Hossein Vafaei has vowed there will be no repeat of his kamikaze Crucible break-off when he faces Ronnie O’Sullivan in the semi-finals of the UK Snooker Championship in York on Saturday.
The Iranian sealed a rematch of the grudge clash that rocked last April’s World Championship by beating China’s Zhang Anda 6-4 while O’Sullivan dredged up a break of 122 to sink qualifier Zhou Yuelong in a final-frame decider.
Vafaei says he has no regrets about his wild start – where he smashed the balls from his first break-off and saw O’Sullivan mop up a clinical 78 – at the Crucible, which was a response to perceived disrespect shown by O’Sullivan when he played a similar shot in a match at the German Masters 18 months earlier.
Despite also claiming pre-match that he wanted to “shut” O’Sullivan’s mouth and that the Englishman should retire because he was “not good for the game”, the pair had exited the stage arm in arm after the underdog’s 13-2 humbling.
“The past is the past,” Vafaei insisted on Friday. “I’d been waiting 18 months to do that. I know it was a little bit crazy but I’ve done it. Everything has karma.
“But I just want to respect my hero and have a good friendship with him. Life is too short. I wish him the best of health and I love him.”
Vafaei, who has now racked up six centuries in the last two rounds, heads into their rematch as the form player after an unfocused O’Sullivan almost let a 4-1 lead slip against the Chinese world number 26.
O’Sullivan, who had edged through in similar circumstances against Robert Milkins in the previous round, showed his frustration as he missed a succession of easy chances before delivering when it mattered, with a final frame clearance to pink of 122.
The 47-year-old is also adamant he bears no ill will towards Vafaei, whom he considered a friend prior to the incident during German Masters qualifying which annoyed the Iranian.
“I didn’t feel disrespected (by Vafaei’s break-off) – not at all,” said O’Sullivan, whose quarter-final win was his 100th in the tournament since he first appeared as a 16-year-old in 1992.
“I’ve done worse – a lot worse. I like Hossein, he’s a fiery character. He doesn’t take no nonsense. That is his character. I like that in someone. He is his own person.”
O’Sullivan looked set for an easy afternoon as Zhou, seemingly paralysed by nerves, looked a shadow of the player who had accounted for both Neil Robertson and John Higgins in previous rounds.
The Chinese player also appeared intent on gifting O’Sullivan the fourth before finally managing to get a frame on the board.
But from a 4-1 advantage O’Sullivan dramatically lost focused, missing a series of simple shots to allow Zhou to pull level twice, before he found just enough to keep his hopes of a record-breaking eighth UK title just about alive.
“I was just waiting for something to happen and it did, and I played all right,” said O’Sullivan, who continues to play down his hopes of lifting the trophy on the 30th anniversary of his first success.
“I just couldn’t make 20, just missing balls all over the place, and he looked like he was gaining confidence. If I don’t find some form from somewhere I’m going to get beat here.”
Vafaei was pushed almost to the limit in a high-quality clash with in-form Chinese player Zhang Anda, who had got the better of world champion Luca Brecel in the previous round.
Twice Vafaei hauled back Zhang’s early advantage by posting century breaks, then from 4-3 behind he summoned a big finish with consecutive breaks of 106 and 56 confirming the first triple crown semi-final of his career.
AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli admitted his side must get their Serie A title challenge back on track with victory in Saturday’s home game against Frosinone.
Just one win in their previous five league matches has seen Milan slip six points behind leaders Inter and four behind second-placed Juventus.
A home Champions League defeat to Borussia Dortmund in midweek left Milan bottom of their group and while they can still qualify for the knockout stages with one game to play, the pressure is mounting on Pioli.
The 58-year-old former Lazio, Inter and Fiorentina head coach told a press conference: “Frosinone are doing very well and have confidence, (Eusebio) Di Francesco is doing a great job.
“They are aggressive, but we know how to cause them problems. We want to win, and we need to. We need points, the league campaign is long.
“As usual, we’ll need to show concentration, determination and quality. We need to show we are still competitive and put in a good performance.”
Milan beat Pioli’s former club Fiorentina 1-0 at the San Siro last week to halt a domestic league run of two draws and two defeats and a slump in form has coincided with a lengthy injury list.
Pioli was without half a dozen key players for Tuesday night’s loss to Dortmund and saw defender Malick Thiaw forced off early in the second half.
Thiaw will not feature against Frosinone and Olivier Giroud is still suspended, while Rafael Leao, Noah Okafor, Pierre Kalulu, Simon Kjaer, Marco Pellegrino and Mattia Caldara are unlikely to feature.
Pioli added: “There are still 25 league games to play. I told the players not to come in on Thursday to Milanello if they didn’t believe we could reach Inter and Juventus.”
Frosinone boss Di Francesco has injury concerns of his own as his 10th-placed side bid to halt their poor away form, with Luca Mazzitelli, Riccardo Marchizza, Pol Lirola, Francesco Gelli and Marco Brescianini all doubtful.
Frosinone’s impressive start to the season after promotion has been built on five wins and a draw in seven home league matches, but they are winless on the road.
Di Francesco told a press conference: “We need to get this obstacle out of our heads. We made the last point (on the road) in Salerno (in September).
“We need to try to approach the away match with the right attitude. Here at home, however, we feel stronger when going to face our opponents. This way of thinking certainly needs to be changed.”
In a celebration of female prowess on the chessboard, the Jamaica Pegasus in Kingston is set to host the WIM Deborah Richards-Porter Lady's Chess Tournament on December 2 and 3, 2023. This all-woman chess event, now in its 10th year, pays tribute to the legendary Deborah Richards Porter, a 10-time national champion and trailblazer in the world of chess.
Richards-Porter said she is humbled that the event is being held in her honour.
“So coming from a time when I was playing and there were hardly any females playing, to having a situation now where there are a lot more girls, it's very heartwarming to see Jamaica get to this point whereby we have this many females playing,” she told Sportsmax.TV.
“And so to have worked tirelessly over the years to accomplish everything that's I’ve accomplished with the help of so many people to now have a tournament in my name it's a very humbling experience.”
She expressed the aspiration that the tournament will help bring even more female players to the game.
“I do hope that this sort of event will help empower females, not just those who are playing but also the parents, the moms, the dads, aunties of girls who want to go into sports or want to go into activities that are traditionally male oriented, to help to push and boost their daughters and to help to foster an idea or thinking their daughters, their nieces to know you are not limited because you're a female.
“You can also do it. Whatever you want to achieve, you can achieve it because you don't put any limits on yourself. And so that's what I want this tournament to symbolize more than anything else.”
Ian Wilkinson, Chairman of the Jamaica Chess Federation’s Women's Chess Committee, shed light on the significance of naming the tournament after Richards Porter. He emphasized the significance of honouring Richards Porters, stating, “She is a living legend, a real deal, who has achieved milestones that no other female player in the English-speaking Caribbean has accomplished. The tournament is a fitting tribute to recognize her outstanding contributions to the world of chess.”
Richards Porter left an indelible mark on the chess world. Her remarkable career includes winning 10 consecutive Jamaica Women's Championships, setting a record that remains unmatched. Debunking stereotypes and breaking barriers, she emerged as the first female in the English-speaking Caribbean to attain the Woman International Master (WIM) title in chess.
Wilkinson further delved into her achievements, stating, “In 2014, she won the woman sub-zonals event in Barbados. Her achievements include multiple Olympia representations and a Woman FIDE Master title. She has truly earned the status of a living legend, making her a real deal in the world of chess.”
With over 50 players already registered, the tournament anticipates additional registrations before the fierce competition commences.
Wilkinson expressed his enthusiasm for women's chess, stating, “I find the women's games more exciting than the men games. You've got 10 women's games; chances are you’re going to have the eight victories and two draws. The women's game is more exciting; there is this traditional bias against it. So, I took it upon myself to bring more attention to women's chess both locally and internationally.”
The WIM Deborah Richards-Porter Lady's Tournament Tournament showcases various categories catering to a diverse range of players, including open sections for adult females, amateur players in different age groups, primary school, and prep school sections. The tournament features a rapid event on Saturday and an international online blitz event on Sunday, drawing interest from chess enthusiasts worldwide.
Explaining the time controls for the rapid event, Wilkinson detailed, “Each player will have 15 minutes to finish the game and five increments of five seconds per move, making it hard to lose on time and contributing to better chess. The entry fee, inclusive of lunch, is 3500 Jamaican dollars, with the Federation subsidizing the cost.”
Highlighting the international dimension of the tournament, Wilkinson shared, “The blitz event on Sunday has garnered interest from nearly 20 different countries, including Barbados, Grenada, the Cayman Islands, Saint Lucia, and even countries as far away as Africa and Europe.”
The blitz segment features games with a duration of five minutes and three-second increments per move.
The sponsors for the event include lead sponsor General Accident Insurance Company, the Magnificent Chess Foundation, the Jamaica Olympic Association, the Sports Development Foundation, and support from the International Chess Federation (FIDE). The Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport is also backing the tournament, with hopes of having Minister Olivia Grange present at the opening ceremony.
Fans of the mighty Constitution Hill might have to wait until Boxing Day to catch a sight of National Hunt racing’s pre-eminent superstar, with trainer Nicky Henderson revealing he is far from certain to line up in a rescheduled Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Sandown next weekend.
The six-year-old was all set to bid for back-to-back victories in the Grade One contest at Newcastle on Saturday, but the abandonment of racing has forced his trainer back to the drawing board.
The powers that be have moved swiftly to save the Fighting Fifth, switching it to next Saturday’s Tingle Creek card, with existing entries cancelled and new entries to be made by noon on Monday.
But the week’s delay means there will now only be 17 days between the Fighting Fifth and Constitution Hill’s next target – a defence of the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton.
“We’ve discussed it and discussed it and we’ll continue to discuss it,” Henderson told the PA news agency on Friday afternoon.
“What I couldn’t give Ian Renton (regional director for the Jockey Club) was a guarantee that if they put it on at Sandown that we would run, so I think what they will do is reopen it, and therefore we are not holding it to ransom.
“I don’t know, I’m nervous about it – the time schedule – and I fear one race will have to be sacrificed for the other.”
Constitution Hill was due to be joined on the trip to Newcastle by stablemate Shishkin, who would have been on a recovery mission under a big weight in the Rehearsal Chase, having refused to start in last weekend’s 1965 Chase at Ascot.
As that premier handicap will not be restaged, the Seven Barrows handler must now face preparing his charge for a tilt at the King George VI Chase at Kempton without the aid of a prep run.
He added: “What I really want is a race for Shishkin – that is miles more important.
“I do not like the idea of going into the King George with no run, I don’t like that at all, but there is nowhere for him to go. If you could put on a Rehearsal Chase or something like that I would be there like a bullet!
“He’s going to have to do a lot of work in a short space of time. A lot of racecourses are very helpful to us and I’m going to have to rely on them for their help.”
Williams have confirmed that American rookie Logan Sargeant will remain with the team next season.
The British outfit’s move to retain Sargeant, 22, for a second campaign completes the 20-driver grid for 2024.
Sargeant, who scored just one point during a difficult first season, will race alongside Alex Albon after the London-born Thai’s seat had already been confirmed.
“I am thrilled to be continuing with Williams Racing for the 2024 season,” said Sargeant.
“It has been an incredible journey with the team so far and I am grateful for the opportunity to continue developing as a driver within such a talented and dedicated group.
“We have exciting plans for the future and I can’t wait to contribute to the team’s success in the coming year.”
Sargeant claimed his maiden point in Formula One – the first American to score in the sport since Michael Andretti 30 years ago for McLaren – after Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were both disqualified from the United States Grand Prix in Austin in October.
Albon finished the year with an impressive 27 points to help Williams land seventh in the constructors’ championship, the team’s best result for six seasons.
“I am pleased to continue our journey with Logan into 2024,” said team principal James Vowles.
“Logan has demonstrated immense skill whilst under the pressure of the world stage, making him a perfect fit for our team.
“We have great confidence in his abilities and believe that together we can achieve even greater success in the upcoming season.”
The Formula One season will start in Bahrain on March 2.
Mauricio Pochettino believes his players have been their own worst enemies this season after Chelsea’s recent good form was derailed by last weekend’s thrashing at Newcastle.
The 4-1 loss on Tyneside came after the team had given arguably their two most promising performances of the season, first winning by the same score away at previously unbeaten Tottenham, then in drawing a frenetic match 4-4 against Premier League and European champions Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.
Yet at St. James’s Park they were routed by Eddie Howe’s side, with Pochettino admitting to feeling angry and disappointed at the manner in which his players capitulated in the second half against a Newcastle team ravaged by injuries.
Inconsistency has been a thorn in the manager’s side since he took over in July, with only four wins in 13 league matches.
Home form has been a particular concern, with one victory so far and defeats against Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa and Brentford, though performances in earning creditable draws against Arsenal, Liverpool and City had offered cause for hope.
However, the heavy defeat to Newcastle, which was compounded by a red card for captain Reece James, has brought questions about the rate of progress under the Argentinian back to the fore ahead of welcoming Brighton to west London on Sunday.
“It was a tough week for everyone,” said Pochettino. “I’m very happy because the players reacted really well. We blame ourselves because our approach (at Newcastle) maybe was wrong.
“But the week was good to realise what we need to improve. We need to be more consistent and mature. I’m very, very happy so far. It was tough in training and in meetings, but sometimes this type of situation helps you to improve a lot.
“The important thing is not to look at the end of the season, but to see the process and to improve every day. That’s the most difficult thing always in this type of process, to be focused on today and not on tomorrow.
“We beat Tottenham, had an amazing game against Manchester City, then we lose against Newcastle. We are our worst enemies and we need to be focused on us.
“If we are in a good place (against Brighton), I think for sure we will compete in a very good way. Brighton are not going to be the problem. We need to pay attention (to the opposition), but in this process I think we need to pay more attention to ourselves than to the opponent.”
Summer signings Christopher Nkunku and Romeo Lavia will be assessed on Saturday ahead of the Brighton game, with Pochettino confirming “they are close” to being fit enough to make long-awaited debuts.
Nkunku, a £52million capture from RB Leipzig, suffered a knee injury during a pre-season game against Borussia Dortmund, disrupting a promising start to his Chelsea career on the club’s United States tour, whilst Lavia has been out with an ankle problem and has not played since joining from Southampton.
Pochettino added that he had not held back in showing his anger to the players following the surrender to Newcastle.
“The players know very well how my mood was,” he said. “I’m not going to act. I’m not going to show a face that I don’t feel.
“I think it’s important the players feel the coaches in a natural way when we are angry, when we’re happy we’re happy. We were tough in our analysis, but tough is about telling the truth.”
Nicky Henderson will make alternative plans for Constitution Hill and Shishkin following the abandonment of Saturday’s high-profile fixture at Newcastle.
Constitution Hill was due to bid for back-to-back victories in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Gosforth Park, with Shishkin set to join his esteemed stablemate on the trip to the north east for a redemption mission in the Rehearsal Chase, having refused to start in last weekend’s 1965 Chase at Ascot.
But with course officials calling off the meeting on Friday after significant snow fell on the covered track, Henderson is now contemplating his next move.
While raising the possibility of the Fighting Fifth being rescheduled, the Seven Barrows handler would be happy to head straight to the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day with Constitution Hill.
What is causing him a bigger headache is how best to prepare Shishkin for an intended tilt at the King George VI Chase on the same Kempton card.
“The one I’m more concerned about is Shishkin,” Henderson told Racing TV at Newbury on Friday. “From Constitution Hill’s point of view, if he had to go to Kempton without a run, that would not worry me at all, whereas Shishkin going to the King George without a run does not sit comfortably.
“We have no option with Shishkin, there might be an option with Constitution Hill, as I know the powers that be are working like beavers to try and reconstruct a Fighting Fifth.
“But on the other hand, we wouldn’t want to go too far away from today, because you’re getting terribly close to Christmas itself and 16 or 17 days (between runs) doesn’t appeal to me enormously.
“I don’t think Shishkin is necessarily a doubt (for the King George), but he needs to go and have a good gallop somewhere. He’ll have to do some work in the meantime.”
Dashel Drasher produced a gutsy display to hold off the fast-finishing Paisley Park in a thrilling conclusion to the Coral Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury.
Jeremy Scott’s Stayers’ Hurdle runner-up was sent off the 2-1 second favourite in the hands of Rex Dingle and showed huge improvement on his Wetherby reappearance, when only third in the West Yorkshire Hurdle.
It was Patrick Neville’s Mahons Glory who wasted no time in building up a hefty lead in the early stages, as the other five runners were well-grouped, content to bide their time.
With the business end of the Grade Two event approaching, 20-1 shot Flight Deck led the field into the straight but Dashel Drasher was snapping at his heels and had taken over by the time the final flight approached.
The 10-year-old jumped the last with a narrow advantage, with Dingle soon in full flow searching for the line, as Tom Bellamy in his wing mirrors conjured up the customary end-of-race flourish from Paisley Park.
However, despite the petrol tank flashing red and Dashel Drasher’s lead narrowing with every stride, he was never headed by Paisley Park and showed plenty of heart to pull out extra and score by a head.
Stephen Kingsley hopes improving Hearts can become more emphatic winners as they bid to assert themselves in the race for Europe.
The Jambos have climbed to fourth in the cinch Premiership after three successive league victories by a one-goal margin.
Hearts have comfortably the best defensive record in the league outside the Old Firm, with six clean sheets and only 12 goals conceded in their 13 matches.
However, Steven Naismith’s side have scored only 13 times, with only three teams, Ross County plus the bottom two of St Johnstone and Livingston, netting less.
“One thing we’ve spoken about, even though we’ve had three good results recently, is that we need to score more goals,” said defender Kingsley.
“We’ve done well defensively and kept a lot of clean sheets this season, so the next thing is to go and really take it by the scruff of the neck and kill teams off as early as we can and make it more enjoyable for ourselves.”
Hearts last weekend made it three league wins in a row for the first time since January 2022.
If they beat Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on Saturday – a result that would lift them up to third place – it will be the first time since the start of the 2018/19 season under Craig Levein that they have recorded four top-flight victories on the spin.
“It just shows that we’ve not really shown that level of consistency we need for a long time,” said Kingsley. “Two seasons ago we had a really good run of games where we went into games feeling like we were going to get a win or a positive result no matter how we played.
“We need to build ourselves back up to that. I don’t think any team has shown that level of consistency this season. That’s why the league is so tight and it’s why we’re sitting up in fourth after not having the best of results earlier in the season.
“I think whoever can show that bit of consistency will be the ones who do well come the end of the season.”
Despite being a defender, Kingsley netted 12 goals in his first two seasons at Hearts, including seven in the 2021/22 campaign.
Remarkably, however, the 29-year-old has not found the next in the past 19 months since his sensational free-kick in the Scottish Cup semi-final victory over Hibernian in April 2022.
“As long as we win I don’t care,” he said when asked about his goal drought. “I’d obviously love to get back on the score-sheet and help the boys out, but as long as I’m keeping clean sheets and the team’s winning, that’s the most important thing.
“I had a run of form a couple of seasons ago where I was getting loads of free-kicks and getting chances to score, but they’ve kind of dried up.
“I had a few free-kicks I was disappointed with earlier in the season, but my main job is to be a defender and we’ve been keeping clean sheets so I’m happy with that.
“I really couldn’t care who is scoring the goals as long as we’re winning games.”
Grand National hero Corach Rambler could head straight for the Cheltenham Gold Cup following his creditable third-placed finish in last weekend’s Betfair Chase.
Lucinda Russell’s charge was disappointing on his seasonal reappearance at Kelso in October, but was nevertheless stepped up to Grade One level for the first time at Haydock.
The nine-year-old was ultimately unable to land a telling blow on Merseyside, but Russell’s partner and assistant Peter Scudamore feels there was enough encouragement in the performance to suggest he would be no forlorn hope come Gold Cup day in March.
He said: “I was delighted, I thought he ran a fantastic race. Derek (Fox) thought the ground was a bit soft for him, but he stuck at it well.
“I think he’s got an opportunity of being placed in a Gold Cup. I don’t think he’ll win it, but I think he’s got an opportunity to be placed.
“We’re not quite sure where we’re going between now and then, but personally I think we should do the same as last year – give him a racecourse gallop, go to Cheltenham and then go to Aintree.
“We’ll see how he is, but that’s what I think.”
Corach Rambler has won the Ultima Handicap Chase at each of the last two Cheltenham Festivals and the form of his second victory has been boosted hugely by the runner-up Fastorslow.
Martin Brassil’s stable star went on to beat Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs in the Punchestown Gold Cup before the end of last season, and proved that was no fluke by taking his measure again in last Sunday’s John Durkan at Punchestown.
Scudamore added: “Corach Rambler loves Cheltenham and has performed round well at Cheltenham. He obviously beat Fastorslow last season and the extra two furlongs of the Gold Cup won’t worry him.
“Last year he went to Carlisle, then he finished fourth at Newbury (in the Coral Gold Cup) and then it was a big step up from Newbury to what he did at Cheltenham.
“I think he ran to the same standard as he did at Newbury last year when he ran at Haydock the other day on ground that was possibly softer than he likes.
“I think he’s a worthy runner in the Gold Cup – I don’t think he’d just be turning up for the day out – and I’d be quite happy to go straight there.”
Thomas Tuchel wants his Bayern Munich team to “take it up a notch” when they face Bundesliga strugglers Union Berlin on Saturday.
Bayern are unbeaten in all 12 of their league matches this season and sit two points off leaders Bayer Leverkusen.
They face a Union side who recently hired new manager Nenad Bjelica and find themselves in the relegation zone, having lost nine of their last 10 games.
Tuchel called for a reaction from his players after Bayern’s midweek 0-0 draw with Copenhagen in the Champions League.
“They’ve changed the formation to a 4-1-4-1 (Union),” Tuchel told a press conference.
“You can’t read too much into their game (1-1 draw against Braga) because there was an early red card. We’ll also look at games involving the clubs he’s coached previously.
“We have to concentrate on ourselves and do things better. We want to take it up a notch. The main attention is on us.”
Bayern left-back Alphonso Davies has recently been linked with a move away from the Allianz Arena.
Tuchel lauded the Canada international, highlighting him as a “key player” for the German champions.
“He’s our player and an absolutely key player,” Tuchel added.
“He knows how highly we value him. For me, how long the player is under contract doesn’t change anything.
“He’s playing regularly at the highest level. I trust the management. He’s still a very young player, which we often forget. He has room for improvement in every area, but all at an extremely high level.”
Midfielder Leon Goretzka has previously featured as a centre-back and Tuchel talked up the player’s versatility.
He said: “You can’t overstate it. We moved Leon from the centre of midfield to centre-back in the final training session. He did it very well. His best position is when he can use his running strength between the boxes.
“He’s had very good performances in midfield and that’s still where we see him. Every time he’s played at centre-back, he’s played well.”
Saturday’s high-profile fixture at Newcastle, which was due to stage the return of the brilliant Constitution Hill, has been abandoned due to snow on the track.
Nicky Henderson’s charge was set to be the star of the show this weekend, in his bid for back-to-back victories in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle.
Adding further spice to a quality card was the intended presence of his top-class stablemate Shishkin, who was poised to contest the Rehearsal Chase having refused to start at Ascot last weekend.
Officials deployed frost sheets across the entirety of the Newcastle track on Tuesday to guard against sub-zero temperatures, and on Friday morning clerk of the course Eloise Quayle reported the surface underneath to be raceable.
However, with snow having already fallen, a precautionary inspection for 2.30pm on Friday was called to assess the situation and Quayle ultimately had no option but to call off proceedings.
She said: “We’re absolutely gutted. We’ve had five centimetres of snow in total and we tried to have a practice run of taking the frost sheets off with the snow on, which first of all proved incredibly difficult, then secondly as we were taking them up the ground was freezing over behind us.
“The ground wasn’t frozen as we were taking them off, but within half an hour it was white over. Given we were having our warmest temperatures at the time we were taking them off, coupled with the difficulties taking them off in the first place, I think we were pretty hopeless, sadly.
“We’ve tried everything we can, but unfortunately sometimes you just can’t beat the weather.”
While Friday’s Newbury meeting went ahead as scheduled, a precautionary inspection has been called for 7.30am ahead of Saturday’s Coral Gold Cup card.
Covers were put down earlier in the week and were due to be reapplied at the end of Friday’s meeting ahead of overnight temperatures which could dip as low as minus 4C overnight.
Doncaster also have a Saturday card, which will be subject to a 7.30am check.
Fairyhouse is due to stage a classy two-day fixture on Saturday and Sunday, although the opening day is subject to a 7.30am inspection.
Brendan Sheridan, Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board clerk of the course at Fairyhouse, said: “We had a slight grass frost at Fairyhouse this morning following a cold night, but the track is currently fit for racing.
“Having spoken with Met Eireann this morning, the forecast for tonight is for temperatures to get down to minus 3C and not much higher than 2C tomorrow.
“In light of that forecast, we will have an inspection at 7.30am on Saturday morning to assess the situation for day one of our Winter Festival.”
Bangor’s Saturday National Hunt meeting is subject to a precautionary inspection at 8am, while Sunday’s meetings at Leicester and Carlisle will have to pass 11.30am and 12pm checks respectively on Saturday, with Carlisle currently unraceable due to frozen patches of ground.
Milton Harris’ assistant Tony Charlton has been granted a temporary training licence after an interim suspension was imposed on Wiltshire-based Harris by the British Horseracing Authority.
Harris has not been able to have runners since November 9, when Balboa and Giddyupadingdong were not permitted to compete at Ludlow by the BHA, with the Warminster trainer due to face a licensing committee hearing in January.
Charlton has now been given a temporary licence to train from Harris’ Sutton Veny yard, although it is “with agreed conditions attached”.
Horses who have remained in Harris’ yard since the trainer’s licence was suspended will be able to run from December 14, although any horse who has been in a licensed yard and moves to Charlton will be eligible to run immediately.
Harris, who started his training career in 2001, had a seven-year enforced absence from 2011 to 2018 due to financial issues.
Since returning to the sport he has saddled some notable winners, highlighted by Knight Salute, who claimed the 2022 Grade One Jewson Anniversary 4-y-o Juvenile Hurdle at Aintree along with three Grade Two victories that season.
Ange Postecoglou insists he will relish the prospect of taking injury-hit Tottenham to Premier League champions Manchester City this weekend.
Spurs make the trip to the Etihad on a three-match losing run and with their list of absentees into double figures with Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, James Maddison and Rodrigo Bentancur among those sidelined.
Tottenham boast a good record against Pep Guardiola’s City with five wins from their last eight meetings, but that has come from playing a more pragmatic style compared to Postecoglou’s attacking philosophy.
Even with a growing injury list, the Australian is not about to ditch his possession-based, front-foot tactics any time soon despite a seemingly daunting visit to last season’s treble-winners.
“It’s always a challenge playing against City or any team Pep manages. You love that, you relish that, that’s the arena you want to be in, measuring yourself against the very best,” Postecoglou stated.
“Yeah, great if things were a bit smoother for us but it is what it is and I still think during this period for us, even last week, there were moments in the game when we played some fantastic football.
“We’ve got to crack on, we’ve got to get on with it. We can’t take our eyes off what we’re trying to achieve here. For me that’s always paramount to everything I do, every decision I make.
“Every time we put a team out there it’s about us becoming the team we want to become. Through that process there’s going to be some challenges, as there is now, some tough times and you just have to stay focused on what you’re trying to achieve.
“For me these are the important times because this will show what kind of football team we want to be. You can sort of shy away, say we have injuries, we’re playing Man City away but you’re either going to be a club that tries to knock off the big clubs or you are a big club. You are one or the other.
“My hope and my ambition for this club is to make it a big club and to do that you have to be successful and win things. To win things you have to have a plan, stick to it and believe in it.”
Postecoglou confirmed that Bentancur is set for a “couple of months” on the treatment table with a torn ankle ligament sustained in last weekend’s 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa.
While disappointed for the Uruguay international, Postecoglou has been impressed by his attitude after only returning from an ACL injury last month.
He added: “We’re still getting some information, but it’ll be well into early next year. A couple of months at least.
“Talking to him yesterday, he’s such a positive guy. If it was me I’d be a hell of a lot grumpier around the place.
“He’s got a really positive outlook. He knows that he’s been through a tough time and now he’s got to go through a shorter tough time but he also knows that, and he felt it when he was out there, that he hasn’t lost anything as a footballer.
“That’s the important thing. I think that’s given him the incentive to be back as quickly as possible and again make an impact for us.”
This week has also seen talk of sin bins being introduced in football after the International Football Association Board (IFAB) backed the idea that temporary dismissals of players for offences such as dissent and specific tactical fouls could be implemented.
But Postecoglou responded: “Bin it mate, bin the whole idea. Just forget about it.”
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
