of Kempton, where a statue was also erected.
Sam Reinhart had two goals and two assists and the Florida Panthers withstood another standout performance by rookie sensation Connor Bedard in Sunday's 4-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.
Reinhart assisted on Carter Verhaeghe's power-play goal that snapped a 3-3 tie early in the third period, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 13 of his 23 saves in the final frame to help seal Florida's fourth straight win.
Bedard followed up Thursday's two-goal, two-assist effort at Tampa Bay with two more goals, giving the 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick seven in his last six games.
Reinhart's second goal of the night gave Florida a 3-2 lead seven minutes into the second period, but Bedard answered just 1:18 later and the game remained deadlocked at 3-3 into the second intermission.
Verhaeghe put the Panthers up for good 2:44 into the third period, and Bobrovsky made the lead hold up despite the Panthers being outshot by a 13-6 margin in the final 20 minutes.
Reinhart and Oliver Ekman-Larsson had first-period goals for Florida, while Bedard and Jason Dickinson both scored for Chicago in the opening session.
Arvid Soderblom finished with 28 saves for the Blackhawks.
Stars score five power-play goals in 8-3 rout of Wild
Jason Robertson had two of five Dallas power-play goals as the Stars rolled to an 8-3 victory over the Minnesota Wild to complete a perfect three-game road trip.
Wyatt Johnston also scored twice, including a short-handed goal in the final minutes, in Dallas' first meeting with Minnesota since ousting the Wild in six games in the first round of last season's playoffs.
Both Robertson and Johnston added an assist for the Stars, whose five power-play goals tied a franchise single-game record. Dallas also received goals from Joe Pavelski, Radek Faksa, Matt Duchene and Evgenii Dadonov, while Miro Heiskanen finished with three assists to back Jake Oettinger's 23 saves.
Dallas took a 3-2 lead after one period, highlighted by Pavelski's power-play goal just 57 seconds in and a short-handed tally by Faksa, and both Johnston and Dadonov scored on the power play in the second to extend the margin to three.
Robertson's two goals came just 2:07 apart and gave Dallas a 7-3 advantage early in the third.
Brandon Duhaime, Vinni Lettieri and Mats Zuccarello had goals in the Wild's third straight loss. Marc Andre-Fleury surrendered all eight Dallas goals on 37 shots.
Lafreniere stars in Rangers' shootout win over Blue Jackets
Alexis Lafreniere scored twice in regulation before recording the deciding goal in the shootout as the New York Rangers rallied for a 4-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Lafreniere's second goal of the game came with just 11 seconds left in regulation and forged a 3-3 tie. The former No. 1 overall pick then registered the lone goal during the shootout phase to extend the Rangers' point streak to 10 games, a stretch in which they've gone 9-0-1.
Chris Kreider delivered his 10th goal of the season and added an assist for New York, while Jonathan Quick made 25 saves before stopping all three Columbus skaters in the shootout.
Lafreniere's first of the night gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead with 8:43 left in the second period, but Adam Fantilli and Sean Kuraly scored 19 seconds apart later in the period to put the Blue Jackets back ahead.
Justin Danforth put Columbus up 1-0 with 3:34 remaining in the first period before Kreider answered less than 2 1/2 minutes later.
Elvis Merzlikins finished with 37 saves for Columbus, which fell to 0-3-2 over its last five games.
San Francisco got back to winning ways after three successive defeats with a convincing 34-3 win at Jacksonville on Sunday.
Brock Purdy threw for three touchdowns as the 49ers made an impressive return to form against a Jaguars side that had won their previous five games.
Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence was sacked five times as the visitors dominated in all departments. Both teams ended the day with 6-3 records.
The Minnesota Vikings held off a New Orleans fightback to improve to 6-4 with a 27-19 win over the Saints.
Josh Dobbs ran in a touchdown and threw for another as the Vikings opened up a 24-3 lead in the first half but the Saints set up a tight finish as back-up quarterback Jameis Winston threw for two touchdowns.
Jonathan Taylor’s first-half touchdown proved crucial as the Indianapolis Colts overcame the New England Patriots 10-6 in Frankfurt.
Mac Jones’ hopes of leading a late Patriots rally ended when he threw an interception in the fourth quarter and was benched by head coach Bill Belichick. The loss left the Patriots on 2-8.
The Dallas Cowboys cruised to a 49-17 win over the New York Giants – the second time this season they have thrashed their NFC East rivals after a 40-0 success in their opening game.
Dak Prescott threw for four touchdowns and ran for another as the Cowboys moved to six wins and three losses.
Jason Myers kicked his fifth field goal of the game as time ran out to give the Seattle Seahawks a 29-26 win over the Washington Commanders, keeping them tied at the top of the NFC West with the 49ers.
The Detroit Lions stretched their lead at the top of the NFC North as Riley Patterson’s last-ditch field goal gave them a 41-38 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Kyler Murray’s return from injury inspired the Arizona Cardinals to a 25-23 win against the Atlanta Falcons, Matt Prater’s field goal in the dying seconds ending a run of six-straight losses.
Murray, who has been out for 11 months with a knee injury, threw for 249 yards and ran for a touchdown on his return.
The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Green Bay Packers 23-19, despite losing linebacker Kwon Alexander to a leg injury, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won for the first time in five attempts with a 20-6 victory over the Tennessee Titans.
Replacement kicker Matt Ammendola kicked a field goal on the final play as the Houston Texans dramatically beat the Cincinnati Bengals 30-27 while the Cleveland Browns claimed a similarly nailbiting 33-31 win over the Baltimore Ravens.
Dustin Hopkins, who had earlier missed an extra-point attempt that could have tied the game, kicked the decisive points for the Browns, who had trailed 17-3 after the first quarter.
Novak Djokovic ensured he will finish the year ranked world number one for an eighth time after battling to a late-night victory over Holger Rune in his opening match at the ATP Finals.
Djokovic is chasing a record seventh title but again found 20-year-old Rune, who is making his debut at the eight-man event, a troublesome opponent before pulling off a third win in five meetings.
It was past midnight in Turin when Djokovic completed a 7-6 (4) 6-7 (1) 6-3 victory after three hours and four minutes on court.
Rune has fared much better against Djokovic than most of his rivals over the last couple of years, beating him in Paris last autumn and Rome in the spring before a narrow defeat in the French capital a week-and-a-half ago.
The Serbian went on to claim the Masters series title, maintaining his record of not having lost a match since the Wimbledon final.
It was Rune who struck first with a break to lead 3-2 but Djokovic hit straight back and the high-class set went all the way to a tie-break, which the top seed took with a forehand smashed cross-court past his helpless opponent.
Rune reacted well, breaking again to lead 2-0 in the second set, but once more Djokovic found the immediate response, and a strong serve foiled the young Dane when he forced a set point at 4-5.
Rune slumped after reaching the Wimbledon quarter-finals prior to hiring Djokovic’s former coach Boris Becker last month, but there were plenty of moments here to demonstrate his huge talent and fearsome ball-striking.
He has won at least a set against Djokovic in every match they have played, but he had a helping hand in setting up a decider, his rival playing a highly unusual lacklustre tie-break.
Djokovic broke straight away to start the deciding set, only for this time Rune to recover the deficit immediately, prompting a frustrated Djokovic to stamp on two rackets, snapping the frames.
But he broke again to lead 4-2 and this time there was no way back for Rune.
Djokovic told Prime Video: “It took everything. I saw in the first game when he fired shots from the baseline, I knew it was going to be a tough night for me. I thought he played great. I played great in some moments.
“Overall a win is a win. It was a very emotional win and a tough win knowing the significance of tonight’s match. After a really terrible second-set tie-break I think I played a really solid third set.”
Earlier, Italian Jannik Sinner delighted the crowd by defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the opening singles match.
Sinner, 22, played as an alternate two years ago but qualified for the first time this season after claiming four ATP Tour titles and rising to world number four. He is one of the favourites to lift the trophy this week, which would be the dream scenario for the home fans, and a 6-4 6-4 victory over Tsitsipas is a big step towards the semi-finals.
Joe Espada will reportedly become the next manager of the Houston Astros.
Multiple news outlets reported the hiring on Sunday and the Astros have a news conference scheduled for Monday, and Espada will be introduced then.
The 48-year-old Espada spent the last six seasons as Houston's bench coach and this will be his first managerial position.
Many had considered Espada to be the favourite to become the Astros' manager after the 74-year-old Dusty Baker retired last month.
Baker had managed the Astros since 2020, and led Houston to the 2022 World Series title. He retired last month after the team was eliminated by the Texas Rangers in the American League championship series - Houston's seventh straight trip to the ALCS.
Espada played nine seasons of minor league baseball from 1996-2006, before pursuing a career in coaching.
After retiring as a player, he worked as a coach for the Miami Marlins and New York Yankees before joining the Astros' staff.
Last season, Espada was reportedly a finalist for Miami's open managerial job - a position that went to Skip Schumaker.
Graham Lee has been diagnosed with an unstable cervical fracture and remains in intensive care following a serious incident at Newcastle on Friday.
The 47-year-old was unseated from his mount Ben Macdui as the stalls opened and he was taken to Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.
Lee has damage to his spinal cord and other complications and at this stage his condition has been described as “very serious”.
A statement from the Injured Jockeys Fund said: “Jockey Graham Lee’s MRI scan has shown that he has suffered an unstable cervical fracture causing damage to the spinal cord, as well as damage to blood vessels in the mid-cervical region.
“He remains in ITU with respiratory support at the Royal Victoria Infirmary Hospital in Newcastle, but it has been possible to reduce his sedation.
“This is a very serious injury and at this early time, it is not possible to predict the extent of long term recovery.
“Graham’s family are very grateful for the many messages of support that they have had.”
Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls lost two of three matches on Saturday to finish fifth of the six teams in the 2023 Fast5 World Series Netball that was won by Australia who defeated New Zealand win a second consecutive title.
Jamaica defeated the champions in their opening match before getting the better of Malawi in another thrilling encounter on Friday night. However, they lost their third match of the day going down to South Africa.
Needing to win their matches on Saturday, Jamaica lost to England 33-27 before being clobbered 50-16 by New Zealand. The Sunshine Girls rounded out their matches by defeating Malawi 36-31. Romelda Aiken-George was the Player of the Match.
Australia, meanwhile, defeated England 37-16 before going on to beat New Zealand 35-23 to take the title.
Saturday's results means Jamaica ended the competition with four points, the same as South Africa. However, the Jamaicans placed fifth because of their loss to the South Africans on Friday.
Malawi finished sixth with zero points.
England finished third with six points.
Giannis Antetokounmpo hit out at the Milwaukee Bucks' defensive efforts after they slipped to back-to-back defeats on Saturday, going down 112-97 on the road against the Orlando Magic.
The Bucks were viewed as one of the pre-season favourites in the Eastern Conference after their blockbuster trade for point guard Damian Lillard.
However, with Lillard missing Milwaukee's last two games with a sore calf, successive defeats on the road against the Indiana Pacers and Orlando have seen them slip to 5-4 for the season.
Having recorded 54 points in vain against Indiana, Antetokounmpo finished Saturday's defeat with 35 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, and the teams' defensive shortcomings left the two-time NBA MVP frustrated.
"I think the individual pride is there," Antetokounmpo said on Saturday. "The team defense is not there.
"We're not helping each other as much as we should. The gaps are so… I feel like the gaps are wide open.
"I feel like guys feel comfortable to be able to come down, attack, go downhill, get an angle, make a play for themselves or for their team-mate. Like, I wish we were being guarded that way!
"We have to take it up a notch. This is not who we are. This is not the Milwaukee Bucks. We've got to guard people and it starts with me.
"It starts with the leader of the team. I've got to be better. But again, it's not one person that can do it alone. Defensively, we've got to show more.
"Sometimes you have to put your body on the line, take that hit, to make it easier for our defense. The last two games, we haven't done it.
"Right now, I feel like we're just being stagnant. We're going back on defense and not showing a lot of help.
"We're not protecting one another as much as we should and sometimes when we turn the ball over, we sit and complain. We've got to get out of that mentality and stop feeling sorry for ourselves."
Milwaukee return to action on Monday as the Chicago Bulls visit Fiserv Forum.
Matilda Picotte will stay in training next season with the ambition of blitzing her way to Group One glory.
Kieran Cotter’s three-year-old has become popular due to her free-going style of racing and is regularly seen blazing a trail on the front-end in races with a target on her back.
Those front-running tactics may not have paid off early on in her Classic season, which saw her pinned late in Leopardstown’s Priory Belle before finishing an honourable third in the 1000 Guineas.
But they came to the fore in her final two outings, as Matilda Picotte made all for Sceptre Stakes glory at Doncaster before following up in real style in Newmarket’s Challenge Stakes.
Her owners have now made the decision to hold on to the daughter of Sioux Nation and she will return to training with Cotter in search of further riches as a four-year-old.
“She is definitely coming back and that’s the plan,” said Cotter.
“Her flamboyant style of running appeals to plenty of people and there is no doubt she will be crossing the pond to England again next year, she’s done very well over there.
“There’s a lot of options open to her, but I would say she will be travelling a fair bit next year.
“It’s very hard to hold on to a horse like her, especially when you are not one of the bigger yards, it can be hard to retain them.
“We’ve been very lucky and she’s taken us to places you could not have dreamed of going before. So we’re going to roll the dice some more.”
The pick of Matilda Picotte’s form, including her two end-of-season triumphs, has come at seven furlongs and her 2024 campaign is poised to be centred around a tilt at the Prix de la Foret, Europe’s only Group One at that distance.
However, with seven-furlong options at the highest level few and far between, Cotter has also suggested she would be capable of dropping back in distance if needed.
“It’s a hard call and she definitely has the pace for it,” added Cotter, when asked if sprinting was an option.
“There are not too many races over seven for her and I think she will probably have to have a go at it.
“I suppose the primary objective for her next year is to get a Group One for her and I think that will be top of the list.
“The Group One over seven in France, the Foret, would probably be the target, but I would imagine she would also step down to six furlongs as well, now that she is older and stronger. She’s already put on another 20 kilos and we’re very hopeful.”
Grangeclare West and Mahon’s Way showed their class to provide owners Cheveley Park Stud with a notable double at Naas.
Trained by Willie Mullins and Henry de Bromhead respectively, the pair of point-to-point graduates were expensive purchases at £430,000 and £360,000.
Grangeclare West impressed when winning his bumper and a maiden hurdle, but disappointed in successive Grade One events earlier this year before rounding off his season on a high in lesser company at Punchestown in the spring.
The seven-year-old was a 7-4 shot for his reappearance and debut over regulation fences in the Mongey Communications Beginners Chase and jumped well under Paul Townend on his way to a near three-length victory over Heart Wood, with 11-10 favourite Corbetts Cross back in third.
“He looks to be born to jump fences, he loved it,” said the champion jockey.
“He had a blow but his jumping was getting him a long way. The two fences being taken out in the straight didn’t help but his class got him through.
“He’s always promised and I’d say with chasing he could fulfil his promise.”
Mullins also landed the bumper with the Jody Townend-ridden Fleur Au Fusil (100-30).
Mahon’s Way (3-1) had earlier dominated his rivals in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Hurdle, with Rachael Blackmore doing the steering as he pulled five and a half lengths clear.
“He’s a lovely horse and Alex Elliott bought him last year after he won his point-to-point. He came highly recommended and does everything well,” said De Bromhead.
“He went through that ground but I’d say he’d have a preference for nicer. It’s tough work out there and you would think he will get further.”
De Bromhead and Blackmore also teamed up to land the Cavan Developments Home Builders Supporting St Marys GAA Maiden Hurdle with the similarly impressive Slade Steel, who proved much too strong for the 8-11 favourite King Of Kingsfield.
The trainer added: “He was a nice bumper horse last year, we didn’t run him too much and it is nice to see him come out and do that.
“He really stayed at it. He won his point-to-point and I’d say he’s adaptable, he has a bit of pace as well.
“He has an entry in the Royal Bond and we’ll find a novice for him somewhere.”
High-class Flat performer Smooth Tom (10-1) made it two from two over obstacles in the BetVictor Fishery Lane Novice Hurdle in the hands of 5lb claimer Philip Donovan.
Willie Slattery, brother and assistant to trainer Andrew, said: “He’s a 90-rated horse on the Flat and I was surprised how big a price he was. He handles soft ground but you would always be a bit worried about a Flat horse on winter ground.
“Andy was talking about giving him a rest and if he runs again it will probably be Leopardstown at Christmas. He’s going to have to step up again.”
Chosen Diamond was a 7-1 winner of the Overlander Horseboxes Novice Handicap Chase, while the €40,000 Brown Lad Handicap Hurdle went to 20-1 chance Espanito Bello for owner-trainer Barry Connell, who said: “They went a mad pace in front which suited him and he jumped super.
“I might look at the Proudstown, it’s a €100,000 handicap hurdle and he should be still competitive.
“That’s his fifth win here and they might make a statue of him now!”
Wins for Katie Boulter and Harriet Dart ensured Great Britain avoided Billie Jean King Cup embarrassment against Sweden at London’s Copper Box.
Dart replaced Jodie Burrage following her nightmare debut in the competition on Saturday and the 27-year-old claimed the decisive point in a 3-1 victory that keeps Anne Keothavong’s side at the elite level of the competition.
Given Sweden were without their top two players and did not have anyone ranked inside 350 to call on, defeat – particularly on home soil – was unthinkable.
Ultimately they recovered well from Burrage’s collapse against Kajsa Rinaldo Persson, with Boulter overcoming some difficult moments in a 6-1 7-6 (5) win over the same player for her second win of the weekend before Dart defeated Caijsa Hennemann 7-5 6-2.
It was no surprise to see Keothavong opt for the greater experience of Dart ahead of Burrage, who will hope that she is given another chance to prove herself in 2024.
Boulter has established herself as the clear British number one this season and it was appropriate she ended her year by playing the leading role for her country at the same venue where in 2019 she suffered a serious back injury that badly stalled her progress.
It was not until earlier this season that she finally returned to the top 100, and this time she has built on the breakthrough while avoiding injury, currently sitting at 58 in the rankings.
“It’s been a whirlwind for many different reasons,” the 27-year-old said. “I think the work I’ve put in the last 10 years has really started to show.
“You never know when you’re going to get your little break. I finally got one this year and I felt like I used that momentum continuing from the grass-court season into the hard-court swing as well and I think that’s the part I’m most proud of.
“I sit here and I can say I love the grass and I love playing in England and I love the British crowd but it’s the other tournaments around the rest of the year that make the difference and that’s what’s going to keep my ranking at the highest point.
“I’ve really stepped it up this year in consistency. I know it’s an uphill battle next year and I’m excited for it, it’s a challenge and it’s somewhere I haven’t been before.”
Boulter did not have things all her own way against Persson, who again played well above her ranking of 372.
The Swede had four chances to send the contest to a decider when she served for the second set at 5-3, but Boulter saved them all and finished the tie-break strongly.
Dart was the star of last year’s run to the semi-finals of the competition in Glasgow but she has endured a difficult season, dropping outside the top 100.
She will remember her win over Hennemann more for the significance than the performance, but she was solid in seeing off the world number 532 and looked emotional as she celebrated with her team-mates.
The triumph means Britain move forward to April’s qualifiers, where victory would see them reach the finals week by right for the first time.
Nicky Henderson further strengthened his hand in the novice hurdling division as Southoftheborder made a successful reappearance at Sandown.
The Seven Barrows handler has unleashed a number of exciting prospects already this month, with Willmount in particular making a big impression at Newbury on Thursday.
Southoftheborder was bought for £145,000 after winning an Irish point-to-point last year and looked the part on his bumper debut at Ffos Las in March.
The five-year-old was a prohibitively priced favourite for his return in the Tattersalls Tingle Creek Festival Sale Maiden Hurdle and was not hard pressed to score by two and a half lengths in the hands of Nico de Boinville.
The winner may return to Sandown for the Listed Betfair Claremont Novices’ Hurdle on December 9.
Henderson said: “We got him here last year at the sale at the Tingle Creek meeting following a recommendation from Derek O’Connor.
“He will be a proper horse as we have only taken half the wraps off him yet.
“I looked at it last night and I thought there looked like some decent opposition in there.
“You wouldn’t want to overdo this fellow, as he is big and you could wind him up too much. It is a case of going gently with him. Nico (de Boinville) said he was lovely and that he could run around again.
“I should think that (Listed race at the Tingle Creek meeting) is the sort of thing that we could look at and we could look at what was the Kennel Gate at Ascot for Willmount.”
Gary Moore’s Le Patron (11-2) made it two from two over fences with a bold front-running display of jumping in the Sri Lanka – The Wonder Of Asia Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase, with the trainer’s son Jamie steering him to a 10-length success.
“He got it all his own way out in front, but I’ll be quite honest, I’m amazed he won as easily as he did as he won a bad race at Fontwell and the runner-up has since been beaten in a 0-100,” said Gary Moore.
“His greatest asset is his jumping and what a place to bring a horse that jumps like he does. He never got out of second gear really.
“It has exceeded my expectations what he has done. There are some nice races you can come back here for – you could look at the Scilly Isles in February – and there is no better place to come for me.”
Dinoblue kicked off the new season as she finished the last with a determined victory in the Barberstown Castle Chase at Naas.
Runner-up when favourite for the Grand Annual at the Cheltenham Festival in March, the JP McManus-owned mare subsequently struck gold at Fairyhouse and Punchestown before enjoying a summer break.
The six-year-old was the 5-6 market leader for her reappearance in a Grade Three contest formerly known as the Poplar Square Chase and jumped and travelled with zest throughout in the hands of Mark Walsh.
Dinoblue’s stablemate Sir Gerhard was not done with when crashing out two fences from home, which left Fil Dor as her only serious threat.
The latter did his best to reel in the Willie Mullins-trained favourite on the run-in, but she was always doing enough to fend him off and passed the post with a length and three-quarters in hand.
“She jumped well and handled the ground well. It’s a nice start to the season and you couldn’t be happier with her,” said McManus’ racing manager, Frank Berry.
“I’m not sure what plans Willie has for her, but I’m sure there will be similar down the road.
“She was getting all the allowances there, which was a huge help. She will come on from the run and Mark was delighted with her.”
Marine Nationale’s chasing debut could be delayed until Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival due to the prevailing wet weather and testing conditions.
The six-year-old is unbeaten in five starts for owner-trainer Barry Connell and was last seen beating Facile Vega in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
He is set to embark on a career over the larger obstacles this term and Connell had been considering a beginners chase at Navan next weekend as a starting point, but is now having a change of heart.
“I won’t run him at Navan if the ground is like this,” he said at Naas on Sunday.
“He’s ground dependent and I might wait until Leopardstown at Christmas. I don’t want to give him a grueller at the start of the season.
“He’s a light-framed horse and he’d be lost on that ground today.
“If we have to wait until Leopardstown at Christmas that’s fine, as he went to Cheltenham last year on the back of two runs, so that’s not a big issue.
“There is a two mile and one (furlong) beginners at Leopardstown and then he could go to the Dublin Racing Festival and Cheltenham.”
LeBron James is questionable for the Los Angeles Lakers' home game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday after suffering a left calf contusion, the team have announced.
James sustained the injury during the first quarter of Friday's 122-119 in-season tournament road win over the Phoenix Suns, taking a blow from Kevin Durant's knee as he drove to the basket.
The NBA's all-time leading points scorer received treatment on the bench, but composed himself to finish with 32 points, 11 rebounds and six assists as Los Angeles ended a three-game losing run.
However, James was seen limping after the win, which brought the curtain down on the Lakers' four-game road stretch, and he subsequently told reporters his shin was sore.
"It never loosened up," James said of his shin after Friday's game.
"[It] pretty much locked up right then and there. So I tried to keep my composure, make sure I was okay and try to keep it stretched out and as loose as possible and play the game and be effective.
"[It's] pretty sore right now. Obviously because the adrenaline is calming down and I've iced it, now it's pretty sore."
James was listed as questionable on the Lakers' injury report ahead of Portland's visit to Crypto.com Arena, while Anthony Davis and Jaxson Hayes were deemed as probable.
Injuries have hampered Los Angeles during an underwhelming start to the season, with Friday's victory lifting them to 4-5 after a run of three successive road losses against the Orlando Magic, Miami Heat and Houston Rockets.
Frederick Larson knew from the very beginning that Big Evs was an exceptional talent and the horse he has helped guide from raw novice to Breeders’ Cup champion provided the apprentice jockey with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when accompanying the star speedster to Santa Anita.
The son of Blue Point’s Breeders’ Cup heroics may have provided Mick Appleby with the finest moment of his training career but it was also the culmination of a long season’s work for the handler’s stable apprentice, who has taken on the responsibility of nurturing Big Evs and guiding him to the top of the sprinting tree.
It is a role that saw the 24-year-old on the plane to California to help put the finishing touches to the colt’s Breeders’ Cup preparations.
But the young jockey has been a permanent feature of the Big Evs story from the very first day the precocious youngster stepped foot into Appleby’s Rutland base.
“It’s always a pleasure to ride nice horses – and ones like him, they don’t come around often,” said Larson.
“We knew he was pretty special from early on and I’ve ridden him every day since we’ve had him. It’s just been nice to see the progression and he’s turned so professional, you can see the growth in him and in his mind as well.”
The majority of Larson’s 77 winners on the Flat have been aboard Appleby’s ever-expanding string, but the biggest success of his fledgling career came at York in the summer, when he expertly partnered Amy Murphy’s Pride Of America to the narrowest of John Smith’s Cup triumphs.
And it was when riding for the Newmarket-based handler in the spring that Larson first let the cat out of the bag that he might have unearthed something special back in Rutland.
Larson added: “I said to Amy Murphy one day in March when I was riding work on her two-year-olds that ‘I think I’ve just ridden the best horse I’ve ever ridden’.
“He was raw and he went and got beat first time out and we weren’t even disappointed. In fact, we were actually delighted because we knew that he would progress.
“We always knew he was special but to do what he’s done, and the way he did it at Royal Ascot and then to have to dig it out on heavy ground at Goodwood, that is the true sign of a true champion. To do it on any track and any ground, they have all come and tried and they have all been beaten.”
For some, the role of work rider to one of the most exciting juvenile prospects in Britain may prove too much, but Larson has relished the journey and, having been faultless in the build-up to his American assignment, he was simply keen for Big Evs to showcase his talent to the world on the biggest stage of all.
He added: “I never feel too much pressure when I’m riding in races myself, but it has been a weird feeling all year, just because I know how good he is and I wanted him to show how good I knew he was.
“I said to Mick when he came over, he’s not missed a beat since he’s arrived and for a two-year-old to handle everything the way he did is a credit to himself.
“I thought we were going there with a great chance and it sounds stupid now, but I would have been disappointed if he didn’t win because I knew how good he was.
“I know he got beaten in the Nunthorpe, but it is a different kettle of fish when he’s back taking on two-year-olds – and I’ve ridden a fair few two-year-olds in my time and knew he was special. I was just glad he turned up on the day.
“I have enjoyed getting him ready this year and he’s made life easy for me really, he’s just great.”
Larson was joined Stateside by Tara Belfield, Appleby’s head girl, who previously had only ventured as far as Ireland with a member of the Appleby string.
Having worked up from stable hand to her current position, she was entrusted with shuttling Big Evs across the Atlantic, something which proved a much simpler task than imagined, as the classy colt enjoyed one-on-one attention in the California sun.
She said: “I really enjoyed myself, it’s the first time I’ve taken one abroad – I’ve taken one to Ireland, but this was a bit different, it was 11 hours each way on a plane for a start.
“All in all, the horse travelled for about 24 hours and he was fine and he handled everything really well. He handled it like a pro.
“One-horse trips are very easy actually, we love a one-horse trip. There was two of us there and we got a holiday and Big Evs got all the love – well I would say he was loving it, but he’s a grumpy little sausage.”
Belfield sacrificed going on holiday to accompany Big Evs to the American West Coast, for a trip that was just a far-flung dream when first joining the team at The Homestead eight years ago.
“I was supposed to be on holiday with my other half but California took over,” she continued.
“When I started, we didn’t have half the horses and ones that were giving us these opportunities, so to have a horse like him on the yard and to go to places like the Breeders’ Cup is ridiculous.”
The enormity of the occasion eventually took its toll on Appleby’s weary travelling team and, after their champion was awarded his famous flower garland and received the adulations of the Santa Anita crowd, the need for some well-earned rest meant celebrations had to be delayed by 24 hours.
“The adrenaline ran out and it all just hit us,” Belfield added. “There is such a build-up and it just takes it out of you.
“Everything was going so well out there, everything that could have gone wrong didn’t and everything that we needed to go right did – it was just what we wanted. So we were expecting good things and I’m glad he won because we would have been disappointed if he didn’t.
“I think we were in bed for half seven that night, even the owners went for a meal and didn’t go out partying. We partied hard though the next day, so it was fine.”
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