Owner Max McNeill feels Virgin Bet December Gold Cup favourite Thunder Rock may still have the required improvement up his sleeve to progress out of handicaps.
Olly Murphy’s seven-year-old spent most of last season competing in graded novice chases, just coming up short against the likes of Gerri Colombe and The Real Whacker.
However, the form of his last two races looks especially strong, as he signed off last season finishing second to subsequent Coral Gold Cup winner Datsalrightgino at Ayr before reappearing at Carlisle and beating Mahler Mission, second in the Newbury showpiece.
“His last two runs could not have worked out any better really,” said McNeill.
“I was really disappointed at Ayr last season, we thought he probably should have won but the winner has gone on and won the Coral Gold Cup.
“Then at Carlisle this season, beating Mahler Mission, who was second in the Coral, and we beat him easily, with the Topham winner (Bill Baxter) behind as well – the form has really been franked.
“This is a race we targeted straight after Carlisle with Olly. We are hoping we are a Graded horse, but this will tell us where we are; will he stay in these good handicaps or can he make the step up to graded level.”
Assessing the opposition, McNeill acknowledges the main threat could come from a camp he knows well, champion trainer Paul Nicholls.
“Looking at the race, there are six or seven you’d think can win. I was speaking to Paul Nicholls on Wednesday and he said he hoped I wouldn’t be too disappointed when he beats us on Saturday!” said McNeill.
“He really likes Monmiral, but we beat him quite nicely at Sandown I thought, and we were closing on him fast in the Dipper before that when The Real Whacker won, and we didn’t jump well that day.
“Paul is confident he’s got him right after a long break and Harry (Cobden) has chosen him but his other runner, Il Ridoto, has a chance, too. It’s going to be a tight race and it’s great to be involved.
“We’re sort of thinking we’ll get one chance to win a big handicap off 146 and, for once, we think he’s well handicapped. We think he’s a good horse and the dream is still alive that he can run in a Grade One here or there, and who’s to say he can’t have a crack at the Ryanair if he runs well in this.
“This time last year, we were in the Graded novice chases and he wasn’t a million miles behind Gerri Colombe and look what he’s rated now. I’m not saying ours is Gerri Colombe by any stretch, but I do think he’s handicapped to a level where he should be really competitive on Saturday.”
McNeill, who sponsors a contest at the Cheltenham Festival in March through his Ultima brand, has famously never won a race at the big meeting, and admits he would forego that for another year if it meant he was successful on Saturday.
He said: “I know this isn’t March, but if somebody said to me you can win a December Gold Cup but not have a winner at the Festival, I’d sign it now!”
A total of 12 were declared on Thursday, with JP McManus responsible for top-weight Fakir D’oudairies and Emmett Mullins’ So Scottish.
Fugitif, Grandeur D’Ame and Frero Banbou are also among the field, of which four are out of the handicap.
Blood Destiny made a seamless transition to fences for Paul Townend and Willie Mullins at Naas.
A leading juvenile hurdler last year, he was sent off second-favourite for the Triumph Hurdle, in which he ran too keen and faded into ninth.
Fences look like calming him down, however, as he was far more tractable in the Bar One Racing “Bet 10 Euro Get 50 Euro Sign Up Offer” Beginners Chase and he barely put a foot wrong, powering away after the last to beat Heart Wood by nine lengths.
“He was dynamite everywhere and always looking for the next fence really. He’s a real chaser,” said Townend of the even-money favourite.
“They tried to push me and get him lit up, but I wasn’t interfering with him and he was getting a length everywhere with his jumping.
“He’ll come on from it and most of Willie’s do. He has a lovely attitude for it.
“He jumps so fast that he could come back in trip, but he’d have no problem staying at that trip either.”
Mullins and Townend then doubled up with Quai De Bourbon in the ALTO EQUINE Building Solutions Maiden Hurdle.
The 11-10 favourite runs in the Gigginstown House Stud colours and was always towards the head of affairs.
It briefly looked as if Fenway Park would give him a battle having jumped the final flight upsides, but like so many from the yard, Quai De Bourbon stuck his head down and galloped on relentlessly to win by four and a half lengths.
“He’s a stayer and is still quite raw for a lad that had two runs in France. I’d say it was lack of concentration, so I gave him a slap and when I let him on, it (the last) was the best hurdle he jumped,” said Townend.
“He’s a staying type and one you would associate with these colours.”
Jordan Gainford was taken to Tallaght University Hospital in Dublin for further examination following a fall in the two-mile handicap chase from the Moses McCabe-trained Derridae.
An update posted on social media by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board read: “Jordan Gainford is being transferred to Tallaght Hospital for further assessment on his injuries following Race 2. Jordan was conscious and communicating at all times.”
Jack Draper has no doubt Emma Raducanu will get back to the top of the game.
The former US Open champion is preparing to make her comeback after eight months on the sidelines following operations on both wrists and one ankle.
Raducanu, now ranked down at 298, has been training ahead of her first tournament back in Auckland in a couple of weeks’ time but still does not have a coach or a settled team around her.
Draper knows Raducanu well having grown up with her in juniors as the standout British hopes, and he said: “Obviously, when she’s fit, she’s an incredible player.
“She’s been struggling with injuries for a long time. I think people forget that before the US Open she was still in school. She didn’t have a lot of training. Obviously, she had that huge run and achieved what people dream of achieving in their whole career.
“And then I think to expect so much of her after that is a bit of a mistake because she hasn’t maybe got a lot of that physical foundation and the experience of playing on the tour and all those things that all those other players have.
“But I think the talent that she’s got and the maturity as well to do what she did at the US Open is off the charts.
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“I think if she can get herself to being at a good fitness level where she’s built up that resilience over months and years and keeps working on her game, she’ll be right up there with the best in the world and she’ll be competing for grand slams again.
“She’s motivated to want to come back. I don’t know how she’s going to get on but I know that, at some point next year, the year after that, she’s going to be back to being in those finals and those big positions because she’s got everything it takes. It’s just a matter of when.”
Draper can certainly empathise with Raducanu’s fitness struggles having spent much of this year on the sidelines himself.
A lingering hip problem, an abdominal injury and illness limited him to five tournaments over the first four-and-a-half months of the season before he damaged a tendon in his shoulder at the French Open and was forced to miss Wimbledon.
But, since returning in mid-August, Draper has again showed what an exciting talent he is, making the fourth round at the US Open and then reaching his first ATP Tour final in Bulgaria last month.
His ranking, which had plummeted to 123 from a high of 38 in February, is now back up to 61, and the 21-year-old is optimistic his ‘Mr Injured’ tag is behind him.
“I’ve always worked really hard, I’ve always tried to do the right things for my body,” he said.
“And this year I was really excited to see what happened but it just seemed like I kept on getting injured. I think some of it could have been to do with the fact that at the end of last year I changed fitness trainer and the guy was well respected.
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“I loved him to bits and we put in a lot of great work, but I just don’t think it was maybe the right work for me. And so my body kind of broke down.
“I think now, especially after having all those injuries, what’s a positive in it is that I understand my body a whole lot better now. So I feel like, in terms of the body stuff, I’m in a great place.”
Draper is playing catch-up to the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, who are similar in age and have already established themselves at the top of the sport.
“I want to be competing with those two,” he said. “That’s kind of my benchmark of where I want to get to. I see myself being right up there with them. It’s just my past has been a little bit different. I’ve had certain things that have held me back.
“Next year, I want to be top 20 in the world. I want to stay injury free. I want to make sure that I’m able to play five sets in the grand slams without breaking down physically.
“I feel like I’ve got great people around me, I’ve got the mindset where I want to achieve great things. It’s just fulfilling my potential, whatever that looks like.”
Watching from the sidelines gave Draper the chance to reflect on his career so far, and he added: “I’ve had a bit of a mindset shift in terms of my perspective on life.
“And I feel like that’s a big part of why I’ve come back so quickly is because I feel like I’m a much better player now than I was when I was 38 in the world.”
Draper will spend Christmas at home before travelling to Australia on December 29 ahead of his first tournament in Adelaide beginning on January 8.
Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Minella Indo faces a new challenge in the Glenfarclas Crystal Cup Cross Country Handicap Chase when he returns to the scene of his finest hour on Friday.
The 10-year-old has a stellar record at Prestbury Park, famously providing trainer Henry de Bromhead with a first victory in the blue riband when getting the better of stablemate A Plus Tard in 2021.
He had previously claimed the Albert Bartlett in 2019 before going mightily close when chinned by the fast-finishing Champ in the following season’s RSA.
Although scoring twice since that herculean Gold Cup effort, and also placing in the following year’s renewal, his overall form has been hit and miss in the past few campaigns and, having been well held behind Gerri Colombe at Down Royal most recently, connections have decided to try a change of approach.
He is not the first classy operator to throw his hat into the cross-country mix and there have been positive reports from his handler ahead of this first try around the twists and turns of Cheltenham’s popular circuit.
“He seems to really enjoy it and has been schooling well, so we said we would let him take his chance,” said De Bromhead.
“He seems in great form and we have been delighted with him. We want to have a look at the race and see, we think it is something he enjoys and we will see on Friday.”
Rider Rachael Blackmore told Betfair: “This is obviously a new discipline for him, his first run in a cross-country race, but he has done plenty of cross-country schooling at home, and he has also had a pop over some of the obstacles at Cheltenham.
“Of course, you can’t beat racing experience around that track, but he has shown us plenty with the cross-country bits that he has done.
“It’s a handicap, so he has to give weight away to all his rivals, but he is a Gold Cup winner who retains lots of ability, and I’m hoping that he can run well.”
Few can match Gordon Elliott’s dominance at Cheltenham in this sphere, with the Cullentra House handler winning the Cheltenham Festival edition of this contest five times in the past seven years, as well as being denied another victory due to suspension.
Tiger Roll and Delta Work have become cross-country legends for Elliott in recent times, but both the latter and Galvin finished out of the money when appearing at the November meeting.
Festival runner-up Galvin was sent off favourite on that occasion and is given the chance to make amends as he continues on his path to March and he is joined on the team sheet by Fury Road, as Elliott searches for his first success in this particular contest since Bless The Wings’ triumph in 2017.
“Both horses are in good form, they would probably prefer better ground, but they are in good form,” said Elliott.
“Galvin will come on for his run there in November, but we’re just working back from Cheltenham in March.
“Fury Road has been great for us. It’s his first run over the fences, so a good education will do him well.”
It was Mouse Morris’ Foxy Jacks who took advantage of a rare off-day for the Elliott runners last month, but going down valiantly on his shield in second was Latenightpass and his regular jockey Gina Andrews.
The 10-year-old, who claimed the Aintree Foxhunters’ in 2022, is 3lb higher this time around but still receives over a stone in weight from some of his higher-calibre rivals, with trainer Dan Skelton anticipating another bold showing.
Skelton said: “He ran beautifully last time and I was very happy with what I saw.
“He’s got a low weight again this time and he’s got to be competitive again. He would have to be in the mix.”
Gesskille has relished a unique jumping test since joining Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero and the Grand Sefton hero arrives in search of a hat-trick, having secured another victory in Auteuil on his penultimate start.
His training team see this as the ideal spot to preserve the seven-year-old’s enthusiasm while they consider a Grand National tilt in the new year, while Didero Vallis was third here last month and represents the flying Venetia Williams stable.
Ciaran Murphy’s Irish raider Enjoy D’allen will sport the green and gold hoops of JP McManus, with Richard Bandey’s Diesel D’Allier 3lb lower than when successful two years ago and tried in a tongue-tie and cheekpieces combination for the first time.
Karl Burke expects stunning debut winner Night Raider to return with even more to offer as a three-year-old.
The Clipper Logistics-owned youngster is by Dark Angel and out of a Shamardal mare called Dorrarr, already the dam of two winners in Dubai Dawn and Group Three scorer Far Above, who now stands at Starfield Stud.
Making his debut in a 10-runner novice run over seven furlongs on Southwell’s all-weather track on Tuesday night, the colt was ridden by Danny Tudhope to travel smartly near the front of the field before cantering to an easy nine-length victory when barely pressed.
The triumph could have been by an even wider margin had he been pushed and came ahead of well-bred horses such as Roger Varian’s Midnight’s Dream, half-brother to Group winner White Lavender, and John and Thady Gosden’s Danielle, a Cracksman filly out of Crimson Ribbon whose half-siblings include Gold Cup winner Courage Mon Ami and stakes scorers Lion’s Pride, Crimson Rosette, Purple Ribbon and Astronomos.
Sectional timing data shows Night Raider to have run a notably quick final two furlongs while still on the bridle, a heartening statistic for a horse Burke hopes will only come back stronger next year.
“It was a very impressive debut, he’s a beautiful horse and a horse we’ve always thought an awful lot of,” he said.
“He got a slight niggle early in the summer which meant we had to back off him, but he’s very much a horse that’s going to improve from two to three as he’s a big horse.
“He’s been working nicely, but he’s not we’ve really drilled at home, there’s plenty of improvement in him.
“Visually it was a stunning performance and the time and ratings back that up as well, but there’s still plenty in the tank for him to improve from two to three.
“I believe he did an 11-second last furlong on the bridle, which is unheard of really.
“He was there just for the education and he won’t run again now until the spring, we’ll find a race for him then.”
Andy Farrell has signed a two-year contract extension to remain as Ireland head coach until the end of the 2027 World Cup.
Farrell has developed the national side into heavyweights of the game and while the recent World Cup ended in a disappointing quarter-final exit, he has overseen significant success.
Since replacing Joe Schmidt in 2019, he has masterminded a Grand Slam, Triple Crown and series victory in New Zealand, as well as steering Ireland to the summit of the global rankings.
“Coaching Ireland has been a hugely enjoyable experience and I’m proud to extend my association with the Irish Rugby Football Union,” Farrell said.
“It’s a pleasure to work with such a talented and committed group of players and as we enter a new cycle, it will be exciting to see more players come through the system.
“There is a talented group of established internationals who are determined to succeed at international level for Ireland and I’m excited to see how the recent Ireland U20 squads will also emerge and challenge for international honours in the near future.
“It all makes for an exciting next chapter and it is one which my family and I are delighted to continue.”
Farrell is the current World Rugby coach of the year and by the time his new contract ends, he will have spent 11 years in Dublin.
“Over the course of the last four years Andy has helped drive the highest standards for the men’s national team,” IRFU performance director David Nucifora said.
“It’s testament to the positive environment which he and his backroom team have fostered that Ireland has enjoyed such a sustained period of success in recent times.”
The contract end date raises the possibility of Farrell eventually taking over from England head coach Steve Borthwick, whose deal with the Rugby Football Union also concludes after the 2027 World Cup.
Grey Dawning will take his “next step on the ladder” over fences in the Cheltenham & South-West Racing Club Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham on Friday.
A Grade Two winner over hurdles last term, he lost little in defeat behind Stay Away Fay at Exeter on his chasing bow before showing his class over the larger obstacles in a competitive graduation chase at Haydock 20 days ago.
Grand National third Gaillard Du Mesnil and Grade One-winning hurdler Apple Away were among the beaten horses on Merseyside and with Dan Skelton resisting the urge to make the step up to Graded company at this present time, Grey Dawning gets a first taste of the undulations of Prestbury Park.
“I’m really happy with him and there’s a bit of soft ground there as well, which is great,” said Skelton.
“He carries a penalty but he has to wherever he goes really, unless it is a Grade One.
“It’s another step on the ladder for him, but I’m very happy with him.
“He can go to Warwick on the 13th (of January) for a Graded race after this and I’m very happy with him.”
Trelawne won three of his four hurdles outings and Kim Bailey’s seven-year-old thrived when switching to the larger obstacles at Carlisle last month.
Alan King’s Tritonic was once one of the favourites for the Triumph Hurdle but, now a six-year-old, he is another to take kindly to fences when making a winning start at Wincanton.
Jonjo O’Neill’s Crebilly had yet to be asked any serious questions when a faller two out in a race won by Ginny’s Destiny here last month and only 2lb separates the pair on official figures as they prepare to lock horns once again.
The latter went on to win the race by 10 lengths and his trainer Paul Nicholls is predicting another bold show, despite a 5lb penalty.
He told Betfair: “New to us this season, he relishes the current testing ground conditions and was impressive when winning on his second start over fences at this course last time.
“He made all the running that day, was two lengths ahead when his sole challenger fell at the second last and was subsequently raised 8lbs to a mark of 141. He is a decent prospect, worked well on Wednesday morning and I’m looking forward to seeing how he gets on in this stronger race.”
Blue Hop has a great record when fresh and completes the line-up on his chasing debut for the ambitious Ben Brookhouse.
Anthony Davis was impressed by Victor Wembanyama after the Los Angeles Lakers almost surrendered a big lead before holding off the San Antonio Spurs, who were inspired by the French rookie sensation.
Despite a big night from Wembanyama, Davis scored 37 points, adding 10 rebounds and four steals, to secure the Lakers a 122-119 victory, extending the Spurs' franchise-record losing streak to 18.
Davis rolled his ankle in the opening seconds but stayed in the game and went on to shoot 10 for 15 from the field and score 24 points in the first half.
Taurean Prince had 17 points and Austin Reaves added 15 to help the Lakers win for the fifth time in six games despite missing LeBron James, who sat out the first of two straight games in San Antonio because of a left calf injury. The two teams will do battle again on Friday.
Wembanyama had 30 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks, but the Spurs have remained winless since Nov. 2. He became the first rookie with 30 points, 10 boards and six blocks in a game since Spurs superstar Tim Duncan in 1998.
"Obviously he is extremely talented," Davis said after the win, per the Los Angeles Times.
"He is a three-level scorer, as we have seen. It was fun playing against him. He is being talked about a lot, from his time overseas into summer league and then obviously now.
"Obviously the team is struggling, but he is playing extremely well. He is able to keep them in games."
Lakers coach Darvin Ham added: "Wembanyama doesn’t stop competing. When the game was hanging in the balance, he made some big plays for them."
San Antonio outscored Los Angeles 45-30 in the final quarter to produce an exciting finish to the game. They trailed by 20 points early in the fourth but had reduced the deficit to 117-116 with 22 seconds remaining.
Ham knows the winners of the NBA Cup must become more ruthless.
"We got to add common sense to our talent," he said. "It's not so much about who we're playing, what their record is.
"It's about us and the way we want to represent ourselves every time we step out on the floor: trying to get better, trying to build winning habits and be consistent at those winning habits. So, we are fortunate to get that W.
"Whenever you can get a win in this league against whoever, you have to be thankful. But that said, there's a lot of things we can take away that we know good damn well we need to get better at.
"Once the momentum got on their side, it seemed like they rolled it to the very end. But we hung in there. We gutted it out.
"Obviously, we are comfortable with the result, with the ‘W,’ but we’ve definitely got to get better at some things, and we will."
Playing without LeBron, the Lakers almost lost Davis too in the early stages, but he stayed in the game to produce a decisive performance.
"Giving my team a chance to win," he said. "I know when I’m on the floor playing, my team has a higher chance of winning than me being out because of my presence defensively and my presence offensively.
"We are trying to win basketball games. I was finding my shot. Of course, being more aggressive.
"But when my teammates are doing a good job, I think it’s easier for me to operate when guys are making their shots."
The Lakers are 15-10 and fifth in the Western Conference standings. This was just their fifth road win in 13 games this season.
Rob Howley has been appointed to Warren Gatland’s coaching staff for the Six Nations in his first involvement with Wales since being banned for breaching betting regulations.
Howley served as Wales’ attack coach from 2008 to 2019 in a golden era for the national side that featured four Championship titles, three of them Grand Slams.
The former Lions scrum-half was forced to step back from the game in the build up to the 2019 World Cup when his betting activity came to light, resulting in an 18-month ban from rugby, half of which was suspended.
Now he has returned to the fold as a ‘technical’ coach in a role that also sees him involved with the Wales Under-20 side ahead of their Six Nations.
“It feels to me like the time is right and I’m really looking forward to returning to the fold with Wales,” Howley said.
“I have a second opportunity to do a job I’ve dedicated my working life to and I’m grateful to everyone in Welsh rugby for their acceptance and their faith in me, it’s faith I intend to repay to the best of my ability.
“I have been through an extremely challenging time in my life. Speaking out and talking about it has enabled me to move forward.”
Jonathan Thomas’ departure as contact area coach created space in Gatland’s management team, allowing Howley to link up with fellow assistants Mike Forshaw, Jonathan Humphreys, Neil Jenkins and Alex King.
“Rob is one of the most successful and experienced Welsh coaches on the international arena at the moment,” Gatland said.
“When we lost Rob from Welsh rugby we lost a hugely significant amount of intellectual property, knowledge of the game in Wales and of the international scene.
“We are delighted that he will be joining the 2024 coaching team and it’s a major coup for Welsh rugby to have secured his services once again.”
Doddiethegreat will put the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation in the spotlight again when trying to maintain his unbeaten record at Cheltenham on Friday.
Named after former Scotland rugby union great Doddie Weir, who died in November last year following a battle with motor neurone disease, all prize-money earned by the Nicky Henderson-trained gelding goes to the charity set up by Weir to raise funds to aid research into MND.
Owned by Weir’s friend and fellow Scotsman Kenny Alexander, the seven-year-old channelled his namesake’s fighting spirit when successfully overcoming a 746-day lay-off at Ascot last month.
That took his record to a perfect four from four and he now makes the step into handicap company in the Catesby Estates Handicap Hurdle.
“The whole thing is a dream with him and we’re trying to raise as much money for Doddie’s foundation as we can,” said Alexander’s racing manager, Peter Molony.
“He’s such an exciting horse and the whole thing is so exciting.
“We’re a little bit worried, as he’s coming back and hopefully the bounce factor won’t come into play.
“He ran so well the last day and we do think a little bit further would suit, but it’s the next step and hopefully we can pick up a bit more money for the foundation.
“Cheltenham is the place everyone wants to be and Jill Douglas, the sports presenter, is a trustee of the foundation and she is going to be there on the day. Sadly, myself and Kenny can’t be there, but Jill will represent us.
“The whole thing is building momentum now and hopefully it will continue.”
Fergal O’Brien’s Grade Two bumper-winning mare Dysart Enos impressed on her hurdling debut at Huntingdon and will bid to open the card in style in the British EBF “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle.
The race has a deep feel to it, with Paul Nicholls’ Meatloaf and Nicky Henderson’s Kintail both catching the eye on their respective hurdling debuts.
Nicholls told Betfair of Meatloaf: “He won two of his four bumpers and was then successful on his debut over hurdles at Wincanton last month with the form working out nicely.
“He has a penalty to carry and this is obviously a hotter race but he has run a cracker at this course on New Year’s Day and looks to have a fair chance.”
Meanwhile, Harry Fry thought long and hard before electing to send Beat The Bat to face the music at Prestbury Park, with the Ascot scorer getting the nod over fellow crack novice Gidleigh Park, who is bound for Newbury next week.
Fry said: “I just thought at this stage, Beat The Bat was more streetwise and there looks some lovely prospects in the race, that’s for sure, but we’re delighted with the progress he has been making so far this season.
“He pulled clear with what looks another nice recruit at Ascot the last day and although it’s a slight drop in trip, it’s on the New Course, which should play to his strengths really.
“It will be interesting to see how we get on against what looks some really nice novice hurdlers.”
There will be some familiar names on show in the Unibet Middle Distance Chase Series Veterans’ Handicap Chase, with Kerry Lee going for back-to-back race victories with course scorer Storm Control.
Harry Cobden will link up with Philip Kirby’s popular front-runner Top Ville Ben, while Joe Tizzard’s Le Ligerien will be tasked with building on his decisive Kempton success over Danny Kirwan.
Tizzard said: “He has been a cracking horse for the yard, as he has won four races in under 12 months for us, and this series ticks a lot of boxes for him.
“Life doesn’t get any easier for him, as his mark is creeping up, but this is a good place to go for him, as it is better taking on horses of a similar age, rather than a field full of up-and-coming youngsters.
“As he has got older, he does like to bounce off the ground, but the softer ground here shouldn’t be a problem, as he has won on soft before.
“Whether he is better around an extended two and a half miles at Kempton or an extended two and a half miles around Cheltenham, we will see. He is already qualified for the final, but this is another good pot for him to go for.”
Fallon Sherrock knows she has to prove herself on the World Championship stage again.
Sherrock became darting royalty in 2019 when she was the first woman to win a match at the PDC’s biggest tournament at Alexandra Palace, reaching the third round.
She was nicknamed ‘Queen of the Palace’ after that landmark few days but has not won another match there in two return visits.
The 29-year-old is back this year and is hoping to prove that her exploits in beating Ted Evetts and Mensur Suljovic four years ago were not a fluke.
“I feel like I need to prove why I am coming back,” she told the PA news agency. “I know I have got the game and every time I have been so close, the scoreline might not have come out the way I thought the game went.
“It has always been so close. I feel like the more games I have played it makes me even stronger every time I go back. It is going to happen again, I don’t know when, but I am going to win again and hopefully, it is this year.
“I always love this time of year, it is great memories going back there.
“I don’t feel expectation anymore, I maybe did going back the first time, but this is my fourth time now.
“People don’t treat me any differently anymore, they know I am good at darts and know I can win a match. I feel like I am part of the set-up. It doesn’t scare me playing these players anymore.”
Sherrock’s life changed forever when she burst on to the scene.
She is a regular on the lucrative exhibition circuit, was made an MBE this summer and also appeared on the reboot of famous TV show Bullseye.
“It is mad. My whole life has completely changed,” she said. “I do sit there and think how lucky I am, not a lot of people get the opportunities I get.
“I always think your life is planned out for some reason. All the bad things that happen, good things come out of it and I think these are the good things. I just have to take every opportunity I can.
“Anything I do, it is going to propel the sport for the women, so I try not to think about it too much.
“I want to win and help progress the game and push the sport further. If I can do it again at the Worlds it will help the sport more.”
Winning the whole tournament might seem optimistic given the quality of some of the leading players, but Sherrock, who has hit two nine-dart finishes this year, says anything is possible.
“I can go as far as I want,” she said. “I take each game as it comes, I never think too far ahead. I have got to the quarter-finals before in main TV events, the possibilities are endless.
“You have to take each game as it comes, in a big tournament like this there is no point looking too far in advance. I just want to play these players all of the time, I want to see how I can hold the pressure.”
Eddie Jones admitted he “felt terrible” about Australia’s World Cup failure but insisted he had no guilt about the process that saw him return as Japan boss after stepping down from his post with the Wallabies.
At a press conference on Thursday, the 63-year-old faced more questions about how and when he first made contact with the Japanese Rugby Football Union about replacing Jamie Joseph, having repeatedly denied reports about contact with the JRFU that first emerged during the World Cup.
Former England coach Jones said he had not interviewed for the job until this month, and that a Zoom call with recruiters on August 25, before the start of the World Cup, was to discuss his previous experience in the Japan job between 2012 and 2015 to help them frame their search.
“I didn’t do an interview before the World Cup,” the Australian said. “I was asked by the recruitment agency to share my experiences with them. The first interview I had with Japan was in December and that’s the only interview I’ve had.”
Jones returned to the Australia job in January this year, signing a contract that was due to continue through to the 2027 World Cup. But, after a poor World Cup in which Australia were knocked out in the first round for the first time in their history, he used a break clause to leave for Japan.
“With Australia I signed for five years and we had a plan to take them to two World Cups,” Jones said. “There were things that needed to happen in Australia to change the system we had. I agreed with the chairman on a plan on what we were going to do to do that, they needed finances to change the system.
“After one year there was a break in my contract with Australia Rugby on whether they could fulfil those commitments. I felt without them being able to fulfil those commitments we wouldn’t be able to develop talent to the fullest extent and I decided then I wanted to move on.”
Asked if he needed to apologise to Australia fans, Jones said: “I gave everything I could for that short period of time and it wasn’t good enough…I wish Australia all the best.
“I feel terrible about the results in Australia, I wanted to go back and change Australia so I feel terrible. I don’t feel any guilt at all about this process…
“Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I can’t control their opinion. All I can control is what I did and it sits well with me. I don’t have a problem with it. If people feel like that, that’s their judgement, I can’t control that.”
Jones will take charge of a Japan team that also failed to get out of the first round in France, finishing third in Pool D, and said his goal is to overhaul the structure of the Japanese game to best play to their strengths, getting universities and club teams all pulling in the same direction.
“I’m honoured and privileged and looking forward to the task of creating a Japan side that has real identity and a point of difference,” said Jones, whose mother and wife are Japanese. “I think any great team in any sport, it doesn’t matter what jersey they play in, you can clearly see the team they are.”
Henry Arundell may be unavailable for England until 2026 but Exeter boss Rob Baxter insists the restriction on selecting overseas-based players must remain in place.
Arundell has signed a two-year contract extension with Racing 92 after turning down a move to Bath that would also have included one of the Rugby Football Union’s 25 ‘hybrid contracts’.
It means the English game’s most exciting talent, who plundered five tries in the World Cup match against Chile in September, is off-limits to Steve Borthwick for over two years.
Arundell’s decision has renewed the spotlight on the RFU’s rule that only those players competing in the Gallagher Premiership can be considered, but Baxter insists it is necessary for a healthy league.
“How will we promote our competition as being at a very high level if you’re wide open to the best players playing outside the country?” the Chiefs director of rugby said.
“That will never help promote the Premiership and without promoting the Premiership I don’t think you’ll ever get a successful England side.
“The best way to keep young players in this country is by letting them know that staying in this country gives them the best opportunity to play international rugby.”
Baxter is preparing Exeter for Sunday’s Investec Champions Cup clash with Munster at Sandy Park as the Devonians look to build on their impressive one-point victory at Toulon in round one.
The triumph on the Cote d’Azur was among the highlights of a superb weekend for the Premiership, whose clubs recorded seven wins in eight games, including four against Top 14 sides.
The results come amid concerns over the league’s ability to compete on the European stage, not least because of a smaller salary cap, and at a time when a number of England players including Arundell and his England team-mates Jack Willis and Joe Marchant have headed across the Channel.
Baxter suspects the Premiership teams may have been underestimated in round one and will reserve judgement over what it means until deeper into the competition.
“Because of the negativity surrounding the Premiership lately, it would be very easy to take the Premiership clubs lightly. Maybe that’s what happened,” he said.
“There’s not a first-team player in the Premiership who is not a good, determined professional rugby player and you’ve seen that in how competitive the games have been.
“We should be talking positively about the Premiership and the results at the weekend bear that out. There should be more positivity around the Premiership than there is, but also we need to back that up.
“English teams will be competitive, our challenge going forward is how we maintain that. We’ll know the answer a little bit down the line, it’s a little early to tell after one round.
“If we get to the latter stages and there are a few Premiership clubs involved, then we can start to look at the reasons why that’s happened.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo suggested the Indiana Pacers may have taken the game ball that should have come his way after his 64-point haul on Wednesday.
The Milwaukee Bucks beat the Pacers 140-126, with Antetokounmpo recording a franchise record in the process.
He surpassed the previous record haul for a Buck, set by Michael Redd in 2006. Antetokounmpo's previous career high was 55, set against the Washington Wizards in January.
However, Antetokounmpo was angered when the Pacers apparently took the game ball and headed for the locker room, and a scuffle then broke out.
And the 29-year-old is unsure whether the ball he received was actually the one used in the game.
"I have no idea. I'm not going to lie, I have no idea – I really don't know," he said.
"I have a ball but I don’t know if it’s the game ball. It doesn't feel like the game ball to me – it feels like a brand new ball.
"I played 35 minutes, I know how the game ball felt. The ball I have, which I'll take and I'll give it to my mum for sure, doesn't [feel like the game ball].
"But it's okay, life will continue. I've never seen this before. I don't know if I have the game ball.
"I know they [the Pistons] had the game ball. I don't think [that], I know."
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle claimed there had been a "misunderstanding" at the end of the game.
He said: "What happened after the game was unfortunate. There was a misunderstanding about the game ball.
"It was Oscar Tshiebwe's first official NBA point, so we always get the game ball. We were not thinking about Giannis' franchise record, so we grabbed the ball.
"A couple of minutes later, several of their players ended up in our hallway, and there was a big, I don't know what to call it – a fracas, melee, whatever. I don't think any punches were landed, but my general manager got elbowed in the ribs by one of their players."
Antetokounmpo added 14 rebounds, was 20 of 28 from the field in this one and went 24 of 32 on free throws.
"It's a great feeling. It’s a great feeling, being able to do it," Antetokounmpo said.
"As much as I can, I try to play basketball for the right reason, I try to play basketball to win, try to play basketball to help my teammates be great, but at the end of the day, being able to break this record in front of the fans here in this stadium, it's a great feeling, too."
Bucks coach Adrian Griffin said: "He's an unstoppable player. You can't guard him one-on-one. You've got some really good guys surrounding him, but at the end of the day, it's all him.
"His talent. His ability. His will. He has an incredible will to win, and he'll do whatever it takes to win. I'm just coaching the game and one of the coaches told me, 'Yeah, Giannis has 50. I had no idea.' But wow, what a great performance."
Christmas must be around the corner as the PDC World Darts Championship starts at Alexandra Palace on Friday.
Two-and-a-half weeks of darts await before the champion is crowned on January 3.
Here, the PA news agency looks at five competitors to keep an eye on during the tournament.
Michael van Gerwen
The Dutchman has not had the best year by his impeccable standards, with the Premier League his only major title, but he must still be considered the man to beat at Alexandra Palace.
When he fires few can keep the pace with him and Van Gerwen has the bit between his teeth as he hunts a fourth title.
He has lost twice in the final since his last victory in 2019 so is due a return to the winner’s circle.
Luke Humphries
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The 28-year-old will arrive at Ally Pally as favourite after a remarkable run of form in 2023.
‘Coolhand’ has won three of the last four majors as he followed the World Grand Prix title in October with wins at the Grand Slam of Darts and the Players Championship.
No one is playing more consistently than Humphries at the minute and if he can handle the pressure of expectation, he could go all the way.
Michael Smith
Smith is the defending champion and earned himself a place in folklore last year when he beat Van Gerwen in one of the greatest finals of all time, throwing a nine-finish in a memorable leg.
‘Bully Boy’ has taken a step away from the game this year, but has not really performed to his usual standard when he has played in the major tournaments.
But coming back to defend the title is sure to spur him on and if he can find his range over the coming weeks, he will be difficult to stop.
Fallon Sherrock
The ‘Queen of the Palace’ is back at the place where life changed for her in 2020 when she became the first woman to win a match at the PDC World Championship.
The 29-year-old has not won a game in her two appearances since then, but will be a good bet to get some more wins under her belt after a good year.
She became the first woman to hit a nine-dart finish in PDC history in March and then repeated the feat in front of the television cameras at August’s Modus Super Series.
Luke Littler
Few will have heard of Luke Littler but he is definitely a name for the future.
Just 16, Littler is causing waves in the game and his victory in the World Youth Championship made people sit up and take notice.
Winning the tournament this year may be a stretch too far but he will be hoping to take a few scalps and no one will want to play him.
Michael Smith is not ready to stop at winning just one World Championship title and wants to become a multiple champion.
The 33-year-old lifted the Sid Waddell Trophy for the first time in January after a stunning performance against Michael van Gerwen in the final, hitting a nine-dart finish in the greatest leg in the history of the sport.
He begins the defence of his crown on Friday night, playing against either Kevin Doets or Stowe Buntz, and is dreaming of joining Gary Anderson, Adrian Lewis, John Part and Peter Wright on two titles.
“I always wanted to be a world champion, now I have done it the dream is to be a multiple,” Smith told the PA news agency.
“I don’t want to finish my career with just one star on my chest, I don’t know how many I can get, but the minimum is two now. When I get to two the minimum will be three.
“I don’t feel the pressure but it is going to be like that. Everyone wants to take it off me, everyone playing wants to be world champion so I am going to have a target on my back.
“But whoever I am playing they are going to see a picture of me holding the trophy on the wall. It could either put them off or spur them on. But I know I can look at it and be spurred on.
“This is the one, you have got to bring your A-game, it is about bringing it on stage now. Once it clicks like it does in practice who knows what can happen. I can’t wait to get my hands on it again.”
Smith’s victory in the final contained the greatest leg in the history of the sport when ‘Bully Boy’ completed a nine-dart finish seconds after Van Gerwen had missed.
It produced some mesmeric television footage, with Sky Sports’ Wayne Mardle’s commentary going viral.
And Smith spent most of the early part of 2023 watching the leg back.
“That night I won it, I must have watched it 200 times,” he added. “Even the full match replay I have watched a couple of times. I’m trying to leave it in the past, I’m trying to focus on winning it again and then I can watch it all again. It has been good, weird, has been good.
“I lived my childhood dream but if I hadn’t have won it, it wouldn’t define my life. I am proud of winning it, but I am not going through life where I am thinking if I had never won it I wouldn’t have been successful.”
Gerwyn Price is also aiming for a second world title, but if he was to win, it would feel like a first.
His 2021 crown came behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic, so he is yet to taste the authentic experience.
“This is what we play all year for. We all want to win titles, but this is the main one,” he told the PA news agency.
“It’s a big tournament, everyone is looking forward to it, no-one wants to go out before Christmas so it is about getting that first round under your belt.
“Winning it behind closed doors, there was no atmosphere, lifting the trophy with no-one there, no friends, family or loved ones.
“Taking the trophy home and it sitting on the kitchen table for six months doesn’t really do it justice. It would be nice to win it again and be able to do it properly. It is something I want to do.”
Today’s National Hunt meeting at Warwick has been abandoned but the jumps card at Newcastle survived an early-morning inspection.
Clerk of the course Tom Ryall had expressed concerns about waterlogging at Warwick after persistent rain had put the whole town on flood alert.
His fears proved warranted, with this afternoon’s fixture called off due to unsafe ground on parts of the course.
There was better news at Newcastle, where racing is scheduled to go ahead following a second inspection this morning.
Officials took a look at the track yesterday afternoon due to areas of standing water earlier in the week but it was deemed raceable.
The same view was taken this morning, although “conditions will continue to be closely monitored”.
Having lost their Fighting Fifth Hurdle card at the start of the month due to snow, today’s going is described as heavy, with a low risk of early showers before the weather should brighten up.
There will also be jumps racing at Taunton, where the ground is soft, good to soft in places, plus an all-weather Flat card at Chelmsford this evening.
c scored his league-leading fourth short-handed goal with 1:33 remaining and the red-hot New York Islanders rallied for a 4-3 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday.
Mathew Barzal, Kyle Palmieri and Casey Cizikas also scored for the Islanders, who won their fourth straight and improved to 6-0-1 in their last seven games.
Troy Terry, Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick tallied for Anaheim, which dropped its fourth in a row and 12th in 13 games.
Carrick scored the Ducks’ third straight goal at 5:07 of the third period for a 3-2 lead, but Barzal tied it on the power play 2 ½ minutes later.
Holmstrom has scored half of his eight goals this season while short-handed.
Penguins beat Canadiens in lengthy shootout
Sidney Crosby had two goals and an assist and Jansen Harkins scored in the 12th round of the shootout to lift the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens.
Crosby’s three points moved him past Paul Coffey and into a tie with former teammate Mark Recchi for 13th place on the NHL scoring list with 1,533.
Montreal’s Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield and Pittsburgh’s Kris Letang and Crosby all scored on the first four attempts of the shootout. The next eight skaters failed to convert until Sean Monahan scored for the Canadiens and Lars Eller for the Penguins in the seventh round.
Another nine skaters went before Harkins, who had only 4 ½ minutes of ice time during the game, ended it.
Jack Hughes keeps Devils surging
Jack Hughes scored midway through overtime and the New Jersey Devils rallied for a 2-1 win over the Boston Bruins.
Dawson Mercer scored the tying goal early in the third period and Vitek Vanecek stopped 24 shots to help New Jersey win for the seventh time in nine games.
Morgan Geekie had the lone tally for the Bruins, who have at least a point in five of six (4-1-1).
England will be hoping that 2024 is finally the year men’s football comes home as they go for European Championship glory.
Boss Gareth Southgate probably has one final shot at becoming the first manager since Sir Alf Ramsay to win a major trophy after several near misses over the last few years.
The scars are still there from the last Euros, where England lost the final to Italy on penalties, but the team has grown since then and head to Germany among the favourites to win.
It could be a coming-of-age tournament for Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden, while Harry Kane will want a winner’s medal to go along with all of the personal accolades he has won.
Scotland are also competing in their second successive Euros, while Wales must attempt to qualify in the early part of the year.
The Olympics are back on European soil for the first time since 2012 when they head to Paris in August and hopes are high for another strong showing for Team GB.
Great Britain has been one of the leading countries in the last three Olympics and is again tipped to do well, with several realistic medal hopes in the French capital.
Skateboarder Sky Brown, runner Keely Hodgkinson, Bethany Shriever in the BMX, Jessica Gadirova and Bryony Page in gymnastics and Bradly Sinden in the taekwondo are all hopeful of topping the podium, with the likes of Jake Wightman, Dina Asher-Smith and Laura Muir also hoping it is their time.
The Paralympics follow a few weeks later and Team GB are again expected to bring home a significant medal haul.
The Olympics could also be the end point for Rafael Nadal’s tennis career.
The Spanish great has hinted that he would call time on his magnificent career in 2024 and there seems no better place than Roland Garros, where he has won an incredible 14 titles.
While Nadal’s time may be coming to an end, British star Emma Raducanu will hope that 2024 is the year her career comes back to life.
Injury has plagued Raducanu since her US Open triumph in 2021 but she is ready to return to tour in a make-or-break year to see how her career will pan out.
She will have especially high hopes on a good run at Wimbledon, which is where she burst on to the scene three years ago.
In boxing, there is a blockbusting bout between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia in February.
Fury is hoping to unify the heavyweight division in a money-spinning fight with the Ukrainian. If he wins, then there will be more clamour for a bout with Anthony Joshua.
Europe will be aiming to keep hold of the Solheim Cup for a fourth successive time when they take on the United States in Virginia in September.
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