Hull FC have parted company with head coach Tony Smith following a disastrous start to their new Betfred Super League campaign.
Smith’s side were thumped 56-22 at home by Huddersfield on Saturday, leaving them second from bottom of the table with just one win from their first seven games.
Smith and his assistant Stanley Gene have left their roles by mutual consent, with assistant coach Simon Grix and head of emerging talent Francis Cummins taking charge on an interim basis.
Hull FC chairman Adam Pearson said: “On behalf of everyone associated with Hull FC, I would like to thank Tony and Stan for their contribution to the club during their time with the first team.
“They have worked tirelessly and it is disappointing to have had to come to this decision, but it is one I feel is right at this time. I wish them both well for the future.
“There will be further restructuring of the club in the coming days and we will update further in due course.”
Smith, 57, made a controversial switch from rivals Hull KR at the end of the 2022 campaign but his first season in charge did not go to plan and included an embarrassing 0-40 derby defeat at the MKM Stadium.
The 2024 season has brought further heavy losses, with the single exception of a hard-fought 24-20 win over relegation favourites London Broncos in early March.
Smith, also the vastly-experienced former coach of Huddersfield, Leeds and Warrington, said he was disappointed not to get the chance to try to turn the club’s fortunes around.
“I want to wish the club and all of the players well for the future,” he said.
“It is disappointing not to see the job through, which was always going to be a challenging project, and I was relishing the opportunity to see it through.”
Christian Williams’ anxious wait is over after his well-fancied Kitty’s Light snuck into the final line-up for the 2024 Randox Grand National.
Bidding to be the first Welsh-trained winner of the race since 1905, Kitty’s Light was one of a trio of National candidates left sweating after Monday’s confirmation stage.
Eklat De Rire, Chambard and Kitty’s Light were amongst a plethora of runners allotted a rating of 146 for the big race but with that trio seeing their official handicap mark dropped to a figure of 145 since the weights were unveiled in February, a random ballot would have been required to determine which two of the three would take their chance in the world’s most famous steeplechase.
However, as envisaged earlier in the week, the Melling Chase-bound Conflated came out of the race on Thursday meaning no ballot is required and all three of Eklat De Rire, Chambard and Kitty’s Light will face the starter on Saturday afternoon.
Conflated is the only absentee from the previous top 34, meaning 2022 winner Noble Yeats will carry the burden of top weight, with Gary Moore’s Welsh Grand National winner Nassalam next in, as he provides a first ride in the race for leading conditional Caoilin Quinn.
Defending champion Corach Rambler heads the betting as Lucinda Russell and jockey Derek Fox both seek a third win in the Aintree showpiece and the Cheltenham Gold Cup third bids to join the likes of Red Rum and Tiger Roll as a back-to-back Grand National winner.
Last year’s runner-up Vanillier is one of two in the race for Gavin Cromwell, who will also saddle Cheltenham Festival scorer Limerick Lace, the chosen mount of JP McManus’ retained rider Mark Walsh.
The Irish challenge is boosted by Willie Mullins’ eight contenders, with McManus-owned pair I Am Maximus and Meetingofthewaters both high up in the betting and bringing strong form claims.
Capodanno is another Closutton contender wearing green and gold, with Mr Incredible also among the market leaders for the perennial Irish champion trainer.
Panda Boy has the chance to give Martin Brassil a second victory in the race, while John McConnell will saddle his first-ever National contender in Coral Gold Cup second Mahler Mission.
Delta Work – third in 2022 – is the leading name amongst Gordon Elliott’s eight runners, with Henry de Bromhead’s Gold Cup winner Minella Indo set to be Rachael Blackmore’s mount and adds a touch of class to the contest.
As well as the previously mentioned Eklat De Rire, De Bromhead will also be represented by Ain’t That A Shame, the mount of amateur David Maxwell.
Former French champion jockey James Reveley will return to the Aintree fold aboard James Griffin’s Roi Mage, who was seventh in the race 12 months ago.
Dan Skelton’s game mare Galia Des Liteaux forms part of the small British challenge and is one of those towards the bottom of the weights with strong form on testing ground to her name.
Skelton also oversaw the preparations of Latenightpass on behalf of good friend Tom Ellis this season, with the 11-year-old set to be Ellis’ first ever runner as a licensed trainer after hastily joining the professional ranks for the chance to saddle his Aintree specialist on Saturday afternoon.
Eldorado Allen (Joe Tizzard) and Mac Tottie (Peter Bowen) are the other British-trained contenders.
The first round of the 88th Masters has been delayed by at least an hour due to bad weather at Augusta National.
South Africa’s Erik van Rooyen was due to hit the opening tee shot at 8am local time (1300BST), but rain was already falling when tournament officials announced at 5am that play would not get under way on time.
“We continue to monitor the weather closely,” an official statement read.
“Gate openings and tee times have been delayed until further notice. The first round will not begin before 9 a.m.”
Thunderstorms, heavy rain and winds gusting up to 45mph were all forecast for Thursday.
England’s Tommy Fleetwood has been drawn in the final group in round one for the second successive year, but he will not let the uncertain weather affect his preparations.
“I generally wake up and take the weather for what it is, just go out and play with the conditions we get, but I’ve heard the forecast is pretty bad,” Fleetwood, who is without long-time caddie Ian Finnis this week due to illness, said.
“The conditions are going to play a part in how the golf course plays and what happens there, so we’ll see.”
Nikola Jokić scored 41 points on 16-of-20 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 116-107 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday to take a one-game lead in the race for the top seed in the Western Conference.
Jamal Murray added 20 points in 27 minutes and Michael Porter Jr. had 18 points with eight rebounds for the Nuggets, who split the four-game season series with the Wolves. Denver needs to finish ahead of Minnesota and Oklahoma City to earn the No. 1 seed for the second straight season.
The Nuggets parlayed the top seed last year into a 10-1 run at home in the playoffs on the way to their first NBA title.
Anthony Edwards scored 25 points but was a non-factor in the fourth quarter and Mike Conley added 19 for Minnesota, which had won four of five.
Denver closed the third quarter on a 9-1 run to take an 83-80 lead into the fourth. The Nuggets’ second until extended the margin to 91-87 before Jokic and Murray returned with 7 ½ minutes left, and Denver used a 10-0 spurt to pull away.
Mavericks clinch Southwest Division
Luka Dončić scored 29 points and Kyrie Irving had 25 as the Dallas Mavericks secured the Southwest Division title with a 111-92 win over the Miami Heat.
Doncic fell just shy of his 22nd triple-double of the season with nine rebounds and nine assists.
Derrick Jones Jr, P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford each scored 12 points for the Mavericks, who will face the Clippers in the first round of the playoffs. It will be the third opening-round matchup between those teams in the last four seasons.
Tyler Herro scored 21 points for Miami, which fell to 20-19 at home this season after going 24-17 on the road.
Portis leads Bucks without Antetokounmpo
Bobby Portis collected 30 points, nine rebounds and a career-high five steals and the Milwaukee Bucks overcame Giannis Antetokounmpo’s absence for a 117-99 win over the Orlando Magic.
Damian Lillard had 29 points and eight assists and Pat Beverley had 13 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Bucks, who played a night after Antetokounmpo suffered a strained left calf that will sideline him the final three games of the regular season.
Milwaukee is 1 ½ games ahead of the Knicks and two in front of Cleveland in the race for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Cole Anthony scored 23 points for Orlando, which has lost two straight and three of four.
Rugby Australia and New South Wales Waratahs terminated Israel Folau’s contract over discriminatory social media posts on this day in 2019.
The then 30-year-old was warned about his behaviour the year before, but avoided any disciplinary action, for making homophobic comments on his social media channels.
Folau was reminded of his social media obligations by RA chief executive Raelene Castle and there were also threats from sponsors of the Australian national team that they would withdraw support following his posts.
An RA statement read: “As a code we have made it clear to Israel formally and repeatedly that any social media posts or commentary that is in any way disrespectful to people because of their sexuality will result in disciplinary action.
“In the absence of compelling mitigating factors, it is our intention to terminate his contract.
“Whilst Israel is entitled to his religious beliefs, the way in which he has expressed these beliefs is inconsistent with the values of the sport. We want to make it clear that he does not speak for the game with his recent social media posts.
“Israel has failed to understand that the expectation of him as a Rugby Australia and NSW Waratahs employee is that he cannot share material on social media that condemns, vilifies or discriminates against people on the basis of their sexuality.”
In this latest incident, a message published on Folau’s Instagram account read that “hell awaits” for “drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists, idolators”.
Folau said on Instagram: “Those that are living in Sin will end up in Hell unless you repent. Jesus Christ loves you and is giving you time to turn away from your sin and come to him.”
Folau featured in 73 Tests for Australia and was signed with the Waratahs for another three years in a deal that ran till 2022, but had his contract terminated early.
The ex-Melbourne Storm, Brisbane Broncos and Catalans Dragons full-back now plays for Japan Rugby League One club Urayasu D-Rocks and represents Tonga at international level under a new rule that allows him to represent the country of his parents’ birth.
Play on the first day of the 88th Masters could be disrupted by the weather as Rory McIlroy makes another attempt to complete the career grand slam in Augusta.
Thunderstorms, heavy rain and winds gusting up to 45mph are all in the forecast as golf’s first major of the year gets under way on Thursday afternoon.
McIlroy tees-off in a heavyweight group that also features world number one – and heavy tournament favourite – Scottie Scheffler at 3.42pm BST.
England’s Tommy Fleetwood has been drawn in the final group in round one for the second successive year, but he will not let the uncertain weather affect his preparations.
“I generally wake up and take the weather for what it is, just go out and play with the conditions we get, but I’ve heard the forecast is pretty bad,” Fleetwood said.
“The conditions are going to play a part in how the golf course plays and what happens there, so we’ll see.”
Here, the PA news agency goes through what you need to know ahead of day one.
Is there anything new for 2024?The par-five second has been lengthened by 10 yards via the addition of a new tee which has been pushed further to the left, slightly increasing the angle of the dogleg left.
Amendments have also been made to the fourth and sixth greens to allow for more pin positions on the upper right-hand side.
Who are the favourites?The top three players in the world rankings occupying the same place in the betting may suggest a lack of imagination from the bookmakers, but it is hard to argue with their logic.
World number one Scheffler has finished first, first and second in his last three PGA Tour events, while McIlroy’s lesson from Butch Harmon resulted in third place in the Valero Texas Open on Sunday.
Jon Rahm’s form is harder to assess following his switch to LIV Golf, but the defending champion had four straight top 10s at Augusta from 2018-21.
Key tee times (all BST)1530 – Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick, Nick Dunlap
1542 – Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele
1824 – Tiger Woods, Jason Day, Max Homa
1836 – Brian Harman, Brooks Koepka, Tom Kim
1900 – Dustin Johnson, Collin Morikawa, Tommy Fleetwood
A cold front is forecast to bring a band of rain and scattered thunderstorms through the region between 6am-1pm local time on Thursday.
Heavy rainfall and occasional wind gusts of 40-45 mph are anticipated over this period.
A lull in precipitation should occur behind the cold front between 1-4pm before scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms drift back into the region for the late afternoon and evening hours.
Jackson Holliday had a relatively quiet MLB debut, but teammate Jordan Westburg capped a four-run seventh with a three-run homer to lift the Baltimore Orioles to a come-from-behind 7-5 win over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday.
Triston Casas’ two-run homer in the fifth inning extended Boston’s lead to 5-0, but Baltimore answered with three runs in the sixth.
Colton Cowser delivered a two-run single and Westburg doubled before Holliday’s ground out scored him.
Cower is 3 for 8 with six RBIs in the first two games of this series.
The Orioles scored four runs in the seventh off Chris Martin, with a wild pitch scoring one run before Westburg’s blast to center made it 7-5.
The 20-year-old Holliday – baseball’s top-rated prospect - went 0 for 4 with an RBI and two strikeouts in his debut.
After Cole Irvin gave up five runs in five innings, the Orioles’ bullpen pitched one-hit ball and struck out nine over the next four innings. Craig Kimbrel fanned two in a perfect ninth for his second save.
Surging Royals pound Astros
Vinnie Pasquantino homered and drove in a career-high five runs to lead the Kansas City Royals to their sixth straight win, an 11-2 rout of the Houston Astros.
Pasquantino entered 4 for 37 with four singles and no RBIs before going 3 for 3 with a single, double, homer and a walk.
His two-run double ignited a seven-run third inning, and he homered an inning later to put the Royals up 8-2.
Seth Lugo limited the Astros to two runs and seven hits in six innings for Kansas City’s ninth quality start in 12 games – the most in the majors.
Naylor brothers power Guardians
Bo Naylor and Josh Naylor had RBI hits in the 10th inning after the brothers both homered earlier and the Cleveland Guardians rallied for a 7-6 victory over the Chicago White Sox.
Josh Naylor doubled home the tying run in the 10th and Bo Naylor singled to score pinch-runner Tyler Freeman to complete Cleveland’s comeback from a 5-0 deficit.
Bo Naylor hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning and Josh added a two-run shot later in the inning to draw the Guardians within 5-3.
Cleveland improved to 9-3 for its best start since going 11-1 in 2002.
Gavin Sheets hit a three-run homer and had five RBIs for the injury-riddled White Sox.
Jrue Holiday and the Boston Celtics have agreed to a four-year, $135million contract extension.
The deal was reported Wednesday by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
The 14-year veteran has been an integral part of the Celtics' success in his first season in Boston.
In 68 games, the 33-year-old is averaging 12.5 points, a career-best 5.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists for a Celtics team that has already clinched the top seed throughout the NBA play-offs.
Boston acquired Holiday in early October from the Trail Blazers, four days after he was traded from Milwaukee to Portland in the blockbuster three-team deal that saw the Bucks land eight-time All-Star Damian Lillard.
Holiday, who is a two-time All-Star, has career averages of 16.1 points per game, 6.4 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.44 steals, and is considered one of the NBA's best defenders.
He is a five-time All-Defensive selection and has been a finalist for defensive player of the year each of the last three seasons.
The San Antonio Spurs will rest Victor Wembanyama for Wednesday's road game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, denying him a clash with fellow Rookie of the Year contender Chet Holmgren.
Wembanyama rolled his right ankle against the New Orleans Pelicans on April 5, having missed a game against the Phoenix Suns due to a left ankle sprain the previous month.
Last year's number one draft pick has played 70 games this season, averaging 21.3 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists.
With Wembanyama playing 31 minutes in Tuesday's 102-87 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, the Spurs are reportedly being cautious over his condition on the second leg of a back-to-back.
After Tuesday's game, San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said of Wembanyama's involvement: "We're going to talk it out. It's a question because we've held him out a lot of the back-to-backs.
"Once when he had that foot thing and now down the stretch, I'm not sure it makes much sense to push it."
Popovich's decision to hold Wembanyama back means fans will be denied a meeting between the likely top two in the Rookie of the Year race, with Holmgren looking to maintain his record of appearing in every game for the Thunder this year.
Wembanyama is expected to return to the court on Friday, when San Antonio host the Denver Nuggets in their penultimate game of the season.
Anthony Edwards praised coach Chris Finch's man-management skills after dropping 51 points to help the Minnesota Timberwolves to a stirring comeback win against the Washington Wizards.
The Wizards made a blistering start to Tuesday's game at Target Center and found themselves 21 points up in the first quarter.
That advantage was cut to 44-27 by the end of the quarter, yet it still represented Washington's franchise record for most points in a single quarter.
However, a dominant second-half showing saw Minnesota turn the game around, with Edwards' 3 pointer giving them their first lead with just over two minutes of the third quarter remaining.
His final tally surpassed his previous best, a 49-point performance against the San Antonio Spurs in April 2022, also putting him joint-fifth among all displays from Timberwolves players.
The victory kept Minnesota above the Denver Nuggets at the top of the Western Conference, and they hold the tiebreaker ahead of the teams' huge clash at Ball Arena on Wednesday.
Speaking after the game, Edwards revealed the details of a meeting he held with Finch earlier in the week, saying: "He put me in the office two or three days ago and said, 'look, we've got this Washington game, and we need to win it'.
"'We need to come ready to play, you can't treat it like any other game'. I don't even need to talk about how big it is. Everybody knows."
The Timberwolves improved to 12-5 without All-Star forward Karl-Anthony Towns, who is nearing a return after around a month on the sidelines with a knee injury.
Finch credited his players for producing another real team performance in his absence, saying: "We needed all of them, for sure.
"The best thing about it for me was they came in the flow. Anthony kept making the right play down the stretch for the most part. He was really finding people.
"Guys were knocking down shots, too. He was aggressive getting to the hoop. I thought he turned the game around, along with Nickeil [Alexander-Walker], in getting to the basket."
Minnesota have already clinched a top-three seed and a victory in Denver on Wednesday would leave them needing just one further win to secure top spot in the West.
In a bid to clear his name and restore his reputation, Jamaica's national squash champion, Julian Morrison, is challenging the provisional suspension imposed by the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) after testing positive for trace amounts of Boldenone, a banned anabolic agent.
The suspension came following an out-of-competition test conducted on January 18th, 2024, where Morrison's results showed the presence of Boldenone in his system. However, Morrison and his representatives strongly assert that the substance entered his body inadvertently, likely through contamination.
Dr. Emir Crowne and Mr. Matthew Gayle, legal representatives for Morrison, are steadfast in their support of his innocence. They emphasize that Boldenone's presence was unintentional and stress Morrison's commitment to upholding the integrity of the sport.
Speaking on behalf of Morrison, Dr. Crowne stated, "As best as can be determined at this time, the banned substance unknowingly entered Mr. Morrison's system through contamination." Morrison remains determined to expedite the process of vindication and is actively engaging with authorities to clear his name.
Boldenone, often associated with bodybuilding due to its anabolic properties, is prohibited in competitive sports. However, Morrison's case highlights the complexities of anti-doping regulations and the challenges faced by athletes when dealing with inadvertent exposure to banned substances.
Despite the setback, Morrison remains resolute and hopeful for a positive resolution. His representatives have expressed confidence in the ongoing efforts to overturn the suspension and restore Morrison's eligibility to compete.
Daniil Medvedev was asked by the umpire not to shout at a line judge during his second-round victory over Gael Monfils at the Monte Carlo Masters.
The 2021 US Open champion was leading 6-2 1-2 when he angrily disagreed with two calls on the baseline and vented his displeasure at the official.
Swedish umpire Mohamed Lahyani twice came on to court to check calls and calm down Russian fourth seed Medvedev.
“Daniil please don’t shout at him,” Lahyani said. “He (the line judge) can make a mistake as well.”
Medvedev was 40-15 up in that game but lost his serve and then went 4-1 down before winning five games in a row to seal a 6-2 6-4 success and progress to a last-16 meeting with compatriot Karen Khachanov.
The disagreement began when a shot from Monfils, which Medvedev returned with a forehand winner, was called out.
Lahyani came out of his chair to check the call but said it was in and awarded the point to the Frenchman before Hawkeye showed the ball was in fact out.
On the following point, Monfils’ shot was called in when it had travelled beyond the baseline.
A frustrated Medvedev then began to shout and this time the umpire agreed with him.
The world number four continued to remonstrate during the change of ends and was pictured hitting the canopy of his chair.
When Lahyani said he would apologise if he was wrong, Medvedev replied: “How can you apologise, I lost the freaking game. How did I lose the game when it’s out? It’s out, it’s out.”
Louis Rees-Zammit is determined to make the Kansas City Chiefs’ playing roster after admitting his NFL dream could be over in a heartbeat.
The former Wales rugby star returns to the United States on Wednesday to begin pre-season training after signing a three-year contract with the back-to-back Super Bowl champions.
However, Rees-Zammit is only guaranteed to be paid for the first year and has revealed that if he fails to impress, he can be jettisoned immediately.
View this post on InstagramAs NFL salaries are made public, it has emerged he will be paid £634,000 if he is picked in the 53-man roster for the upcoming season but only £199,500 if he remains in the practice squad. The total contract could be worth as much as £2.27million.
“As a rookie you sign a three-year deal and you get guaranteed money. So if you get injured or you get cut, you’re still guaranteed that money,” Rees-Zammit told The Rugby Pod.
“But you can get cut at any point so it’s bit of a cut-throat sport. I could go to pre-season now, not do well and just get cut straight away.
“You’re not guaranteed the three years at all – and no one is. I just need to make the 53-man squad now. I’m ready to show everyone what I can do.”
Rees-Zammit has been busy studying the Chiefs’ playbook on his iPad, revealing that they will have 1,000 plays for a season with 80 of them used in any one game.
The 23-year-old’s most likely path to actually playing in the NFL is as a kick-returner – a role set to increase in influence next season following a change to the rules – but he will also be tried at running back and wide receiver.
“The new kick off rules this year are absolutely massive. That’s where my main position will be and I’ve got to fight to start in that position this year,” he said.
“And then within the offence it’s about how quick I can learn the playbook. We’ve got a plan to put me in various positions, play out the backfield at running back, be a slot receiver. Just being able to use me as much as possible and be creative with me.
View this post on Instagram“It’s going to take a lot and a bit of time to do that and all the coaches know that, so there’s no pressure.”
Rees-Zammit has already had contact from quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce, the Chiefs’ biggest stars.
“Pat and Travis both messaged me. Pat’s my best mate now! They said welcome to KC and if I ever need anything then let me know. I’m so excited to meet everyone and get training,” he said.
Grey Dawning kicks off what could prove to be a crucial three days at Aintree for title-chasing Dan Skelton in the the Close Brothers Manifesto Novices’ Chase on Thursday.
Following a fantastic four-timer at last month’s Cheltenham Festival, the Alcester handler heads former mentor Paul Nicholls by around £30,000 in the race to be crowned leading trainer, while perennial Irish champion Willie Mullins cannot be discounted despite being just over £685,000 further adrift.
Skelton is well aware the next three days on Merseyside are likely to have a major bearing on where the championship ultimately ends up, but he is doing his best to keep his feet on the ground.
“There’s a lot of water to go under that bridge, but having good chances at this meeting with the prize-money on offer there is obviously very important,” he said.
Grey Dawning was one of Skelton’s fab four at Cheltenham, reversing previous form with the Nicholls-trained Ginny’s Destiny to secure Grade One honours in the Turners Novices’ Chase.
The pair will renew rivalry in the opening race of the Randox Grand National Festival, with Skelton hopeful Grey Dawning’s Cheltenham exploits have not left their mark.
He added: “I’m looking forward to it a lot, obviously. He showed at Cheltenham two-and-a-half (miles) in this ground is no issue at all. I wanted to go three miles with him, but when the ground was like this, it was a pretty easy decision to make.
“He’s in good form at home. I’ve no reason to think that he’s not in the same form as he was at Cheltenham, but historically horses have tried to do the two and some have and some haven’t, I just hope he’s in the have category! I have no reason to think he’s not, I’m very happy with him.”
Nicholls is similarly positive about Ginny’s Destiny’s wellbeing and is looking forward to the rematch with Grey Dawning in a race worth £120,000 in total.
“He’s made giant strides since joining us this season, winning three times at Cheltenham before another cracking run when second to Grey Dawning at the Festival,” Nicholls told Betfair.
“He will love the ground at Aintree and is in good shape.
“As with all of ours who ran at Cheltenham, no one can tell you for sure how they have come out of their races but they have had a nice, easy fortnight before we started tuning them up again. They did their last piece of work on Saturday and head to Aintree fresh and well.”
Mullins also has a significant contender in the form of Il Etait Temps, who steps up in trip after placing third behind stablemate Gaelic Warrior in the Arkle at Cheltenham.
Jamie Snowden’s Turners Novices’ Chase sixth Colonel Harry and Tom Lacey’s Blow Your Wad, the only horse in the field not to run at the Festival, are the other hopefuls.
Dual Coral Cup winner Langer Dan takes a step into the unknown as he tackles Grade One company for the first time in the William Hill Aintree Hurdle.
The eight-year-old had struggled for form during the winter but trainer Dan Skelton reported the gelding had suffered from stomach ulcers over that period.
He was right back to his very best at Cheltenham, however, winning by three and a half lengths to become the first dual winner of the ultra-competitive handicap and he now faces top-level scorers Bob Olinger and Impaire Et Passe in a field of eight.
“He’s up in class, running in a Grade One for the first time I think, which is very exciting,” said Skelton.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for first two in the betting (Bob Olinger and Impaire Et Passe) and they’re not going to be easy horses to beat, but our horse is in great form and put up a career-best in the Coral Cup last time.
“I think think he’s a player anyway, but whether he can beat the two fancied ones or not we’ll see.”
Henry de Bromhead’s Bob Olinger missed the Cheltenham Festival having finished second in the Irish Champion Hurdle as this has been his main target all season, over his ideal trip of two and a half miles.
“I’m really looking forward to riding Bob Olinger in the Aintree Hurdle,” Rachael Blackmore told Betfair.
“He was really good in the Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day. It was great to feel the old Bob Olinger spark again this season. He really felt back to himself. When you have ridden a horse who has the ability that he has, it’s great when you get that feeling from him again.
“He ran very well then in the Irish Champion Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown, he did well to keep on to finish second to the Champion Hurdler State Man.
“He’s in great form at home, and hopefully he can continue running like he has been running all season. We couldn’t be happier with him, we’re really looking forward to him.”
Nicky Henderson’s Luccia ran a massive career-best to finish third in the Champion Hurdle when many of her stablemates were under a cloud, with her trainer eager to try a longer trip.
“The line of thought with stepping her up in trip is that we haven’t really got anywhere else to go other than Punchestown for the two-mile mares’ hurdle where you’d expect Lossiemouth to turn up,” Henderson told Unibet.
“We were third in the Champion Hurdle so it would be interesting to find out where we compare with Lossiemouth to find out whether Lossiemouth would have been fourth or first in the Champion Hurdle.
“State Man didn’t exactly get a million miles away from Luccia which is probably the bit that chews us as we know where Luccia would sit with Constitution Hill and five lengths wouldn’t bring them together.
“I thought Lossiemouth was brilliant the twice we’ve seen her this season, so not only are we not keen on taking her on, I’ve been dying to step Luccia up in trip as this is an opportunity to see if she stays as it will make next year much easier.”
Beacon Edge, Mahons Glory, Nemean Lion and Marie’s Rock complete the field.
Tests on Giannis Antetokounmpo's injured left calf reportedly showed his Achilles tendon is fully intact, though the Milwaukee Bucks superstar's availability for the final few games of the NBA regular season and the start of the playoffs remains undetermined.
ESPN reported Wednesday that Antetokounmpo has been diagnosed with a left calf strain and his return to play will be determined by how his injury heals.
Antetokounmpo was injured in the third quarter of Milwaukee's 104-91 win over the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Celtics on Tuesday. The victory kept the Bucks one game ahead of the New York Knicks in the race for the East's No. 2 playoff seed.
Milwaukee has three games remaining in the regular season, all against teams likely bound for the postseason. The Bucks host the Orlando Magic on Wednesday before hitting the road for matchups with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday and the Magic on Sunday.
The conference quarterfinals are scheduled to begin April 20.
A two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, Antetokounmpo ranks second in the league in scoring at 30.4 points per game this season and sixth in rebounding at 11.4 boards per game.
Though he's avoided a major, season-ending injury, Antetokounmpo's absence for any length of time could still be a big blow for a Bucks team that has struggled down the stretch. Milwaukee ended a season-high four-game losing streak with Tuesday's win and is just 7-10 since March 6, the ninth-best winning percentage in the East over that time period.
The Bucks have also dealt with a number of key injuries over the course of the season, most notably an ankle sprain to Khris Middleton that sidelined the three-time All-Star for 16 games before he returned in mid-March.
Milwaukee has had its top three core of Antetokounmpo, Middleton and Damian Lillard all available for only five of its 30 games since Feb. 4.
Late-night commuters at an Australian train station had a surprise travel companion last Friday as a loose horse ended up on the platform.
An unknown person broke into the premises of trainer Annabel Neasham, who is based at Warwick Farm in Sydney, unlocking some of the stable doors which allowed the horse to escape.
The unnamed runner ended up on the platform at Warwick Farm train station, with New South Wales Premier Chris Minns sharing a video of the incident on Wednesday, which shows the horse walking up and down as a train arrives while passengers jumped out of the way.
The horse was eventually caught by a staff member and transported back home.
In a post on X, Minns said: “Wet tracker.
“Didn’t realise I needed to say but – horses aren’t allowed on our trains, sorry folks.
“I can confirm the horse has returned home, safe and sound.”
Neasham, who was born in Britain and is best known for her handling of ex-Sir Michael Stoute runner Zaaki, has been contacted Racing NSW stewards regarding the incident.
A statement from the authority said: “Ms Neasham explained that on the evening of Friday, April 5 an unknown person gained access to one of her stable barns in the Warwick Farm stabling precinct.
“It was ascertained that the unknown person released three racehorses and a stable pony with one of the stated racehorses leaving the vicinity of her stable complex.
“Ms Neasham added that as soon as she became aware that there was a loose horse from her stable complex, she immediately contacted local police who attended soon after and the horse was able to be recaptured without sustaining any injury or damaging any property.
“Further, Ms Neasham explained that the stable barn which was accessed accommodates horses which are in the early stages of their respective preparations and therefore did not contain any horses which were entered for or scheduled to race.
“Ms Neasham will be formally interviewed by the stewards at a time to be fixed regarding the incident.”
England head coach John Mitchell believes smaller balls could be an important development tool for the women’s game.
World Rugby is to analyse data collected from a trial in the recent Women’s Under-18 Six Nations festival, as well as from the training sessions of three Celtic Challenge teams.
The current size 5 ball is the same as that used in the men’s game, while the trial tested the size 4.5 ball which is around three per cent smaller and up to four per cent lighter.
“We use the big ball and we’re quite happy with that. When the smaller ball arrives, we’ll deal with that,” Mitchell said.
“But if I put my development hat on, these young girls have been exposed to a big ball their whole life.
“If you’ve got younger girls wanting to come into the game and you have smaller communities that don’t have the ability to play 15s but could do a lot more in school yards with smaller balls, if that gives them confidence to play the game then I’m all for it.”
Zoe Aldcroft, who has replaced Marlie Packer as captain for Saturday’s Guinness Women’s Six Nations clash with Scotland, has an open mind to the possible benefits of the smaller ball.
“We haven’t had many issues so far with a size 5, but we’ll go ahead and see what the 4.5 ball will do,” Aldcroft said.
Packer was dropped for the first time since taking over the England captaincy a year ago and must settle for a place on the bench for the trip to Edinburgh, while veteran centre Emily Scarratt was overlooked altogether for a second-successive match.
The omission of two big name Red Roses and Test centurions from the starting XV comes amid a warning from Mitchell that no player is safe from the axe.
“There’s no such thing as rotation. This squad is selected for Scotland. Anyone is capable of replacing anyone, as far as I see it,” Mitchell said.
Scarratt started the Six Nations opener at inside centre in her first outing since being converted from the number 13 jersey by Mitchell, but has not been picked since.
A calf and Achilles injury has been troublesome, but Mitchell insisted that ultimately, the 34-year-old was “not selected”.
“Emily is progressing nicely. She still hasn’t been able to do a full week. She’s come out of yesterday’s (Tuesday’s) session well so that’s a really good sign,” the Kiwi said.
“Tomorrow’s session will be a lot faster and if she gets through that, then it presents a good case for her in the next two weeks.
“The most important message you need to hear is that Emily needs to be 100 per cent fit because we have got girls who are 100 per cent fit and that’s what we go for basically.
“The girls understand that they have to be 100 per cent because there’s so much competition within the group.”
Hooker Amy Cokayne makes her first appearance for 12 months after recovering from a calf injury, having made a successful comeback for Leicester in recent weeks.
Cheltenham Festival runner-up Kargese follows a familiar route for Willie Mullins in the Boodles Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle at Aintree on Thursday.
The Closutton handler has claimed this Grade One contest twice in the last seven years, with both the sensational 2016 victor Apple’s Jade and last year’s heroine Zenta picking up minor honours in the Triumph Hurdle prior to striking gold on Merseyside.
His latest challenger is a pea out of the same pod having found only stablemate Majborough too strong at Prestbury Park last month – and while Nicky Henderson’s unbeaten Triumph absentee Sir Gino is a major threat, connections of Kargese are quietly confident about her chances.
“If she’s come out of Cheltenham well, which the team at Closutton seem to think she has, she must have every chance,” said Peter Molony, racing manger for owner Kenny Alexander.
“She just needs to learn to settle a little bit. I would upgrade her run big time in the Triumph as she basically fought for her head the whole way round and never really settled. Before the last she looked like she was galloping all over the winner and then she just got tired.
“I know the winner is very good, but I think she definitely would have got closer to him if she had settled better, so if she can settle on Thursday we’d be very hopeful.
“She’s a very nice mare who owes us nothing as she’s had a great year already, but we rate her pretty highly so hopefully she can settle and we’ll have a good run.”
Sir Gino looked every inch a top-class prospect after winning his first two starts for Nicky Henderson, particularly when dominating his rivals in a Triumph Hurdle trial at Cheltenham in late January.
The French import disappointingly missed the Triumph Hurdle itself during what was a difficult week for his trainer, but that does at least mean he will be fresh for his latest assignment.
“It was sad he couldn’t run at Cheltenham because, to be fair, there was nothing wrong with him but by the time we got to the Friday I’d completely lost my bottle altogether,” Henderson told Unibet.
“I didn’t dare run him. I think he’s a very good horse and we’re going to find out sooner or later. He looked very good on Trials day at Cheltenham and his work recently has been up to that standard.
“He’s been round Auteuil so the ground shouldn’t worry him.”
Similar comments apply to the Paul Nicholls-trained Kalif Du Berlais, who is two from two since arriving in Britain and has been saved for Aintree since landing the Adonis at Kempton in February.
“He’s a horse with a big future and maintained his unbeaten record with a determined success in the Adonis Hurdle at Kempton under a 5lb penalty,” Nicholls told Betfair.
“It was always the plan to miss the Triumph Hurdle and wait for this race at Aintree. We’ve deliberately given him time and although this is a step up in class for him, he seems be improving physically and I think he is in better shape than he was before his last run.”
Joseph O’Brien saddles both Triumph Hurdle fourth Nurburgring and his stablemate Intellotto, who was last seen landing a small-field conditions event at Limerick.
Syd Hosie’s rank outsider and hurdling debutant Dirty Den, down the field in the Champion Bumper last month, completes the field.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
