Chris Dobey overcame a scare from Ross Smith to win 4-2 at the World Darts Championships.
A back-and-forth contest that saw 27 maximums posted throughout started with Dobey taking the first set with a 116 checkout before continuing his ruthless run to clinch the second with an average of 122.
The world number 17 took the opening two legs in the third, but was unable to find the crucial doubles as Smith dragged himself back into the game to pull one back.
Smith drew level but another tight set saw Dobey edge ahead and he hit double 16 for the match to set up a meeting with reigning world champion Michael Smith in the last 16.
Another close contest saw Joe Cullen reach the next round with a 4-2 win over Ryan Searle.
Cullen breezed through the opening two sets but Searle found some rhythm to take the third.
“Heavy Metal” put up a fightback in the fourth, where a tight deciding leg saw him take advantage of Cullen’s missed double with a 124 finish on the bullseye to level the match.
A cagey set followed as “The Rockstar” edged to victory and another tight set followed, but Cullen managed to hit double top for the win.
Stephen Bunting produced a stunning performance to beat Florian Hempel 4-0.
An electric opening saw Bunting set the tone with two 180s in his opening leg before winning the next one, but an excellent 164 checkout spurred Hempel on as he took the next two legs.
With the first set level at 2-2, the “Bullet” took the decider with an average of 115.62 and from there the momentum was firmly with Bunting as he swept Hempel away with a whitewash, averaging 101.15 throughout.
Victory means Bunting will now face Michael van Gerwen in the last 16.
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Bantamweight (135 lbs.) Champion Aljamain Sterling will try his luck in a new division when he takes on Calvin Kattar in a featherweight (145 lbs.) contest at UFC 300 in Las Vegas on April 13.
The 34-year-old Sterling, born in New York to Jamaican parents, will be looking to rebound from losing his bantamweight title via second round TKO to Sean O’Malley at UFC 292 in Boston on August 19.
Before that fight, Sterling was unbeaten in nine fights since a 2017 loss to former title challenger, Brazilian Marlon Moraes.
In 2021, Sterling won the title in controversial fashion after UFC 259 opponent Petr Yan was disqualified after throwing an illegal knee.
A year later at UFC 273, Sterling successfully beat Yan in a rematch before producing two more successful title defenses over former champions TJ Dillashaw and Henry Cejudo at UFC 280 and 288, respectively.
His three successful title defenses are the most in the history of the UFC Bantamweight division.
UFC 300 marks the start of a new chapter of Sterling’s career with the move up to featherweight.
His opponent for the showpiece event, Calvin Kattar, is currently seventh on the UFC Featherweight rankings and is coming off a pair of losses to Josh Emmett (currently ranked #6) and Arnold Allen (currently ranked #4).
“I think this is going to be a banger fight,” Sterling said on his YouTube channel.
“I feel good about how everything’s been going. I’m loving the training right now. We’ve been able to add some new stuff to the game working on some technical things,” he added.
Sterling was usually able to use a wrestling-heavy style at bantamweight because of a size advantage over most of his opponents.
Most people would think that with a move up in weight, his style would change as well. Sterling says this will not be the case.
“My game is not going to change. I’m not going to change what got me to the show but it’s always good to evolve in case Calvin puts me in these situations where I’m forced to fight a certain way, we’ll be ready and that’s the most important thing,” he said.
As for the move up to featherweight, Sterling says he’s excited for the new chapter.
“I can’t wait. There are so many good fights, so many good guys. It’s going to be a dog pack to get through and, if I can get through this the same way I did at 35, that’s going to be a huge feather in my cap and something that I’m going to appreciate for the rest of my career and the rest of my life,” he said.
“It’s not easy changing weight classes. There’s a couple of things you have to get used to mentally. Coming from guys who are lighter where I kind of had my way in terms of grappling, it’s going to be interesting to see how this transition is going to pay off for me in the future,” Sterling added.
Galopin Des Champs returned to his brilliant best with a stunning display in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown.
Beaten by Fastorslow in his two races since winning the Gold Cup in March, his task was eased when that rival was declared a non-runner on account of the ground, but Willie Mullins’ seven-year-old still impressed with a wide-margin win.
Having raced a little lethargically on his comeback in the John Durkan Chase, he looked full of enthusiasm on this occasion.
With Conflated setting a generous gallop in front, Paul Townend was content to take a lead in second with Gerri Colombe, Gordon Elliott’s big hope, just in behind.
The order stayed pretty much the same throughout but Galopin Des Champs was making several lengths with his brilliant jumping on the way round.
Henry de Bromhead’s A Plus Tard, himself a previous Gold Cup winner, could not get on terms at any stage and Gerri Colombe was under pressure a long way from home.
Townend took a wide course coming off the final bend and with just the last fence standing between him and victory, Galopin Des Champs flew it before pulling further and further clear, with the 6-4 favourite winning by 23 lengths from Gerri Colombe.
Coral make Galopin Des Champs even money for a second Gold Cup in March, with Betfair and Paddy Power slightly bigger at 5-4.
Gaelic Warrior ran out a tremendous winner of the Guinness Faugheen Novice Chase at Limerick.
Racing in the famous pink and green Susannah and Rich Ricci colours that Faugheen sported throughout his illustrious career, he looks booked for the very top.
While in the past connections have hinted at a preference for going right-handed, the 4-7 favourite jumped as straight as an arrow on this occasion in the hands of Patrick Mullins.
The leading amateur also rode Faugheen to glory in the corresponding race in 2019, a highlight he still refers to as one of the best days of his career.
He will surely have never ridden an easier Grade One winner as, despite coming up against the smart American Mike, who had lowered the colours of subsequent impressive winner Fact To File last time out, and stablemate Il Etait Temps, a Grade One winner over hurdles, the five-year-old proved in a different league.
Gaelic Warrior’s only worry was when Danny Mullins attempted to sneak up the inner of his stablemate and cousin on the run to the second-last, but once he came out on top in the brief skirmish the race was over.
He crossed the line five and a half lengths clear without coming off the bridle and Willie Mullins will now have to decide which race he runs in at Cheltenham in March, with all options seemingly open trip-wise.
Perhaps tellingly, Betfair go only 7-1 for next year’s King George.
Irish Point announced himself as a major player in the staying division with an authoritative display in the Jack de Bromhead Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown.
Trained by Gordon Elliott, the five-year-old was a Grade One-winning novice at Aintree in the spring and returned to action this season with a victory over the useful mare Magical Zoe.
This represented a steep rise in grade, however, against last year’s winner Home By The Lee, Asterion Forlonge and Buddy One.
By the time Home By The Lee had cried enough on the turn for home, Jack Kennedy came looming up between horses on Irish Point, the heavily backed even-money favourite.
Asterion Forlonge was the only one to go with him but only briefly and Irish Point cruised to an 11-length success.
He runs in Brian Acheson’s Robcour colours, who already have one legitimate Stayers’ Hurdle contender in Teahupoo. Coral make the pair their 4-1 joint-favourites for the race in March.
“Jack said he would have done more in a piece of work at home,” said Elliott.
“He was very professional, settled and did everything great.
“You are always worried stepping up to three miles. It’s a nice race to win, we’ve a couple for that division now and it’s a good problem to have.
“We’ve a great bunch of horses and Jack said to me there that all I have to do now is to make sure to split them up.
“He could be a horse that we’d keep for Aintree, we’ll enjoy today and see what happens. The horse was very good and I thought it was a great performance.
“I thought he was so relaxed that he ticked all the boxes to stay, but you are always nervous until he does it.
“Jack said he actually thought halfway down the back that he was so relaxed, but he said when he gave him a squeeze he leapt straight back on it.”
Noel George has reaffirmed the intention to skip this season’s Cheltenham Festival with the very exciting Il Est Francais.
George trains in partnership with Amanda Zetterholm in France and their stable star waltzed away with the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.
Highly regarded types like Hermes Allen and Giovinco were left trailing in his wake as he made every yard of the running under James Reveley, but connections are to stick to their plan of aiming at the French Gold Cup, the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris, this spring rather than Cheltenham.
“He doesn’t have to front run, he’s very easy, he can sit in behind and pass horses but that’s just the speed he’s comfortable at going and the others aren’t comfortable. He’s just a dream horse and I think the sky is the limit with him,” George told Sky Sports Racing.
“He’s potentially the best chaser in the whole of France. He hasn’t stepped up in grade yet but we knew that he was very good.
“We thought about coming to Kempton a year ago and the horse had never even run over fences, but I think it was the right decision to wait and he’s shown everyone how good he is.
“It’s great for everyone involved to show that the top level in France is able to compete with the best level in England.
“The horse came back into training in July, ran in September and was near enough 100 per cent for the whole autumn. If we kept him in training to aim at Cheltenham and then get him back at 100 per cent for the French Gold Cup in May, that’s nearly a whole year having him in full training which I don’t think is the right thing to do.”
He went on: “We still need to discuss it but for me, I’d like to give him a break to make sure he is 100 per cent for a French Gold Cup.
“We’ve got loads of time with this horse, he’s only just turning six and for me, his next real target in England is the King George so there’s no rush, the sky is the limit.
“(Co-owners) Richard Kelvin-Hughes’ dream is to win a Cheltenham Gold Cup and Nicolas Lageneste’s dream is to win a French Gold Cup – if we can achieve both everyone would be very happy.”
Kevin Durant was relieved to play a leading role in ending the Phoenix Suns' three-game losing streak against the Houston Rockets.
He registered a career-high 16 assists to go with 27 points and 10 rebounds in his 18th career triple-double on Wednesday, giving the Suns a 129-113 win.
Durant shot 9 of 16 from the field and 3 of 7 from 3-point range as Phoenix snapped a three-game losing run with its first road victory since Nov. 26.
Eric Gordon also scored 27 points in his first game back in Houston since being traded in February. He had 17 points in the Suns' 43-point second quarter.
The Suns are back in action against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday and Durant is thrilled to go into a six-game homestand – their longest of the season – with a key road win behind them.
"It was amazing to get back on the winning side," he said.
"It sucks losing. Having a tough stretch in the NBA is one of the worst feelings you can have, regardless of how many games we play in a season."
Phoenix is 15-15 after winning just three of their last 10 games, putting them 10th in the Western Conference.
"Kevin just got into an aggressive mode to score or pass," added Suns coach Frank Vogel.
"Taking the ball in the backcourt, running a high volume of pick and rolls and just being aggressive. He really led us."
Devin Booker had 20 points for the Suns and there were 16 points from Grayson Allen.
Alperen Sengun had 24 points and Jalen Green added 23 for the Rockets, who have lost four of six following a five-game winning streak.
The Rockets fell to 15-14 after Gordon made his mark on his return to Houston, sinking seven 3-pointers.
"It was great to be back here – I had a lot of good memories and a lot of fun here and it was a major turning point in my career, coming to Houston," said Gordon.
Fact To File impressed on his second start over fences in the Ballymaloe Relish Rising Stars Beginners Chase at Leopardstown.
Second in the Champion Bumper in March, Willie Mullins elected to skip a season over hurdles and send him straight over fences, something he has done with a degree of success in the past with the likes of Florida Pearl.
However, he was beaten on his initial run over the bigger obstacles by Gordon Elliott’s American Mike and appeared to face some classy rivals this time in stablemate Minella Cocooner and Zanahiyr, both big-race winners over hurdles.
Galopin Des Champs and Gentlemansgame had won the corresponding race for the past two seasons and Fact To File went off the 4-6 favourite to follow in their footsteps, doing so with aplomb, beating Zanahiyr by 17 lengths under Mark Walsh.
“He has Cheltenham bumper form from last year. He looks like a chaser, he certainly looked like one there, so we decided to skip his novice hurdle year and just go straight chasing,” said Mullins.
“Today is the reason that I hoped we’d be right.
“He’s a horse I’ve loved since the first day he came into the stable. I think he could go the whole way, with a bit of luck – you need a lot of luck in this game.”
Mullins’ Jade De Grugy was cut to 14-1 from 33s for the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham following an impressive Irish debut in the Savills Maiden Hurdle.
Despite 16 runners, only two were ever involved, with Tom Cooper’s Butcher Hollow going with the eventual winner all the way to the second-last when her superiority took over and the 5-4 favourite pulled 15 lengths clear.
Paul Townend was on board and said: “She’s exciting, she did it nicely. I thought we built up down the back the second time and she stayed going well.
“She obviously stays well, the ground is testing there, and she has a lovely attitude. She jumped well and did everything nicely.
“I was going easy so I felt like I was dictating it a bit. I jumped one well down the back and Sean (Flanagan) came with me and pushed me from the last down the back from there home.”
Rachael Blackmore certainly earned her riding fee on Music Of Tara (7-2 favourite) who went two better than last year in the Irish Daily Star Handicap Hurdle.
Third behind Sam’s Choice 12 months ago, the Henry de Bromhead-trained mare was under pressure a long way from home but stayed on strongly to win by two lengths.
“I thought we were in trouble turning in, but she stayed on really well. She just doesn’t really travel, but she’s a really gutsy mare and Rachael was brilliant on her,” said De Bromhead.
“I’m delighted for the Achesons and the Shanahans (owners), it’s great to get it. We said we’d have a go at this and it’s nice when it works out.
“We might look at a Pertemps qualifier. She has to go left-handed, that’s one thing we have worked out.
“She looked all out turning in, but going to the last I thought by Rachael’s actions that she knew she had a fair chance.”
Gavin Cromwell’s Flooring Porter is backed to benefit from a return to a left-handed track when he lines up for the Neville Hotels Novice Chase at Leopardstown on Friday.
The eight-year-old is twice the winner of the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and started his chasing career earlier this season.
His debut over fences was a success at Cheltenham in October, where he beat Nigel Twiston-Davies’ Broadway Boy by two and half lengths to land a novice chase over three miles and half a furlong.
His next outing came at Punchestown in the Florida Pearl, where he drifted left around the right-handed track and was eventually inconvenienced by a loose horse in finishing third.
Cromwell expects Flooring Porter to be happier back on a left-handed track and is happy to put a line through that last run.
“He’s back going left-handed, he’s very well,” the trainer said.
“The ground is going to be very testing, but he should be fine on it and I’m looking forward to it.
“It was just one of the those races (Punchestown) to put a line through and forget about going into tomorrow.”
Meanwhile Broadway Boy has done a great deal to boost the form of his and Flooring Porter’s earlier encounter, winning twice more back at Cheltenham with two impressive performances.
Cromwell said of those runs: “I was glad to see him do so well, it makes it interesting for our horse.”
A key rival at Leopardstown will be the Emmet Mullins-trained Corbetts Cross, another horse with two chasing runs under his belt this term.
Third on debut at Naas behind Grangeclare West and Heart Wood, the chestnut was then the winner of a competitive beginners’ chase at Fairyhouse when beating Three Card Brag to get off to mark over the larger obstacles.
The six-year-old now steps up in trip and grade under Mark Walsh in the silks of owner JP McManus.
Frank Berry, racing manager to McManus, said: “He’s in good form and Emmet’s happy with him.
“He’s stepping up to three miles over fences and we hope that will suit him.
“He’ll have learnt a lot from that last run and hopefully will have come forward for it, we’re looking forward to seeing him run.”
The Willie Mullins-trained Grangeclare West comes into the race in winning form having not run since the Naas contest in which he beat Corbetts Cross.
Favori De Champdou, winner of the Florida Pearl, will represent Gordon Elliott and Noel Meade runs Flanking Maneuver in the same silks of Gigginstown House Stud.
The field is completed by Tullyhogue Fort, a seven-year-old who has been busy all through the summer and into the new season.
Daryl Jacob is extremely excited to be given the opportunity to ride Impaire Et Passe in the Matheson Hurdle at Leopardstown on Friday.
Only four are due to go to post in the two-mile Grade One, and three of those are trained by Willie Mullins.
It is an event Mullins has farmed in recent years – since 2010 he has won all bar three renewals, with Hurricane Fly and Sharjah winning four apiece.
Last year the champion trainer was successful with State Man and he lines up once more as the choice of Paul Townend.
That meant the ride on last year’s hugely impressive Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle winner Impaire Et Passe was free and as retained rider to owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede in the UK, Jacob was in pole position.
Impaire Et Passe lost his unbeaten record on his seasonal return in the Hatton’s Grace, and Mullins has taken the decision to drop him in trip to two miles. But Jacob feels the testing ground will make it more of a stamina test.
“I’m very much looking forward to riding him. He’s a very exciting horse for Simon and Isaac and everyone and this is another step on the ladder for him,” said Jacob.
“He’s racing over two miles for the first time in a while, but I’ve been in Ireland all week and there has been a lot of rain.
“The hurdle course on Wednesday went soft then heavy, but he has handled that sort of ground, he’s won over further and he has got speed.
“He’s a hugely exciting horse and I’m very grateful for the opportunity, I can’t wait to ride him.
“I rode him out on Thursday morning, he seems in really good form and I really don’t see the ground being an issue at all.”
Jacob has enjoyed a particularly fruitful spell of late and is operating at a strike-rate of over 40 per cent for the past two weeks, and he would love to top it off with a Grade One.
“I’ve had a nice few winners of late, but a Grade One win before the new year would be lovely,” he said.
Understandably given his choice, Townend feels State Man sets the standard given the only horse who has finished in front of him when he has completed since joining Mullins is Constitution Hill.
He told his Ladbrokes blog: “He seems to set the standard this side of the water. His only defeat was by Constitution Hill last year. It’s interesting he’s being taken on by Impaire Et Passe.
“I thought Impaire Et Passe ran with a lot of credit in the Hatton’s Grace in Fairyhouse. He has a run under his belt and State Man won the Morgiana.
“It’s a big test, but State Man played at the top table all last season and sets the standard. The pair are sure to make a good race of it.”
Mullins also runs the mare Echoes In Rain, while Gordon Elliott’s Fils D’oudairies is the only other contender.
A village resident has told of houses in states of “absolute disaster” after a “localised tornado” hurtled through a town in Greater Manchester.
Strong gusts whipped through Stalybridge, in Tameside, on Wednesday, damaging around 100 properties, according to the council.
No injuries were reported but many residents were forced to leave their homes.
Hayley McCaffer, who lives with her partner in the village of Carrbrook, told the PA news agency that they have been “fairly lucky” compared with some of their neighbours.
Ms McCaffer, 40, said: “Some of the neighbours’ houses are an absolute disaster – the roof missing, gable ends gone, cars squished with all the stone that’s come off the houses.
“Luckily for us, very luckily, we were in the pub last night when it happened.
“We weren’t here, but also we had parked our car there and looking at the state of our driveway – one of the walls has come down – we were very lucky that it wasn’t parked there because it would have not been in a good state today.”
She said she was alerted to the “tornado” by a phone call from her mother, who lives locally and whose roof was partially ripped off by winds before parts landed on her car.
Emergency services were cordoning off the area when Ms McCaffer and her partner arrived back at their home, and they allowed them to enter and collect some essentials.
“It was dark so we could see big piles of debris and people’s bits of houses missing,” she told PA.
She and her partner were “evacuated” and remain unsure when they will be able to get back into their home.
“But we were safe and that was the main thing,” she added.
“We’ve got insurance, hopefully that will be covered.
“And, you know, when things like this happen, there’s lots of people who are worse off than us, so we can’t really complain too much.”
Patricia Watkinson, who also lives in Carrbrook, was away in Norfolk when gusts swept through the village but was told by a neighbour that apart from a “dangling” aerial her home appears undamaged.
The 83-year-old told the PA news agency: “I’m glad I wasn’t there.
“My neighbour, she just rang me, and her shed is gone and the fence is gone. Hopefully, all that is wrong with mine is the aerial dangling.”
Michael Schumacher’s one-time rival Damon Hill has described the German’s plight as a “terrible tragedy” and a reminder to “treasure every day”.
On Friday, it will mark 10 years since Schumacher’s skiing accident in the French Alps where he hit his head on a rock and suffered a near-fatal brain injury.
Schumacher, now 54, has been kept out of public view ever since, with only a handful of visitors allowed inside the family home near Lake Geneva in Switzerland where he is receiving round-the-clock medical care.
The former Ferrari and Benetton driver claimed the first of his seven world championships following a controversial season finale in Adelaide in 1994 where he was accused of ramming Hill off the road.
Reflecting on Schumacher’s condition, Hill, 63, told the PA news agency: “It is a terrible tragedy. This is not how you want anyone to end up.
“It makes you treasure every day and be thankful for your good fortune. I think about his family. It is so hard for them.”
Updates regarding Schumacher’s health have been few and far between, and a representative for the family told PA that there are no plans to acknowledge the anniversary of his accident.
His wife Corinna, offered a rare insight on her husband’s state in a Netflix documentary in 2021.
“I miss Michael every day,” said Corinna, who has enforced a wall of secrecy to protect one of the biggest names in modern sporting times.
“But it is not just me who misses him. It’s the children, the family, his father, everyone around him. I mean, everybody misses Michael, but Michael is here.
“Different, but he’s here, and that gives us strength. We’re together. We live together at home. We do therapy. We do everything we can to make Michael better and to make sure he’s comfortable. And to simply make him feel our family, our bond.
“‘Private is private’, as he always said. It’s very important to me that he can continue to enjoy his private life as much as possible. Michael always protected us and now we are protecting Michael.”
Schumacher added to the two titles he won at Benetton with five championship triumphs for Ferrari at the turn of the century, posting a series of records many viewed as untouchable.
Lewis Hamilton has since matched Schumacher’s collection of titles and surpassed his 91 wins. Hamilton, 38, who is contracted to drive for Mercedes until the end of 2025, has 103 victories.
Schumacher’s son, Mick, is currently a reserve driver for Hamilton’s Mercedes team having spent two seasons with Haas before he was dropped at the end of last year.
Cheltenham and Newbury are two possible ports of call for Shishkin following his following his luckless run in the King George VI Chase at Kempton.
The nine-year-old was leading the field after jumping the penultimate fence in the Boxing Day highlight, only to stumble a couple of strides after the obstacle and unseat Nico de Boinville.
That was Shishkin’s first run of the campaign after he refused to start at Ascot in November and trainer Nicky Henderson felt he would have been staying on all the way to the line were it not for his mishap.
He said: “Shishkin is fine. I was a bit concerned that he might have hit something and occurred some damage but he doesn’t appear to have done so I’m 100 per cent happy on that front. It was just one of those things I guess.
“I’m not going to say he would have won, but the consensus of opinion is that he probably would have done as he wasn’t stopping.
“He was really coming up at every fence, and he seemed to be travelling well. I’m pretty sure he would have kept on galloping as he galloped all the way to the line at Aintree.
“Our biggest concern was that he hadn’t had a run. When he has not had a run he controls us, but we are now in control as he has got that run under his belt and he will be a much easier horse to train.”
Shishkin was having just his second start at three miles at Kempton, having previously delivered eight chase victories up to two miles and five furlongs, including the 2021 Arkle, the 2022 Clarence House Chase and the 2023 Ascot Chase.
Henderson switched Shishkin to three miles and a furlong for the Aintree Bowl back in April and he has the Paddy Power Cotswold Chase (January 27) and the Betfair Denman Chase (February 10) over staying trips on his mind.
The trainer said: “I don’t know what to do at the moment and we are just mulling it over. I don’t think we will come back in trip for the Ascot Chase, even though he did win that last year.
“You have got the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham and the Denman Chase at Newbury and they are the only two real possibilities for him before the Gold Cup.
“It will either be one of them, or none of them, but what he needs is experience and a nice clear round.”
While Shishkin was out of luck at Kempton, Jango Baie ensured the team did secure Grade One glory in the Formby Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree.
Previously run as the Tolworth at Sandown in January, the rescheduled and renamed contest produced a fine finish as Jango Baie held off Favour And Fortune by just under three lengths in the hands of James Bowen.
Henderson could now look to edge up in distance from an extended two miles with the four-year-old, as the trainer has strength in depth in the novice hurdle sphere with the likes of Jeriko Du Reponet and Willmount taking high order.
“It was great for James Bowen to get his first Grade One as he is a big part of the team here at Seven Barrows. He deserved it and so did the horse, while it was great to get a Grade One for his connections,” said Henderson.
“I’d like to see him run over a little bit further as I’m not sure that trip was far enough for him at Aintree.
“I’ve got a couple of other nice prospects to run this weekend, so we will see what they do then we will make a plan.”
Fastorslow will miss the Savills Chase at Leopardstown due to the testing ground.
Martin Brassil’s charge was due to clash with fellow staying heavyweights Galopin Des Champs and Gerri Colombe in a blockbuster renewal of the extended three-mile contest.
However, after 11 millimetres of rain in the last 24 hours, the ground at Leopardstown is now described as soft, soft to heavy in places – prompting Brassil to rethink running plans.
Fastorslow would have been meeting Galopin Des Champs for a third successive start, having beaten him in both the Punchestown Gold Cup at the end of last season and in last month’s John Durkan Chase on the pair’s respective seasonal bows.
Cameron Norrie is raring to go for the new season as he looks to put burn-out and a disappointing run of form behind him.
The British number one slipped from eighth in the rankings last October to 18th at the end of the 2023 season, losing nine of his last 11 matches.
Norrie started the year in fine fashion, beating Rafael Nadal, Taylor Fritz and Alex De Minaur at the United Cup before winning his fifth ATP Tour title in Rio, defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the final.
View this post on InstagramBut that good form tailed off dramatically, and Norrie told the PA news agency: “It was still a great year but I was disappointed with the end of it.
“I played well in South America then I lost a lot of close matches towards the end of the year and the confidence dropped a little bit. I think that’s tennis. You drop slightly and that’s the difference between being ranked eight and being ranked 18. But I can’t wait for next season.
“I was winning every big match at the beginning of the year – every three-setter, every tough moment I was coming through and I was doing the right thing. It’s a good lesson there to hold onto that confidence and don’t take it for granted.”
Norrie, who is an ambassador for Lexus, is justifiably proud of the work ethic and dedication that has been a huge part of his rise to the top of the game.
But he also acknowledges that his efforts took their toll at the end of the season, with the 28-year-old taking two weeks off after a second-round defeat to Alexander Zverev in Vienna in October before returning for the Davis Cup Finals last month.
Norrie’s loss to Novak Djokovic ended Great Britain’s campaign in the quarter-finals but it was a performance that offered him encouragement for 2024.
“Next year for sure I’m going to look at the schedule and maybe take one or two weeks to really give myself another week’s rest or another week’s preparation to play well at the biggest tournaments,” said Norrie, who has added Australian Stephen Huss to his coaching team.
“It’s a tough one because you never know when you’re going to be burned out, what you can take. We played quite a lot but I was ready for every single week. I think I played more matches than anyone else in the last three years on tour.
View this post on Instagram“That can add up but I was feeling pretty good throughout the whole year and just a little bit towards the end when I was in Asia I think it just caught up with me a little bit and I just needed a small break. I took two weeks off and I came back and I was so pumped to hit the ball, so clear what to do.”
Norrie has been training at his home in Monte-Carlo, including trekking into the mountains with fitness trainer Vasek Jursik, and will begin his 2024 season on Friday when he teams up with Katie Boulter at the United Cup in Perth, where Britain will take on hosts Australia and the USA.
Reaching the top 10 may already have exceeded most people’s expectations for him but Norrie certainly does not believe he has peaked yet and, with Novak Djokovic turning 37 in May, he hopes he can be one of the players to take advantage of a forthcoming new era in the sport.
He said: “I want to win big tournaments. I just need to look at how to prepare for those, and I need to be playing my best for those.
“I need to stay very patient with myself. My team’s been excellent, I’ve got all the tools, so it’s just about preparing as well as I can and be ready to play well in the weeks where I have opportunities.
“There’s always going to be guys dominating, maybe (Carlos) Alcaraz, possibly (Jannik) Sinner, so there’s always going to be those top guys to beat, but it’s definitely an exciting time in the history of tennis and nice for me to be playing in it.
“I don’t see any reason why (I can’t be a contender). I’ve had wins over Alcaraz and some other top players. Everyone’s improving so it just gets tougher but I’m feeling good.”
Kris Letang became the first defenseman in NHL history with five points in a period and finished with six assists as the Pittsburgh Penguins pounded the New York Islanders, 7-0 on Wednesday.
Jake Guentzel and Evgeni Malkin each scored twice and Tristan Jarry stopped 21 shots for his fourth shutout of the season as Pittsburgh stretched its point streak to four games (3-0-1).
Letang assisted on the final five of the Penguins’ six second-period goals to become the first player of any position in franchise history with five points in a period.
He is the seventh defenseman in league history with six assists in a game and the first since Calgary’s Gary Suter on April 4, 1986.
Pittsburgh scored six goals in a single period on the road for the first time since March 21, 2000, also against the Islanders.
Ilya Sorokin stopped 19 of 25 shots over the first two periods before he was replaced by Semyon Varlamov.
New York had a nine-game home point streak (6-0-3) snapped.
MacKinnon extends point streak but Coyotes rally
Nathan MacKinnon extended his point streak to 19 games, but the Arizona Coyotes overcame a 4-goal deficit and beat the Colorado Avalanche 5-4 on Jack McBain’s goal with 20 seconds left in overtime.
MacKinnon’s 19th goal with 6:34 left in the second period pushed Colorado’s lead to 4-0 but Lawson Crouse began Arizona’s comeback just over three minutes later.
Michael Kesselring and Jason Zucker scored in the third period before Sean Durzi netted the equaliser with 2:07 left in regulation.
MacKinnon’s streak is one short of the franchise record set by Paul Stastny in 2006-07. MacKinnon has an NHL-high 27 points in December, a career high for a month.
The Coyotes have won five of six following a four-game skid.
Surging Wild defeat Red Wings
Ryan Hartman and Marcus Foligno scored 52 seconds apart in the third period and the Minnesota Wild tallied four times in the frame in a 6-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings.
Marcus Johansson scored twice and Kirill Kaprizov extended his goal streak to four games for Minnesota, which has won four straight and seven of eight. The Wild improved to 11-3-0 since John Hynes took over behind the bench – including seven consecutive home wins.
Patrick Kane scored for the fourth straight game as Detroit lost for the sixth time in seven games.
Kevin Durant registered a career-high 16 assists to go with 27 points and 10 rebounds in his 18th career triple-double on Wednesday, leading the Phoenix Suns to a 129-113 win over the Houston Rockets.
Durant shot 9 of 16 from the field and 3 of 7 from 3-point range as Phoenix snapped a three-game losing streak with it first road victory since Nov. 26.
Eric Gordon also scored 27 points in his first game back in Houston since being traded in February. He had 17 points in the Suns’ 43-point second quarter.
Alperen Sengun had 24 points and Jalen Green added 23 for the Rockets, who have lost four of six following a five-game winning streak.
Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams help Thunder win
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams scored 36 points apiece and Williams sank a pair of key 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to lift the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 129-120 victory over the New York Knicks.
Chet Holmgren added 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting as the Thunder followed Tuesday’s triumph over Western Conference-leading Minnesota with their fifth win in six games.
Williams scored 17 points on 6 of 7 from the field in the fourth quarter, including eight points and two 3s during a 10-2 run after the Knicks cut their deficit to five with 4:37 remaining.
Julius Randle had 25 points and Jalen Brunson added 24 for New York, which had won three of four.
Antetokounmpo, Bucks handle undermanned Nets
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 32 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists and the Milwaukee Bucks pulled away for a 144-122 win over the short-handed Brooklyn Nets.
Khris Middleton added 27 points and 10 boards and Cameron Payne and Malik Beasley each hit five 3-pointers as the Bucks improved to 10-2 this month.
Milwaukee shot 23 of 51 from 3-point range and 58.4 percent (52 for 89) overall to bounce back from a Christmas Day loss to the Knicks.
The Nets rested three starters (Spencer Dinwiddie, Nic Claxton and Cam Johnson) and barely played two others one night after a victory in Detroit extended the Pistons’ losing streak an NBA-record 27.
Michael Van Gerwen wants to be the name on everyone’s lips as he continued his search for a fourth World Championship crown.
The Dutchman, who has not won at the Alexandra Palace since 2019, eased through to the fourth round with a 4-0 win over Richard Veenstra.
But for once, Van Gerwen had not been the one people had been talking about as 16-year-old Luke Littler stole the headlines after taking the tournament by storm with a sensational performance to destroy Matt Campbell 4-1 in the last 32.
And he was keen for some of the limelight.
“I wish everyone gives me attention because when you get attention it is a pleasure, it is something good,” he said.
“When they talk about you it is a good sign, it means you still mean something to the sport.”
He eased past his compatriot Veenstra and said there was more to come.
“I think there is more to get, I feel comfortable and I feel good and I am looking forward,” he added.
“I was pleased, with the way I played it gave me confidence, that is the way you want to do things. I did what I had to do.”
Defending champion Michael Smith had to work much harder to beat Madars Razma.
‘Bully Boy’ is not performing anywhere near the standard that saw him win a maiden title last year but he did enough to get past Razma 4-1.
“It wasn’t the best performance but I managed to battle on and get over the line in the end,” Smith said.
Scott Williams earlier courted controversy after joking about England winning “two World Wars and one World Cup” following his third-round win over German Martin Schindler.
Williams won a final-set decider to advance 4-3 before making the heavy-handed remark in his post-match interview on Sky Sports.
The match was played in a raucous atmosphere at Alexandra Palace where Williams had most of the support from a partisan crowd, though there was also a German contingent.
Speaking to Sky Sports after his win, Williams said: “What a game! I’m so happy to get to the other side as the winner as well.
“Martin brought the fight and I wasn’t expecting to go all the way to sudden death as well. I’m knackered, I’m absolutely knackered.
“I’ve never had the crowd on my side like that. I know we won two World Wars and one World Cup. The German fans here were huge as well.”
Meanwhile, Rob Cross showed he could be a contender for a second crown after battling into the last 16.
Cross has struggled to hit the heights since his memorable title win on debut in 2018, but enjoyed his best season in 2023 coming into the Alexandra Palace tournament.
He was made to work hard for a 4-2 victory over Jeffrey De Graaf, with the former electrician sparking into life in the final set with an average of 116.
Dave Chisnall’s victory over Gabriel Clemens was more straightforward, as he won 4-1.
A teary Luke Littler is daring to dream after he became the youngest player to reach the fourth round of the World Championship.
The 16-year-old has taken the Alexandra Palace tournament by storm and wowed an adoring crowd with a sensational performance to destroy Matt Campbell 4-1 in the last 32.
Littler, who won the World Youth Championship in November, will pocket a guaranteed £35,000 but will have his sights on lifting the Sid Waddell Trophy in what would be one of the greatest ever sporting stories.
He was emotional when hugging his mum after the game having kept his dream alive.
He said: “I started crying when I saw my mum in the crowd. She was nervous. I said to her, ‘The dream continues’. She said the same thing.”
Littler could meet his hero Raymond van Barneveld in the last 16 if the Dutchman can beat Jim Williams on Friday, but for now the teenager will treat himself to a shopping spree on Thursday.
“I will stay in the hotel, chill out tomorrow, treat myself to more shoes and pants, chill out and see who I play in the next round,” he said.
“It’s an overall good performance, it’s not like the first round. I’ve said I could win with the lowest average of the tournament, I’m just happy to get through.
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“I’ve got nothing to lose for myself, I’ve over-achieved again. Now I can just settle.
“My game is there (to win it) but I can settle even more, Jim or Raymond next, I’m just happy.
“If Raymond does beat Jim it would be unbelievable to play him and then win or lose against either of them I’m still happy to come out of the Worlds at the last 16, but I would love to go a few more games in.”
It is going to take something special to stop Littler as he is producing form which defies his tender age.
He averaged 97.19, threw eight 180s and produced three 100-plus checkouts, including a majestic 164 in the fifth set.
After disposing of Christian Kist and UK Open champion Andrew Gilding, the teenager returned home for Christmas where he sacrificed time on his Xbox after dinner for a practice session on the board.
And that paid dividends as he made an electric start, winning the first six legs to roar into a 2-0 lead.
Campbell, who returned home to Canada over the festive period before arriving back in the UK on Boxing Day, looked to have a foothold in the third set as he took the first two legs, but a relentless Littler reeled off the next three to move 3-0 up.
He had a match dart to seal a 4-0 whitewash but suffered a rare bout of inaccuracy, which allowed Campbell to get on the board.
Littler hit back in the fifth set, though, hitting two 100-plus checkouts on his way to sealing a famous win.
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