Last year’s winner Into Overdrive is on course to make his seasonal reappearance in the William Hill Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase at Wetherby on Boxing Day.

Mark Walford’s staying chaser lined up in the West Yorkshire track’s traditional festive feature as a leading contender 12 months ago, having already won at Wetherby in the autumn before pushing top-class stayer L’Homme Presse close in the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle.

Into Overdrive was disappointingly pulled up when well fancied for the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March and while he has not been seen in competitive action since, Walford is pleased with his condition ahead of his belated return.

He said: “A few of our horses haven’t been quite firing and he’d have been on that list, but they seem to be coming right now and he seems in good nick.

“We haven’t actually missed anything as a race at Wetherby we would have run him in was off and then the Rehearsal was off as well. They were the two races we’d have gone for and they were abandoned anyway.

“He seems in good form, Jamie (Hamilton) schooled him on Tuesday and it went well, so we’re hoping for a decent run next week.

“There’s plenty of races coming up for him in the new year and we’re looking forward to getting him out. It will be a big ask for him to win first time out in a race like this, but he’s a decent horse and I think we’ve got him in good nick.”

Into Overdrive is one of 16 entries for the Rowland Meyrick, with Sandy Thomson’s Empire Steel, Dan Skelton’s Ashtown Lad and the Nicky Richards-trained pair of Houston Texas and Famous Bridge among his potential rivals.

Anthony Davis knows there is "no help coming" for the Los Angeles Lakers, who must find a way to overturn their poor form.

The Lakers have won just one of their five games since they beat the Indiana Pacers to claim the inaugural NBA in-season tournament trophy in Las Vegas earlier this month.

Their latest defeat came on Wednesday at the hands of the Chicago Bulls, with DeMar DeRozan leading his team to a 124-108 triumph.

LeBron James had 25 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, but it was not enough as the Lakers slumped to a third straight loss.

"We all hate losing," said Davis, who finished with 19 points and 14 rebounds.

"There's no break coming. No help coming. There's no cavalry. We've got to do it within this locker room.

"We've got everyone back now. We've just got to find a way to get in the win column."

Without injured All-Star Zach LaVine, it was another accomplished display from the Bulls, who had a poor start to the campaign but are now hitting form.

"We were going through it," said DeRozan, who scored 27 points, adding seven rebounds and nine assists.

"Sometimes you've got to go through it so you can find a different type of motivation that you can come together with. The best relationships come out of that."

The Bulls are 7-3 in LaVine's absence due to right foot inflammation, though coach Billy Donovan still wants his talisman back healthy as soon as possible.

"Anytime you lose a really, really great player, and a talented, gifted player like Zach, it always hurts you. I'm certainly hopeful when he gets himself healthy he can get back to where he was," he said.

"I think with what he was dealing with his foot for a long period of time, I'm not so sure that he was ever right."

While the Lakers endure a skid, their city rivals the Los Angeles Clippers maintained their league-best form.

The Clippers extended their winning run to nine games as Kawhi Leonard's 30 points lifted them to a 120-111 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

Luka Doncic recorded his sixth triple-double of the season but it was not enough for the Mavs, who fell foul of another fine Clippers display.

"It's going to take time for them to find the rhythm, find the continuity, find the chemistry," said Norman Powell, who scored 21 points off the Clippers' bench.

"It's no summer league, summertime pickup basketball where you're doing whatever you want.

"There's a system in place, and everybody's got to figure out their role and how it goes."

Gavin Sheehan is set to partner Hewick for the first time in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

Trainer Shark Hanlon was on the lookout for a new rider for his stable star, with his regular partner Jordan Gainford sidelined by injury.

Rachael Blackmore stepped in to steer the eight-year-old to victory in the Grade Two Oaksey Chase at Sandown in the spring, but is set to be in action at Leopardstown over the Christmas period, while Brian Hughes was on board Hewick on his latest outing in the Galway Plate but is also unavailable.

Hanlon has therefore turned to one of the most in-form jockeys in the weighing room in Sheehan, who won last month’s Coral Gold Cup at Newbury on Datsalrightgino and last week produced a similarly brilliant ride when guiding Fugitif to a last-gasp victory in the December Gold Cup at Cheltenham.

“We’re just after sorting it this (Thursday) morning – Gavin Sheehan is going to ride,” said Hanlon.

“I know he had the chance of a good book of rides somewhere else, so I wasn’t sure if he’d ride him or not, but he came back this morning and said ‘the horse has as good a chance as any other horse in the race and I’d love to ride him’, which is great.

“He’s a jockey in great form, he knows the track and he knows the English horses, so it’s great to have him on board.”

Hewick has enjoyed a fairytale rise through the ranks, winning the bet365 Gold Cup, the Galway Plate and the American Grand National during a whirlwind 2022 campaign.

He was well beaten when last seen in action defending his Galway Plate crown in August, but Hanlon is delighted with his condition ahead of his festive return.

He added: “He went to the local point-to-point track this morning as the ground is beautiful and he jumped 12 fences. All the work is done, I just need to get him there now.

“I’ve been on to the shipping crew, who tell me the winds are due to die down on Friday night, so we’re booked on the boat on Saturday morning.

“He’s in right good form. It’s his first run of the season, which you’re always afraid of, but he runs well fresh so fingers crossed.

“Allaho is the one they all have to beat. It looks like there’s a few in there that like to make the running – I’d say there’ll be savage pace in it – but the great thing about our horse is we can ride him however we want.”

Sixteen-year-old Luke Littler marked his PDC World Championship debut with a 3-0 victory against experienced Dutchman Christian Kist at Alexandra Palace.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at five things you may not know about dart’s teenage sensation ‘The Nuke’, who turns 17 next month.

Sweet 16

Littler was born in Runcorn, Cheshire, on January 21, 2007 and began playing darts aged nine. He won the England Youth Grand Prix in 2019 and began to rack up tournament wins. He became England Youth Open champion in 2021 and won his first senior title at the Irish Open later that year. In 2022 he won the Welsh Open and this year notched further senior titles at the Isle of Man Classic, Gibraltar Open, British Open and British Classic.

Bookies take heed

After his impressive victory on the biggest stage against Kist on Wednesday night – Littler hit seven 180s and averaged 106.12 – the teenager spoke of his pride at making the highest average on debut at the PDC World Championship. He made 50 per cent of his doubles during an electric display that has seen his odds to lift the Sid Waddell Trophy slashed to 14-1, making him seventh favourite.

‘You’ve got school in the morning’

During Littler’s stunning win against Kist, a full house at at Alexandra Palace erupted into a chorus of ‘You’ve got school in the morning’ and the Warrington-based teenager responded by pumping his chest as he revelled in the atmosphere. His performance was not, however, a complete shock. His breakthrough year in 2023, in which he also won the Gibraltar Open and the PDC World Youth Championship, saw him installed as heavy 3-10 favourite to beat Kist.

‘Everybody Take a Shot’

Littler’s walk-on music at Alexandra Palace is Greenlight by American rapper Pitbull and features the lyrics “Red light, green light, everybody take a shot. Red light, green light, give me everything you got”. It was released in 2016 as the second single off Pitbull’s 10th studio album Climate Change and the video, filmed in Miami, has over 99 million views on YouTube.

Favourite to progress

Next up for the darts prodigy is a second-round clash at Alexandra Palace on Thursday night against 53-year-old Andrew Gilding, from Ipswich. Gilding won the Cazoo UK Open in Minehead earlier this year when he beat Michael van Gerwen 11–10 in a last-leg decider and is currently 20th in the PDC rankings, but despite Gilding’s obvious experience advantage, Littler is 1-4 favourite to progress through to the third round.

Tyrese Maxey warned the Philadelphia 76ers must not take Joel Embiid for granted after the NBA MVP's superb showing against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Embiid scored a season-high 51 points and added 12 rebounds as the 76ers won for the seventh time in eight games by casting aside the Western Conference leaders 127-113 on Tuesday.

It is the 12th straight game that Embiid has had at least 30 points and 10 rebounds. It is the longest such streak in the NBA since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar went on a 16-game run for the Milwaukee Bucks back in 1971-72.

The only other players to have 12 or more games of 30-10 in league history besides Embiid and Abdul-Jabbar are Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor and Walt Bellamy.

Maxey, who scored 15 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter, knows the Sixers must not be overly reliant on their talisman.

"I tell everybody, I try not to take it for granted – he does it every night, so consistently, that it's hard not to," Maxey said of Embiid.

"But we expect it of him, he knows we expect it of him. He goes out and performs every single night."

Sixers coach Nick Nurse added: "[Embiid's] continuing to get better and he's just doing enough different things rhythmically to keep those guys guessing. 

"He has a feel that if guys step into him, he can get them. And I like when he goes downhill."

As for Embiid, he has no interest in statistics and records unless he is on a winning team.

"We're winning and that's all that matters," he said.

"Stats are great and it's great to put up stats. But if it comes with a loss, then that's a different story. If it comes with a win, it means a lot.

"That's one of the best teams in the league, the best team in the West. We had to get them back. We had some rough patches but kept pushing and got the win."

Maxey, meanwhile, is grateful for the belief Embiid is showing in him.

"He puts the responsibility on me because he believes in me, and I'm glad to just put in the work and try to help him as much as I possibly can, it's been great," he said.

Gabe Vilardi continued his hot hand with a goal and two assists and the Winnipeg Jets defeated the Detroit Red Wings 5-2 on Wednesday to take over sole possession of the Central Division lead.

Axel Jonnson-Fjallby and Nikolaj Ehlers each had a goal and an assist to help the Jets win for the seventh time in nine games (7-1-1).

Vilardi has goals in four straight games with five goals and five assists during that span.

Patrick Kane and Olli Maata scored for the Red Wings, losers of a season-high four straight and six of seven.

Strome lifts Capitals over Islanders in OT

Dylan Strome scored his team-leading 13th goal on a power play 1:41 into overtime to lift the Washington Capitals to a 3-2 win over the visiting New York Islanders.

Hendrix Lapierre scored and assisted on Joel Edmundson’s first goal of the season to give the Capitals a second straight victory.

Hudson Fasching and captain Anders Lee had goals for New York, which moved to 10-2-6 in its last 18 games.

Daccord stars as Kraken edge Kings

Joey Daccord made 21 of his career-high 43 saves in the first period and the Seattle Kraken held on for a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings.

Daccord was perfect until allowing Blake Lizotte's goal 8 minutes into the third period. He surpassed his previous career-high save total of 42, set on Oct. 26 at Carolina. 

Brandon Tanev and Jordan Eberle scored for Seattle, which has points in five straight (3-0-2) following an eight-game losing streak.

Cam Talbot made 28 saves as the Kings dropped to 5-6-3 at home compared to a league-best 13-1-1 road record.

Joel Embiid continued his torrid stretch with a season-high 51 points and 12 rebounds and the Philadelphia 76ers bounced back with a 127-113 victory over the Western Conference-leading Minnesota Timberwolves.

Embiid notched his 12th straight game with at least 30 points and 10-plus rebounds for the NBA’s longest such streak since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 16-game run for the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971-72.

The only other players to have 12 or more games of 30-10 in league history besides Embiid and Abdul-Jabbar are Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor and Walt Bellamy.

Embiid is averaging a whopping 41.4 points on 61.5 percent shooting and 12.9 rebounds in his last eight games.

Tyrese Maxey scored 15 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter, most of those coming during a five-minute stretch at the start of the period when Embiid was on the bench.

Philadelphia won for the seventh time in eight games, bouncing back from a 108-104 loss to Chicago on Monday.

Anthony Edwards had 27 points and Karl-Anthony Towns added 21 for Minnesota, which began the day with the league’s best record.

Clippers defeat Mavericks for 9th straight win

Kawhi Leonard scored 30 points and the Los Angeles Clippers held off the Dallas Mavericks, 120-111 for their ninth consecutive win.

Normal Powell had 21 points off the bench and James Harden had 17 and 11 assists for the Clippers, who nearly blew a 22-point lead before holding on for their longest winning streak since a 10-game run in 2015-16.

Amir Coffey scored 12 points in his second start of the season in place of Paul George, who sat out with an illness.

Luka Dončić’s franchise record of 11 consecutive games with at least 30 points ended with 28. He recorded his sixth triple-double with 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

Herro leads Heat past Magic

Tyler Herro had 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists and Bam Adebayo added 18 points to lift the Miami Heat to a 115-106 win over the Orlando Magic in a matchup of the top teams in the Southeast Division.

Herro was 10 of 17 from the field and 4 of 5 from 3-point range, and Haywood Highsmith, one of four Miami reserves in double figures, made four of the Heat’s 15 3s and finished with a season-high 15 points.

Cole Anthony scored 20 points and Franz Wagner added 15 as the Magic lost their third straight.

Two-time winner Peter Wright crashed out of the PDC World Darts Championship in the second round after a 3-0 defeat to Jim Williams at Alexandra Palace.

The 53-year-old, who was dressed as the Grinch complete with lime-green hair, ensured a miserable Christmas after posting a dismal three-dart average of less than 84.

Williams, a BDO runner-up in 2020, was also far from his best in a poor quality clash, admitting afterwards: “I was fighting myself all the way and it’s a little bit frustrating – but hopefully we’ll get there.”

A star was born earlier as 16-year-old Luke Littler marked his World Championship debut with a blistering 3-0 win over experienced Dutchman Christian Kist.

Littler showed no nerves as he hit seven 180s and finished with an extraordinary average of 110 to mark himself out as a genuine contender for the crown.

The teenager told Sky Sports: “I can’t believe how quickly I settled in. I was a bit nervous going to the stage but as soon as I found my rhythm I was in.”

Also in the Wednesday evening session, Richard Veenstra eased past Ben Robb 3-0 while Ryan Joyce was a 3-1 winner over Alex Spellman.

In the afternoon, 16th seed Ross Smith eased to a 3-1 victory over Niels Zonneveld before being stung by a wasp on stage.

“There’s the wasp,” Smith said in his post-match TV interview as he noticed the insect.

The Englishman then recoiled in pain and said: “He’s just stung me like a good one. Little bugger.”

Smith, a prolific maximum hitter, was below his best but still produced seven 180s and the second 170 checkout of the tournament to see off plucky Dutchman Zonnevald.

“It wasn’t a great game and I didn’t play nowhere near what I can,” said Smith. “But I can enjoy my turkey and pigs in blankets now.

“I tried to get some fire in my belly, but it was really difficult. I was a bit nervy the last couple of days, everyone is because you just want to get through.

“I will relax now and hopefully be better after Christmas.”

Exeter debutant Owen Bates lost a two-set lead as Ireland’s Steve Lennon fought back to win 3-2.

Lennon won nine of the last 11 legs against the 21-year-old crowd favourite to claim the win needed to retain his PDC Tour card.

“I don’t know how I won that,” said Lennon. “I was panicking deep down, it’s a massive win.”

Bates had qualified through the PDC Challenge Tour and emerged with huge credit from a pulsating contest, hitting five 180s and producing 101 and 108 second-set checkouts.

But Bates missed five doubles for a 2-1 lead in the fourth set as Lennon, who hit six maximums, grew stronger and booked a second-round meeting with Welshman Jonny Clayton.

Lennon’s compatriot William O’Connor had a far more comfortable time with a 3-0 victory over Bhav Patel.

Meanwhile Poland’s Cork-based Radek Szaganski overcame Finland’s Marko Kantele 3-2 with a final set 142 checkout helping him through to a second-round clash with five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld.

Anthony Joshua kept his cards close to his chest with another low-key open workout ahead of Saturday’s fight with Otto Wallin in Riyadh.

Former two-time world heavyweight champion Joshua will step into the ring for 30th time this weekend, but the talk ahead of this latest bout in Saudi Arabia has swirled around a proposed clash with Deontay Wilder in 2024.

Wilder will face Joseph Parker on the same bill as Joshua on Saturday night and both men adopted different approaches for their open workouts on Wednesday, with the British boxer doing barely a minute of shadow boxing before he invited local youngsters into the ring.

Instead of Joshua being put through his paces, it was the aspiring fighters who worked up a sweat before the 34-year-old reiterated his focus is all about claiming the 27th victory of his career on Saturday.

“I do want to hurt him, that’s fact,” Joshua (26-3, 23KOs) told TNT Sports.

“This (workout) ain’t fun for me, this is just work. What will be fun is Saturday night getting my hand raised.

“All of this is really nice, but this ain’t for me. This is for the entertainment, for the viewers, for the people who have come to Saudi to watch a night of boxing. My entertainment is in the ring on Saturday night and I’m not there yet so I’ve got to stay focused.

“I’m here with you guys out of contractual obligations so I will fulfil my obligations but ultimately my true, true obligation is to fight on Saturday night.

“I need to win, I have to win and yeah, if it is destined and meant to be, it’s meant to be.”

Before Joshua stepped in the ring for his non-workout, which has been a feature of other fight weeks, his long-standing rival Wilder discussed the pressure being put on the Watford fighter.

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Wilder added: “It’s been so long that people talk about me and him getting in the ring. I think there is a lot more pressure on him than me.

“A lot of people talk about how he responded to media. I had a lot of media come up to me today and ask me about his behaviour. I say you all put a lot of pressure on him. He has got to focus on Otto Wallin.

“You put a lot of pressure on him, I wish everyone would back off him.”

Shane Lowry is “not surprised by anything” in golf after Jon Rahm’s move to LIV Golf but remains hopeful the men’s game can unite in the future.

The start of the Saudi-backed league in 2022 sent shockwaves through the sport, with the likes of Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka and Sergio Garcia all leaving the PGA Tour to compete in LIV’s 54-hole, limited-field events.

Rahm had been a staunch supporter of the PGA Tour and while June’s framework agreement between the American circuit, the DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund – which bankrolls LIV – was hoped to bring the game back together, many players were publicly critical of the secretive nature of negotiations which led to the agreement.

Rahm’s move earlier this month was the latest chapter in a tumultuous period for the game and Lowry admits nothing surprises him anymore.

“We weren’t too surprised in the end, but I’m not surprised by anything that happens at the minute,” Lowry told reporters at the launch of the Irish Open.

“It had been rumoured for a while so there’s no smoke without fire, is there?”

After his switch, Rahm spoke of his hope that he would be able to continue to play across tours, a hope shared by his European Ryder Cup team-mate from 2021 and September’s 16.6-11.5 win over the United States.

“Hopeful is the word I’d use,” added Lowry.

“I mean, I’m not involved in anything. I just try to worry about my own thing and get on with my own game.

“But I’d be very hopeful that at some stage in the near future we will be back playing the same tournaments together and I think that’s what the world of golf needs.”

Will Stuart hopes involvement in Bath’s resurgence this season can help in his quest to become England’s first-choice tighthead prop.

The 27-year-old was delighted to go to a first World Cup earlier this year but frustrated at starting just one match at the showpiece in France – the Bronze Medal victory over Argentina – and being left out of the 23-man pool entirely for the knockout clashes against Fiji and South Africa.

As he enters what he hopes will be his peak years, Stuart is determined to stake a strong claim to take over from 36-year-old Dan Cole and become England’s established number three in time for the next World Cup in Australia in 2027.

The former Wasps forward – who has won 33 caps since his debut against France in the 2020 Six Nations – threw himself straight back into club rugby after the World Cup and has helped Bath make a strong start in both the Gallagher Premiership and the Investec Champions Cup.

“Every player wants to play in a World Cup and the next one in Australia is a massive goal for me,” Stuart told the PA news agency.

“If my career ended now, I’d say ‘I achieved a little bit, I won a few caps for England and played at a World Cup’ but realistically I haven’t won silverware, I haven’t played in multiple World Cups and I haven’t really solidified myself as a starting tighthead for England, so there’s a lot I aspire to do.

“I played in three of the group games (as a substitute) and then missed out on the quarters and semis, which was a frustration.

“But it’s been pretty clear from chatting with the coaches what my work-ons are and what I need to do to be a first-choice tighthead for England.

“If I’m playing well for Bath and can contribute to a winning team, that falls into giving myself a good opportunity to push on with England as well.”

In addition to his own form, Stuart’s bid to establish himself for England will be influenced by how long veteran Leicester tighthead Cole can soldier on.

“The way Coley plays, I reckon he could play until he’s 54,” joked the Bath forward. “He’s great, he was great for me during the World Cup and it’s impressive that he’s still playing at that level at 36.

“He’s on 107 caps for England and played 300-plus games for Leicester and he’s been starting and playing 70-odd minutes for the majority of that so he’s a good person to look up to.”

With the Six Nations looming in the new year, Stuart feels England have huge potential for further growth under Steve Borthwick after defying pre-tournament scepticism to reach the World Cup semi-finals.

“I think we were written off a lot during the World Cup,” said Stuart.

“Draw-wise we probably had an easier route to the quarters but we ended up taking South Africa to one point in the semi-final and until the last 20 minutes we were all over them, so I think that is something to massively build on.

“Including the Six Nations and the lead-up to the World Cup, the coaching group probably only had about a six-month period to really work with the team and, with that in mind, we had a way of playing where we knew we could basically get to knockout rugby.

“When we got to that stage, it was always going to be fine margins and we were one point away from the final.

“I think the coaches have been very clear on the areas where we can push on and make massive strides to get back to where England have been in the past.”

Ross Smith was stung by a wasp on stage at the World Championship after avoiding second-round pain to Niels Zonneveld.

Number 16 seed Smith eased to a 3-1 victory over Zonneveld before running into problems at Alexandra Palace.

“There’s the wasp,” Smith said in his post-match Sky Sports interview as he noticed the insect.

The Englishman then recoiled in pain and said: “He’s just stung me like a good one. Little bugger.”

Smith, a prolific maximum hitter, was below his best but still produced seven 180s and the second 170 checkout of the tournament to see off plucky Dutchman Zonnevald.

“It wasn’t a great game and I didn’t play nowhere near what I can,” said Smith. “But I can enjoy my turkey and pigs in blankets now.

“I tried to get some fire in my belly, but it was really difficult. I was a bit nervy the last couple of days, everyone is because you just want to get through.

“I will relax now and hopefully be better after Christmas.”

Exeter debutant Owen Bates lost a two-set lead as Ireland’s Steve Lennon fought back to win 3-2.

Lennon won nine of the last 11 legs against the 21-year-old crowd favourite to claim the win needed to retain his PDC Tour card.

“I don’t know how I won that,” said Lennon. “I was panicking deep down, it’s a massive win.”

Bates had qualified through the PDC Challenge Tour and emerged with huge credit from a pulsating contest, hitting five 180s and producing 101 and 108 second-set checkouts.

But Bates missed five doubles for a 2-1 lead in the fourth set as Lennon, who hit six maximums, grew stronger and booked a second-round meeting with Welshman Jonny Clayton.

Lennon’s compatriot William O’Connor had a far more comfortable time with a 3-0 victory over Bhav Patel.

The Indian left-hander was close to a 157 finish but he failed to win a single leg and the impressive O’Connor – who hit 64 per cent of his doubles and averaged 98.74 – will play Chris Dobey next.

Poland’s Cork-based Radek Szaganski took to the stage on his Alexandra Palace debut wearing the colours of the Irish flag.

Szaganski overcame Finland’s Marko Kantele 3-2 with a final set 142 checkout helping him through to a second-round clash with five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld.