Luke Littler says it is going to take something special to stop him becoming the world champion after his amazing Alexandra Palace journey continued.
The 16-year-old has taken the World Championship by storm and became the youngest semi-finalist ever after he beat Brendan Dolan 5-1 in the quarter-final.
It was a new year but the same old brilliance from the precocious Littler, who is on the cusp of producing one of the greatest sporting stories of all time.
A semi-final against 2018 winner Rob Cross is next up before a likely meeting with Michael van Gerwen in the final, but he is a genuine contender to lift the Sid Waddell Trophy on Wednesday.
He has already proven he is ready to compete on the biggest stage after taking out UK Open winner Andrew Gilding and his hero Raymond van Barneveld on his way to the last eight and he maintained that form against Dolan.
And the teenager believes it is going to “take a lot” to stop his juggernaut.
“It feels unbelievable. I would never have thought I would have got to the semis on my debut year,” he said.
“Brendan was just another opponent in my way and I have brushed him aside and now I am into the semi-final.
“It’s going to take a lot to stop me, based on my performances so far. But it is about whatever Luke Littler turns up.
“I have got the ability to go all the way, if it’s not to be tomorrow night, it’s not to be.
“I know I have got a good chance and I have got a good feeling I could go all the way tomorrow.”
View this post on InstagramDolan had beaten former world champions Gerwyn Price and Gary Anderson but could not compete with Littler, who finished with an average of 101.93 to thrill his adoring fans inside Ally Pally.
This performance will only heighten Littler’s celebrity status and his exploits have already transcended the world of darts.
The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) will be coming under increasing pressure to hand him a place in the forthcoming Premier League.
But Littler is not expecting a call-up to the weekly event that runs from February to May.
“I have seen what the Premier League does, like Monday, Tuesday I’d be playing Pro Tours, Wednesday a Euro Tour qualifier, Premier League on a Thursday, then a Euro event at the weekend,” he said.
“I think the PDC will keep me out of it, it will be brutal like everybody said.
“If I do get picked I do, if I don’t, then I am not expecting it. I didn’t expect to get to the semi-finals, look at other some of the other pros, this is my first major, they deserve it more than me.”
He will meet Cross in the final after the 2018 champion produced one of the most memorable Alexandra Palace comebacks.
Cross looked dead and buried when he was 4-0 down after barely 45 minutes as Chris Dobey played one of the matches of his life.
However, the off-stage break worked wonders for Cross as the former electrician sparked into life.
He reeled off four sets of his own and then took out 130 to seal a famous win but Cross knows he will have to improve if he is to stop the Littler train.
“Everyone loves an underdog story,” he said. “As the public and people looking at the game, everyone loves an underdog story.
“I am not being rude, I am on his side, I love an underdog story.
“It took a bit of pressure off me winning it first time as well.
“He’s fantastic and he deserves all the luck in the world, he is a nice young boy. Tomorrow we play darts, though, and I have to go down to business.”
Mason Rudolph has helped the Pittsburgh Steelers stay in the play-off picture.
He'll get another chance to help them secure a post-season berth in Week 18.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said during his Monday press conference that Rudolph will start Saturday's season finale against the Baltimore Ravens.
Rudolph has led Pittsburgh to a 2-0 record since taking over for an ineffective Mitch Trubisky following Kenny Pickett's ankle injury.
Tomlin told reporters that Pickett's health is not a question, but Rudolph will remain the starter.
"I think Kenny's availability is less in question this week. I anticipate him being available to practice. That being said, we're going to leave the ball in Mason Rudolph's hands," Tomlin said. "He's done a good job and we've done a good job in the most recent two weeks. We've taken care of the ball, he's taken care of the ball. We've scored points at a rate in which we hadn't done to this point this year. And with the urgency of the moment and because of those reasons, we're going to leave the ball in his hands."
In his two starts, Rudolph has completed 35-of-51 passes for 564 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 118.4 passer rating. The Steelers scored 30 and 34 points in those two victories after not scoring more than 26 points in any of their first 14 games.
Pickett had just six TD passes in 12 games this season, and the team could be deciding to move on from him this offseason.
With Sunday's 30-23 road win over the Seattle Seahawks, Pittsburgh improved to 9-7, but it's still on the outside looking in on the play-offs.
To clinch a berth, the Steelers must win in Baltimore and have the Miami Dolphins beat the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night. They could also make the post-season by beating the Ravens, coupled with a Tennessee Titans win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
One advantage the Steelers have going for them is the Ravens have already secured the AFC's top seed, so MVP frontrunner Lamar Jackson and other Baltimore starters could be rested as they prepare for the play-offs.
Riviere D’etel ran away with the John & Chich Fowler Memorial EBF Mares Chase for Gordon Elliott at Fairyhouse.
The seven-year-old was one of five contenders in the race and a 100-30 chance, as Willie Mullins’ Allegorie De Vassy was the 8-13 favourite.
On testing ground, there was no contest, however, and it was Elliott’s runner that won by an unchallenged 33 lengths under Jack Kennedy.
“She’ll probably be very hard to place, I’d say going right-handed really suited her and Jack said she loved the ground,” said Elliott.
“Jack said she stayed very well and we’re delighted with her.
“I don’t know where I’ll go with her but I’d love to go right-handed.”
When asked if that would rule out Cheltenham, Elliott added: “It wouldn’t be out of the question, I’ll talk to Noel (Moran, owner) and see what they want to do, but it just might not be the right place for her.”
Mollys Mango returned to winning ways for the same trainer in the Wishing Everyone A Healthy 2024 Mares Hurdle.
The six-year-old started the campaign in winning form at Thurles but was pulled up last time at Wexford.
She was still the 2-9 favourite at Fairyhouse and certainly looked to be back on song with a 17-length success under Kennedy.
“Jack said she gave him a good feel again, she was disappointing the last day in Wexford but she gave him a good feel there today,” said Elliott.
“We’ll probably come back here in three weeks’ time for the Solerina, try and see if we can get a bit of black type.
“She didn’t turn up for whatever reason the last day, maybe we ran her back too soon.”
Elliott completed a treble when Staffordshire Knot landed the Jump Into January @ Fairyhouse (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race under Harry Swan at 9-4.
Mullins’ I Will Be Baie made a winning hurdles debut in the ITM Irish Stallion Trail 12-13 January Maiden Hurdle.
The six-year-old is a point-to-point and a bumper winner and set off at 11-8 under Paul Townend, jumping fluently to secure a two-and-three-quarter-length success over Elliott’s odds-on favourite My Trump Card.
David Casey, Mullins’ assistant, said: “It was great, he did it well and jumped well.
“We weren’t sure how he’d handle the heavy ground but Paul said he went through it okay. He said he won well.
“He won his point-to-point well and jumped well throughout. Hopefully, we’ll find a race for him in a few weeks and see where we go from there.
“The runner-up was a decent winner of a bumper and had a bit of jumping experience on his side, he set a nice standard and I thought it was a good performance.”
Mullins had another winner on the card with Nick Rockett, successful by seven lengths as the 2-7 favourite in the McInerney Beginners Chase.
“He was good. He improved a little bit from his first run, he obviously jumped very well,” said Casey.
“He did what you’d hope he would do, with natural progression, today.
“Paul (Townend) was very happy and said he was comfortable everywhere.
“He’ll get further, that was two-five today and he’d have no issue getting a trip. He’s a good, relaxed horse and jumps very well. The boss will make a plan now.”
Karl Thornton had a double on the day as Don’t Talk took the Tote+ Pays You More At Tote.ie Handicap Hurdle at 9-2 and Mighty Oak Lad won the Fairyhouse Membership 2024 Handicap Hurdle at 7-2.
“That’s nice. There wasn’t much pace on, and he’s a good jumper, so Donagh (Meyler, jockey) lobbed away in front,” said Thornton of the latter performance.
“He said he made a mistake at the first in Thurles and his race was over, everything was happening a bit quick for him around there, as he’s a big old horse.
“I’d say he’s definitely suited by a bigger track. I’d say he’ll stay hurdling, we’ll give him a couple more runs and see if he can improve again.”
Of Don’t Talk, the trainer commented: “He did it well. Danny (Gilligan) gave him a good ride and everything was straightforward, he seemed to improve from the last day. We thought he had.
“They get caught eventually (by the handicapper) but he’s definitely improving and he jumps a fence well.
“The horses were sick all last year, we just tried to change things around a bit and everything seems healthy now. When they are healthy, you can make a plan, but when they aren’t, you can’t do anything.”
Teenage star Luke Littler is just two wins away from becoming world champion after continuing his amazing Alexandra Palace journey.
The 16-year-old has taken the World Championship by storm and became the youngest ever semi-finalist by beating Brendan Dolan 5-1 in the last eight.
It was a new year but the same brilliance from the precocious Littler, who is on the cusp of producing one of the greatest sporting stories of all time.
A semi-final against 2018 winner Rob Cross is next up before a likely meeting with Michael van Gerwen in the final, but Littler is a genuine contender to lift the Sid Waddell Trophy on Wednesday.
The debutant has already proven he is ready to compete on the biggest stage after taking out UK Open winner Andrew Gilding and his hero Raymond van Barneveld on his way to the last eight and he maintained that form against Dolan.
The Northern Irishman had beaten former world champions Gerwyn Price and Gary Anderson but could not live with Littler, who finished with an average of 101.93 to thrill his adoring fans inside Ally Pally.
This performance will only heighten Littler’s celebrity status. His exploits have already transcended the world of darts, with the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) coming under increasing pressure to hand him a place in the forthcoming Premier League.
He warmed up for his match by sharing a box at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with England international James Maddison to watch Spurs’ Premier League match with Bournemouth on Sunday, while he has had pictures and exchanged messages with a host of other top footballers.
But it is his darts that continue to do the talking and he was in complete command again on Monday.
Dolan took out 101 in the opening leg to break Littler’s throw, but from then on it was one-way traffic.
Littler went about his business in his usual manner and eased into a 4-0 lead.
A whitewash was on the cards, but Dolan took out 118 to finally get on the board.
It was just a stay of execution, though, as Littler came back to see out a memorable win.
Jungle Boogie proved the toughest of the field in taking the Savills New Year’s Day Chase for Henry de Bromhead at Tramore.
Six contested the Grade Three event run over two miles and seven furlongs on heavy ground and the winner was not especially popular as a 10-1 shot.
Under Darragh O’Keeffe the 10-year-old was headed two out, but as the race neared its conclusion stamina came to the fore and Jungle Boogie displayed plenty to rally and win by a length from Classic Getaway, the 2-5 favourite.
The win initiated a big-race double for the De Bromhead team, with Bob Olinger on the scoreboard in the Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham.
“He was very good. Henry said to jump out and make the running on him,” O’Keeffe said.
“He jumped very good bar the fence at the top of the hill the first time, he just got under it. I kind of gave him a squeeze and he kind of put down on me.
“Other than that he jumped really well and kept at it well. I’m delighted to win this race, especially after having three seconds earlier on.
“When I saw Danny (Mullins) coming to me, I thought ‘not again!’.
“Thankfully my lad rallied and got back going again. He wasn’t beaten that far the last day against the best of the two-milers in Ireland and he stayed on really well.
“For a horse that wants a trip, he travels really well. I’m delighted to get that with him now and I’m very grateful to connections for giving me the spin on him.
“I said to the lads afterwards that the track was plenty tight for him, as he is a big, big horse. Thankfully he got the job done and it’s a nice race to win.”
Joseph O’Brien’s Boldog was a convincing winner of the David Flynn Construction Maiden Hurdle at 5-1 under J J Slevin.
The six-year-old was a bumper winner for Stuart Crawford and got off the mark at the first opportunity for his new stable with a five-and-a-half-length win.
“Good performance, actually. He coped well with the ground, and his bumper runs were decent enough last year,” Slevin said.
“He’s going to be a staying horse. He was fine until halfway down the back when he took off.
“It was going to be hard for him to win doing that, but he stuck it out well. Joseph is having a great season with his jumpers, and it’s nice to have this one for Simon and Isaac (Munir and Souede, owners).
“Daryl (Jacob, retained rider) is in Cheltenham today so I’m lucky I got to step in.”
Bynx (6-1) took the Jimmy Shanahan Memorial Handicap Hurdle for Martin Hassett and Sean Flanagan in a three-and-a-half-length triumph.
“She’s been fierce unlucky. A few times things didn’t go our way, but, as I said to Sean, when in doubt, call on Flanagan. He gave her a masterclass. I know it looks simple but he got the fractions spot-on on that ground,” Hassett said.
“She’d probably win more but she’s hard on herself at home. When she comes racing, she switches off.”
Willie Mullins’ Stoke The Fire made light work of the Ryans Cleaning Services Maiden Hurdle under Danny Mullins as the 5-6 favourite.
A dual-purpose campaigner who was second on the Flat four times in a row last year, the five-year-old has been purchased by Middleham Park Racing and is their first runner with the champion trainer.
His hurdling bow was a great success as he crossed the line 15 lengths ahead of his nearest rival.
“We’ll stoke the fire tonight!” Mullins quipped in relation to the weather conditions.
“He did it well and jumps well for a Flat horse. I was very happy with how he handled that ground for a Flat horse as well. Hopefully it’ll be the start of something.
“It’s Middleham Racing’s first runner for us and I’m not sure where I’m going to go with him now, we’ll see. We’ll get home and plan something for him.
“He’ll probably mix it between hurdles and Flat racing.”
Jamaican-born UFC Welterweight Champion says plans are in motion for his to defend his belt at the UFC’s biggest event of 2024, UFC 300, in Las Vegas in April.
The reigning welterweight champion was in attendance for a match in Birmingham, England, between his club Aston Villa and Burnley on December 30 and he was brought on the field to address the fans at halftime.
During his brief interview, Edwards announced that he plans to fight at UFC 300 and then also defend his title again sometime this summer in Birmingham.
“I will defend my belt in April at UFC 300 in Vegas again, then hopefully in the summertime get a show back in Birmingham at Villa Park,” Edwards said.
“I’m in talks with the UFC, so hopefully we can get it done,” he added.
The UFC has announced several high-profile bouts for its milestone event on April 13, including Jiri Prochazka vs. Aleksandar Rakic and Aljamain Sterling vs. Calvin Kattar, but the lineup is still without a title fight.
It appears that an Edwards title defense could be in the works or, at the very least, that the champion is volunteering his services.
Edwards closed out 2023 with a unanimous decision win over Colby Covington at UFC 296 in December. It was Edwards’ second consecutive successful defense of the welterweight title and his 12th straight win (excluding one no-contest).
That one no-contest came against current #2 ranked welterweight, Belal Muhammad, who could very well be Edwards’ next opponent.
Since that fight three years ago, Muhammad has won five fights in a row. Overall, Muhammad’s record stands at 23-3 and he hasn’t lost a fight since 2019.
Bob Olinger was a Cheltenham winner once again when striking in the Dornan Engineering Relkeel Hurdle.
Under Rachael Blackmore he returned to the track at which he has enjoyed two Festival successes, in the 2021 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle and in the 2022 Turners Novices’ Chase.
Now reverted to hurdling after seeming to lose his way over fences, the Henry de Bromhead-trained bay was the 6-4 favourite for the Grade Two feature.
In a field of four each of the quartet still held a chance turning for home, but it was Bob Olinger who strode up the hill to secure an impressive seven-length win from market rival Marie’s Rock.
Nicky Henderson has warned Supreme Novices’ Hurdle favourite Jeriko Du Reponet needs another run before the Cheltenham Festival.
The JP McManus-owned gelding took his record under rules to two from two when winning in style at Newbury on Saturday.
However, despite being impressed by what he has seen so far from the high-class prospect, he will need to see the racecourse again before March, according to the Seven Barrows handler.
“Jeriko was fantastic, I thought he was special,” said Henderson.
“We rode a horse who is a real good galloper for speed and he actually beat speed horses. I thought he was fantastic. He waltzed away from them and he will gallop forever.
“He’ll have to have another run before Cheltenham and if he doesn’t run before then, he won’t run at Cheltenham.”
One option available is Haydock’s Sky Bet Supreme Trial Rossington Main Novices’ Hurdle, which Henderson won with Jonbon two seasons ago, while Kempton’s Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle could be another route to Prestbury Park available to the five-year-old.
Henderson added: “It’s not where I would like to go (Haydock) but there isn’t too much else. Kempton would be very close, so I don’t know – someone put a race on somewhere!”
Henderson is still coming to terms with Shishkin’s dramatic exit from the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day.
The multiple Grade One winner was going strongly in front when he slipped after jumping two out, unshipping Nico de Boinville.
“He’s got a very sore splint and I’m thinking we’re trying to hesitate a reason for doing what he did,” said Henderson.
“He gave himself a right whack on his off-fore, where a splint which was probably already there has become very sore. He’s not lame but very sore.
“If he clonked that in mid-air or whatever, he would have landed going ‘ahhhhhhh’. But you can’t land on one leg and pick the other one up.
“We’ve got the splint itself to settle down and the soreness will come out of it, but if you do touch it, he is very, very sore, the poor old boy.
“It just means I think I know what happened, but what does it matter what happened. He tripped over at the end of the day, why he did it doesn’t even matter.
“I have no idea where he will race next, we will let the dust settle, no one has even thought about it.”
Henderson also had news of Willmount, who lost his unbeaten record in the Challow Hurdle at Newbury.
The trainer said: “He’s fine. I don’t think it was the ground. There’s a few things we might check out before we decide what we do next, but it’s not an easy thing to check out on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, because the men you want to try to find these things out (are busy), unlike me last night, who was fast asleep.”
Shakem Up’Arry provided jockey Ben Jones with a first Cheltenham winner as he struck in the Paddy Power New Year’s Day Handicap Chase.
Ben Pauling’s 10-year-old – who is owned by former football manager Harry Redknapp – started at 11-2 as Paul Nicholls’ Stage Star was the most fancied of the field as the 11-10 favourite.
The latter horse carried the welter burden of 12st, however, and in the end it was Shakem Up’Arry and Venetia Williams’ Frero Banbou who pulled clear up the hill.
Pauling’s gelding pulled even further away after the last and secured a seven-and-a-half-length win on the line.
Paul Nicholls is planning on sending Bravemansgame straight to Cheltenham for his next outing and is backing him to be “competitive” again in the Gold Cup.
The nine-year-old was a game runner-up behind Galopin Des Champs in last season’s blue riband but has yet to get on the scoresheet this term.
After finishing second in the Charlie Chall at Wetherby and Haydock’s Betfair Chase, he filled the same position when trying to defend his King George crown at Kempton on Boxing Day.
Nicholls said: “He’ll go straight to Cheltenham and we’ll see how we get on. He’s got a mountain to climb; we know where he is, we know his level of form, but he’ll be competitive.”
There is still a chance that Bravemansgame could seek a confidence-boosting success in the Denman Chase at Newbury on February 10, but the direct route to Cheltenham is more likely.
“I’ve got to discuss it with (owner) Bryan Drew and it has crossed my mind, as Kauto Star and Denman always went and ran in that race, so we might,” admitted Nicholls.
“I’ve said he will go straight to Cheltenham, but I will discuss it with the guys to see what they want to do.”
Nicholls feels the departure of Shishkin after the penultimate fence in the King George counted against his charge, who was hampered by that incident before being passed late on by Hewick.
“I think it would have been very interesting between him and Shishkin if he had kept going,” said the champion trainer.
“I think they’d have jumped the last together and then it would have been an interesting race. But ‘if’ is a big word in racing, so we were just pleased with the way he ran.”
Nicholls is not making any firm plans for hot prospect Captain Teague, who gave him and jockey Harry Cobden a fourth straight victory in the Grade One Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury.
The Johnny de la Hey-owned gelding overcame continued signs of greenness to come through and beat Lookaway, following in the footsteps of past winners such as Denman, Bravemansgame, Stage Star and Hermes Allen.
“He’s come out of the race well and we’re obviously thrilled with him,” commented Nicholls.
“As Harry said, he idles a little bit in front and he’s still learning his job.
“I haven’t made any plans, Johnny has gone away and I’ll sit down and make a plan with him later on.”
Captain Teague figures prominently in the ante-post markets for the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle and the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham, although he is seen very much as a chaser in the making.
“Stay Away Fay won the Albert Bartlett on his third run of the season and he’s not unlike him in a lot of ways,” added the Ditcheat handler.
“Johnny might want to come to Cheltenham, go to Aintree or something else, but ultimately he’s a chaser and that’s what we got him for.
“Funnily enough, a lot of my horses that won the Challow, apart from Denman and Stage Star, they came to Cheltenham and all got beat before ending up chasing.
“He is a very interesting horse and I think there’s plenty to come from him, but as Harry said, he’s a baby and learning is what it’s all about.
“He’s a very nice horse for the future and if he turns out like all the other ones I’ve won the Challow with, we’ll be very happy.”
Nicky Henderson has given a ringing endorsement to James Bowen as he continues to deputise for the injured Nico de Boinville on the cream of the Seven Barrows string.
De Boinville suffered a broken collarbone in a fall at Doncaster on Friday, and although his experience will prove a loss for Henderson and his Lambourn operation, he has a “top-class” deputy waiting in the wings.
Fresh from riding his first Grade One winner aboard Henderson’s Jango Baie at Aintree on Boxing Day, Bowen picked up key rides at Newbury on Saturday for his boss, steering the high-class prospect Jeriko Du Reponet to a comfortable success.
Bowen partnered the opening winner on Cheltenham’s New Year’s Day card and afterwards Henderson said: “There has never been any doubt about James.
“We’re going to miss Nico but, funny enough, some horses will suit James and it works both ways.
“James is absolutely 100 per cent top class, we’ve always known that. Nico is there riding at his best and James is there backing him, but he’s a bit better than just a back-up.
“It’s great that when this happens you have a top man ready there to grab the reins.”
It is unknown how long De Boinville will be on the sidelines and he could miss steering the likes of Jonbon and Constitution Hill in their intended engagements over the next month.
However, Henderson has no doubt Bowen would be more than up to the task if his owners give the nod for the Welshman to deputise, pointing out his ice-cool temperament would help combat the pressure of linking up with some of racing’s best talent.
“You would have to talk to the owners and it would be their decision at the end of the day, but it wouldn’t be a worry from my point of view, put it like that,” continued Henderson.
“These are the things you have to learn about as well, and he’s stepping up into the big days. But he’s won Welsh Grand Nationals before and he’s as cool as they come.
“He was only 16 when he came to us and we’ve learnt a lot since then, he’s learnt to drive if nothing else.
“This is a fantastic family he comes from. The person I feel really sorry for at the moment is Sean (Bowen, brother) who has done so brilliantly and built up a lead (in the jockeys’ championship) and now it looks like he has thrown that lead away (with injury).
“They are a fantastic family and by god they can ride.”
Peaky Boy made a winning introduction to hurdles with an effortless success at Cheltenham.
The six-year-old was contesting the Favourite From The Sun Now Daily Maiden Hurdle on his first run for Nicky Henderson, his first hurdling start after winning a bumper and a point-to-point previously.
Under James Bowen he was the 13-8 favourite and made an impression with a straightforward five-length victory, earning a 33-1 quote for the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle back at Prestbury Park in March.
LeBron James said it had been a "rough" New Year's weekend after playing through illness as the Los Angeles Lakers suffered their second defeat in as many days on Sunday.
James played through flu-like symptoms as the Lakers suffered a contentious 108-106 defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday, being denied a potential game-tying three-pointer with 3.3 seconds remaining.
On New Year's Eve, the New Orleans Pelicans dropped Los Angeles to 17-17 with a comprehensive 129-109 success at Smoothie King Center, Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram posting 26 points apiece.
James scored a game-high 34 and former Pelican Anthony Davis had 20 points and 10 rebounds as the Lakers suffered a seventh loss in nine games, leaving the league's all-time leading scorer to reflect on a difficult few days.
"We have to figure it out and get better, for sure," James said. "We're not a team that likes to play from behind. We've been in that position a lot this year.
"The flight last night did not help, obviously. We didn't get to the hotel last night until 3:45 a.m., so, it was a rough day trying to recalibrate and get ready for the game.
"But I'm happy I was able to go out and just try to make some plays happen for my team."
A raucous New Orleans crowd was on its feet when Jose Alvarado made steals from both James and Davis during the second quarter, with his team up by 19 points at that stage.
The 25-year-old was delighted to give himself a highlight-reel moment against one of the all-time greats, saying: "LeBron, he's one of the greatest players to ever play this game and for me to be on the court, for me to get steals, for me to do anything… that's pretty amazing.
"When I get back to watch videos when I grow old, and they say that he is the best player to play this game, at least I got a video of him, with me getting a steal."
Patrick Neville is eyeing a return to Cheltenham for the Paddy Power Cotswold Chase with The Real Whacker following his creditable performance in the King George on Boxing Day.
The seven-year-old won each of his first three starts over fences last season, all at Cheltenham, including a narrow Festival success over Gerri Colombe in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.
Having begun the new season as a genuine Cheltenham Gold Cup contender, The Real Whacker was pulled up on his reappearance in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Prestbury Park in November, but was subsequently found to have suffered a minor injury.
Neville nevertheless decided to give his stable star a chance to prove himself at the highest level in the King George VI Chase – and while he never threatened to land a telling blow in the hands of Sam Twiston-Davies, he was doing his best work at the end and was not disgraced in finishing fourth.
In the immediate aftermath, the North Yorkshire-based trainer suggested The Real Whacker could head straight to the Gold Cup, but is now eyeing a final prep run back on his favourite track.
“He’s in great form and came out of it well. We didn’t have much luck in the race – things didn’t work out for us and we didn’t get a great break, but he jumped around and stayed on at the end,” said Neville.
“They went quick, but we didn’t get the break we wanted. It was just one of those things, but I liked the way he finished the race and he was only beaten 10 lengths in the end.”
Neville believes there is more improvement to come from The Real Whacker, adding: “It was his first run in Grade One open company and he’ll probably come on for it.
“I’m going to run him in the Cotswold Chase at the end of January. I just looked at the race and thought we’d give him one more run before the Gold Cup, as the experience will help him.”
The trainer did enjoy a notable victory on the King George undercard, with Mahons Glory dominating his rivals in the concluding handicap hurdle.
An ambitious tilt at the Stayers’ Hurdle was subsequently mooted, although plans for his next race are likely to be dictated by the handicapper’s assessment of his performance.
Neville said: “We were thrilled with him, it was great for the owners and great for the yard to get a winner on a big day like that.
“We’ll have to see what the handicapper does, but we have different options and we’ll study it and see where we go with him.
“He seems to be a lot better going right-handed, so we could go back to Kempton or Ascot. We’ll see what’s coming up there.”
Andy Murray’s preparations for the Australian Open suffered a setback following a frustrating first-round loss to second seed Grigor Dimitrov at the Brisbane International.
The unseeded Scot was on course to advance after taking the opening set of a tense battle between two former tournament champions on Pat Rafter Arena.
But Dimitrov hit back to progress 4-6 7-5 6-2 and inflict another early exit on Murray following his second-round victory when the pair met at last year’s US Open.
The world number 14 will face either Australian qualifier Li Tu or Germany’s Daniel Altmaier in round two.
Murray was playing his first competitive singles match since a first-round loss to Alex de Minaur at the Paris Masters in late October after a shoulder injury ruled him out of representing Great Britain in the Davis Cup finals.
The 36-year-old initially impressed during a tight encounter which remained on serve until he capitalised on an error-strewn 10th game from his opponent to clinch the opening set.
But Dimitrov calmly responded to force a decider by edging a more chaotic second set which ended with both players struggling to hold serve.
The Bulgarian’s efforts to level were aided by saving a crucial break point with a stunning baseline smash while playing with a broken string.
Three-time grand slam champion Murray was visibly annoyed by the momentum shift and offered little resistance in a relatively one-sided final set as Dimitrov won in just under two-and-a-half hours.
Victor Wembanyama and Gregg Popovich accepted the San Antonio Spurs had been unable to live with an NBA championship contender after Sunday's 134-101 blowout loss to the Boston Celtics.
The league-leading Celtics improved to 26-6 with a dominant performance to round off 2023 at Frost Bank Center, extending their winning streak to six games.
Boston never trailed at any point as Jayson Tatum led six visiting players in double figures with his 25-point haul, while Jaylen Brown added 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting.
Rookie Wembanyama had 21 points and seven rebounds for the hosts, but it was not enough to stop them sliding to 5-27 with a seventh defeat in the space of eight games.
While Wembanyama said the Celtics were simply too good on the night, he believes the Spurs will have learned something from the defeat.
"I can feel that compared to the past years, they have something extra this year," Wembanyama said of Joe Mazzulla's Celtics team.
"Of course, it’s difficult to play against them and it is a good challenge. But I think we learned today."
San Antonio coach Popovich concurred, saying: "They are a championship-calibre team, that's what they are out there for, that's their goal, and they proved it once again.
"Joe does a great job with them. They've got good talent, obviously, all-star talent; and they've got the grit.
"They've got the execution and are getting better all the time. That's a tough challenge at this particular time for our group."
Boston closed out the month of December with a 12-2 record and were able to rest their starters for much of the fourth quarter, having led by as many as 37 points at one stage.
"We got stops," Mazzulla said. "I thought we were really good at doing both, protecting the paint and getting out to contest, which allowed us to get out in transition.
"I think our secondary transition, we did a good job of recognising where the mismatch was and getting to it fast and playing together as a team through it."
Warren Foegele's career-high five-point night propelled the red-hot Edmonton Oilers to their fifth straight win, a 7-2 rout of the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday.
Foegele scored twice and assisted on goals from Ryan McLeod, Leon Draisaitl and Brett Kulak to help Edmonton close out a highly successful six-game road trip. After opening the trek with a loss to the New York Islanders, the Oilers outscored the opposition by a 24-10 margin during their current winning run.
Draisaitl added two assists and Calvin Pickard made 28 saves for Edmonton, which also got goals from Evander Kane and Zach Hyman.
Kane's wraparound goal with 2:38 left in the first period staked the Oilers to a 2-1 lead, and Edmonton scored three unanswered in the second to pull away. Drasaitl had the first of those goals 1:48 into the period before Foegele struck twice within a span of about 7 1/2 minutes.
Anaheim got one back in the third on Frank Vatrano's team-leading 17th goal of the season, but Hyman answered four minutes later before Kulak capped Edmonton's seven-goal night with 4:11 remaining.
McLeod opened the scoring 4:15 in before the Ducks tied it later in the first period when Max Jones slipped a rebound past Pickard.
John Gibson finished with 32 saves in Anaheim's fourth loss in five games.
Marchment has hat trick, assist in Stars' 8-1 drubbing of Blackhawks
Mason Marchment registered his second career hat trick and added an assist as the Dallas Stars rolled to an 8-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks to sweep the teams' two-game weekend series.
Dallas needed overtime to pull out a 5-4 victory over the Blackhawks on Friday, but had far less trouble in the rematch. Goals by Craig Smith, Ryan Suter and Tyler Seguin gave the Stars a 3-0 lead after one period and the Stars struck twice more in the second.
After Sam Steel ripped a backhand past Chicago goaltender Petr Mrazek 3:43 into the period, Marchment got his first of the night on a power play with 7:10 left in the second to increase the lead to 5-0.
Philipp Kurashev scored on a power play 39 seconds into the third period for Chicago's lone goal. Roope Hintz answered for Dallas just over four minutes later with his fourth goal in two games, however, and Marchment completed the hat trick with two goals in the final six minutes.
Seguin, Matt Duchene, Miro Heiskanen and Jason Robertson all had two assists in Dallas' fifth win in six games, while Scott Wedgewood finished with 23 saves.
Mrazek was pulled early in the third period after allowing six goals on 31 shots, with Arvid Soderblom stopping eight of 10 chances in relief.
Nedeljkovic, Eller spark surging Penguins' win over Islanders
The Pittsburgh Penguins stayed hot as well with their fifth win in six games, a 3-1 decision over the New York Islanders behind Alex Nedeljkovic's 37 saves and two goals from Lars Eller.
Nedeljkovic stopped 14 shots in the first period as Pittsburgh took a 1-0 lead into the intermission when Eller converted a feed from Jansen Harkins just 2:18 in.
Noel Acciari's goal 2:20 into the second extended the Penguins' advantage, though the Islanders got back in it when Samuel Bolduc scored unassisted with 6:09 left to play.
Nedeljkovic kept New York at bay the rest of the way, however, before Eller completed his first two-goal game since April 2022 with an empty-netter in the final minute.
The Islanders lost to Pittsburgh for the second time in five days despite a strong outing from goaltender Ilya Sorokin, who turned back 35 of 37 shots.
Former electrician Rob Cross turned off ‘The Power’ for what looked to be the final time as he denied the retiring Phil Taylor a 17th world title with a stunning 7-2 victory at Alexandra Palace on this day in 2018.
The then 57-year-old Taylor had aspirations of ending his illustrious career in fairytale fashion but would not have envisaged the kind of performance Cross was to produce in his maiden World Championship final.
Cross, without a Tour card 12 months previously, averaged a remarkable 107.67, hit 11 maximums and had a checkout percentage of 60 to end his first year as a professional on the PDC circuit in emphatic style.
He said: “I’ve won my first world title, but tonight is all about Phil Taylor. Everything he’s done for the game, I hope he enjoys his retirement.”
Cross went on to win the World Matchplay a year later and claimed the European titles in 2019 and 2021.
Taylor, the 16-time world champion, initially walked away from the sport in 2018 after losing this final but returned to competitive darts in 2022.
In November 2023 he confirmed the World Senior Darts Tour in 2024 would be his last year on the circuit.
He said: “I’ll always love performing to the best of my ability, but time waits for no man and I know now is the right time to step away from the Tour.
“It’s been an unbelievable journey over the past 35 years and I’ve loved every minute of it.
“I’m going to be working just as hard as I always have to make sure I give the fans what they want and go out on top.”
The Green Bay Packers took control of their own playoff destiny as they beat the Minnesota Vikings 33-10.
Jordan Love threw for three touchdowns and ran for another while Aaron Jones rushed for 120 yards as the Packers moved to 8-8 and ahead of the Seattle Seahawks in the race for the final NFC wildcard spot.
Victory over the Chicago Bears in their final game of the regular season will seal a playoff berth.
The Seahawks lost 30-23 to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who kept their playoff hopes alive courtesy of two touchdowns and 122 yards rushing from Najee Harris,
The Baltimore Ravens underlined their Super Bowl credentials with a crushing 56-19 victory over closest AFC conference rivals the Miami Dolphins.
The Ravens, Super Bowl winners in 2000 and 2012, secured top seeding from the AFC and will have a bye when the opening playoff matches take place.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was in imperious form as his team scored eight touchdowns, including two for tight end Isaiah Likely.
Top seeding in the NFC was confirmed for the San Francisco 49ers – for the first time since 2019 – following a 27-10 success against the Washington Commanders, but there were also a number of close encounters during the regular season’s penultimate round.
Six field goals from Harrison Butker kicked the Kansas City Chiefs to a 25-17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals as they clinched an eighth consecutive AFC West title.
But the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have to wait for a third straight NFC South crown as they went down 23-13 to the New Orleans Saints.
The two teams are tied at the top of the division heading into the final week of the regular season on 8-8. The Buccaneers will take the title with a win over the Carolina Panthers..
James Conner’s touchdown with just 32 seconds remaining saw the Arizona Cardinals shock the stuttering Philadelphia Eagles 35-31 after it looked as though Jake Elliott’s 43-yard field goal would be enough for the hosts, who had led 21-6 at the start of the second half.
The Indianapolis Colts, meanwhile, pipped the Las Vegas Raiders 23-20, and Josh Allen claimed two touchdowns as the Buffalo Bills edged out the New England Patriots 27-21.
It was even closer between the New York Giants and the Los Angeles Rams, with the Rams claiming a 26-25 verdict thanks to Kyren Williams’ trio of touchdowns.
Elsewhere, the Houston Texans defeated the Tennessee Titans 26-3, the Jacksonville Jaguars were 26-0 victors over the Carolina Panthers and the Chicago Bears brushed aside the Atlanta Falcons 37-17 while the Denver Broncos edged out the Los Angeles Chargers 16-9
Jacksonville, Indianapolis and Houston now all have 9-7 records in the AFC South, while Carolina’s loss means Chicago will own the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft for the second successive year.
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
