Few horses captured the public imagination quite like Honeysuckle and the darling of Irish racing brought the curtain down on her illustrious career with one of the most emotional victories in Cheltenham Festival history.
In a script fit for Hollywood, Henry de Bromhead’s mare of a lifetime would climb from the canvas to thrill the Prestbury Park faithful for the fourth successive year, registering a battling swansong success in the hands of her ever-loyal pilot Rachael Blackmore.
Up until the 2022-23 season, Honeysuckle had been simply flawless, but she headed to the Festival with plenty to prove having seen her four-year winning streak ended by Teahupoo and also surrendered her Irish Champion Hurdle crown to State Man at the Dublin Racing Festival.
It was a desperately testing time for the De Bromhead family following the tragic loss of their beloved son Jack in a pony racing accident.
However, the stars aligned on a simply magical afternoon where Constitution Hill dazzled in the Champion Hurdle before passing the baton to Honeysuckle to raise the roof off Prestbury Park.
“It was a fantastic day,” said De Bromhead when recalling the magnificent Mares’ Hurdle triumph.
“It was just one of those great days, with Constitution Hill winning the Champion Hurdle, and then everything that had gone on with us with Jack’s passing, and then Honey and whether we would run her or not.
“We decided to give it a go and for her to come out and finish as she did was incredible.
“To see the rainbow above her when she was walking in, we knew Jack was with us as well, so it was an amazing day for us. Everyone has been so supportive of us and we really appreciated it. It was an amazing day for many reasons, it was up there with the best of them.”
Honeysuckle’s owner Kenny Alexander and his racing manager Peter Molony have been there for every step of her journey to stardom, but even they were taken aback by the sheer emotion of the post-race scenes taking place at every corner of Cheltenham’s vast racecourse.
“It was an unbelievable day and it was undoubtedly the most emotional day I’ve ever spent on a racecourse, the whole thing was just overwhelming, to be honest,” said Molony.
“The amount of people who came up to me throughout the week and said they had been racing for 40 or 50 years and that magic hour of Constitution Hill and then Honeysuckle was the most amazing and emotional experience that many of them have had in their racing lives. That’s incredible.”
Having lost her aura of invincibility in the Hatton’s Grace and failing to dispel the doubters at Leopardstown when saying goodbye to her vociferous home supporters, questions began to be raised about Honeysuckle’s waning powers and the dents the defeats were making on her legacy.
Of course, there would be no Champion Hurdle showdown with Constitution Hill many had salivated over 12 months prior and it was the Mares’ Hurdle that was chosen as the race for Honeysuckle to wave farewell.
Having first tasted Festival success in that contest in 2020, it proved a fitting contest for her final act and De Bromhead feels the unrest and trepidation heading into racing’s feature meeting helped create the joyous scenes experienced on that memorable afternoon.
He said: “It definitely added to it all, but we felt she was really good and had been all season.
“I’m not sure if things had been slightly different, she could have still been going there unbeaten, but they weren’t and of course it all added to it.”
However, if Molony had got his way, there would have been no fairytale goodbye for one of the most loved and admired mares of the modern era.
“I’ve made it no secret that we had some robust discussions within the camp after Leopardstown and I’ve made it no secret that I was a little bit chicken – I wanted to retire her after Leopardstown,” said Molony.
“I was thinking of how much she meant to us all and the public and there were a few things running through my head.
“I didn’t want anything to happen to her and she clearly wasn’t running to her optimum, she was clearly a few lengths slower than she had been in previous seasons.
“I didn’t want her to be going out on another losing run, but I fully admit 100 per cent I was wrong and Henry and Kenny were right – and it 100 per cent proved it was the right decision to run her on the day.”
Honeysuckle was backed into 9-4 joint-favourite and produced a display that blended together all the qualities she had shown in her career – showing speed, style, bravery and class to repel an inspired Johnny Burke doing his best to spoil the party aboard Love Envoi.
The two Festival heroines were embroiled in their own microscopic duel from the moment the tapes went up and, having jumped the last matching strides, it was only in the final half-furlong where Honeysuckle proved she was still the champion that many remembered.
Molony added: “There was a lot of pressure on and with the whole story leading up to the race, with both Jack and how she had influenced Rachael’s career, and when Rachael delivered her and she jumped the final hurdle, I was happy.
“From then on, she was home safe and then that characteristic battling quality saw her get up to beat Love Envoi.
“I still say that Johnny Burke’s ride on Love Envoi was one of the best rides of the week and he did everything in his power to beat Honeysuckle, but the two girls were more than able on the day.”
Having waltzed into the sunset following her Cheltenham heroics, Honeysuckle soon found herself bestowed to Walk In The Park.
Now in foal to the leading National Hunt sire and with motherhood fast approaching, the only thing to discuss is Honeysuckle’s place in history, with her handler in no doubt of her position amongst the greats to grace his Knockeen gallops.
“She would have to be the best, or very close to it anyhow. For her to do what she did and be so consistent and always turn up, she was incredible,” said De Bromhead.
It is a sentiment shared by Molony, who added: “It’s been a matter of debate over the last few years – what she was beating? But all she could do was beat what is in front of her.
“She won 13 Grade Ones and not many horses can do that. Her record shows she was no slouch.
“You could never have dreamed to have been involved with something like her. When you’re in the game, you are always delighted to get a winner, and to get a good horse gives you even more pleasure, but you can’t imagine you would come across something like Honeysuckle.
“The likes of Charlie Swann and Ruby Walsh and even people like Tony Mullins, who rode the great Dawn Run, they all rate her up there as one of the best National Hunt mares we have ever seen and I think that is how she should be remembered really.”
Iberico Lord and Impose Toi give leading owner JP McManus two strong chances of victory in the Betfair Exchange Trophy at Ascot on Saturday.
Having shown glimpses of promise during his novice campaign, Iberico Lord looked an improved performer when claiming top honours on his reappearance in last month’s Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham and is well fancied to claim another major handicap victory this weekend.
His Nicky Henderson stablemate Impose Toi also made a successful return from a break at Cheltenham’s November meeting, albeit in lesser company, and the owner’s racing manager Frank Berry feels the pair are tough to split.
He said: “Their form ties in pretty closely and they’re both in good form. Nicky is happy with them and we’re hoping for the best.
“You’d be hoping they can both improve, it’s a lovely race for the two of them and a valuable race, so it’s nice to have two nice ones for it.”
The McManus-owned duo form part of a three-pronged assault for Henderson, who is also hopeful of a bold showing from his talented mare Luccia.
“We’re very happy with all three. Iberico Lord is in great order, he jumped five hurdles on Thursday morning and he looked very sharp,” the Seven Barrows handler told Sky Sports Racing.
“Impose Toi won at the same Cheltenham meeting. We were thinking of going to Sandown but that ground was so unattractive that we kept him back and JP was happy to run the two against each other.
“They are the same age, have similar profiles from France so they’ve got to take each other on, it’s a big prize. You probably need all the bullets you can find.
“Luccia is lurking there quite menacingly. She jumped half a dozen with Paul O’Brien on Thursday and he rides her. She’s in really good shape.”
Altobelli made a promising start to his campaign when second at Ascot in November and his trainer Harry Fry is confident there is more to come.
“His last run was his first run in a handicap and I was keen to get some more experience into him before going for a better race,” he said.
“Saturday is competitive, as you’d expect, but he’s in really good form with himself and should be all the better for that run.
“Hopefully he can be there or thereabouts.”
Gary Moore’s Hansard is allotted top-weight of 12 stone following his victory in Gerry Feilden at Newbury last month, although some of that hefty burden is offset by Niall Houlihan’s 3lb claim.
“He’s got his fair share of weight and it will have to be a big performance (to win),” said Moore.
“The good thing is Niall hasn’t been able to ride a winner recently, so he’s still able to take 3lb off. He’s a horse we’ve always thought highly of.”
Onlyamatteroftime is prominent in the market, despite having run out as favourite for the Greatwood Hurdle on his first start for Willie Mullins.
Kerry Lee’s Welsh Champion Hurdle winner and Greatwood fifth Nemean Lion, Dan Skelton’s Faivoir and the hat-trick-seeking Moveit Like Minnie from the Nigel Twiston-Davies yard also feature.
Famous Bridge will return to Haydock as he attempts to continue his rise up the staying ranks in the Betfred Tommy Whittle Handicap Chase on Saturday.
Nicky Richards’ seven-year-old is beginning to get his act together over the larger obstacles and has appeared extremely progressive in winning three of his last four starts.
He thrived for a stamina test when accounting for Anthony Honeyball’s reopposing Credo late last month and seen as a Grand National prospect of the future, the gelding – who runs in the colours of the late Trevor Hemmings – will now attempt to add this prestigious staying prize to his roll of honour off a career-high rating.
“I’m looking forward to it, he seems well and hopefully we are going in the right direction,” said Richards.
“We’ll enjoy the journey with him and he went round Haydock as smooth as silk last time. He was good and hopefully he has another smooth run round and runs a good race.
“He’s a typical Mr Hemmings horse and hopefully he carries on improving.”
Only a length separated Famous Bridge and Credo last time and Honeyball is keen for another crack at the likely favourite on revised terms.
“She’s a lovely, plucky mare who ran well at Haydock the last time, so it made sense really to go back there again,” said Honeyball.
“I’m not quite sure what the ground will end up but she has quite a lot of stamina, so if the ground went softer that might suit her.
“I’m looking forward to running her, she’s a few pounds better off with the horse who beat her last time, so she should run very well.”
Venetia Williams’ Eleanor Bob was fourth on that occasion and is another set for a return to Merseyside with the stable in good form, while Topham hero Bill Baxter will attempt to boost his National credentials representing Warren Greatrex.
Meanwhile, Enqarde will bid to win the contest for the second time following a pleasing return to form at Warwick.
Dr Richard Newland and Jamie Insole’s nine-year-old snapped a near two-year wait for a win there and this race has been top priority on the gelding’s wish list since.
“He’s in great form and has been laid out for the race,” said Newland.
“He won the race a couple of years ago and seemed to come back to form at Warwick, so we’ve just been patient with him waiting for this race.
“We’re hoping he will run a big race and it is obviously a competitive race with others with great credentials, but my nervousness would be a little bit the ground. The ground suits him, but he is a horse who has had wind surgeries and that could be the biggest challenge, will his wind stand up to the heavy ground?
“I don’t think he has actually officially won on heavy. He’s won on soft quite a few times, but with that said, it must have been close to heavy at Warwick. In theory it should suit him but could be his Achilles heel as well.”
Stuart Coltherd’s Cooper’s Cross was seen to good effect last season and won Doncaster’s Sky Bet Chase before finishing second in the Scottish Grand National, with Burrows Diamond (Sue Smith), Dr Kananga (Ben Clarke) and Conkwell Legend (Neil Mulholland) completing the field.
Gidleigh Park is set to get some valuable Cheltenham experience on his next start following his impressive victory at Newbury on Wednesday.
The Walk In The Park gelding looked an above-average prospect when dominating his rivals in a Chepstow bumper in the spring and has only given that theory more weight since being sent over hurdles.
Harry Fry’s charge made an excellent start to his jumping career at Exeter last month and doubled his tally in some style under a penalty, pulling upwards of nine lengths clear of his rivals.
Paddy Power trimmed Gidleigh Park’s odds for the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival to 14-1 from 25s, and the five-year-old is set to get an early sighter of Prestbury Park on Trials day at the end of January.
“I was delighted with him as it’s another step up the ladder and more experience,” said Fry.
“All being well, he’ll now step up in grade at Cheltenham on Trials Day – there’s a a Grade Two novices’ hurdle for him there.
“It’s exciting that he’s progressing the way he is and long may it continue.
“We’ll keep asking the question and see if he’s up to it. We’ll take it a race at a time, but those races are there as stepping stones to the big spring festivals and hopefully he’ll justify his place.”
Henrietta Knight will always be remembered for the Cheltenham Festival exploits of Best Mate. But there was also Edredon Bleu – a horse who always held a special place in his trainer’s heart and who 20 years ago defied his advancing years for King George VI glory.
A dual Cheltenham Festival winner having supplemented his Grand Annual victory of 1998 with a thrilling Champion Chase win in 2000, the gallant bay returned victorious to the winner’s enclosure 25 times during a staggering 57-race career and won the Peterborough Chase in four successive seasons between 1998 and 2001.
However, his finest hour arguably came aged 11 when he corrected the record of his previous King George disappointment to land a 25-1 shock and add big-race success over three miles to his extensive roll of honour.
“It was a bit of a surprise, but a nice surprise,” said Knight of Edredon Bleu’s one-and-a-quarter-length triumph over Martin Pipe’s Tiutchev.
“When Edredon Bleu ran in it the first time he didn’t quite stay, but the tactics were a bit different the second time.
“He led a lot of the way and he was just a gutsy little horse and if he got in front he didn’t like being headed.”
Since Southern Hero won the race as a 12-year-old in 1937 there has been only three 11-year-olds to claim the Boxing Day showpiece, with Edredon Bleu among top-class company in the record books alongside King George legends Desert Orchid and Kauto Star.
It was just the second time he had raced over three miles, with many easily ruling the gelding out on account of a lack of stamina.
But the Edredon Bleu team always kept the faith and his handler knew just how brilliant her Champion Chase hero could be on his day.
Knight said: “Terry (Biddlecombe) always said he would stay – even though he won a Champion Chase, Terry always said ‘this horse will stay further’. He was a remarkable horse.
“He was a fantastic horse and in my heart he is held every bit as much as Best Mate, I adored the horse.”
It was, of course, not Knight’s first King George triumph with Best Mate dazzling the Christmas crowds in Sunbury 12 months previous.
But with her defending champion and Gold Cup hero heading to Leopardstown for the Lexus Chase (now Savills Chase) over the Christmas period, the door was opened for Edredon Bleu to prove he was a more than able substitute and secure leg one of what would be a fabulous big-race festive double.
“It was a fantastic weekend as he won the King George and Best Mate went over to Ireland and won the Lexus,” continued Knight.
“I wasn’t even there the day Best Mate won it as we had Edredon Bleu down at Wincanton and he won there so we had two winners which was nice.
“We thought the Lexus was a better race for Best Mate, the King George wasn’t an ideal race, it is always a very quick three miles and the Lexus was very tempting.
“We didn’t want to do the King George a third time, he had won it on his second go and should have won it the year before as well, (AP) McCoy said he should have won but didn’t think he would stay – Terry always told him he would stay.”
Edredon Bleu’s Christmas triumph meant that he even eclipsed his esteemed stablemate the following year when asked to become the King George poster boy.
Knight added: “He was brilliant. We took him up to Hyde Park Corner as they wanted to use him to advertise the race the year after he won it and he was just stood there with all the traffic going round as quiet as a lamb.
“He was just stood there near the great big statue they have there and we paraded him up there and took lots of photographs to promote the race.”
The training prowess of Nicky Henderson has been hailed after Doddiethegreat raised more valuable funds for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation when finishing second at Cheltenham last week.
Owned by Kenny Alexander, the seven-year-old is named after former Scotland rugby union great Doddie Weir, who died of motor neurone disease in November last year.
Alexander is donating all prize-money earned throughout Doddiethegreat’s career to the foundation set up by his great friend and fellow Scot to raise funds to aid research into MND.
This was a decision that paid dividends at the beginning of the gelding’s career when he won his first three outings with the minimum of fuss and he then channelled his namesake’s fighting spirit when returning from over two years on the sidelines with a thrilling comeback victory at Ascot recently.
Although tasting defeat for the first time at Cheltenham, he travelled menacingly over the Prestbury Park undulations and was denied by just over a length as he raised a further £6,075 for the charity.
“We’re absolutely delighted and over the moon with him and Nicky Henderson’s training performance with him has just been phenomenal,” said Alexander’s racing manager Peter Molony.
“I don’t think there is a better trainer anywhere to get a horse back from injury and nurse a horse back to the racecourse and then also get them to perform at the top level again, it’s absolutely incredible.
“The whole story and Kenny’s generosity to the Doddie foundation is brilliant and the horse is earning lots of money for the foundation which is huge and hopefully we are raising a bit of awareness for the cause as well.
“When you set out to do something like this with a horse and he turns out to be Doddie and he is winning and showing the ability that he has, then it is great and gives you a great sense of satisfaction.”
Doddiethegreat’s owner has made no secret of his desire to take a shot at the Scottish Champion Hurdle in the spring, but his Cheltenham performance has now opened up more options, with both a return for the Festival in March and a step up in trip just a couple of the possibilities for connections to ponder.
“I think both Nicky and Nico (de Boinville, jockey) are adamant that he is crying out for further and will improve for further,” continued Molony.
“Kenny would absolutely love him to go to Ayr in April for the Scottish Champion Hurdle. But we would just be a little bit worried that you might get fast ground and with his previous injury history and it being over two miles, would that be the right place for him? It’ll certainly be under consideration.”
When asked if a run at the Cheltenham Festival would be considered, Molony added: “Absolutely, all options will be open and no doubt Nicky and his team will pick the right course of action with him.
“It’s still one day at a time because of his horrific injury and we’ll always be on tenterhooks with him, but we will see how we go.”
Ja Morant is prioritising having fun after he helped the Memphis Grizzlies to a 116-103 win over the Indiana Pacers.
On his first home game back from his eight-month suspension from the NBA, Morant had 20 points and eight assists as the Grizzlies won a second game on the bounce.
Having starred on his first game back to help Memphis snap a five-game losing streak, Morant's first aim on the court on Thursday was to ensure his team were enjoying their basketball.
"The tough part was not being able to be out there and enjoy and have fun with my guys, but now that I'm out there, I'm making sure that we're all having fun no matter what," Morant said.
"So that was pretty much just my message. You could just tell by the energy of the team.
"We catch a lob, you got the bench going crazy, you got the players screaming, yelling, dapping each other up. That's our type of basketball. That's how we are. That's the team we are, the people we are."
Desmond Bane led the Grizzlies with 31 points, adding six rebounds and seven assists, while Jaren Jackson Jr. contributed 21 points to Memphis' tally.
"Having those two guys alongside of me who can pretty much go and score the ball at will at different levels is big time for us," Morant added.
The excitement inside the FedExForum was palpable, with the home fans eager to see Morant back.
"It was great to feel that," said Bane.
"We've had several home games that weren't like that this season. Obviously, getting Ja back, everybody's super excited.
"You got to play the game with a lot of joy, and when you're losing and down, sometimes it's hard to find that spirit and that swag.
"But regardless, winning, losing, up, down, you got to have that fire and that fight. And I think we got that now."
The Pacers have been in poor form since losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the final of the NBA's in-season tournament in Las Vegas, though did come into Thursday's game on the back of a resounding win over the Charlotte Hornets.
Pacers head Rick Carlisle said: "Overall, this was a tough game for a lot of reasons.
"We didn't play well, but we kept competing. I was really proud of the way the team kept their poise and their aggression.
"We got unlucky with some miscues and some missed shots."
Cade Cunningham has faith the Detroit Pistons can turn their form around after a 25th successive loss saw them close in on an unwanted NBA record.
The Pistons went down 119-111 to the short-handed Utah Jazz on Thursday.
That means Detroit are just one defeat away from matching the single-season record for consecutive losses, which is shared by the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers and 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers, while the latter hold the outright record for successive defeats, having lost 28 straight games across the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.
Cunningham, though, believes the Pistons still have the quality to turn matters around.
"We're not 2-26 bad, no way are we that bad," said Cunningham, who finished with a double-double of 28 points and 10 assists.
"I think we can turn this around. We can play a much better brand of basketball.
"We had a chance to win it down the stretch, and we just weren't solid enough.
"This is history no one wants to be a part of."
While Cunningham was upbeat ahead of Saturday's meeting with the Brooklyn Nets, coach Monty Williams had to hold his tongue.
"I want to be careful with my words, because this one hurts more than most of them," Williams said.
"A team that played last night got [50] points off turnovers and rebounds. It is unbelievably hard to understand how we can get outworked in those categories."
Jazz coach Will Hardy, meanwhile, hailed a big win for his team, who were without four of their top seven scorers.
Hardy said: "That's a really, really good team win for us. That's a hard game to play, second night of a back-to-back on the road with a bunch of guys out."
Anthony Davis labelled Saturday's clash with the Oklahoma City Thunder as a "must win" for the skidding Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers lost for a fourth straight game as they went down 118-111 at the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday.
Their record since winning the NBA's inaugural in-season tournament is now 1-5.
And while there were green shoots of recovery against the Timberwolves, Davis knows the skid has to stop.
"It's the NBA season. There's going to be ups, there's going to be downs. Right now we're in that down period," said Davis, who finished with 31 points and eight rebounds.
"We've just got to continue to fight and continue to play hard. Play with some effort, some energy and we're treating Saturday as a must win.
"We've got to still buckle down and find ways to get wins.
"So after 30 [games], I think it's still tough to assess, but we know what we can be. We've shown what we can be. And we've shown that if we don't do the things we need to do to be successful then we're going to continue to be on this side of our record, which is losing."
The Lakers were without LeBron James, though the veteran is expected to be fit to face the Thunder, who are second in the Western Conference and beat the other Los Angeles team – the Clippers – on Thursday.
That snapped a nine-game winning streak for the Clippers, who lost 134-115.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points while Chet Holmgren nailed an innovative dunk off the backboard to propel the Thunder to a third straight win.
James Harden and Paul George chipped in with 23 points and 22 points respectively for the Clippers, who were without talisman Kawhi Leonard.
"Obviously, they’re a super talented group," Gilgeous-Alexander said of the Clippers. "A bunch Hall of Famers over there, and we knew what the task was waking up this morning."
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue acknowledged: "They did a good job of just attacking us.
"We couldn't get back, we couldn't get set, we couldn't get matched, and they took advantage of that early."
Teenager Luke Littler continued his dream PDC World Championship debut by defeating Andrew Gilding to reach the third round.
The 16-year-old was the toast of Alexandra Palace after beating Christian Kist on Wednesday and he was at it again 24 hours later with a 3-1 success against 20th seed Gilding.
The UK Open champion is 37 years older than Littler but it was the youngster showing the greater composure in the first two sets, with Gilding twice missing a pair of darts at double in the second.
Littler suffered a blip in the third but Gilding was unable to take his opportunities and the teenager clinched a spot in the last 32 against Matt Campbell.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Littler said: “When I went 2-0 up, I lost all my energy. When Andrew got the set back I was just thinking, ‘Just try and win it’, because I don’t want to go 2-2 on this stage. I was nervous as it is. I don’t know how I got over the line but I’ve done it.”
Scott Williams came agonisingly close to a nine-dart finish in a comprehensive 3-0 upset of seventh seed Danny Noppert while German Gabriel Clemens, a semi-finalist last year, defeated Hong Kong’s Man Lok Leung 3-1.
The night finished with Australian 10th seed Damon Heta battling to a 3-1 victory over an out-of-sorts Martin Lukeman.
Earlier, former champion Rob Cross secured his spot in the third round with an unconvincing 3-0 win over Thibault Tricole.
Cross had reached the final of the Grand Slam of Darts last month but was not at his best against an opponent gripped by nerves.
Tricole missed 13 attempts at double during an error-strewn first set and, while he improved to go two legs up in the next set, Cross was able to fight back to show his class with an excellent 114 checkout to move 2-0 up.
It broke the resistance of French thrower and the eighth seed and 2018 winner Cross was able to breeze through the third set to ensure he will return after Christmas.
Zong Ziao Chen started day seven proceedings with a 180 from his first three darts and produced a superb 128 bullseye checkout in the next leg, but Mickey Mansell proved too strong and booked his place in round two.
Mansell won 3-0 and averaged 89.94 to set up a second-round meeting with fellow Northern Irishman Brendan Dolan on Friday.
In the final round one clash of the Championships, debutant Berry van Peer caused an upset to knock out Englishman Luke Woodhouse 3-2.
Woodhouse landed six maximums but lost out to Dutchman Van Peer in a high-quality encounter.
Van Peer was making his first appearance at Alexandra Palace after coming back from struggles with dartitis and was able to regroup impressively after he missed two match darts at 2-1 up before he landed double 10 in the decider to become the last player into round two.
Number 32 seed Madars Razma set up a third-round clash with defending champion Michael Smith after a 3-1 win over Mike de Decker.
Nathan MacKinnon notched the first four-goal game in Avalanche history and extended his point streak to 17 games Thursday as Colorado rallied for a 6-4 win over the Ottawa Senators.
MacKinnon opened the scoring 2:43 into the game and tallied again with 1:32 left in the first period for his 300th career goal.
He completed his hat trick at 6:16 of the third period to lift the Avs into a 4-4 tie and scored into an empty net with 23 seconds left.
MacKinnon has 12 goals and 21 assists during his 17-game streak, the longest of his career.
Mikko Rantanen had a pair of power-play goals and Cale Makar had two assists in his return from a lower-body injury that sidelined him for three games.
Drake Batherson had a goal and an assist as the Senators lost their sixth in a row, the last two coming under interim coach Jacques Martin, who replaced the fired D.J. Smith on Monday.
Sabres respond with rout of Maple Leafs
Jeff Skinner returned from a three-game absence with two goals and an assist and the Buffalo Sabres responded to their worst loss of the season with a 9-3 rout of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Tage Thompson had a goal and two assists and captain Kyle Okposo scored twice for the Sabres, who were coming off a 9-4 loss to Columbus on Tuesday, when the team was booed off the ice.
Rookie Devon Levi shook off allowing Auston Matthews’ league-leading 26th goal in the first period from a bad angle to stop 25 shots. He improved to 4-1-1 in his past six appearances.
Ilya Samsonov surrendered five goals on 19 shots before he was replaced in the second period by Martin Jones, who allowed four goals on 16 shots.
Toronto has allowed 14 goals in consecutive losses following a nine-game point streak.
Ovechkin ends drought in Capitals’ win
Alex Ovechkin scored his first goal in 15 games on a power play with 53 seconds left in overtime to lift the Washington Capitals to a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Ovechkin’s sixth goal of the season and 828th of his career was his first since Nov. 18 and his 26th in overtime, extending his NHL record. It was also his 125th game-winner overall, second in league history behind Jaromir Jagr’s 135.
Anthony Mantha scored twice and John Carlson had three assists as Washington won its third straight.
The Detroit Pistons suffered their 25th straight loss – one short of the NBA single season record – as Kelly Olynyk scored 25 points to lead the short-handed Utah Jazz to a 119-111 victory on Thursday.
Detroit missed nine of 10 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and was 9 of 31 overall from long range as it remained winless since Oct. 28.
The 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers and 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers share the record at 26, which the Pistons will try to avoid Saturday in Brooklyn. The 76ers hold the overall mark of 28, a skid that started in 2014-15 and carried over into 2015-16.
Collin Sexton scored 19 points and Ochai Agbaji added 18 for the Jazz, who played without four of their top seven scorers – Lauri Markkanen, Jordan Clarkson, Keyonte George and Talen Horton-Tucker – on the second night of a back-to-back after losing at Cleveland on Wednesday.
Antetokounmpo propels Bucks to 6th straight win
Giannis Antetokoumpo tallied 37 points, 10 rebounds and six assists and the Milwaukee Bucks completed a perfect six-game homestand with a 118-114 win over the Orlando Magic.
Damian Lillard added 24 points and eight assists for the Bucks, who have won 15 straight games at Fiserv Forum. That’s the Bucks’ longest single-season home win streak since they opened 18-0 at home in 1991-92.
Franz Wagner scored 29 points and Paolo Banchero had 23 for the Magic, who have lost four in a row.
Thunder snap Clippers’ 9-game streak
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 31 points and Chet Holmgren gave the Thunder the lead for good with a dunk he threw off the backboard to himself, and Oklahoma City ended the Los Angeles Clippers’ nine-game winning streak, 134-115.
Holmgren’s flashy jam with 8:43 left in the third quarter gave the Thunder a 74-73 lead and sparked a decisive 13-0 run.
Holmgren finished with 23 points and Lu Dort added 21 for Oklahoma City, which has won three straight and five of six.
James Harden scored 23 points and Paul George had 22 for the Clippers, who played without leading scorer Kawhi Leonard due to a bruised right hip.
A stellar showing from wide receiver Puka Nacua propelled the Los Angeles Rams to a 30-22 victory over the New Orleans Saints.
The 22-year-old had nine catches for a career-high 164 yards to go along with a touchdown.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford was almost as impressive, throwing for 328 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover in the eight-point win.
After taking a 17-7 lead into the break, the Rams looked to be coasting to the finish line when a field goal and a rushing touchdown to Kyren Williams stretched their advantage to 20 points.
That quickly became 23 thanks to a Lucas Havrisik field goal at the start of the fourth quarter.
But New Orleans mounted a late charge, touchdowns to Juwan Johnson and AT Perry closing the gap to eight with just under four minutes left.
Despite the momentum shift, Los Angeles’ defence was ultimately able to compose itself and hold on for the Rams’ eighth win of the season.
New Orleans’ quarterback Derek Carr finished with three touchdowns and one interception as the Saints’ record fell to 7-8.
The Los Angeles Dodgers landed the prize of the free-agent market Thursday night, reportedly agreeing with Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto on a record 12-year, $325 million deal.
The deal comes after Yamamoto was posted and made available to MLB teams in November. The Dodgers paid a $50.6 million posting fee to sign Yamamoto, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Yamamoto, 25, is considered a frontline starter and leaves Japan as the most decorated pitcher in Nippon Professional Baseball history.
He made his debut with Orix Buffaloes at age 18 and went on to record a 1.82 ERA in a seven-year career.
Yamamoto won the pitching Triple Crown last season, leading the league in wins, ERA and strikeouts. He went 49-16 with a 1.44 ERA and 580 strikeouts over the last three seasons, winning Japan’s equivalent of the Cy Young each year.
He is the first player since Ichiro Suzuki to win three straight MVPs in the NPB and only the second pitcher ever to win three, after Hisashi Yamada.
His contract is the largest for a pitcher in MLB history, topping the nine-year, $324 million deal Gerrit Cole signed with the Yankees in 2019.
Yamamoto’s record deal comes after the Dodgers signed Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year, $700 million deal, but unlike that contract, Yamamoto’s reportedly does not contain any deferrals. It does have a reported $50 million signing bonus.
Teenager Luke Littler continued his dream PDC World Championship debut by defeating Andrew Gilding to reach the third round.
The 16-year-old was the toast of Alexandra Palace after beating Christian Kist on Wednesday and he was at it again 24 hours later with a 3-1 success against 20th seed Gilding.
The UK Open champion is 37 years older than Littler but it was the youngster showing the greater composure in the first two sets, with Gilding twice missing a pair of darts at double in the second.
Littler suffered a blip in the third but Gilding was unable to take his opportunities and the teenager clinched a spot in the last 32 against Matt Campbell.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Littler said: “When I went 2-0 up, I lost all my energy. When Andrew got the set back I was just thinking, ‘Just try and win it’, because I don’t want to go 2-2 on this stage. I was nervous as it is. I don’t know how I got over the line but I’ve done it.”
Scott Williams came agonisingly close to a nine-dart finish in a comprehensive 3-0 upset of seventh seed Danny Noppert while German Gabriel Clemens, a semi-finalist last year, defeated Hong Kong’s Man Lok Leung 3-1.
The night finished with Australian 10th seed Damon Heta battling to a 3-1 victory over an out-of-sorts Martin Lukeman.
Earlier, former champion Rob Cross secured his spot in the third round with an unconvincing 3-0 win over Thibault Tricole.
Cross had reached the final of the Grand Slam of Darts last month but was not at his best against an opponent gripped by nerves.
Tricole missed 13 attempts at double during an error-strewn first set and, while he improved to go two legs up in the next set, Cross was able to fight back to show his class with an excellent 114 checkout to move 2-0 up.
It broke the resistance of French thrower and the eighth seed and 2018 winner Cross was able to breeze through the third set to ensure he will return after Christmas.
Zong Ziao Chen started day seven proceedings with a 180 from his first three darts and produced a superb 128 bullseye checkout in the next leg, but Mickey Mansell proved too strong and booked his place in round two.
Mansell won 3-0 and averaged 89.94 to set up a second-round meeting with fellow Northern Irishman Brendan Dolan on Friday.
In the final round one clash of the Championships, debutant Berry van Peer caused an upset to knock out Englishman Luke Woodhouse 3-2.
Woodhouse landed six maximums but lost out to Dutchman Van Peer in a high-quality encounter.
Van Peer was making his first appearance at Alexandra Palace after coming back from struggles with dartitis and was able to regroup impressively after he missed two match darts at 2-1 up before he landed double 10 in the decider to become the last player into round two.
Number 32 seed Madars Razma set up a third-round clash with defending champion Michael Smith after a 3-1 win over Mike de Decker.
Anthony Joshua admits “there is no future” if he fails to beat Otto Wallin on the “Day of Reckoning” in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
The two-time world champion is aiming to win his third fight of 2023 after already gaining victories over Jermaine Franklin Jr and Robert Helenius earlier in the year as he looks to step back to the top of the heavyweight division.
Joshua has three career defeats to date, Andy Ruiz Jr inflicted his first loss in 2019 before Oleksandr Usyk beat him for the IBF, IBO, WBA and WBO heavyweight titles on two occasions.
The 34-year-old understands that defeat could be damaging for his future in the sport.
He told a press conference: “I know where I’m going in my life but I’ve got to say this is a checkpoint and if I don’t get past this, there is no future so I’m fully locked in to Otto Wallin and doing the job.
“Pure focus on Saturday, that’s with my heart, soul and every cell in my body is focused on Otto Wallin and knowing what I can do.”
Joshua has looked focused in the build-up to the fight and explained he only has one thing on his mind.
He added: “I’m looking to do a good job and what more can I say, I will do a good job.
“I’m here to fight, I’m not here to party, I want to perform well and put that pressure on myself because I want to win, I have that urge to win and want to hurt my opponent as well.”
Swedish fighter Wallin, 33, has just one career defeat to his name, narrowly losing to Tyson Fury in 2019 but has won all six of his fights since.
Wallin vows to win the fight on Saturday and does not think it will be an ‘upset’ if he does so.
He said: “Its a big fight and big opportunity I’ve worked hard to be here and now it’s time to enjoy the moment, win the fight and move on.
“I’m going to win the fight and it shouldn’t be an upset, it’s natural and it’s my time, I’m happy to be here. I’m just trying to be myself, people say I talk a lot but I just answer them with what I feel, and I’m not trying to make anything up its the truth if people don’t like it fine, but its true.”
Deontay Wilder takes on Joseph Parker in the co-main event of the evening on a card which features eight fights.
Wilder has claimed 42 of his 43 victories by the way of knockout and insists he will do the same on Saturday.
He said: “I’ve come here to do what I do best, it’s something that comes naturally and I’m looking to do it again. Don’t blink baby, bam good night.
“I come to do what I do best, and that’s what the fans want to see, no one wants to see a 12-round fight and we are heavyweights and hard hitters, they wanna see us fight and then afterwards go party. Nowadays my name is called doctor sleep.”
Parker promised to put on a display for those in attendance.
He added: “I’ve had a great camp and coming into this fight with a great game plan, great strategy and respect to Wilder but I’m here to do a job and I’m here to win.
“We have a great camp and the people involved but when I get out there I’m going to put on a display.”
A boxer, a law student and police officer, Janathan 'Mufasa' Hanson aims to combine his diverse background to succeed in professional boxing.
Born in Wilton Gardens, more popularly known as ‘Rema’, Hanson experienced frequent relocations during his childhood. At the age of six, he left behind the familiar surroundings of his neighborhood and moved with the other members of his family to the Bronx, New York to start a new life. During this period, Hanson had a fleeting interest in boxing but credits the shaping of his character and determination with these early childhood experiences.
After seven years in the concrete jungle, Hanson relocated once again with his family - this time crossing the Atlantic to settle in South London out of their desire for better opportunities. Now an adolescent, his interest in boxing was once again sparked out of the need to defend himself against bullying. “I previously started lifting weights and I got really big and people in my high school started to take notice and wanted to challenge me, so I found boxing again to learn how to defend myself.”
Hanson further developed his boxing interest into an obsession and found an outlet at the Battersea Amateur Boxing Club. His ability in the ring quickly attracted the attention of the local boxing fraternity who recognized his disciplined and dedicated approach to the sport. He began to make a name for himself while honing his skills in London based competitions. However, the combination of a desire to represent Jamaica at the Olympic Games and another move by his family prompted a final relocation - this time back to Kingston, Jamaica where he continues to live, train and compete.
Fully committed to his boxing development during this stage of his life, Hanson clinched a series of seven National Amateur Boxing Championships over a nine-year period. Nevertheless, during this period of his life, Hanson's ambitions did not stop there - while winning National Championships and representing Jamaica on the international stage, he then began pursuing a law degree from the University of Technology, Jamaica in 2017.
It was not an easy task for Hanson to manage his boxing career and to study law simultaneously, but in typical boxing fashion, he decided to defy the odds by accepting yet another challenge and joined the National Police College of Jamaica in June, 2022 with an aim of becoming a police officer. When asked about the decision to join JCF he remarked, “ I decided to dedicate at least five years of my life, serving and protecting my people.”
Hanson’s interests can be classified as uniquely singular, however, he believes that each complements the next and that fruitful connections can be made between his pursuits in the ring, in the classroom, and towards serving and protecting the citizens if Jamaica.
As he put it, “Boxing has prepared me for success in and out of the ring - a level of uncertainty looms over each of my endeavours, but I’ve been tested and I’ve authentically pursued my passions in creating the best version of myself that offers value to Jamaica.”
Everything came full circle in a stellar 2023 for Hanson, the Jack of All Trades, achieved major milestones in all his pursuits. As of June, he became an official member of the Jamaica Constabulary Force after graduating from the National Police College of Jamaica. He then made the seamless transition into the professional boxing ranks by successfully winning his debut fight on October 7, against 16-fight veteran Kevin ‘Bus Boy’ Hylton at the Ebony Vale Community Centre in Spanish Town. Last but not least - in November, he officially completed his studies at the University of Technology, Jamaica, graduating with a law degree.
When asked about his plans for the future, Hanson shared his aspirations to reach new heights in the boxing world. “My eclectic background and diverse experiences have equipped me with a unique perspective, giving me an edge in most situations.”
He further added that although he has officially fought as a professional boxer, he has never given up on his Olympic dreams and plans to represent Jamaica at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
In a society that often emphasizes specializing in one particular field, Hanson challenges this notion - the boxer has armed himself with a law degree, and accepts the challenges of serving and protecting the average Jamaican citizen. A testament to the mindset that he developed over the years as a boxer - his story serves as an inspiration for those who believe that success is not limited to one domain but can be achieved in various fields with the right mentality.
Gerri Colombe will sidestep the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase on Boxing Day in favour of a run at Leopardstown.
Gordon Elliott’s charge has won five of his six starts over fences to date, with his only defeat coming when edged out by a short head in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival back in March.
The seven-year-old was a narrow winner on his return in last month’s Champion Chase at Down Royal and had been among the leading lights for Kempton’s Christmas feature.
However, with the ground at the Sunbury track currently described as good to soft, good in places, connections are concerned conditions may not suit and have decided to stay closer to home, raising the prospect of a stellar field for the Savills Chase on December 28.
Reigning Cheltenham Gold Cup champion Galopin Des Champs could represent Willie Mullins in Leopardstown’s Grade One contest, with the Martin Brassil-trained Fastorslow – who has beaten Galopin Des Champs on his last two starts – another in the mix.
Elliott said: “The ground is just drying up a bit in Kempton and we’re just a bit worried about bringing him over on too good a ground, so we’ll keep him at home and run him at Leopardstown.
“It looks a good race at Leopardstown.”
Paddy Power make Gerri Colombe an 11-4 chance for the Leopardstown race, with Galopin Des Champs the 6-4 favourite and Fastorslow next best on 5-2.
The same firm has the Mullins-trained Allaho as the 11-8 market leader for the King George, ahead of Paul Nicholls’ defending champion Bravemansgame at 2-1.
England are to provide greater support for the welfare of their players in response to captain Owen Farrell taking a break from Test rugby to prioritise his mental health.
Farrell made the shock decision just weeks after leading England to a third-placed finish at the World Cup in France – during which he was regularly booed by fans – and he will miss at least the Six Nations.
The fly-half’s international team-mate Kyle Sinckler stated that Farrell taking a step back was “only the beginning” because of the workload and pressure faced by players at the highest level.
As well as being booed at games, Farrell has been the victim of online abuse and there is an acceptance at the Rugby Football Union that playing for England brings with it a growing level of scrutiny.
“We just want to support Owen and all the time we are looking to improve the wrap-around care for players. That is the most important thing,” RFU executive director of performance rugby Conor O’Shea said.
“It is getting more and more difficult and febrile to operate in some of these environments so we need to look really carefully at this to make sure we are the best at it.”
Head coach Steve Borthwick is to be given greater control over his most important players with the introduction of 25 ‘hybrid contracts’.
But while he will be able to set an England star’s conditioning program and influence medical decisions when they are with their clubs, he will not have the scope to dictate what position they play.
Marcus Smith was primarily used as a full-back during the World Cup but Borthwick would be unable to insist he wears the 15 jersey for Harlequins were he to be given one of the new contracts.
“We are very careful when it comes to selection and where a player will play at his club,” O’Shea said.
“The deal is that players are paid to win at the weekend and so clubs will make that final call where the player plays.”
O’Shea has been involved in shaping plans for a new-look second tier of English club rugby that will sit below the Gallagher Premiership.
The league – tentatively named ‘Premiership 2’ – would replace the existing Championship with teams currently in that competition invited to indicate whether they wanted to be involved.
If there was insufficient interest then all funding to the Championship in its current form would be pulled by the RFU, who believes the competition needs a significant overhaul.
“What are you investing in? You’d rather take that money and invest it in other things,” RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney said.
“I know it’s a controversial topic, but where are you going to get that return on investment?
“We’ve shown that if you pour money into the existing structure of the Championship, it just doesn’t deliver. That’s not being disrespectful, it just doesn’t.”
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