Jayson Tatum had no regrets after being ejected for the second time in six weeks on Saturday, being pulled up for back-to-back technical fouls as the Boston Celtics crushed the Houston Rockets.
Tatum had 27 points and eight assists in support of Jaylen Brown's 32 points as the Celtics stayed perfect at home, claiming a 145-113 victory over their former coach Ime Udoka and the Rockets.
League-leading Boston are now up to 30-9 and are 19-0 at TD Garden, having never previously started a season with more than 17 straight home wins.
The game ended on a slightly sour note for the Celtics, though, as Tatum was removed for two technicals in quick succession.
Having received his first for complaining about a non-call when his arm was clearly struck during an attempted dunk with just over 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Tatum continued to berate the officials then shouted at referee CJ Washington after being ejected.
Tatum has no regrets over his behaviour, however, suggesting he chose the right moment to air his grievances as Boston closed in on a blowout win.
"I'm a pretty self-aware person. I understand the time and score of the game, Tatum said. "The game was pretty much over. I've got to stand up for myself. I was frustrated.
"At some point throughout the course of the night, you've got to stand up for yourself. This is not something I do every game or every night. Tonight, I just had to let them know how I felt.”
Boston coach Joe Mazzulla echoed those sentiments, saying: "In the NBA you have that space of having to defend yourself, and for me having to defend my guys.
"There's a time and a place for everything, and you've just got to pick and choose your spots."
Asked about the non-call which led to Tatum's first technical, Mazzulla said: "When it comes to stuff like that, I try not to have an opinion."
Saturday's win – Boston's 10th in their last 13 games – came just 48 hours after a 33-point loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, and Brown recognised the importance of bouncing back.
"Last game we didn't feel like we were at our best," Brown said. "Today we wanted to come out and make sure we stayed undefeated on our home court."
Croatian teenager Dino Prizmic marked himself out as a name for the future by pushing Novak Djokovic in a four-hour contest at the Australian Open.
The first ever Sunday start at Melbourne Park saw one of its most memorable opening-round matches, with Djokovic finally beating the 18-year-old qualifier 6-2 6-7 (5) 6-3 6-4.
Women’s defending champion Aryna Sabalenka followed Djokovic on court and swatted aside Ella Seidel 6-0 6-1 but there was disappointment for Britain’s Jodie Burrage, who lost in three sets to Tamara Korpatsch.
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Andre Agassi has not been seen much around the tennis circuit since retirement, bar a short stint coaching Djokovic, but the four-time former champion is back at Melbourne Park, where he spotted a very familiar face.
LongevityFallen seeds
Women: Liudmila Samsonova (13), Magda Linette (20), Wang Xinyu (30)
Men: None
Who’s up next?
Andy Murray begins his campaign on Monday against Argentinian 30th seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
Naomi Osaka’s return to grand slam tennis is last in the night session on Rod Laver Arena against 16th seed Caroline Garcia after big home hope Alex De Minaur takes on Milos Raonic.
US Open champion Coco Gauff and former Melbourne finalists Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas are also in action.
Eight-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt is known for his supremacy in track and field, but the former sprinter has ventured onto another track, delving into Formula E racing.
The eight-time Olympic gold medallist made a surprise guest appearance as part of a promotion: the fastest man in the fastest electric vehicle, driving the record-breaking GenBETA car ahead of the main event and taking part in the grid walk just prior to the race on Saturday.
Bolt is a well-known fan of Formula 1 racing and has been spotted at various Grand Prix races for the prestigious motor racing competition.
Unlike Formula 1, which showcases hybrid race cars with engines powered by traditional fuel sources, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship features all-electric race cars.
Bolt holds the men’s 100m world record of 9.58 seconds, but smashed that time - obviously - in the specially modified version of the Gen3 car used in Formula E races, piling through the 100m track in 4.36s.
“This is the first time in my life I’m comfortable saying something is faster than me,” he joked.
“It is like a rocket ship on wheels. Getting the chance to drive it was a mind-blowing experience. The power from the start was such a surprise and the adrenaline you got is on a different level, easily. Driving the GenBETA was like nothing I’ve experienced before; I was told that as soon as you drive, you don’t want to stop or get out and they were right. I would do it every day if I could.”
Bolt was also gifted a helmet by Formula E World Champion driver Jake Dennis.
The helmet incorporates a green and black colour scheme and features the Jamaican flag, Bolt’s name, and his trademark “to di worl” logo, which showcases his iconic celebratory victory pose.
In addition to meeting Dennis and speaking with former F1 star and Formula E TV presenter David Coulthard, Bolt was also introduced to Bajan Formula 2 driver Zane Maloney. Maloney will serve as a development driver and reserve driver in Formula E’s 10th season.
Aryna Sabalenka began the defence of her Australian Open title with a 53-minute drubbing of German teenager Ella Seidel.
The second seed was made to wait until nearly midnight by Novak Djokovic’s battle with Dino Prizmic but her encounter with an 18-year-old qualifier could not have been more different.
Sabalenka dropped only 10 points in the first set and had two match points for a double bagel before completing a 6-0 6-1 victory on Rod Laver Arena.
“I’m super happy to be back in Melbourne,” said the Belarusian, who lifted her first slam silverware 12 months ago. “Last time I had incredible memories from here, unforgettable I would say. It feels so great to be back and feel the support.”
Caroline Wozniacki’s first match at Melbourne Park for four years ended prematurely when opponent Magda Linette, a semi-finalist here last year, withdrew trailing 6-2 2-0.
Wozniacki won her only grand slam title in Australia in 2018 and retired following a third-round loss two years later before having two children and then coming out of retirement last summer.
“I feel very comfortable playing here,” said the Dane. “I feel comfortable with the ball. I feel very just thrilled to be here. Immediately when I stepped foot on these courts, in this arena, I felt right at home. I think it’s a special place for me and always will be.”
American Amanda Anisimova is another player on the comeback trail having stepped away from the tour last May over concerns for her mental health.
The 22-year-old, who first reached the fourth round here five years ago, did not pick up a racket for four months but has returned rejuvenated and pulled off the upset of the day by defeating 13th seed Liudmila Samsonova 6-3 6-4.
“I’m just here for the journey right now and seeing how much I can progress,” she said. “I think I would take it with whatever outcome I would get. But I am happy with the wins, and I really hope that I can build on from it.
“The most important thing is that I feel a lot more refreshed. I’m enjoying practising. I’m enjoying every second that I’m out there. Even when I was down today, I was still just enjoying the challenge.
“I’m just happy with how I feel coming back. I feel like I was very burned out while I was playing, and that really wasn’t a nice feeling.”
Also through to the second round are a pair of 16-year-olds in Russian Alina Korneeva, last year’s junior champion, and Czech Brenda Fruhvirtova.
The most heralded 16-year-old in the current game, Mirra Andreeva, will join them if she can win her opening match on Monday.
Mystical Power moved to Supreme Novices’ Hurdle favouritism with a dominant display in the SkyBet Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.
The Willie Mullins-trained five-year-old is impeccably bred as a son of Galileo out of the brilliant Champion Hurdle-winning mare Annie Power and could hardly have made a better start to his career for the powerhouse ownership trio of JP McManus, John Magnier and Rich Ricci.
Following a winning debut debut in a Ballinrobe bumper in May, Mystical Power made a successful switch to hurdling at Galway two months later – and having sidestepped the rearranged Lawlor’s of Naas Novice Hurdle on Friday, he was sent off at 5-4 for his comeback in a Grade Two contest his trainer has previously won with the likes of Vautour (2014), Douvan (2015), Min (2015) and Impaire Et Passe (2023).
Mark Walsh – looking to complete a big-race double in the McManus colours following Grade Three success aboard Spillane’s Tower in the previous contest on the card – settled his mount at the rear of the four-runner field for much of the two-mile journey while his stablemate Lombron adopted a pacesetting role.
There was the odd moment of worry for Mystical Power’s supporters, with his rider having to get lower in the saddle on the home turn, but the further he went the better he looked and he fairly rocketed clear in the straight to score by seven lengths from Jigoro.
Mullins’ assistant David Casey said: “I was very impressed with him, he wouldn’t show that at home. He seems to save his best for the track, which is a great trait to have.
“We were a little bit worried about the ground today as he’s coming from a summer campaign. We were a little worried if he would handle that heavy ground, but it looks like he went through it very well.
“We gave him a break after he had his couple of runs in the summer and brought him back to see if he would handle a winter campaign.
“Mark rode him a couple of weeks ago and thought he had improved hugely from when he had rode him earlier in the year. He showed that today.”
Sky Bet make the winner their 9-2 favourite for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, just ahead of fellow McManus-owned ace Jeriko Du Reponet – trained by Nicky Henderson – at 5-1.
“At the moment you probably wouldn’t go any further than two miles until you have to. Mark said he rides a lot quicker on the track than he does at home,” Casey added.
“I thought he showed a fair turn of foot there. I know the camp have the second-favourite for the Supreme as well so they might want to split them up, but at the moment until you have to you wouldn’t go further, I think.”
Frank Berry, McManus’ racing manager, said: “That was grand. Mark said they didn’t go mad early on, but he quickened up well.
“Hopefully he’ll have learned a little bit jumping wise today and you could only be very pleased with him.
“We didn’t know coming here how he was going to cope with the ground, but he coped with it quite well.
“He’s keen anyway and the small field suited to get him settled.”
When asked if he could run again before Cheltenham, Berry added: “The experience part of it would do him good but we’ll leave that up to Willie.”
Anthony Davis said the Los Angeles Lakers could not use LeBron James' injury-enforced absence as an excuse after the 39-year-old missed Saturday's 132-125 defeat to the Utah Jazz.
James rolled his left ankle during the first half of the Lakers' 127-109 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Thursday, staying in that contest but scoring a season-low 10 points in just 24 minutes on the court.
The NBA's all-time leading scorer was then absent as Los Angeles suffered their sixth defeat in eight games on Saturday, with D'Angelo Russell's season-high 39 points not enough in Salt Lake City.
Davis had a triple-double with 15 points, 15 boards and 10 assists but shot five of 21 from the field as the Lakers dropped to 19-21 for the season.
While the 30-year-old pointed to the injury problems which have hampered Los Angeles throughout the campaign, he feels they have enough talent on the roster to win games without their stars.
"We're not in a bad spot," Davis said. "It could be worse. Our injuries just piled up over and over.
"As soon as we think we get a couple of guys back, guys go down. So, that's the toughest thing but we still have enough to win basketball games.
"Even though Bron doesn't play, we have enough to win. We've just got to keep going. We've played 40 games, 42 left. We got to make a push.
"These next five or six games at home are going to be a big stretch of games for us."
The Lakers, who sit 11th in the Western Conference standings, welcome the Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks, Brooklyn Nets, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Clippers and Chicago Bulls to Crypto.com Arena in the next 11 days.
Spillane’s Tower inflicted a shock defeat on red-hot favourite Blood Destiny in the Betting Better With SkyBet Novice Chase at Punchestown.
The Grade Three contest has an illustrious roll of honour in recent years, with Carefully Selected, Envoi Allen, Bob Olinger and Impervious the last four winners, and the Willie Mullins-trained Blood Destiny was a 2-5 shot to add his name to the list following an impressive fencing debut at Naas.
Just as he did a month ago, Blood Destiny set out to make every yard of the running in the hands of Paul Townend, and for much of the two-and-a-half-mile contest he appeared in complete control.
However, it became clear on the run to the final fence he had a real race on his hands as Mark Walsh conjured a late charge from Spillane’s Tower (7-1), who was bidding for back-to-back course wins for trainer Jimmy Mangan and owner JP McManus.
Blood Destiny was still in the lead jumping the final fence, but he was unable to resist Spillane’s Tower’s finishing kick, with two lengths separating the pair at the line.
The winning owner’s racing manager, Frank Berry, said: “He jumped well, they went a good gallop and he stayed well. You could only be pleased with him.
“I’d say the step up in trip was a big help to him. Mark said he was a bit flat out early on but he got home well.
“We’ve no plans, we’ll see where he goes and where he slots in. It’s nice to see Jimmy with a nice horse, all his runs have been good and he’s improving all the time. It was a nice performance.”
Tommy Fleetwood held off the challenge of Ryder Cup team-mate Rory McIlroy with a big finish to claim a dramatic victory at the Dubai Invitational.
The Englishman entered the final round in the United Arab Emirates with a one-shot lead but found himself one behind McIlroy stood on the 18th tee before the Northern Irishman hooked his tee-shot into the water.
That left the door open for Fleetwood and he rolled in a 16-foot putt on the final green for a birdie-birdie finish and a one-shot victory as McIlroy made a bogey.
Dubai-resident Fleetwood’s closing 67 saw him finish at 19 under, one ahead of McIlroy – who signed for the same score – and South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence.
“I’m very happy,” said Fleetwood. “It was amazing winning. Like almost everybody else in the world of golf, I don’t win anywhere near as much as I would like to but just that winning feeling is great.
“This is obviously where I live and have a lot of support. It’s great to kick off the year with a great result and push on from here.
“I was very happy with the way I played today for the large majority of the round, felt like I didn’t hole some of the putts that I wanted to. I just stayed patient and kept playing. I knew I was playing very, very well, and even the last two holes, played 17 and 18 great.”
McIlroy and Fleetwood’s “Fleetwood Mac” partnership claimed two points from two in the foursomes in Rome last year as Europe beat the United States 16.5-11.5 but no quarter was given on a dramatic final day in Dubai.
Fleetwood found himself three shots clear of McIlroy as he picked up shots on the third, fifth and tenth, with the four-time major champion following gains on the third and fifth with a bogey on the sixth after finding the water.
A hat-trick of McIlroy birdies from the 11th had him in a share of top spot and while he inexplicably three-putted the 14th from two feet, he hit straight back with a 20-footer on the next.
Fleetwood dropped his only shot of the day on the 16th but responded from 30 feet on the 17th, as McIlroy birdied the same hole to set up the late drama.
“I’m really happy for Tommy,” said McIlroy. “He’s played some incredible golf over the last year without actually getting a win. So for him to get the win here, it’s great for him and it will do his confidence a world of good and hopefully he kicks on from it.
“I think first week back out, I think you’re going to expect some of those sloppy mistakes and unfortunately for me those mistakes came at the wrong time today. But I’ll reflect on it and learn from today and there’s still a lot of good stuff in there. But just need to tidy up some of the edges and if I do that, I feel good going into next week.”
Lawrence finished with a 64, while England’s Jordan Smith was at 16 under, one shot clear of former Open champion Francesco Molinari.
Connections are confident a patient approach will see Energumene return at his best next season.
Willie Mullins’ dual Champion Chase hero was imperious when defending his two-mile crown at the Cheltenham Festival last March, but has been denied the opportunity to bid for a hat-trick having suffered an injury which has ruled him out of the current campaign.
Owned by Brighton & Hove Albion chief Tony Bloom, Energumene is unlikely to be seen on track again until the 2024-25 season, as the Closutton team seek to give their high-class operator as much time as possible to recover from his setback, something seen as key to Energumene returning in the form of old.
“He’s recovering well,” said Bloom’s racing manager, Sean Graham.
“It was an injury that needed a little bit of time and he’s doing well and is recovering. The signs are good, but you never can tell so we will have to wait and see. The vets are very happy with him so fingers crossed.
“It was a case of if we can’t go to Cheltenham then we give him the whole of the season off and give him plenty of time to recover for next year.
“The way we are talking at the minute we will be giving him as plenty of time to recover as we possibly can. It’s not a career-threatening injury and it is just a case of us being patient. Tony is very patient and he will give him as much time as the horse needs.”
Meanwhile, the exciting Bunting will attempt to hit the bullseye at the Dublin Racing Festival next month where he could secure his ticket to the Cheltenham Festival.
An impressive winner when trained in France, he doubled up when making a blistering start to life in the care of Mullins at Limerick, producing a taking display to score by an ever-widening eight lengths.
That saw the Bloom-owned juvenile handed quotes as short as 7-1 for the Triumph Hurdle in March, but with both victories coming in testing conditions, connections are keen to see if he can repeat his exploits so far on a sounder surface.
“He won his first ever race in France and we bought him after that, so his run at Limerick was only his second ever time on the track and he’s open to loads of improvement,” said Graham.
“He handles soft ground very well because it was very soft when he won in France and very soft when he won his maiden hurdle at Limerick, so we just wonder how effective he will be if the ground gets a lot quicker.
“We don’t know and we’re just hoping he turns out he is as good as you hope he is going to be.”
Bunting will now head to Leopardstown’s Grade One McCann FitzGerald Spring Juvenile Hurdle on February 3 and a contest his handler has won the past two years with high-class pair Gala Marceau and Vauban.
That will be the perfect opportunity for connections to check out Bunting’s Triumph Hurdle credentials and a contest where he could meet well-regarded stablemates Storm Heart and Salvator Mundi as well as ante-post Triumph favourite Burdett Road, who could be sent on an enterprising raiding mission to the Irish capital by handler James Owen.
Graham added: “The Dublin Racing Festival is his next target, he’s entered in the juvenile hurdle on the 3rd and we wait and see. That will tell us whether we should be going to the Triumph Hurdle or not.
“He’s a horse for the future and he’s only had two races. Expecting him to go and win a Grade One on his third-ever race on the track is a big expectation, but we will see what happens.”
Algeria head coach Djamel Belmadi is demanding humility from his players ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations opener against Group D rivals Angola as they look to bounce back from their 2021 disappointment.
Les Fennecs entered that tournament as defending champions but crashed out of the group stage, finishing bottom with just one point from three matches.
While Belmadi’s side enter the competition the fourth best-ranked team in the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the boss tempered expectations.
He told the CAF website: “We can’t say we are going to win (the trophy), but we can say we’ve prepared ourselves to give our best and to perform in this competition and to go as far as possible.
“Of course our expectations and ambitions are high. Because we went out in the first round in Cameroon, we were not in the last World Cup. We cannot say that we are the favourites, we have to be humble.
“What we feel, talk, say between us on what is our ambition might be different, but our communication should be like this because of the last AFCON.”
Head-to-head, Algeria have two wins over Angola to their opponent’s single victory, while six other encounters between the two have ended in stalemates.
Angola are back in the tournament after missing out on qualifying for the last edition and boss Pedro Goncalves knows their first encounter will be a tough test.
He told CAF: “We have achieved our main goal, which was to qualify and come here. It is very important for Angolan football to be at the biggest tournament on the continent.
“We know Algeria is a formidable adversary. Algeria’s sporting potential speaks for itself, as does its investment. So we must be strong, focused and courageous for what awaits us.”
Novak Djokovic was given a scare by Croatian teenager Dino Prizmic in the longest first-round match of his grand slam career.
The world number one is a big favourite to win an 11th title at Melbourne Park, where he has not lost since 2018, but he dropped the second set as 18-year-old Prizmic showed what makes him a major talent for the future.
The qualifier was briefly a break up in the third set and kept battling after Djokovic stepped things up before the defending champion finally clinched a 6-2 6-7 (5) 6-3 6-4 victory on his seventh match point after four hours and one minute.
The signs did not look good for Prizmic when he dropped his opening service game and then took a medical time-out at 2-3 for treatment to his left groin.
He already had tape on his right arm and could find nothing to hurt Djokovic in the first set, but things began to change early in the second.
Djokovic won a staggering 17 of his 19 tie-breaks at grand slams in 2023, including 15 in a row from the second round in Melbourne to the Wimbledon final, but here he played a very poor one and suddenly what had seemed a straightforward occasion became anything but.
Djokovic, who was dabbing his brow and puffing his cheeks, was making a lot of uncharacteristic errors and Prizmic fought back from 2-0 down in the third set to lead by a break at 3-2.
There was concern on the face Djokovic’s coach Goran Ivanisevic, who was among the spectators watching his countryman Prizmic’s run to the French Open junior title last year.
Djokovic ultimately found a way through, but the 36-year-old’s rivals will have been watching closely.
Fifth seed Andrey Rublev was hugely relieved after edging past Brazil’s Thiago Seyboth Wild in a fifth-set tie-break.
Rublev had in his mind his good friend Daniil Medvedev’s exit to Seyboth Wild at the same stage of the French Open last summer and he trailed 4-1 in the deciding tie-break after seeing a two-set lead and then four match points come and go.
But Rublev fought his way back to clinch a 7-5 6-4 3-6 4-6 7-6 (10/6) victory after three hours and 42 minutes.
Former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini was a casualty without taking to the court, the Italian pulling out as his injury woes continued.
Berrettini had been due to face Stefanos Tsitsipas on Rod Laver Arena on Monday in one of the plum ties of the first round.
But on Sunday afternoon tournament organisers announced he had withdrawn with a right foot injury, making it the fourth time in the last eight grand slam tournaments where he has not been able to play a match.
Berrettini has been replaced in the draw by Belgian lucky loser Zizou Bergs, who will take on Tsitsipas.
Fourth seed Jannik Sinner, one of the favourites for the title following his stellar end to 2023, began his campaign with a straight-sets win over Botic van de Zandschulp.
Sinner, who beat Djokovic twice in a matter of days at the ATP Finals and Davis Cup in November, was a 6-4 7-5 6-3 winner on Rod Laver Arena.
The Italian did not play a warm-up tournament after his late finish to last season and he said: “I feel like I started off actually really well for the first match.
“Then after I had some moments where I made a couple of wrong choices, but this can happen. It was important today for me because I was looking forward to stepping on the court.”
Twelfth seed Taylor Fritz was twice a set down to Facundo Diaz Acosta and needed treatment after rolling his ankle but recovered to claim a 4-6 6-3 3-6 6-2 6-4 victory.
Former finalist Marin Cilic played his first grand slam match since the US Open in 2022 following knee surgery but was beaten in four sets by Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan.
Panda Boy could bid to give trainer Martin Brassil a second Randox Grand National victory in the spring following a fine run in defeat at Leopardstown last month.
Having finished a close-up third in the lucrative Paddy Power Chase last season, the eight-year-old picked up the silver medal this time around behind the Willie Mullins-trained Meetingofthewaters, who is himself in National contention.
Panda Boy was not beaten far when fifth in the Irish Grand National last year and Brassil, who won the 2006 Grand National with Numbersixvalverde, is this year eyeing a trip to Merseyside.
He said: “I’m going to enter him for Aintree anyway and he might have a run in the three-mile handicap hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival.”
Brassil enjoyed two winners over the festive period, with Goldinthemountains landing a Leopardstown bumper and Built By Ballymore opening his account over hurdles with a dominant display at Limerick.
The trainer views Goldinthemountains as an exciting prospect for the future, but the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival is not on his agenda.
“He’s a nice horse, a lovely horse for the future. We’ll keep in bumpers for this season and he can go hurdling next season,” the trainer added.
“He wouldn’t be going to Cheltenham anyway. The Dublin Racing Festival might be a possibility, but I haven’t spoken to the owners about it yet. Punchestown in the spring would be a likely target.”
Of Built By Ballymore, he said: “He won well and he’d be more of a staying type for the future. He’s a nice horse to have.”
No horse had a better record in the Clarence House Chase than Un De Sceaux, with Willie Mullins’ warrior winning the Ascot Grade One three times.
Known as a tearaway in his early days, he was eventually tamed by Ruby Walsh and, upon his retirement, then ridden just as masterfully by Paul Townend.
He arrived from France having won two AQPS bumpers in 2012 by an aggregate of 27 lengths and quickly became a fan favourite due to his front-running exploits.
By the time he retired due to injury in 2020, he had won 23 of his 34 races under rules, 10 at Grade One level – and he is now happily living his best life back in France, with plenty of zest still on display.
He was owned by the late Edward O’Connell, whose son Colm said: “We’re in contact quite a bit with the family who have him.
“He’s put on a lot of weight, like everyone who retires! But he’s in great condition – he’s got some constitution, there’s never anything wrong with him, he’s never sick and he’s a zero-maintenance type of a horse, he’s incredible.
“The last I heard, they had a filly that was in the field with him and she was quite headstrong as well. I think Un De Sceaux was trying to teach her his ways, as they were literally bolting around the field together, so when people ask has he calmed down, the answer is no!
“I said to myself ‘if he’s teaching her how to race, she could be very interesting in a couple of years’. He has his own routine and no matter who goes and sees him, he’s still wild.
“It’s a good retirement for him. Racing needs stories like his, there’s enough bad news in racing but for 99.9 per cent of the time, this is what happens when racing is over, and rightly so.
“For him to go back to where he was born and grew up, it’s a fairytale. My family have been over to see him and they absolutely love him over in France, I think they like the fact that they’ve got him back.”
While the growing trend these days seems to be for the biggest names in National Hunt racing to have as easy a time as possible before the spring festivals, that could never be levelled at Un De Sceaux.
So much so that O’Connell believes he could have added to his two Cheltenham wins in the Arkle and Ryanair had he not regularly taken in the Clarence House en route – but he would not have had it any other way.
“We loved our visits to Ascot – and to Sandown and Cheltenham as well, but especially Ascot, because it just seemed to suit him there,” said O’Connell.
“Ironically, though, his win in the Clarence House that impressed me most was 2017, when it was run at Cheltenham because of frost.
“That was because he travelled over to Ascot on the Thursday from Willie’s, he left Saturday night, arrived back Sunday morning and left for Cheltenham the following Wednesday; he ran, won, and then came home. If you’d done that yourself, you’d think it was a pain.
“I went to Cheltenham that day but I thought it would be very hard to win, given all his travelling, but it didn’t knock him a bit and he beat Alan King’s horse Uxizandre by five lengths.
“What I thought though, the two years he won the Clarence House at Ascot (20016 and 2018), he then got beaten at Cheltenham and I think that was because he gave absolutely everything at Ascot.
“The first time, Sprinter Sacre beat him on good ground, no disgrace in that, and then Balko Des Flos beat him the other year.
“He won three Clarence Houses and was second in another, his final ever race when Defi Du Seuil beat him, who was five years younger than him. He’d also beaten us in the Tingle Creek.
“I would have loved to have won four because I don’t think any horse will ever win four. No one might win three again, it takes an awful lot of work. I certainly don’t think another horse trained in Ireland will ever win three Clarence Houses again.
“Maybe Ascot will name a race after him, who knows. It would be fitting.”
As well as three Clarence Houses and his Cheltenham wins, he won Punchestown’s Champion Chase twice, a Tingle Creek and the Prix La Barka at Auteuil – and had the misfortune of straddling the eras of Sprinter Sacre and Altior.
“He was such a warrior, and when you think of the horses he came up against, it was a golden era. He raced against Sprinter Sacre, Altior, Sire De Grugy, Douvan, Min. Some very good two-milers,” said O’Connell.
“When Sprinter Sacre beat us in the Queen Mother (2016), we put it down to tactics – and going to Sandown afterwards, we thought we’d change it up a bit and were quietly confident, but we got it handed to us that day. He was a phenomenal horse, Sprinter Sacre.
“I remember in one of his Clarence House wins, he ran against Speredek, who must have been 20 lengths clear at one stage, but Paul Townend just sat and sat and gradually reeled him in. It was bad ground and he seemed to effortlessly plough through it.
“He went to Cheltenham after that and just wasn’t quite at his best, I think that Ascot race left a mark, but at that time of year, he was unbeatable.
“The Clarence House is such a great race. It takes some going to get up that hill from Swinley Bottom, and Ascot is such a great place. You have the Ascot factor.”
All eyes will again be on the Ascot race this weekend, and O’Connell will be a keen onlooker.
“This year’s race looks a cracker,” he said.
“We all know what Jonbon is, we just don’t know what El Fabiolo is. We’re still rating him on what he could be. I’d say it’s a genuine 50-50 call because Jonbon has come out and won an open Grade One already. I think I’d back whichever was the bigger price!”
Eddie Howe has backed record signing Alexander Isak to join Alan Shearer in the Newcastle pantheon after watching him enhance his credentials in a heart-breaking defeat by Manchester City.
The 24-year-old Sweden international capped a fine individual display with a stunning first-half equaliser, yet still ended up on the losing side after the club world champions snatched a 3-2 victory at St James’ Park as a mouthwatering spectacle came to a dramatic conclusion.
Asked afterwards if Isak, a £63million signing from Real Sociedad during the summer of 2022, could go on to enjoy the same elevated status as the club’s record goalscorer Shearer, head coach Howe said: “The goal was very reminiscent of Alan, really, the finish that he delivered.
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“He can go on, I think, to achieve incredible things in his career. He’s got so much more to offer.
“He’s probably getting back to 100 per cent fit – I wouldn’t say he’s totally there yet. He’s had his own injury troubles this season, but the last two performances and the goals that he’s scored offers a glimpse, really, of his capabilities.
“He is really the all-round striker, in my opinion.”
Isak dragged Newcastle back into a thrilling encounter 10 minutes before the break when, with Bernardo Silva having put the visitors ahead with an impudent flick, he collected Bruno Guimaraes’ looping ball over the top, cut inside Kyle Walker and curled a delicious effort past substitute keeper Stefan Ortega.
When Anthony Gordon matched his feat two minutes later, the Magpies were flying, but a compelling contest was ultimately decided by a tale of two benches, one riven by injury and suspension and the other which included Kevin de Bruyne and the precocious talent of Oscar Bobb.
Howe’s men were coping well with City’s incessant onslaught until De Bruyne making his first league appearance since the opening weekend of the season following a hamstring injury, was introduced as a 69th-minute substitute.
Within five minutes, he had levelled with a pinpoint finish and as Newcastle tired, it was he who picked out Bobb’s stoppage-time run into the box and then looked on as the 20-year-old collected the ball expertly before dispatching it past Martin Dubravka to clinch victory.
In the process, he sent City into second place in the table and condemned the Magpies to a fourth successive league defeat and their first back-to-back failures at home since Amanda Staveley’s successful takeover.
Howe was understandably disappointed by the outcome, but happy with a performance which suggested his team is returning to its best after a bruising run with 14-goal Isak, who has also scored against Aston Villa, Paris St Germain and Liverpool this season, a particular focus.
He said: “Alex is an outstanding individual. His goal was of the highest level, and I thought his energy and his overall performance was outstanding. I thought he was a constant menace.
“He showed his ability to run, he showed his ability to link play and he showed his ability to finish. I’m just disappointed that we couldn’t get him into more dangerous situations in that second half because he could have made the difference for us.”
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